Posts are going to be much thinner until Sunday because in my day job, we are running round like headless chickens getting ready for a European conference on Saturday. This particular one is taking more than the usual preparation.
I don't know about Thursday's blogfocus but this evening's is in the pipeline.
Inconclusive poll which didn't grab too many people: Could a
Yes 50% , No 25% , Maybe later 25% [4 votes total]
Only one sensible comment: "Why not - they do it now. All they need to do is approach the hosting government for removal and if that does not work then add it to the backbone network and insisted all ISPs add it to their firewall. It would be done. Just like
New poll up about Free Trade.
Very strange discussion today with the man from Apple, Volga Region. We were speaking of retail outlets and the constant conflict between the small retailer and the mega-chain.More strangely, I was taking the view that for the customer, as distinct from the vendor, the mega-chain offered better choice and quality control at a lower price, offered one-stop shopping and better parking facilities and gave guarantees and back-up.
He disagreed and said that once a corner of the market is monopolized, the choice actually decreases. So you go to all the major outlets and the clothing on offer, for example, is the same at each centre.
As for the quality, the manufacture is increasingly outsourced to third world countries and it's just the label which keeps the prices high.
A bit like a pine tree forest, I added. The pines proliferate but all the undergrowth is poisoned out of existence.
Which leads to the conundrum - freedom of choice suggests that small retailers need protection from the mega-chains but this entails regulation, larger bureaucracy and restraint of trade overall.
On the other hand, completely free trade would see the small retailers Walmarted out of existence and monopolies ruling in each sector.
In other words:
Free trade inevitably leads to less choice for the customer, not more.
In another report which sceptics will call alarmist and Lord Nazh will call Climate Porn, despite the phenomenon undoubtedly occurring and being cashed in on by the authorities, this sort of thing was written:
Global warming will create at least 1 billion refugees by 2050 as water shortages and crop failures force people to leave their homes, sparking local wars over access to resources, Christian Aid agency has said.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that by 2080, up to 3.2 billion people — a third of the planet's population — will be short of water. Up to 600 million will be short of food and up to 7 million will face coastal flooding.
I'd concentrate more on the water crisis because that's the one I now believe will fall into governmental hands to use as leverage on the population. I don't mean overall water but drinkable water. Drinkable water will become like gold.
Obsession was the first in my trilogy of four books, loosely termed 'romantic thrillers' and the most problematic, as it was started 12 years ago and was heavily based on my first three years over here.The others, based in
Many of the dialogues were real, including the following and I've just been remembering the episode and having a good chuckle. Here Hugh and a young lady slip away to the forest from a giant feast at a country resort. That was really her name too:
"All right – so what was next, he asked himself and she possibly did too. They could go into the forest – yes, they could do that – but it was ultra-dark, with the half moon behind the clouds; plus it was cold.
He suggested it but she shook her head - stupid idea anyway, he reflected and then she surprised him. ‘I’m frightened of the forest.’
‘You – frightened? But you’re a Russian!’
‘Why can’t Russians be frightened?’
‘Because they - they can’t. Well, at least, I didn’t think so.’
‘There are wolves in that forest, Hugh.’
‘Really? I thought they’d killed them all or driven them away or something.’
She shook her head. ‘My grandmother told me about them.’
He looked at her sharply. This was a woman in her late twenties who’d surely seen life and here she was speaking of grandmothers and wolves.
‘Don’t worry, Alla, I’m here. They’re not going to get you.’
She dropped her eyes and chuckled but still held his hand. By now they'd reached the end of the approach road. ‘Do you think we should walk back? The others might be waiting for us.’
‘Are you bored?’
‘I’m cold.’ Another surprise.
‘How can you be cold? You’re Russian.’
‘I’m human. You have some strange ideas about us.’
‘I’m learning fast. All right, let’s walk back.’
She snaked her arm through his and he was surprised again – it was something Anya had never done. He liked the feel of her long, thin, gloved fingers clutching his upper arm and wished he had a tadge more muscle to impress her, thick coat or no thick coat.
‘Hugh!’ she gripped his arm more tightly.
‘What?’
‘Over there – in the trees. Do you think -?’
‘Stay here. I’ll find out,’ he ordered. ‘Hold on tight to the lamp post, Alla, malyenkaya. They’ll never touch you if you do that.’
He plunged into the forest, rambled about for a while, then came back to her. ‘Nope, no wolves whatsoever.’
She visibly relaxed and as they sauntered back, she asked what things frightened him.
‘Boring a girl like you so she doesn’t want to stay with me.’
‘No, be serious. What frightens you?’
‘Occult things. The Enemy.’
She didn’t know what to say to that so wisely, she didn’t."
Old poll
Is cancelling a sports tour to an iniquitous regime ever justified?
# Of course 65%
# Never 10%
# Sometimes 25%
20 votes total
Comments
Posted by Lord Nazh on May 13, 2007 at 5:03 pm.
Should be only 2 answers to this poll James 
The question doesn't leave room for a maybe.
Sometimes equal yes the way the question is written (notice you can't put an equal sign in these things o.O)
Posted by James on May 12, 2007 at 9:33 am.
Yes, Dave. I think that's so. This is how it went with SA in the end.
Posted by Dave Petterson on May 12, 2007 at 8:12 am.
It needs to be part of a package not a stand alone boycott. All aid should be cut off otherwise it is not worth it.
Posted by James on May 11, 2007 at 2:50 pm.
It would be nice to keep them separate but when someone like Mugabe is clearly using the tour to make money to maintain his regime - it's a hard call.
New poll
Could a
# Yes
# No
# Maybe later
Poll is in the left sidebar.
