This week is the nearest I wish to get to hell. On an international scale it has been filled with pointless murder. Whether it is a single pop singer, a dedicated MP, a club full of party goers or a single teen at the vigil of that massacre, or a even a head policeman in bed with his wife, this week has seen it all. And that not counting the poor people drowning in the Mediterranean trying to escape being murdered, the unnecessary violence and injury at the Euro football and so on.
To be honest I have nearly broken my poor phone for its constant stream of depressing human behaviour, but fortunately I am too ashamed of human violence to even release mine in such a futile manner. We dare to call ourselves a civilised world, well I am struggling to find any civility,humanity or compassion this week. All I see is mindless violence being masked behind labels such as religion or politics. Well excuse my french, but that's bollocking, there is no excuse,it is nothing but mindless hatred. It's not a phobia or even fear it's hate pure and simply. In fact it is all based on hate fuelled by either jealousy or worse lies.
I can't stand intolerance of any kind, so none of these murderers, and that's what they are,, are getting an ounce of my sympathy. If you dislike a sexuality, religion or politics, so what ! Do what the rest of normal humans do, suck it up and move on.
Some of my longest standing friends and I disagree over politics and religion, we don't plan ways to kill each other, depending on our moods we either debate it out, or just other days don't even think about it. Maybe because most of our friendships were based at a time we had no understanding of such matters, we seem to be able to focus on other matters in life. But then that raises the question, hatred by default must be not necessarily created but instead fuelled by our nurturing. Not just in the family home, but by our eduction, political influences, media stream even the places we work. Just look at the behaviour at the Euro football, would these people be acting this way but for the banner they are meeting in. I very much doubt it, it is a group mindset that is fuelled by man encouraging man that this is acceptable behaviour.
Well I got new for you all IT'S NEVER ACCEPTABLE! It wasn't in the 70's when I grew up with the active threat of the IRA blowing us up. It wasn't acceptable in 60's when man was defined by the colour of his skin, where he could travel or live and it definitely isn't now. I don't want to be remembered as part of the generation that lived through the nearest thing to world war 3 I want to think about and allowed it to be fuelled by complacently. Sod it I would rather die, being shot it a club with fellow human unfazed by they sexuality or being attacked because I actually stood up and said what I believed in, than wimper in the corner to save my own neck.
I know it's easy to say but it's the only way forward. The only way these murders will every make sense is to not allowed these people to die in vain. People need to stand together and demand that this hatred and intolerance be a unacceptable to our society, our world even as other crimes we have fought for over the years. Don't hide behind any label but accept the one we all should live by, HUMANITY.
Thursday, 16 June 2016
In or Out do we really have a choice
Before you switch off I am not going to use this to attempt influence a person's decision to cast their vote. It is more a question. How are we meant to make a choice when all the voting public has been given in information is nothing more than playground mud slinging.
The problem is it is no longer this referendum, but all elections, including the latest mayoral election in London. But it's even further effective the same thing is going on in the USA and their election. Where the mud slinging has been reduced to racial stereotyping and scoring points over their views on gun control, based on the painful massacre in Orlando.
So I ask the question not nationally but internationally, how can we justify our so called democracy when our election's are based on often guess work, or betting on the less evil. How come we can choice a party but in some cases not it's leader? How can election be deemed as a fair voice of the people when at times only a 1/3 of its population bother to even vote, and yet the result we all have to live with for years at a time. More interesting how come citizens but not residents can vote. People who are in the system, pay tax and social security, have indefinite leave to remain, but choice to keep their roots, they have no say in the country they live and work in?
To be truthful the whole thing stinks of corruption and can barely be called democracy. Any election that allows people to shout at it other in barges across the Thames, or in another country completely stereo type a person by their religion, and then call for a blanket ban on that religion, (especially when their so called land of the free is based on mass imigration). Sorry but it sounds to me like democracy is becoming as unworkable and as idealistic as true Marxism.
So while I am not going to tell you who to vote for,that's the whole point, it is meant to be YOUR choice, I am going to pass on a few points of wisdom I was given at high school about the voting process.
1. YOU HAVE A VOTE, so use it. If unable to vote in person there is postal voting, on voting by proxy. People of different demographic groups have had to fight hard over the years to get us the right to vote. We owe them that at least.
2 GET INFORMED. If you do see the answers to the questions that effect you , ask them to the relevant parties you are interested in. If they won't bother to answer you then do you really want that person or party representing you?
3 USE YOUR VOICE. Remember no matter what party the person who is elected for your area is, they still have to act for their area. If you need their assistance, even if you didn't vote for them, they are still obligated to act for you. If you're in doubt of their ability or ethical behaviour, question it.
At the end of the day we aren't getting the results with democracy, because we are becoming complacent about it. If you don't stand up and use your vote, you really have no right to criticise when it all goes wrong. We have got much of a choice at the moment, in a time when the world needs all the help it can get, but the only way we can change it is to start to use the system properly, and start making it work for the people and not the other way round.
The problem is it is no longer this referendum, but all elections, including the latest mayoral election in London. But it's even further effective the same thing is going on in the USA and their election. Where the mud slinging has been reduced to racial stereotyping and scoring points over their views on gun control, based on the painful massacre in Orlando.
So I ask the question not nationally but internationally, how can we justify our so called democracy when our election's are based on often guess work, or betting on the less evil. How come we can choice a party but in some cases not it's leader? How can election be deemed as a fair voice of the people when at times only a 1/3 of its population bother to even vote, and yet the result we all have to live with for years at a time. More interesting how come citizens but not residents can vote. People who are in the system, pay tax and social security, have indefinite leave to remain, but choice to keep their roots, they have no say in the country they live and work in?
To be truthful the whole thing stinks of corruption and can barely be called democracy. Any election that allows people to shout at it other in barges across the Thames, or in another country completely stereo type a person by their religion, and then call for a blanket ban on that religion, (especially when their so called land of the free is based on mass imigration). Sorry but it sounds to me like democracy is becoming as unworkable and as idealistic as true Marxism.
So while I am not going to tell you who to vote for,that's the whole point, it is meant to be YOUR choice, I am going to pass on a few points of wisdom I was given at high school about the voting process.
1. YOU HAVE A VOTE, so use it. If unable to vote in person there is postal voting, on voting by proxy. People of different demographic groups have had to fight hard over the years to get us the right to vote. We owe them that at least.
2 GET INFORMED. If you do see the answers to the questions that effect you , ask them to the relevant parties you are interested in. If they won't bother to answer you then do you really want that person or party representing you?
3 USE YOUR VOICE. Remember no matter what party the person who is elected for your area is, they still have to act for their area. If you need their assistance, even if you didn't vote for them, they are still obligated to act for you. If you're in doubt of their ability or ethical behaviour, question it.
At the end of the day we aren't getting the results with democracy, because we are becoming complacent about it. If you don't stand up and use your vote, you really have no right to criticise when it all goes wrong. We have got much of a choice at the moment, in a time when the world needs all the help it can get, but the only way we can change it is to start to use the system properly, and start making it work for the people and not the other way round.
Friday, 3 June 2016
My favourite reads
Having seen the last tread in top ten reads of various people in the public eye I thought I would share my favourites, some familiar some less so, and maybe people can share their choice reads in return. These are in no particular order and I am not restricting myself to ten as I am mixing up fiction, biography, poetry etc.
1. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
One of many classics on my list. I don't know what drew me to this originally but it has become one of the few true love stories, that needs a social reality to add to its magic.
2. Alice in wonderland/ through the looking glass - Lewis Carroll I grew up on the poetry in these books, and as an adult became more aware of its complex themes. To the point I rarely go anywhere without a copy of this book.
3. Metaphysical poetry - various my introduction to complex poetry, being given this to read at 16 years old was one the biggest eye openers in my life.
4. Postcards from the edge - Carrie Fisher. The quickest wit I have ever read, its self depreciation at its best under the guise of fiction.
5. Nobody gets out of here alive - Jerry Hopkins, Danny Sugerman. I stumbled over this book in my late teens, when my own mortality was at risk, and something in this book clicked. As good a biography of Jim Morris on as I can find.
6. Different Seasons - Stephen King. This was the first king novel or novellas rather,I read and being broken into 4 stories makes it relevant to read what ever the mood. It has been made into three maybe four different yet successfully films for very good reason, every story has a depth unusual for such a short story.
7. The Stand - Stephen King. My other favourite novel by this author (although I have another two I am particularly fond of). This is your typical good verses evil novel, written in a world we can all relate to.
8. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte. I never thought I'd truly understand this novel, until I spent a week on the moors, doing nothing but reading writing and filming. Suddenly the depths of this book became clear, beyond the romantic and into the study of nature.
9. Twelfth Night - Shakespeare. Humour aplenty, and a great introduction to the bards work. It was the second play I read of his and my favourite for so many reasons, with Taming of the Shrew coming a close second.
10. Actors Anonymous - James Franco. Rapidly becoming a stable in my choice authors this novel takes the glitz of Hollywood and strips it bare to show the reality in its maggot ride beauty.
11. Don Juan - Lord Byron. Little can be said about this, that hasn't be said before, but there is a verse for every man in this book.
12. North and South - John James. This is a 3 novel story about the American civil war from the points of two friends one of which is southerner the other a northerner. Romantic history at its best.
13. Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse. one man's spiritual journey, becomes a journey for you the reader.
14.The Matthew Swift series - Kathy Griffin. If it is possible to write a harry potter series for adults then this is it. Set in London it's reality makes the fantasy more acceptable.
15. Chronicles of Narnia - C S Lewis. I never could understand the fussy over The Hobbit when I had already read these. I just love the imagery and the hidden or not not so hidden sub messages.
This is my selection it's by no means complete but it's a good start.
1. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
One of many classics on my list. I don't know what drew me to this originally but it has become one of the few true love stories, that needs a social reality to add to its magic.
2. Alice in wonderland/ through the looking glass - Lewis Carroll I grew up on the poetry in these books, and as an adult became more aware of its complex themes. To the point I rarely go anywhere without a copy of this book.
3. Metaphysical poetry - various my introduction to complex poetry, being given this to read at 16 years old was one the biggest eye openers in my life.
4. Postcards from the edge - Carrie Fisher. The quickest wit I have ever read, its self depreciation at its best under the guise of fiction.
5. Nobody gets out of here alive - Jerry Hopkins, Danny Sugerman. I stumbled over this book in my late teens, when my own mortality was at risk, and something in this book clicked. As good a biography of Jim Morris on as I can find.
6. Different Seasons - Stephen King. This was the first king novel or novellas rather,I read and being broken into 4 stories makes it relevant to read what ever the mood. It has been made into three maybe four different yet successfully films for very good reason, every story has a depth unusual for such a short story.
7. The Stand - Stephen King. My other favourite novel by this author (although I have another two I am particularly fond of). This is your typical good verses evil novel, written in a world we can all relate to.
8. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte. I never thought I'd truly understand this novel, until I spent a week on the moors, doing nothing but reading writing and filming. Suddenly the depths of this book became clear, beyond the romantic and into the study of nature.
9. Twelfth Night - Shakespeare. Humour aplenty, and a great introduction to the bards work. It was the second play I read of his and my favourite for so many reasons, with Taming of the Shrew coming a close second.
10. Actors Anonymous - James Franco. Rapidly becoming a stable in my choice authors this novel takes the glitz of Hollywood and strips it bare to show the reality in its maggot ride beauty.
11. Don Juan - Lord Byron. Little can be said about this, that hasn't be said before, but there is a verse for every man in this book.
12. North and South - John James. This is a 3 novel story about the American civil war from the points of two friends one of which is southerner the other a northerner. Romantic history at its best.
13. Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse. one man's spiritual journey, becomes a journey for you the reader.
14.The Matthew Swift series - Kathy Griffin. If it is possible to write a harry potter series for adults then this is it. Set in London it's reality makes the fantasy more acceptable.
15. Chronicles of Narnia - C S Lewis. I never could understand the fussy over The Hobbit when I had already read these. I just love the imagery and the hidden or not not so hidden sub messages.
This is my selection it's by no means complete but it's a good start.
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