For those in the UK against the state visit email update

	You’re receiving this email because you signed this petition: “Prevent Donald Trump from making a State Visit to the United Kingdom. The Government has responded to the petition you signed – “Prevent Donald Trump from making a State Visit to the United Kingdom.”. Government responded: HM Government believes the President of the United States should be extended the full courtesy of a State Visit. We look forward to welcoming President Trump once dates and arrangements are finalised. HM Government recognises the strong views expressed by the many signatories of this petition, but does not support this petition. During her visit to the United States on 27 January 2017, the Prime Minister, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, invited President Trump for a State Visit to the UK later this year. The invitation was accepted. This invitation reflects the importance of the relationship between the United States of America and the United Kingdom. At this stage, final dates have not yet been agreed for the State Visit. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Click this link to view the response online: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/171928?reveal_response=yes This petition has over 100,000 signatures. The Petitions Committee will consider it for a debate. They can also gather further evidence and press the government for action. The Committee is made up of 11 MPs, from political parties in government and in opposition. It is entirely independent of the Government. Find out more about the Committee: https://petition.parliament.uk/help#petitions-committee Thanks, The Petitions team UK Government and Parliament

Different dance

Kind of a different post tonight, only because I fancied a change. Tomorrow is valentine's day, or as I renamed it hallmark holiday no1. Despite being married and having had boyfriends I detest the day. The reason for this is so very complex, but I know I'm not the only one.

Apart from Christmas it is notorious for making the most number of people feel lonely, isolated and unloved. If that isn't a bad enough reason, then it should be. The other is it a completely warped history of the saint, for commercial gain. Second only to Christmas is religion manipulated to commercialism. Here is a quick history of the saint.

Valentine was eventually caught, imprisoned and tortured for performing marriage ceremonies against command of Emperor Claudius the second. There are legends surrounding Valentine's actions while in prison.

"One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law at the time was a man called Asterius, whose daughter was blind. He was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became Christian as a result."

In the year 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution of a beating, stoning, and finally decapitation all because of his stand for Christian marriage. The story goes that the last words he wrote were in a note to Asterius' daughter. He inspired today's romantic missives by signing it, "from your Valentine."

Really cheerful isn't it. Hardly the stuff of red roses, stuffed bears etc. It's a story of suffering and sacrifice for the sake of others.not trying to impress by material gain. 

I remember working in an office were it was a sign of your status how many bunches of flowers were delivered to the workplace. Although I went absolutely mental one year when I couldn't get round my teams desk for interflora deliveries and a life size bear that was a giant fire hazard. Not to mention of the sugar high my team was on for the next 24 hours topped up with cheap plonk overnight. I have to admit I burst that balloon literally and metaphorically, by banning any deliveries to my team during work hours. Not because I hated the fun of it, but for the negative effect it had on others who had no deliveries or choose to keep their lives private.

Apart from that it was the sheer expense of money wasted. If you really love someone, why do you have to break the bank on an overpriced meal, crowed with others all doing the same, or roses that suddenly double in price and are totally out of season. Why not surprise them any time with a posy of their favourite flowers after a hard day, or a day out alone with a quiet meal in and uncrowded restaurant on your anniversary? Why wait till a day in your office calender reminds you of the token spending required?

St Valentine was a priest who gave his life to allow other to love. So in his memory would it not be nicer to take the money you would waste on a bunch of flowers that will be dead by Saturday, and instead give it to a charity in your other half's name. Or just perform a random act of kindness to a stranger. They are more fitting to remember the day and a lot less dividing but more uniting.

From my bed here in London happy valentines day,may your life's be filled by knowing you are loved.

Brain overload

Dorothy: "How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?"

Scarecrow: "I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?"

The wizard of Oz

I guess today I was wondering where to go now. Having one of those moments when the anger has been replaced with nothing but a void of emotion. Even watching the baftas failed to stir my blood.

I had hit that point of emotion exhaustion that left me totally drained and to be honest done with this world. Fed up of governments antagonising each other at the expense of the human race. I wouldn't say I was ready to check out but I was close to being asked to be put on ice.

 Then I started watching 127 hours, hardly a feel good movie, but it worked. It worked at getting my depressed brain back into the realms of uncomfortable resistance. It's horrifying to think that this film is real and as close to watching the event as I ever want to be. It reminds me of schlinders list and the effect that had on me. The only other film I've filed in my life as no need to rematch unless I have completely lost touch with reality. Both films thanks to stunning performances and excellent film making, have the ability to take me down to the rawest of emotions.

Based on that I started thinking what would lift not just me but those who choose to read what I wrote? What could claw back an element of humour and so this page has got a few quotes to help this.

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

– Gandalf, from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

I did this with the intention of saying sure we all have our down moments. Tiredness can leave even the best of drained. But that's the whole point of the arts. To revive us, to guide us, inspire us and when needed to uplift us. Although neither of my previous mentioned films are what I would call uplifting, they are a sure good kick in the arse. Unless like me you have vertigo then maybe exchange 127 hours for something as my stomach is still wishing film was as realistic as it now is. But then maybe I needed to be scared stupid at that particular moment.

The whole point is history is constructed by struggles of the human race. We are facing a struggle like people before us did and unfortunately probably people after us will. History is full of it on a global, national and personal level. Maybe we have all got a little complacent in the last 50 years. We have forgotten the struggles of the last two world wars and left it as footnotes in history. There a few left who remember real hardship on mass like they knew during the 40s? Maybe we got careless about our right to vote and choose who we let loose with our democracy?

All in all I think this is all ours wake up call and the alarm bells is ringing loudly folks. So yes if it gets you down take a time out, not a check out. Find something that will give you that kick you need and dust yourself off. It's only right we keep resisting until our goal is achieved or our last breath exhaled.

."Most people live life on the path we set for them. Too afraid to explore any other. But once in a while people like you come along and knock down all the obstacles we put in your way. People who realise free will is a gift that you'll never know how to use until you fight for it." The Adjustment Bureau

Resist the clandestine attacks

To suffer woes which Hope thinks infinite;
To forgive wrongs darker than death or night;
To defy Power, which seems omnipotent;
To love, and bear; to hope till Hope creates
From it's own wreck the thing it contemplates;
Neither to change, not falter, nor repent;
This, like thy glory, Titan, is to be
Good, great and joyous,beautiful and free;
This is alone Life, Joy, Empire, and Victory

Percy Bysshe Shelley

There are a lot of quotes and catch phrases going around, but for some reason I was looking for something more substantial. Something that can turn a negative into a positive. So I went fishing in my Byron and Shelley and found this.

It got me thinking, about the eras of the great poets. The metaphysical poets who lived and wrote in a time when we as a country were swinging between  Catholic and protestant on the whim of the monarch of the time. Then you have the likes of Byron and Shelley and the climate of social upheaval they were living through. Through both periods there was also the very obvious outbreaks of talent in composition and playwright. It's like oppression breeds talent.

Now I studied various arts to varying levels and one of the constant questions is what are the authors trying to project in this piece. But looking at it a different way is it not what they are trying to say but rather what do they feel the need to say?

Another key author who uses the times of oppression is John Steinbeck and his dust bowl trilogy. I always struggling when I had to read of mice and men because I couldn't understand the treatment of Lenny to the point it made me mad with anger. But I went back to it and dubious battle recently and released my anger was because for a brief moment we had moved on from that mentally. Unfortunately recently we have taken a massive leap backwards and those issues are now relevant again.

To be honest I am really scared I will have to reread the great gatsby, a book I loathe, if we take any more leaps backwards. But it is frightening how perceptive some of these artists are at the underlying struggle of the masses when things go horribly wrong. And while the world is paddling furiously to stay afloat great artists emerge to document, create, notated and reflect in the most beautiful way imaginable.

Each has a different style and thus capture the times in different focuses, Remember Constable and Turner were contemporaries as much as Mozart and Haydn were. Very very different styles but both reflections of their social existence. Some people opt to follow the Haydon or Constable fashion, calm, pleasant not wave making focus on the positive, others myself included go the Turner Mozart route of blatantly defying and questioning the conventional. But both ways are just as valid and both offer the same thing. Comfort and reassurance there is a way forward.

The arts in turbulent times are often at their peak, for they are at the core of the resistance. When all else is crumbling and the oppression is being sneaky and achieving their objectives by every means fair and foul. The clandestine attacks are meet, documented and exposed by several if not all the arts. Hence you will find a lot of the great artists of the time being the most vocal. The birth of social media is making this even more obvious with their direct call to arms. They are aware of their audience and choose to help educate them. 

The best way to sum other up is remember any great leader can be brought to his knees by the skill of humour from the jester.

Some wise advice

I don't usually do this but I believe it's a message we can all use.




Wise advice From Bernice king..MLK and Coretta's daughter... (and thank you Judy Epstein for sharing)
Some Wise Advice Circulating:
1. Don't use his name
2. Remember this is a regime and he's not acting alone
3. Do not argue with those who support him--it doesn't work
4. Focus on his policies, not his orange-ness and mental state
5. Keep your message positive...they want the country to be angry and fearful because this is the soil from which their
darkest policies will grow
6. No more helpless/hopeless talk
7. Support artists and the arts
8. Be careful not to spread fake news. Check it!
9. Take care of yourselves
10. Resist!
Keep demonstrations peaceful. In the words of John Lennon, "When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game. The establishment will irritate you - pull your beard, flick your face - to make you fight! Because once they’ve got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don’t know how to handle is non-violence and humor."
When you post or talk about him, don't assign his actions to him, assign them to
"The Republican Administration," or "The Republicans."
This will have several effects: the Republican legislators will either have to take responsibility for their association with him or stand up for what some of them don't like; he will not get the focus of attention he craves; Republican representatives will become very concerned about their re-elections"
Despair is not an option! Be active! Be pro-active!
COPY AND PASTE- DON'T SHARE! GET IT TO THE WIDEST AUDIENCE POSSIBLE!

Many snowflakes make a winter storm

I have been hunting for days to find the origin of this use of the word snowflake, and there seems to be no derivative answer, no one person to blame for coining the phrase. Probable a good thing as at the moment the use of such a term is making my blood boil. More than any other slang term I have had thrown at me for some reason. But I can't work out why such an innocent term is causing such a violent emotional outburst.

There have been many times such slang has been thrown about to define a generation who care to fight back. But none as offensive as snowflake ! For it makes us sound like something transparent and delicate that easily melts and goes away. It's the most insulting of slang, that I have heard for years so like the LGBTQA community fought back but embracing certain terms used against them I seek to start the same process.

For a start let's look at the real definition of the word snowflake.

A snowflake is either a single ice crystal or an aggregation of ice crystals which falls through the Earth's atmosphere as snow.^[1] Each flake nucleates around a dust particle insupersaturated air masses by attracting supercooled cloud water droplets, which freezeand accrete in crystal form. Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through differing temperature and humidity zones in the atmosphere, such that individual snowflakes differ in detail from one another, but may be categorized in eight broad classifications and at least 80 individual variants. The main constituent shapes for ice crystals, from which combinations may occur, are needle, column, plate and rime. Snowflakes appear white in color despite being made of clear ice. This is due to diffuse reflection of the whole spectrum of light by the small crystal facets. ^[2]

Once snowflakes land and accumulate, they undergo metamorphosis with changes in temperature and coalesce into a snowpack. The characteristics of the snowpack reflect the changed nature of the constituent snow crystals.

When it's broken down like this there are a few positives we can us to turn this on the people who are using to spite us. For a start the snowflake is defined as having complex shapes. A good way of describing the human race, each individual and complex. The snow flake is created by moving through different temperature and humidities, another good description of how a human is created, by traveling through life. The description of a snowflake continues by saying there is a broad 8 deferentials with 80 sub definition. Again as generalise as different geographical origins of humans, or even cultures. 

But the bit I love the most is the way the description says a snowflake is constructed to defuse the whole spectrum of light. Now that is the biggest compliment anyone to say they are able to defuse and reflectthe entire spectrum. Now that makes the biggest insult become the biggest compliment.

Now take one little snow flake all on its own, and it doesn't achieve much other than to look pretty. However many many many flakes all united in the same place at the same time and the effects can vary from mild inconvenience to total chaos with results varying in levels of destruction. As one human shouting on their own does little but a lot gathered together can destroy. A snowstorm can blind anyone, freeze everything  and destroy anything it is way, as long as the climate allows.

Now think about calling so many upset and offended humans snowflakes, in a climate of political and social unrest? You are creating your own snowstorm, with possible repercussions of equal devastion to the system.

Ok I'm still not happy about being called a delicate little snowflake, but at least I know know i a one little flake in a winters torment, and this storming is brewing for the perfect moment to hit and cause complete chaos. Welcome to our winter.

Practice empathy promote equality

I saw those words at the end of a video about what not say to wheel chair uses. But it's a message we could all use in our daily lives.

Empathy is a tricky quality to add to your lives. It's that fine line between sympathy and not becoming condescending. They actually run courses on it if you work in sales. So you can see its often used as tool rather than a human quality. But true Empathy comes from the heart, it's the ability to be able to see and address a person as a human equal without any focus or distraction to any difference. It means you are talking soul to soul without noticing the shell. It's a case of look but don't see, the physical that is. The sentence "oh but I don't see....." May sound the best empathic sentence when in fact it is the most patronising and over privileged sentence known to man. This way a point highlighted to me, the mean fact a person feels the need to use such a sentence takes any empathy and turns into at best sympathy and worse undermining patronising falseness.

Empathy isn't something you can say or even sell, it is something you project. Despite the endless courses I have attended to teach me how to use it to close a sale, it's utter rubbish as it's something that can't be used in any pitch. It's constructed from repeating daily actions. From your eye contact in the street saying good morning, to inviting friends to a match. It's only when we are truly empathic that we are truly promoting equality. But it's hard for us to practise as we on an average are privileged and by that alone it creates a mental barrier. Only when we realise what our privilege is can we learn to overcome such a mental divide and become a whole human without prejudice.