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It's the most wonderful time of the year. I'm here.

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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 39,022 ✭✭✭✭Permabear


    This post has been deleted.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,845 ✭✭✭✭somesoldiers


    Permabear wrote: »
    This post had been deleted.

    Go Panthers! Was there for the big game Nov 13th think it was, not a fan but was a good atmosphere round the city


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 39,022 ✭✭✭✭Permabear


    This post has been deleted.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,167 ✭✭✭Fr_Dougal


    Permabear wrote: »
    This post had been deleted.

    How much is a decent bull these days?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 39,022 ✭✭✭✭Permabear


    This post has been deleted.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,810 ✭✭✭Hector Savage


    Classic!
    Why am I only seeing this now!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 34 Philosophy Zombie


    Fröhliche Weihnachten to the good people of Boards! This message finds me in the Lufthansa lounge in Frankfurt airport, relaxing before my flight back to Dublin, and the home sod. I’d especially like to thank all the posters who sent me personal messages enquiring as to my whereabouts. I’ll admit that I didn’t have a clue who any of you were, but it’s rather touching that you took the time out of your lives to send me your well wishes.

    I also received a small number of extremely abusive messages. Water off a duck’s back, I assure you. I’d suggest these posters take some time out to reflect on why they felt the need to do that, and how they can refocus and reshape that anger into doing something more productive. I don’t like to keep repeating the mantra (if you’ll pardon the pun), but meditation is an invaluable tool for dealing with, and understanding, difficult emotions. Those who spent the year arguing endlessly about the same few topics - may I suggest more mistletoe and less whine in 2018?

    I’ve had a pretty extraordinary year, even by my lofty standards. I was recently reviewing a 10 year personal action plan I created at the start of the decade, and 2017 was the year when many of the items in that most ambitious of lists came to pass. At the start of the year I posted on this very forum about my interest in blockchain technology. My investments in Bitcoin and Ethereum were a real rollercoaster this year, and my grounding in financial mathematics allowed me to put in place a strategy that balanced prudent profit taking with some sheer ‘what the hell’ trading. I exited the market a number of weeks ago. When you see people giving advice on a site such as this about investing money in it, then you know you’re in the onine equivalent of the Joseph Kennedy shoeshine boy giving him stock tips.

    As I said, I remain extremely interested in the technology stack behind the hysteria, so I’ve invested in an extremely promising start-up which is creating a platform using blockchain technology for the trading of smart contracts amongst small-scale renewable energy producers and their customers. Watch this space.

    My career in Frankfurt is still flying, and my strong blend of personality, analytical insight, and work ethic resulted in me being head-hunted by a competing firm working at the cutting-edge of European Finance. Empathy is an extremely important skill in the modern work environment, and it’s something I have in abundance. It’s not something you can feign, but it is something you can recognise in yourself and let flourish. Again, see meditation. My move caused some ripples in the area of Finance that I work in, but I haven’t regretted my move for a second.

    That said, I’m taking a slightly more unbuttoned approach to my career. I’m still an extremely ambitious and hard-working man, who demands the upmost from both himself and his colleagues; but I’ve certainly improved my ability to switch off when I need to. Like Mo Farah, I decided to move from 5k and 10k racing to half and full marathons. My half marathon times in particular are the envy of colleagues ten years my junior, and I took particular satisfaction in running a yearly PB when beating an extremely arrogant rival from a competing firm. Pilates has been little short of a miracle in helping with a lower back issue which is the bane of the Von Bismarck clan; my golf handicap is a stubborn 6. I’ve also continued to hike and mountain bike.

    I’ve always been a voracious - sometimes insatiable - reader, and this year was a treasure trove of interesting finds and revisited gems. I’m not the sort to go into vulgar details about my love life, but suffice to say I’ve little trouble in attracting members of the opposite sex. However I remain betrothed to my rock, The Baroness. We had intended to start a family in 2017, but alas it wasn’t to be.

    Finally, I was in Croke Park in that beautiful day in September when Galway finally ended the famine, and won the AI Hurling final. I’ll admit to shedding a tear as the trophy was held aloft. Shame on their insistence on playing Galway Girl during the celebrations – a sour note in an otherwise wonderful day.

    Christmas is a time to stop and reflect, and I will be spending it in Ireland with my family. I’ve had my challenges when it comes to my brother over the years, but we’ve reached some sort of entente cordiale. While I won’t be heading along to a house party with him to drink a bottle of Buckfast, and smoke a few ‘J’s’, I have reached a stage where I’m happy to sit down and watch Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with him. His tipple of choice: strong, cheap Lidl lager; my tipple of choice: a glass of really good Barolo. It takes all sorts to make the world I suppose.


    I’ll pretend to enjoy eating the turkey and ham, wear a paper crown, politely decline a slice of Viennetta with dessert, and insist on choosing the cheese board selection. I’ll enjoy every moment, and genuinely appreciate the presents I’m given, even if my brother buys me a Lynx Africa shower set. When I get back to Germany I’ll be taking delivery of a 2018 BMW Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe, so never let it be said that I don’t treat myself.

    Happy Christmas folks. Hope it’s a good one.


    giphy.gif


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,799 ✭✭✭take everything


    Impeccable as usual.
    Made me laugh.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,799 ✭✭✭take everything


    Impeccable as usual.
    Made me laugh.


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,489 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    Can't believe he posted that with a typo in it. Standards really have gone down hill these days.

    Hopefully there is a 2018 version which opens with an apology for such behaviour.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 11,460 ✭✭✭✭Ush1


    What ever happened to Permabear?


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,489 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    Ush1 wrote: »
    What ever happened to Permabear?

    Closed his account some weeks ago and requested that all his posts be removed.

    He gone.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,055 ✭✭✭JohnnyFlash


    Can't believe he posted that with a typo in it. Standards really have gone down hill these days.

    He might have had a second glass of Riesling when he posted it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,810 ✭✭✭Hector Savage


    I do wonder is AVB being serious ?
    If not he has some talent for creative writing - well he does anyway.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 36 Shower Doctor


    Closed his account some weeks ago and requested that all his posts be removed.

    He gone.

    Gdpr issue?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 118 ✭✭QuintusFabius


    Ush1 wrote: »
    What ever happened to Permabear?

    I'm guessing his 18 year old wife left him(40+)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 870 ✭✭✭Kuva




  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    I do wonder is AVB being serious ?
    If not he has some talent for creative writing - well he does anyway.

    I still holding on to the belief that AvB and EOTR are actually the same person :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,055 ✭✭✭JohnnyFlash


    Where is AvB these days anyway?


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,489 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    Where is AvB these days anyway?

    Given the challenges associated with Brexit and the considerations of a financial nature with the imminent movement of financial service companies out of London and the adjustment of European Union income and expenditure budgets, I suspect he is heavily occupied with providing consultancy and strategic leadership to Europe's top banking directors and the offices of the council of ministers of the EU.

    Also, September is a busy period in the fashion world with New York, London and Milan fashion extravaganzas being held and AvB each year has his pick of invites to the exhibitions of the prime collections from the worlds top designers. He would really rather not attend given the mundanity of private jet travel but he recognizes his presence by the catwalk is both a boon to the show and designer and is appreciated by one of his many close female friends who tend to be involved in modelling the clothes at these events. As a result of his workload and the effort of attending these events I understand he often unwinds by taking a 10 day break in early October at his chalet in the Black Forest region of Germany where he hikes an average of 32Km per day.

    The above could be true, or, he might currently be on an springboard course which he must attend in order to maintain his JSA.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,745 ✭✭✭Deebles McBeebles


    Where is AvB these days anyway?

    Managing a team in Shanghai last I heard.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 36 Shower Doctor


    Where is AvB these days anyway?

    Pulling his tool in west Connemara.


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