SO SO SORRY.....ADVANCE APOLOGIES

Well, ah, um, er......this is probably more of an advance explanation than a giant mea culpe, but I did get your attention. 😉

Our countdown is nearly over. A big destination on Jim’s bucket list is about to be checked off; he is deliriously excited. On Saturday, with rain gear, walking sticks, hiking boots and woollies packed, we fly out to Scotland. Excitement is beginning to percolate to the surface. Destination: The Outer Hebrides!

Apology #1

I hereby apologize for all photo postings and blogs that may appear for the next three weeks. Just ignore them if you wish. No insult taken! There may, though, be a verbal test upon our return. 😂

I write and post to keep our sons, Christopher and Matthew, and my sister, Jo-Anne, up-to-date. If I fail to do so, I am in serious do-do and that is the mannerly way of expressing the trouble that would ensue. I was originally set up on Facebook by our son, Christopher, so that I would stop sending those stupid postcards which generally arrived home well after Jim and I. Our son, Matthew, god bless him, is a worry wart when it comes to our travel. Our posts simply assure him that his Mom and Dad are still alive.

It has long been a tradition for Jim and I to stop daily around 4:30/5:00pm at a cafe or pub, indoor or out. Over a relaxed drink and some local nibblies, while Jim writes in his journal - a 50 year travel practice - I either post pictures or write a blog. Travel for me is like taking a drug, an elixir! So please excuse my lengthy, effusive photo descriptions. Simply chalk it up to my uber exuberance over what we have experienced that day. I am afflicted with MTG (Manic Travel Giddiness) which I have been told is untreatable.

Apology #2

Scotland!  Can you imagine a piece of the universe, more fit for princes and kings?” are words from one of my favourite Scottish songs. My answer is an emphatic No. Scotland, it’s people, food, scotch, traditions, music and scenery quite literally take your breath away.

Please, please don’t view my postings as any kind of travel advice. You do you! If you are planning a first trip, I might suggest any combination of Edinburgh (truly one of the most beautiful cities in the world), Sterling, Inverness, the Highlands, Loch Lomond, the Isles of Mull, Arran, Skye and Islay, Stonehaven, St. Andrews and the Orkneys. This year, with our Outer Hebrides destination, and although we fly in and out of Glasgow, the largest town visited with be Fort William, population a mere 10,000+. No cities are included; most destinations are remote. Life on the Edge is where we are headed. A new kind of Scottish experience for sure and certainly not to everyone’s taste.

Phew! That wasn’t so bad. My mea culpes are complete.

Air adhart gu Scotland.

NO FACE VALUE, PLEASE!

I remember an Economics Professor once likening the change in direction of a national economy to turning around a giant cruise ship. Unlike a small motor boat which can change direction almost immediately with a simple maneuver by the captain, a giant cruise ship, like an economy, requires careful planning and time to make the complete 180 degree turn.

The current good U.S. economy is the primary reason provided by most voters for their continued support of Mr. Drumpf and of course the President loves to take full credit. Go figure! But dig a little deeper, read a bit more and Mr. Drumpf’s claims and pronouncements don’t quite hold up.

The improving economy and economic  growth, according to the President, are the immediate result of his policies. Immediate? Don’t forget the analogy of the cruise ship. Remember, in 2008 President George Bush Jr. handed over an economy in tatters to President Obama. Approve of him or not, it was actually during Obama’s terms that the U.S. economy began to turn around. Mr. Drumpf recently took credit for an awesome GDP growth in 2018 of 4.2%. Best growth ever, he boasted. Mr. Drumpf, what about the years of economic growth and the record-breaking 5.1% GDP growth in 2014 under Obama. I guess those years don’t count?

Simply put, a country’s deficit, like a household budget, is based upon how much more money a federal government spends than receives. The 2015 deficit of 2.4% ballooned in 2018 to 4.0% and is on track to run even further amok in 2019. Economists have analyzed three reasons for the now out-of-control American deficit: increased military spending, mandatory spending and the biggest contributor, recent tax cuts. How ironic is it that the President’s voter base are the very citizens who do not benefit from his tax cuts? Do they even know?

And Mr. Drumpf sure has set things straight with China, right? Well actually, not really! The U.S. trade deficit with China has increased to 12.2% this year while, as a result of the current trade war, China has reduced the goods purchased from the U.S. by a whopping 30%. Exactly who, if anyone, is benefiting from your trade war, Mr. President?

Worst of all, but perhaps best for anyone who would like to see this dangerous President out of office in 2020, the current worldwide uncertainty and Drumpf-spawned trade wars are propelling us all to a global recession. Wonder if Mr. Drumpf will take credit for this too?

Dear American friends, please do not take at face value what any politician says. Please, please read more, attempt to understand what is actually happening, search for underlying truths. And we, as Canadians, should take note too!