Caviar rationing

Tomorrow is 17 October. The History Matters website is inviting everyone to write a diary for the day. All the resulting blogs will be stored for future generations to see how we spent a mundane day. I think they should have made it a two day event so that it covered a Saturday or Sunday and a weekday. Weekends are very different from weekdays after all. I may upload my ramblings for that day anyway. I like the idea.

Madonna seems to be in all sorts of trouble over her attempts to adopt a child from Malawi. There would appear to be a legal battle now in progress that may prevent her from taking the child. Apparently she has returned to UK without the child while legal matters are settled. I'd have thought she might stay with him if she was doing this for emotional reasons. There's that cynic in me again.

I have to say, I think it's a publicity stunt. That's not to say that she can't or won't give this child a good life, or that he won't be loved. On the contrary, I'm quite sure he will have a much better life with Madonna than he would have had in Malawi. I can't really understand the objection to overseas adoption. I know that in China, girls get abandoned every day. If no one adopts them they spend years in orphanages. Seems to me a good home anywhere is preferable.

Of course, the question one really needs to ask is why people are going abroad to adopt rather than adopting at home. It couldn't be because the authorities are making it too damn difficult at home could it?

The UN has agreed to impose sanctions upon North Korea and even China has joined in, though they are still supplying oil and food. Luxury goods have been banned however, and this is being seen as a personal dig at the leader, who apparently likes nice things. I can't see that banning luxury goods will have much of an impact. I imagine Kim can get pretty much what he wants for himself, and even if he couldn't, I don't think caviar rationing is likely to tip the balance of power.