Virginontheridiculouse

This is the letter from the bearded jersey on the Virgin Money website (t/o £70Mn. Trading profit £14 Mn.) who wants the shareholders to ;

1. Accept a "whitewash" - waiving their rights under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code, which requires a bidder to make a takeover offer for the whole company.

2. Be re-branded Virgin Money because Northern Rock is a "Damaged Brand"

3. Put in his own management to run a company with nominally £114 BILLION worth of assets ad 6,000 staff.

4. Rustle up £20 Bn (and rising) to relieve the taxpayers liabilities.

...well you have to admire the guy's chutzpah , but not perhaps, the media's ability to undertake some relatively simple arithmetic.

Thought for the day - passed on from galacticsurfer

“Without a video the people perish”-Is. 13:24

Sergei Pugachev - Russian Billionaire Oligarch buys French shop for 1 Billion Euros

Sergei Victoravitch Pugachev is one of a group of shadowy ex Chekhists and secret service people around Putin from his home town of St Petersburg, such as fellow banker Vladimir Kogan and the oilmen Gennady Timchenko and Yevgeny Malov.

Sergei Pugachev – has been successful in avoiding attention . In 1992 he became chairman of the board of directors of the International Industrial Bank (Mezhprombank MPB). Eleonora Razdorskaya, previously served as vice president of Mezhprombank (MPB). In November 2001, "Novaya gazeta" (at the time owned by British citizen Boris Berezovsky) described her as the right hand of Pugachev when she worked at MPB.

This glamorous lady was said to handle all major financial flows of the bank and later became a business partner of Peter Berlin as co-manager of an offshore venture. It was Berlin's Benex company was featured in the Bank of New York (BONY) multi billion dollar money-laundering scandal.

A 2003 report from the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI) reported

An FBI agent, seconded to Russia and involved in the overall investigation of money-laundering throughBONY, said that “Mezhprombank of Russia and its head Pugachev are probably directly concerned with the money laundering.We are aware of a whole series of dubious transfers of big amounts of money and quite possibly we may have some questions we would like Pugachev to reply to. The questions will not only be related toBONY, but also with connections to the Russian mafia.”

Sergei enjoys displaying his orthodox religiosity and this is said to explain his ties to Putin's circle as apart from his close ties to Patriarch Aleksii, the two men are said to share the same confessor, Father Tikhon Shevkunov. The Patriarch along with 3 other members of the Moscow Synod are claimed to have been KGB agents. Patriarch Aleksii II (agent code-name "Drozdov"); Metropolitan Iuvenalii of Krutitsy ("Adament"); Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk ("Mikhailov")the head of the Moscow Patriarchate's foreign relations department; and Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk ("Ostrovskii"). The head of the Patriarchate's publications department, Metropolitan Pitirim of Volokolamsk ("Abbat"), was also revealed to be an agent. (If you wish to follow Mafia / Monaco and the Greek Orthodox Church and accusations of child abuse start here)

Putin is perceived to be a committed Orthodox believer. On the 10th anniversary of Patriarch Aleksii II’s election, Putin recognised the Church’s ‘enormous role in the spiritual unification of the Russian land after many years of life without faith, moral degradation and atheism’ and acknowledged the Church’s ‘traditional mission as a key force in promoting social stability and moral unity around moral priorities of justice, patriotism, good works, constructive labour and family values’. In 2004, Putin made clear the link between Russian Orthodoxy and the Russian nation despite the fact that Russia is a secular country, stating: ‘Of course, our church is separated from the state. But in the people’s souls everything is together’.

In 2001, Pugachev entered the government: he was elected senator representing the government of Tuva in the Federation Council, and as a result he had to resign his position as chairman of MPB's board of directors. The bank subsequently made an official announcement that Pugachev owned no more than 5% of the shares in either the bank or its affiliates.

He however controls the bank.

Not without difficulties as the French authorities (according to Le Monde in 2002) suspect Pugachev and his Mezhprombank in money laundering through French Monaco accounts and firms. Investigations proved vast multimillion deposits by the devout banker and structures connected with him to the Azure Shore and Monaco.

Therefore it is fascinating to see that Sergei tells us that he has just splashed out "more than one billion euros", on luxury French retail company Hediard , via Luxadvor his Luxembourg-based firm. The previous former owner, was a Monagesque born businessman and property owner and developer, Michel Pastor.

Hediard is one of Europe's oldest retailers , a temple of haute gastronomie and was founded by Chartres born Ferdinand Hediard in Paris in 1854. It also one of the continent's leading retailers in luxury-class items.


The company has 320 outlets, including cafes, shops and restaurants, in more than 30 countries, including Russia. Each of Hediard's 6,000 products symbolizes “Quality, Reliability and Tradition”... they claim.This year Hediard was awarded the certification of "Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant" (living heritage company) by Renaud Dutreil, French Minister for Small and Medium-size Businesses.
Hediard's president Dominique Richard claims the legendary chain will stick to its traditions despite its change in ownership.

“First of all, Hediard is a French company. Secondly, the financial holding of Hediard has been bought by a European company based in Luxembourg. And if the owner of this company is Russian, it is very good for everybody. But it is very important to know that Hediard will continue to produce in France and be based in France with all its know-how concentrated in France,” he said.

So that's alright then.

Bullets and Boney M used in attacks on Abkhazian and Ossetian separatists

The current situation demonstrates that the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are not simply in deadlock. They have gradually transformed into crime zones that nobody is able to fully control—not the Government of Georgia, the Abkhaz and South Ossetian governments, or the international community.

Organized Crime and Smuggling Through Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Alexander Kukhianidze,

In a post on September 30th Abkhazia - Upper and Lower, countries that are far away and of which we know little attention was drawn to the attack on Russian forces in Kodori Valley in the Russian supported breakaway "State" of Upper Abkhazia.

Naturally, the UN mission to Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone was asked to investigate the incident. The 2 page report was released yesterday, on October 11.

The Chief Military Observer ordered the UNOMIG Fact Finding Team (FFT) to conduct an independent enquiry into the incident and unsurprisingly he reports that ,"The two sides provided different versions of the incident."

The bald facts appear to be that "Georgian forces attacked a training camp established in 2006 on Abkhaz-controlled territory at the foot of Mt Bokhundjara .... Seven Abkhaz personnel were apprehended by the Georgian side, several were wounded and two former Russian officers reportedly on contract with the Abkhaz de facto border guards were killed. "

The Fact Finding team attended the autopsy of the 2 dead Russians at the Republican Hospital morgue in Sukhumi, Abkhaz. The German Government agreed to provide a DNA analysis of blood samples collected both from the men killed in the incident as well as from the Bokhundjara area.

Then these indefatigable and earnest investigators provided a conclusion ..

Examination by UNOMIG forensic experts of the bodies of the two former Russian officers suggests that both were killed by gunshot wounds caused by automatic weapons fired at short and point-blank range. For the time being, however, the FFT is not in a position to ascertain the exact circumstances of their death.

Meanwhile in South Ossetia the Georgian forces have brought in the services of Boney M (although confusingly, several musical groups circulate in the area bearing the name) to seduce the factious Ossetians of the decadent benefits of the Georgian lifestyle at a wild weekend concert in the village of Tamarasheni.

The BBC helpfully report a Georgian official explaining that , peaceful life resumes when people sing songs. They add that 70's "disco icons" Boney M have a loyal following in Russia. Their songs are among the few approved under Communist rule. ......

Perhaps the Lyrics of their "hit", Rasputin offers clue ?

There lived a certain man in Russia long ago
He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow
Most people looked at him with terror and with fear
But to moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear

He could preach the Bible like a preacher
Full of ecstacy and fire
But he also was the kind of teacher
Women would desire

Ra ra rasputin
Lover of the russian queen
There was a cat that really was gone
Ra ra rasputin
Russias greatest love machine

Unfamiliar with the history of Boney M ? ... see here, discover the curious origin of the group's name.

Northern Rock insolvency deepens, BOE providing £13 Bn and demanding £2Bn + a week, Keith Currie, responsible for fancy funding schemes "ill" and ....

Northern Rock plc had had a further injection of £2.3 Bn. of taxpayers funds according to Simon Ward, of New Star Asset Management. This means that the Directors have fraudulently obtained loans totalling £13 Bn.from the public purse.

Company treasurer Keith Currie who has been with the company since 2005 has been absent for 2 weeks due to "stress".

The company website describes his job as ..."responsible for the management of the Company's Group Treasury function including liquidity, wholesale funding, derivative portfolios and the management of the Company's securitisation funding and covered bond programmes." So his fingerprints are all over the crooked schemes for fund raising which hit the buffers on August 12th ....

Meanwhile deputy treasury director, Carl Flinn, who is not a main Board Director has taken over his job. Which must cheer the bondholders enormously.

Can't wait for Mr Applegarth to explain all to MP's on Tuesday.

West Texas Intermediate at record prices - and due to go higher as US stocks slump

US crude oil stocks fell by 1.7 million barrels last week the lowest level since January, a report by the US Energy Information Administration reported today.

Virgin Money ? You just can't be serious !

Do you want him going down on you ?

Derek Pasquill on Official Secrets charges - "it will end in tears before bedtime..you mark my words"

The ridiculous Attorney General and champion spectacles fiddler and adjuster Baroness Scotland had that Derek Pasquill, 48 up in Westminster Magistrates Court yesterday.

Suspended from his job at the Foregn Office and arrested the same day in January last year - he was charged on On Sept 27, with 6 offences of exposing Jack Straw as a liar and a complete twat under the Official Secrets act with disclosing a letter entitled "Detainees" - which refers to "rendition" or rather " official or State kidnapping" of terrorist suspects without charge or due legal process, representation and contraray to any legal rights of habeas corpus they may have , plus 2 curious letters "Engaging with Islamists" and "Hearts and minds and Muslims".

This extrordinary charge sheet also includes reference to two memos entitled "Egypt: the Muslim Brotherhood - terrorists?" and " Egypt: contact with the Muslim brotherhood".

Remanded on unconditonal bail until October 26th , the case was described as "complex" by Mr Pasquill's solicitor.

The New Statesman has an entertaining cover story today " An abuse of power and the hounding of an official" Martin Bright also provides a brief and enlightening history of Mr Jack Straw's very flexible political views. "Man of straw" (Ho Ho Ho, another journalistic first)
John Kampfner also has an editorial in the New Statesman "An Abuse of state power"

A useful summary of this everyday story of Government lies and decei and attempts to suppress and frighten employees of the State can be found at Index on Censorship: Britain: secrets and sources

The New Statesman exclusive about Foreign Office discussions with the Muslim Brotherhood: Talking to terrorists

Martin Bright's article in the Observer from August 2005: Leak shows Blair told of Iraq war terror link

Bright's Policy Exchange pamphlet on the government's policy of appeasement with radical Islam : When progressives treat with reactionaries - The British State's flirtation with Radical Islam - see acknowledgment below..

Man repeatedly run over on I-880 into San Francisco

Interstate 880 into the Bay area of San Francisco was closed at 6.50 am yesterday.

At 6 am the California Highway Patrol had received a call about a dead dog on the highway in Hayward..

First they found an ear, then the remains of a man aged 30 and 50 with a crew cut wearing jeans (with money in the pocket) , white tennis shoes and a shirt were strewn across five lanes and 1,000 feet of highway.

Based on preliminary evidence, it appeared the man was alive before he was hit.

The highway was reopened by 10 a.m. the CHP has since received about 80 phone calls from witnesses or drivers reporting hair or blood on their cars.

The mind boggles.

Miss Gibb - former nurse , refused to talk to the media yesterday at her £700,000 home in Sole Street, near Cobham, Kent.

Daily Telegraph Online today - By Gordon Rayner and Rebecca Smith

Superbug boss has record of dirty hospitals

The lady is not without form ... or a partner, Mark Rees, who was CEO of Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust for 4 years until Oct 1.

Northern Rock - Vincent Cable talks sense

Vincent Cable was the only MP who talked sense and exposed the dishonesty of the Directors of Northern Rock yesterday -

" ........this statement reeks of complacency. Frankly, the Government have become complicit in large-scale irresponsible lending by the same management—and it continues even today—in what amounts to little short of a banking scam. "

"Will the Chancellor tell us how much taxpayers’ money is exposed to this bank? I believe that there is £11 billion in lending and £23 billion in guarantees, so we are talking about a sum of money in one bank that is roughly equivalent to annual spending on the armed forces.

When the Chancellor agreed to the effective nationalisation of the liabilities of this bank, why was the management—including the chief executive, who has been paid £10 million in five years for taking his bank on to the rocks, and the directors, including the ubiquitous Wanless—not sacked? I would include the FSA, which has admitted that in 18 months it did nothing to check the bank. "

Needless to say he got no answers - other than it was the shareholders job to get rid of Directors .... it is a fair bet that they will disappear as soon as the bottom feeders of the City get their hands on it.

There was much lamenting and wailing from NE MP's not a few of whom have no doubt enjoyed the hospitality of the Directors at Newcastle United and Rugby Club, or seen the NR Foundation's donations to their pet constituency projects.

...... and not a mention of the role of the hapless Down's Syndrome North East's role in this sordid affair.

UPDATE Friday am

Reuters - Branson's Virgin eyes bid for Northern Rock
FT - Virgin poised to join Northern Rock bidding

Lady Dame Jane Pauline Neville Jones Fan Club Fans - Public Notice

Old Age Pensioner, Lady Dame Pauline Neville Jones (described as Shadow Security Minister and National Security Adviser) will be gracing the Any Questions Panel on BBC4 tonight.

This will afford us a further opportunity to hear Jonathan Dimbleby incessantly interupting both questioners and those who sometimes attempt to answer the questions raised.

Any Questions? Fri 20:00-20:50 Sat (rpt) 13:10-14:00
Any Answers? Sat 14:00-14:30

Un Common video for an uncommon purpose ...

http://www.911archive.info/flash/commonpurpose.html

There's a whole new generation who see both party politics and office politics as irrelevant to their lives. They're looking for their own ways to change the world.
And they are looking to Comon Purpose to help."
Richard Sambrook
Director. BBC News

Mesopotamian cuneiform tablet secrets revealed - records probably more accurate than the Iraqi Occupation Forces

This beautiful palm sized dried clay tablet comes from the ancient Mesopotamian city of Umma (Jokha in modern Iraq) and can be dated by year, at the very end of the third millennium, was written in month six of the third year of the reign of Su-Sin, 2035 BCE. It records the harvest of ripe dates in two gardeners' date palm orchards (and also shows some dodgy maths - they used a sexagesimal system - based on 60) . It was a gift to Brown University from Henry Thatcher Fowler, Professor of Biblical Literature at Brown University from 1901 to 1934.

Virginia Rimmer an archaeology major and Nicholas Kammer an economics major both at Brown and working with Professor Alice Slotsky's class, HM0232 (Ancient Scientific Writing: Akkadian) translated this , and another tablet.

Read the whole fascinating story here - Whilst the US Government is destroying 21st century civilisation, 2 very bright students are helping to provide insights into what we call the cradle of Civilisation.

Pic © 2002, Brown University Library. All rights reserved

Former Coalition Provisional Authority official John Russell, writing in 2005 in Architectural Record, estimated that some 400,000 to 600,000 cultural artifacts have been removed from the 11,000 registered archaeological sites in Iraq since spring 2003. More

More here about Cuneiform tablets at Black Hills University , Dakota collected by Edgar J. Banks was born May 23, 1866, in Sunderland, Massachusetts who was American consul in Bagdad, Turkey, (!) in 1897. Banks seems to have been an active collector / dealer.

Google and astronomical figures - Amazing Pictures !

comScore a US based "Internet research agency" reports that in August, using their "qSearch 2.0 " service, they claim more than 750 million people - an estimated 95 percent of global Internet users - conducted 61 Bn. cumulative searches. Of these 37.1 Bn. used Google, 8.5 Bn for Yahoo and 5 Bn. for Google owned YouTube.

The survey covered computer owners 15 yrs and older at home or work. The report did not take into account searches done from public computers, such as Internet cafes or libraries, or access from mobile phones or PDAs.

More about the Finnish startup Jaiku that Google took over on Oct.9th and the Zingku mobile platform they swallowed last month here. (alleged to be involved in the mobile thingy)

The Google share price reached a record US$641.40 today and closed at US$625.80. Bankers Lehman Brothers predict a share price of $714 when the much rumoured mystery Google mobile phone device is launched. Q3 results due October 18th.

A new service has been launched by Google -stunning maps / pics of the Mars surface - Google Mars. How soon before some enterprising soul on Earth starts selling Mars real estate ? Northern Rock will probably spring you a decently priced mortgage.

"This image covers part of the region surrounding Pavonis Mons, one of the Tharsis volcanoes. The ridges running from lower left to upper right on the image are the margin of an areole that surrounds the volcano. How this feature forms in not understood. The margins of lava flows can be seen to the north of the areole. The surface of the areole has been eroded by the wind, indicating that it is not a strongly cemented material - and likely not a lava flow. Some of the material being stripped from the areole has been formed into dunes along the outermost margin of the areole." (Looks ideal for a retirement community golf course)

Image Credits: NASA/JPL/ASU



As there don't seem to be any roads ...would you need a Sat Nav ?

Clostridium epidemics and the overprescription and use of antibiotics - some history notes

Lancelot Hogben in his entertaining "unauthorised autobiography" explained how when he was Head of Medical Statistics at the War Office his team unearthed the localised resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the region of Naples at the end of the war.

This resistance of up to 40% of the strains tested, was a direct result of the German military medical authorities in providing free supplies of sulphonamides as a prophylactic measure to prostitutes who might entertain the bored German soldiery.

This is the first recorded instance of micro-organisms developing resistance to chemical treatments. A remarkable and little known success of medical science.

Hgben was to remark in his autobiography ( page 186) that even 15 years later "surgeons were dismayed by the incidence of post-operative sepsis due to resistant strains of microorganisms which had developed following indiscriminate prescribing of sulphonamides and antiobiotics."

The continuing widespread use of vancomycin and other "wide spectrum" antibiotics in UK medicine which has contributed (with many other factors) to the epidemics of Staphylococcal and Clostridium is a lesson still to be learnt over 60 years later.

History of Sulfonamides

Bayer AG (who had synthesised apirin) first synthesised the drug as part of their work on dye chemicals, they eventually marketed as Prontasil in 1932. This was undertaken by Josef Klarer and was tested in animals by Gerhard Domagk.

For this Klarer was awarded the 1939 Nobel prize, but in 1937, Hitler had issued a decree that forbade Germans from accepting Nobel Prizes. He considered pacifist journalist Carl von Ossiettzky's 1935 peace prize a slap in the face. ( He was a German pacifist, editor of the antimilitarist weekly Weltbühne from 1927, imprisoned in 1932 for articles exposing secret rearmament in Germany. After election in 1933 Hitler had him put in a concentration camp. Suffering from tuberculosis, he was removed to a prison hospital shortly before the announcement that he had been awarded the 1935 Nobel Peace Prize. Brandt a Swedish MP nominated Hitler for the Peace prize in 1938 !)

Publication of the results of the antiobiotic effects of the sulphonamides was delayed until 1935 and it was patented at the same time by Klarer and his research partner Fritz Mietzsch.

Later the Pasteur Insitute discovered that the action of the drug was a result of being metabolized into 2 parts - one of which interrupted the folate synthesis system which was critical to the production of nucleic acids... an important step in unravelling the structure and function of DNA. (See pic of Linus Pauling with model of sulfanilimide structure)

This wasn't helpful to Bayer because sulfanilimide's dye patent had expired and its manufacture readily undertaken , the drug was therefore widely available.

The drug was widely used throughout WWII on the surface of open battle wounds, shaken on by a sort of pepper pot, by all the forces in the conflict.

In war time and post war Britain the drug M&B 693 , (boxed in 25's) synthesised by May & Baker in Dagenham from Sulphapyridine provided the cure for the hitherto killer-disease, bacterial pneumonia. Their prescription by the doctor signified to the family the measure of concern for the patient - no doubt they were a huge expemnse in pre NHS Britain.

A variant was branded and sold as "Gonazole".

The pale pink tablets stamped with the initials M&B were probably one of the first widely counterfeited pharmacuetical products.

M&B 760 was Sulphathiazole and introduced later ,then came Sulphanilamide then Sulphadiazine, etc each a little better and less dangerous than the previous one. Sulphacetamide is still in use - one of the best eye drops for conjunctivitis.

Darling ... are you coming ... or going ?

Kent & Sussex Clostridium epidemic kills patients - nothing to laugh about

Listen to second hand car salesman Minister of Health Johnson on BBC "Today"

Rose Gibb resigns - Kent & Sussex Clostridium epidemic kills patients - all targets met.

A report from health watchdog, the Healthcare Commission, concluded that infection by Clostridium difficile probably or definitely killed at least 90 patients and was a factor in the deaths of a further 241 in 3 Hospitals (Maidstone Hospital, Kent and Sussex Hospital, Pembury Hospital) run by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Hospital Trust . Kent Police and the Health and Safety Executive are examining the report. BBC Full report 128 pages

CEO Ms Rose Gibb ( a qualified nurse) who took up the job in late 2003, resigned ahead of the reports publication on Friday 4th October. Chairman of the Trust Mr James Lee Mr said the appointment of a new chief executive may take a few months.

As CEO Rose Gibb was responsible for the hugely unpopular "reconfiguration "plans for the two hospitals which would see a down grading of Maidstone Hospital A&E services. Her plans had also included the loss of children’s and maternity services.

There were two major outbreaks - 150 patients were affected between October and December 2005.

258 patients were affected in a second outbreak from April to September 2006 .

This search of the BBC website alone produces a detailed history of how this nationwide Clostridium epidemic has grown remorselessly as an obsession with centrally devised targets for hospital performance has gripped hsopital managers.

http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?scope=all&edition=d&q=clostridium

See also here

The screen pic above is from a BBC undercover investigation when BBC reporter Danielle Glevin went undercover in May 2004 in the Kent and Sussex Hospital Go here first and follow links. The interview with Rose Gibbs is here. This was before the 2 major outbreaks.

A sample of the Conclusions of the healthcare Commission report ...

"The trust told us that there had been no deaths that were definitely caused by C. difficile between April 2004 and March 2006. In the Healthcare Commission’s sample of 50 patients who died and had contracted C. difficile between April 2004 and September 2006, our experts found that in 26% of the cases (13) it was definitely or probably the main cause of death and in 78% (39), C. difficile had definitely or probably contributed to the patients’ deaths. "

"Due to poor documentation and record keeping by the trust, a lack of agreed methods and staff being unable to recollect events, the Healthcare Commission has been unable to clarify the precise nature, timing and findings of the various case note reviews undertaken by the trust. "

"The chief executive was widely viewed as being difficult to challenge. "

"Communication between the trust and the PCTs focused on numbers of patients treated and associated costs. There was very little focus on the quality of care. "

UPDATE 12th Oct. Apparently Ms Gibb received a payment of £250,000 severance pay (salary was reportedly £150K pa plus 12.5 K pension contribution) and Health Minister Johnson has asked for any payment to be delayed, pending clarification. It is not unusual for such payoffs to be made tax free as pension contributions.

German chemist Gerhard Ertl wins Nobel prize on his birthday.

German scientist Gerhard Ertl former director at the Max Planck Institute has been awarded the Nobel prize (US$1.5Mn.) for Chemistry on his 71st birthday.

His work concentrated on the understanding of how individual layers of atoms and molecules behave on surfaces - and he has pioneered and developed the study of the dynamical aspects of chemical processes on metal surfaces in atomic and molecular level.

All this helping to explain the way catalysts work, iron rusts, fuekl cells function and the descrtuction of the ozone layer.

An unglamourous research field but essential to providing the tools which have explained such diverse processes as the so-called Haber-Bosch process which makes fertilizers work by taking nitrogen from air and converting it into ammonia by combining it with hydrogen, thus enabling imptovments in efficiency and productivity to be developed.

The consequence of his lifelong work is that the knowledge base which his fundamental studies have addressed is directly related to major commercial processes.

He received the Japan Prize in 1992 which is generally considered to be the Japanese equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

Max Planck Press release