Notations On Our World (Special M-End Edition): On Our World (Updated) .

One of the most striking images our team caught was this from the BBC Farsi's Rana Rahimpour on the analogy between the China Protests and the Iran Protests on how one Woman dared to question the hijab in Iran and how one man dared to stand up to Chinese Tanks.   As we went to press, we have been seeing on-going images of Women continuing to populate Social Media.

We have also been assessing the upcoming India Federal (Union) Budget as India gears up for its' final budget before the 2019 General Election. 

We have also been assessing the challenge of Gaza as this was underscored by the UN yesterday during the donor conference--this is as Ismail Hanyia, the Senior Hamas Leaders, has been designated a "Global Terrorist" by the United States and as the European Union has agreed to provide an additional $ 53 Million in aid in response to UN Budget Cuts: 

Gaza close to social, economic collapse, UN envoy says

Gaza is near a total collapse and Palestinian Authority donor countries need to make the situation a priority, said United Nations Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov. "Returning Gaza under legitimate Palestinian control and ending all the militant activity there is critical," he said.

The Jerusalem Post (free registration) (1/30) 

(Update:   As the Month drew to a close, our team reviewed the chart below on Peak Oil:

Our team found it fascinating especially in light of the current focus on Fossil Fuels here in the United States.    Our founder made it a point of tagging the Iranian Foreign Minister so that he at least understands the gravity of it all as Iran grapples with profound unrest and challenges on a multitude of fronts...)

Notations On Our World (Special M-End Edition): On The First #SOTU By @realDonaldTrump (Updated w/an analysis by @TrevorNoah)

President Trump delivered his First State of the Union.     There were those who cheered (including Donald Trump Jr.) and those who opposed--including some who boycotted the speech.  .  The formal Democratic Response came from Congressman Joe Kennedy III,  Senator Robert Kennedy's Grandson and a Great Grandnephew of President Kennedy:  

 Bernie Sanders and Maxine Waters also delivered rebuttals as there were Fact Checkers at Work at The Washington Post and the Guardian of London Among Others.

As the analysis continues, our team chose two competing narratives from the US Speaker of the House and the Chair of the California Democratic Party as the 2018 Mid-Term Elections loom with profound consequences for President Trump's agenda for the year:

President Trump said it right—the state of our union is strong. There is still much work to be done, and the president laid out a clear agenda tonight with an open hand toward bipartisan cooperation. By working together to rebuild our nation’s military, boost infrastructure, develop our workforce, and fix our immigration system, we can continue making America safer and stronger for the 21st century. Los Angeles - California Democratic Party Chair Eric C. Bauman released the following statement in reaction to Donald Trump's State of the Union Address: "Despite Donald Trump's delusional words tonight, the strength of our Union is facing its greatest test in living memory. The rich are getting richer, healthcare is getting harder to come by, job growth is slowing, the stock market is on a bubble. Women, people of color, immigrants, the LGBT Community and people with disabilities face daily harassment, assault and barriers to opportunity.  The state of the world is even worse. The United States stands isolated, backwards and alone in refusing to combat climate change. Trump is foolishly provoking a trade war with China, and his macho posturing with North Korea threatens millions of lives, including tens of thousands of American soldiers. Russia is openly subverting democratic norms in the U.S. and around the world, and Congressional Republicans are more interested in running interference for Trump than they are in protecting the integrity of the U.S. government.  With the possible exception of the last days of Richard Nixon's administration, the American people have never been saddled with a leader so completely disconnected from reality, or with a White House and Congress so willing to flagrantly lie to the American people. While Republicans continue to focus on enriching the ultra-wealthy and sticking everyone else with the bill, Democrats will continue to fight for meaningful change that lifts everyone up. We will keep working for an economy that works for everybody, healthcare for every American, affordable college for all, robust protections against all forms of discrimination, genuine immigration reform that allows Dreamers and immigrants to live the American Dream, repairing our crumbling roads and bridges, and revitalizing our frayed relationships around the world. The strength of our Union cannot be found in Washington D.C., because Republicans who control the White House and Congress are only interested in further enriching billionaires while lining their own pockets. Instead, the true strength of our Union can be found in the millions of people who have taken to the streets in protest, called and e-mailed their Representatives, and spoken out against this unprecedented assault on decency. Everyday Americans have been, and will continue to be, the reason our Union is strong, and despite the challenges we face, our resistance to Trump and Washington Republicans will be the fount of progress and renewal for America."

(*Update:  A bit of a different take-away courtesy Trevor Noah:

Notations On Our World (Weekly Edition): Out & About as January 2018 Drifts Away Into History....

As we went to Press, President Trump was slated to deliver his First State of the Union to a Joint Session of Congress.    Congressman Joe Kennedy is slated to give the Democratic Response.    Our team will providing a post-analysis of it later on in the week.   This is as Governors have been delivering their State of the State Address-including the Governor of our Home State, Jerry Brown.

One snapshot of the US State of the Union was this that was reported by Truth in Accounting:  

This is an interesting takeaway on the National Debt in the United States which we are pleased to report on for our Weekly  Edition of Notations:  Our Debt Clock

This is as we assessed this before us which is a major focus of ours here in #Outsiders in the aftermath of Davos:  

AI probably won't take your job; it will change it. What to expect from #AI in 2018: https://t.co/rjuwgKgbhn #wef18 pic.twitter.com/CSnQIRk6wA

— strategy+business (@stratandbiz) January 23, 2018

Onward....