The Gathering Storm is the 12th book of the fantasy series The Wheel of Time. The series' storyline has been leading up to the "Last Battle", a fight between the forces of Light and Shadow. Of course, the hero has to be present for the forces of light to be victorious.
Now, a series of articles, Rising above The gathering storm has become popular reading.
1."Thirty years ago, ten percent of California's general fund went to higher education and three percent went to prisons. Today, nearly eleven percent goes to prisons and eight percent goes to education."
Comment: no wonder Cal wants to legalize pot. Filling up Cal's prison for pot is becoming damn expensive, this in a state that is already broke.
2.Some tidbits...Of Wal-Mart's 6,000 suppliers, 5,000 are in China. IBM's once promising PC business is now owned by a Chinese company. The legendary Bell Laboratories is now owned by a French company.
United States consumers spend significantly more on potato chips than the US government devotes to energy R&D.
3.A fatal flaw in the US system as it faces the 21st and 22nd centuries. Gridlock. Every suggestion, idea and strategy is subject to debate. Nothing gets done. The Chinese advantage -- once the government decides to do something, it gets done in a hurry, no arguments, no debates.
4.The great irony. The US continues to "advise" China on what China should do. According to US "authorities," China should raise the competitive price of the yuan. And China should become a consumer society much like the US. The reality -- China will do just what's best for China. China will only consider US "instructions" if they will help China.
5.The second great irony. The world's investors rushing into US dollars and Treasuries as if these two were "safe havens." There's only one true safe haven, and that safe haven is gold. Five thousand years of history underscores that statement. Where are all the other fiat currencies that have been created in the past ("Greenbacks, Continentals)??
6.First Greece, then Ireland, and now Spain and probably Portugal. And Spain is no little Ireland. Spain is big time, and it will take one heck of a lot of euros to bail Spain out. And the question, of course, is this -- could the euro and the euro-zone be falling apart? The Euro-zone has put up one trillion dollars to cover emergency bailouts. If Spain and Portugal unravel, there won't be enough money.
7.What's the biggest selling alcohol beverage on the planet? I ask friends this question, and nobody ever comes up with the right answer. Answer -- Saki. All Asia drinks saki; nuff said. Second biggest seller -- rum, a great mixer, and a Central and South American favorite.
Wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weights you down - Toni Morrison
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