Time for a re-launch

Hello! Just a quick note to say in the next few weeks I plan to re-launch this blog, giving it a new look and contributing travel and news features on a much more frequent basis. Thank you for your patience.

Snow Hell

So… let me get this straight. The Washington DC and Baltimore area are suffering one of their snowiest winters on record – if not the snowiest – with two blizzards in less than a week and the fourth major snowstorm recorded in less than a month. This is in a region which has no infrastructure to deal with such brutal weather and is now virtually crippled as a result. The USA’s most heavily populated region has begun to look [and feel] like a scene out of The Day After Tomorrow.

Meanwhile, way across the continent in Vancouver, British Columbia, where folks would think of these blizzards as they would a day to the beach, there has been a freak dry spell with no snow for more than a month.

But remember, these people are also due to play hosts to the upcoming Winter Olympics, kicking off this weekend. And forecasters now say there will be no snowy weather in time for the games to start.

That’s right, for the first time in history there is a crisis of not enough snow in Canada, probably one of the snowiest places on Earth. Now the Vancouver Olympic organising committee must find a way to still host the world’s biggest winter sporting event in what has become the only place left on the planet complaining of not enough snow this winter. Ha!

What’s that you say? Host the games on the East Coast of America? Well, we soon may not have a choice.

Time's Deceit

These mallard faces do not last

Like frozen pollards they gleam with hope

Iced in fading memories which

Desert them at record pace.

They rise in number

Thousands of famished black pea eyes

Who foolishly assume numbers could defeat

The fury of Time herself.

I collect their imperfections

In a boggled memory bank, burdened by

Graven stones and decaying tomb scripts.

Here we rot together, in a deserted sand yard.

Naivety reigns here,

Our soul eyes are drained of their purity, revealing

We are mere protective glass sheets

Whose demise has been preordained.

They come for us

No pit of shadow to crawl into

The insanity of it all

Is revealed in a single crack, forever and now, we pray.

'Got' or 'Gotten'? I have forgotten..

I could not even count the times I have been told off by people in the United Kingdom for using the word 'gotten'.  I am told it is not a real word, it is unnecessary and redundant of the past participle 'got', or it is another vulgar ‘Americanism’ and just plain 'bad English'.  However, upon a little research I have found the word, a past participle of ‘to get’, has its origin in the United Kingdom itself.

The Oxford English dictionary actually traces the word back to the fourth century.  It has been used by Shakespeare, Bacon and Pope before being exported to the American colonies by Puritan settlers, along with the word 'fall' for autumn and 'guess' for think. 

Some British people falsely assume ‘got’ and ‘gotten’ have the same meaning and Americans use them interchangeably in all circumstances.  Contrarily, both of these past participles convey slightly different ideas.  "They have gotten an apartment in Boston" means they have recently taken the apartment, whereas "they have got an apartment in Boston" simply indicates they have it (there are those who would argue that in a sentence like this one ‘got’ is redundant, and that ‘have’ alone would do the job).  In informal usage, 'have got' can also be followed by an infinitive to denote obligation (I’ve got to go to the party means “I must”), whereas have gotten with an infinitive denotes opportunity (I’ve gotten to go to the party means “I’ve been given the chance to attend”).

In fact, Americans largely cut down on usage of the word ‘got’ as a past participle, instead opting for only the word ‘have’ in its place, with some taking the view the word's existence itself is unnecessary as 'have' can do the job all on its own. For example, "I haven’t any memory", "I haven’t any money in my purse".  And, as a final note, the British did retain the word 'gotten' in aspic, such as ill-gotten, forgotten and begotten.

Just to quell any suspicisions that I am writing with an anti-British English agenda, there are many things I favour in British English over its American counterpart, such as omission of the overused demonstrative adjective 'that', especially in indirect quotes.

Hopefully readers will have gotten my point after they have got through this article.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Mr Blair - President of Europe?

With Ireland recently approving the Lisbon Treaty the second time round, and the Polish government quickly following suit, it seems a new European charter is imminent - as well as a new president. 
Fair enough, there are still several loopholes to get through. Czech President Vaclav Klaus has found a series of new ways to delay signing the treaty, which has already been ratified by the Czech parliament. 
And London also may try to delay proceedings. The head of the British conservatives, David Cameron, sent a letter to Klaus asking him to delay his signature until British parliamentary elections in spring of 2010. Cameron seems well positioned to win the election, and he wants to hold a Lisbon Treaty referendum in Great Britain—despite the fact that the country has already ratified the document.

But despite all doubts, if the treaty is passed before British parliamentary elections, could we see former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair scoop up the European leadership? Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sure seems to think so.

Read this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8307267.stm
 

China is well on its way to Global Dominance

Like it or hate it, China's dominance in the world economy is imminent.
Already, despite a recession that has played havoc across the globe, Chinese industries have managed to continue growing in a much-envied bubble.
So much, in fact, that they have now overtaken Canada to become America's largest trading partner, making the USA-China trade block the world's largest.
Likewise, the Far Eastern country has overtaken the United States in its number of billionaires - perhaps in itself nothing more than a dent in the amour of ethnocentric patriots, but possibly an implication of a broader shift of economic power away from traditional North American and European powerhouses towards the developing world and especially China.

Please read the link
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/business/global/14rich.html?hpw

Nonetheless, the USA still accounts for a quarter of the world's GDP and spends almost as much as the rest of the world combined on its military.  Despite the concerns of this situation forwarded by Western media, the global influence of America will, in all likelihood, remain prominent for some time.
Just the same, China has firmly asserted its ascendance onto the world stage as an emerging superpower.

Just take a look at China's National Parade Day in Beijing, celebrating 60 years of communist rule!

Economic Crisis - Worse Than We Think?

Could the media be playing down on how severe the recession actually is?  Well, you may disagree, but as the old saying goes, action speaks louder...

Take a look at this enormous queue of 10,000 at a recent job fair in London's Canary Wharf:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1220302/Huge-queue-desperate-job-seekers-unemployment-hits-2-47m.html

Maybe (hopefully) in a few decades we'll look back at today with complete horror.

Build a tram through Manhattan

Believe it or not, this campaign is finally picking up steam!  We may soon see a completely pedestrianised 42nd Street right through the centre of Manhattan if campaigners finally get their way.  This would be great as it would set a much-needed precedent for other prominent American cities as well as become an interesting tourist attraction - for Europeans and Americans alike.  City managers accomplished this in Times Square (a section of Broadway in summer 2009) so why not permanently remake 42nd Street into an exclusive pedestrian/tram zone?  I personally think it would do wonders to the streetscape, as well as boost economic activity and real estate value in that particular district.

Read the full story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/realestate/commercial/14rail.html?hpw

Quote of the Day

Imbalance of Trust

“I find it interesting that many Americans seemingly distrust Washington concerning issues of health care reform, yet these same folks eagerly embraced and supported the federal government in its most recent extreme form of foreign policy: the invasion of Iraq,” writes Richard in France. (from The New York Times website, available from http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2009/08/29/opinion/29blow.html)

Shrewsbury, Welshpool

Some photos I took during an afternoon hike through the Welsh midlands, near Welshpool, not far from Shrewsbury. I was out there for the day visiting the woman I am writing a book for.

Baby orangutans!

Loch Ness Monster?

This image of Loch Ness can be seen by entering coordinates Latitude 57°12'52.13"N, Longitude 4°34'14.16"W in Google Earth.

 Could this be the elusive Loch Ness Monster?  Or the Ness Express, a boat which regularly tours the deep waters of Loch Ness?  Judge for yourself.

Tribute to a Great Hero

AMERICA lost a great hero today.
But Senator Ted Kennedy’s legacy will have impacted our country for generations to come.
A key leader in the push for healthcare reform, Kennedy, the “Liberal Lion”, used most of his political career to better the lives of many citizens through progressive causes and bills.

Kennedy also campaigned vigorously on egalitarian issues and was a staunch supporter of equal civil rights - even before it was popular to do so.
He was a champion in the fight against global warming. And he was an outspoken critic of the Iraq war right from the onset.

Kennedy was part of a family ‘dynasty’ that made Massachusetts a state much bigger and influential than it once was.
Not only that, but the Kennedys have played a significant role in creating a unified cultural sense among Irish Americans, of which there are some 36 million. Kennedy, for his part, was also heavily involved in the Irish peace process.
As the leader of Ireland's Social Democrat and Labour Party (SDLP), Mark Durkan, put it, in reaction to his death: “He was never afraid to take stands and stances that challenged the actions and inactions of the British Government.”

But even as we take time to mourn his death, we must already be thinking about his empty senate seat as we have now entered the climax of healthcare reform.
The Senate Democratic Party caucus has now lost its 60-seat supermajority in the US Senate, the minimum required to defeat potential filibusters the Republican Party caucus may impose to block any bills they dislike.
Shortly before his death, Kennedy appealed to governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick and the legislature to seek out someone to temporarily fill his seat.

This seat will be a big one to fill. His role in the push for healthcare reform was seen as pivotal in holding together both progressive and centrist Democratic voters as the issue threatens to tear the US into two enraged camps.
The process to replace him could take months as Massachusetts law permits. Let us hope a deal squares out fast so we can secure this legislation that is vital to our futures.

Dear Mr Editor... Healthcare Reform Now!

Yes, I am still on fire about this issue! It looks like this passionate, controversial debate is one that will be around for years to come, as the same sentiment racketed up during the Obama campaign are now being exploited by the neo-Cons and their cronnies. Here is my letter to the editor of the North Carolina daily publication, the Asheville Citizen-Times, in which I whole-heartedly pour out my feelings regarding this issue (albeit not as in-dept as I would have liked due to a 200-word limitation).


AS AN American citizen, from South Asheville, currently living in England, I felt I needed to respond to all the criticism being thrown at the British National Health Service (NHS).
The attacks against the NHS by American news reports are both misleading and unfair. I have used the NHS for the whole time I have been here and, contrary to what Americans may think, I have experienced no problems with excessive waiting time, doctor availability or quality of service. In fact, in working for the British media I have noticed the many, many good points of the healthcare industry here. For example, the swift response to the swine flu outbreak put Britain ahead of most other Western countries with the launch of a National Pandemic Flu Service. Britain also enjoys a higher life expectancy rate at 79.1 years, compared with the USA at 78.1 years. The infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births is only 4.8 in Britain, compared with 6.7 in the USA. This is all managed with Britain spending only 8.4 percent of its GDP expenditure on healthcare, while the USA squanders more than 16 percent and more than any other Western nation.
Britons have also been quick to defend their healthcare system against damning American news reports, which seem keen on focusing on the disdain of a select few Conservative Tory politicians who have been deemed ‘eccentrics’ by their own parties. The vast majority of people here love their system, which they call egalitarian, efficient, and best-of-all, free.
Yes, okay, there are problems as with every system but Britons unhappy with the Government option can just as easily go private - where they will still be confronted with lower costs than in the USA thanks to heavier regulation in controlling medicinal costs.
Every day 510 people in North Carolina lose their healthcare coverage. Without reform, those who still have insurance will see their yearly premiums go up by $8,938 in the next decade to a staggering $21,590. We need reform now.

New York Fashion - Doomed?

IS New York’s reign in the fashion industry coming to an end?
This question would have sent anyone who knew anything about the fashion world away laughing only a couple of years ago.

But the votes at a prominent poll speak for themselves. The Big Apple has now been pushed to second place in the race for fashion capital of the world according to the Global Language Monitor’s annual fashion capital research 2009 (July 20).
Although still ranking in the top five, alongside long-standing top cities including Paris, London and Rome, the poll brought an end to New York’s five-year reign as the world’s top fashion city.

The research also revealed trends that seem to indicate New York fashion may never take up first place again.
Los Angeles, whose scene only a decade ago was a complete mockery, has now firmly asserted itself to the fashionistas of the world and has edged up to number six.
Miami and Las Vegas also made great strides forward, as well as Toronto, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Berlin and Barcelona.

Indeed, the fashion nexus seems to be ceding away along with the population drain from America’s Northeastern coast. Could this have had any bearing on Project Runway’s decision to permanently move the show from New York to Los Angeles for its sixth season later this month? (I know it was over a dispute between NBC Universal and Weinstein, but really..)

Okay, laugh at that point, but the New York fashion industry is in some serious trouble. Due to the recession, the garment industry has taken a severe blow, with only about 9,000 garment workers remaining in the garment district, near Times Square, compared with 16,000 in 1995.

The same district, which once employed hundreds of thousands of workers and produced most of the clothes worn in the USA, has been reduced to a shadow of what it once was as garment producers have fled to foreign countries where they can function much more cheaply, such as China, India and Latin America.
The fear is that the remaining shops and factories are also in jeopardy with rising rents. The total loss of garment production in the city would leave little reason for designers to stay. New York then would loose its fashion prominence, no longer able to hold its own against Paris and Milan.

While New York does stand out for its individuality and innovation, the plain facts say that the garment industry is at risk. This, while other American cities are quickly maturing to rival New York’s unflinching sense of confidence. If New York is to continue to be taken seriously, it needs to stop being so complacent – as fashion waits for no one.

Happy 400, New York!

ON THE year of the 400th anniversary of New York I felt it was my duty as a native to pay homage to the Dutch heritage there.

There are Dutch-American remnants now stretching across the Midwest, through to Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as Dutch-influenced colonial revival homes commonly found throughout the Mid-Atlantic States, Western Connecticut and even Virginia.
Tens of thousands of Dutch also settled in California and Washington State after the First World War.

But the oldest settlement is still sourced at New York and its largest city, once called New Netherland and New Amsterdam, respectively.
In the year 1609, Henry Hudson, leading a Dutch fleet, sailed into the harbour of the Hudson where he headed for Manhattan island. This feat will be celebrated over the course of this year by parties, parades, concerts and exhibits.
New York culture mirrors its all-embracing colonial roots with traits such as tolerance, multiculturalism, innovation and love of freedom.

While the Dutch colony was by no means homogenous – with more than 18 languages spoken and only about half of its citizens Dutch – the Dutch heritage is steadfastly omnipresent and comprises of a vital piece of this city’s history.

Take, for example, Wall Street. Named for a wall constructed at some point after 1655, the Dutch built it to keep the threat of Native Americans at bay.
Then we have Brooklyn, named after the Dutch town of Breukelen in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. The township was authorised by the Dutch West India Company in 1646. Also, we have the names of Boswijk and Nieuw Utrecht, or Bushwick and New Utrecht.

It doesn’t stop there. Bedford-Stuyvesant was named after Peter Stuyvesant, the only governor of New Netherlands to be called director-general.
Harlem, originally a Dutch village organised in 1658, was named after Haarlem.
Staten Island? Don’t you mean Staaten Eylandt, in honour of the Dutch Parliament, Staaten Generaal? Let's not forget the Long Island town of Hempstead, or Heemstede, and the Bronx, named for Dutch captain Jonas Bronck. At one time even the Great White Way, Broadway, was a great green way, which the Dutch called de breed weg meaning thick forest.

And also Hofstra University, which I attended in 2005 and which was founded by Dutch descendants in Long Island.

But the Dutch influence extends beyond the Hudson Valley region. Distinctly American words, some rebuked by our English counterparts, have their roots in the Dutch colony. Words such as cookie from koekje, boss from baas, hook from hoek, knickernocker and kill, all derive from Dutch.
Even the word Yankee itself is said to come from jan kees.

This by no means is meant to overshadow any other components of New York’s vastly complicated and diverse heritage.
Nonetheless, while this constantly changing region continues to reinvent itself and welcome in new waves of immigrants, we should still take time to respect our founding forefathers who helped create this city and state we have all come to love.

Oh... and I guess we shouldn't forget about New Jersey.

Universal Healthcare

I GUESS the key here is routine. It amazes me after having lived in Great Britain for so long, even with all the complaints off the National Health Service (NHS), how much better off the British are to the Americans in regards to healthcare. Ok, the British system is not exactly superb. For example, I would not recommend seeing a dentist (sorry guys). Although, I can honestly say all other treatments I have gone in for - including minor surgery, a broken rib cage and suspected swine flu - have been absolutely wonderful. The wait has never been too gruelling, the doctors have been efficient and attentive, and the costs.. well, let’s just say I suffer from a bit of guilt.

What some “Yanks” don’t get is that here in Britain you can choose between private healthcare and the NHS. Yes, that’s right, private insurers still exist for those who opt for the royal treatment. Now, that doesn’t mean the NHS abandons you – any citizen who has gone private (or even any foreigner visiting the country) can walk into an NHS centre and pay the same, minimal costs to the generous British government. The beauty of having universal healthcare means everyone is covered.

Now, let’s get one thing straight. I am not advocating replacing our American system, consisting mostly of private insurers, with a complete replica of that offered in Great Britain. But I think we need to recognise there is something wrong with a system that does not offer healthcare coverage for nearly 50 million people, more than the population of Spain and nearly that of Italy. Some steps need to be taken to drastically reduce that amount of uninsured individuals and control skyrocketing healthcare costs before the whole country is brought to its knees.

I find it absolutely astounding some Americans actually still think there is nothing wrong with their healthcare system. I was contacted by a blogger who seemed intent on berating my support for an overhaul of our current and ailing healthcare system. This Ed Buonadonna, of Florida, didn’t appear to like that I mentioned 47 million people in this country lack any sort of coverage, as he guestimated at least 22 million of those were “illegals”. I think I addressed his point in my comparison with the British system, which at a fraction of what the USA spends covers all people, citizens and visitors alike, for top-notch treatment.

Ed also praised the American system for managing to cover upwards of 250 million Americans, adding that he was a “responsible individual that puts the needs of my family ahead of my own wants”. He adds, “I personally know uninsured people who have boats, wave runners, multiple vehicles, spend money on vacations and luxuries like iPhones and blackberries…”

Then he adds he has no sympathy for people who make “poor choices”, including people who “waste money on frivolous things before necessities, people who bought houses they couldn’t afford, people who can’t get good jobs or insurance because they have little to no education before they quit school”. He adds people may say his views are a result of him being “advantaged”.. but, he adds, “I have noticed that my level of advantage is directly proportional to my level of responsibility, hard work and determination”.

And [that’s right, not finished], he adds, “I am tired of the European and Canadian comparisons… This is not Canada or France or Great Britain… [I might inject here he felt the need to use three full stops/periods every time he came to the end of a sentence perhaps to underscore his frustration] There is a reason our forefathers fled the oppressive governments of Western Europe and it wasn’t so we can emulate them 250 years later….”

Ok, I’ll start backwards, with the last item first. There is absolutely nothing wrong with learning off of your friends. Especially given the circumstances and considering upwards of 47 million people have no coverage. Most other Western countries have managed to pass the USA in their life expectancy rates and lower their infant mortality rates. And the USA spends more per capita on healthcare than anywhere else on the planet. What is sickening is that Ed is not willing to even take a glance at systems where more lives are being made better at a fraction of the cost. This would mean a lighter burden for the taxpayer, an actual reduction in what Ed pays now would go towards universal healthcare to help alleviate this flailing system.

And yes, 250 million Americans are covered. But let's just hope they don't get sick! Many of those now spend a ridiculous amount on healthcare as costs have been allowed to shoot up based on under-regulated free market principles. With a growing obesity problem, a greying population and a greedy oligarch of corporate conglomerates setting the table, this is bound to increase. With a growing number of uninsured, we are poised to see things get even worse. It is astounding some people could still say “Leave it the way it is”.

Are Summer Scarves for Men?

A definite yes on this one! Summer scarves for men are sexy and fashionable. There has recently been a backlash against men who wear summer scarves on blogs and I felt I had to respond.


SCARVES are not uncomfortable in the summer at all. They are different from winter scarves in that they are made of a light material and on a hot summer day they can keep your neck shaded from the sun. Why in the world would so many men and women in the Middle East and Northern Africa wear them, where the temperature is normally sizzling? Think about it people.

Men in the English-speaking world (mainly the UK, Canada and USA) are generally too insecure to take a stab and try something totally different in fashion. They often do this to avoid being seen as too fashion-conscious, which has traditionally been associated with "gay-ness" or metrosexuality, which can be seen as weakness in the eyes of other men and perhaps some women.

The truth is these men are generally more rigid and conformed, and consequently less creative and relaxed, with their dressing sense (and who knows, this may say something of their character as well – your dressing sense reflects your inner self).

Well, here is a message for them: take a lesson from the southern Europeans! Walk the streets of Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Nice and Rome, where the summer heat is bound to fry your skin, and male summer scarves are ubiquitous.

And why not? They look attractive, as they can quickly transform a plain Jane outfit (or plain Bob) into something snazzy, and on most men they give off a cool sense of security with one's sexuality. Perhaps a taste of femininity never hurt anyone?

I personally own about six summer scarves as well as four winter scarves. I wear them to late summer evening dos, or I might thrown one over my T-shirt on a hot summery day. I’ve had a few looks but only from people I would never take a fashion tip off of anyway. Besides, what do I care – no shame in the fashion game. Risks are what fashion is all about.

Economic conspiracy?

Quote of the day: “‘What Goldman Sachs does is bad for America’, and yet America (the federal government and the Federal Reserve) has helped, is helping and will continue to help Goldman Sachs by its money policies,” writes Marcoloreno in Italy.
(exert from the New York Times online edition, July 17)

What has become of the great US of A? Our great corporate banks are at the heart of this economic crisis, and yet already many of them are pocketing large gains in recent weeks and months. They are emerging as profiteers from one of the worst economic meltdowns since the 1930s.

Many of us "normal folk" will continue to suffer, possibly for years, after more than 15 states reported reaching an unemployment mark higher than 10 per cent today (July 17). Michigan is one of the biggest losers, with an unemployment rate exceeding 15 per cent and the highest of any state since 1984. It will be a very long time before this catastrophe can be fixed.

We must remember this all came about as a result of large corporate banks' irresponsible policies. And yet it is the corporate elite who will emerge first from the financial horrors of the Great Recession, unscathed and possibly even stronger... not us. At first I rejoiced at news that Goldman Sachs had reported such hefty gains so unexpectedly. This was followed quickly by news that JP Morgan had also experienced a major financial profit, and then Citigroup and BofA.

But on reflection, I wondered is it joy I should be experiencing - or anger. It was these banks that got us into this very mess. Now, the banks fortunate enough to have gobbled up [other] failing banks have, as a result, consolidated an already concentrated market, even further and in their favour. They are already raking in record profits even while about one in seven stand on a bread line in Michigan. Do you really think we should be pitying the top one per cent earners, who are poised to take on a huge chunk of costs for a Healthcare bill and other reform bills currently being pushed through Congress with the backing of Pres Obama?

I sure as hell do not.