Only in "the land of the free"

Sometimes it would be hard to make this up, but a 3 year old reaching in his mother's handbag for an iPad managed to shoot both his parents with his mum's gun with the same bullet.  Thankfully, both are recovering. Gun freedom? As I said, "land of the free".   Albuquerque, New Mexico.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-31082294 .

Greek debt

In some ways I feel sorry for the ordinary Greek man and woman.  They are having to replay huge debts whilst their economy is doing very badly.  Many in Greece are experiencing real poverty.  They should never have been allowed into the Euro club all those years ago.  Tax avoidance had become a way of life in Greece and they are so far out of step with the economies of northern Europe. In many ways the Greeks expected it too easy within the Eurozone. Now they are finding out the hard way.

I very much doubt they will be able to re-negotiate their repayment terms.  If they leave the Euro now it will be very bad for Greece and hard on the Eurozone.  Sadly,with other indebted nations "in the wings" Germany and others in the Euro club cannot give in to Greece.  Tough times are ahead.

See http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/as-in-1942-germany-must-show-restraint-over-greece-10015905.html .   Apparently,Germany has misread Greece in the past.

Syrian news

The latest news from Syria of the beheading of the second Japanese hostage is meant to frighten the world.  Surely it must frighten those who carry out such acts against the will of the leader they claim to follow?  No virgins await these people in paradise.  More likely is hell.  Seek a different path. Love and kindness always overcome evil.

Deport them NOW!

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-31056608 .

4 men are jailed for kicking in a lecturer's face so badly that he needed reconstructive surgery. Why not deport these common thugs now? Why do we have to pay their board and lodgings "at her majesty's pleasure" for even a single day? They have no right to be here.

Catholic Church and C. of E. out of step?

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31063500 .

Is the world flat?  Was it created in 7 days? Is the evidence of fossils all wrong? Yet again we seem to be having a Canute moment within the main churches. DNA engineering could prevent thousands of needless deaths. Sorry, C.of E. and the Catholic Church, but I think you are totally wrong.

Syrian hostages?

The fate of the Japanese reporter and the Jordanian pilot under the threat of execution in Syria seems to have gone "off the radar". There is no BBC news on this so far today and even http://www.aljazeera.com/ has no information. I wonder if news agencies have been asked to say nothing? I do hope for a peaceful outcome.

See http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/World+News/Middle+East/Syria .

Our neighbour's garage

Garage footings under construction

Our next door neighbour is having a garage built next to his bungalow. It is not in our view and it will not affect us. Sadly access to this is disputed between him and our local museum who own part of the access track he wants to use, as I understand things.

I don't want to get involved in the dispute as I am friendly with both sides. It seems to be a dispute that could so easily have been avoided though.  Silly how such petty arguments can be the cause of so much distrust and bad feeling. If it had been me I'd have put the garage in the same place but gone in directly from the road instead, thereby avoiding all the bad feelings created.