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Democratic Party – not astro precise
Political party charts are often a surprisingly opaque guide to wins and losses. The commonly used Democratic Party chart of 8 January 1828 is no different, checked against Clinton and Obama triumphs and Reagan and G.W. Bush’s defeats from a Democrat viewpoint. There is a slight hint of the Nodes being involved but nothing startling. … Read more
India and Pakistan – molten lava erupts again
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” William Faulkner. Groundhog Day rolls round in Palestine-Israel, Russia and Eastern Europe and now India-Pakistan with the old hatreds flaring up like volcanic lava. One India commentator remarked about the recent Kashmir tit for tat violence: “These tensions are unlikely to subside anytime soon. They … Read more
Film Tariffs – yearning for the good old days
Hollywood has passed its glory days having lost ground in the past two decades in a global battle with countries like Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Hungary and Morocco which attract filmmakers with tax incentives. Other countries also have lower labour costs. The British Film Institute said spending on film and high-end TV production … Read more
Friederich Merz – not a resounding start
Conservative leader Friedrich Merz has won a parliament vote to become Germany’s next chancellor at the second attempt. He initially fell six votes short of the majority he needed on Tuesday morning – ‘a significant blow to his prestige and an unprecedented failure in post-war German history.’ His coalition with the Social Democrats should … Read more
Saturn in Aries – more self-reliance, less sympathy
Saturn moves into fiery Aries from the 25th of this month staying longer than usual until April 2028. Its recent sojourn through Pisces ran from March 2023. The changeover will be noticeable since the move from regretful, uncertain, indecisive Pisces into independent and tough-minded Aries will to a degree stiffen spines. Leaving aside the softening … Read more
EA Hanks – a journey of remembrance
Actor Tom Hanks is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide and ranked as the fourth-highest-grossing American film actor. But not everything in his back story is sweetness and light. Born July 9, 1956 11.17 am Concord, California, with a Portuguese mother and an itinerant cook father, who took the three eldest … Read more
Warren Buffett – a hard act to follow
Warren Buffett, the mega-successful investor referred to as the “Oracle” or “Sage” of Omaha and “the single most influential investor of all time – ” the Isaac Newton of investing” is retiring at 94. He has accumulated a massive fortune reckoned at US $168.2 billion, making him the sixth-richest individual in the world and is … Read more
David Attenborough – one of a kind
The extraordinary David Attenborough will be 99 this week and is still preoccupied with saving the planet, fronting a hard-hitting new film Ocean. There is he says nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean and its health is vital for keeping the entire planet stable and … Read more
Beckhams – money won’t buy family bliss
The glitz, glamour and conspicuous wealth of David and Victoria Beckham, worth a reputed half billion pounds, goes hand in hand with a loss-making fashion business, a splashy Netflix doc, a less than complimentary Tom Bower biography “Thin and Thick” and a running family fall-out. Son Brooklyn and wife actress Nicola Peltz, daughter of … Read more