8,000 Pageviews

We're at 8,000 page views, with a few changes to show.

Firefox leads the browsers, followed by Google Chrome, and then Microsoft Explorer.

Operating systems were lead by Linux, followed by Macintosh, and then other Linux systems.

Canadian, US, and UK viewers were most common, with an interesting number from Australia and France.  Not to mention a couple of agents from Poland and Ukraine.

Titles that gained the most 'hits' since my last report were:

• World Domination - An Essay (June, 2015)
• Aerospace 10 - Bombardier CS300 (February, 2015)
• Bottles Of Water (June, 2015)
• Religion 2 - Are You Religious? (August, 2011)

Comments were concentrated at:  

• Politics 2 - Multiculturalism (August, 2011)
• Politics 8 - Percentage Formula (August, 2013)
• Education 10 - A Ticking Time Bomb (November 2014)
• Politics 10 - Vladimir Putin, A Question (January, 2015)
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I have a feeling that 'Percentage Formula' has an irresistible title ... and may be relegated to the penalty box next time.

Bottles Of Water

Buy one and get ten free!

Now, that is not something that you can ‘pass’ on.  Do I have your utmost attention?

Please don’t press ‘Delete’ yet.  I'm trying to be serious.

The Subject is Bottles Of Water?

A report in the National Post newspaper today, quotes a warning from NASA related to global drought;  “The water table is dropping all over the world”.

We read about the drought in California, believing that it may be the only place in the world where underground aquifers are drying up, but it is happening throughout the world.

“Twenty-one of the world’s 37 largest aquifers — in locations from India and China to the United States and France — have passed their sustainability tipping points, meaning more water is being removed than replaced from these vital underground reservoirs”.

“Groundwater reserves take thousands of years to accumulate and only slowly recharge with water from snowmelt and rains”.

“The new studies used NASA’s GRACE satellites to take unprecedentedly precise measurements of the groundwater reservoirs hidden beneath the ground. The satellites detected subtle changes in the gravitational pull of the earth’s surface. Water is exceptionally heavy and exerts a greater pull on orbiting spacecraft. As the satellites flew overhead, slight changes in aquifer water levels were charted over a decade, from 2003 to 2013”.

Now, stop for a moment.  Think about instant coffee, chocolate, iced tea, condensed milk, etc.  What company comes into your mind?  Nestle, no doubt.  

But what has that got to do with groundwater levels?

(By the way, why aren’t cans of evaporated milk ... empty?)  Sorry.

Nestlé is closing in on a lucrative water privatization deal in the state of Oregon. The deal would give Nestlé millions of gallons of some of the cleanest drinking water we have, despite a huge drought. Even worse, Nestlé will only pay one cent per 40 gallons of water. Then, it will sell the same water back to the public for $2.63 per gallon.

Please be reminded that Nestle has been draining aquifers everywhere, using various anonymous brand names, for decades.  Interestingly, one Californian well is still being used, even though its’ license expired years ago.

Nestle has a capital of $247 billion US (May, 2015).  Bottled water comprises 7% of that, which is nearly $18 billion US.

Why should they be concerned if your lawn is turning brown.

Why should we be concerned if Nescafe instant coffee dries up too.

Quotation — Consequences

"There are in nature neither rewards nor punishments — there are consequences."

Robert G. Ingersoll

World Dommination - An Essay - Addendum

Addendum

My original post mentioned the covert annexation of the Spratly Islands in the so-called South China Sea.  Since that was written, it has been pointed out that there is a rule covering such incidents by UNCLOS.  My studies revealed the following:

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982

Part V

Exclusive Economic Zone

Article 60, Sect 8, states;

"Artificial islands, installations and structures do not possess the status of islands. They have no territorial sea of their own, and their presence does not affect the delimitation of the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone or the continental shelf."

It is noteworthy that this refers to “artificial islands”, and it seems debatable that the Spratly Islands are, in fact, “artificial”, i.e., they are not man-made.  Thus, the question that we are faced with is;  just because they are being reclaimed and extended, does that mean that they are now artificial?  By extension of that thought, should we, therefore, declare parts of The Netherlands artificial?  

I feel that lawyers specializing in oceanic law have an interesting predicament to face.

Do you agree?

World Domination - An Essay

It’s the month of June already ... and I’ve got the classic writer’s ‘block’.

How do I avoid the quintessential rants about politics or religion when they loom darkly over our very existence.  Greece, Iraq, Ukraine, Islam, and the South China Sea (and Canadian politics continues its’ attempt to dumbfound us).  The Solar Impulse 2 is grounded in Japan after an exhausting, but record-breaking, 40-hour flight from China, where it had been resting for a lazy month of “commercial reasons” after a 7-hour flight from Chongqing to Nanjing.  Will it take more than the balloon-inspired 80-days for it to circumnavigate the Earth?

The hard drive on my computer has developed signs of Alzheimer’s disease, and my symptoms of acid indigestion, probably due to the half-chicken that I ate yesterday, would only interest my doctor during his 5-minute annual checkup next week.

Which leaves me to come to grips with my monstrously thought-provoking subject of World Domination.  Ideally, one should obtain a large globe of the Earth (No, Google isn’t good enough) ... I’ll wait.

Since the amazing breakup of the USSR, and the coming into power of the Putin dictatorship, the great Russian bear has demonstrated its’ determination to regain control of those ex-Soviet states by any means it considers necessary.  Thus, although the annexation of Georgia and Crimea will not cause sleepless nights in the ‘West’ as it should, perhaps drawing attention to the alarming increase in military activity on the borders (including international sea and airspace) will. Certainly, ex-soviet states that are not members of NATO, are increasing their defense spending.  It is just a matter of time for acknowledgement that eastern Ukraine has been annexed.  What could they do?  One defensive shot and Russia could take over in a matter of weeks, resulting in feeble diplomatic protests at the UN.  How many people noticed the visits recently by the prime minister of Greece to Moscow regarding financial assistance.  What could Mr. Putin ask for in return, probably, air and naval bases in Greece.  After all, Russians are already the largest tourist groups in Greece.  Thus, that could influence Russia’s southwards strength into the Mediterranean.

Now, spin the globe to bring the Chinese dragon into view.  Inner Mongolia has been taken, perhaps Mongolia itself could be taken in association with Russia.  With Islamic problems as an excuse, the province of Xinjiang would be next, and Tibet is already taken, as is Hong Kong and Macau.  Taiwan will, initially, become another Hong Kong.  There are continuing border disputes with Pakistan and Tajikistan (and India), thus, all the so-called ‘istans could be shared with Russia also.  It is said that Mr. Xi is returning to the strong-arm policies of Chairman Mao and this is quite evident in the so-called South China Sea annexation of the Spratly Islands just 200 km off the coast of the Philippines (but more than 1,000 km from the nearest Chinese land mass) including similar disputes with Viet Nam and other Asian countries.  Soon, China’s strength in the area will be such that the US will be unable to defend a further annexation of Korea.

If we take a large red paint brush and highlight the countries that I have described, the future of our Earth looks quite uncomfortable, and if we imagine the red paint spreading in all directions, then, I‘ll definitely want to get off.

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