Herman Charles Bosman - Afrikaans poet
Dis n balling gekom
oor die oseaan,
dis n graf in die gras,
dis n vallende traan -
dis al.
It's an exile returned
O'er the ocean drear,
It's a grave in the grass,
It's a falling tear -
That's all.
Article archive
30/09/2012 00:09
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17/09/2012 18:30
Mathemagic: The Tale of Jakow Trachtenberg
Whilst attending a wedding in a country manor in Essex, England an acquaintance of mine from India (a liquidity trader at Citibank by trade) nonchalantly dropped into passing conversation the term Trachtenberg mathematical modelling. A few questions later this intriguing statement was...
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11/09/2012 10:45
Turning Water into Oil
Over the course of this year much drought has spread across the globe minimising yields in food production and inflating prices for an already stretched global economy. With the world population estimated to increase by 2 Billion to 9 Billion over the next 40 years demand for...
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10/09/2012 15:47
Hardy–Ramanujan number
Often dubbed taxicab numbers the Hardy-Ramanujan number is 1729 and is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.
The two different ways are these:
1729 = 1^3 + 12^3 = 9^3 + 10^3
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10/09/2012 15:29
Evolution of US debt
By 2008 the USA's debt had grown from US$680bn in 1974 to US$14tn in 2008 - equivilent to the size of the total American economy. The average US household had Thirteen credit cards, of which 40% had debts outstanding - up from 6% in 1970.
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09/09/2012 21:51
Iraq bombings back in the headlines
Over 200 people have been injured and 73 reported dead after a string of attacks against Iraqi security forces across the country. Violence which struck 11 cities across Iraq is believed to be Al-Qaeda forces, also known as the Islamic state of Iraq, trying to undermine the...
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09/09/2012 13:04
Libor fixing settlement looms for RBS
After the public lynching of Barclays over Libor rate fixing, RBS is the next bank to step up to the gallows. The 82% British government owned bank is estimated to settle between £200 and £300 million on par with the landmark fine imposed on Barclays.
See previous article 'A Liborias...
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09/09/2012 12:50
Glencore & Xstrata deal all but over
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair stepped in to broker an 11th hour revival between commodities giant Glencore and Xstrata. Glencore, which currently owns 34% in Xstrata, presented an improved bid of 3.05 of it's shares for each of Xstrata's - up from 2.8 shares. The initial deal had been...
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07/09/2012 12:18
Rock n Roll Accounting
A gentleman walks into a hospital and sees two doctors down on their hands and knees in one of the flower beds. He goes over and asks whether he can help. "No," replies one of the doctors. "We're about to do a heart transplant on an accountant and we're looking for a suitable...
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05/09/2012 16:55
Britain's challenging job market
Towards the back half of 2011 the Daily Telegraph reported that there were 23 jobseekers in the UK chasing every job vacancy. In the South East there are 33 applications for each job compared, with only 10 in East Anglia. Hull had 18,795 jobseekers chasing 318 job vacancies....
World Politics
05/09/2012 12:45
'Weather' to manipulate the outcome.
A bellowing shriek of laughter hangs in the air as ominously dark clouds begin to flood the sky at an alarming rate. A crack of lightning ensues and Dr Sinister-Villain swivels around in his chair whilst addressing his moustache with thumb and index finger. ‘Weather is not in God’s...
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22/07/2012 18:08
Unhealthy Side of Foreign Aid
The camera swings from a shot of desolate baron land and pans in on a pot-bellied skeleton of a human being. The flies hang like a childrens mobile around the face of this barely human corpse. Dramatic music feeds into the baritone voice of a major celebrity appealing for just £1 a month...
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18/07/2012 23:07
The Other Side of Piracy
As 200 Tons of Schonner whips through the water, the bellows from the vessel approach like an oncoming steam train. The strings of a Hans Zimmer symphony gently starts to phase in as the square sails cloud the skyline. Most westerners would be forgiven for thinking that this is...
Business & Finance
11/09/2012 10:45
Turning Water into Oil
Over the course of this year much drought has spread across the globe minimising yields in food production and inflating prices for an already stretched global economy. With the world population estimated to increase by 2 Billion to 9 Billion over the next 40 years demand for...
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07/09/2012 12:18
Rock n Roll Accounting
A gentleman walks into a hospital and sees two doctors down on their hands and knees in one of the flower beds. He goes over and asks whether he can help. "No," replies one of the doctors. "We're about to do a heart transplant on an accountant and we're looking for a suitable...
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21/08/2012 09:20
Panacea or Prescription: Will pharmaceuticals embrace healthcare reforms
Imagine a world where diabetes, multiple sclerosis and autism can be cured through the simple manipulation of bacteria in ones body. Not only will this cure previously thought incurable illnesses but it will revolutionise the way that we look at medicine. Pharmaceuticals will no longer...
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18/07/2012 16:21
The Future of Marketing.
With the revolution in social networking websites and the ease for consumers to globally disseminate information at the click of the button, it is no wonder that the dynamism of Marketing is changing. It is in our nature to enjoy social interactions among friends and strangers alike,...
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18/07/2012 00:28
A Liborias Task
The most recent scandal to hit the front pages sees Barclays bank taking it's turn to be dragged through the mud in relation to the rigged fixing of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). But how could this happen and what does this actually mean for the average joe on the street....
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16/07/2012 13:25
Are Newspapers Becoming Obsolete?
With the dissemination of easily accessible real time information on a second for second basis, one may be forgiven for considering the news in the morning papers as outdated. Weekly Newspapers have to find more innovative ways to improve the bottom line by enticing readers (loyal and potential) to...