Expectations re the Middle East.

[snpark]

Here

 

[snpark]

It's been a long time we didn't see any Panda gifts. Was wondering when and who might be due a breeding pair soon. Russia?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/03/28/giant-pandas-national-zoo-flirt/

 

[snpark]

Watch pandas flirt at Washington Zoo

Bao Li and Qing Bao are flirting in their enclosures at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

news.sky.com

 

[Bob]

Are these people aready voting? No wonder Trump is President.

Tomorrow’s Cabinet members, about like today’s.

 

[jstar]

Well, Trump’s brilliant speech about bombing Iran back to the stone ages and stating the Street of Hormuz is in fact not his problem and with no plan to move forward or how to obtain peace, had some major impact on oil ($107), gas (EU:,+7%), gold (-3%) and stock prices.

And in the Street of Hormuz the oil tankers don’t move. This is from Vesselfinder:

 

[Bob]

Well, Trump’s brilliant speech about bombing Iran back to the stone ages and stating the Street of Hormuz is in fact not his problem and with no plan to move forward or how to obtain peace, had some major impact on oil ($107), gas (EU:,+7%), gold (-3%) and stock prices.

And in the Street of Hormuz the oil tankers don’t move. This is from Vesselfinder:

Yeah he’s a real gem.

 

[Jaime C]

I’m rather surprised that so many people are flying Queen Bilqis Airways (QA). I think Qatar Airways (QR) is much more popular.

 

[jstar]

Quite normal for a state owned airline when the internet domain of the country is QA and the IOC (Olympics) code is QAT and the ISO currency code is QAR.

Anyway, while the work from home policy took effect on April 1, 2026, the first Friday (April 3, 2026) was a public holiday (Good Friday), so the first active WFH Friday is scheduled for later in April.

The Indonesian government has indicated that while employees are working from home, they must remain reachable, and productivity should not decrease. Eh, on Fridays? This means long weekends for the foreseeable future.

 

[Hawk256]

The Indonesian government has indicated that while employees are working from home, they must remain reachable, and productivity should not decrease. Eh, on Fridays? This means long weekends for the foreseeable future.

Finally, something we can agree on. What a momentous occasion.

 

[jstar]

Not only energy or food is becoming more expensive due to the war in the Middle East, but also... condoms. Karex, the company that produces one in five condoms worldwide, plans to raise its prices by 30%. The CEO Goh Miah Kiat told Bloomberg News the Malaysian company's total production costs have already increased by 25 to 30% since the outbreak of the war.

A lot of petrochemical products are used to make condoms. The disruptions obviously also push up the cost of condom packaging and lubricant.

There is another rather striking reason for the price increase; the dissolution of USAID by US President Donald Trump last year. Because a lot of aid organizations can no longer count on condoms supplied by the US government, they are increasingly knocking on the door of commercial companies. Like Karex.

 

[Balifrog]

Not only energy or food is becoming more expensive due to the war in the Middle East, but also... condoms. Karex, the company that produces one in five condoms worldwide, plans to raise its prices by 30%. The CEO Goh Miah Kiat told Bloomberg News the Malaysian company's total production costs have already increased by 25 to 30% since the outbreak of the war.

A lot of petrochemical products are used to make condoms. The disruptions obviously also push up the cost of condom packaging and lubricant.

There is another rather striking reason for the price increase; the dissolution of USAID by US President Donald Trump last year. Because a lot of aid organizations can no longer count on condoms supplied by the US government, they are increasingly knocking on the door of commercial companies. Like Karex.

Never used them, no problem.

Meanwhile Orange man is in deep sh*t and had to extend the cease fire by himself as the Iranians have no intention to meet the US "negociators" ...

 

[snpark]

Never used them, no problem.

Meanwhile Orange man is in deep sh*t and had to extend the cease fire by himself as the Iranians have no intention to meet the US "negociators" ...

And now also taking it upon themselves to board hijack and kidnap ships and crews in Iranian water and steal the oil or cargo. American piracy lives. Please one of the ships say no and open fire on the US troops illegally attempting to board you.

Paging Captain Philips