Sunday musings

It seems Mr. Romney does not want to become President of the United States anymore. What else would explain the incredible lack of forward thinking when he made a speech earlier this year behind supposedly closed doors blasting what he terms 47% of the American people that he says are not real taxpayers and/or are government dependent or government employees who would never vote against President Obama. Then his vice presidential running mate says that the “intellectually smart” people will not vote Republicans so who needs them?

What the heck is wrong with these people anyway? Does becoming a Republican politician mean you lose the ability of knowing when to keep your mouth shut in public where cameras and recorders are almost sure to be present? Do mainstream Republicans really think this way? If so, then they really do a disservice to their fellow citizens I think.

Do they really believe people like Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and the like with their sneering references to the “lamestream” media and their attempts to pass more laws for their rich supporters?

I dunno.

It is not like the Democrats are that wonderful either.

What has happened to the American political system anyway?

The government met in a short session and did nothing to pass any laws, nothing to resolve the looming financial “cliff” the country is hurtling towards, then adjourns so all members can start campaigning for re-election and all the while blaming everyone else but themselves in government for the current impasse.

Whatever happened to the great art of political compromise anyway?

In Pakistan, during a protest against the now infamous American made anti Prophet film leaked on Youtube, the burning an American flag proved fatal for a Pakistani protester, Abdullah Ismail. He reportedly died from inhaling fumes from the lit flag!

What is probably really ironic about that is that the flag was probably made in China!

Waste of a life.

Priests around the world may be bracing for questions from curious congregants, after United States Harvard professor Karen King claimed a fragment of text on papyrus from the fourth century suggests Jesus may have been married.

Why would that be a big deal anyway?

Just because a bunch of neutered old priests a couple of thousand years ago and their successors, like to think he should have been non sexual, does not mean it really was so.

The Presidential election in Venezuela nears and stories continue to emerge that the race is not so one sided in favour of Mr. Chavez after all. Some polls indicate that both candidates are “neck and neck” in the minds of the voters. This if true would be an astounding change in the political landscape there. Cynicism says that if Chavez is defeated, then the results will be ignored and a dictatorship will be the result. As long as he favours the military as he has in the past, this is a real possibility. Sadly this is a common feature of fragile democracies world wide.

In Quebec, Canada, the Parti Quebecois was sworn into office. Never mind that it is a minority government because in the first few days what they did was quite interesting. They scrapped by decree, if you can believe it, the law in regards to demonstrations that the previous Liberal government had passed in the Legislature by vote. Then they by decree again rolled back the law on increased tuition for university students. Now the students are demanding free tuition! Then they are taking about banning shale gas development. Then they also by decree started the process of shutting down a nuclear reactor in the province. So I guess in Quebec, if you have a minority government, you rule by decree, thereby eliminating the need to have a session of the Legislature and passing laws.

Maybe the Liberal government in British Columbia will follow this pattern. The Liberal Premier was quoted in an earlier interview this year as saying that the Legislature in Victoria was of a “sick culture”.

Indeed she was quoted as saying - “When the House rises at the end of March [she meant May], you’re never going to find me in Victoria”.

“I’m going to be travelling the province for the next year. This is my home base. I try never to go over there. Because it’s sick. It’s a sick culture. All they can think about is government and there are no real people in Victoria, and you get captured by this inside-the-beltway debate, and it’s really unhealthy.”

(This quote was in the article from Brian Hutchinson in the National Post web pages).

Quite the thing for the Premier to say – maybe the American Republican way of saying what you think has infected her?

Hey, bought an Iphone5 yet? Apparently the new mapping feature is not too good at this moment. I am sure all the Apple fanatics will explain that away somehow. Good machines but really, are they worth that kind of senseless, slavish devotion?

Just saying.

After all, Macs are just machines aren't they?

Meanwhile here in Nanaimo, special interest groups are calling for stricter rules on tattoos for teens. Yup, kinda puts the problems of the world into proper perspective doesn't it?

China and Japan are embroiled in public demonstrations on both sides in regards to the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, which are claimed by Beijing under the name Diaoyu.

More and more little news clips are emerging almost weekly of the military sabre rattling actions of the Chinese government. Whether this is intimidation only by visual means or the prelude to possible military expansionistic measures remain to be seen.

This bears further watching.

So this Saturday was the first day of fall in North America – where did the year go and why did the time go so quickly?

Already I read stories of frost throughout the country. Not here on the Island yet, but we will see when that happens. Still seems strange to be planting fall flowers that will be blooming soon.

European utilities are poised to add more coal-fired power capacity than natural gas in the next four years, boosting emissions just as the era of free carbon permits ends. The new stations, replacing atomic and aging fossil fuel- based plants, will boost demand for emission permits. So help me out here, the Europeans slam North America for its pollution, especially the oil sands in Alberta, Canada but they can build these polluting plants and that is OK because they buy “emission permits” that allow them to do so as long as they pay? Excuse, is not pollution still pollution whether you buy a permit to feel good about it or not?

Seems a little hypocritical, but on many items over the past number of years, the Europeans seem to say do what I say but do not do what I do!!!!

Speaking of pollution, I stopped by a car dealership the other day to ask about hybrid vehicles ( remember I mentioned I was thinking of maybe, just maybe of trading in the SUV for one last week?) and was told that they had sold a grand total of 2 this year – apparently Islanders are not interested in them.

Curious.

Anyway, that is it for this week, oh yes, I finally finished my long delayed input on the project for my American author friend- YAY!!!! Her latest book is available at the following link for order:

https://www.createspace.com/3914502 and enjoy!

Take care out there,

flatlander52