EU Brexit thread

[Aberlour10]

I like to watch vids about cocktail receipes, but every time I ask me WTF this dude means with "ounce" 2,5 cl or 3cl or smthg else :ph34r:

[Zelandakh]

I like to watch vids about cocktail receipes, but every time I ask me WTF this dude means with "ounce" 2,5 cl or 3cl or smthg else :ph34r:

An ounce is 30mL and based on an American jigger - for comparison a British jigger is 25mL on the small side. If you take a look around the internet you will find plenty of sites that will explain cocktail measurements.

[fromageGB]

I have not been following this thread much since the vote, but I think if I went to the local meat counter and asked for 700 mg of pork I would be met with, at best, a blank stare.

Any idea how big 700mg of pork is? I suppose you had a fork-lift with you to take it away !

[Al_U_Card]

Any idea how big 700mg of pork is? I suppose you had a fork-lift with you to take it away !

LOL even a fork might be too much seeing as 700 mg is about 1/50th of an ounce...

[Zelandakh]

LOL even a fork might be too much seeing as 700 mg is about 1/50th of an ounce...

He was confusing mg (milligrams) with Mg (megagrams). Is an easy thing to do.

[mgoetze]

He was confusing mg (milligrams) with Mg (megagrams). Is an easy thing to do.

I was assuming he meant millikilograms.

[kenberg]

Any idea how big 700mg of pork is? I suppose you had a fork-lift with you to take it away !

 

Oops. I meant 700 gm. A pound plus a bit. I see I also screwed up saying ounces when I meant pounds at one point. I need another drink..

 

And I learned something. I knew mg for milligram, like mm for millimeter, but I was unaware of Mg for megagram. So a Kg is 2.2 pounds or so, a Mg is 2200 pounds or so. If I have this righ, yes, it could be difficult getting it all home.

 

I guess if ordering by e-mail we need to be careful in typing mg or Mg. I am a lousy typist, this seems dangerous.

[shyams]

Oops. I meant 700 gm. A pound plus a bit. I see I also screwed up saying ounces when I meant pounds at one point. I need another drink..

 

And I learned something. I knew mg for milligram, like mm for millimeter, but I was unaware of Mg for megagram. So a Kg is 2.2 pounds or so, a Mg is 2200 pounds or so. If I have this righ, yes, it could be difficult getting it all home.

Although Megagram is technically available, it is rarely used. The preferred phrase is ton (or "metric ton"); representing 1,000 kilograms.

[Zelandakh]

The preferred phrase is ton (or "metric ton"); representing 1,000 kilograms.

I think you mean tonne. :) I am (just) old enough to find it natural to use the 1970s pronunciation of this ("tunny"). And yes, while I would use tonne when ordering rather a large helping of bananas, I would still use Mg when calculating something in physics. Different situations, different solutions....which sort of brings us back to the debate about imperial measurements.

[Trinidad]

This is the one oddity in the SI system that, IMHO, should have been fixed: The kg is the official unit of mass. It means that you cannot use the natural multipliers. If one would be really consistent then a gram would be a "mkg" and a ton a "kkg".

 

I wish they would have come up with an entirely new unit of mass, with a new name (e.g. the Euler, E) and defined it as 1 kg. Then a gram would be a mE and a ton would be a kE. That would be much easier for engineers and scientists. Alternatively, the gram could have been the official unit of mass.

 

Rik

[helene_t]

I can live with that. I wish they would have measured time in microdays instead of seconds, though. Converting seconds to minutes to days is just as much of a PITA as inches to feet to yards.

 

There were clocks made just after the French revolution that measured time in decimal fractions of 24h, but obviously hours, minutes and seconds was such an established standard already that it was hard to compete. Meters and kilograms benefitted from the fact that there was an unmet need for international standards.

[Trinidad]

So, it takes about 7 md to boil a hard boiled egg, our work week would be 1.5 d, the freeway speed limit in the Netherlands would be 3.12 Mm/d. And imagine my internet! 8 Tb/d! My computer would run at 0.24 Pd^-1 (it is an old one).

 

Rik

[Al_U_Card]

The chemist in me says Mg was already taken (Magnesium) but as far as weights and measures go, a favourite book of mine is: "The Measure of all things." by Ken Alder. A fascinating insight into the meter and its ascendance as part of the SI (Systeme International)

[shyams]

A new 'Cold war'?

My wild conjecture? Or does anyone else feel there is something in it?

 

Summary: (It is my guess that) The administrations/heads of France and the UK have declared 'cold war' styled hostilities on each other.

Why do I believe this?

1. In the weeks leading to the Brexit vote, France was pointedly critical of the UK for offering a Brexit vote. They threatened to cancel the bilateral agreement that currently places the UK border control in Calais, France (instead of on British soil in Dover)
   
2. In the past year, France has faced some difficulty due to refugees/migrants who want to claim asylum in the UK not being allowed in due to the control placed in Calais.
   Furthermore, France has come under pressure from international humanitarian organisations for letting a jungle with poor living standards that housed many refugees.
   
3. Since the election of Mrs May to the post of Prime Minister, there have been many events that must have angered France
   
   1. 
      
   2. The PM 'dared' to visit Mrs Merkel first, instead of our near & dear neighbour France -- with whom we have 'close relations'!
      
   3. The PM chose to make Boris Johnson as our chief diplomat, the very person who had insulted France on many occasions!
      
   4. The personal chemistry between Mrs May & Mrs Merkel was evident from their joint press conference, the absence of such chemistry loomed large over the joint press conference with Pres Hollande
      
   5. France has suffered terrible atrocities, while Britain (touch wood) has remained unscathed

......There are some new signals emanating from France:

[*]In the last few weeks, the French have resumed making noise about border control at Calais, although the official position of the French Govt is (allegedly) unchanged

[*]Last week, during the height of the vacation season when many Brits drive down to France, the French Govt decided to impose strict border controls at Dover! This caused huge resentment among Brits using the Channel Tunnel for onward vacationing in France.

[*]Today (as a tit for tat action?), the UK Govt suddenly stopped the signing of a nuclear power plant deal with EDF -- a company that is 85% owned by the French Govt!

 

Coincidence? I think not! That's why I feel UK's position in Europe is only going downhill, fast.

[1eyedjack]

A new 'Cold war'?

My wild conjecture? Or does anyone else feel there is something in it?

 

Summary: (It is my guess that) The administrations/heads of France and the UK have declared 'cold war' styled hostilities on each other.

Why do I believe this?

1. In the weeks leading to the Brexit vote, France was pointedly critical of the UK for offering a Brexit vote. They threatened to cancel the bilateral agreement that currently places the UK border control in Calais, France (instead of on British soil in Dover)
2. In the past year, France has faced some difficulty due to refugees/migrants who want to claim asylum in the UK not being allowed in due to the control placed in Calais.
   Furthermore, France has come under pressure from international humanitarian organisations for letting a jungle with poor living standards that housed many refugees.
3. Since the election of Mrs May to the post of Prime Minister, there have been many events that must have angered France
   1. The PM 'dared' to visit Mrs Merkel first, instead of our near & dear neighbour France -- with whom we have 'close relations'!
   2. The PM chose to make Boris Johnson as our chief diplomat, the very person who had insulted France on many occasions!
   3. The personal chemistry between Mrs May & Mrs Merkel was evident from their joint press conference, the absence of such chemistry loomed large over the joint press conference with Pres Hollande
   4. France has suffered terrible atrocities, while Britain (touch wood) has remained unscathed

......There are some new signals emanating from France:

[*]In the last few weeks, the French have resumed making noise about border control at Calais, although the official position of the French Govt is (allegedly) unchanged[*]Last week, during the height of the vacation season when many Brits drive down to France, the French Govt decided to impose strict border controls at Dover! This caused huge resentment among Brits using the Channel Tunnel for onward vacationing in France.[*]Today (as a tit for tat action?), the UK Govt suddenly stopped the signing of a nuclear power plant deal with EDF -- a company that is 85% owned by the French Govt!

 

Coincidence? I think not! That's why I feel UK's position in Europe is only going downhill, fast.

Add to that, Juncker has appointed as the EU chief negotiator an individual who is probably the most trenchant anti-Brit that you could possibly find in the corridors of Brussels.

 

And yes, the Hinckley Point debacle has to be a political gambit. Gods I hope they know what they are doing. Scant evidence so far, mind.

[Trinidad]

Of course, France will lift the gates for those refugees. They are helping their fellow EU country by stopping them in Calais... and the Brits haven't been particularly helpful to the French. When the UK stops being a fellow EU country there is no legal obligation to stop people who want to go to the UK.

 

And don't tell me that the Brits weren't warned for this. They were, but on the West side of the channel people weren't listening.

 

Rik

[Winstonm]

Of course, France will lift the gates for those refugees. They are helping their fellow EU country by stopping them in Calais... and the Brits haven't been particularly helpful to the French. When the UK stops being a fellow EU country there is no legal obligation to stop people who want to go to the UK.

 

And don't tell me that the Brits weren't warned for this. They were, but on the West side of the channel people weren't listening.

 

Rik

 

Those who supported Brexit - like the Trump supporters on this side of the pond - are not known for listening skills. <_<

[shyams]

Of course, France will lift the gates for those refugees. They are helping their fellow EU country by stopping them in Calais... and the Brits haven't been particularly helpful to the French. When the UK stops being a fellow EU country there is no legal obligation to stop people who want to go to the UK.

 

And don't tell me that the Brits weren't warned for this. They were, but on the West side of the channel people weren't listening.

 

Rik

While I don't disagree that we Brits brought this upon ourselves, the underlying impact of such a hardline stance will lead us down a path of mutually assured destruction.

 

In an earlier post (link), I wrote that it is not improbable that a Brexit will lead to a massive destabilisation of the European Union superstructure and a consequent destabilisation of the EuroZone.

 

I still hold that view. Also, there are already signs of a slowdown in the Eurozone economies, and worsening of the Eurozone banking sector. Every new obstacle we create (whether economic or political) will harm both 'sides'. And although it may be unreasonable to expect mercy or grace, such a view by both sides (especially by the UK establishment) will probably help, rather than hurt, all of Europe.

[Trinidad]

While I don't disagree that we Brits brought this upon ourselves, the underlying impact of such a hardline stance will lead us down a path of mutually assured destruction.

 

In an earlier post (link), I wrote that it is not improbable that a Brexit will lead to a massive destabilisation of the European Union superstructure and a consequent destabilisation of the EuroZone.

 

I still hold that view. Also, there are already signs of a slowdown in the Eurozone economies, and worsening of the Eurozone banking sector. Every new obstacle we create (whether economic or political) will harm both 'sides'. And although it may be unreasonable to expect mercy or grace, such a view by both sides (especially by the UK establishment) will probably help, rather than hurt, all of Europe.

I fully agree. In essence you are saying that the Brexit was a silly idea to begin with. But what do you suggest?

 

Apparently, the UK is tired of fulfilling its obligations to the EU. Fair enough. But when the EU then stops fulfilling its obligations to the UK, now the EU is taking a hardline stance? The UK cannot be "in" for the fun stuff and "out" for the problems.

 

It's like a group of people who go out and eat together each year. After years one of them announces that he doesn't want to pay for it anymore, but that he, obviously, does want to come and eat.

 

Rik

[Cyberyeti]

Of course, France will lift the gates for those refugees. They are helping their fellow EU country by stopping them in Calais... and the Brits haven't been particularly helpful to the French. When the UK stops being a fellow EU country there is no legal obligation to stop people who want to go to the UK.

 

And don't tell me that the Brits weren't warned for this. They were, but on the West side of the channel people weren't listening.

 

Rik

 

And some of the Brexiteers will see this as vindication of why they wanted out. This is just another illustration of the French ignoring EU laws that don't suit them. They should not be in Calais at all. If the French applied the relevant laws, they'd send them back to the first EU country they entered which is where they should be applying for asylum, but this is way too much trouble. It's not a great law, but it is the law and the French should be applying it, and if they can't send them back, they should be dealing with the asylum applications themselves.

 

This is complicated by the fact that most of them don't want to apply in France, but doesn't excuse the Gallic shrug.

[Trinidad]

And some of the Brexiteers will see this as vindication of why they wanted out. This is just another illustration of the French ignoring EU laws that don't suit them. They should not be in Calais at all. If the French applied the relevant laws, they'd send them back to the first EU country they entered which is where they should be applying for asylum, but this is way too much trouble. It's not a great law, but it is the law and the French should be applying it, and if they can't send them back, they should be dealing with the asylum applications themselves.

 

This is complicated by the fact that most of them don't want to apply in France, but doesn't excuse the Gallic shrug.

Yes, the Dublin agreement* says that asylum needs to be sought in the country where they enter the EU. The problem is that they all enter the EU in Italy and Greece and they want to go to the UK (or Germany). Now, tell me, what exactly did the French do wrong in the eyes of the British?

 

Rik

 

* The Dublin agreement was pretty much suspended because it was designed for the occasional refugee, and obviously not meant to handle an enormous influx coming from a war zone in a country that is one country away from the EU borders. A new policy has taken over in which incoming refugees need to be shared by EU countries, based on the economic possibility (expressed in GDP) to take care of these people. Now, how many of those did actually enter the UK?

[Cyberyeti]

Yes, the Dublin agreement* says that asylum needs to be sought in the country where they enter the EU. The problem is that they all enter the EU in Italy and Greece and they want to go to the UK (or Germany). Now, tell me, what exactly did the French do wrong in the eyes of the British?

 

Rik

 

* The Dublin agreement was pretty much suspended because it was designed for the occasional refugee, and obviously not meant to handle an enormous influx coming from a war zone in a country that is one country away from the EU borders. A new policy has taken over in which incoming refugees need to be shared by EU countries, based on the economic possibility (expressed in GDP) to take care of these people. Now, how many of those did actually enter the UK?

 

Once they come to the attention of the French authorities, they are illegal migrants to France because they have NOT applied in Italy or Greece, so they are a French legal problem not a UK one. Yes Dublin is a mess and needs reform.

 

And it's not just this, there are many many rules that we enforce and the French don't particularly around farming, also a load they only apply to foreigners (try to become a ski instructor there as a Brit). Try to remove a hedge around a field in the two countries to see the sort of difference.

[Trinidad]

What do you have against France?

 

I give you that they don't know how to make fish and chips ... or mint sauce ... or breakfast...

 

But they have been a peace seeking country, looking for compromises and solutions rather than conflicts, and yes, obviously with their own interests to work for.

 

Rik

[Cyberyeti]

What do you have against France?

 

I give you that they don't know how to make fish and chips ... or mint sauce ... or breakfast...

 

But they have been a peace seeking country, looking for compromises and solutions rather than conflicts, and yes, obviously with their own interests to work for.

 

Rik

 

I love France and have spent a good deal of time there. I used to speak good French and can still get around there, I have little against their people but a lot against their spineless politicians who will cave in any time the farmers or unions threaten them.

[mike777]

OK as for all these posts about what to do with immigrants, I assume the answer is what many call for here in the USA. Give them a path to citizenship. Give them access to drive and go to school, etc. Keep in mind we have 60 million immigrants, roughly 15 million illegals.

 

 

A few of these posts sound like some wish to build a wall or send them back or split up families.