return of Caryatid

Greece's President Prokopis Pavlopoulos has called for UK to return a set of classical sculptures.

Polling conducted in 2014 suggested that the British public mostly back the marbles' return or are largely ambivalent.

YouGov found

37%  think statues must go back to Greece.
32% did not mind it either way.
23% said they should remain in Britain.
7%  said they did not know.

 - Greece demands return of Parthenon  marbles 

Democracy and Freedom

Hong Kong activists have been pulled into the debate, with Joshua Wong urging the zoo to call the cubs, Democracy and Freedom.

- The Guardian 

A trillion trees ?

Sunlight, shadows, black bitumen roads

Shaded arbors, canopied groves

Walker-by walker-by walk attentively

There lies on your path

A fallen yellow leaf

Rahu @ Gemini

Before Christianity, a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter stood at the site of Notre-Dame. Evidence for this is the Pillar of the Boatmen, discovered in 1710.
Four churches succeeded the Roman temple, before Notre-Dame.

The twin towers are 226 feet high, and were tallest structure in Paris, until the Eiffel Tower.

- Wikipedia

Grand Fire Trine

April 15,   2019 

Jupiter @ Mula   Cusp of Sagittarius

Sun @ Ashwini      Cusp of Aries

Moon @ Magha     Cusp of Leo

Malaysia cancels 2 projects

Mahathir is alert to dangers of crushing debt for projects that are neither viable nor necessary - except in their strategic value to China.

- Times of India,  August 22, 2018.   

perils of personal diplomacy

Leaders inflame public opinion for domestic political gain; only to find their hands tied tight when they embark on personal diplomacy, without preparatory work by professionals.

Golda Meir considered diplomatic professionals to be too polished. She went straight to the crux and core of each issue.

Leaders do matter, when they have insights and command respect. Like Gorbachev, Churchill, De Gaulle, Adenauer.
Lesser mortals can act on professional counsel.


Politicians' distrust of professionals - A G Noorani
Dakshin Chronicle     June 29, 2018.