A 36 year old adolescent daughter

We have one abroad.  For definitions and description see:

 https://ikejakson.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/for-the-two-children-i-love/

 Well, she is visiting from across the seas and you will not hear much from me for about ten days.  It is my time for her admonishments when I receive my annual pure Scots single malt and a full supply of the finest cognac that France can produce.

 I have to behave and it is not really the right thing to post this but I will be reprimanded for so many sins that I have committed and/or not committed that I am taking the risk.  You must promise not to tell her about it, please.

 Joe Klein and the Time Rag will enjoy a break from me but you other guys must continue the good fight while I rest.  I will be back about April 7^th this year to join you in the battles ahead.

 Old faithful my laptop, will go along [I hope to attend to her to go wireless while I am in the big city] and I shall be on the lookout for email.

 Be of good cheer while I am away.

Cycles and Circles updated for 2010

When I first posted on this matter I got scant comment.

 https://ikejakson.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/cycles-andor-circles-in-the-affairs-of-nations-and-countries/

 I had also run the Post with the UK Telegraph in which an American informed me on February 14^th, 2009 in a comment: “Ike, I don’t think you have a very clear picture of what is actually happening in Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America, right now. Don’t worry; it will all become more obvious as the year unfolds.”

 I ignored the slight.

 Less than a year later it has become a very clear picture indeed of Europe, Africa [it was really always a clear picture except to Americans who look at the vast continent through the “rose colored spectacles” of Jimmy Carter], Asia and South America that my American Blogger friend failed to observe.

 I want to concentrate mainly on American and the UK Cycles in this Updater and will deal with America first because it is not as complex a matter as the UK, and because I had misread America to some degree.

 America has lost the “automatic” previously always taken for granted number one position in the World but they have not surrendered.  A large enough portion and numbers of American voters are standing up to demand a return to Federal Government in matters such as Healthcare, same gender marriages, abortion and autonomy for the States.  There is indeed hope for America.  The USA President may not be the “Most Powerful Person” in the World any longer, and most definitely is not, but America will not surrender to Washington.

 Britain is a different matter altogether and I expressed hope for them a year ago; sadly I have been proved wrong.

 Another criticism on my viewpoint of a year ago that, for instance, questioned my view of India as a homogenous Nation.  My reply to those who agree with that criticism is simple: Go tell that to the people living in India and be prepared to hear their views on the matter.

 The UK has since collapsed as a Nation, leave alone or don’t even mention homogeny.  There is nothing remotely United in that sadly fractionized Kingdom that some would rather see as four Separate Kingdoms or even more.

 The English loved Tony Blair ten years ago; today a large section of England abhor the thought and despise the man; it is the same with Brown; and newcomer Conservative Cameron is reviled already by some.  Smaller sections of the population are hoping for UKIP, or for an increase in the fortunes of the BNP; some are even hoping for a powerful showing of Geert Wilders to assume the Dutch Premiership and buy Britain some grace or time that way.

 And to top it all as if that is not enough the UK Blogging sphere reveal the ugly race war with the Muslim Brit.  Some simply cannot grasp the fact that the Muslim is in Britain with permission, and often on invitation, of a number of previously elected British Governments, but instead of addressing their fears to their own Government these dissatisfied English gather in secret Clubs and talk about genocide, or at least immediate “repatriation of the Muslim hordes” the latter which is a complete fallacy because, for one thing at least, the Muslim is providing a stable influence through his Faith on matters such as abortion, etc in paragraph five above on America.

The devout Muslim also provides a strong bulwark against the:”believe in nothing” Faith that is sweeping through Britain.  These Extremist Fanatics are advocating the abolishment of all Religion and the Muslim Faith may just be able to save England from that disastrous fate.

 England, one a leading seafaring Nation, an Industrial Giant, leading Trade Nation and a Colonial Power with a fine record has slipped badly, first surrendering and fleeing the Colonies from 1960 onwards, losing her industrial and manufacturing skills; tried to become a Service Industry Country eyeing to be crowned in Europe; then sadly lost that to Dubai, at which stage the Englishmen of old just surrendered.

 America, Germany, India, Brazil and Russia may soon have to step in to keep them all on the dole.

A Common Sense Healthcare Solution

I must admit that I AM BAFFLED IN THE EXTREME about the hullabaloo over Healthcare.

 According to many reports, none ever disputed or denied, roughly 10% [or 30 million Americans] were not covered and needed to be.

 Now then, if that was what the exercise was all about the Government surely knew who these unfortunate souls were, in which areas they resided and what had to be done to supply them with healthcare.

 Several news agencies, professions that care and many politicians agreed that all that needed to be done was for Government to erect hospitals and daycare clinics, stock and staff them and put transport systems in place for serious cases in rural America to have them transferred to the closest advance treatment centre.

 I WAS EVEN TOLD THAT IF OBAMACARE ANNOUNCED THEIR PLANS TO DO EXACTLY THAT IT WOULD HAVE ENJOYED THE SUPPORT OF THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY, and that this would have been achieved a year ago at a fraction of the cost of the Bill that the President signed a few days ago.

 There would have been zero pork for politicians or special interests or excessive profits by the racketeers in lobbies, or for the large pharmaceuticals.

 Surely, this could have handled by every State, local Government in every region or City Councils in conjunction with and making use of local Entrepreneurial skills in every single place right across the land.  America is blessed with a Federal Government system; why not have a Federal Healthcare Plan?

 What went wrong?  Or am I just plain stupid?

A Fountain in the Hillside

This is a true story that is carried forward in the Jakson clan.

 The story, so we are told, started a very long time ago of a man who had worked hard all his life and acquired much insight in Life, people and human affairs though he had never been to college or university.  The reason he had not been to any of these things was simply because it was a long time ago when there were no such things yet. But many had often asked him for his counsel and he always gave his best.

 One day in his twilight years he took his young grandson up in the hills with him and they came upon a cave from which gushed forth the purest silver water; a large rock that stuck out right there caused the water to form two streams that flowed down the hillside.  Thus nature created a sizable island that separated the two streams in a sculptured landscape of gently undulating hills.

 “That’s real pretty, Grampaw,” said the young boy, “and it will be nice to have a house here.”

 The old man looked at the young boy; then he picked him up and hugged him long and tenderly.

 “That’s what we will do then,” he said to the boy, “and let us get home to tell everyone.  I have a great idea.”

 The first school was built, then a college followed, and later a university.  They first trained teachers for the young ones; all chipped in to build and stock a library.  From these humble beginnings learning and knowledge covered the World.  They named the site on which the building stood ‘The Fountain of Learning’ and followed it up with technical schools to teach and train artisans, bricklayers and tradesmen; later came schools of arts and science.

 So the story goes till one day many generations later one Jakson produced a son who did not want to go to university; he wanted to travel the World.  They let him go his way.  Another son came who wanted to toil with his bare hands against the elements.  He became a bricklayer and they let him be.

 It has been like that with the Jakson’s ever since.  Recent generations have sent most of the young ones off to university, but we still have bricklayers and many artisans too.  One thing we all do though is to dip into the “Twin Fountain-Streams of Learning and Wisdom” as we call it today; both streams come from the same source though they each meander down its own course until both end up to unite into one once more in the river down in the valley.  They are equal in source of origin and purpose, meaning and the value system of human endeavor.

 Jakson politics differ today, our tastes for money differ, we have married into every religion in the World and they all differ.  But the Jakson’s have never had one single argument about these things.  We laugh a lot about it, hell man, we laugh HeeHaaww, HeeeHaaaww [we sound like a bunch of American sombitches soaked in corn whiskey when we laugh], but we don’t participate in arguments.  We listen well, we don’t steal another one’s possessions but we steal with our eyes and ears all the time.  No Jakson, whatever his position has ever stopped learning.

 We are quite a merry bunch.  Now you can read all this while I go and have a “look-see” in some of the other Blogs.

[Look-see is a nice word; all ‘hem Jakson’s use it all the time].

 Dedicated to Katrina at:

 http://sstorm0730.com/about/

 And of course, to Lady BD, Lady Rebecca, towp, boudicabhi with and including the Great El Campeador; not forgetting a fellow who serves burnt toast down in Egypt MS USA.

The Future as heard on Talk Radio

I heard this a while ago on a Talk Radio program where they invite listeners to call in.  The topic for the day was the Future.

 When the first few calls were about food and gasoline prices, wars and hospital costs [all the doom and gloom stuff, you know] the Radio host said, no Folks, I didn’t mean that.  Let us look further ahead from today.  Use your imaginations, and talk about, say, 2050, and let us look at the bright side.

 He shouldn’t have said that.  A few gems for you.

 The very first caller after that envisaged a slick roomy car with no engine, only a small computer chip in there to “run everything” and no gasoline or oil.  You will just glide along and put OPEC out of business.  I am dead serious, that is what she said.

 A young guy jumped for that.  He was going to put all the motor companies out of business with new computerized shoes that will take you wherever you want to be in minutes.  There goes the need for roads and bridges; airports and fast planes too, and no more traffic snarl-ups.  That’s what the man said Folks, I am not lying to you.

 I forgot that one guy had made mention of Orwell during the doom and gloom start-up.  But that must have inspired the next caller after the Talk Host had said something about getting to work during one of the brief intervals between calls.

 This bright spark envisage going through the mirror.  He didn’t go into technicalities but he was highly enthusiastic.  Every house would have a large mirror somewhere near where you normally have a front door [like Orwell’s infamous screen, I suppose] and after breakfast he would greet the family and walk through the mirror, right into his office on the other side.  Or he could press a button in front and he would come out in the supermarket on the other side, or anywhere else just by pressing a different button.  He didn’t mention any pubs though I suppose he could design a button on the mirror for that too.

 That was enough for me.  I then called in but I shall tell you about my Future in another Post [on what I told the guy].  Watch this space, as they say, but in the meantime I await your comments on the above or any new technology that you foresee for 2050.

Evolution, at last the Missing Link has been found

It has been there all the time but nobody thought of looking in the right place.  Steve Jones, Professor in Genetics at the University College of London wrote in his book “Almost like a Whale” and despaired that the missing link would never be found and that Evolution as propagated by Darwin would remain a mockery without it.

 In the end he parodied Darwin; he lampooned him and his teachings so much that Darwin became an outcast in his “profession” and his country in later years.  Well, he was always a bit of an outcast; rejected by his family and their Church, and taken to the bottle for solace.

 Other experts continued with the weird Science; a nutty guy from the UK who claims that he lives in Russia recently produced a Blog to prove that Evolution is nonsense; as evidence he presents the ordinary house fly that decorates homes, walls and tables, and proves the Creation to be true, except that according to him it proves that God the Creator is not a benevolent God.  See:

 http://my.telegraph.co.uk/bravo22c/blog/2010/03/13/thoughts_of_god

 Readers give him a torrid time but he fought, insulted and scared them off the way they Blog in the UK.  It’s much like a bunch of schoolchildren brawling over matinee movie tickets on anything they Blog about across the Pond.  And then this appears after all these years to settle the question.  Here it is for all to see:

  Evolution and Extracts From Adam’s Diary

 It was always there to be revealed when the time was right, which is what I am doing now.

Joe the Fumbler on the ropes

Joe fumbles a lot; mumbo jumbo is his trademark.  But his readers really let him have it in his last three Swampland Posts.

 They reacted to:

 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/15/israel-first/

 What they tied to tell him was that neither he nor the President can do anything.  One reader went so far as to tell him that Israel and Palestine are grown up now and must handle their own affairs, thus implying that kids like Joe should shut up.

 But Joe bounced back with:

 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/16/petraeus-on-israel/

 The readers trounced him again, forcing Joe to let fly with a weak hand in:

 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/17/populism-in-iraq/

 Meantime he forgot one of his other habitual rants and Michael Scherer had to stand in for him on Obamacare in:

 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/17/populism-in-iraq/

 https://ikejakson.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/a-sad-day-for-america/

 But don’t write Joe off.  He is a bit punch-drunk right now but remains impervious.  He’ll be back for more.

 Good ole Joe.

A sad day for America

Swampland Michael Scherer laments on a divided Nation over Healthcare in:

 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/16/on-health-care-a-divided-nation/

 I thought of Mark Twain and what he wrote in the closing paragraph of a story on Washington way back in 1875:

  https://ikejakson.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/mark-twain-in-1875-on-economy-and-government-2009-revise/

 His closing remark in the full article was:

 “I only know that if a man lives long enough he can trace a thing through the Circumlocution Office of Washington, and find out, after much labor and trouble and delay, that which he could have found out on the first day if the business of the Circumlocution Office were as ingeniously systematized as it would be if it were a great private mercantile institution.”

 Then I found this other gem by the venerable sage in another place:

“There is no distinctly American criminal class – except Congress.”

 Who said something about changing Washington?  I vaguely recall that someone said so about two years ago.  Argggh, maybe I did not listen well.

Joe, the Journalist will now take your questions on General Petraeus on Israel

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/16/petraeus-on-israel/

Joe

You have to give us some straight answers for once.  I will ask the questions from memory because you have the records and the resources.  Kindly quote them in your replies:

 1.   Would it not be more appropriate to address Senior Military Leaders by their rank, in this case General Petraeus, just to show some respect?  Do you agree?

2.   In 2008 then Senator Obama opposed the Iraq surge.  Is that correct.

3.   Did you oppose or did you support the surge?
4.   Did the surge contribute or did it not contribute to curb the hostilities in Iraq in order to end the war? 
Give us your view please.

5.   Did you personally interview the General for this Post? 

6.     If so, when?  If not, who did?  And when did it happen?

7.    Joe, a journalist is supposed to report the news and let the people decide on the validity or the importance of  the reported News.  The people are not stupid, you know.  Do you agree?

8.    If you do, why do I get the impression that you dished up your version of events in your two Posts immediately preceding this one?  You were heavily criticized in both, the way I see it and you had just about zero support.  The concerns as expressed by ‘We the People’ must be heard and it should be important to you.  Is it correct for us to ask: Pray give us your answer?

 We look forward to hearing from you, Joe

An Oscar for Joe, the Meddler

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/14/unacceptable-non-apology/

 In his own Swampland Blog in the face of disagreement by almost all his readers he sticks to the indefensible option to confirm what someone else had called him before…

 https://ikejakson.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/joe-the-anonymous-juvenile-bully/