It seems almost like a switch was clicked this week weather wise. We have gone from hot days and nights to hot days and coolish nights. The temperatures in the evenings now reside at 6-8 whereas before they were in the teens.
Even more ominous is the sight of tomatoes ripening on the vine.
The race for president in the United States is really underway now. I find it astounding that the incumbent President, Obama, is fundraising at a record pace but all media reports state that his approval rating is at a historic low for any sitting President. If this is true – where is all the money coming from?
Probably one of the best things going for him is all the hopefuls from the Republican side seem to be trying to outdo each other in being extreme right wing Tea Party supporters.
Has anyone told these people that the majority of American people seem (according to polls at least) to want to distance themselves from the most from the goals of taxing the middle class to death and “freeing” the wealthy from the chore of paying taxes?
In Canada a report on the future of the military was released and largely ignored by all reporting sources. In it were details on how to reduce office staff, eliminate overlapping departments, streamline the reserve corps and improve modern weaponry acquisition. Since this endangers so called “sacred” turf for a large number of people and contractors – it will be sadly ignored.
Instead all the media attention was directed at the restoration of the word Royal in the name of the three forces. Great, give the Separatists in Quebec new life over this perceived slight at Quebec sovereignty!
I see where Venezuela has decided to nationalize the gold industry. Just another step in the long line of “freeing” industries to become state run to benefit the people. Has not seemed to help that much so far. much will “disappear” in transit to wind up in the hands of “special friends” of Chavez or even relatives of his?
So it has been a couple of weeks since the riots in London and over 1,000 have been charged and some have already been convicted. Here in Canada it is over 2 months since the riots in Vancouver and not a single charge or conviction has occurred.
I am not saying there are serious problems with the Canadian judicial process but……………………………………………….hmmm…………………………..
The national broadcasting corporation (the CBC) of Canada whose mandate is to promote Canadian unity, in a rare moment (actually its' history is littered with these moments) of stupidity hired the former head of the Federal Separatist Bloc Quebecois to provide the odd commentary. Not enough that this person bent upon the destruction of the Canadian union now gets a pension of over $140,000 a year for life but this happens? After the firestorm created by this news abated slightly the corp. said “oops” we forgot to tell him that no speaking on politics for 2 years was allowed and released him.
And some people wonder why many call for the abolition of the CBC?
Have you heard the latest news about Hewlett Packard or HP as it is known? The largest PC (personal computer) maker in the world has conceded victory to Apple in the tablet wars after only month of its entry into the market with its' TouchPad unit. Even more disturbing is the call that it is going to sell it computer making division. In early trading the stock value dropped 20%. In effect HP is conceding the market to Apple and if other PC companies do the same, we will be left with only one company to choose from. They make a great product but every knows the result of a monopoly on the consumer cost wise. Just look at the money Apple is making with its ITunes store. It dominates the music market and sets its own prices. It is trying to do so with the publishing field with its IPad tablet applications where it takes 30% cut of the money subscribers pays to the publishers.
Libya seems at the tipping point with the capital of Tripoli apparently encircled by the rebel forces. Rumours abound that Kaddafi and family are looking for countries to flee to. Another is that he will decide to die like Hitler in the rubble of the city and try to unleash as much destruction as possible on the rebels.
Europe is still teetering on the brink of financial collapse and many are looking towards Germany to see where the future lies. Part of the basis for the formation of the Euro in my opinion was the support of the Germans in that they still felt some sense of duty to the continent for the two world wars they caused. I think that this time is now over and Germany is finally standing on its own modern day merits and saying that it no longer has to be bled dry by other poorly run countries such as Greece, Italy and even France. More and more of the German population support this line of thinking. In fact the European Union is French run and German funded. The days of the Euro may slowly be ending and the return to individual country currencies may be upon us. There are many who say that this may be good long term for the poor cousins in debt where they can devalue and rebuild their financial institutions as a result.
I wonder what the death count in the drought stricken Horn of Africa is now? Seems more attention is given to the wedding of a Khardasian than that.
Gotta love the priorities being shown there.
Hey, almost back to school time for those little buggers, cannot come soon enough for me!
Saturday was my wife’s birthday and it is amazing how Time has been so gentle to her, not like in my case, sometimes I get the feeling that when we are out and about people wonder who the young girl is with that old fart!
Well, another week, another column and I still find amazement at the number of people that log on to my ramblings.
So with that, until next week,
Take care out there,
Flatlander52
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