Now, think carefully.

What would you say, if the question 'how good do you feel about life in general' was put to you?

We have, on this island, an air of suspicion which has wafted in like a mist, falling on everyone's shoulders. There are cliques forming in many camps.

While we in Scotland have recently put political fervour behind us, for the most part at any rate, the parliamentary kettle is bubbling merrily away in England. It could be considered disturbing to watch the growing support for what used to be a marginal party with limited appeal blossom into a force which could conceivably form a substantial presence in the Commons come the 3d of this May. The United Kingdom Independence Party, or UKIP, has snatched seats in by-elections from all of the established parties, and it's leader, Nigel Farage, has graduated from a joke, to a powerful joke.

We have been told our economy is recovering; little seems to have changed as far as the ease with which the average household income stretches. We have been told being 'British' carries a responsibility by the media and David Cameron; we are told several times a week of how British football supporters have disgraced themselves abroad and at home, and of British men and women running amok. We are maintaining; we look over our shoulder guardedly. 

But never you mind..

Put on the kettle.. 

Time to get back to the simple musings of a simple mind.

It's interesting to note, that should one care to cast an eye back to that which was written as far back as 2006, or perhaps even 2005, could have been written today..
Odd how that old French saying is so often born out.. plus ca change, plus que le meme chose..

These days, when an ear is turned to other's conversations when the volume of the communication makes it impossible to do otherwise, the general tone is one of confusion and, dare one say, fear. 
The Almighty (and perhaps the almighty) knows well the pressures facing today's man on the street. The ubiquitous presence of those who would run amok; the terrorist hidden in plain sight posing as your neighbour. An economic situation which, when looked at from a birds-eye perspective, indicates a snail trail towards a faint light which we have been told is the end of the tunnel, but which offers nothing in the way of an immediate relief. The knowledge that those in education will, in all likelihood, have to leave the country to use their knowledge to gainful effect. The inevitability that those who are presently employed, will face years of deep debt before they then have to realize a diminished old age due to a diminished return on their investments in pension funds. A host of emotional taxing effects, which when listed, stretches away into the infinite.
And, this generation.. this present population, feels somewhat personally affronted..
One can add to this list of pressures the lack of knowledge of history. Knowing this has been the constant situation for all of mankind through all of it's history affords a modicum of.. perhaps fatalism is the word.

But, not to worry. 
You put on the kettle, and we'll have a nice cup of tea.

As a coda.. watch the developments at the meeting of the Eurozone Finance Ministers which starts.. officially.. at two this afternoon..
There is a draughty window open, and this house of cards is vulnerable.

Another trend which is developing throughout Europe.. notably in the UK and France.. is the 'radicalization'  of Muslim youth. I must add this is a new word to describe a new situation.
The Met has issued a BOLO on 3 young women, one of them 15, who are thought to be on their way to Syria to join IS.
Now it's not what one would call a bad thing, for youth to be interested in, and active in, their faith. However, the bastardization of the tenets of Islam by those who use the Q'ran as justification to murder innocents is beginning to work it's way into the Zeitgeist furthered by social media, and when it begins to become an issue which is turning our young into modern Brownshirts, it becomes an issue which deserves the attention of all of us.

Continuing today with yesterday's theme, let us look at Prime Minister David Cameron.
He is a graduate of Oxford, earning an MA in PPE (that is, Philosophy, Politics and Economics) in 1988. From there he became involved in politics immediately, as Special Advisor to Norman Lamont, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Becoming tired of the hours he was putting in at the Commons, he left politics in 1994 to work for Carleton Communications as Director of Corporate Affairs.
But he was marked by the Conservative Party as an up-and-commer, and returned to serve as Member for Whitney in 2000, and moved through the ranks to become the youngest Prime Minister in over 180 years.
It's interesting to note, that while at Eton College, he was caught smoking cannabis.
Oh dear.
Little came of it though, the punishment amounting to writing 500 lines of Latin verse.
Seems that was a fitting end to the incident, at least in the eyes of the College.

Now once again, we have a case of a politician who knows the effects of cannabis on a first hand basis. Doubtless he, or his staff, have read the recent studies pertaining to the medicinal effects of cannabis, but who has made no move towards either removing the stigma surrounding the drug, or relaxing the Draconian legal prohibition of it.

It strikes a dissonant chord. A strong position against the legalization of medicinal marijuana would smack of base hypocrisy, yet thousands of Britons are languishing at Her Majesty's Pleasure for the simple 'crime' of cultivating for personal use. A significant demographic would see the laws in Briton change, yet the man leading our government appears oblivious to either the hue and cry being raised by proponents of the medicinal use of the plant or the evidence that would support such a change in legislation. That the man himself has used cannabis, albeit for recreational purposes, should give others who use the reasonable expectation that he would be sympathetic to their cause.

It is unacceptable that British citizens should be handed punitive fines or incarcerated for cannabis.

It is unacceptable that a significant segment of the population is marginalized.

It is unacceptable that recent medical studies are ignored by those who wield legislative power.

It is unacceptable. Period.

It is interesting to note the qualifications of those who have been elected to represent our best interests in Parliament. It is especially interesting for those who have taken a firm stance against the decriminalization or legalization of cannabis, despite the groundswell of support for such moves not only in Britain, but across the US and Canada, and EU countries the likes of France, Poland, Spain, to name just three. It might be noted, that in Portugal, it is a Constitutional right to grow cannabis in one's home, and has been for years.
Take one of the most outspoken opponents to any move towards legalization of cannabis in Britain, Home Secretary Theresa May. She is the daughter of a Church of England Minister, which might be a clue to her reticence concerning drugs in general. Before her election to political office, she achieved a BA in Geography from Oxford in 1977, and went on to work for  the Bank of England, and from 1985 to 1997 was a financial consultant and senior adviser in International Affairs for the Association for Payment Clearing Services. From there, she dipped into politics as a Councillor for a London Borough, and stood twice for the Labour Party unsuccessfully, before becoming a Conservative and taking a seat in the Commons for the constituency of Maidenhead.

Now, this lady has no pharmaceutical background. She has chosen to ignore the plethora of reports which have been published of late touting the efficacy of cannabis for too many conditions to be listed here. She has also chosen to ignore historical evidence supporting the same. Yet, she has announced she will fight any move to legitimize cannabis or it's derivatives.

It would seem that her attitude, as might be said for most who stand in the path of legislation aimed at removing the stigma attached to cannabis, is based on nothing more than inherited antipathy. There is no other conclusion that can reasonably be supposed.

It is long past time that those we elect represent the will of the people who cast their vote to give them a seat in Parliament. It is incumbent upon them to research this issue, to understand the pro's and the con's, before announcing their opposition to a change in legislation.

It is not acceptable that gut reactions determine the Law.

It is not acceptable that misinformation be disseminated.

It is not acceptable that those who could benefit for legalization of cannabis be deprived of it's medicinal properties.

It is simply not acceptable.

The human collective mind is an odd beast; we each of us see ourselves to be unique, just like anyone else. Yet we are ruled by memes, which, aimed across the demographic spectrum, lead our steps as surely as a guide dog leads the blind, while swallowing wholeheartedly the concept of 'the greater good'.

Many infringements into the sphere of our human rights have become commonplace, accepted as a necessity in these days when one can never be sure who's plotting what. We abrogate our responsibility willingly, meekly, submitting to that ethos, 'the greater good'. Thus is justified our loss of privacy, of a free media, of the ethic which once led the enfranchised to examine the issues which directly affect various aspects of all our lives. An ethic which questioned authority, and required an accounting for the reasoning which led our elected representatives to adopt a stance, and an indication that representative would follow not only the Party Line, but address issues of current importance to his constituents.

There are indications the British Parliament is aware the War On Drugs is lost. There are indications many Members would support a move to change legislation. There are indications Home Secretary Theresa May will fight any such move ferociously. There are indications several Chief Constables and as many Judges would prefer the laws be relaxed.

There are also indications it will rain here tomorrow.

It can be a frustration, this Scottish winter. What's indicated could well be complete bollox.

We have quite a dilemma here.

Our elected government(s), which purport to represent the will of the people, the electorate, for whatever misguided 'nanny protectiveness' are ignoring both rational argument and collective desire, in criminalizing a significant number within our society.
Perhaps even worse, they deny those in medical need of treatments which are far more efficacious and far less addictive than that currently provided by our pharmaceutical companies. This, in spite of recent international developments, and research which is in diametric opposition to claims made during a time in our past which delighted in witch-hunting and asserting the right of those elected to know what is best.
Long gone are the days in which 'politician' isn't compared to 'used car salesman'.
People do not have the same inbred respect for those in power as did those who fought in the Korean War.. or the 'Leave It To Beaver' generation which followed.. More and more are posing questions which those who hold office are uncomfortable with; more transparency is demanded, and more justification for Acts of Parliament.
Yet despite the growing demand for changes to a law which is patently absurd, it remains in place.

Begs the question: 'Why?'

Who benefits from the criminalization of cannabis? Who's holding legislation back which, if passed, would permit hundreds of thousands of the population to enjoy a non-addictive substitute for such as OxyContin or Vicodin?

Who's profiting from the incarceration of users of cannabis?

How can such an enlightened group of legislators stick fast to inherited opinions on the effects of the plant, when current research denies their 'facts'? For what profit?

How deep is the bushel?

This is worth looking at..

CBD

Contrary to popular belief, the marijuana plant is a whole lot more than just a psychoactive drug that "stoners" use to get high. In raw form, marijuana leaves and buds are actually loaded with a non-psychoactive, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer nutrient compound known as cannabidiol (CBD) that is proving to be a miracle "superfood" capable of preventing and reversing a host of chronic illnesses.

Though you may not have heard much about it, the CBD found in the marijuana plant -- marijuana is technically just a vegetable, by the way -- is a highly medicinal substance with unique immune-regulating capabilities. Since the human body already contains a built-in endogenous cannabinoid system, complete with cannabinoid receptors, inputting CBD from marijuana can help normalize the body's functional systems, including cell communication and proper immune function.

The way CBDs work is that they bridge the gap of neurotransmission in the central nervous system, including in the brain, by providing a two-way system of communication that completes a positive "feedback loop," according to Dr. William Courtney, a medical marijuana expert and founder of Cannabis International. As opposed to a one-way transmission, which can promote chronic inflammation of healthy tissue, the unique two-way transmission system engaged by marijuana CBDs mimics the body's own natural two-way communications system.

So individuals whose systems are compromised by autoimmune disorders, cellular dysfunction, chronic inflammation, cancer cells, and various other illnesses can derive a wide range of health-promoting benefits simply by consuming CBDs. And one of the best ways to obtain CBDs is to juice raw marijuana leaves and buds, according to Dr. Courtney, who currently runs a clinic in Luxembourg that provides raw cannabis medicinal services to patients in need.

"CBD works on receptors, and as it turns out, we have cannabinoids in our bodies, endogenous cannabinoids, that turn out to be very effective at regulating immune functions, nerve functions, bone functions," says Dr. Ethan Russo, a Seattle, Wash.-area physician who is also a senior advisor to GW Pharmaceuticals, a British drug company that is utilizing CBDs in a new marijuana mouth spray known as Sativex.

"There's a tendency to discount claims when something appears to be good for everything, but there's a reason this is the case. The endogenous cannabinoid system acts as a modulator in fine-tuning a lot of these systems, and if something is deranged biochemically in a person's body, it may well be that a cannabinoid system can bring things back into balance."

http://healthyeats-nl.blogspot.com/2013/10/cannabis-leaf-smoothie-recipe-and.html

We are living in tumultuous times. This world around us is fraught with conflict, both from without our various borders, and from within the confines of each of our separate countries. There is mass confusion, and our leaders are apparently not equipped to deal, either on a macrocosmic or microcosmic scale with the problems they are facing. Misinformation is being tossed about like confetti, confusing and confounding the man or woman on the street, and the time for exceedingly clear thought and vision is upon us.

One would think, considering the plethora of medical reports which have been released (and in many cases just coming to light after mainstream suppression) that the issue of legalizing cannabis and it's derivatives would be a simple step towards decriminalizing a significant number of the population. Yet still our legislators drag their feet and worry the old spurious arguments as does an old dog with a favorite bone. They ignore recent (and historical) evidence which demonstrate cannabis is not a 'gateway drug'.. at least no more than are cigarettes and alcohol, while encouraging our physicians to prescribe palliative drugs for chronic conditions, drugs which are in themselves addictive and which have contraindications too frightening to consider. In fact, the campaign of misinformation concerning cannabis and it's effects has such impetus, GP's and neurologists are truly afraid to become advocates for change. Our legislators are equally timorous towards the issue of changing the Law, for fear of being branded 'careless and renegade', and cast from the comfort of the Party Line.

Let's propose a possible scenario, which on the surface may only apply to Scotland, or perhaps Quebec if the Separatists had their way in that Canadian Province.
We have a 'yes' vote for leaving the Union; we have a new country, which has already been told by Brussels that it cannot expect instant recognition by the EU, nor expect immediate entry into that group.
The promises made in the preamble to the taking of the vote concerning 'sustainable and exportable energy' have been shown to be insufficient in actuality to be the basis of a viable exchequer, which can continue to provide the level of Social Assistance currently demanded by the numbers of unemployed. Now this would include those claiming Disability, or Incapacity Benefits, and those on Old Age Pensions. Nor could the infrastructure for this 'energy' development scheme be put in place before real hardship for those who currently claim those benefits reared it's ugly head.  What then for this fledgling country?
Now, supposing another completely new industry was put in place; an industry which provides employment even for those who are physically incapable of entering a normal workplace. Suppose a product which demanded a minimal amount of physical effort to maintain output was brought into the picture.
Such is hemp, and the uses for refined hemp fiber are legion (we will examine the various uses at a later date, but information on materials as diverse as hemp paper and 'hempcrete' are currently available online). Even those confined to a wheelchair, could be granted an allotment which could be seeded by the individual, and harvested by the government. A new industry; a new source of government revenue which, through sales to a foreign market  and for the use of established home industries could expand our sphere of self-sustainability. Imagine a pharmaceutical movement within this new country, which produced medicines which replaced those currently being prescribed, which did not have the terrible contraindications of those currently in vogue. Imagine the decriminalization of a significant demographic and the reduction of those being maintained in prisons for possession or consumption of a substance which harms no-one. Imagine the tax revenue should the government control the distribution of both cannabis and hemp derivatives.
While it would be irresponsible to declare 'the possibilities are endless!', it is equally irresponsible for our Legislators to ignore the reality of this issue and dismiss it out of hand.

We in what has become known as the 'cannabis community' seek not to destroy a way of life, but to improve upon it. We should not be criminalized for using medication for treatment of what ails us. But more importantly, we should not be marginalized.

This is an issue which has been dealt with by countries on the Continent, and should be addressed here in the UK, in Canada, in the US, without preconceived or inherited antipathy, but with clear thought and an eye to the advantages.

It took an Amendment to the American Constitution to repeal the Volstead Act, but it was passed. One would hope it would not be such a complicated issue to legalize cannabis in either a free Scotland, or in the Union as a whole.

The issue is in our hands, and it is our intent to bring it into the forefront of our Legislators minds.

As a coda, This I published in November of 2006:

In response to a comment on our post concerning the economic state Scotland would find itself in should this country leave the Union, a comparison was made with Luxembourg, which indeed has a population less than that of Edinburgh, and thus a much lower tax base than ours.
But, it must be pointed out that Luxembourg has established industries in steel, banking, telecommunications, and agriculture.. It also enjoys a great deal of foreign investment, with the US investing more capital in that country than any other save Canada.. 
The iron and steel industry, located along the French border, is the most important single sector of the economy. Steel accounts for 29% of all exports (excluding services), 1.8% of GDP, 22% of industrial employment, and 3.9% of the work force.The restructuring of the industry and increasing government ownership in Arbed (31%) began as early as 1974. As a result of timely modernization of facilities, cutbacks in production and employment, government assumption of portions of Arbed's debt, and recent cyclical recovery of the international demand for steel, the company is again profitable. Its productivity is among the highest in the world. U.S. markets account for about 6% of Arbed's output. The company specializes in production of large architectural steel beams and specialized value-added products. There has been, however, a relative decline in the steel sector, offset by Luxembourg's emergence as a financial center.
In 2001, through the merger with Aceralia and Usinor, Arbed became Arcelor and now forms one of the largest steelproducer in the world.
Banking is especially important to Luxembourg's economy. The country is a tax haven and so attracts capital fleeing from other countries so they can reduce the costs. At the end of March 2006, there were 155 banks in Luxembourg, with 23,000 employees. Political stability, good communications, easy access to other European centres, skilled multilingual staff, and a tradition of banking secrecy have all contributed to the growth of the financial sector. Germany accounts for the largest-single grouping of banks, with Scandinavian, Japanese, and major U.S. banks also heavily represented. Total assets exceeded €792.4 billion at the end of 2005. More than 9,000 holding companies are established in Luxembourg. The European Investment Bank—the financial institution of the European Union—is also located there.
As for the economic future of Scotland itself, Scotland could become a poorer country than Greece or Portugal within the next 50 years, according to economists.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research said the country needs more entrepreneurs and tax incentives to encourage companies and investment.
The experts also said there should be greater deregulation, allowing businesses to flourish without the burden of red tape. 
In their report, Douglas McWilliams and Richard Greenwood said Scotland had failed to fully enjoy the benefits of the consumer boom in other parts of the UK.
The "global technologies slowdown" has also had a negative impact on Scotland's 'Silicon Glen'.
However, the economists stressed that weak economic performance is not a recent problem.
They said: "Scottish growth since 1995 has averaged only 1.9% compared with 2.7% for the UK as a whole.
"Scottish manufactured exports are running at a lower level than four years ago while the number of people living in Scotland has been falling since 1995. "
"If present rates of growth are projected ahead, Scotland within 50 years will be a poorer country than Greece or Portugal and not a long way ahead of Poland or Turkey."
The economists said Scotland suffers from a "lack of entrepreneurship culture" and they urged Scottish banks to offer more support to business start-ups.
They called for a "tartan tax" reduction of three pence which would mean less public spending but would encourage a more efficient economy and a reduction in red tape.
While the report said there would be no quick fix, it stressed that the suggested measures would start to "turn the economy round". 
With these facts, and projections in mind, it would appear that Scotland would have an exceedingly hard time in setting up legislation which would induce foreign investment, simply because tax breaks would be a difficult incentive to offer..
Luxembourg has an economy that is well established, and trade and financial agreements which are longstanding. 
Scotland would be starting from scratch.

In the interests of continuing the argument for the legalization of cannabis and it's derivatives, it is of paramount importance that the reasons for the legislation be understood which, when passed, made the herb a criminal offence.

Let me direct the reader to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality of cannabis.. just run your mouse over the blank space following 'to'.

Might it be suggested that those who support the decriminalization of the herb start the process off by writing to their local MSP, or regional variation, to discover their personal stance on legislation that would end prosecutions for possession, cultivation, and eventual legalization.

Understanding the history of the Laws is paramount, if any cogent argument is to be launched proposing a repeal. It must be understood that to end Prohibition of Alcohol in the US, it took amending their Constitution. The process could well be as complex here in the UK, but could well be simpler if and when Scotland declares itself a separate country.

The first step, is to understand what brought us to this point. The second is to become at least as proactive as to ask those we will choose to govern us what they would, or could, do towards changing this abhorrent situation.

It has been a subject of lifelong interest.. the propensity within some to lead, and that within others, to follow. This would include all aspects of the particular individual subject's life, or perhaps lifestyle would be more apropos.
One example of the Alpha personality would be the necessity to control. To use the force of their peculiar personality traits to put themselves on a plane above those who are needing a voice in the wilderness, so to speak. It follows that those who seek control and have a convincing message to convey, will certainly find those who like the cotton-batten within the message to insulate themselves from the necessity of thinking for themselves. Those who follow, will find justification for their belief set as dictated to them by those who lead, unthinkingly regurgitating the dogma which has become carved in stone, as it were.
We see examples all around us. Those who follow any system of faith, whether it be in those who claim to represent a spiritual being, or those who will cry 'my country, right or wrong', or those who believe the men and women we elect to public office, believe it is for their own good. Issues become homogenized, with attitudes freely and fiercely defended, with no more depth of understanding or education needed.
And while there is widespread condemnation for those who disagree with our particular dogma, this again, is not based on knowledge, but on an inbred sense of moral superiority. We are programmed to follow the path, and accept the restrictions, of the dogma we have absorbed from our parents, our educators, our Ministers and Priests and Mullahs, our peers, our media, and our legislators.

A brief history; this from Wiki and concerns a man by the name of Harry Anslinger. These are some quotes from his address to the American Congress in the 1930's:

Traffic in marihuana is increasing to such an extent that it has come to the be cause for the greatest national concern.
This drug is as old as civilization itself. Homer wrote about, as a drug that made men forget their homes, and that turned them into swine. In Persia, a thousand years before Christ, there was a religious and military order founded which was called the Assassins and they derived their name from the drug called hashish which is now known in this country as marihuana. They were noted for their acts of cruelty, and the word "assassin" very aptly describes the drug.
Hearing on H.R. 6385 (April 1937)

Here we have drug that is not like opium. Opium has all of the good of Dr. Jekyll and all the evil of Mr. Hyde. This drug is entirely the monster Hyde, the harmful effect of which cannot be measured. Some people will fly into a delirious rage, and they are temporarily irresponsible and may commit violent crimes. Other people will laugh uncontrollably. It is impossible to say what the effect will be on any individual. Those research men who have tried it have always been under control. They have always insisted upon that. … It is dangerous to the mind and body, and particularly dangerous to the criminal type, because it releases all of the inhibitions.
Hearing on H.R. 6385 (April 1937)

How many murders, suicides, robberies, criminal assaults, holdups, burglaries and deeds of maniacal insanity it causes each year, especially among the young, can only be conjectured...No one knows, when he places a marijuana cigarette to his lips, whether he will become a joyous reveller in a musical heaven, a mad insensate, a calm philosopher, or a murderer...
"Marijuana — Assassin of Youth" in The American Magazine, Vol. 24 (July 1937), p. 18

Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, jazz musicians, and entertainers. Their satanic music is driven by marijuana, and marijuana smoking by white women makes them want to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and others. It is a drug that causes insanity, criminality, and death — the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.
As quoted in Legalizing Marijuana : Drug Policy Reform and Prohibition Politics‎ (2004) by Rudolph Joseph Gerber, p. 9; also in Hawking Hits on the Information Highway : The Challenge of Online Drug Sales for Law Enforcement (2008) by Laura L. Finley , p. 28, and "The Emperor Wears No Clothes: The Authoritative Historical Record of Cannabis and the Conspiracy Against Marijuana" (1994) by Jack Herer, Jeanie Cabarga, and Jeanie Herer, p. 29.

This man demonized a substance which indeed has been used throughout recorded history, and through skillful manipulation of the 'God fearing man and woman on the street' caused a total disregard for the evidence before us all, and drew blinkers around a guilty society to make instant criminals of those who used the many medicinal products which existed at that time, based on cannabis or extracts from the plant.

Think about it.

There are times one has to take stock of what's going on around us in this tattered world of ours, and if a shred of sanity is evident, to focus on that and that alone. Mind you, finding that iota of sensibility might be beyond us at this point..
The US is shutting down. It's more than thirteen trillion dollars in debt, and can't meet the government payroll.. Britain is looking forward to a referendum just about this time next year, which could shatter the Union and establish Scotland as a separate entity.. The EU is gamely pushing on through an economic morass which several times has brought a number of it's member countries abegging to the IMF for bailout loans.. and that term is used figuratively because no-one in their right mind expects these accumulated debts to be repaid..
And it must be said, that we are still laboring under Calvinistic Laws which fill our gaols to overflowing for those serving sentences for cannabis offenses. And the idiocy of this stance against an herb, has criminalized a significant number of people who otherwise would no more commit an antisocial act than they would urinate on a public street.
As an MS sufferer, the palliative effects of cannabis are well known to this writer.. and the legion of people suffering from a plethora of debilitating diseases for which cannabis is a godsend can also testify to the properties of the plant. Yet we find ourselves dealing with organized crime on what can be a daily basis, to acquire an amount which could see us through a normal day.
This is an issue which should be treated with the same perspective as that taken by countries the likes of Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and even France for gods sake.. and it is time we stood and threw out preconceived and antiquated notions concerning cannabis and those who use it.
There is no such thing as 'Reefer Madness'. It is a myth propagated by those aiming at ending the growth of hemp as a cash crop for fear of what it might do to the lumber companies, and pharmaceutical groups.
I shall write more on this subject in the future, for it is an issue which could help to turn our world around.. medically.. and financially.
More to come. 

It would seem that the oft-mentioned malady we call 'writers block' is a tangible entity.. 
There have been times, over these past months, that something has seemed worthy of comment, yet while the words flow freely through my mind as I ponder the subject.. they disappear when, sat before a keyboard, it becomes time to transcribe thoughts for future reference. Instead of forcing commentary in this peripatetic journal, more time has been trying to bungle through an effort of fiction aimed at publication.
Difficult, as might be understood..
Nevertheless, perhaps by setting to electronic paper my random thoughts, a trickle might turn to a stream, and thus to the anticipated flood of erudition..

From this page, to whichever God might be remotely interested...

This article was published in 'The Spectator',  on the 15th of this month.. as in as much we have escaped the various ends of the world, we can perhaps be somewhat thankfull. But a pollyanna essay such as this, could make one despair for the path some journalists take.
But let it be left to you, the reader, to decide what value such efforts deserve.


 " It may not feel like it, but 2012 has been the greatest year in the history of the world. That sounds like an extravagant claim, but it is borne out by evidence. Never has there been less hunger, less disease or more prosperity. The West remains in the economic doldrums, but most developing countries are charging ahead, and people are being lifted out of poverty at the fastest rate ever recorded. The death toll inflicted by war and natural disasters is also mercifully low. We are living in a golden age. To listen to politicians is to be given the opposite impression -- of a dangerous, cruel world where things are bad and getting worse. This, in a way, is the politicians’ job: to highlight problems and to try their best to offer solutions. But the great advances of mankind come about not from statesmen, but from ordinary people. Governments across the world appear stuck in what Michael Lind, on page 30, describes as an era of ‘turboparalysis’ -- all motion, no progress. But outside government, progress has been nothing short of spectacular. Take global poverty. In 1990, the UN announced Millennium Development Goals, the first of which was to halve the number of people in extreme poverty by 2015. It emerged this year that the target was met in 2008. Yet the achievement did not merit an official announcement, presumably because it was not achieved by any government scheme but by the pace of global capitalism. Buying cheap plastic toys made in China really is helping to make poverty history. And global inequality? This, too, is lower now than any point in modern times. Globalisation means the world’s not just getting richer, but fairer too. The doom-mongers will tell you that we cannot sustain worldwide economic growth without ruining our environment. But while the rich world’s economies grew by 6 per cent over the last seven years, fossil fuel consumption in those countries fell by 4 per cent. This remarkable (and, again, unreported) achievement has nothing to do with green taxes or wind farms. It is down to consumer demand for more efficient cars and factories. And what about the concerns that the oil would run out? Ministers have spent years thinking of improbable new power sources. As it turns out, engineers in America have found new ways of mining fossil fuel. The amazing breakthroughs in ‘fracking’ technology mean that, in spite of the world’s escalating population -- from one billion to seven billion over the last two centuries -- we live in an age of energy abundance. Advances in medicine and technology mean that people across the world are living longer. The average life expectancy in Africa reached 55 this year. Ten years ago, it was 50. The number of people dying from Aids has been in decline for the last eight years. Deaths from malaria have fallen by a fifth in half a decade. Nature can still wreak havoc. The storms which lashed America’s East Coast in October proved that. But the speed of New York City’s recovery shows a no-less-spectacular resilience. Man cannot control the weather, but as countries grow richer, they can better guard against devastation. The average windstorm kills about 2,000 in Bangladesh but fewer than 20 in America. It’s not that America’s storms are mild; but that it has the money to cope. As developing countries become richer, we can expect the death toll from natural disasters to diminish -- and the same UN extrapolations that predict such threatening sea-level rises for Bangladesh also say that, in two or three generations’ time, it will be as rich as Britain. War has historically been humanity’s biggest killer. But in most of the world today, a generation is growing up that knows little of it. The Peace Research Institute in Oslo says there have been fewer war deaths in the last decade than any time in the last century. Whether we are living through an anomalous period of peace, or whether the risk of nuclear apocalypse has proved an effective deterrent, mankind seems no longer to be its own worst enemy. We must bear in mind that things can fall apart, and quickly. Germany was perhaps the most civilised nation in the world in the 1920s. For now, though, it is worth remembering that, in relative terms, we have peace in our time. Christmas in Britain will not be without its challenges: costs are rising (although many children will give quiet thanks for the 70 per cent increase in the price of Brussels sprouts). The country may be midway through a lost decade economically, but our cultural and social capital has seldom been higher -- it is hard to think of a time when national morale was as strong as it was during the Jubilee and the Olympics. And even in recession, we too benefit from medical advances. Death rates for both lung and breast cancers have fallen by more than a third over the last 40 years. Our cold winters still kill people, but the number dying each year halved over the past half-century. The winter death toll now stands at 24,000 -- still unacceptable in a first-world country, but an improvement nonetheless. Britain’s national life expectancy, 78 a decade ago, will hit 81 next year. Fifty years ago, the world was breathing a sigh of relief after the Cuban missile crisis. Young couples would discuss whether it was responsible to have children when the future seemed so dark. But now, as we celebrate the arrival of Light into the world, it’s worth remembering that, in spite of all our problems, the forces of peace, progress and prosperity are prevailing."

It only remains to be said, that while optimism is in itself, for the most part, positive.. But it's not too cynical to suggest a dose of realism is a vital ingredient to any analysis..

But let the readers make their own evaluations..

It seemed to be an interesting pastime, following the course of the campaigns by Barack and The Oven Chip Man as they forged their way towards these elections just past.. But what was striking, was the lack of difference in their stances.
It was a choice of, as one voter put it, "the lesser of two evils"..
Being the election is now a thing of the past, we must now look at what lies ahead for the US. The next 4 years must see drastic changes to the social safety net system, foreign policy, relations between the White House and the various State Legislatures, and banking policies. But whether Barack will have any more success in this term than he had in his last, is moot. He still faces a constant uphill battle with the Senate and the House, and will in all likelyhood,  have no more success than he's already notched up.
It is singularly definitive, that the Markets in the US have lost ground since Tuesday last, for while a change to a Republican Administration may well have frightened a good number of investors, it's apparent retaining the Democrats has not encouraged much in the way of positivity.
While we in Europe suffer under our own weight of problems, many in the EU look to the US as a bellweather, and what they're hearing is not the resounding ringing of recovery, but the cracked sound of the Liberty Bell.

Now this actually came to pass back in April, but has just come to light..
In Arizona, women are now legally pregnant two weeks before conception, according to a new law, the Orwellian-named, “Women’s Health and Safety Act,” signed yesterday by Republican Governor Jan Brewer. The scientifically, medically, ethically, and intellectually dishonest legislation is designed to reduce the amount of time a woman is allowed to have a legal abortion, and is one of the most draconian bills to become law in America.
The bill was sponsored by extremist Arizona State Rep. Kimberly Yee.. who last month penned an op-ed titled, “No drug test, no welfare.”
Only in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.. Where else could a woman be pregnant without coitus..?

An interesting circumstance here..
Anders Breveik, the young man who shot and killed 77 people in a park outside Oslo was found guilty of murder, and given a 21 year sentence for his actions. Mind you, it's unlikely he'll ever see the day he walks free again, simply for the fact he'll be continually thought to be a danger to the public.
But, here's the interesting part. Breveik claimed throughout his trial that he was sane.. that his 'demonstration' was political in nature. Yet the prosecution throughout, questioned whether the man was in his right mind. To all appearances, the PF's office was acting as de facto defense..
A verdict of guilt and a prison sentence, however, were not foregone conclusions. Although there was no doubt that Breivik had committed the murders, the question of his sanity dominated the trial. Successful insanity defenses are rare, especially for heinous crimes, but when insanity is claimed, it is almost always the defendant who raises the issue...
Makes sense..
However, Breivik’s trial offered the unusual spectacle – apparently without precedent in Norway – of a defendant who insisted that he was sane, while the prosecution argued for a finding of insanity. Two teams of psychiatric experts hired by the court reached differing conclusions as to whether he had been psychotic at the time of the crime. In essence, the prosecution was attempting to have an insanity verdict imposed over the objections of the defendant, in the face of conflicting evidence about Breivik’s state of mind..
How does one wrap one's mind about such a scenario..?
For legal systems like Norway’s that allow findings of insanity even against the wishes of a defendant, the motivation is clear. People suffering from severe mental illnesses often deny that there is anything wrong with them and hence may reject a defense of insanity. Courts would be faced with the prospect of punishing seriously ill persons whose behaviour was driven by psychosis, rather than sending them to a psychiatric hospital for treatment... Most people share the intuition that it is unfair to punish someone who did not understand the wrongfulness of their actions, and imposing an insanity verdict avoids having to do so..
Breivik’s case shows why that is idiotic.
As horrifying as was his behaviour, he had an overtly political end in mind. Concerned about what he called the “Islamic colonization” of Europe, he sought to kill young leaders of the Norwegian Labour Party, whose policies he believed encouraged Muslim immigration, at their summer retreat on an island in a lake near Oslo. Breivik thought his actions were justified by the legal doctrine of “necessity” to call attention to a situation that threatened the future of his country and of Europe..
This was, obviously, nothing short of an act of terrorism, and it begs the question, 'how far are we willing to excuse the actions of a man bent on political disruption, by labelling them insane, simply because such actions are outside the box'... so to speak..
Political correctness runs amok..

There is a somewhat futile attempt in the markets, that the Fed will make a move towards bolstering the flagging American economy, by raising the price of oil..
And while this may appear to be a Quixotic move, charging more for the price of a gallon which will hit the consumer, it's this type of thinking which legislators are proven prone to make.
At the pump, the national average for gasoline rose less than a penny overnight to $3.22 /gallon.. about a quarter more than a month ago.
On the surface, it would seem that this trend will only benefit the oil companies, but then, they are the grease keeping the wheels turning.. so to speak..

And, with elections upcoming in the States, the Romney-Ryan proposal to reshape Medicare by giving future beneficiaries fixed amounts of money to buy health coverage is deeply unpopular in Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin, according to new polls that found that more likely voters in each state trust Barack to handle the issue.Keeping in mind of course, that the odds of him getting anything past the insurance lobbies in both Houses is about the same as it was when the man first took power four years ago.
The Medicare debate was catapulted to the forefront of the presidential campaign this month when Mitt announced that his running mate would be Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, who is perhaps best known for proposing a budget plan, supported by Romney, to overhaul Medicare to rein in its costs.
Best of luck with that albatross, Mitt.

And the madness continues.. Troops and tanks swept into a restive town near Damascus on Thursday in an assault aimed at crushing opposition to President al-Assad, whose struggle to keep power has dragged Syria into an increasingly bloody civil war.. according to opposition sources, artillery and helicopters hammered the Sunni Muslim town of Daraya for 24 hours, killing 15 people and wounding 150, before soldiers moved in and raided houses.. About 100 people, including 59 civilians, were killed in violence across the country, says the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.. Some 200 were killed on Wednesday..
Seems if we in the West were truly interested in removing al Assad, a Black Ops team would have been sent and been home by now..
But then, in diplomatic circles, better the devil you know..
We elect such hypocrites..

"To the extent that the size of these sovereign premia hamper the functioning of the monetary policy transmission channel, they come within our mandate.... We have to cope with the financial fragmentation, address these issues.... Within our mandate, the ECB is ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro.... And believe me, it will be enough." And these words from the President of the European Central Bank.. Mario Draghi appears to have given the markets some degree of assurance..
But.. it must be remembered that moves the ECB may be planning.. the likes of buying Spanish and Italian government debt.. are limited strictly with the continued growth of Germany, in particular.
And it must also be taken into consideration, how long the German people themselves will allow Angela to prop up 'member economies', which if not for their hard work would be in deep depression.
While the € is enjoying inflated worth today.. this week.. for perhaps the summer..
The magic bullet.. the cure.. remains unknown.
Regardless of rhetoric from the ECB..

It's a concern that many on this island are sweeping under the rug, so to speak, as we revel in the Olympics..
We needed this.. The Royal Jubilee.. these games..
It will soon return to being.. grey.. again..
We'll soon be stoically going about our day routines, with the summer of 2012 becoming part of the fabric of fond memories, which keep most of us sane..
Bright side of life, and all that..

In what is an obvious move to curry favour of a volatile demographic, Barack has entered into law a significant change to American immigration policies.. Those 'illegals'.. in Florida and California coincidentally.. who are between 16 and 30, will be granted what amounts to landed immigrant status..
Legalized.. so to speak.. That's 800 thousand potential votes in two swing States..
Yet in this speech of emancipation, we were given what perhaps could been seen as yet another sign of the End Times.. the 2012 Prophesies..
For in the sanctity of the White House itself.. a reporter writing for an insignificant slightly right wing newspaper.. dared to interrupt the President.
We'll hear callings out in Church next..
The Daily Caller's Neil Munro.. somewhat implausibly claims that he never meant to cut off the president and thought he was finished speaking.. "I timed the question believing the president was closing his remarks, because naturally I have no intention of interrupting the President of the United States," Munro said in a statement on the Daily Caller's website.. "A reporter's job is to ask questions and get answers," said the site's editor in chief, Tucker Carlson., and"Our job is to find out what the federal government is up to. Politicians often don't want to tell us. A good reporter gets the story.. We're proud of Neil Munro."..
One has to wonder though, whether Neil has his White House Press Credentials renewed..

And just to bolster the heavy thoughts of those who do believe this way of life is perhaps under threat.. a couple more..
Health officials have confirmed that an Oregon man has the plague after he was bitten while trying to take a dead rodent from the mouth of a stray cat.. The unidentified Prineville man, was listed in critical condition on Friday.. He's suffering from a blood-borne version of the disease that wiped out at least one-third of Europe in the 14th century .. that one, the bubonic plague, affects lymph nodes..
One of the Horsemen there..
And as far as suffering's concerned.. 24 year old Aimee Copeland, developed necrotizing fasciitis after cutting her leg in a fall May 1 from a homemade zip line over a west Georgia river. Her left leg, other foot and both hands have been amputated.. On Tuesday, Copeland's condition was upgraded from critical to serious..
But on the other hand.. there is still something left of the human spirit.. This weekend, thousands of people are expected at a long-planned fund-raising event outside Atlanta to help the family with medical expenses. The two-day benefit concert in Aimee Copeland's hometown of Snellville begins at 5 p.m. Friday and continues through Saturday night..
Snelville..
Not a sparrow falls.. some say..

Now it's no news to those who have been following the progress of the EuroZone, that Spain has accepted €100 million in bailout monies..
But what might be of interest, especially to those States gasping for breath as their economies implode, is that the Spanish may consider taxing Church properties.. Although they have rented it out to a restaurant for the past five years, the owners of one building in Aspe have never paid property tax. Nor have they ever paid tax on the apartments that house two of their employees. . Last week, the city’s government voted to partially rescind the exemption that these have enjoyed, with the landlord of those three properties and another eight more in town, has long enjoyed since a 1979 treaty with the Vatican.. Of course said landlord is the Church of Rome..
The same provision holds for other recognized religions and non-profit organizations like the Red Cross, yet because Catholicism is the dominant religion in Spain, and because the Church’s holdings there are so vast .. Laica, a pro-secularism group, estimates that were it not for the exemption, the church would annually owe 2.5 to 3 billion euros in property taxes.. critics have long argued that the arrangement is part of the preferential treatment granted the Catholic Church..
It's an option that could well be studied by such as Greece, and Italy, and even France..
Certainly it's not too much for those who exist on faith, to contribute to the continuing existence of those who hold to these particular faiths..
Charity begins.. they say.. at home..