Ehlana and Ethan:
It is really great to be home – even when our first full day back has been all about yard work and chores at multiple homes and cottages! It has also been very hot with another triple-digit high this afternoon; so we’ve taken some cool-off swim breaks when needed. Naomi and Aiden worked with us, but we also worked with some cousins some of the time too; and now we have the work done and are getting set up for a camping night that will follow family plans for a barbeque dinner and outdoor movies. Ethan and I are hosting the camping; so the cousins and friends getting in on that action are converging on our yard. We’ve set up our tents and this update is being multi-tasked while we’re rounding up our gear and we have already gotten cleaned up from the chores and camp set-up work-so-far. The rest of our news is still ahead of us; so we’ll have those stories for you sometime tomorrow. We need to get back to the fun – and our family and friends; so let’s wrap this up with a quick world news report.
Instead of another bad news war update; let’s cover a different developing crisis in Europe. The heat waves this summer are now causing problems for the electrical grid in a lot of countries. That is in the news today because Romania has needed to shut down its only nuclear power plant due to low water levels in the Danube River that has now dropped below minimums needed to cool the reactors. That one plant accounts for a fifth of the country’s electricity generation; so they are forced to implement cuts during peak hours that include shutting down manufacturing and other reductions. The grids are interconnected; so the reduction there is affecting other countries that have relied on extra power from Romania; and that is just one location of many having issues. Now add in higher costs for the natural gas used for many other generating plants; and electricity is not just getting scarce; it is expensive when you can get it – and that affects prices for pretty much everything that is produced in Europe! With all of the other problems in the region; inflation is the last thing they need.
One other story that might become a bigger problem than it already is in the coming months as more migrants move toward Europe is something we saw from the United Kingdom. It is really just an example of problems that are happening in Europe, but the story got our attention because it was about a small village being ‘assigned’ migrants that may now be a danger to the local women because the village now has six migrant men for every one local woman. News flash to their leaders – that kind of demographic imbalance is dangerous and unsustainable – especially when cultures start to clash due to those kinds of tensions. While that is just one story, that same problem is happening because of the migrant influx all across Europe; and it is only a matter of time before we start seeing more conflicts than we are already hearing about for migrant gangs and an increase in crime to the point where police won’t even go into some migrant areas of their cities and towns.
We should also mention new tariffs on China from President Trump – one-hundred percent on drones and parts. As we mention now and then, tariffs are generally stupid, since the costs just get passed along to the consumer or customer eventually; and targeting China like this just encourages them to move away from trade with us to other markets. They actually are doing that and have been for years now, so as their percentage of trade with the United States goes down; the less they will be affected by our insane foreign policies and trade practices!
Let’s stop there. We need to get back to the fun and we really don’t want to take any of the mad we feel about all of the bad news elsewhere in the world – so we won’t and spread love and happiness instead even if that is only with the people closest to us!
Until next time, live with love, fellow Magi of the Light!
