Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

certainly the threat of russia in the med is not an unlikely card to be played, and thus a very interesting thought of yours - unlike most of your other stuff i'm afraid :-)

Manuel,

Unfortunately you are not maturing like good port.

I would think you miss the contents of my postings by scanning.

Sometimes I question why I send epistles to the great unwashed.

Anyway, the market doesn't know what to make of Ukraine or Greece.

======

Serious question has the oil market bottomed out or has it got further to go.

Looking for a 2 year long.

.

Today is 'Pancake Day'.

This is how Raymond Blanc makes them:

Best ever pancakes from Brasserie Blanc on Vimeo.

Today is 'Pancake Day'.

This is how Raymond Blanc makes them:

Best ever pancakes from Raymond Blanc on HD Vimeo

fred - if you didn't just skate past my posts, you'ld have noticed 56663 from yesterday :-)

oil
it very much looks that Saudi is cutting back on oil production, regardless of what they may be broadcasting
in the last 2 months Aramco, for which read Saudi Oil, has pretty much stopped developing new or even existing wells
while there will not be a sudden surge in crude prices, the effects will slowly filter through
i'ld still bet on it settling at perhaps $60/70, though longer term Saudi will want it back above $85 as that is the sort of level around which their budget is structured

pancake filling
instead of boring old sugar and lemon try this ......
philadelphia cheese or similar
stem ginger in syrup
fresh raspberries

chop up some stem ginger
whip it into the philly adding some of the syrup

put a dollop inside your pancake and add some fresh raspberries

it's stunning, and better still if you can make the philly + ginger mix the day before

Or try a galette, stuff whatever you like into them.

http://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/recipes/galettes-de-sarrasin/

ah yes .... galettes are excellent and very versatile, but better with savoury than sweet
my recollection is that there is still a good proportion of white flour, though that's no good if you're gluten intolerant

mozarella, tuna, anchovies and tomato
chicken in a good white sauce with sweet corn
loads and loads of possibilities

they're best if made on the big 30cm+ round steel plates
then fill, form into a flat parcel with the filling in the middle and griddle with some butter until moderately crispy

Talking of maybe taking advantage of the Oil price rise, do any of you use a good "liquid ETC" ?

do you not mean ETF?

Could do, but as Oil is a commodity I just thought it would be an ETC rather then a ETF.

confess i have no idea as i've never tried them

Yeh, ISF is a good one for the ft 100, lots of liquidity and no stamp duty.

Stan,

Have a look at BRNT. ETF

Was interested and keeping an eye on it.

But would like to see China growht up and some resolution of Ukraine and ME. but the latter may push price down.

i think .....
china - you'll have to wait until at least the back end of this year

ukraine - likely to get much nastier

ME - depends on quite what you mean, but i think oil will be at $60/70, and probably nearer to $70 by year end or even earlier

Noel Gallagher: Boris Johnson will be next PM and Labour are a waste of time
Noel Gallagher, the former Oasis frontman who supported Tony Blair, says he doesn't 'believe' anything Ed Miliband or the shadow cabinet say


By Steven Swinford, Deputy Political Editor1:52PM GMT 17 Feb 2015
Boris Johnson will be the next Prime Minister and Labour are a "f****** waste of time", Noel Gallagher has said.
The singer, who once supported Tony Blair and New Labour, said he doesn't "believe" anything Ed Miliband or his shadow cabinet say.
He criticised David Cameron for "trying to be your mate" and said he preferred the approach of Baroness Thatcher, the former Tory Prime Minister.
He dismissed both Mr Miliband and Mr Cameron as "bozos" and "career politicians" who "don't stand for anything".
He said that Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, "doesn't look like he could be mentally capable of running a cornershop, far less a f****** country".


His intervention, in an interview with Quietus magazine, comes after TV presenters Ant and Dec questioned whether Ed Miliband is suitable to lead the country.
Mr Gallagher said he will be voting for "something ludicrous" at the election because he is so disenchanted with the big parties.
He said: "There's nothing to vote for any more, but I will vote on the day. I'll pick the most ludicrous thing on the f****** ballot.
"Last time I voted for a little guy who was standing round here as a pirate. I can't not vote, because I think that's copping out, but my vote is to f****** vote for something ludicrous because the Labour Party are a f****** waste of time.
"I just don't trust – trust is not the right word – I don't believe in any of them.
"I really believed in Tony Blair, for right or wrong, and until al Qaeda flew those planes into those towers.
"Everyone seems to forget that things before that were f****** alright."
He says that a mix of the different parties and their policies would be "kind of perfect".
He said: "These days, my own view is that if they truly, truly wanted to better the lives of the people, surely they must all realise that a little bit of conservatism married with a little bit of socialism, married with a little bit of UKIP and a little bit of Green and a little bit of Lib Democrats would be kind of perfect.
"But they're all into power, they're not into politics. And they're all career politicians and populists. And you know, the next Prime Minister after this one will be Boris Johnson because of that."

Noel Gallagher, Ant and Dec . Lol

Top Labour figure dumps Ed Miliband for Ukip
Harriet Yeo, former chairman of Labour's National Executive Committee, resigns from party over EU referendum and gives her support to Nigel Farage in blow for Ed Miliband

By Steven Swinford, Deputy Political Editor4:33PM GMT 17 Feb 2015
One of Labour's most senior figures has resigned from the party and will be supporting Ukip because of Ed Miliband's failure to offer a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union.
Harriet Yeo, who was chairman of Labour's ruling body between 2012 and 2013, is so disillusioned with Mr Miliband's refusal to offer a vote that she will be throwing her support behind Nigel Farage's party.
She represents the most senior Labour figure to switch allegiances to Ukip to date, although there are suggestions that several Labour MPs are considering defecting.


Mrs Yeo was previously chairman of the National Executive Committee, which oversees the Labour Party, and president of the Transport and Salaried Staffs' Association union and has been involved in the trade union movement for more than 20 years.
The Telegraph understands that while Mrs Yeo has resigned her membership of the Labour Party she has not formally joined Ukip. However, she will be giving the party hher support in the run up to the General Election.


Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, said: "I'm delighted that UKIP can now count upon the support of such respected figure as Harriet Yeo.
"A life long Trade Unionist and Labour Party member who served as Chair of Ed Miliband's NEC she is yet another voice calling for Britain to have a choice about its future. We are welcoming support from across the board and Harriet's support is eveidence of this".
Mr Miliband has come under repeated pressures from his own MPs and Labour party donors to commit to a referendum

He has repeatedly refused and over the past fortnight tried to use the party's position on Europe to gain leverage with business leaders.
David Cameron has pledged to hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union in 2017, and suggested that he may hold one even sooner.
Nigel Farage has said he wants a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU in 2015 and suggested it will be his "price" for propping up a minority Conservative government.


Mrs Yeo has previously attacked the "awful" culture inside her trade union and said she has witnessed "outrageous" behaviour behind closed doors.
She recounted how male colleagues deliberately organised a lap-dancing party to clash with a black-tie dinner that had been arranged by female union officials to celebrate 100 years of International Women’s Day.

a double- or even triple-fred is more worth listening to than that oaf