I am not going to say anything, just listen to this interview.

What did disturb this idyll, was the BBC world service, I heard a report about mercury in all of America’s rivers, turns out 291 rivers had fish that had mercury and of these 1 in 4 exceeded EPA guidelines. Gees I said in an America accent this is new, not so, papers were being produced in 2003 (and perhaps earlier) to recommend reductions in mercury emissions from coal fired power stations. I knew about gold mines and mercury and the infamous Cisso corporations poisoning of Minamata bay in Japan in the 50s and 60s, but coal fired power stations?  It is true, it’s what the world service reported and of course I have googled it since.

So that pristine wild west environment of childhood movies is a pricked balloon, I am surprised by the Americans though, where there’s a problem the solution can often make money. I am guessing the power companies were not made to clean up and or the capture of mercury in hot gasses is difficult ie expensive in a limited market.

So when in America eat steak, it’s only full of steroids and antibiotics !!

Does Chinese coal contain mercury? perhaps the poor will inherit the earth !

try this blog spot for a very interesting view of the financial crisis (don’t think it’s over) and bankers behaviour.

I obviously would never make a banker as I cannot see how a bonus can be paid until the taxpayers money is paid back. But we are shareholders so the money will not appear as a debt, but if we are the major share holders then surely we can veto these payments when management meetings are held, I understand major shareholders are present at some of these.

It is apparent that bonuses will be paid, with the banks paying the extra tax, well done Mr Darling, our money going round in circles!!

If you haven’t heard Billy Bragg’s stance visit;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/7012775/Billy-Bragg-in-protest-against-bankers.html

decorative, particularly on trees

land smoothing, blanketing

mouldable, a plaything

represents Christmas to those of us in the north

is like breaking a spell when you are the first to walk on it

Cornices, don’t be the first !

Is easy to shovel

puts superior smiles on 4 x 4 drivers

brings neighbours together, in mutual car shoving, complaining and snow moving

increases wellie sales

Increases bird numbers and variety to your feeding table

makes it very important to feed and water the birds

makes driving “interesting”

bonus time for gritter drivers

nice for a couple of days…….

add your own snow feelings in comments

China’s people and the politicians know they are polluting the rivers and their air, and I believe they will react to this, in a market place way, they amongst  the polluting regions can react very fast to generating new non polluting technologies, they are communist and a dictatorship. The clumsy democracies will react much more slowly, unless and I suspect (hope) this will happen,  a “clean power” race, develops in the market place between China and America. Europe has the lead on this but the market place is Europe it needs to be America, China and India. Russia the worlds third largest polluter is difficult for me to understand, I am not sure anyone can predict it’s stance?

Anyway the science stood resolute, no well read sensible person  can say the climate is not changing, some flat earth people say it’s just a normal cycle, Mr Milankovitch, I think they refer to, tell that to the people whose houses are built on Tundra, ask the people in Cumbria, ask the sub-Saharan people in Kenya, ask the Italian border patrols who now have to move the border poles ever year as the glacier they are in moves.

Copenhagen worked in certain ways, It  recognised, and put front stage,  that the climate is changing and for most people this  is a very serious concern. For the business aware there is a huge market place for less polluting energy methods from recognising that the concerned people of the planet will change their behaviours given a market place alternative. The politicians need to act to encourage this behavioural change.

Also a climate change event in America that is country wide, and not in California, would be very appropriate. Something like a large blanket of snow, needs to be the worst on record sweeping down the East coast,

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2009/12/20/blizzard-hell-as-america-is-struck-by-worst-snowstorms-for-six-years-86908-21911055/

only six years ! let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

try this connection too

www.avaaz.org/en/after_copenhagen/?cl=419385382%26v=5072

and here is a truly encouraging tale, imagine this industrialised, what you don’t have to imagine is human ingenuity. Like green power it just has to be politically harnessed.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/10/05/malawi.wind.boy/index.html

Seems like when you get to the top, as an earner and or politically, you become bullet proof as the establishment gathers round and protects you. How many times has Fred the shreds house windows been panned in? well just the once I’ll warrant, there are probably web cams on his street paid for by you know who.

So if GB is bullet proof why was he wearing all that gear? Oh yes, real bullets from the real world !!

Take the one point something Billion quid and give it to the retail side of the bank and to the RBS people made redundant, if Charles Dickens were alive today I feel a novel would result given the iniquity of the behaviour of the board of the RBS.

I bet this all ends in a political fudge, well that might just be the last straw for many Labour voters.

Seems not, she is following an age old superstition that I and her still borderline husband were not aware of !!

Magpie Superstitions

There is an age old rhyme regarding magpie superstitions, brought to the fore in the 1970’s, by the children’s programme named after the birds, which implies that if you see these birds in numbers you will have varying degrees of fortune. The magpie superstitions rhyme goes: “One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret never to be told. ” Never been quite sure what to expect if I ever saw eight or more!

The majority of magpie superstitions however, revolve around the lone magpie. There are some curious customs associated with this. It is the most common of the magpie superstitions, and throughout the British Isles it is believed that it is unlucky to look upon a lone magpie and there are some interesting regional beliefs about what you should do to ward off any bad luck. For example: In Scotland and Northern Ireland one should salute the lone magpie; whereas in some parts of England one should wave or doff your hat! Magpie superstitions in Yorkshire suggests that the bird is associated with witchcraft and therefore an ill omen – one should make a sign of a cross or take off your hat in respect to ward off any evil. Another from remote parts of the White Rose County, suggests that an individual should imitate the lone magpie’s missing partner – and loudly; although I‘m not sure I can recall what noise one makes! Apparently the magpie has significance overseas as well – in Korea, one of the more popular magpie superstitions, has folk believing that the magpie is a bird of inspirational instinct, which can foretell people that they will have visitors or house guests in the near future.

http://www.superstitious-minds.info/Magpie-Superstitions.html

Poem? I found

Magpie #1

Magpies are the
Park bench drunks
of the bird kingdom;
They hang about all day,
Screech at each other
And everyone else.
Nothing to do,
Nowhere else to go.

They feed from rubbish bins;
The mangled remains of Saturday’s
Discarded donner
Is their idea of a Sunday roast.

They steal
For the sake of it;
A piece of foil,
A priceless diamond,
They’re not really bothered,
So long as it sparkles.
Their nests must be
Boudoirs of bling.

These high frequency traders are, in America, 2% of the traders but account for 73% of transactions. Trillions of daily transactions buying shares and selling them at 1p or 2p difference to their benefit.

who does this benefit?

got it?

just those banks and their shareholders, who are now mainly the tax payers. So that’s great we will profit?  no it will end up in that treasury vault, that institution that can afford to sponsor wars but not decrease poverty.

The banks are at it already, using capitalism to kill capitalism. This is not happening just in America, from memory a super computer room is being built in England as I type, in Guildford?

have a read

http://advancedtrading.com/algorithms/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218401501#undefined

Gives a person hope, gives the planet hope.