Drought Warning

Apparently, the Higgs Bosun discovery is not entirely good news.  There are reports that the implications include the unwelcome idea that the Universe is inherently unstable. 

Oh well, these things happen.  Personally, most of us prefer the erratic course of the meaning and all that of life to be attributable to something more admirable than unreliable particles.

On the car park I was bent over getting stuff out of the back seat.  Through the windows came the sunshine making the head warm.  However, my rear end was stuck out in an ENE direction taking the full blast of icy wind from Siberia.

Global Warming and Global Cooling all in one in its way.

The weather experts say this is because of a “blocking high” stuck over this end of Europe.  Apparently, this also means in the complications of it all that the Jet Stream is shifted southward which explains our current weather conditions, it will be cold and staying cold for a little while to come.

During my working life what was not wanted over the colder six months was such a weather system because it meant fog and other issues.  If it was a period that involved a lot of running about it did not make life any easier.

But “blocking highs” can happen during the summer months as well.  Normally, this is greeted with joy by all the sun lovers and especially the weather forecasters who know if they stand there and say how lovely it is going to be for days and days and days they might get nominated for an award.

Personally, very hot weather when at work was not as bad as winter weather could be but still a nuisance.  Leisure or beach gear is one thing.  Suits, ties and stiff collars were quite another in an overheated car or even hotter room.  In those days men who used fragrances or deodorants where I worked were deeply suspect.

During the 1970’s one series of “blocking highs” occurred during 1975 and 1976.  The winter was not exactly bad, but miserable and there was little rain.  But during the summer of 1976 there was not just a “heat wave” but a very long, hot and very dry spell

See Wikipedia for “1976 United Kingdom Heat Wave”.  It really was a blaster and water supplies began to reach the point when they could run out.  There were certainly severe shortages in parts.  As ever, the water companies were slow to impose restrictions.

Since then we seem to be using rather more water per head for various reasons.  Despite the fact that our reserves seem to have been restored recently it may not take too long if such a weather system persists for us to run into trouble again.

Indeed now you might be feeling the cold, but soon many might be complaining about the heat.  For investors, should one go long on bottled water?