It Is…Pt31

‘I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. And the enemy was in us.’
‘Platonic Podcast Painters’

…through the shadows he shifted, cradled with urgency.  Stealth and sharply accurate on a terrain less-trodden. Brushing pass the broad-leaved trees and skimming through the drooping fanned spears that popped from the murk like a Side Show Bob pinball. Daylight breached the canopy via bullet holed shafts. Avoiding the density of the tree’s stoic shade, he charged. Moisture hanging in the air and trickled down his brow. The chards of light filtered through the dust fuelled shafts and swung rhythmic in the air like lava lamps. Their psychedelic broadening in the light’s dissipation then evaporated feet from the floor. An opening golden light began to steal their show, sucking in their swaying lures. He carried on, full pelt, swept passed the giant flopping leaves bent in the forests sweat, feet certain on the recycled carpet, arms sweeping aside the glinting bolts of light  …and in a click the clearing presented itself, hope, a beaming  salvation, the crowning to his hard yards. The last imprint from his roller of builder’s magnolia cast. Down tools. Job’s-a-goodun. Amidst the freshness of the achieving light his senses tuned; a clutter of a ceiling fan resounding prominent like a distant chopper. His hope. His ticket out. He’ll be on that ride home, his job was done. Slumped to his knees in the clearing on a gardeners kneeling pad his dad gave him, he raised his arms in victory, head gazing to the heavens in extolment. Long arm with roller extended in one hand, a three-inch soft bristle brush in the other, it fell limp, washed of duty, hanging gently by the handle between thumb and forefingers, a single drop of vinyl matt emulsion poised to release and ripple, ready to gather his next job. Slowly lifting his bowed solemn head, he grinned pleased with himself to the whirling blades and watched mesmerised as it slowly began to move away from him, the thm thm thm fading, were his senses tricking him, could he believe what he was seeing, his sanctuary diminishing to a future not yet bound. Through the din of the ever-departing freedom his fate lay stark for all to see… one last bare wall yonder… Aaarrrggghhh!

On that time excruciating intro, we’ll head to World News…

Ok, tricky one this week, given the news I have is a week old, edit, two weeks old now, given I was too busy last week, thereby said previous, then holiday then this happened then that happened, I’ll tell you what, cold beans aint hot – it’s all happening… or Is It! Could that be the next tag line…?

Bear with me…

News here is always time-irrelevant, and hopefully embroiled in but a hint of interesting moments in history, fit to sit on generic’s shelf of time immortal. But you guessed it, that’s just blocks. So without further adoooo; South Korean defence firm Hanwa have secured an AU$7bn deal to make 129 Redback armoured vehicles for Australia and thereby pipping German rival firm Rheinmetall at the proverbial post. The point being ‘arms’ is still a huge business – it’s still a good time in history to be a War Lord folks.

Keeping in Germany; they had another heavy metal upset when the world’s biggest rock festival in northern Germany was down a third on attendances, that’s approximately 24,000 rock nut heads, nut-nuts. This was all due to heavy rain and flooding – which seems to be all the rage these days, fire and flood as per se Nostradamus banging on about in all our youth.

Good news though is food prices are said to be stabilizing. Which is all well and good but tell that to the humble ol’ stalwart $1.00 slice of NY pizza and say a Parisian Euro1.00 espresso, which both are becoming increasingly hard to find – in fact venues offering such bargains are down 50% compared to 10 years ago. Hardly surprising, I mean, I’m no economist but I reckon prices do go up over years, even in the Pound Shop… but and as I said, I’m no economist, but if you kept the $1.00/Euro deals I’d wager they’d sell more. But then would they make more profit? Which all goes back to less, as should be in this weekly, i.e. less is more. Confused? You should be.

Ok, Morocco are building more cars. Their biggest export once upon a time was phosphates, but now its cars; Euro 4.23bn worth. Dacia, Peugeot and Renault. And probably 1m a year by 2030 with hubs in Kenitra, Tangier and Casablanca. See, arms and cars still up there. Someone please look up in Pears Encyclopedia what phosphates do. And no Play it again Sam references please.

Spain’s olive oil business is also up there but not as much as it was. In fact it’s down 620,000 tonnes due mostly to the hot weather. A hardier Arab resistant to drought olive from Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan has doubled their export this past year. Liquid gold son.

I’m surprised the Saudi’s aren’t in the olive oil liquid gold market too (ssshhh, they will be) In their latest quest to take over the world, their budget airline Flynas with flights from Jeddah to Casablanca and direct lines to Algiers, Marseille and Almaty (anyone know where that is yet?) – that’s 250 countries harbouring 100m tourists by 2030 all needing an infrastructure of hotels, residency and construction – boom. Oh yes and of course arms… and olive oil and phosphates and cars and concerts and coffee and… what have the Saudi’s ever done for us!

The Paris Olympics are set to sweep aside the multitude of books shops lining the Seine. Officials have told 170 of the 230 ‘bouquinistes’ to dismantle for the games’ two week period. Trouble is these book shops are old and will crumble to dust if moved. The owners plan to barricade themselves in and frankly, I’m with them. ‘Are we in the 50% Euro1.00 espresso region?’

UK and India are in their 12^th round of talks for a free trade agreement. A big hurdle is tariffs on Scotch whisky, which has a ‘rules of origin’ label, whereas Indian whisky would not cost 150% to import. Yes, it’s complicatededly (word now) written, but I think I mean is to import real Scotch has a 150% tariff whereas Indian rubbish is tax free.

Meantime Russia are to launch (edit – have) a satellite to our Moon’s south pole, while China and India have joined hands to send probes (nurse) to the moon’s dark side – see you there folks, the corner shop’s got cheap whisky…

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Till next time f-f-f-folks… keep ‘em peeled
Pip pip, ding-dong and ticketyboo
Keep it turning, keep it wheel – keep it radioprimco

Prim

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