Sunday, April 19, 2009

the new new world order

i've had a monster headache for several hours today that's only just fading now. whether it's that or rereading the no. 1 ladies detective agency series (i'm almost to the end of morality for beautiful girls, which is #3), i'm finding myself subject to deep musings (mma ramotswe will do that to you)....

...like what does it mean when a major UK newspaper (the evening standard) is owned by a russian oligarch?

...and what are the implications that china owns all of the US debt?

...and spain is producing upwards of 40% of their electricity (depending on the day) using wind power?

maybe all this just means i've had the BBC on in the background while i made pizza dough for dinner later this evening. but i also think that these are signs of a new new world order. with the US floundering, new empires are emerging. ones wherein russian oil gazillionaires can control a piece of western media (wasn't there a james bond movie about that?) and where china is quietly assuming a position of world domination. and where spain, a place one doesn't always liken to the most forward-thinking, developed place on the planet, is actively working on getting themselves less dependent on foreign oil.

these are definitely things to ponder, whether you're in the aura of a headache or not...

11 comments:

Jelica said...

At least the Spain thing is a positive one, although I had no idea that they produce so much electricity from wind--I would have expected them to use solar energy more, given the amount of sunny days they have. But, hey, as long as it's renewable, it's fine for me :)

Char said...

those are lots of things to ponder for sure.

Anonymous said...

Just last night the hub and I were discussing how much longer humans have as a species. We were estimating a couple hundred or so years (just long enough for us, our kids and our grandkids, natch.) It's strange to think about these things, though; gives one a weird feeling in the pit of the stomach.

Just Jules said...

ah yes, The Full Cupboard of Life is "on deck" in my reading pile.... she (mma ramotswe is more of a summer character for me)

And yes BBC will do that to you - headache or not.

Molly said...

Hope the headache has cleared and that the pizza is/was goooooooooooooood!

Sandra said...

Careful, I live in this particular aura almost full time. Sometimes I can barely stand it. It gives me the headache.

Brenda Pruitt said...

I woke up with a migraine. Thank goodness for those little expensive pills that melt on your tongue! I usually have them in a cluster of about a week or so. Then don't have them for awhile. Yes, the US is floundering. Thank goodness Obama is at the helm!
Brenda

Unknown said...

Ah, yes, the BBC effect!
I didn't know those figures about Spain, but I know the country has been investing in renewable energy a lot... and we're slowly planning on becoming the superpower we were in the sixteenth century again, just wait and see! :)
Actually, I'm proud for the many social initiatives that we've been taking and people don't always realize how far we've come since Franco (who died more than 30 years ago, after all). Sorry, getting a bit patriotic here...
I think the USA should worry about China first, though!

Polly said...

Every now and again I promise myself to stop watching news because they give me headaches. But then I feel I need to know what's happening in the world and I end up stocking up on paracetamol... those are definitely issues to remember. What next...

I love Mma Ramotswe! Perhaps I should reread the books... by the way, in case you haven't tried them yet, all other A McCall's books are brill as well!

Delwyn said...

Mma Ramotswe
has accompanied me to bed for the last month or so as I re-read the series, - she takes up a far bit of room does mma...

These are good questions you have posed. I saw a TV doc on Saudi Arabia, how they have such incredible wealth they are creating new cities out of nothing,
and attempting to dev. a skills base so that they can become independent of immigrant experts.

What wonders they could do, unfortunately the general mind set there is still stuck in the first millennium as regards to the contribution and rights of women.

Strangely enough 1/2 the graduates are women...what do they do with them?

Hope the brain pain has eased...

Mike said...

cheekyketek: I don't think humankind has all that much longer afterall; have you ever read the book of Revelation in the Bible? Or any other books containing prophecies of the end times?

If not, I recommend you (and everyone else who hasn't) read them. I am doing a study of Revelation at the moment, visit www.salvation-for-youth.tk to check it out. Also check out my blog at the YCF at www.universeofmymind.blogspot.com.

Take care!!



----mike----