They Deserve the Truth

I am really struggling to put into words the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH70, possibly one of the worst atrocities to affect so many countries since 9/11. There is much media speculation at the moment with the western media firmly blaming Russia for its involvement, and the blame game will no doubt go on for some time to come. Whoever is to blame, like 9/11, this will been a world-changing event and the ramifications will doubtless have a lasting effect. In trying to seek a balanced view of the atrocity, I have seen the most horrific video and images taken by foreign news agencies - most of which simply couldn't be shown here. We clearly have our own very sanitised version of world events. These images will haunt me for a long time to come. What is clear is that this is fast turning into a war of words between Russia and the West. Families are angry. We hear now that the airliner's 'black box' flight recorders have been recovered, and if the intercept audio is to be believed currently being reported in the UK, then these may have have been smuggled away somewhere to hide the truth of what happened. The families demand answers, and rightly so. I simply cannot imagine the agony and pain they are going through. I just hope they find the truth and that those responsible will be brought to justice.

Looking back on March

I've decided to briefly reflect on the past month of March - my thoughts on a month when so much happened, not all of it good. Of course the last month will be remembered for two main events - the loss of Malaysian flight MH370 and Russia's intervention in Crimea - two events we thought were impossible in 2014.
We have been reminded that despite the wonders of modern day technology which track our every movement, it is still possible to lose an aircraft laden with passengers and crew. I have no doubts that everything possible is being done to locate the aircraft, though I can't help thinking that simple things could have been done to make the task a whole lot easier. One suggestion has been to make the 'black box' flight recorder float and the other has been to make the locator beacon more powerful with greater range and longer battery life. Both of these are easy to implement. In fact they were recommended some time ago but have yet to be acted upon.
March was also the month when East confronted West over Ukraine and Russia annexed Crimea in a move that risked returning us to the dark and fearful days of the Cold War. The question on everyone's lips was whether Russia would encroach deeper into Western Ukraine and other ex-Soviet states. Such a move would undoubtedly provoke a response from NATO which could easily lead to a full-on confrontation with all the dangers that would bring. It was all frankly unthinkable but everyone was wondering where it would all lead, though few dared talk about it. Thankfully, they are talking - the Russians and Americans that is, and this is good. Regardless of who called who, the only answer to this mess is through diplomacy and there is still hope that a solution can be found though I suspect relations will have been damaged for a long time to come. I always find in these situations, it is good to get the perspective of other news outlets for a balanced view on what is really going on. It is so easy to believe everything we see and hear. Look beyond our shores and we find a different view and perspective on events.
March was the month when I started insulin injections. I've been diabetic for some time now and it was controlled by various tablets quite well. I was always told that diabetes is something that will gradually get worse and more difficult to control so I knew it was only a matter of time before I would need insulin. I'm used to injecting - I've been on Lyxumia for some time and its appetite suppressing effect has allowed me to lose a lot of weight. Unfortunately as my weight has reduced, my blood sugar level has increased. I'm currently on 18 units of insulin each day and this is increased by two units every two days until my morning blood sugar reading is at or below 7.0 mmol. A treat of a cream cake earlier today sent my blood sugar level to 23.5 mmol, a stark reminder of how easy it is to give in to temptation and for my body to react - in my case with countless visits to the loo.
This month saw our bus project begin. We were able to draft in some extra help enabling us to access the engine for the first time and to attempt to charge the batteries.

Sadly the batteries won't hold any charge so we have issued a plea for replacements and a mechanic to give the engine the once-over prior to getting the bus MOT'd. I'm reminded that we have a 'long road ahead of us' but with more people involved, the more likely we are to get her back on the road where she belongs.
March 22nd was the day my brother-in-law married his childhood sweetheart at a ceremony held at Orton Hall in Peterborough. It was a day I will certainly never forget and I will remain forever proud of my son who performed his duty as ring-bearer perfectly.

Despite an ominous forecast, the weather for the ceremony and the photographs that followed was just right providing a bright blue sky for an already stunning backdrop. It really couldn't have been better.

Finally, today was the day that the clocks changed and we woke this morning to find that our 8 O'Clock's were 9 O'Clock's and our 9 O'Clock's were 10 O'Clock's and that we'd missed Broadcasting House. The people of Crimea woke to find that their 8 O'Clock was in fact 10 O'Clock having joined 'Moscow Time', thus cementing their reunion with the Russian Federation. I confess still getting used to it and as I glance out of my office, I see that it is still quite light. Despite having changed all the clocks in the house, there will still be one that I've missed! Farewell March. You reminded us of how big the world still is and that we have changed little in the last 25 years.

Falling Sky

It's not often you get two asteroid events in one day, but that's what has happened today. This morning we awoke to stunning pictures of a meteorite streaking across the clear central Russian sky and exploding. The resulting explosion caused significant damage to buildings and caused over a thousand injuries. It's a miracle that the meteorite didn't strike a heavily populated area or the fatalities could easily have been in the many hundreds or even thousands.

What is particularly stunning about this event is the fact that it has been recorded in crystal clear clarity by so many who were either on their way to work in their cars or walking to their offices and factories. This is due to the fact that many cars in Eastern Europe have 'dash cams', an insurance requirement in most cases used to record journeys and the actions of other drivers. The ease at which mobile devices are able to capture video literally makes everyone a potential reporter able to capture news-worthy events as they happen.
What is slightly worrying is the fact that this particular meteorite wasn't spotted. Whether no one was actually watching out for it is the subject of much conjecture but I'm assuming most eyes (and telescopes) are focused on '2012 DA14' which is due to pass Earth at about 7pm GMT at a distance of just 17,000 miles. This may sound a lot but when you consider that some of our communications satellites orbit at approximately the same distance, in cosmic terms, this is really very close indeed and certainly the closest near Earth object in recorded memory.
So it's been quite an interesting day, the sort of day when you half expect something just as weird and fantastic to happen. One thing's for sure, we've certainly had a stark reminder of just how vulnerable we are to the many lumps of rock floating round all around us in space. I wonder if we'll be as lucky the next time?

50 Years

It was my parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary yesterday. I think about what life could have been like 50 years ago. There is much to remind us, most of which can now be found online in various media. It was clearly very different to today. On this day in 1962, the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. The Cuban Missile crisis was being fought out between Kruschev and Kennedy and many must have wondered if they would live to see the next day. I have broached this subject with my parents with a view to discovering how they felt at this time and whether the crisis permeated into normal everyday life. Their recollections seem pretty vague and I wonder if there was much concern at the time amongst the general public. Perhaps it wasn't reported fully until the crisis had passed? We know that news of world events took time to reach the TV and press. There was no instant live news reporting as we know it now. Perhaps the general public were really oblivious to what was going on and just how perilous things were?
I do begin to wonder if the reason my parents were married during one of the most traumatic weeks in our modern history could be down to the fact that people really didn't know what would happen so rushed to have their weddings as soon as they could. I wonder if statistics would bare this out, an increase in ceremonies taking place during this week in 1962?
This period in history really does fascinate me. The fact that two men were deciding the futures of countless millions of people. Was there still a 'stiff upper lip' war years spirit that prevented the panic we would see today should a similar situation occur? As there were many who had lived through WWII, was there a false sense of security that we would somehow 'win' and come out unscathed? Only this would be much much different.
Unlike today, very little was known about how the country would defend itself and I suspect the public were kept in the dark about the workings of the government and the military. They had heard that Britain 'had the bomb' and knew that it was being tested in remote parts of the world, but that was probably the limit of their knowledge. Most remained ignorant to its destructive force and effects.
Just what was society like then and did people really know how high the stakes really were? Would society react in the same way today? Somehow I very much doubt it...

Optimism

Firstly, I am glad that I can type. I am glad that I can spell and that I have the confidence to put my thoughts into words. I've been able to do this since I was very young. I had a typewriter from a very young age and very quickly learnt how to use it. By the time I reached my mid-teens, I had an electronic typewriter and soon after that a very basic (by today's standards) word processor. For all my life, I have never been too far from a keyboard and to do so would most probably cause me to have another breakdown. The keyboard is my output and a vessel by which my thoughts pour like water onto a page. A lot of what I type, particularly here in my blog, I don't talk about openly. People around me tend to go about their lives either oblivious to what's going on around them or prefer to keep their thoughts or worries to themselves. This is fine, they have more important things to think about. I don't request an audience. I consider myself fortunate if anyone else finds my thoughts the remotest bit interesting. My blog is my way of recording my thoughts, and I hope that sometime in the future, by way of it, my son will better understand his father.

I was asked recently whether I am optimistic, about anything. I quickly replied that I am not. In fact I see no future beyond the next day. Of course the reason for this primarily is my financial situation and not knowing where we will be in a month or two from now. But in general, I do find myself fearing for the future - especially for my son and other young people. On the one side, there is the worsening economic situation and the worry as to whether there will be jobs for everyone or whether people who are lucky enough to work can afford housing. On the other side, there is what I see as a worrying escalation in conflict around the world and where the current disputes might lead.
I do think it is inevitable that we will see some form of military escalation in Iran and possibly Syria. I of course would prefer a diplomatic outcome but with each day that passes I think this becomes less likely. The involvement of China and Russia and their opposition to a military response in Iran or Syria will I think send us down one of two paths. The first would be for the Western forces to back down faced with a possible Chinese or Russian military standoff or for the West to attack Iran and intervene in Syria and face the consequences. Some would argue that Russia is in fact supporting the Syrian regime's attack on its own people as they continue to supply arms in the face of mounting condemnation. The estimated $1 billion trade in arms is simply too valuable to Russia and they would not stand by and see this taken away from them.
As for China, there are already rumblings on the Internet that they are preparing for possible military conflict and despite knowing relatively little about their precise capabilities, it would be wrong to assume that their response would be anything but massive.
And then there's Israel and their apparent threat to be preparing an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities to take place in the coming months assuming the US don't do it first.
All of this makes for a very dangerous situation. The cost of oil has risen in recent days due to the embargo on Iranian crude oil exports and Iran's refusal to supply EU member states. The prospect of rising fuel costs on top of a weakening economic situation could have dire consequences here in the UK pushing living standards to a critical level.
I've always been very pessimistic, but the situation as I see it is one that is fast nearing crisis proportions. Unless a last minute solution can be found to the situation in Iran and Syria, then I fully expect to see a new Middle East conflict by the end of this year. The outcome of this conflict will depend ultimately on whether or not it could be contained. My guess is that it would not.
The coming months will be critical in deciding the path taken. Of course we have very little or no influence whatsoever on the outcome. We can only hope and pray that common sense will prevail coupled with a realisation that any fire lit in the Middle East would spread way beyond the borders of Iran and Syria.
2012 will certainly be a decisive year, whatever happens.

A Dangerous Game

I was criticised for being pessimistic last week. I have a very bleak view of the future and this is compounded by the financial mess affecting many parts of the world and the stresses being placed on our lives.
I now find myself concerned at events in the world that could lead us into new conflicts and confrontations. For it seems to me that we could be heading into a very dangerous game of brinkmanship brought about mainly by the actions of the US. The 'game' I refer to is the placing of a missile defence shield close to the border with Russia. The US claim this shield is to counter any offensive missile strike from rogue states in the Middle East or from North Korea. Russia do not believe this to be the sole reason and rightly suspect that it is targeting them. In an attempt to calm their fears, a request for participation in the project has been rejected and further to this, an assurance from the US that the system will not be used to target Russia has not been given. So just what exactly are the US playing at? Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the former Soviet Union, we have enjoyed relative security amidst mutual assurances, smiles and cordial meetings.So why seek to destroy this and plunge us into a new cold war? It makes no sense.
I don't believe I'm a loan voice. There have been murmurings across the Internet and in the press, expressing fear that we are on a path to confrontation. Many suggest that opposition to intervention in Syria or Iran will trigger either China or Russia to step in. If this were to happen then the outcome would be cataclysmic.
So who's calling the shots? Some suggest the European Missile Defense Shield is Pentagon driven, others that it is an arms industry hell bent of profiteering from a new arms race. I suspect that money is involved somewhere along the line - it normally is. Someone out there keen to make millions from making two superpowers push each other to the brink. Or am I just being overly pessimistic and bleak? Possibly... but I don't think it will be long before the threats turn into actions and make it from the columns to the front page.
We can only hope that common sense prevails. This will be a game with no winners.