(no subject)

[gwydion]

* I've been following the financial crisis in Cyprus, but I have no good answers, hence me not writing about it. Basically, Cyprus is where Russians launder their money. The banking system is collapsing. the bail out agreement requires them to raise massive amounts of money by taking it from the life savings of depositors regardless of wealth. The plan was to take a slightly smaller percentage from poor folks, but it's still pretty devastating to the working poor and middle class. There have been understandable protests in Cyprus. Merchants have started rejecting credit cards. (It has to do with when banks credit accounts, when the money is being taken, and banking hours.) As a result the economy is pretty much going cash only. Meanwhile, the wealthy Russians have bee screaming to their government for a bail out that will save the money they are hiding there. The Europe generally thinks since it's wealthy Russian depositors with their money now trapped I the collapsing Cypriot banking system, Russia should take the lead in bailing them out. Initially, it looked they they would, but after the fact that it was pretty much gangster money, they backed out. It is now unclear whether the system will survive and whether they will be able to stay in the EU. We will likely know what's up early next week.

* Lone gunman Round up for the week: There has been a shooting at Quantico today. The gunman is dead. He and his victims were marines, it sounded like. A shooting was averted at a Florida University this week when the guy planning the massacre committed suicide instead after threatening a roommate with guns. The Head of the Prison system in Colorado was assassinated a couple o days ago. Last I checked things had gotten weird and convoluted with that, and a lot of information was still being held by police as they are trying to figure out WTF. The press has been full of speculation about various motives. A white supremacist who died in a shoot out with police in Texas may be connected.

* Teens murder a baby in broad daylight: http://www.freep.com/article/20130322/FEATURES01/130322013/Boy-kills-Georgia-infant-in-stroller-police-say

* "Thieves Steal Entire Bridge in Western Turkey:" http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/03/21/thieves-steal-entire-bridge-in-western-turkey/

* "South Korean Court Rules Trans People Can Change Gender Markers Without SRS:"

* "Yo, Canada! C-279 Passes House!" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/03/yo-canada-c-279-passes-house.html

* "Jada Pinkett-Smith Questions Whether White Women Should Grace the Covers of Magazines Aimed at WOC?" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/03/jada-pinkett-smith-questions-whether.html

* Squirrel is going tomorrow to see how unpleasant palliative care will be for Fuzzy Butt. If he can have a decent quality of life, Squirrel will bring him how so he can be with the clowder for the end. If not, then the vet will make it quick. Suddenly I'm terribly glad I relaxed the rules and let him nap wherever he wanted the last month even though there was danger to the fish and of him damaging my lap top and the fish lights. Poor little bastard. I know he's not my cat, but he loved sleeping on my bed and getting pettins during my slow waking up process. I'm remembering him and Hector grooming each other's heads during the Butt's rally a couple of weeks ago.

* I'd seen the BC print ads targeting men to stop rapes and approve. I've just started noticing the TV ads as well. I hear the rape rate in BC has dropped 10% since the campaign began. Props to Canada for doing it right. The ad I just watched was encouraging men to intervene if they see another guy doing something not right to a woman. Thank you BC. I wish we did that here.

* Canoe Miscreants: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/love-boats-the-delightfully-sinful-history-of-canoes/