World News   Of course the news of the world the last few weeks delivered a large dose of Hillary and Obama, but we’ll save those comments for the “Politics” section.   Earthquakes continue to rattle in China and Greece. I recommend a re-reading of Candide, and in the blosophere, a look at “Earthquakes and other disasters in the age of the long lens” by Don Murray.   “Food Summit, Overcoming Disputes, Calls for Boosting Farm Aid” by Karl Maier summarizes the recent World Conference.  Its hard to fault World Leaders who actually spend some time and energy on World Hunger instead of World War, but not that hard. Here’s a quote from the article that handles it well. “These are political ceremonies and after that, nothing is done,” said Rabelais Yankam Njomou, an agricultural economist at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Cameroon. “I don’t want to say that this is a waste of time, but it is near that, it is not far from a waste of time.”

Arts and Entertainment Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood traded their director chairs for cowboy hats after the Cannes Festival. Highlighting the unfinished business of US race relations, they played out their roles with gusto.   In round one of the senior citizen tough-man championship, both scored good points. Spike noting the absence of African American POV in four hours of WWII storytelling, and Clint pleading artistic integrity for not representing something that did not exist in the story.   By round two, things had degenerated into schoolyard rock throwing, with Mr. Eastwood deadpanning “shut your face,” and Mr. Lee calling Clint names. Since neither one of these bantam weights is too old for Aunt Bloggie to put over her knee, I might have been sorely tempted, if it weren’t for the simple truth that it would just make both of them more hard-headed than they already are. I am going to invite them to join Bill and Hillary and Barak and Michelle to my next tea party. Chamomile I think.

Blogosphere Aunt Bloggie responded to a blog suggestion that we send Canadian politicians to Mars to “dumb down” any superior intelligence there. I am not sure the number of politicians from Canada and the US would be enough. To fully tilt the balance of power in Earth’s favour please feel free - as a special sacrifice, mind you; it’s not fair that you guys save the world all the time - to send all Indian politicians to Mars. Mars won’t recover till hell freezes over. Not even if it does. Quirky Indian http://quirkyindian.wordpress.com I’m with Quirky. You are on to something big. This concept transcends liberal, conservative, country, and continent. Send all the politicians to Mars. The sheer inertia generated by their presence is sure to buy Earth eons. Come to think of it, this may have happened before… hence the lack of atmosphere on Mars! Sincerely Aunt Bloggie

Politics Well how many of you dear readers read the transcript of Hillary’s concession speech? If you did, then you know she addressed me personally.   OK, not individually personally, but close. She talked about all those women still alive and kicking that were born before women could vote. Love her or hate her, she has absolutely cleared the path for women in the future to run successfully for president.   So now we have Obama and McCain. I don’t know where people get the idea that there has not been much choice between candidates in recent elections. Mr. Ralph Nader was unsafe at any speed when he declared no difference between Gore and Bush. Bill and Bush I? McGovern and Nixon? Sorry… don’t buy it.   IMHO….It’s breaks my old heart to hear Mike Love sing a Brian Wilson song, but I’d rather listen to that old stick in the mud all day and night than ever hear again John McCain singing “bomb Iran” to the tune of Barbara Ann again.