What the Frack?

One of the many differences I noticed when visiting Europe was the lack of news stories about murder and violence.  In fact all the news on the BBC and other news channels was focused on racism in America( Paula and George Z.), Wimbledon and how England has discovered enough natural gas to make the self sufficient for the next 40 years. 

I found the fact the Brits don't support the sale of guns, have socialized medicine and will not grow any genetically modified food and yet embrace the blasting of the underground shale quite a paradox.  I did see many large wind turbines, which is very admirable.  I just thought that our British cousins, that always look down on our reckless destruction of our bodies and environment would think twice about the cracking of the ground below their little isle.

I definitely am worried about fracking.  I definitely have watched this technology emerge and I am not convinced that is without problems.  I have watched both the Gas land documentaries and frankly I do worry about our ground water and the shifting of our natural fault lines.  Is their any correlation to the number of earthquakes and nearby fracking?

I wish that we could really throw our money towards more solar and wind power. I have heard that some scientists believe that we could fully power the energy needs of all people with these technologies and they do not create methane or carbon dioxide by products.  The excitement that the Brits showed towards their early experiments with fracking was very disappointing to me.

European Vacation

 

My daughter and I just got home from a two week vacation to England, Italy and Greece.  It was my first visit to any of these countries. London was a beautiful city and that is where we started the vacation, so lets chat about the Brits first.

Our first impression of London was the enormous "ques" to enter with a passport.  I think we had to wait for at least one hour.  After we got into our cab, the next surprising thing was the landscape around Heathrow airport.  There were farms with sheep and horses all around.  It reminded me of the Olympic extravaganza opening ceremony.  Our hotel was nice, but the room was pretty small.  We arrived on the first days of Wimbledon.  I really wanted to go to the matches one day, but they were charging $900- 1500 pounds per ticket.  (did you know that the British didn't like Andy Murray for many years?  I had no idea until our cab driver told us the back story)

Our hotel was right across from Hyde Park.  We walked to visit Kensington Palace and learned all about Queen Victoria. The history of London was all around.  We were there in the middle of the work week and we rode the "tube".  It was clean and safe.  We saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace, Westminster Abbey, Parliament and we took a Thames river cruise and saw the Tower of London and the Tower bridge.

We had a lovely time.  You have to be so impressed with all the architecture and the lovely sound of British voices.  The sites are all really well-maintained. You  have to think that there is nothing close to this in America. That is true, but when  you really think about it you realize that British culture has at least a milena jump on ours.  Also- in order to have elaborate buildings, bridges and castles you have to have lived in a time where there was a small aristocracy and a large number of poor people that had no choice but to work for practically nothing.  Times have changed and we can admire the beautiful remains of a feudal society while appreciating our freedoms in America.

I agree with Wendy Williams- it is time for Teresa to leave reality TV!

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I know that I said RIP to the Jersey girls after season IV, but the kinder, gentler Teresa sucked me in again.  I really love Teresa and her family.  I wish the best for them, but I think I agree with Wendy Williams-it is time to take the kids off TV. 

We all loved watching G to the A walking down the runway when she was seven.  Milania is relatively entertaining although a bit bratty.  No one ever hears from poor Gabriella. She must be camera shy and thank goodness her shyness is accepted.  We all love the interaction with Teresa and her kids.  They are getting older and I think the teenage years are difficult enough, without being filmed constantly.  Look at Jaqueline's daughter, Ashley, that must be tough to look back on for her.

It is pretty obvious that Gia watches the show.  I just cringe at the idea of her seeing her dad calling her mom a c--t. I worry about the girls, because they have always be spoiled yet hilarious.  Spoiled children aren't funny as teenagers.  I feel pretty confident in this matter, being a teacher.  There is nothing worse than teenagers that have made to feel privileged as children. 

Teresa- I implore you to consider this.  I think Dina made the wise choice.  We all love to watch you and your family, but maybe it is time to leave, while the girls are young.

"Vice" took Dennis Rodman to Korea

OK- when the news hit the media about Dennis Rodman's visit to Korea, there was an uproar about this kook meets kook leader meeting.  Now it all makes sense.  The show "Vice"  arranged the meeting because Kim Jung Un loves the Chicago Bulls and all things basketball.  They were able to get inside Korea and document the country as much as anyone recently from the USA has had a chance to do.  If you haven't seen the last episode of HBO's Vice I highly suggest you watch.  The point wasn't that Dennis Rodman acting as a traitor to democracy, but he was used as an instrument to gain entry to a regime that is notoriously closed to the world.  I came away with a whole different opinion about the meeting and a greater understanding that there are still places in the world where totalitarian dictator's are choking the rights of their citizens.  It really was eye-opening!

NSA Phone tapping- is this really a new problem?

I was watching the View yesterday and Elizabeth was on a rant about her civil liberties being violated by the Obama administration and she hit a nerve.  First of all-  I believe the whole checking telephone records and emails started after 911 with a little something passed by Congress called the Patriot act. 

I have never been a fan of the Patriot act.  That law did remove our civil liberties.  Elizabeth that law was passed and acted upon first during your man Bush's administration.  Why was everything fine then, but when the Obama administration carries on the same exact policy- in order to "check on terrorist activity"- all of a sudden now you are worried about your civil liberties.

I have never been a fan of the Patriot Act.  In fact I worried because I had to look up the spelling of the chemical called ricin for my last blog and I didn't leave up the web page I viewed too long so as not to be identified as a possible "terrorist". 

I know that Elizabeth believes that she is the greatest Patriot on the view.  Elizabeth- this country was founded on freedom and I really believe that our forefathers would be very unhappy with the Patriot Act.  I think that President Obama has extended way too many of the bad Bush policies such as this in order to maintain the status quo.  But seriously- when you vacillate 360 degrees between the Bush and the Obama administration on the same point, the only difference left is the party behind the president and his race.

Misunderstood- "GOT"

I am one of the people that are on the fringe of the Game of Thrones phenomenon. I love to watch it, but I have very little idea how everyone is related and connected to each other.  One of my students watches it and has read all the books and he told me that last night's episode would be when "all Hell breaks loose" and he was right. I was completely stunned at what happened. The Red Wedding was quite a spectacle!  It goes to show that no one is off limits for assassination.

Again- I haven't read the books and I am clueless, but my hope is that the girls become the leaders.  I hope that the Terrell girl kills Joffrey- her new husband.  Then she will become THE Queen instead of a queen.  I hope Deanerys  joins forces with the Stark children and wipes out the white walkers with vision, mind control and Dragon power.

Gatsby is Great!

I just wanted to take a minute to endorse  "The Great Gatsby".  I read the book in high school (over 30 years ago), and I was afraid that I wouldn't remember any of the story.  I was mesmerized by the visual aspects of the movie and I did remember the story.  I think that Leonardo was a captivating Gatsby. I had heard all the negatives about the soundtrack not matching the era-I completely disagree.  The movie was perfect. I loved the music, costumes and all the lavish scenery.  The contrast of the wealth in Long Island to the poor, coal laden slums on the outskirts of new York city is just perfect.  Go see this movie!