Sunday musings

A week after the attack in Ottawa by a madman - the memory dims for the majority of people.
Sad fact but true.
Modern day people seem to have an attention span now measured in minutes - not months.
The biggest apparent result of the attack - probable increase in stealth powers of the police and secret services and loss of some rights by the individuals in the name of the greater good and safety for all.
And the big question - if you dare be honest in your reply - is do you really care if it does not impact you?
Thought so.
And the world careens on.
Halloween comes and goes.
The media is starting to proclaim in various outlets that Ebola is on the decline.
Tell that to the victims please.
Do you also get an uneasy feeling about the Ebola coverage?
Almost like this is a "manufactured" crisis from the media?
That while devastating parts of Africa, in order to make the story "sexy" and more reader involved (hello advertising dollars) we have to now know that - gasp - America is in the deadly grip of Ebola.
Spain is in the deadly grip of Ebola.
Canada is in the deadly grip of Ebola.
Parts of Europe are in the grip of Ebola.
Anyone going to the hospital with a case of flu - now is in the deadly grip of possibly Ebola.
Sense a pattern?
You hope this is not the case, but hmmm, you have to wonder.
Also, how come that there was no possible way to every get a vaccine for Ebola but when America got an actual case - well now it seems that big pharma will have one to release early next year?
What the heck?
 You do not want to be thought of one of those folks that wear tinfoil hats to deflect alien radio waves but gee whiz - something seems off in the coverage and responses from the health industry?
Well?
A couple of crashes in the space flight industry this week.
One was a private enterprise supply rocket for the space station.
One was a private enterprise space "plane".
Critics immediately said that this shows the lack of competence of the private sector as compared to NASA.
Hmm.... where were these folks when the same happened to NASA over the years?
Remember Challenger?
Remember shuttle Columbia?
Remember Liberty Bell sinking?
I seem to recall the same folks (or their parents perhaps) yapping about the incompetence of Government versus the private sector?
Different time - different opponent.
Professional complainers never leave - they change causes to suit themselves it seems.
Our future could lie in the stars but sadly we will have probably destroyed this planet long before we get the opportunity to leave it.
Maybe a good thing some might say.
Winter has touched down briefly for the Canadian city of Calgary - snow all over the place but soon to melt before the real stuff comes for the winter.

And on that cold note here is your Hawaiian word for the day - MA'AMA'AMA -illuminated. As in when the sun shines - you say MA'AMA'AMA Ka La - or the sun is bright.
And the lava continues to flow on the Big Island into the town of Pahoa now. A tragically eerily destructive force that we can only watch - not stop or change.
Truly "Mea kaumaha loa"!
 Off to Germany where an insurance salesman who sawed off his own finger and thumb to claim insurance was given a suspended sentence by a court in northern Germany on Friday. The 50-year-old man had qualified as an insurance salesman shortly before the 'accident' in February 2010 and took out four separate insurance policies - with special clauses covering finger injuries - for himself. But a medical expert said in testimony to the court that it was "particularly astonishing" that the rest of his hand remained relatively intact. Local police said there was “very little blood” when they searched the basement for the mans' missing digits, apparently his wife 'found' them outside in the snow a week later.
Surely there is a better and less physically destructive way to get a million Euros isn't there?
As is said in German, the man is a  dumm·kopf!
 Truly sad news from Italy as the country confirmed the end of its search and rescue operation "Mare Nostrum", which has saved the lives of tens of thousands of boat migrants in the Mediterranean. The government had spent some €114 million on the massive naval operation since two deadly shipwrecks in October last year left over 400 people dead.
No help from other European countries to defray the costs.
No other European country offered to step in.
No African country offered to step in.
Not their problem - let the refugees die.
Same old "not in my backyard" crap we hear all the time.
Bet you the Leaders of all those countries live in nice places, eat well and drive fancy cars.
Ahh, the sorrow and the shame.
Here on my Island, the clocks get set back an hour today - something to do with daylight savings time whatever the heck that is.
All I know is that there now is 25 hours on my birthday this year (wonderful eh?) and no cracks about too many candles overflowing my birthday cupcake OK?
We have civic elections this month and apparently in proof that you can come back from the dead a former mayor seems to be back in the mayoralty race many years after passing off this mortal coil.

A Twitter account representing the statue of the late Frank Ney claims to be running for mayor and is drawing some plenty of attention. - See more at: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/statue-of-frank-ney-is-now-running-for-mayor-1.1489823#sthash.2RyT0nWb.dpuf

A Twitter account representing the statue of the late Frank Ney claims to be running for mayor and is drawing some plenty of attention. - See more at: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/statue-of-frank-ney-is-now-running-for-mayor-1.1489823#sthash.2RyT0nWb.dpuf

A Twitter account representing the statue of the late Frank Ney claims to be running for mayor and is drawing some plenty of attention. - See more at: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/statue-of-frank-ney-is-now-running-for-mayor-1.1489823#sthash.2RyT0nWb.dpuf

A Twitter account claiming to represent the late Frank Ney claims to be in race now. One respondent states that "finally a politician that gets it.. I' sure he has a solid base" in an apparent reference to the fact that there is a large statue of the former mayor in a park near the harbour front. What the heck - as some might say, a dead mayor returning might be more pro-active than the present one!
Finally, a serious comment on the upcoming Remembrance Day here in Canada.
This day is the one time of year we all should pause in memory of the ones (male and female) that gave their lives, parts of their bodies and minds in conflicts to preserve our way of life and democracy. They fought against Nazis, Italian fascists, Japanese military, North Koreans, Communist Chinese and many others in many theaters of operation no different than the war that now is emerging from those thugs from ISIS and others.
They were and are heros.
Do them proud and salute them OK?

take care out there,
flatlander52

"Finally ... a politician that gets it!" one user posted. "... I'm sure he has a solid platform to run his campaign on," another wrote. - See more at: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/statue-of-frank-ney-is-now-running-for-mayor-1.1489823#sthash.2RyT0nWb.dpuf

Sunday musings

Now in Canada.
Twice in recent days, incidents happened in Canada, that caused reverberations around the land.
Both were done by mad men.
Mad as insane.
Crazy.
Pick your word.
Both, lonely, lost men.
They grabbed onto a religion in the hope it would solve all their problems.
They forgot that solving ones problems starts with the individual not society.
Both flamed out against representatives of an orderly society - the military.
Both murdered a member of the military.
Both also are dead.
One made it as far as the inside of the Canadian Parliament Buildings before his life and insanity was ended by a hero.
Media says - this is the day Canada changed forever.
Not really.
Groups of people congregate and light candles and sing the national anthem.
A sign of today's society that is lost without a beehive mindset of inter connectivity to make sense of things and removing personal responsibility and maturity from the discussion.
A sad reflection on the diminishing of the human spirit itself through technology.
The military for now is told not to wear uniforms while out in the public.
Mistake.
Just like the murder of those innocent women years ago in Quebec or the murder of First Nations women in Canada - Highway of Tears, the incidents from 9/11 - this will fade not disappear over time.
To say that this is a result of Islamic terrorism - not really even if the blowhards that hide so cleverly online say so.
Even if the media desperately tries to say so.
Even if some frightened politicians say so.
Two insane folks clinging to anything, something to justify their failed lives committed murder.
We cannot shut down Parliament buildings as a result.
We cannot shut down the military as a result.
We cannot trample the liberties of some groups in a knee jerk reaction as a result.
We cannot allow cowards to spray paint mosques under the cover of darkness as a result.
We are Canadian and we stand proud, free and cowed by no one person, group or country.
Period.
Yes to confiscating passports of Canadians that become foot soldiers in terrorist organizations in other countries - but also help start the World Court to try these war criminals as well OK?
Yes to sharing intelligence with other countries in this fight - but have intelligent guidelines and effective review of what our intelligence departments accomplish. Does every e mail ever transmitted need to be kept forever or can items like that have a "shelf life" before they are forever deleted?
Yes to a well prepared, supplied and financed military - no more leasing equipment or ships or airplanes or tanks. But also build an effective military with enough ships,guns and planes without buying multi billion dollar toys. One needs to see how effective terrorist groups are with little in the way of obscenely priced airplanes etc. to see that throwing money at projects may not be the best use of the money.
Canada is a little sadder now.
Canada is a little wiser now.
Those losers and other of their ilk never had and never will, have a chance of succeeding - ever.
I also know that this is, indeed a time of sadness.

We all need to take care out there,
flatlander52

Sunday musings

The world never learns does it?
Specifically in the instance of the Ebola scourge.
Just ignore it and it will go away.
Honestly, that was the reaction of the world community at large.
As long as it killed - and let us be honest here - blacks in some part of Africa - who cared?
The so called wonderful WHO (World Health Organization - headquartered in Geneva of course) now kinda says, oops, maybe, perhaps, possibly, someone, somehow in our org. screwed up in this mess.
And in America, Canada, Europe - well now that, due to incredible incompetence of front line health care workers in Dallas, officals and folks are going nutbag crazy over fear of this "epidemic".
Now that middle class folks might be at risk - now it is a problem.
Too bad for all the black folks that died because no one cared - right?
Ebola is horrible and why is it only now that governments are pushing researchers to develop a vaccine for it?
You and I know the answer right?
Sometimes being a human being is nothing to be proud of is it?
And one of the early big selling Halloween costumes in North America is - yes guessed it, a HazMat suit for trick or treaters.
What the hell is the matter with people and the parents of young kids that allow this?
Maybe, but one doubts it, people will learn how this disease is truly transmitted and act accordingly. But the drivel and pap spewed by news media is so full of lies and distortions - fear mongers in search of ratings and advertisings dollars.
No more and no less.
Greed.
Great folks, these "servants" of free speech.
Joseph Goebbels would have been proud of them.
Strong words yes - but fear mongering and sanctioned disregard for safety cannot be excused -period.
 More and more governments are adopting a strategy of passing laws to enable them to confiscate identity papers of suspected jihadists and like minded terrorists.
And of course some civil libertarians will decry this supposed erosion of individual rights by the "state".
So what?
Did they think for even a second that these evil doers flourish because people like the "liberty at any and all cost" have systematically dismantled rules of civil conduct under the guise of "freedom" of the masses?
And these staunch defenders always live in countries that have sacrificed lives to protect their freedoms?
They never live or move to such free lands such as Ethiopia, North Korea, Iran - want a bigger list or do you get the idea?
Yah, thought so.
Have you heard of "crowdfunding?"
If not, it is mostly a social media driven item where a cause or item is flogged to the general public for funding. An electronic way of "begging" for money in a way. Sometimes the cause is truly noble. Cases where money is needed for health care/operations for people lacking in health coverage or too poor to have any savings at all to pay or have used up all savings and need help in the most drastic way.
And that is a good thing.
And then sometimes the appeal is for a product that banks will not dole out loans for because it is deemed "too risky".
And for some deserving items, crowdfunding is a good thing.
And in some cases, well, it is for something silly and people give money - well, just because.
Soooooo.....anybody out there want to start a crowdfunding project on my behalf so that I can fly first class to Australia???
Yah, thought so.
Maybe I will rent a travel DVD instead...sigh...
The stock markets tanked this week amid fears of Ebola, dropping oil prices, ISIS, and a toilet paper shortage in Bremen, Germany.
OK, joking about the shortage in Bremen, but it does show what a mugs game the stock market is. A whisper here and there and prices surge or drop and many times for no reason except trading companies have been allowed to computerize ordering based on algorithms and to hell with logic. All to make money and lots of it.
So, on Friday, all the "cheap" stocks were snatched up in a round of profit taking by the same outfits that sold them.
The losers?
Not the traders - no, just the taxpayer and by that - you.
Remember the phrase used so much recently about banks?
"Too big to fail"
Yup - bailed out with your tax money and your net worth decreases because of it - not theirs.
The old saying about storing your money under the mattress seems a lot more reasonable these days.
 Now for your Hawaiian word of the day - ikiiki and it is a cool one at that as it means sticky or humid!
And of course the German equivalent is  feucht
Quite similar in spelling right?
Well here on my Island, ahhhh.... life goes on quietly and I still enjoy my solitary walks in the woods as the leaves change colour and the slow advent of some rainy days starts.
All in all, not a bad life for an old fart! 
And we have a new "member" of the family...

 What can I say??

take care out there,
flatlander52

Sunday musings

Sometimes one has to chuckle over the  screaming headlines on some  web based "news" sites and I want to mention two that I came across this week.
Both were on the one site, a "news' organization that has bureaus around the world and takes itself rather seriously even though the pages contain the odd fluff piece that one would find in gossip sites like TMZ.
Anyway, one headline screamed out that you better watch your wallet because a "T Rex of a winter" could send home heating costs sky high.
Sigh, of course if a winter is extreme and long, does it not stand to reason that fuel supplies will run low and prices will rise because the market will bear it?
Nowhere in the article did it SAY that the winter will be brutal.
Nope.
So.... dramatic lead line promising high costs IF/WHEN..... and then the story peters out.
This is news?
The second story warned of dramatic price increases in food stuffs in the Canadian province of British Columbia as a result of the drought in California limiting crop production. And tossed in the the usual twaddle about governments should be doling out tons of $$$ to local producers to up their production - you know the refrain - grow local. well, maybe someone should tell the scribes at this news outlet that the California drought has been on for more than this summer OK? And that prices rose quite a while ago thank you. And for the refrain of grow local - you ever notice that the local growers charge a blasted premium for their products? And not because it is better, heck no - because they match the price of imported products and not the actually cost of production. Remember, they do not have to ship fresh produce from South America to a port and then truck it to a local grocery store. Heck, they can and do dump it into a truck and drive it maybe a maximum of 50 miles to the grocery store or depot where it is then dispersed.
Farmers are smart and matching prices just gives them more money.
And can someone tell me how organic products cost more when in theory less chemicals etc. are needed in their production?
You charge more for less?
And this is news?
Maybe that is one of the problems we face these days in that we might get too much news all the time. And the media folks have no choice in this 24/7/365 world but to publish any and all items that might have a scintilla of newsworthiness to them.
Thereby dumbing us all down.
Back in the late 60's to late 70's of the last century, Canadians had access (in the main) to only 2 or 3 TV news outlets and a local newspaper and the news articles were filtered for worthiness and importance - not for ratings.
I daresay that while we knew less, we actually knew more!
Speaking of technology, do you remember the painting I showed last winter near Christmas of a winter scene by a noted Saskatchewan artist?
Well, this summer he took the plunge and entered the wacky world of the Interweb and purchased an IPad.
And now... he sends e mails.
He takes and sends pictures.
He does guided tours via FaceTime.
He downloads.
He Facebooks.
He is having fun doing this.
And I think that is so darn cool.
So yes, technology can indeed be a good thing.
And he is a source of pride and amazement to his little sister (my better half!) and now she mumbles about her going on Facebook!
So... here is another painting of his done on a piece of clay pipe and it is pretty darn cool.

The drums of war continue to pound in the Middle East and yet... something strange is happening with the price of oil. For the last few years, or so it seems, that every time a refinery had a shut down or a country rattled its chains against anybody or thing - that the price of oil jumped about $20 a barrel immediately?
But now it is falling?
What the heck?
Do you think maybe those conspiracy folks might just have a case when they postulate that crude oil increases are nothing more than market manipulation by some wealthy stock manipulators that know exactly how to panic folks and squeeze maximum profits out of a non event?
Ya think there are greedy folks out there?
Ya think?
And governments stand idly by.
No question.
Enough to make you weep.
But if someone misses paying income tax by $5.00 - well they hound the heck out of them and even charge interest or take the money from their bank account.
Of the People, For the People - well, maybe not so much anymore.
Speaking of that workers Paradise - North Korea, it seems that their fearless leader has not been seen in public for a few weeks.
And tell me, why would anyone care?
Because.. (are you ready for this?) unnamed officials from both America and South Korea, are worried about some unknown successor rather than the "devil they know".
Yup, this dude may be crazy and evil - but we can live with that!
Man, that is so brutally honest and terrible at the same time isn't it?
Sometimes, just sometimes... the world gets things right and for a moment... a short moment... there truly is a hope for mankind....I speak of the news that this week, the 2014 Nobel Peace prize recipient that was rumoured to be possibly be Mr. Putin of Russia (hmmm, interesting thing that!) or the Pope (thought that was part of the job description) was a surprise and somehow the Committee got it right.
Co-winners, one from Pakistan and one from India - 2 countries that despise the other.
Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzay for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.
Both heroes.
Period.
We need more like them.
Period.
And now for your German word of the week.
How about sodbrennen?
Give up?
OK, not what you think, it actually means heartburn!
And the Hawaiian equivalent is haoa!
I wonder how Tums translates?
Over on my beloved Island of Maui, a story that shows that this little corner of tranquility has bad moments comes from a report where a Lahaina man has been charged with the attempted murder of a woman who complained about the odor from his mother's cooking.
Just a little extreme wouldn't you say?
On the plus side, this week at a ceremony held by the State this past week-- plans were announced to PRESERVE Maui's historic Lipoa Point. A truly beautiful area filled with the mana of the islands, this is indeed a great thing. Below is a screen grab of KITV 4 TV's newscast on this.

Once areas like this are lost to development - they are gone forever.
Something the folks on my Island could embrace.
Speaking of my Island, folks are settling down for Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend and for many, this is truly the start of the Fall season and soon, the TV ads for Christmas shopping will inundate us.
Sigh.......
take care out there,
flatlander52

Sunday musings

OK, remember the number of times I have "bleated" about the obscenity called the Olympic Games - not so much the athletes but the corrupt "royalty" that runs it?
And the incredible ransom they demand from host countries for the "privilege" to run these events including lavish never to be used again facilities?
Well... news emerges that Olso has dropped out of the race for the 2022 Winter Olympics because the population would not agree to spend boatloads of money on this nonsense thus leaving China and Kazakhstan as the 2 countries left in contention.
Well... congratulations to these two countries for wanting to blow their fiscal sanity to the winds in order to appease their leaders bloated sense of importance in the cosmos.
Could have spent the roughly 50 billion on pollution control in China.
Could have spent the roughly 50 billion on feeding the people in Kazakhstan.
Could have but won't.
What is wrong with people anyway?
In a sad statement on the deadening of outrage by the instant gratification brought to you by social media and the 24/7 news cycle - the latest beheading of a British captive by the thugs of ISIS barely rated a line in the media and usually in a minor column - so different from the world wide horror of a few short weeks ago.
Guess most folks care more about photos of the big rear end of some ex porn star than they do about evil and tyranny.
What is wrong with people anyway?
So the Ebola virus has been diagnosed in America. A mini hysteria fit has swept that mighty nation totally driven by irresponsible "news" reporters. Did you know that any one victim can only infect 2 people and that is by fluid contact only? And a noted black leader in the States has solemnly declared that the Ebola virus was created by white men to kill blacks?
I am sorry, but he is a fool.
And a racist of the kind he hates.
What is wrong with people anyway?
Interesting news from America this week in regards to employment and wages.
It seems that the unemployment rate has dipped below 6% for the first time since 2008 but that the average wage earner in the States has had virtually no real increase intake home wages since 1999. At the same time, the infamous 1% wealthy apparently had their net worth increase by 28%.
Wow.
Wonder what the rates are for Europe and Canada?
Maybe it really is some for some to pay more because one might argue that the trickle down theory of wealth creation is no longer valid and a larger segment of society is actually subsidizing a small (wealthy) group via tax cuts and subsidies with zero return on investment.
Remember - there is only one taxpayer and when the pool is reduced by preferential treatment - services and quality of life suffers for the majority.
So, will the politicians have the courage to do the right thing?
Or more of the same?
I bet you the Hunt brothers in America and their equivalents in Europe and Canada are just a shaking in their boots.
Ha.
Did you know that it was 25 years ago that the start of the destruction of the Berlin Wall occurred and the re-unification of the two Germanies begun?
A wealthy West absorbed a impoverished East with massive debt and devastated economy and landscape with a large amount of skepticism and angst. And while problems are still abundant, the progress has been nothing short of remarkable.
Incredible.
The Head of the Central Bank of Argentina surprised many by abruptly resigning this week and predictably the Argentine Peso dropped against the American dollar to a new record low. And for a country blessed with s much, this is just another setback in its struggle to control a rampant inflation cycle and controversial debt repayment scheme.
One can only hope that this wonderful land soon emerges from this latest set back.
Now for the Hawaiian word for the day - AWE pronounced aw-way and that means backpack!
And at Kihei on the Sandwich isle, for the 79th year, the local County Fair was staged and by all accounts, yet again was a well attended success.
And for your German word of the day -  Frostschutzmittel which means automobile anti freeze. Thankfully that is not needed on my Island!
 Indeed, here we are in the midst of selecting our "winter" plants to be bought and put outside to tide us through 'til Spring arrives in late February.
Oh well...

take care out there
flatlander52

Sunday musings

So some nutcase in America gets fired and returns to the workplace and murders a former co-worker. And in this day and age where people seems so desperate to be "somebody" and will mimic/adopt anything that seems trendy on the Web and various forms of social media, he also beheaded the poor person.  And the media jumps on the reports that he was a recent convert to Islam and draws a direct connection to terrorism.
Ah, really?
As sad as the "link" some influential American politician made to an abandoned sports jersey on the USA/Mexico border by proclaiming it to be a Mexican/Muslim terrorist prayer rug.
Ah, really?
A sports shirt?
Come on.
And the specter of a porous border re-emerges from USA politicos - conveniently twisting the reality that it is the USA that leaks into its next door countries and not the other way around.
And yes - really.
India spent some 73 odd million dollars to place a satellite around Mars - compare that to the $100 million spent by Hollywood to produce the sci-fi flick Gravity.
Ah, really?
Something really strange about that isn't it?
So, the United Nations had a PR event this week about climate change where some of the leaders of the biggest industrial countries spoke. The Americans prodded the world to act. Canada sent a junior minister to yap and promised to follow the lead of the Yanks. Thereby casting to the garbage bin of history its' so called solemn commitment to reduce emissions made with a straight face a few years ago.
China said - no - no to the world about reducing its' dependence on coal fired power plants with their incredibly toxic emissions.
And - you guessed it - the rest of the pious,pompous, hypocritical world approved of that by its total and complete silence.
Not a peep.
Not a damn word.
Instead, why not skewer countries that in the big total picture do a lot less but actually respond to criticism?
Like Germany or Ireland.
Not ones like the aforementioned China, India, take your pick in Africa, far East or South America.
Oh no, not them.
How do these leaders and so many "professional" greenies look themselves in the mirror anyway?
And, showing the the United Nations is truly blessed with corruption acceptance reports come out this week that the beloved world body  has given around $130m in financial aid to Somalia. The decision came despite corruption allegations against Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his ministers.
Ah, really?
Doing wrong does seem to pay doesn't it?
The cursed Ebola virus continues its march in Africa and the outlook continues to darken. Residents of the Guinean capital Conakry, hit hard by Ebola, say they are afraid to seek treatment at hospitals for fear of being poisoned by doctors, as the death toll across West Africa passed the 3,000 mark.
 Will an extreme reaction occur if the world community decides to embargo Africa until the plaque dies out?
And rest assured, this could happen.
Did you know that 75 years ago the movie Gone with the Wind was released?
Still a powerful movie after all those decades. And yes, some parts reflect the attitude of the times in depictions of life in the American South of the Civil War era but still, pretty good. Can you name a recent film that would rate this well after 75 years?
Star Wars?
The Muppets movie?
Case closed.
Your Hawaiian word for the day - back again by popular demand - Noho kamoe.
For all the so called armchair quaterbacks in the world - it means your "recliner" chair!
Cool.
Sadly on the fabled Sandwich Islands, vandalism also flourishes under the guise of social activism in this instance. In Lahaina residents were greeted with graffiti in various locations. The most prominent being on the side of the Lahaina Burger King with the letters GMO-symbol(Assuming the symbol means- Anarchy) sprayed on the windows.In the upcoming elections a referendum on banning GMO crops is to be voted on but there is no thinking from whomever did this stupid act by defacing property. If folks are that involved in any cause - hey deface your own property for a change eh?
This weekend sees the annual Falsetto competition on Maui, to be held in the resort area of Wailea, in the town of Kihei.
And...on October 10th there will be a free ukulele workshop at the MACC in Wailuku town and that defines the word cool - just ask Elvis!
Here on my Island, well the slow advance of Fall continues. Leaves are starting to change colour and indeed some are falling early due to the drought we had for over three months this summer season. Without water (indeed this Island is considered a rainforest region) the stress causes the leaves to drop early - almost like being back on the Prairie Flatlands!
My better half has removed all the summer flowers and is in the process of planting fall/winter ones, still hard to believe that flowers continue to flourish in the winter months here.

 take care out there,
flatlander52

Sunday musings

The sad saga of the American Professional Football League (NFL) and its mishandling of a case involving a player committing violence towards a woman continues with the bizarre late Friday news conference done by its commissioner and the media.
It took a week for him to emerge from seclusion to explain the incredible inept handling of the so called Ray Rice affair.
A week.
Total silence.
Then a news conference on a late Friday - just the same kind of hiding in plain view that modern politicians do all the time when issuing bad news to the taxpayer.
A week.
But... he only came out to talk after a number of big money paying sponsors (indeed, one brewery spends over 1 billion - yes, with a B!) complained and vaguely talked of doing "something" with their money.
Then he showed up.
A week.
Never did address the issue did he?
Nope.
A week.
What a hero eh?
Then about a half hour after the end of this farce, a report hit the airwaves that said the team employing the player - well officials actually saw the video of the player hitting his fiance. And that the billionaire owner helped devise a plan to only suspend the player for 2 games, enter an abuse program thereby hiding the video forever from the public and that the commissioner went along with this.
And you know what?
One suspects absolutely zero will come out of this tragedy.
Ordinary folks will still fill the coffers of the team owners to overflowing.
They will still attend the games.
Nothing will change.
Most likely.
You hope not but one doubts it.
After all, society (and not just North American by the way) worships athletes - indeed they can do no wrong and it is difficult to see this obsession ever changing.
And there are the 2 victims in this and they will be the only ones to pay a horrendous price.
The woman who was punched in the face and ended up marrying the man.
And the man himself - put into obscurity, never to earn more mega millions - probably never to understand what was wrong with what he did.
An American tragedy all around.
In Scotland this week, a vote to separate from the United Kingdom was defeated. Avid separatists from the Canadian Province of Quebec ( home of 2 failed votes to get out of that union) vowed that they were re-invigorated and have new energy to start the drums a beating in that part of the world.
OK - but this time, let the country take a lesson from the details of the Scottish action.
Leave Canada - pay your portion of the debt that you incurred.
Leave Canada - get your own currency, not the Canadian dollar thank you.
Leave Canada - no access to Canadian Pension plans - they are for Canadians only.
Leave Canada - form and supply your own military.
Leave Canada - you deal with the First Nations people who have their own ideas of Nationhood.
Get the picture?
Times and attitudes change, evolve and in some cases - harden.
Sierra Leone has enforced a 3 day lock down of the entire country in order to find, isolate, hospitalize (and also educate the populace) people infected with the Ebola virus. A desperate step in the fight against an ever spreading disease that is claiming more and more every day.
Will this work?
One hopes so but based on the way humanity has acted through the ages, probably not.
A cruel irony is that there are so many medicines available these days compared to the zero amount centuries ago and scourges like this continue to exist.
Sometimes it seems the world goes 3 steps forward, 1 step sideways and 4 steps back doesn't it?
On the plus side, reports issue that say there might be a reliable blood test available for the diagnosis of depression. Instead of solely relying on the words of the afflicted, medicine might be able to spot this insidious disease via a simple style blood test.
And what a great thing that would be.
I think we all have known folks that have endured this demon.
Sometimes successfully.
Sometimes losing to it.
And never just a single victim, no, entire groups of people are impacted by this disease.
As said, sometimes a step forward.
In a sure sign of fall - the first sighting of a humpback whale comes from the Sandwich Islands.
More reliable than the first frost or leaves falling, that's for sure.
It is a truly awesome sight when one breaches the water, takes your breath away in fact.
We have had the pleasure of this viewing a number of times over the years and never grow tired of it. And as hinted, once again in the New Year, we are off to the Isles to spend a short time there.
Here on my Island, Fall is truly underway as the Province wide teachers strike is finally settled and parents can now send their kids back to subsidized day care...oops.. school again.
Also the main deluge of tourist traffic is slowing to a trickle and one can venture out on the local "autobahn" and not endure the dreaded 15 minute traffic jam!
We are in the process of bidding farewell to "member" of our household.
She came into our lives about 2 months ago.
Tiny little thing yet able to melt my heart with just one look.
Next week, she will be moving to a new place across our small "dorf".
Never thought I would have another kitten in my life after saying farewell to the "old guy" as he passed on just a couple of weeks before we moved from the Prairie Flatlands to this Island.
Never again I said.
I will miss her.
Darn.

take care out there,
flatlander52