VOD: Essential purchases
What arrived today….
After my daily cycle ride into the village, dropped by the Marina office.
Guess what had arrived!
Mending my pump out toilet
At the moment, we have the ‘pump’out’ toilet on the boat.
This is a small tank that sits under the toilet and sink and fills with detritus.
Every now and then, you have to get it ‘pumped out‘, hence the pump out name.
Kiddie visitors
A couple of weeks ago, when the kids came to visit, one of them leaned off it, or rocked around or something and it came off its housing and water spilled all over the place.
Since then it’s been smelling, and not really usuable, this weekend I’ve got round to fixing it.
I’ve made this little video documenting the story of me mending my toilet.
It took about 3 days in all, letting everything dry out, checking for leaks and making good.
Hurrah for me!
Montenegro becomes 29th NATO State
Well, not quite yet, but yesterday, (19th May), they received formal invitation to become the 29th NATO state.
Montenegro
Having been there, I know how little industrial and commercial development this from Yugoslav state has..It’s only selling point is it’s proximity to the Aegian.
There’s a possibility for a development of tourism, but it’s population, (armed forces), and capabilities as a contributing, (raw materials), member to a military allaince are limited.
Here’s some news stories from the media who’ve decided to cover it.
Picutures of Montenegro.
Lifting the lid on Washington Politics
Self serving, self interested, self absorbed.
That’s how we should view the American public, just a bunch of sheep in search of instant gratification.
That’s how the politicians see it, and we all know it’s true…. to a certain extent.
This book threatens to lift the lid on American democracy and what it’s become.
It’s released by self publishing house Mill City Press, Minnesota.
Article below. …
VOD: Chinese holographic city, mkII
Holographic images appear in China, for the second time.
Linked to the first story I did, (and related video), a second piece of footage has emerged, this time published by the PRC’s official news channel, CCTV.
Holographic images appear above Dalian, China
As you can see, they’ve put some funky music to the background.
I’m certain the footage is real.
Just like the first video.
Why?
Who knows? …
VOD: Turkish Parliament Brawl
First the Japanese were at it, now it’s Turkey.
In the seat of power, where dialogue and reasoned argument are king, we have this video of a fist-fight.
Turkey gets stirred up
According to the article, there had been one the previous week concerning the draft of the European Union refugees bill.
If that stirred the Turks up, than this has done more.
Apparently, the Turks are attempting to draft in some draconian laws at present, similar to an autocracy with Erdogan as it’s head.
If that happens, the Kurds within the country have openly said that they will join the opposing side in overthrowing the government and seeking autonomy for themselves.
I suspect this is starting to play itself out in the Turkish houses of parliament.
TTIP – Federal Europe vs United States hissy fit
The beginning of the end?
Or so it seems.
The bureaucrats are having difficulty ironing out who’ll be wearing the trousers, more specifically, provisions for the protection of EU citizens regarding dangerous products.
There’s been a leak “…the US is looking strongly to change regulation in Europe to lessen the protections on the environment, consumer rights and other positions that the EU affords to its citizens.”
Commentators claim these differences are “irreconcilable“.
A death knell for the TTIP?
Bear in mind that the US already signed the TPP last year, including countries in the Pacific ring, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Peru, Chile etc.
However, Europe, unlike TPP trading partners, already has it’s own set of laws enshrined both in the common law of the member countries, and the federal authority of the European Union.
It seems the US and the EU are having a battle over whose federalism is the federalism.
Personally, I don’t believe the deal will fall through.
On the back of the previous TPP deal, the US has a pretty strong carrot for negotiations to continue….
Article here.