Sarkattack

Why are people so shocked about the barclay brothers closing down and shipping out of sark?

Multi-billionaires, corporate giants, money machines have always attempted to subvert/bend/change governments to suit their ends.

The people of sark voted to keep their system of feudalism in place, for whatever reason they are happy with it or simply - after 400 years - just that little bit worried the prospect of potential change.

The brothers don't like it and have voted using the influence they have.  You could say they have elected to use their rights of expression. 

The co-operative don't invest in countries, companies  or regimes that goes against their ethical charter, should they be told they can't do that even though those millions might help people in poverty?  Aren't they expressing the rights of their members and beliefs?

Plenty of people complain about the lack of democracy in so many parts across the globe, yet right on the uks doorstep is an island which is only now taking faint faltering steps.  They made their choice to keep change at a minimum, and the brothers expressed their disappointment, perhaps it is just a case of nothing to see here.

But it's approaching that time of year, for feasting, dancing and song...

Tinpot dictatorship

"Coffman was sued by Common Cause of Colorado and two other groups who claimed the state violated the National Voter Registration Act by illegally purging some 20,000 voters from its registration list within 90 days of the general election.  The plaintiffs wanted a preliminary injunction that would reinstate the purged voters and prevent the state from purging anyone else before the election."

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/colorado-judge.html

If you'd read the above anywhere else in the world, you'd have presumed it was describing a corrupt despot trying to rig an election in his favour.

But nope, this is from that bastion of democracy the good ol' usofa, and from the republican (no less) edge of the divide. 

Seems they're starting early with the rigging this year! 

Let's hope that in the end, the electronics, chads, floaters, wafters and (worst case scenario) supreme court judges are able to get it right.

Security vetoes blood soaked hands?

Amazed at the shocks revereberating around the "developed" world that two permanent members of the security council vetoed the implementation of sanctions against Zimbabwe...

Let's see now?

Russia! Oh yes, a poster child for democracy. Not poisioning ex-spies it disagrees with, nor grabbing assets that under a different premier would have been sold off for cheap trinkets - like a tantrum child. Nor showing how manly and muscular it can be by posing with upper torso exposed whilst fishing. With a tenuous, almost Mugabgiesque view of what democracy should be, that's permanent member security veto number 1.

Then there's China, sigh. Ivory back on the market, promoting quiet diploamcy whilst buying up the "developing" - as if the entire world is not in a continual state of developemnt - world's resources, but unlike the Mugabe regimie more likely to imprision for decades as opposed to have the army or ex-army go around and kill them. Duff them up a bit yes. Kill them? No! Well, if you don't take into account Tibet, or the Tiananmen Square massacres (nearly 20 years ago - strange that it still feels like yesterday), or the Falun Gong 'sect', or "AIDS activists have been followed by police and beggars rounded up." And there we have permanent member security veto number 2.

So with all that and China soon to be in bed with Russia over oil & gas, supply and demand, then it should come as no surprise at all ,that things went the way they did in the UN security vote.

And there's obvioulsy going to be no surprise when the 1920's recession clips our chirpy wings, bringing us down from the heady clouds of the never-never we (oh so seemingly briefly) inhabited, to the scrabbling scorched earth of the never-never again.

IndyMac Bank, with perhaps Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae going the same way and destroying 50% of the US mortgage backed guarantees, the green back is looking, as each day passes, more the sick puppy that will soon be on its back in the advanced stages of rigor mortis; with everyone saying 'how did it happen?'

Well those who wouldn't be giving thanks that the great satan has been laid low.

Underworld CSI

Often wondered, since watching CSI (only the Las Vegas one - the others are too painful), whether it has an underworld equivalent; perhaps called ICS?

You know, sultry, depressive and bombshell types that go around watching crime scenes and how they're solved. So now we have criminals running around with different coloured lights making sure their tracks are sufficiently covered with a suitably nifty little vacuum cleaner sucking up any stray passing bits of debris and DNA. If not, then they deserve to get caught.

Overload. Input. BSOD. Super T!

With failing memory cells, sudden memory loss, and having to reboot at regular intervals during the morning, I often wonder why I bother getting out of bed.

Below is an image of my desktop. Fairly icon free, with Google desktop keeping me informed of the: time, temperature, appointments, events, many of the ups and downs occurring in the world, beyond my 23 walls.

To many of my friends, it just comes across as me being sad. "You're just stuck there in front of the computer, all day. No wonder you're getting fat!"

But to me, it's nothing more than a heavenly experience. Within the space of an hour I have digested the news circling the world, chatted with friends (whilst reading) around the world. Read many of the online papers, news stories and settled down to replying to emails; over a relaxing steaming cup of coffee, whilst listening to the plethora of streaming programming hitting my sound card from that doyen of tit-bits, BBC Radio 4. All the while retaining my slowly slipping sanity, by not been part of the rat-race.

I am now far beyond the need to risk life and limb skateboarding off a sky-scrapper or bungy jumping down the grand canyon. Those particular notions bring nothing more promising than a panoptic vista (no, not that one!) of all manner of broken painful lost bones, followed by those many months convalescing in hospital. And all for the sake of a shaky camera shot. No. If I require an adrenaline junkie rush, I'll fly solo in low-sec space of the MMORG game I play, eve-online. That and not getting mugged or shot at, whilst standing in a McDonalds queue are more than enough in the way of excitement, that I wish to experience during this particular moment in my lifeline.

So Super Tuesday is nearing an end, when we'll have more of an idea about who the next leader of the free world might be. And they do need change, badly!

After so many years of participating in the formulation of things like Outsourcing, Hedge Funds, burning the planet into oblivion etc., etc. It's time for a change in thinking. To come away from the 'me, me, me' culture that has been perversely corrosive over the past few decades. To think of all the species and planet as a symbiotic whole, and not just a hole for plundering and landfill.

Flying trotters

So a politician's finally done the decent thing and resigned.

To clear his name.

After, and only possibly mind - nothing's yet been proven! But been caught with both front trotters, snout, and floppy ears waving around in the crumbs jar. It's more and more, beginning to look like a re-run of the Major years.

New year, old problems.

We're now firmly stuck-into 2008, and thankfully I've been allowing my pennings, or tappings, or typings (erk) to slip and somewhat whither, into the arena of minor scribblings. But, I have been busy with the odd photographic tit-bit. Been surprised at seeing a fly in what's supposed to be the middle of winter here, not once but twice and nearly in the same place, as well as a bumblebee, lady bird and the odd mosquito.

Taking vid-clips of the hell-hole I am currently inhabiting, as it goes through a slow transformation, room by room. And as each one's done, actually more tarted up to look less horrid, something else drops by that makes me wonder why I bothered with it in the first place. Hindsight, they say, is a wonderful thing. Such a shame foresight took that initial wide berth!

But it could be worse, everything could be so much worse! Consider the poverty in other parts of the world, consider the many millions of people who are living on an annual income lower than I get a week. It puts things into perspective, consider been caught up in one of the many natural disasters sweeping around the globe. So yes my own personal space isn't perfect and I'm facing my own private calamities, but it could be a heck of a lot worse!

My hat goes off to people who are able to get through such events and come out stronger the other side. Not sure whether my mental make-up is of sufficient strength or character, to carry me through one of those. So far the test hasn't occurred, and (touching all the wood I can whilst doing this) I hope it doesn't either.

Africa's to all intent a failed continent that seems to be worthy of nothing more than pillaging and rapping (of its minerals, best minds and warmth) by the rest of the world. A continent largely led by rulers cuckolded unable to see further than their bank balances, who's only concern are how many wives they can bed and how big a palace they can build!

Where are the Nelson Mandela's, people of whatever race, sex, or religion; of vision from the continent? Sadly, it seems they die way to early before being able to do any lasting good! And the ones who don't do any good just seem to go on forever.

So here's to hoping that the start of the year is just a minor blip and we'll all soon be back to living in peace, harmony and forward human progression.