Thursday 19 June 2014

The 28th


The  28th


Below is the wording for a change in the American Constitution. This is very short and to the point. If adopted and implemented, it could reduce the visible flow of money from groups and individuals that have used money to steer legislation in their favor.
What a thought! Politicians working for the people and not for the big donor.  
As things stand now, this is not law; and it has a long way to get there, but it could be.  


Here’s what will become the 28th Amendment:
To advance democratic self-government and political equality, and to protect the integrity of government and the electoral process, Congress and the States may regulate and set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections.

Congress and the States shall have power to implement and enforce this article by appropriate legislation, and may distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.




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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange marks two years in Ecuadorean embassy



Sitting around, kicking his heels, and still the detention order from Sweden is in place. This is in contrast to the efforts to have it removed by the same courts that put it in place. Confused.
The French have this month granted Assange citizenship. That is no help, because if he steps out of the Ecuadorian embassy, he will be detained and repatriated to Sweden.




US scientists unethically sold blood


A study was carried out on an indigenous group of Indians in Ecuador. This study was found to have taken some 3500 blood samples from the Indians without permission.
A number of these samples have been sold to pharmaceutical companies. This group of Indians  is known for a unique genetic profile and disease immunity.
This happened despite Ecuador's constitutional ban on the use of genetic material, making this a violation of human rights.  











Tuesday 10 June 2014

Taxi or Driv

Taxi or Drive

For some time now we have owned a truck. We both have passed our driving test here in Ecuador.
So we can both take advantage of the convenience of having a vehicle.
If you have traveled to any of the South American countries, you will have experienced the driving skills of the various countries, and  I am bewildered as to why there are not more accidents.
That being said, if we stay out of Guayaquil, then we are doing fine.
Evelyn had to go see a doctor in Guayaquil. Her appointment was at 5:30 pm. I had a good idea where the doctor had her office, but it was in the rush hour time of day.
So I thought that it would be safer to take a taxi there and back, rather than risk a very frustrating time trying to get around Guayaquil.
So we made the call and settled for a taxi. We know a guy that has been very reliable, and just as we made up our minds as to what we wanted to do, he showed up next door. We asked him and gave him the doctor's card. He then called for directions, and all was set.
I felt much happier; first, for not having to drive in the busy time of day in Guayaquil; second, that we knew a driver that is accustomed to the traffic of Guayaquil.
For myself, I was able to get other things dealt with in the absence of Evelyn. 
Evelyn called me when she arrived and called again when she was returning.
On her return, I went out to meet her and was shocked to see the taxi.
The whole of the passenger side was mangled!!!
As Evelyn pushed open the passenger door, there were creaking noises from the metal as it pushed against other parts of the car that had been bashed in.
Eager for an explanation as to what had happened, Evelyn was calm and appeared to have no injuries, as she bid good night to the driver.
Once we got inside the house, Evelyn explained what had taken place.
Evelyn explained that as they were returning home, somewhere near Consuelo, they hit a cow.
Luckily there was no damage to the steering or the the occupants of the vehicle-- just a wake up call that this can happen to anybody.


Last week we were on our way back from Manglaralto and we spotted people in the air Para gliding. We have passed the place where you can do this so many times before, that we just said "let's take a look".
Before you knew it, we were strapped into a harness and were soaring above the cliff tops and  feeling perfectly safe and comfortable. For 15 minutes we enjoyed the silence of the wind and the peace that it brought! What a really nice time we had and a very nice break from the hum drum of driving up and down the coast.