Author: telboy2

Quake

So last night’s quake was the biggest for us since we have lived here.

We were awoken as the house was shaking big time. We were all up as Sara was ordering us to stand under the doorways for our safety. The quake was long and forceful. It certainly made me think and  be somewhat nervous. After that… back to bed. Apparently the rest of the world stayed up all night being nervous and feeling every after-shock.

There was plenty of activity during the day we ongoing rumbles and I came across a few people through work who were somewhat anxious.

So the rumbles go on and we will have to wait and see how they affect us.

Big Quake in NZ as reported by the Daily Telegraph

New Zealand earthquake: Powerful aftershocks keep rocking the country after 7.8 magnitude quake kills two in South Island

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed two people and caused massive infrastructure damage in New Zealand on Monday, as forecasters warned wild weather could hamper rescue efforts.

The tremor, one of the most powerful ever recorded in the quake-prone South Pacific nation, hit just after midnight near the South Island seaside tourist town of Kaikoura.

It triggered a tsunami alert that sent thousands of people fleeing for higher ground across large parts of the country’s rugged coastline before the threat abated.

Rescuers were left scrambling to reach Kaikoura in the South Island, which had no telecommunications and was isolated by landslips, making it accessible only by helicopter.

Civil defence minister Gerry Brownlee said a clearer picture of the scale of the damage was slowly emerging.

Trump

Living in New Zealand, for a change, helped with following the unfolding news story. I followed the news on the net during the afternoon. On the bus home I tuned into Radio 4 for the updates. Very traditional. And then at home we watched the final stages of the results and the winning speech of Donald.

images-duckduckgo-comIt currently feels unreal but the repercussions could be huge. Time will will tell how much. The politics in the world are truly disruptured.

The Donald Won

Well maybe everyone has been proven wrong again.

The man who could not win/ would not win-won.

Hard to believe mostly given his personality, temperament, racism, misogyny, and the other litany of faults. I watched the coverage come in and was surprised.

However, listening to the reflections, commentary since it is fair to say Clinton was not a good candidate and too many people were never going to vote for her. Too much history.

She did not offer a message. He did even is it is a dreadful one.

Echos of Brexit. There are so many people who have been screwed by the system and will go for anything that is not the status quo.

 

6 charts that explain how Donald Trump won the most incredible election in US history | The Independent

Donald Trump has won the election after the most remarkable result in US presidential history. The Republican candidate swept to victory in key swing states including Florida to beat Democrat rival Hillary Clinton. The surprise result defied months of polls which predicted victory for Clinton. Data available begins to paint a picture of how Trump managed to win the election’ he began the race as an outsider discredited for his lack of experience before convincing the Republican party and then the nation of his abilities.

Source: 6 charts that explain how Donald Trump won the most incredible election in US history | The Independent

Similar thoughts from JN

The rule of law…

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… is one of the basic criteria for a functioning democracy. The UK is (still) a democracy in that sense. But it looks as though the creeps who run the country’s tabloid newspapers don’t understand that.

tabloids

Which is why this statement from the Chair of the Bar Council is welcome:

“The judiciary of England & Wales is the envy of the world because it is independent of Government or any other influence. When we speak to lawyers in other jurisdictions, it is our judiciary that they particularly………

Public Aggression

MPs condemn newspaper attacks on judges after Brexit ruling

Shadow justice secretary urges lord chancellor to speak out against ‘hysterical’ headlines in rightwing press

Front pages of British newspapers on 4 November
Front pages of British newspapers on 4 November. Photograph: Benjamin Fathers/AFP/Getty Images
Guardian

So the courts rule that the Royal Prerogative cannot be used to trigger Article 50 to initiate Brexit. The fact that excessive use of Government power with the enhancement of Parliament mean nothing to these organs of power. As an article said yesterday, the English fought a civil war to enforce the supremacy of Parliament over Crown power.

The intolerance and violent atmosphere this shows is worrying.

Isaac and Prizegiving succcess

20161105_062849Eleanor and Joe accompanied us to the Thursday evening event. Isaac has success last year and he knew he had won something.

img_20161103_192450He came away with a bumper crop. I think winning the Art prize was particularly good for him. A vindication of all his effort this year and the fact that he convinced me art was what he wanted to do two years ago.

And good for us is the prize that means there is a 50% reduction in the Catholic Board fees next year!img_20161103_221356