Please - Go Underwater!

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The Maldives Cabinet are shortly to hold a meeting underwater to highlight the threat of global warming, a publicity stunt that will, hopefully, encourage world leaders to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

We in Britain face the next nine months or so to much party politicking in the run-up to the next election. Wouldn’t it be great if our politicians could spend the next nine months underwater and out of earshot and press headlines?
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A Sensible Decision

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The National Museum of Taipei is currently exhibiting a number of items from the Qing Dynasty Emperor Yongzheng, including 37 items on loan to them from the Palace Museum in Beijing.

The loan of Chinese artefacts to Taipei is said to be a sign of warming ties between China and Taiwan, and the exhibition will undoubtedly be a huge success and one I’d love to see.

But two items, both Qing dynasty bronzes which were owned by late Yves St Laurent, will not be on show for they were allegedly stolen from the Beijing Palace by invading French and British forces in 1860 at the end of the Second Opium War. The Teipei museum took the view that they didn’t want to exhibit ‘disputed artefacts’.

The decision is undoubtedly a correct one and one which will have pleased the Chinese authorities who are seeking the return of the two items which are now in the possession of Saint Laurent’s partner.

It is also an interesting decision for many museums around the world must equally be in possession of artefacts which, at one time or another, were illegally taken from their former owners.

Like the Elgin Marbles, perhaps?
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Queue-Jumping

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Media reports suggest that British Airways are talking to the UK Border Agency about the possibility of charging passengers £50 to ‘fast-track’ their way past long airport immigration inspection queues.

I don’t understand why this has not as yet caused an outcry among the travelling public. Why should we have to pay to get through Immigration checks quicker and, what about the potential for illegal entry and security breaches?

What we need is not more moneymaking schemes imposed on travellers, but more UKBA staff at airports so that immigration queues are not so ridiculously long as they are now.
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Woof! Woof!

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Former French President Jaques Chirac has rehomed his Maltese terrier, Sumo, to a farm after it bit him for the third time.

The animal, it seems, had been treated for depression after finding it difficult to come to terms with leaving the Elysee Palace and moving to an apartment in Paris.

Having owned eight dogs over the years, the thought occurs to me that, maybe, the dog just didn’t like Mr. Chirac!
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iSnack2.0?

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If you look for a jar of Marmite in Australia, you will have to look hard for the much-loved Australian equivalent is Vegemite which, like its British counterpart, has reached iconic status. You either love it or hate it.

So when the makers of Vegemite held a competition for a new, more creamy cheesy spread they’ve introduced they decided to call it iSnack2.0, a name they dumped after just three days because of the public outcry that followed.

The makers will run another competition for a new name and deny that the last one was a publicity stunt.

That may be true but, on the other hand, there must be few Aussies on the planet at this moment who do not know that Kraft have introduced a new spread!.
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Only 21st?

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According to the UN Annual Report, Norway is the best place in the world to live.

The report acknowledges that living standards in Norway have benefited from the discovery of North Sea oil and gas. That is only part of the story for maybe the impoertant part is what the Norwegians did with that money.

Those who know me will know that I am a great fan of Norway and for many years we have cruised there. The country, its road and ferry systems are extremely well-organised and they are very proud of their social services. There must be few countries in the world where cruise visitors are shown, in Trondheim if my memory serves me right, their new old folks home which is not far from the new hospital.

Britain comes 21st in the list of 182 countries and my immediate thought on reading this was why Norway, with a much smaller population than ours, was able to achieve its position when we came so low in the rankings. Is it possible that we frittered away our North Sea revenue or that they had better government?

Either way, if you are sick or old, Norway seems to me to be the best place to be.
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Let’s Have The Referendum We Were Promised!

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So the good citizens of Eire have voted to sign the EU Treaty, and good for them.

But what happened to the referendum that was promised by ‘President’ Blair?

It’s time we were given the referendum we were promised but isn’t it curious that none of the parties have so far said that they would give us one.

Could it be that the equally good citizens of Britain would overwhelmingly say ‘No!’?
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