The Empire Strikes Back - 2
It's announced today that Barclay's bank is seeking £7.3 bn from the State Investment Funds and the Royal Families of Qatar and Abu Dhabi. This begs the question about the difference between the State Funds and the Royal Families. Putting that aside, it would give them a 32 % stake in Barclay's.
16.3 % of the stake would be held by one person of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family.
His name is Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
I rest my case.
Friday, 31 October 2008
Question Time in Washington DC
I watched last night's BBC Question Time from Washington. Both panel and audience gave me a sort of unintended insight into US political attitudes that was, frankly, spooky. And it wasn't even Hallowe'en yet.
There's something about that neatly-groomed, suited, well-scrubbed, wholesome look of 30 - something Americans that is eerie and scary. As if they have only just stepped out of a spaceship from Planet Xenon. Both men and women. Strangely, they all seemed to support McCain & Palin. Probably an in-flight briefing.
Their representative on the panel was one Christopher Nixon Cox.
Yes, Nixon's grandson. If Nixon was my grandad I'd miss out that middle name for a start.
A questioner asked about health care in the US compared to the NHS. Mr Cox certainly didn't want anything resembling a NHS approach in America - 'I don't like waiting in a line'. Apparently he thought health care in the US was pretty well OK. The panel Democrat, Elizabeth Edwards, didn't want the NHS either, but her reason was because it was a 'two-tier' system. A telling point.
Another panellist, who calls herself Cheri Jacobus, attacked Obama and the Democrats for allegedly wanting more equal distribution of wealth, shades of socialism she implied. Taking hard - earned cash from the rich to give, as a hand-out, to people who hadn't earned it (and certainly didn't deserve it).
As the programme ended, I had a strong feeling that nice, mild, silver-haired John McCain has some weird and worrying supporters.
I watched last night's BBC Question Time from Washington. Both panel and audience gave me a sort of unintended insight into US political attitudes that was, frankly, spooky. And it wasn't even Hallowe'en yet.
There's something about that neatly-groomed, suited, well-scrubbed, wholesome look of 30 - something Americans that is eerie and scary. As if they have only just stepped out of a spaceship from Planet Xenon. Both men and women. Strangely, they all seemed to support McCain & Palin. Probably an in-flight briefing.
Their representative on the panel was one Christopher Nixon Cox.
Yes, Nixon's grandson. If Nixon was my grandad I'd miss out that middle name for a start.
A questioner asked about health care in the US compared to the NHS. Mr Cox certainly didn't want anything resembling a NHS approach in America - 'I don't like waiting in a line'. Apparently he thought health care in the US was pretty well OK. The panel Democrat, Elizabeth Edwards, didn't want the NHS either, but her reason was because it was a 'two-tier' system. A telling point.
Another panellist, who calls herself Cheri Jacobus, attacked Obama and the Democrats for allegedly wanting more equal distribution of wealth, shades of socialism she implied. Taking hard - earned cash from the rich to give, as a hand-out, to people who hadn't earned it (and certainly didn't deserve it).
As the programme ended, I had a strong feeling that nice, mild, silver-haired John McCain has some weird and worrying supporters.
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Eco-Crunch on the way
The Living Planet Report, written jointly by the WWF, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network, makes shocking reading.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7696197.stm
At the rate we are going, by the mid-2030's we would need two planets to maintain our lifestyles. And the UK's 'ecological footprint' is the 15th biggest in the world - the same size as that of 33 African countries together.
The Living Planet Report, written jointly by the WWF, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network, makes shocking reading.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7696197.stm
At the rate we are going, by the mid-2030's we would need two planets to maintain our lifestyles. And the UK's 'ecological footprint' is the 15th biggest in the world - the same size as that of 33 African countries together.
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Arctic Sea Ice Melting Away
Money in the banks is not all that's melted away.
Not so swiftly, the arctic ice is shrinking, but if a tipping point is reached the ice will soon catch up with the money. The financial crisis has diverted attention from the global warming crisis.
A University College London team has evidence that the arctic ice thickness last winter reduced by 26 cm on average below the mean of the previous five years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7692963.stm
The thickness measurements were made using a radar altimeter on the European Space Agency's Envisat satellite.
Not only is the ice thinning, it is also covering a reducing area of the arctic sea. So the overall volume of ice is shrinking.
Money in the banks is not all that's melted away.
Not so swiftly, the arctic ice is shrinking, but if a tipping point is reached the ice will soon catch up with the money. The financial crisis has diverted attention from the global warming crisis.
A University College London team has evidence that the arctic ice thickness last winter reduced by 26 cm on average below the mean of the previous five years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7692963.stm
The thickness measurements were made using a radar altimeter on the European Space Agency's Envisat satellite.
Not only is the ice thinning, it is also covering a reducing area of the arctic sea. So the overall volume of ice is shrinking.
Saturday, 25 October 2008
Councillor Ken Lynch joins the Green Party
Today Mid Bedfordshire Councillor Ken Lynch has announced he has joined the Green Party. Ken represents Pinnacle Ward in Sandy. On the council he has been a member of the Independent group.
Today's news means that Ken Lynch joins his Green Party colleague Gareth Ellis on Mid Bedfordshire District Council.
Ken says: "Two Green councillors in Mid Beds means a better voice for Sandy now. Sandy can't ignore global problems. Hard times require strong action".
I spent today in Sandy, with Green Party activists from Bedfordshire, Norwich and Cambridge. We delivered thousands of leaflets to Ken's electors in Sandy. Rupert Read, the lead Green Party candidate in next year's European elections, and local European candidate Marc Schiemann helped get Ken's message to Sandy people.
Today Mid Bedfordshire Councillor Ken Lynch has announced he has joined the Green Party. Ken represents Pinnacle Ward in Sandy. On the council he has been a member of the Independent group.
Today's news means that Ken Lynch joins his Green Party colleague Gareth Ellis on Mid Bedfordshire District Council.
Ken says: "Two Green councillors in Mid Beds means a better voice for Sandy now. Sandy can't ignore global problems. Hard times require strong action".
I spent today in Sandy, with Green Party activists from Bedfordshire, Norwich and Cambridge. We delivered thousands of leaflets to Ken's electors in Sandy. Rupert Read, the lead Green Party candidate in next year's European elections, and local European candidate Marc Schiemann helped get Ken's message to Sandy people.
Friday, 24 October 2008
The Empire Strikes Back
The first tentative shots are already being fired by the banks. I've noticed this in recent advertising. Adverts suggesting Bank A is more trustworthy than Bank B. And the occasional banking spokesperson on TV has a go at excusing or half-defending the appalling behaviour of banks in recent times..
But my feeling is that people generally have been shocked to the core. Indeed, we are still in shock. What has happened in banking is almost unbelievable. It will be remembered for many, many years.
Nevertheless, the banks and financial institutions are ruthless and driven. They will use every tactic they can think of to regain control of events, and attempt to get back to 'business as usual'.
The first tentative shots are already being fired by the banks. I've noticed this in recent advertising. Adverts suggesting Bank A is more trustworthy than Bank B. And the occasional banking spokesperson on TV has a go at excusing or half-defending the appalling behaviour of banks in recent times..
But my feeling is that people generally have been shocked to the core. Indeed, we are still in shock. What has happened in banking is almost unbelievable. It will be remembered for many, many years.
Nevertheless, the banks and financial institutions are ruthless and driven. They will use every tactic they can think of to regain control of events, and attempt to get back to 'business as usual'.
Thursday, 23 October 2008
Green Councillors Make a Difference !
Here's a short video clip about Norwich, where Green Councillors are having a major positive impact on the local council. It shows that voting Green does make a difference.
Norwich is in the same Eastern Region of the Green Party as Mid Bedfordshire. Here we have just one Green Councillor, Gareth Ellis, on Mid Bedfordshire District Council, but that still makes a big difference. In Spring 2009 we become part of the new unitary authority of Central Bedfordshire. A Green presence then will be even more important.
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