New Year Prediction Game 2023

 So last year the predictions were somewhat poor as we nearly all over-egged Boris. Under estimated Putin and thought covid was awful!

Everyone except Caesar Hemera - blimey he nailed it. Well done that man! 

This year let’s make it simple for us all? 5 yea or nea- 

Will the war in Ukraine end?

Will Oil average over $100 a barrel?

Will Elon Musk’s fabled moon trip happen?

Will Sam Bankman-Fried get Jail time?

Will the UK be in recession still in Q4 2024?

Bonus answer for tiebreak has to be a sport related prediction. Mine is for Emma Radacanu to win Wimbledon. 

And The Winner Is ...

And so to our Colonialist Capitalist Quiz.  The amount charged by the RAF to the Egyptian government for the 3rd aerial survey in 1922 was £1,583 13s 5d.  

By my reckoning, the odd change in decimal is £0.6708  (13 x 12 + 5 = 161 pennies, / 240); so in guineas, 1,583.6708 / (1+(1/20))  =  1,508.26 guineas

So the winner is Sobers, with his very realistic stab.  A free lifetime subscription to C@W for that person - plus the first pint on me next time Blog Drinks are permitted.

*   *   *   *   *

Incidentally, if a little schoolboy humour is allowed while we are in robust retro mood  - you gotta admire the QC who told the court this week that the idea children can safely opt for puberty-blocking drugs is "a fairy tale" ...

ND

Tuesday Fun: Quick Capitalist Quiz

 Busy today, so here's a fun quick money question.

At the weekend I wrote of the problems of getting adequate military maps in WW2 for many areas in North Africa; but that a big swathe of Egypt had been covered by interwar surveys - "at the expense of the Egyptian government!".  Yes, the RAF charged the Egyptian government the cost of the aerial surveys.  Well, they were highly beneficial for irrigation planning, with a spin-off benefit of quite revelatory archaeological research.

Here's what happened on the 3rd such survey, conducted in 1922: based, unsurprisingly, on the Nile, it was split into a North survey from the Delta Barrage to the sea, carried out by No. 208 Squadron (Bristol Fighters), and a South survey by No. 47 Squadron (D.H.9s) from Aswan to the Delta Barrage, a total of 850 miles.  So: our colonialist capitalist quiz question -

What was the cost that was passed through to the Egyptians for the 3rd survey?  

Answer in Pounds Sterling, money of the day (1922 pounds, shillings & pence).

Small prize for the closest estimate ... (editor's decision final)

ND

New Year Predictions 2015

Apologies for the slowness over Xmas of posting. With myself and Bill Quango down with man flu it is has been only the army-hardened, redoubtable Mr Drew who has been available to keep us going!


However it is traditional that we make some New Year predictions each year and then see how us and the readers do. At the Weekend, we will review 2014 and what happened, but given it is the first day of the New Year today, here is this year's challenge - five topics one answer each:

Diplomacy
Macro Economics
Military
UK Election Result
Open Prediction

So, mine are:

Diplomacy - Russia will not submit and the cold war between the West and Russia may even escalate

Macro Economics - Eurozone growth for the year will be less than 1%

Military - Iraq and Syria will see of ISIS for the main part, but the situation will still remain very messy.

UK Election  - Ed Milliband will be Prime Minister, UKIP will get 5 MP's.

Open Prediction - There won't be much discussion of Fracking in the UK with the Oil price sat at $60 or less.


CU

Sunday Times

Hat tip: Big Picture