Among the things that I found interesting this week of April 18th:
And I never did get to fossil fuels and strange trading partners, so I will start with that.
Surprise! I will not rant about the fossil fuel industry. Just about the difficult choices Europe must make about oil and gas providers. First, some facts about European imports of Russian fossil fuels:
The New York Times has hosted a series of forums with different focus groups. Examples include forums with twelve:
The eight conservative men didn’t speak of stolen elections or rant about Joe Biden’s illegitimacy. They do have concerns about personal safety, cancel culture, free speech, and “me, me, me” attitudes. Lack of road etiquette keeps coming up as an example of broader societal decay.
Most interesting to me was the detail around the perceived loss of freedom. It had very little to do with government but more to do with fear of criticism of opinion. I think that eight liberal men would have the same issue. So sad!
On Wednesday, April 20 the Finnish Parliament held a landmark debate on NATO membership. Why is this important?
It now appears that Finns are ready to pick sides.
Prior to the war in the Ukraine only 20 to 30 percent of Finns wanted to join NATO. Since then, support for joining the alliance has risen to 60 percent. Parliamentarians’ support is even higher. The question, it seems, is no longer if but when application to join NATO will occur. Sweden could follow suit.
Russia is not happy. Its border with NATO countries will double. The “Putin” counter threat is placement of nuclear missiles in the Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia’s most westerly outpost. I don’t see how this increases the nuclear threat to Scandinavian countries. St Petersburg is much closer to Finland. The Russians undoubtedly have a couple of nuclear submarines in the Baltic Sea. Also, Kaliningrad is surrounded by Lithuania and Poland. Logistics to that enclave are difficult and if the Russian War in the Ukraine proves anything, the Russians are awful at logistics.
Again, I recommend watching Shadow Lines – a peek into the Finnish relationship with the West and the USSR.
Monocle Minute – Thursday April 21
The NHL’s Seattle Kraken and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm will play in a net-zero arena as certified by the International Living Future Institute. Some of its features:
Fast Company, Issue 249, March / April 2022
When I first saw this teaser in the New York Times newsletter, I thought that I must have started this trend in 1995. Then I opened the article. The pictures are mostly of women who have decided that the time had come to shave their heads. Their reasons for taking this radical step:
On behalf of old, bald men welcome to the club!
So these are some of the things I found interesting the week of April 18th
“The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent full of doubt.”
Bertrand Russell
Lisbon’s seven hills and waterfront make it visually spectacular. The second oldest capital in Europe, the city has energy. Busy streets and squares, full restaurants, and vibrant night life – the city pulsates. And, the population seems young. All signs of a city on the rise? Earthquake A 1755 earthquake destroyed 85% of the city […]
People living on the street have come to symbolize the global housing crisis but they are only the tip of the iceberg. While the examples of Finland and Houston demonstrate a focussed plan pursued diligently can resolve the housing situation for the chronically homeless, addressing the affordable housing problem is much more complex. Defining Affordability […]
I love to dance. This is not something new for me. I can’t remember when I didn’t like to move to the music. My first memories of watching others dance come from my childhood in Cape Breton where I would watch the adults square dance. Then, there were the step dancers who would often accompany […]
Kings Cross, once a thriving industrial and transport centre in London, was effectively closed off to the public by the end of the 20th century. Then in 1996, the decision was made to move the British terminus for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link from Waterloo to St-Pancras. The landowner saw a re-development opportunity for […]
I have postulated that cities and towns evolve. That towns and villages first grow in areas where the basics to support life were plentiful. Typically, that means good agricultural land and good access to water. Other valuable considerations include safety, and resilience. The bonus – access to trade routes. Walt Disney and the Fully Formed […]
A Visit from Saint Nicholas A Poem by Jonathan Potter – December 2022 ‘Twas the first mask-free Christmas, when all through the stores The vaccinated children were spewing their spores;The shoppers were eagerly starting to riotAs the introverts longed for some quarantine quiet. The public healthcare workers were tracing the pathOf the flu and RSV, […]