Most articles I write are about big issues and stories, but today I am going to the funeral of an old family friend so the story is both personal and small. I am very sad. The lady was called Rita, and she was very special to everyone who knew her, including me. The reasons were obvious to all of us who were fortunate to have that opportunity.
Rita always seemed to be smiling, and when she wasn’t she was laughing. Those who came into contact with her found themselves joining in the fun, it was hard not to. One of the favorite compliments I pay is to say someone possesses a generosity of spirit, and Rita had such generosity in spades.
The lady was also bright, loyal, intelligent and a good friend. In fact all of the attributes I admire were packaged in her, including bravery in adversity. She never seemed to complain about her own problems even when they were bad.
I was told that when you go to your afterlife you are greeted, and then guided to your final destination by your ancestors. I find that concept very appealing because our forebears love us whatever we do, and that sounds oddly comforting. I’m sure there’ll be the sound of Rita laughing with her ancestors tomorrow. Maybe this isn’t such a small story, after all what’s bigger than heaven and earth?
Goodbye Rita, travel safely.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Jackpot
Years ago I predicted that someone, and I named Apple, would come up with one package that included all your hand held computing, phone, camera, information and organizational needs; Apple’s new iPhone has achieved this. This new draft of the iPhone is being released on July 11th.
I come to praise the new iPhone not to bury it. I am, it has to be admitted up front, an unashamed fan of most things Apple. I have several Mac products at home and in business, and generally they live up to their brilliant design, packaging and marketing. To put it into perspective this mobile is twice as fast and half as much to buy. That will sound good to everyone. I don’t want to pretend to excessive technical knowledge. I neither know nor care how the thing works, but rather, that it does what it says on the packet. I still have connection difficulties with my solid state MacBook Air when I’m on wifi at home and my security password is in place. Even with all kinds of patches and fixes and technical support we’re still struggling unless I take down the security. So, I’m not a crazy Apple fan, I see faults when they’re there. Not only do I have several Macs at home and business but when I was in charge of such things at a university I also purchased several hundred thousands of dollars of their kit, mostly good, but occasionally with the odd problems attached. With the new iPhone I don’t conceptually see any faults.
Clearly this is the iPhone that should have been released in the first place, but I guess Apple were feeling pressured and had to get the 2G version out last year or suffer from anxious shareholders. The new, 3G version, is a quantum leap forward.
I have not been handed a phone to play with nor am I a Beta tester but I have been following progress via the web and other users. My daughter was an early owner of the previous version but was instantly depressed by the knowledge of the impending, apparent redundancy of her phone. Apple have announced that they will be supplying free downloads and upgrades to this generation of users but it’s not clear whether these patches will compare with the new phone.
One of the big leaps forward is Apple opening up their doors to outside developers. In fact they are actively encouraging them, which is great news. More innovation on an already great platform has got to be desirable. Some of the new Applications already demonstrated are fantastic. Equally amazing is the fact that the developers have managed to deliver on their developments in just a few weeks. This means that the development processes are simple to work with as well as being brilliantly designed and engineered.
I loved the fact that everything you have will now synchronize seamlessly and effortlessly. Stuff that was a real pain will more or less just happen, oh happy days when I can synch my various electronic diaries, photos and media, information and e-mails without having to think about it. When my information is being securely stored without a second’s worry. Oh happy days have arrived with the iPhone.
I’m not a great games player, being more interested in their development, but the iPhone gives a whole new dimension to mobile games playing that millions of people are going to love.
I won’t bore you with the technical specifications, which are stunning, nor will I carry on extolling the virtues of almost every aspect of this amazing piece of kit for fear of it being too obvious that I can’t wait to see the new iPhone be rolled out. I will leave you with the thought that when the new iPhone is available it is going to make every other hand held device redundant; and I want one!
I come to praise the new iPhone not to bury it. I am, it has to be admitted up front, an unashamed fan of most things Apple. I have several Mac products at home and in business, and generally they live up to their brilliant design, packaging and marketing. To put it into perspective this mobile is twice as fast and half as much to buy. That will sound good to everyone. I don’t want to pretend to excessive technical knowledge. I neither know nor care how the thing works, but rather, that it does what it says on the packet. I still have connection difficulties with my solid state MacBook Air when I’m on wifi at home and my security password is in place. Even with all kinds of patches and fixes and technical support we’re still struggling unless I take down the security. So, I’m not a crazy Apple fan, I see faults when they’re there. Not only do I have several Macs at home and business but when I was in charge of such things at a university I also purchased several hundred thousands of dollars of their kit, mostly good, but occasionally with the odd problems attached. With the new iPhone I don’t conceptually see any faults.
Clearly this is the iPhone that should have been released in the first place, but I guess Apple were feeling pressured and had to get the 2G version out last year or suffer from anxious shareholders. The new, 3G version, is a quantum leap forward.
I have not been handed a phone to play with nor am I a Beta tester but I have been following progress via the web and other users. My daughter was an early owner of the previous version but was instantly depressed by the knowledge of the impending, apparent redundancy of her phone. Apple have announced that they will be supplying free downloads and upgrades to this generation of users but it’s not clear whether these patches will compare with the new phone.
One of the big leaps forward is Apple opening up their doors to outside developers. In fact they are actively encouraging them, which is great news. More innovation on an already great platform has got to be desirable. Some of the new Applications already demonstrated are fantastic. Equally amazing is the fact that the developers have managed to deliver on their developments in just a few weeks. This means that the development processes are simple to work with as well as being brilliantly designed and engineered.
I loved the fact that everything you have will now synchronize seamlessly and effortlessly. Stuff that was a real pain will more or less just happen, oh happy days when I can synch my various electronic diaries, photos and media, information and e-mails without having to think about it. When my information is being securely stored without a second’s worry. Oh happy days have arrived with the iPhone.
I’m not a great games player, being more interested in their development, but the iPhone gives a whole new dimension to mobile games playing that millions of people are going to love.
I won’t bore you with the technical specifications, which are stunning, nor will I carry on extolling the virtues of almost every aspect of this amazing piece of kit for fear of it being too obvious that I can’t wait to see the new iPhone be rolled out. I will leave you with the thought that when the new iPhone is available it is going to make every other hand held device redundant; and I want one!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thanks Ireland
Thank you Ireland. Today the citizens of that fair country voted against ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon. The rules were that if one country out of the entire 27-country membership of the European Union voted against this second version of the previous constitution, it would be abandoned. As there was only one country that allowed its citizens the right to vote, you can guess that in reality the EU was trying not to allow its voters any chance to be contrary. Because Ireland’s constitution doesn’t permit such alterations without a public vote there was no alternative, it was unavoidable. The Irish were allowed to vote and they rejected this treaty, again. Perfect justice has been served.
This is the same treaty that was previously voted against, as a constitution by several countries and had been supposedly abandoned as the rules had stipulated. However, like Dracula, it leapt out of its coffin, bloodied but unbowed. It then morphed from a rejected constitution into a series of parliaments rubber-stamping the new version, now called a treaty. Last time round, when it was called a constitution, we were, you will recall, also told it would be abandoned if any of the countries voted against it. The politicians in Brussels simply changed the rules when they lost. They did a bit of judicious cutting and pasting and regurgitated the same constitutional dinner, re-heated. They clearly can’t believe they are in the wrong, and frankly they don’t care what their people think.
The European President has announced that the ratification process of the now twice rejected constitution / process will proceed despite promises to the contrary. What’s a twice broken promise between old European friends? Public shame should be heaped on all such arrogant, pumped up tin-pot dictators. However, I bet you that this same set of nonentities would accept any vote in their favor.
The EU leadership is demanding further and deeper integration of the European Union but every time the electorate has been allowed to vote on this issue they have responded by rejecting the proposed changes.
The reasons for this continuing objection by the populace are obvious to anyone with a democratic bone in their body. No one wants this constitution or treaty, nor understands it, nor sees the justification for it.
Ladies and gentlemen of Brussels, take your constitution or treaty, and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine, and please, don’t forget the staples!
This is the same treaty that was previously voted against, as a constitution by several countries and had been supposedly abandoned as the rules had stipulated. However, like Dracula, it leapt out of its coffin, bloodied but unbowed. It then morphed from a rejected constitution into a series of parliaments rubber-stamping the new version, now called a treaty. Last time round, when it was called a constitution, we were, you will recall, also told it would be abandoned if any of the countries voted against it. The politicians in Brussels simply changed the rules when they lost. They did a bit of judicious cutting and pasting and regurgitated the same constitutional dinner, re-heated. They clearly can’t believe they are in the wrong, and frankly they don’t care what their people think.
The European President has announced that the ratification process of the now twice rejected constitution / process will proceed despite promises to the contrary. What’s a twice broken promise between old European friends? Public shame should be heaped on all such arrogant, pumped up tin-pot dictators. However, I bet you that this same set of nonentities would accept any vote in their favor.
The EU leadership is demanding further and deeper integration of the European Union but every time the electorate has been allowed to vote on this issue they have responded by rejecting the proposed changes.
The reasons for this continuing objection by the populace are obvious to anyone with a democratic bone in their body. No one wants this constitution or treaty, nor understands it, nor sees the justification for it.
Ladies and gentlemen of Brussels, take your constitution or treaty, and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine, and please, don’t forget the staples!
Feeling Lucky?
Today is Friday the 13th. Some consider this a super unlucky date. I’m not worried by this because in my Jewish religious tradition, the number 13 is thought to be lucky, and as Friday is the start of Sabbath, the most holy of days, it should be doubly lucky today!
It appears obvious to me that our moral decline is both steep and rapid, furthermore there seems to be no end in sight. I am fond of forecasting that this disintegration of our moral core will have dire consequences. I’m also aware that if I keep predicting dire consequences sooner or later I shall turn into a prophet when I eventually get something right!
There are two additional facts that should also be borne in mind; I’m not into any organized religion nor am I superstitious. My being Jewish is what I am culturally, tribally and by tradition. I do, nevertheless fervently believe that we must preserve the moral and ethical dimensions of our civilization. In other words I can sometimes do something wrong, but I do try not to. I admit to weakness, not wickedness. I try very hard to keep within the laws and general rules and conventions of our world.
This goes as far as my trying my utmost not to get a speeding or parking ticket and never to park in a disabled parking space. In fact I once made a citizen’s arrest of someone who did this despite his being a very fit and healthy young man who just didn’t want to bother with parking legally. Yes, I am a pain, but if we don’t draw a line and allow anything, we are doomed to live in a very unpleasant world.
I understand and envy faith in others, and although I’m agnostic about such things I am open to be convinced. I have to admit that when I nearly died I didn’t see any white lights, chaps with wings or hear the chorus fantastic. In fact there was nothing and I was, I admit, most disappointed. Maybe I wasn’t quite ill enough, but I would hate to test the theory just to prove a point.
Despite my lack of religious belief I am a traditionalist. During my childhood my family vigorously taught me the difference between right and wrong. I don’t know if that’s the reason I find it impossible to take a stamp from work, and always have done. I don’t see the difference, other than degree, between the one stamp and several, or some money and where do you draw the line? This has resulted in my being an absolutist in these matters. I would instantly sack anyone for stealing, and indeed I have done so.
Some, who have known me, will tell you that I can be a pain in the bum about such matters. The reason for me raising this matter now is that this week saw the climactic selection of the successful Apprentice, in the TV show of the same name. The winner was a young man called Lee McQueen. He seems a personable, rough diamond sort of fellow. Not especially brilliant, but not total losers like some of his colleagues. During the penultimate weeks show Lee’s CV was exposed. There were many spelling and grammar errors, too many to be excused by most employers I suspect. More importantly, his interviewer asked Lee, did he stand by his statement that he had attended Thames Valley University for 2 years as it stated in his CV? He repeated this claim. His interrogator then showed him a letter he had received from that university which stated that he had actually, only attended for 4 months, “how do you respond to that?”
The young applicant hardly turned a hair. His attitude was OK, I got caught, but he clearly felt no guilt. When the inquests took place this incident was mentioned, but Sir Alan Sugar, the grand inquisitor, didn’t consider the matter to be of sufficient concern to worry him. I was shocked. I have always considered Sir Alan to be a moral man, but his attitude was that he’d probably done the same kind of thing when he was a young man and, to him, it was not an end of the world situation.
It was pointed out to Sugar that the incident proved that Lee would lie when he felt it necessary, and his response was that he could deal with that. His response seemed to indicate that he felt he could still trust Lee, and this wasn’t such an important matter. As Henry Ibsen said so accurately, “Don’t use that foreign word ideals. We have that excellent word lies.”
I had recent experience of both good and bad examples of behavior by colleagues. A “friend” and co-worker, behaved very badly, to my detriment after ten years of our being friends and working together. He told me that the excuse or motivation for his actions was his personal financial situation. Compare that to another ex-colleague and friend in America who felt it appropriate that he gift me shares in his new enterprise, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Which of these examples will Lee follow, the knife in the back of the former or the generosity of spirit of the latter? I believe Sir Alan should carefully watch his back.
Sir Alan comes across as a shrewd, tough businessman, self confident to the point of arrogance. If you asked Sugar how he sees the future with Lee and he would no doubt tell you that he has the money and business experience to deal with any situation. But ask him in a year’s time, I wonder if Sugar will still have all his money and whether he will rue his disregard for the discredited value of honesty? You can’t buy good character but being able to totally trust your colleagues is still a vital, but increasingly rare virtue.
It appears obvious to me that our moral decline is both steep and rapid, furthermore there seems to be no end in sight. I am fond of forecasting that this disintegration of our moral core will have dire consequences. I’m also aware that if I keep predicting dire consequences sooner or later I shall turn into a prophet when I eventually get something right!
There are two additional facts that should also be borne in mind; I’m not into any organized religion nor am I superstitious. My being Jewish is what I am culturally, tribally and by tradition. I do, nevertheless fervently believe that we must preserve the moral and ethical dimensions of our civilization. In other words I can sometimes do something wrong, but I do try not to. I admit to weakness, not wickedness. I try very hard to keep within the laws and general rules and conventions of our world.
This goes as far as my trying my utmost not to get a speeding or parking ticket and never to park in a disabled parking space. In fact I once made a citizen’s arrest of someone who did this despite his being a very fit and healthy young man who just didn’t want to bother with parking legally. Yes, I am a pain, but if we don’t draw a line and allow anything, we are doomed to live in a very unpleasant world.
I understand and envy faith in others, and although I’m agnostic about such things I am open to be convinced. I have to admit that when I nearly died I didn’t see any white lights, chaps with wings or hear the chorus fantastic. In fact there was nothing and I was, I admit, most disappointed. Maybe I wasn’t quite ill enough, but I would hate to test the theory just to prove a point.
Despite my lack of religious belief I am a traditionalist. During my childhood my family vigorously taught me the difference between right and wrong. I don’t know if that’s the reason I find it impossible to take a stamp from work, and always have done. I don’t see the difference, other than degree, between the one stamp and several, or some money and where do you draw the line? This has resulted in my being an absolutist in these matters. I would instantly sack anyone for stealing, and indeed I have done so.
Some, who have known me, will tell you that I can be a pain in the bum about such matters. The reason for me raising this matter now is that this week saw the climactic selection of the successful Apprentice, in the TV show of the same name. The winner was a young man called Lee McQueen. He seems a personable, rough diamond sort of fellow. Not especially brilliant, but not total losers like some of his colleagues. During the penultimate weeks show Lee’s CV was exposed. There were many spelling and grammar errors, too many to be excused by most employers I suspect. More importantly, his interviewer asked Lee, did he stand by his statement that he had attended Thames Valley University for 2 years as it stated in his CV? He repeated this claim. His interrogator then showed him a letter he had received from that university which stated that he had actually, only attended for 4 months, “how do you respond to that?”
The young applicant hardly turned a hair. His attitude was OK, I got caught, but he clearly felt no guilt. When the inquests took place this incident was mentioned, but Sir Alan Sugar, the grand inquisitor, didn’t consider the matter to be of sufficient concern to worry him. I was shocked. I have always considered Sir Alan to be a moral man, but his attitude was that he’d probably done the same kind of thing when he was a young man and, to him, it was not an end of the world situation.
It was pointed out to Sugar that the incident proved that Lee would lie when he felt it necessary, and his response was that he could deal with that. His response seemed to indicate that he felt he could still trust Lee, and this wasn’t such an important matter. As Henry Ibsen said so accurately, “Don’t use that foreign word ideals. We have that excellent word lies.”
I had recent experience of both good and bad examples of behavior by colleagues. A “friend” and co-worker, behaved very badly, to my detriment after ten years of our being friends and working together. He told me that the excuse or motivation for his actions was his personal financial situation. Compare that to another ex-colleague and friend in America who felt it appropriate that he gift me shares in his new enterprise, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Which of these examples will Lee follow, the knife in the back of the former or the generosity of spirit of the latter? I believe Sir Alan should carefully watch his back.
Sir Alan comes across as a shrewd, tough businessman, self confident to the point of arrogance. If you asked Sugar how he sees the future with Lee and he would no doubt tell you that he has the money and business experience to deal with any situation. But ask him in a year’s time, I wonder if Sugar will still have all his money and whether he will rue his disregard for the discredited value of honesty? You can’t buy good character but being able to totally trust your colleagues is still a vital, but increasingly rare virtue.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Looking For A Leader
Britain has always been blessed. Whenever there is a national emergency the country has found a leader to forge a path through the crisis. What a panoply of giants has graced us with their presence over the last millennia. The names read like a roll call of great heroes, Winston Churchill, The Duke of Wellington, Nelson, Queen Elizabeth the First, Walter Raleigh, the list is laced with infinite splendor.
In my own lifetime, my family and I left for America when the country no longer seemed governable. This was in the late 70’s, and we were suffering from innumerable strikes, industrial work limited to three-day weeks because of a lack of electric power, runaway inflation, a sinking pound, enormous unemployment numbers and a gigantic balance of payment deficit.
We left but Margaret Thatcher arrived. When we returned to this country from America it was a country in the midst of a transformation, which it has benefited from ever since. I am not saying that I loved the woman, because, if I was to tell the truth, I didn’t even like her. I found her cold, aloof, patronizing and unkind, but she saved my country from itself. From her genesis the UK was re-branded and re-launched. From a no hope country slipping to ignominy the country re-discovered its balls and over the last twenty years has become one of the world’s powerhouses.
Lest we forget it was Thatcher that changed the world’s mindset about de-nationalization and how the economy could work. It was Thatcher who destroyed the unseemly agglomeration of power that the unions had accumulated which was making the country ungovernable. Without this fundamental shift back to common sense there could have been no other fundamental changes.
Last night the government forced legislation through the House of Commons the new forty-two day detention rule. This means that, should the police believe there is a reason to arrest a terrorist suspect, this person could be held by them for up to six weeks before he is even charged. This is a shameful act, and is yet another breach of habeas corpus enshrined in this country’s original guarantee of democracy, the Magna Carta, signed in 1215. It states a prisoner is entitled to be bought before a court of law so that the legality of his detention can be verified. I quote Article 39, “No freeman shall be arrested or imprisoned or outlawed or exiled or in any way harmed. Nor will we proceed against him, or send others to do so, except according to the lawful sentence of his peers and the Common Law.” This is a disgraceful act of infamy by our lawgivers. It is a victory for the expedient, short-term tacticians who run our affairs, and clearly demonstrates their total lack of respect for the rights of its citizens.
Now, once again the country is on the slide. We need another leader, and it isn’t our present Prime Minister or David Cameron, the leader of the opposition, the man most likely to succeed him when we have our next election. Cameron is simply a watered down carbon copy of Tony Blair. Britain doesn’t need re-packaging, it needs a conviction politician ready to lead from the front, and Cameron doesn’t offer this. Let us all hope that somewhere, lurking in the wings, is such a person. Our country is looking for a leader, the need is becoming urgent!
In my own lifetime, my family and I left for America when the country no longer seemed governable. This was in the late 70’s, and we were suffering from innumerable strikes, industrial work limited to three-day weeks because of a lack of electric power, runaway inflation, a sinking pound, enormous unemployment numbers and a gigantic balance of payment deficit.
We left but Margaret Thatcher arrived. When we returned to this country from America it was a country in the midst of a transformation, which it has benefited from ever since. I am not saying that I loved the woman, because, if I was to tell the truth, I didn’t even like her. I found her cold, aloof, patronizing and unkind, but she saved my country from itself. From her genesis the UK was re-branded and re-launched. From a no hope country slipping to ignominy the country re-discovered its balls and over the last twenty years has become one of the world’s powerhouses.
Lest we forget it was Thatcher that changed the world’s mindset about de-nationalization and how the economy could work. It was Thatcher who destroyed the unseemly agglomeration of power that the unions had accumulated which was making the country ungovernable. Without this fundamental shift back to common sense there could have been no other fundamental changes.
Last night the government forced legislation through the House of Commons the new forty-two day detention rule. This means that, should the police believe there is a reason to arrest a terrorist suspect, this person could be held by them for up to six weeks before he is even charged. This is a shameful act, and is yet another breach of habeas corpus enshrined in this country’s original guarantee of democracy, the Magna Carta, signed in 1215. It states a prisoner is entitled to be bought before a court of law so that the legality of his detention can be verified. I quote Article 39, “No freeman shall be arrested or imprisoned or outlawed or exiled or in any way harmed. Nor will we proceed against him, or send others to do so, except according to the lawful sentence of his peers and the Common Law.” This is a disgraceful act of infamy by our lawgivers. It is a victory for the expedient, short-term tacticians who run our affairs, and clearly demonstrates their total lack of respect for the rights of its citizens.
Now, once again the country is on the slide. We need another leader, and it isn’t our present Prime Minister or David Cameron, the leader of the opposition, the man most likely to succeed him when we have our next election. Cameron is simply a watered down carbon copy of Tony Blair. Britain doesn’t need re-packaging, it needs a conviction politician ready to lead from the front, and Cameron doesn’t offer this. Let us all hope that somewhere, lurking in the wings, is such a person. Our country is looking for a leader, the need is becoming urgent!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Oops!
I posted a blog just a few hours ago in which I reminded everyone that you can't trust the government with your confidential information on any database. I told you that you shouldn't volunteer information to these national custodians.
How quickly the chickens came home to roost!
Within the last 10 minutes BBC TV announced that secret government documents, marked top secret, about Al Qaeda, had accidentally been left on a train in London, then handed to the BBC. The BBC showed the folder on air, without revealing the contents.
If we didn't see it with our own eyes we would have to believe this was a fabrication. It proves what I've been saying, the government's own people must be properly policed as they are clearly irresponsible, and constitutionally incapable of even average care and attention.
How quickly the chickens came home to roost!
Within the last 10 minutes BBC TV announced that secret government documents, marked top secret, about Al Qaeda, had accidentally been left on a train in London, then handed to the BBC. The BBC showed the folder on air, without revealing the contents.
If we didn't see it with our own eyes we would have to believe this was a fabrication. It proves what I've been saying, the government's own people must be properly policed as they are clearly irresponsible, and constitutionally incapable of even average care and attention.
100 On Up!
Today is special for me, as it marks the 100th blog I’ve posted. It is quite a commitment to post a blog almost every day, but like everything it’s mostly about discipline.
I decided that I was going to use this opportunity to review the world’s current situation. This is My State of the Blog, in which I will offer solutions and predictions for the balance of the year.
Clearly there is no end in sight for the major conflicts in the world. Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan is anywhere near to a conclusion. However, what’s worrying me isn’t that we might lose militarily, but that we have done nothing to root out the endemic corruption of the Iraqis or Afghanistanis we have ceded power to. While this is the case there is no moral imperative for any local inhabitants to believe in our form of democracy. The answer is for us to do one of two things. Put in more force, and aim to win the conflicts rather than to contain them. Or we could simply pull out and leave those two countries to their fate. Personally I believe we will do neither and therefore everyone will suffer.
The Israel / Palestine conflict is really about Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah. Until these two terrorist organizations are cut off from their Iranian paymasters this conflict will continue and escalate into direct conflict between Iran and Israel. This will take the form of Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear capacity and Iran seeking some form of surrogate revenge via their terrorist proxies both regionally and internationally. The solution is that the rest of the world must act now to force Iran to abandon their nuclear weapons program, and their vicious rhetoric threatening Israel’s existence. Meanwhile Osama is still hiding in a cave somewhere in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Many moderate Muslims agree that the world will be better for his death. I hope they get their wish. He is truly an evil and misguided man, and his work has caused misery for many millions of people, most of them people he would claim as his own.
The sub prime mortgage induced credit crises will rumble on and recession is the result. In fact we will be lucky if this doesn’t worsen into a full-blown depression, complete with mass bankruptcies, unemployment and shrinking business opportunities. Today, in the UK the news organizations were reporting a forecast that, if property prices continue to drop at their present rate, more than two million homeowners face negative equity. Put another way this means that these mortgages are now bigger than the value of the properties. Wake up everyone, a great many of these mortgages were 100% or more of the value of the property when they were taken out, or put another way, they were in negative equity to start with! These greedy risk takers, otherwise known as the banks, were betting that there was going to be a never ending rise in prices and therefore it didn’t matter whether or not the loan was as big or bigger than the value, because values would overtake this loan in double quick time.
I am giving this subject it’s own second paragraph. The solution is for the banks not to panic and to find ways to help their clients survive where they are. It pays everyone to keep the borrowers in the properties under almost any foreseeable circumstance. This can be achieved by government working with the banks to create a shared ownership, affordable housing scheme designed, retroactively, to take over some of the equity, which could be recovered later, if possible. This could reduce the monthly exposure and divide it into some mortgage payment plus a reduced “rental” sum.
The next generation iPhone from Apple is being released momentarily and will be an even bigger smash hit than its first draft. It is said that this model is not only faster, thinner and more user friendly, but is also going to be a lot cheaper. I love my blackberry but I can’t resist for much longer. Whilst I am on things Apple I have to admit that I’m typing this on my Mac Book Air, and its bloody fantastic. Not only does it meet my every computing need but also it’s easy to schlep through airports on the run, and it really makes a difference.
Manchester United will have another great season in English and European football whether they still have Cristiano Ronaldo in the team or not. I idolize the young man as the best footballer on the planet, but if his greed overwhelms his common sense and he seeks to be released from his contract, that he signed last year, then the club should show him the door.
China will do exceptionally well in the Beijing Olympics, but I suspect you, like me, won’t be able to look at the athletic medalists without your suspicions being elevated. What a shame, these people once epitomized for the world, the finest attributes of human endeavor.
Freedoms will continue to erode in the Western democracies as America elects Barak Obama and he turns out to be more Jimmy Carter than John Kennedy. I sincerely hope that this prediction doesn’t come true as I have very little time for the peanut farmer from Georgia.
In my home country Gordon Brown will sink to immeasurably low numbers in the opinion polls, and instead of trying to chase the lost millions he does what he should have done in the first place, which is to relax and just do the best job he can rather than to be a pale imitation of Tony Blair. Nevertheless, it’s going to be too little too late for the iron Chancellor, who turned out to be the Prime Minister made out of putty.
Like you I shall generally not get thinner or fitter, but I shall keep trying. The sun will shine too little in the UK and too much elsewhere, when it doesn’t rain for more than a week here we call it a drought, and when it does rain for more than a week, we have floods, and we will blame both on global warming. I will continue to write my blog and I hope you will still read it. 100 blogs delivered, and many more to come.
I decided that I was going to use this opportunity to review the world’s current situation. This is My State of the Blog, in which I will offer solutions and predictions for the balance of the year.
Clearly there is no end in sight for the major conflicts in the world. Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan is anywhere near to a conclusion. However, what’s worrying me isn’t that we might lose militarily, but that we have done nothing to root out the endemic corruption of the Iraqis or Afghanistanis we have ceded power to. While this is the case there is no moral imperative for any local inhabitants to believe in our form of democracy. The answer is for us to do one of two things. Put in more force, and aim to win the conflicts rather than to contain them. Or we could simply pull out and leave those two countries to their fate. Personally I believe we will do neither and therefore everyone will suffer.
The Israel / Palestine conflict is really about Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah. Until these two terrorist organizations are cut off from their Iranian paymasters this conflict will continue and escalate into direct conflict between Iran and Israel. This will take the form of Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear capacity and Iran seeking some form of surrogate revenge via their terrorist proxies both regionally and internationally. The solution is that the rest of the world must act now to force Iran to abandon their nuclear weapons program, and their vicious rhetoric threatening Israel’s existence. Meanwhile Osama is still hiding in a cave somewhere in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Many moderate Muslims agree that the world will be better for his death. I hope they get their wish. He is truly an evil and misguided man, and his work has caused misery for many millions of people, most of them people he would claim as his own.
The sub prime mortgage induced credit crises will rumble on and recession is the result. In fact we will be lucky if this doesn’t worsen into a full-blown depression, complete with mass bankruptcies, unemployment and shrinking business opportunities. Today, in the UK the news organizations were reporting a forecast that, if property prices continue to drop at their present rate, more than two million homeowners face negative equity. Put another way this means that these mortgages are now bigger than the value of the properties. Wake up everyone, a great many of these mortgages were 100% or more of the value of the property when they were taken out, or put another way, they were in negative equity to start with! These greedy risk takers, otherwise known as the banks, were betting that there was going to be a never ending rise in prices and therefore it didn’t matter whether or not the loan was as big or bigger than the value, because values would overtake this loan in double quick time.
I am giving this subject it’s own second paragraph. The solution is for the banks not to panic and to find ways to help their clients survive where they are. It pays everyone to keep the borrowers in the properties under almost any foreseeable circumstance. This can be achieved by government working with the banks to create a shared ownership, affordable housing scheme designed, retroactively, to take over some of the equity, which could be recovered later, if possible. This could reduce the monthly exposure and divide it into some mortgage payment plus a reduced “rental” sum.
The next generation iPhone from Apple is being released momentarily and will be an even bigger smash hit than its first draft. It is said that this model is not only faster, thinner and more user friendly, but is also going to be a lot cheaper. I love my blackberry but I can’t resist for much longer. Whilst I am on things Apple I have to admit that I’m typing this on my Mac Book Air, and its bloody fantastic. Not only does it meet my every computing need but also it’s easy to schlep through airports on the run, and it really makes a difference.
Manchester United will have another great season in English and European football whether they still have Cristiano Ronaldo in the team or not. I idolize the young man as the best footballer on the planet, but if his greed overwhelms his common sense and he seeks to be released from his contract, that he signed last year, then the club should show him the door.
China will do exceptionally well in the Beijing Olympics, but I suspect you, like me, won’t be able to look at the athletic medalists without your suspicions being elevated. What a shame, these people once epitomized for the world, the finest attributes of human endeavor.
Freedoms will continue to erode in the Western democracies as America elects Barak Obama and he turns out to be more Jimmy Carter than John Kennedy. I sincerely hope that this prediction doesn’t come true as I have very little time for the peanut farmer from Georgia.
In my home country Gordon Brown will sink to immeasurably low numbers in the opinion polls, and instead of trying to chase the lost millions he does what he should have done in the first place, which is to relax and just do the best job he can rather than to be a pale imitation of Tony Blair. Nevertheless, it’s going to be too little too late for the iron Chancellor, who turned out to be the Prime Minister made out of putty.
Like you I shall generally not get thinner or fitter, but I shall keep trying. The sun will shine too little in the UK and too much elsewhere, when it doesn’t rain for more than a week here we call it a drought, and when it does rain for more than a week, we have floods, and we will blame both on global warming. I will continue to write my blog and I hope you will still read it. 100 blogs delivered, and many more to come.
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