Douglas Buckland + 6,308 March 5, 2020 1 minute ago, Michael Jones said: i live in hong kong. BP 24 years, HK family office since 2010. Interesting although first case was 26th Jan only reached 100 infected now. NB the border to the mainland was kept open long after many other countries put restrictions on people from the PRC. There were 200,000 mainlanders came to HK from China for CNY. Why no outbreaks like Korea or Italy? Im a Brit. Everyone wears a mask and washes their hands so I am too. There are disinfectant bottles by lifts and entrance to apartment blocks. This maybe what everyone else should be doing. It has worked so far. How can you possibly know if the low rate of infection is due to masks and washing your hands? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Jones + 34 March 5, 2020 (edited) i dont know why but how come HK hasnt had major outbreaks like other places? Were they more prepared expecting it to happen and took precautions (learnt from SARs)? Many more people went back and fore to the PRC after the outbreak than any other country in the world. not one or two plane loads a day to milan Edited March 5, 2020 by Michael Jones 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douglas Buckland + 6,308 March 5, 2020 Good question! Also, why is Singapore having such a problem while Indonesia (last time I checked) has not reported a single case? It could be political or that some countries still do not have sufficient means to identify the virus. OR, nasi lemak prevents the spread of the virus!!!😂 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Jones + 34 March 5, 2020 Agree. NB Uk government put out a warning last week to UK citizens returning from Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam regarding potential coronavirus infection and to phone the NHS hotline if they had symptoms. Those countries have so far reported few cases. I suspect UK government had information that the virus was out in these countries already otherwise why include in a list which had S Korea, Italy China etc in it 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Jones + 34 March 5, 2020 (edited) lot of chinese investment in those countries and chinese workforce building railways, ports etc. Lot of Chinese investment in Iran oil sector...plus workers. One Belt one Road...no one wonders how it got there and limited in India which has very few investment links to China. Like the pilgrim fathers with Smallpox blankets.... Edited March 5, 2020 by Michael Jones 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marcin2 + 726 MK March 5, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Douglas Buckland said: “China is on The rise and Will reach developed country status in 20 years. It is 4 times more Chinese than American so China is going to be stronger than US by large margin.” Historically, the size of your population does not have a bearing on your place on the world stage or your power globally. Furthermore, if you China has four times the population, then they have four times the number of people to feed and clothe, four times the amount pf people to provide jobs for, and four times the number of people to provide a ‘safety net’ for as well as four times the number of people to take care of once they are perceived as ‘too old to work’. This is a drain on the coffers of government, which will only get worse with an aging population. At the same level of development it does. Switzerland 8 million people larger GDP than Pakistan 220 million. But Germany 90 million stronger than Switzerland My statement about China assumes reaching similar level of GDP per capita like 50-60% of US level. I do not have data to think otherwise. Population asset or liability No matter size: liability Rwanda 12 Nigeria 190 India 1350. - because their people are not educated, economic policies awful so No jobs. In Sweden 10 Japan 120 US 340 China 1400 population is asset because : China example: 50% reaching workforce After college, all people can get jobs better or worse, first class infrastructure , sh@tty political system that cripples economy but it is still resilient. I thought argument larger Chinese population is liability we have behind us. Larger countries have also economies of scale and benefit of domestic market. US can create competitor to Huawei in 5 years for the benefit of us all if it only wanted and tried and not be so f@ck@ng lazy. Huawei will exist no matter US sanctions, both possible because 10+ trillion domestic markets. Economies of scale: R&D you need the same number of people to discover sth in Sweden and US but in US it takes 1/35 % of Swedish population plus government can develop this and support in every manner by vast resources, even 10 or 100 or 1000 billion dollars if needed , Sweden can invest 10 at best not enough for 1 modern chip factory. Military: you can have formidable military with 0.5% of GDP or police the world with 2 or 3% of GDP. 0R0 makes a lot of predictions about imminent destruction of Chinese economy. My HISTORICAL data do not prove it. I will believe if China will do lousy job in economy for just 1 year. I have promise fatigue by Gordon Changs and Michael Pettises of this world. Please give me some real assurance that they will stop their rise, I would be delighted. Some historical data that give hope China will not dominate world. But I will not engage in wishful thinking even it is so soothing for your minds. Edited March 5, 2020 by Marcin2 Edit Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douglas Buckland + 6,308 March 5, 2020 ”But I will not engage in wishful thinking even it is balsam for your minds.” Well said! Let’s you and I agree not to discuss or debate ANYTHING in the future - life is too short. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marcin2 + 726 MK March 5, 2020 Back into hydrocarbons I think that depression of natural gas prices in US is so wrong. Look at Saudi Arabia, Iran, Quatar they are so ineffective in their hunger because of deppressed prices but they are small countries rich in hydrocarbons. I really do not like to watch how US hunger for oil and natural gas has so outsized impact on foreign policy. I looks at views: we have infinite natural gas resources , gas is 1/4 global market price we are so lucky. They are so shortsighted. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marcin2 + 726 MK March 5, 2020 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Douglas Buckland said: ”But I will not engage in wishful thinking even it is balsam for your minds.” Well said! Let’s you and I agree not to discuss or debate ANYTHING in the future - life is too short. I like your guys fresh views cause you lived in different countries and travelled extensively. A lot of good knowledge Sips through it. I really think you are right at least about not engaging in China, US, EU geopolitical discussions. I became less engaged in my hobby lately, changes take years to appear so no reason to watch more often than once a quarter. I will just post Articles I find interesting. At the end of the day most od the forum regulars are most interested in domestic US policies ( although dull as hell for me, with Biden , Trump will win even with gr@b them by the 😺 scandals), oil&natural gas details I do not understand. Edited March 5, 2020 by Marcin2 Typo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douglas Buckland + 6,308 March 5, 2020 17 hours ago, El Nikko said: Saudi and Bahrain were horrible in summer, close to 60 degrees C and pretty much 100% humidity No matter what we tried it was impossible to go to a meeting and not look like you'd been dragged through a hedge backwards The first time that I got off a plane in Abu Dhabi (mid-summer), I was convinced that we’d taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on the planet Mercury! I was only there for a month...I don’t see how anyone actually lives there! 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Plant + 2,756 RP March 5, 2020 17 hours ago, El Nikko said: I might get shouted at for saying this but flu season is almost over, the spread of Coronavirus is going to slow right down in the coming weeks as we enter spring if it's similar to the spread of flu which I would imagine it will be. I know it's 'worse' than flu, it spreads quicker, there's no vacine to protect people who are more vulnerable to pulminary disease, and it does seem to kill at a higher rate but so far there's still only 40-50k uncured cases (if we believe the figures) and less than 15k known cases outside of China half of which are in Korea. I also read it dies in temps over 26/27 degrees so the likelyhood of a massive epidemic in Africa seems unlikely...again if we are to believe that is true. I personally think the panic will be over in 3-4 weeks. I haven't seen this confirmed anywhere, is this actually correct? Also most of northern Europe never get these temperatures so does that mean year round the death rates are going to be considerably higher in temperate regions and a year round issue rather than a seasonal one?? Can anyone show me a link from the WHO or some other creditable body that confirms this please. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douglas Buckland + 6,308 March 5, 2020 @Rob Plant Got this from my Dad in Colorado last night... Gigi Hughes IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT - CORONAVIRUS Last evening dining out with friends, one of their uncles, who's graduated with a master's degree and who worked in Shenzhen Hospital (Guangdong Province, China) sent him the following notes on Coronavirus for guidance: 1. If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold2. Coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose.3. This new virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed by a temperature of just 26/27 degrees. It hates the Sun.4. If someone sneezes with it, it takes about 10 feet before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne.5. If it drops on a metal surface it will live for at least 12 hours - so if you come into contact with any metal surface - wash your hands as soon as you can with a bacterial soap.6. On fabric it can survive for 6-12 hours. normal laundry detergent will kill it.7. Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink liquids with ice.8. Wash your hands frequently as the virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 minutes, but - a lot can happen during that time - you can rub your eyes, pick your nose unwittingly and so on.9. You should also gargle as a prevention. A simple solution of salt in warm water will suffice.10. Can't emphasise enough - drink plenty of water!THE SYMPTOMS1. It will first infect the throat, so you'll have a sore throat lasting 3/4 days2. The virus then blends into a nasal fluid that enters the trachea and then the lungs, causing pneumonia. This takes about 5/6 days further.3. With the pneumonia comes high fever and difficulty in breathing.4. The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You feel like you're drowning. It's imperative you then seek immediate attention.SPREAD THE WORD - PLEASE SHARE. 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Plant + 2,756 RP March 5, 2020 4 hours ago, Marcin2 said: China is on The rise and Will reach developed country status in 20 years ORO has presented some pretty damning financial statistics on the financial health of China going forward, are you refuting these stats?? If ORO is correct I cannot see China getting anywhere near USA in 20 years, so you needn't be worried about security in Eastern Europe from Russia. Your Eu friends should start paying their way into NATO and the US may actually be happy to continue to foot most of the bill. Admittedly Poland do and Canada is actually the worst culprit. It looks like the US in particular and the UK to a lesser extent subsidize NATO, Greece and Estonia arent a consideration as their GDP arent that significant in the first place. https://money.cnn.com/2016/07/08/news/nato-summit-spending-countries/index.html 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Plant + 2,756 RP March 5, 2020 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Douglas Buckland said: @Rob Plant Got this from my Dad in Colorado last night... Gigi Hughes IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT - CORONAVIRUS Last evening dining out with friends, one of their uncles, who's graduated with a master's degree and who worked in Shenzhen Hospital (Guangdong Province, China) sent him the following notes on Coronavirus for guidance: 1. If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold2. Coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose.3. This new virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed by a temperature of just 26/27 degrees. It hates the Sun.4. If someone sneezes with it, it takes about 10 feet before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne.5. If it drops on a metal surface it will live for at least 12 hours - so if you come into contact with any metal surface - wash your hands as soon as you can with a bacterial soap.6. On fabric it can survive for 6-12 hours. normal laundry detergent will kill it.7. Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink liquids with ice.8. Wash your hands frequently as the virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 minutes, but - a lot can happen during that time - you can rub your eyes, pick your nose unwittingly and so on.9. You should also gargle as a prevention. A simple solution of salt in warm water will suffice.10. Can't emphasise enough - drink plenty of water!THE SYMPTOMS1. It will first infect the throat, so you'll have a sore throat lasting 3/4 days2. The virus then blends into a nasal fluid that enters the trachea and then the lungs, causing pneumonia. This takes about 5/6 days further.3. With the pneumonia comes high fever and difficulty in breathing.4. The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You feel like you're drowning. It's imperative you then seek immediate attention.SPREAD THE WORD - PLEASE SHARE. Thanks Doug! Looks like we're all doomed in the UK then! Wheres that bloody global warming Greta is on about, burn coal fast and get cows farting more and we'll be fine! Edited March 5, 2020 by Rob Plant 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wombat + 1,028 AV March 5, 2020 9 hours ago, Douglas Buckland said: Oops! I stand corrected. That said, the corona virus, and most humans, would RUN from Vegemite! That stuff is NASTY!😂 At least we don't mix peanut butter with jelly, puke... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douglas Buckland + 6,308 March 5, 2020 39 minutes ago, Wombat said: At least we don't mix peanut butter with jelly, puke... Well, the Aussie engineers in PNG did...and enjoyed it! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BLA + 1,666 BB March 5, 2020 (edited) 6 hours ago, Douglas Buckland said: The first time that I got off a plane in Abu Dhabi (mid-summer), I was convinced that we’d taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on the planet Mercury! I was only there for a month...I don’t see how anyone actually lives there! The next World Cup is in Qatar. They had to move it from summer to November. Very high death rate of foreign construction workers that built the stadium. Don't know if it was weather related. Edited March 5, 2020 by BLA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douglas Buckland + 6,308 March 5, 2020 8 minutes ago, BLA said: The next World Cup is in Qatar. They had to move it from summer to November. Should move it from day to night as well! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bob D + 562 RD March 5, 2020 15 hours ago, 0R0 said: Frankfurter doesn't get that the US does not "occupy" the way China does. Its presence in air bases and navy ports is in common interest with the allies hosing them. China does not understand cooperative relationships apparently. I don't think China has any real ones. Frankfurter gets it. He's just THAT guy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Plant + 2,756 RP March 5, 2020 51 minutes ago, BLA said: The next World Cup is in Qatar. They had to move it from summer to November. Very high death rate of foreign construction workers that built the stadium. Don't know if it was weather related. Truly shocking the conditions these "workers" (slaves) have to put up with. https://observatoryihr.org/news/labour-conditions-in-qatar-could-result-in-as-many-as-4000-deaths-before-the-start-of-the-2022-world-cup/ 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Plant + 2,756 RP March 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Douglas Buckland said: Should move it from day to night as well! Or just move it! Blatter and his corrupt cronies got a great pay day when they chose that venue 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ward Smith + 6,615 March 5, 2020 10 hours ago, Michael Jones said: i dont know why but how come HK hasnt had major outbreaks like other places? Were they more prepared expecting it to happen and took precautions (learnt from SARs)? Many more people went back and fore to the PRC after the outbreak than any other country in the world. not one or two plane loads a day to milan Warm weather is supposed to make the virus non viable (you can't kill a virus, it isn't alive) and especially ultraviolet light. Here in the Northwest it's still fairly cold and not that much daylight. Almost all the deaths in the US are clustered around Seattle (and a nursing home there). Sunshine is rare in Seattle area. Hong Kong is warm and sunny? Singapore is warm and cloudy? Does everyone in Singapore stay indoors in air-conditioned buildings because it's too hot and muggy outside? I'm very curious about this. Influenza outbreaks regularly peter out around spring and summer. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Kirkman + 8,860 March 5, 2020 18 hours ago, Wombat said: I would add that CCP fast becoming an existential threat to entire world, including the US. We gonna need one helluva coalition to oppose them, hence the Quadrilateral defence talks between US, Australia, India and Japan? Just saw this amusingly bold prediction. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ward Smith + 6,615 March 5, 2020 4 minutes ago, Tom Kirkman said: Just saw this amusingly bold prediction. https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3065132/how-chinas-coronavirus-crisis-exposes-achilles-heel-communist-party 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Nikko + 2,145 nb March 5, 2020 3 hours ago, BLA said: The next World Cup is in Qatar. They had to move it from summer to November. Very high death rate of foreign construction workers that built the stadium. Don't know if it was weather related. When I was in Bahrain we ended up being moved into a rather nice appartment (first time in my career ever to get nice accomodation) and opposite our balcony there were two buildings being built. The lack of safety would blow anyones mind, these were very high blocks of appartments, I don't remember ever seeing a harness being used. I believe once temperatures got over something absurd like 55 degrees they stopped work. We did often feel a bit guilty sat in the sun with our beers watching them. The back story to how we ended up in that appartment was one of our MWD engineers complaining that our sleeping quarters were so close to the wellhead (they really were a stones throw away) and that there was potential for H2S and the obvious fire risk. This fine fellow also decided to CC every man and his dog including the VP of HSE and so on. All hell broke loose, we got a great place to live for 9 months and had a whale of a time especially when we weren't drilling and could go to bars and restaurants. But we never did see that MWD engineer ever again 1 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites