The Deadliest Place On Earth!

On this side of the pond we watch an awful lot of American TV cop shows.

They first appear on our screens in trailers in which they are described as 'hit', 'epic' or 'cult' direct from the States.

Over the years I have seen hundreds of 'em. From 77 Sunset Strip to Perception ... I've seen 'em all.

Which makes me think 'Is America really populated by gang-bangers, rogue cops, mass murders and little old ladies from Cabot Cove?'

Let us concentrate on a true classic!

Murder She Wrote.

Now, by my calculations, after 12 seasons and four Specials, Cabot Cove must be the deadliest place in the United States!

Assuming (and I haven't researched this) that in each episode (over 260) that at least 2.5 people died, that comes to a grand total of 660 deaths.

Let is further assume that one fifth of the dead (132) came from 'outta town', that still leaves 528.

As we all know, many episodes took place elsewhere ... that is to say, NOT in Cabot Cove ...  and therefore Cabot Covian's would be probably not have been amongst the dead.

Shall we guess again at one third?  OK!

So we can thereby deduce that approximately 176 people from other locations also died during the show's run!

That still leaves us with 352 deadies that could ONLY have been Cabot Coves finest despite the fact that the town's population was supposed to be around 3,560 (Wikipedia, but we all know how wrong they can be, don't we).

OK, OK!

Before you run off to check these figures, let me tell you that 'officially' Murder She Wrote is only said to have killed-off 2 or 3% of it's population.

But I don't believe it! 

By my calculations It's nearer 10%

You know what they say, don't you?

Fiction is nearly always based on fact!

Traditional Political Comedy

So it's  all over and the Americans have re-elected Barack Obama as president.

I told you so, didn't I?

But, since then, I've done a spot or research...

Did you know that Presidents elected to a second term in office have far less effect and are less successful than they were in the first?

Traditionally  ...and it doesn't matter which party's candidate is in office ...  a President in a second term will suffer greater resistance to his policies from the opposition than he did in the first.

Sour grapes perhaps?

It is also traditional (in British politics too) that those people in office will try and push though a  very unpopular policy at the end of their term, sometimes very quietly so as not to be noticed.

The British Labour Party were very good at that, or so I've been informed. I did try to find an example of this but I failed to find any evidence but Conservatives are sure they did it.

Politics seems to be a 'point scoring' game.

I'm sure that if politicians put aside their differences for just a few years they would be able to nail down some strategically plausible policies that would lay good foundations for a stable and viable economy .... but nooooooooo!

They follow their own agenda (and I'm not just talking about the Americans!) which see's them sniping at each other across the political trenches; picking one another off in ambush after ambush.

Their constant tit-for-tat bickering is reminiscent of the school playground.

At times you just want to put them across you knees and give them a good smack!

And the sad thing is that politicians at some time in their careers will all say the same thing ... but only about the opposition ... never about themselves or their party colleagues!

Let's face it.

Politics is the 'Ultimate Sitcom'

Big Rocks and Obama's Romney Challenge

... and the other nun said "It does, doesn't it?"

Hahahahahaha! How I laughed at that one!

Oh, hello! I didn't see you there.

Well ... I'm back!

I've been think about the universe; on it's creation, it's contents and, of course, it's size.

Now, I'm not a scientist or anything of that ilk (whatever an 'ilk' is) so my conclusions are presented to you here in a non-scientific way, without any big, hard to spell words.

Ok ... there was big bang - TA-DAH! - universe!

There were lots of rock in it, which begs the question "How do you make a rock from nothing?"

My theory is simple ... there must have been an 'old' universe ... which was already full of rocks ... and it went BANG!!!

And it's bloody big!

And it's probably all existing in the mould on some supreme being's forgotten sandwich!

There!  Told you it wasn't very scientific, didn't I?

Oo! Oo! Oo!

I also took an interest in the election going on in the States!

Some of you may have heard about it.

Apparently Mitt (silly name) Romney is going head-to-head with Barack Obama for the presidency.

I don't want to try and influence anyone (as if I could), but do you really trust that man Romney?

I have to admit that I don't know much about him but, after listening to him speak and watching the face-to-face debates, I have some serious doubts as to whether or not he is capable of doing the job.
Reading between the lines, it would seem that he is intent on undoing the majority of the things that Obama has set in motion. Now that smacks to me of rich money protecting rich money by spending an awful lot of poor-people money!

But the thing that really get's up my nose about both candidates is that they are both trying to sell their campaign with the "Our Great Nation" slogan.

Sadly, the days of American 'greatness' are long gone!

They (possibly you) are now in the same economic mess that the rest of us are suffering.

But, at a time when there are more people living below the bread line than ever before, to still claim that America is 'great' is an insult to all those that are suffering.

You see, if America was still great, those people suffering at the bottom of the food chain would never have been forgotten in the first place.

Yeah, ok! It's a very simplistic view... but, hey! I'm a simple guy!

And I don't mean 'stupid' simple.

Anyway, whoever wins, there may be no noticeable change for the man on the street.

Whoever you have thrown your hat into the ring with, I wish you luck ... and a change of fortune for the better.

Noise!

The neighbours are really loud and obnoxious tonight!

Now I know what it's like to be Canadian!

Richer than the United States of America!

I've just realised ... as I have no debts, that theoretically makes me richer than the US government!

Jeez!

If only I knew what to spend my wealth on?

I s'pose, if push came to shove, I could lend Mr. Obama a few quid!