Hello,
This is one of these rambling blog posts about little of any real importance to those of you in the non-Clairwil community but may it comfort you to know rambling pleases me.
Obviously a proper writer would find some way to link their personal situation to Gordon Brown or some other drain on the nations joy. It's bloody typical of me to become quite upbeat when everyone else is walking around with their faces tripping them because blighty has gone to the dogs.
I suspect it's the thrill of the new that's put a spring in my step. Recently I met a Lady as in a member of the aristocracy. I thought she was top form and not at all snooty -though very, very posh indeed. Obviously I felt like a bit of a midden in comparison and experienced several cold sweats about doing something non-u with an imaginary serviette. Still when all is said and done I do not believe my conduct besmirched the reputation of the lower middle classes. No doubt a huge parade of casual racism and curtain twitching will be held in my honour when the sixties semi set get wind of it.
I'm actually feeling rather aristocratic myself following mother's announcement that my granny's books are to be disposed of . Mind you, unlike the real aristocrats I don't even have the option of involving the Scottish National Trust
My inheritance snatched from me by an unfeeling feng-shui practitioner. Instead of expressing my true feelings on the subject I have opted for damage limitation. To date I think I have saved the poetry, The Book of Snobs , Three Men In a Boat and a P.G Wodehouse that I believe is in the collection but no one else does. I have also petitioned for the sale of the rest since their presence is such an affront. I cannot bear to see those damp smelling, dusty hardbacks binned.
They aren't just objects or clutter they are the library of a clever, curious woman forced to leave school at thirteen because of a lack of money, who rather than just whine about the injustice chose to combine rage with lifelong self -education. I think there is a lot to admire in that, however difficult and bitter she was on a personal level. Who can blame her? Virtually all her siblings won scholarships and went on to better things while she became a servant. You'd think Mummy would be delighted with such a legacy but no. On she trundles in her quest to leave nothing but a crap pebble-dashed semi.
Recently I've taken up yon knitting which I'm finding restful and tricky in equal measure. I cannot move for tripping over knitting needles holding the beginnings of bears, snoods, cats, balls and caterpillars. Sadly despite my best efforts crochet eludes me. For now.
My gardening, fund raising and bulb planting mission continues and whilst I think we shall fall short of the big target having been very badly let down here and there, both I and my partner in gardening crime have exceeded our targets and between us brought in a cool 7000 bulbs. All donations are gratefully received but we were particularly impressed by the good folk of the North Kelvin Meadow pitching in with £50 and priceless free labour with yesterdays planting. This donation was particularly touching because the city council are in the process of removing them from the land to sell the land to folk who will build a block of flats that are neither wanted or desirable in that area. Depressing stuff.
Strangely the council think my troop of guerrillas are just the ticket and have offered us all sorts of much needed help. Better still we're more or less a constituted group which means we can apply for funding. My aim has always been for the group to become a full time occupation -let's face it there's plenty neglected land that needs our attention. However I'd like us to at least generate most of our own income and just top up with grants and the like. Between us all we've a million plans and hopefully we're at a point where they might just be possible. All in all I'm happy.
Cheerio
11/15/2009
The Britblog Round Up
Hello,
As my longer term readers will have noticed it's been a while since I last hosted The Britblog Round Up. Having quit to spend Sunday offline a while back I found I was missing it and decided to offer my services on the subs bench so this may be the first of many infrequent returns of the round up to these pages.
As an island we've not had an awful lot of good news recently so it was nice to round the week off with rugby victories for both Scotland and England. The less said about Scotland's footballing performance the better so let's just say well done Wales and move swiftly on to the cream of this weeks blogging talent.
Gordon Brown's attempt to comfort the grieving mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan or more accurately The Sun's attempt to portray his letter as a calculated insult caused a stooshie this week. Whilst Brown elicited sympathy from both expected and unexpected quarters. A Very British Dude felt that despite his initial sympathy for Brown the row did reveal something rotten in the governments attitude towards our armed services and brought to mind some of the governments own past dirty tricks. My take on the whole debacle can be found below.
The Sun hasn't just been upsetting Gordon Brown this week. Both Trixy and Mark Reckons are disgusted at the papers targeting of Professor Nutt's children. Judging from some of the comments under the original Sun story it appears that the paper has again misjudged the mood of it's readers.
Penny Red treats us to a spirited defence of a young woman who had the effrontery to horse about in a pair of comedy pants on a night out only to find she'd become the poster child for hysteria over binge drinking ladettes.
The Glasgow North East by election has caught the attention of more than one blogger. David Duff wonders if there's something in the porridge. Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting is unsurprised by the result. Meanwhile Archbishop Cranmer reminds us that the poor will always be with us and judging from his depressing, if informative list, mainly found in safe Labour seats.
Speaking of poverty The Daily Maybe present the argument for a possible solution in the shape of a basic citizens income for all.
Philibiblon examines what 'Martine Segalen’s Love and Power in the Peasant Family: Rural France in the Nineteenth Century' has to tell the reader about French rural life. Meanwhile Investigations of a Dog looks at military culture in early Stuart England as detailed in a very expensive book.
Stroppyblog is less than impressed with Hope Not Hate's attempts to head off the BNP threat and wonders why their literature appears to be aimed at people who probably wouldn't vote BNP anyway . Elsewhese Gramsci of all folk get's an outing thanks to an article by Melanie Phillips. Liberal Conspiracy and Bella Gerens take a look at the arguments.
This post from the F-word prompts one to wonder what on earth goes at E4 and appears to reveal some strange and disturbing attitudes in the minds of the writers of Misfits.
This Tory believes that government attempts to protect homosexuals will do more harm than good. Read his letter to Jack Straw here.
Ruscombe Green brings us news of lively events at Stroud Council.
The Earthenwitch renders a cob house. On the bright side judging from the picture it looks like the end result will be well worth all the effort.
Ducks the nation over will breathe a sigh of relief that not only do they have a friend in Liberal England but in the Stroud Fire Service . However they may wish to scratch the Taxpayers Alliance off the Christmas card list.
The ever popular subject of chocolate get's two mentions this week. Unmitigated England is gloomy at the looming prospect of the Kraft takeover of Cadburys. Meanwhile Backwatersman recalls a visit to Cadbury World.
Pickled Politics bring us a depressing account of good conduct well punished. Truly British justice is the best in the world.
No less depressing is this one that goes, a blogger an architect, a civil servant, a marketing manager and a councillor go into a bar.....
From the threatened demise of Cadburys as we know it to the threatened end of the world.
Two Doctors is unimpressed with the arguments put forward by climate change sceptics and those who believe disaster will be averted by the end of cheap oil.
Punkadiddle re-reads a much loved classic and judges the cover to be a very lovely thing indeed.
Heresy Corner reports on the computer that said no to Churchill's call to fight on the beaches and is not optimistic about the ability of computers to cope with complex marking.
Finally allow me to apologise for the delay in posting this weeks round up -Blogger had one of it's periodic fits apparently prompted by my hitting of the publish button. The Round up will be elsewhere next week so get your nominations in here.
Cheerio
As my longer term readers will have noticed it's been a while since I last hosted The Britblog Round Up. Having quit to spend Sunday offline a while back I found I was missing it and decided to offer my services on the subs bench so this may be the first of many infrequent returns of the round up to these pages.
As an island we've not had an awful lot of good news recently so it was nice to round the week off with rugby victories for both Scotland and England. The less said about Scotland's footballing performance the better so let's just say well done Wales and move swiftly on to the cream of this weeks blogging talent.
Gordon Brown's attempt to comfort the grieving mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan or more accurately The Sun's attempt to portray his letter as a calculated insult caused a stooshie this week. Whilst Brown elicited sympathy from both expected and unexpected quarters. A Very British Dude felt that despite his initial sympathy for Brown the row did reveal something rotten in the governments attitude towards our armed services and brought to mind some of the governments own past dirty tricks. My take on the whole debacle can be found below.
The Sun hasn't just been upsetting Gordon Brown this week. Both Trixy and Mark Reckons are disgusted at the papers targeting of Professor Nutt's children. Judging from some of the comments under the original Sun story it appears that the paper has again misjudged the mood of it's readers.
Penny Red treats us to a spirited defence of a young woman who had the effrontery to horse about in a pair of comedy pants on a night out only to find she'd become the poster child for hysteria over binge drinking ladettes.
The Glasgow North East by election has caught the attention of more than one blogger. David Duff wonders if there's something in the porridge. Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting is unsurprised by the result. Meanwhile Archbishop Cranmer reminds us that the poor will always be with us and judging from his depressing, if informative list, mainly found in safe Labour seats.
Speaking of poverty The Daily Maybe present the argument for a possible solution in the shape of a basic citizens income for all.
Philibiblon examines what 'Martine Segalen’s Love and Power in the Peasant Family: Rural France in the Nineteenth Century' has to tell the reader about French rural life. Meanwhile Investigations of a Dog looks at military culture in early Stuart England as detailed in a very expensive book.
Stroppyblog is less than impressed with Hope Not Hate's attempts to head off the BNP threat and wonders why their literature appears to be aimed at people who probably wouldn't vote BNP anyway . Elsewhese Gramsci of all folk get's an outing thanks to an article by Melanie Phillips. Liberal Conspiracy and Bella Gerens take a look at the arguments.
This post from the F-word prompts one to wonder what on earth goes at E4 and appears to reveal some strange and disturbing attitudes in the minds of the writers of Misfits.
This Tory believes that government attempts to protect homosexuals will do more harm than good. Read his letter to Jack Straw here.
Ruscombe Green brings us news of lively events at Stroud Council.
The Earthenwitch renders a cob house. On the bright side judging from the picture it looks like the end result will be well worth all the effort.
Ducks the nation over will breathe a sigh of relief that not only do they have a friend in Liberal England but in the Stroud Fire Service . However they may wish to scratch the Taxpayers Alliance off the Christmas card list.
The ever popular subject of chocolate get's two mentions this week. Unmitigated England is gloomy at the looming prospect of the Kraft takeover of Cadburys. Meanwhile Backwatersman recalls a visit to Cadbury World.
Pickled Politics bring us a depressing account of good conduct well punished. Truly British justice is the best in the world.
No less depressing is this one that goes, a blogger an architect, a civil servant, a marketing manager and a councillor go into a bar.....
From the threatened demise of Cadburys as we know it to the threatened end of the world.
Two Doctors is unimpressed with the arguments put forward by climate change sceptics and those who believe disaster will be averted by the end of cheap oil.
Punkadiddle re-reads a much loved classic and judges the cover to be a very lovely thing indeed.
Heresy Corner reports on the computer that said no to Churchill's call to fight on the beaches and is not optimistic about the ability of computers to cope with complex marking.
Finally allow me to apologise for the delay in posting this weeks round up -Blogger had one of it's periodic fits apparently prompted by my hitting of the publish button. The Round up will be elsewhere next week so get your nominations in here.
Cheerio
11/10/2009
I think I'm having a nervous breakdown!
Hello,
I'm not actually all that unhappy, in fact I'm quite perky but some very strange things have been happening over the last few days. I flick on the telly and find the death penalty has be reinstated and Garry Glitter has a fatal appointment with the noose. The last time I was that shocked was when I absent mindedly fell asleep in front of the telly only to wake up and see a fellow being hanged. It turned out it was Saddam Hussein but it was still a shock and quite upsetting at such an early hour. Apparently it had to be shown on telly in case the Iraqis thought we were pulling their leg -like the WMD prank we pulled a while back. As I was alone in a hotel in Rotterdam at the time I don't see why arrangements couldn't have been made not to broadcast to my room. I did not have so much as one sceptical Iraqi in my room and would have believed the news had it been conveyed in writing.
Anyway to return to our fallen leader, Mr Glitter it would appear that the whole programme was set in a parallel Britain and that he's in rude health and free to worry the nation's nursery schools of a morning. I don't hold with child molestation but you have to hand it to him he is the only rock star to ever truly outrage public morality. With regard to the programme they'd have been better fictionally hanging the Kray twins. I have noticed a strange love of the Krays amongst fans of hanging, it would have been interesting to see their reaction to that one.
As if the whole Glitter hanging business wasn't enough I then find myself on the same side of an argument as Councillor Terry Kelly and Gordon Brown. I refer of course to the current debacle over the PM's handwriting and spelling. I should of course declare that I have a certain empathy with this situation my failure to close O's has brought more than one member of the educational establishment to the brink of madness. You can tell looking at Brown he has crap handwriting, a messy desk and he forgets where he put things. Even as we speak he's probably standing in his kitchen gawping at a stapler wondering how the bloody hell it and he got there.
When Brown took over I can't say I was delighted but I drew a certain comfort from the fact that he looked like a man who, if questioned, could not account for the whereabouts of his tie collection, unlike his predecessor who looked like the sort of man who kept them in individual Tupperware boxes stacked in order of purchase.
There is also the matter of Brown being somewhat short sighted what with the unfortunate loss of an eye and deteriorating sight in the other. He probably can't see what's wrong with his handwriting. Literally.
The way The Sun are hyping this story up you'd think all was sweetness and light in Blighty, that everyone was happy with the government and we all thought Afghanistan was a spiffing adventure abroad for thrill seeking young lads. Good God! Unemployment is rampant, the army are in Afghanistan armed with peashooters fighting a pointless war in which we're going to be humped and in the midst of all this misery the government plan to go after the disabled and their carers again in their completely wrong headed attempt at welfare reform and Britain's most widely read newspaper is in a strop about the prime ministers handwriting.
The one thing The Sun could usefully do is call attention to the poor pay, poor accommodation and poor equipment of our armed forces. They could really go mad and question what in God's name we're doing out there. They could even question why so many ex-military are homeless or receiving such shocking physical and mental care in the community. They could do a lot of things, a lot of good populist easily understandable things but instead we are treated to the grotesque spectacle of a mother mad with grief lashing out at one of many right targets for the wrong reasons, exploited to sell a few rags for Rupert. The whole thing is quite shameful.
Cheerio
I'm not actually all that unhappy, in fact I'm quite perky but some very strange things have been happening over the last few days. I flick on the telly and find the death penalty has be reinstated and Garry Glitter has a fatal appointment with the noose. The last time I was that shocked was when I absent mindedly fell asleep in front of the telly only to wake up and see a fellow being hanged. It turned out it was Saddam Hussein but it was still a shock and quite upsetting at such an early hour. Apparently it had to be shown on telly in case the Iraqis thought we were pulling their leg -like the WMD prank we pulled a while back. As I was alone in a hotel in Rotterdam at the time I don't see why arrangements couldn't have been made not to broadcast to my room. I did not have so much as one sceptical Iraqi in my room and would have believed the news had it been conveyed in writing.
Anyway to return to our fallen leader, Mr Glitter it would appear that the whole programme was set in a parallel Britain and that he's in rude health and free to worry the nation's nursery schools of a morning. I don't hold with child molestation but you have to hand it to him he is the only rock star to ever truly outrage public morality. With regard to the programme they'd have been better fictionally hanging the Kray twins. I have noticed a strange love of the Krays amongst fans of hanging, it would have been interesting to see their reaction to that one.
As if the whole Glitter hanging business wasn't enough I then find myself on the same side of an argument as Councillor Terry Kelly and Gordon Brown. I refer of course to the current debacle over the PM's handwriting and spelling. I should of course declare that I have a certain empathy with this situation my failure to close O's has brought more than one member of the educational establishment to the brink of madness. You can tell looking at Brown he has crap handwriting, a messy desk and he forgets where he put things. Even as we speak he's probably standing in his kitchen gawping at a stapler wondering how the bloody hell it and he got there.
When Brown took over I can't say I was delighted but I drew a certain comfort from the fact that he looked like a man who, if questioned, could not account for the whereabouts of his tie collection, unlike his predecessor who looked like the sort of man who kept them in individual Tupperware boxes stacked in order of purchase.
There is also the matter of Brown being somewhat short sighted what with the unfortunate loss of an eye and deteriorating sight in the other. He probably can't see what's wrong with his handwriting. Literally.
The way The Sun are hyping this story up you'd think all was sweetness and light in Blighty, that everyone was happy with the government and we all thought Afghanistan was a spiffing adventure abroad for thrill seeking young lads. Good God! Unemployment is rampant, the army are in Afghanistan armed with peashooters fighting a pointless war in which we're going to be humped and in the midst of all this misery the government plan to go after the disabled and their carers again in their completely wrong headed attempt at welfare reform and Britain's most widely read newspaper is in a strop about the prime ministers handwriting.
The one thing The Sun could usefully do is call attention to the poor pay, poor accommodation and poor equipment of our armed forces. They could really go mad and question what in God's name we're doing out there. They could even question why so many ex-military are homeless or receiving such shocking physical and mental care in the community. They could do a lot of things, a lot of good populist easily understandable things but instead we are treated to the grotesque spectacle of a mother mad with grief lashing out at one of many right targets for the wrong reasons, exploited to sell a few rags for Rupert. The whole thing is quite shameful.
Cheerio
11/03/2009
The Value of Nothing!
Hello,
Having spent the best part of today trying to talk in a soothing manner to an extremely distressed and disturbed chap who is being driven mad by 'these waves' and believes that his appliances are telling him to kill people, I have gone from being quite cheery to despairing for humanity.
Not being at all qualified to deal with this sort of thing I confess I felt somewhat out of my depth. One wonders what was going on in his mind, though not have as much as I wonder what was going on the mind of the hero at the Jobcentre who sent this emaciated, unwashed and terrified soul over to me for advice on getting back into employment.
Actually I don't wonder what the walking empathy bypass at the Jobcentre was thinking at all. I should imagine it was their targets interspersed with dreams of spitting in the gruel in a workhouse. Funnily enough I have targets and the like to work to but felt rather than piss about telling the chap what 'in work benefits' he might be entitled to before rustling up a c.v I'd refer him to his GP by getting on the phone and using the skill of being reasonably articulate to arrange an urgent same day appointment.
No one dislikes people more than I do but even I can see that it's a terrible thing for a human being to be in such a state of distress and that it would be a worse thing if their television actually convinced them to do someone in. Even the tit at the Jobcentre. There is of course one's self image to think of. I'm sure both I and my chum at the DWP like to think we're not the sort of people who would take advantage of a mentally ill person for the sake of meeting some arbitrary target dreamt up by some overpaid nit who knows about as much about real life as I do about expenses fiddling.
Whilst I don't want to go sobbing all over the settee at other folks problems I think we might all rub along a bit better if certain folk considered the possibility from time to time that other peoples needs should perhaps come before their own. I do realise that whilst this chap is out of work he's costing us all money but I personally find the idea of a seriously ill person being harassed into employment for the sake of saving a few bob morally repugnant. Money is important and it's very useful at the shops but a person's worth cannot be determined solely by their economic worth. Good Heavens if people believed that they'd cheer when they hear about the deaths of those deemed economically worthless and no one has been that evil since we saw off Hitler.
Oh whoops a daisy! Would you believe it -the readers of the Daily Mail are in high spirits because an illegal immigrant has died from suffocation in the back of a lorry? Obviously pussy lefties and other assorted lunatics think it's awful that someone died in this way. Some freaks might even feel a bit of sympathy for someone who's circumstances were so grim that they were prepared to risk their life in the hope of bettering their lot. In fact one might even shud an awful shudder imagining the slow death one of their fellow human beings has had.
Still not all the Mail readers are breaking out the champagne. Whilst Martyn Robinson of Northampton believes this mans death has saved us a 'house, car and free money' and Keith Jones of Porthcawl feels it is 'good news. One less to worry about', Crackers of Yorkshire reminds us that it's only 'one down, millions to go'. Similarly downbeat is Eduoard Dunnachie of Carnwath who is upset that this country may be 'liable for disposing of his corpse'.
It may surprise you to learn that these were the comments that made it past the moderators. The mind boggles at what they felt was unfit to publish. Let's hope none of the chaps family are online Mail readers
One can't even excuse these comments as being from people who feel strongly about immigration and are angry at the governments record on border control. Someone who felt like that would I imagine be calling for tighter controls in the hope that these would deter people from trying their luck. They may also demand much stiffer penalties for people convicted of people smuggling. And all of those would be fairly sensible and defensible positions.
They don't even work as bad taste jokes or black humour. Can any passing boffin who may have arrived her to sneer at me advise me what the origins of this madness are? When did people start weighing the worth of their fellow humans solely in cash? If I find out these are the same folk who bang on about there being no sense of community anymore heads will roll.
Excuse me I'm off to live in a cabin in the woods with only foxes and wood pigeons for company before you monsters all deem me 'nil economic value' and sell me for glue. It's a terrifying day when I of all people am forced to call on people to try and be a bit nicer. At the very least people could try sugaring the pill with a few jokes.
Cheerio
Having spent the best part of today trying to talk in a soothing manner to an extremely distressed and disturbed chap who is being driven mad by 'these waves' and believes that his appliances are telling him to kill people, I have gone from being quite cheery to despairing for humanity.
Not being at all qualified to deal with this sort of thing I confess I felt somewhat out of my depth. One wonders what was going on in his mind, though not have as much as I wonder what was going on the mind of the hero at the Jobcentre who sent this emaciated, unwashed and terrified soul over to me for advice on getting back into employment.
Actually I don't wonder what the walking empathy bypass at the Jobcentre was thinking at all. I should imagine it was their targets interspersed with dreams of spitting in the gruel in a workhouse. Funnily enough I have targets and the like to work to but felt rather than piss about telling the chap what 'in work benefits' he might be entitled to before rustling up a c.v I'd refer him to his GP by getting on the phone and using the skill of being reasonably articulate to arrange an urgent same day appointment.
No one dislikes people more than I do but even I can see that it's a terrible thing for a human being to be in such a state of distress and that it would be a worse thing if their television actually convinced them to do someone in. Even the tit at the Jobcentre. There is of course one's self image to think of. I'm sure both I and my chum at the DWP like to think we're not the sort of people who would take advantage of a mentally ill person for the sake of meeting some arbitrary target dreamt up by some overpaid nit who knows about as much about real life as I do about expenses fiddling.
Whilst I don't want to go sobbing all over the settee at other folks problems I think we might all rub along a bit better if certain folk considered the possibility from time to time that other peoples needs should perhaps come before their own. I do realise that whilst this chap is out of work he's costing us all money but I personally find the idea of a seriously ill person being harassed into employment for the sake of saving a few bob morally repugnant. Money is important and it's very useful at the shops but a person's worth cannot be determined solely by their economic worth. Good Heavens if people believed that they'd cheer when they hear about the deaths of those deemed economically worthless and no one has been that evil since we saw off Hitler.
Oh whoops a daisy! Would you believe it -the readers of the Daily Mail are in high spirits because an illegal immigrant has died from suffocation in the back of a lorry? Obviously pussy lefties and other assorted lunatics think it's awful that someone died in this way. Some freaks might even feel a bit of sympathy for someone who's circumstances were so grim that they were prepared to risk their life in the hope of bettering their lot. In fact one might even shud an awful shudder imagining the slow death one of their fellow human beings has had.
Still not all the Mail readers are breaking out the champagne. Whilst Martyn Robinson of Northampton believes this mans death has saved us a 'house, car and free money' and Keith Jones of Porthcawl feels it is 'good news. One less to worry about', Crackers of Yorkshire reminds us that it's only 'one down, millions to go'. Similarly downbeat is Eduoard Dunnachie of Carnwath who is upset that this country may be 'liable for disposing of his corpse'.
It may surprise you to learn that these were the comments that made it past the moderators. The mind boggles at what they felt was unfit to publish. Let's hope none of the chaps family are online Mail readers
One can't even excuse these comments as being from people who feel strongly about immigration and are angry at the governments record on border control. Someone who felt like that would I imagine be calling for tighter controls in the hope that these would deter people from trying their luck. They may also demand much stiffer penalties for people convicted of people smuggling. And all of those would be fairly sensible and defensible positions.
They don't even work as bad taste jokes or black humour. Can any passing boffin who may have arrived her to sneer at me advise me what the origins of this madness are? When did people start weighing the worth of their fellow humans solely in cash? If I find out these are the same folk who bang on about there being no sense of community anymore heads will roll.
Excuse me I'm off to live in a cabin in the woods with only foxes and wood pigeons for company before you monsters all deem me 'nil economic value' and sell me for glue. It's a terrifying day when I of all people am forced to call on people to try and be a bit nicer. At the very least people could try sugaring the pill with a few jokes.
Cheerio
11/02/2009
Look!
Hello,
It's not the most startling or original observation in the world but I am compelled to repeat it -Sting and his awful wife are tools of the devil. Look at them. I've seen people assaulted for less. Come to think of it I've been assaulted for less.
Cheerio
It's not the most startling or original observation in the world but I am compelled to repeat it -Sting and his awful wife are tools of the devil. Look at them. I've seen people assaulted for less. Come to think of it I've been assaulted for less.
Cheerio
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