Bush, Blockade, Black Sea Fleet and Brunel

With George Bush warning Russia and the US sending military hardware and "humanitarian aid" to Georgia, President Saakashvili was quick to say that Poti port and Tblissi airport would be controlled by the Americans. At least Washington was quick to deny this. However, with the Ukraine threatening to blockade the Russian Black Sea Fleet it is easy to see where this could all go. The Ukraine and Georgia are both being considered for NATO membership. If they do join NATO, how will Russia react? Irrational heads in Kiev and Tblissi should not be allowed to prevail and it is important that the West sits down and talks to Moscow as an equal. Should this not happen, what is essentially a small regional conflict might ultimately become an international crisis. Both the United States and Russia have to address each others concerns and work sensibly towards a solution for the region. There is a whiff of that mid-summer's day ninety four years ago when in Sarajevo one shot triggered off the Great War of 1914-18.
The new room in Brunel is hunky-dory, the job is a dawdle, little jaunts into Uxbridge is the coming up for air during the week and this weekend I will take myself into the city. England continues to annoy in bits; the iced caramel latte at Costa Coffee is no more than cold coffee poured over ice cubes. Do they not normally crush the ice? However, I am beginning to discover the pleasant side to England too; returning from Tesco yesterday evening I dropped into a normal English pub, ordered my coca cola and watched Standard Liege and Liverpool on the television and afterwards there was a strange sort of deja vu when I got lost walking back to Brunel and there was me walking past all those little, British, houses where there is a sofa and two arm chairs and a big television in 99% of the living rooms. This is England and the donar kebab and fish and chip shops, the Chinese takeaways, and pubs, pubs, pubs, couple of betting shops here and there, cafes close at seven o'clock, Tesco stays open until ten p.m. and, well you can buy a copy of "Der Spiegel" in Uxbridge and could I live here? No, but the summer is "hackable" and a bit more; it could even turn out to be a reasonably nice summer.