Thursday, March 15, 2012

Globalisation, unions and Kraft at Keynsham

I recently read of a groundswell in the USA bitterly opposing thesell-off of their large companies and corporations to foreignpurchasers. It has lead to the unemployment of a massive proportionof the middle and working classes. A quoted instance is the purchaseof nearly all the car component manufacturing businesses in Detroitwhich has been bought by Chinese companies.

This is 'globalisation'. A worldwide phenomenon embraced, perhapseven started, but definitely encouraged, from the other side of thepond.

I'm not sure if I'm for or against this. My jury is still out.

What I do see in many instances, is the decline in the quality ofthose businesses …

Laws on Open Government Often Fall Short

Though laws in every state say government records and meetings must be open to all, reality often falls far short: Laws are sporadically enforced, penalties for failure to comply are mild and violators almost always walk away with nothing more than a reprimand, an Associated Press survey of all 50 states has found.

Even in the handful of states that monitor such cases, when citizens appeal over lack of access to information, the government usually wins - and keeps public business secret.

Why does it matter?

Advocates for open government say public trust is at the heart of our democracy, that scrutiny keeps public officials honest, and that information is the …

Saudi Arabia beheads 2 men for killing Chinese man

Saudi authorities have beheaded two Saudi men convicted of killing a Chinese man in Riyadh.

An Interior Ministry statement says Faisal bin Fahd and Bandar bin Abdullah first stole the Chinese man's laptop bag while he was walking. When the man tried to catch up with them, he fell and died after hitting his head on the pavement.

The statement said the …

. . . But the liberals are silent

Of course, Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates has refused toresign. And why shouldn't he resist censure?

Gates has assumed correctly that his white staff sympathizeswith him, rather than with that black guy who was mercilessly beatenby a battery of Gates' fun-loving cops.

After all, if some amateur video cameraman hadn't been on thescene very few white Americans would believe that such an aggregationof cops anywhere would dare engage in such inhuman conduct on apublic highway.

And matching Gates' response last Thursday, we had Chicago 5thWard Committeeman Alan Dobry also announcing that he will not resignhis political post, despite the patent …

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

National League Standings

All Times EDT
East Division
W L Pct GB
Philadelphia 44 27 .620
Atlanta 39 33 .542
New York 35 36 .493 9
Washington 35 36 .493 …

National Hockey League Standings

W L OT Pts GF GA
Philadelphia 28 16 5 61 163 140
Pittsburgh 28 19 4 60 148 139
New Jersey 28 19 3 59 127 119
N.Y. Islanders 24 21 6 54 126 146
N.Y. Rangers 24 22 6 54 125 132
Northeast Division
W L OT Pts GF GA
Ottawa 32 15 4 68 179 147
Montreal 27 15 8 62 158 136
Boston 26 …

Book train and room

Rail passengers can now book train tickets and a hotel on theinternet.

Train operator First Great Western has just launched a new serviceallowing customers to book both their travel tickets and hotelonline.

The new initiative allows customers to book a hotel at theirchosen destination after buying their train tickets online from …