While we really tried hard not to write about the contest gripping(?) Britain, this particular survey out last night was just too good to pass up with Liz Truss well ahead of her rival with a 22 point lead: the Conservative Party-and it is them who get to decide-when asked if they preferred Boris Johnson to Liz Truss were clear: they did to the extent of 63% to 22%. Then they were asked if they preferred Boris Johnson to Rishi Sunak and they were equally clear: they did to the extent of 68% to 19%. Overseas readers scratching their heads might well ask why in that case did the Conservative Party defenestrate Boris Johnson. Aaah well. The answer lies in the General Public consensus which is that they are clear that they marginally prefer Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak (don’t care which) to Boris Johnson. At Conservative Party HQ the calculation is that the next PM will lead the party to victory in the 2024 General Election rather than Boris Johnson. As for that political calculation: so far the polls suggest that with all Boris Johnson’s failings, both the Conservative Party and the General Public disagree. GBP/USD 1.2130.
When is Russian Oil not Russian Oil?
The answer is when it is heavily diluted with Kazakhstani oil and piped from Kazakhstan to a Russian port on the Black Sea. By sleight of hand Exxon Mobile having taken delivery of what is certified as Kazakhstan Crude and called CPC as in Caspian Pipeline Consortium despite it being 24% owned by Transneft, a Russian company, then ships it as non sanctions busting oil to the Fawley refinery near Southampton, UK where it is turned into petrol and other products. NYMEX WTI $91.88 on Friday night. GBP/EUR 1.1820.
Ah another Scottish fish and chip story, you might reasonably think. Not a bit of it, this comes from Barga, a hilltop town in Tuscany where they have an annual Fish and Chip Festival: Sagra del Pesce e Patate. Strong ties between this town and Scotland due to the number of Barga citizens who emigrated north following WW2. The festival has been going since 1981 and raises money for the local football team and a number of charities. Readers holidaying in Tuscany should get along to sample the first class fish suppers on offer until tomorrow night when the festival finishes. EUR/USD 1.0250.
This day in 1995 the Spanish pop duo released their smash hit Macarena in Miami which spread across discos and dance clubs spawning the 90’s hottest dance craze and heaps of singularly unfortunate Dad dance moves at weddings and parties for the subsequent 30 years -and counting. Here we go: C’mon Move With Me, Chant With Me….!
I am not trying to seduce you
When I dance, they call me Macarena
And the boys, they say que soy buena
They all want me
They can’t have me
So they all come and dance beside me
Move with me
Chant with me
And if you’re good, I’ll take you home with me
Dale a tu cuerpo alegrÃa Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa’ darle alegrÃa y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegrÃa, Macarena
Hey Macarena, ay
Dale a tu cuerpo alegrÃa Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa’ darle alegrÃa y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegrÃa, Macarena
Hey Macarena, ay
But don’t you worry about my boyfriend
He’s a boy whose name is Vitorino
I don’t want him
Couldn’t stand him
He was no good so I (hahahaha)
Now, come on, what was I supposed to do?
He was out of town and his two friends were so fine
Discussion and Analysis by Humphrey Percy, Chairman and Founder
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