Editor’s Notes

Judge Wright jumps the gun on Mother’s Day

You can tell it to da Judge but when he makes up his mind there’s no point in arguing.  So inside we have His Honour giving his mother her due! I expect that most mothers, and their children, will be able to identify with more than one reason. It won’t prompt roll-in-the aisle laughter but may produce a warm memory and smile.

Briefly speaking

Most of the pieces in this issue are relatively brief. We’ve got a longer one set aside for tomorrow for printout and weekend reading. This one will make your blood boil with anger unless of course you’re a cheerleader for the Liars Club and American big oil and big munitions.

MG — China style

Today, not in order of 1-2-3, the longest story is sourced in Longbridge, England. A heartbreaker for car lovers that reminds us about the demise of the British auto industry. MG, the legendary brand is being revived as a sports car in China of all places. Producing it this month is the Nanjing Automobile Corporation that reflects the hundreds of billion of dollars China has set aside for overseas investment. Talk about a heaving sea of money. If we don’t want to drown in it we’d better build floats that can keep us on top of this rapidly changing world.

Busy Mother Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is beginning to appear like a busy mother trying settle down a rowdy crowd of boys. She’s had “frank discussions” with Russia President Putin on at least the issues of human rights and reliable delivery of energy resources. Now she’s calling to account U.S. President Bush and his boys about their plans to build sections of a missile shield with installations in Poland and the Czech Republic. The Russians say it threatens them. The Americans say it would protect Europe against North Korea. North Korea!?! Such a missile could be shot down two or three times as it crosses China and at least as many times as there are time zones in Russia. Like Hitler about Poland in 1939, like Bush about Iraq in 2002, this project doesn’t bear logic. Maybe Mother Merkel can bring common sense and goodwill to bear.

Finally, we touch of Starbucks being kicked out of the Forbidden City, China promising to set aside the death penalty for a smuggler being held by Canada, and more smoothing of China-Russia relations with a planned trip of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Russian later this month.

Looking Forward

Carl Dow,