June 30, 2005
The view from this side.
The jet lag has passed and I am waking up to a very sobering reality.
The British and European news is dominated by two subjects. Global warming and the plight of world poverty.
The G8 conference takes place this weekend in Gleneagles in Scotland and the public pressure being exerted in the participatory leaders is huge, focused by the Live 8 concerts taking place around the world this weekend to coincide with the talks. The mass poulation of Europe is demanding effective and immediate action.
Global warming is also on everyone's lips, from the pubs to the busses. It seems to have precipitated to a crisis point with ordinary people genuinely distressed by the news and figures we are now getting. From all corners of the world the story and figures tell the same story... we are starting to see real indications that the predictions of the scientists of the 80's and 90's are now becoming a terrifying reality, and that we must take a concerted and immediate worldwide effort to turn things around. Some accounts suggest that on some fronts it may already be too late.
There is a common thread to both of these issues. People in Europe are asking "where is America?"
They are confused and angry that the richest country in the world that has gained so much wealth and power from the benefits of cheap labour and raw materials, and contributes a disproportionately large amount of both consumption and pollution is represented only by its deafening silence on these two dire subjects.
We are, of course, under the rule of the mullahs of the Christian jihad. Fundamental Baptists rich from fossil fuels who ironically don't believe in evolution. These are not the Americans I know and love.
I believe that American people are among the most caring and generous people in the world, and if we are given the data needed to assemble a global view we rise to meet the challenge, as with the Asian tsunami disaster.
We however have a media that is driven to entertain, not inform. They will get more viewers and therefore more revenue from covering the titillations of Michael Jackson than leaving us sleepless with worry over doomsday issues. I also tell them that for such a large country, it is a very insular place. The average American citizen has a myopic worldview, again because of the shortfalls of the American TV and press, extending at best to stories of specific U.S. involvement and relegating world news to a few short paragraphs on page twelve...maybe. As Bob Dylan said "money doesn't talk, it swears."
Posted by Andrew at 12:19 PM | Comments (0)
April 02, 2005
Rest of Charles' family sorry they can't miss the wedding too
Members of the Royal Family have reacted to the Queen's decision not to attend the Charles/Camilla wedding, primarily with envy. "Her Majesty will be unable to attend the ceremony due to an unfortunate scheduling conflict," a spokesman said. "Her attendance would conflict with her strong desire to snub Camilla."
The Queen's husband, Prince Phillip, will also not be in attendance. "The Queen feels that she has done enough for Charles," said HRH The Duke of Edinburgh with all his royal tact. "She had his ex-wife killed for Gods sake. She has worked like a darky for that boy, and Im not bloody well standing there at that stupid buggery wedding like some Chinese coolie at a dog-eating party," he said.
However other members of Charles family will appear, albeit reluctantly. "I was planning not to attend as a matter of principle", said Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. "But then I remembered that I have no principles. Plus there's free food."
Charles points to the spot in the garden where he wishes his mother was buried.
But let us not forget the true deapth of this love they share...
Sometimes a feminine-hygiene product is not just a feminine-hygiene product-for instance, when Prince Charles told Camilla Parker Bowles in a phone call (intercepted by that nasty British newspaper) that "I want to feel my way along you, all over you and up and down you and in and out" waxed his highness, adding that he would like to live in Camilla's underwear "as a tampon".
This, of course, is standard locker-room talk among straight men. All purely heterosexual men express their muff-love with such headlong, tone-deaf, desperate-to-be-believed devotion.
Whatever floats your yacht.
Do you think YOU could be a royal?... take the test
Posted by Andrew at 09:08 AM | Comments (0)
January 16, 2005
Has Reichsfurher Harry gone too far this time?
As a Scotsman I make no secret in thinking that the whole bunch of chinless twats that are our Royal Family should be spayed and neutered, or at least put on the dole.
But then what would we do for laughs.
In this latest round of mirth, Prince Harry (3rd in line to the throne)fancied himself a little too much as belonging to the master race. Well, they are a bunch of inbred Hanovarians, so I guess it just took a little time for this to float to the top.
Maybe we could put it on the stamps?
Posted by Andrew at 02:38 PM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2004
Get the picture?
I promise not to keep ranting on about the end of civilisation as we know it, but...
it had to happen sooner or later. http://www.bluestates.us/index.html
It's us or them.
Posted by Barbara at 08:43 PM | Comments (0)
November 05, 2004
Bush "reaches out".
I wish this were fake, but yes this is a real shot. Now I understand how the Egyptians could worship a dung beetle.
Check it out for your bad self here.
We are still rather shell-shocked by the whole mess....COURAGE!!!
Posted by Barbara at 11:16 AM | Comments (0)