Always

He? courageously crawls out of his sick bed, presumably drags or wheels himself to his computer and there posts half a dozen or so utterly meaningless pictures.

He might force himself to heroically expend all his reserves of strength and consciousness typing as much as a whole paragraph telling us he has not been well.

And always he signs Namaste as though it conveys something mystical and magical...

Its been turning up, depending of course on his health...every month or so.

Few Things

I can think of few things more hurtful, heartbreaking than for someone, anyone to write a book, all the hundreds of pages and chapters of it, and have it declined by publishers, sometimes over and over again.

It doesn't matter what the story is or the subject, in each and every case a book is the outpouring of the author, published or not, bestseller or not is irrelevant. Someone put everything they had into their writing, their book! And then had to endure publishers refusal.

Thank goodness self publishing has grown to be very successful because I suspect the number of publishers who know what they're talking about is minus something.

I wish all, well most, writers luck in their efforts may they be successful and live happily ever after.

It says chapter thirty. I haven't read it so I don't have an opinion on good or bad and I don't know if it was published or if it was if it was a success. All I know is it has a feel in my mind at least of failure about it.

It seems to continue as this post is beginning to in a section from time to time I ask myself is it me, am I depressed and transferring my depression onto something completely removed from both me and depression, and does it matter.

Part of me thinks it should matter all who write alone for love of writing should matter because the world recognises only successful writers and authors and that matters. many writers confine their efforts to what they think, hope will be attractive to publishers, what that means is many books are clones of the last big hit, that means there is a lack of individuality, a lack of adventurism 

Flowery Poems

I don't write them I don't think I can. The idea of them intrigues me and I think I've tried to write such a poem once or twice. Eh, but my hearts not in it and my head is probably miles away.

I used to and from time to time do still enjoy writing, generally if I like the result I leave it alone, if I don't I'll play with it for hours. Some think that means I'm trying to correct punctuation or suchlike. As if! What in every case I actually do try to find is the rhythm. Its probably or almost certainly something each reader feels differently but its the difference in every case between success and failure.

Barbara Cartland wrote prolifically, well she had to she needed to finance her larger than life lifestyle, and she was utter, total crap. I read one book and it was enough. Even novels of historical romance need rhythm and if there was any rhythm in Barbara Cartland she kept it hidden from her books.

Georgette Heyer also wrote, not quite as prolifically but often, and I have read most if not all her books. She too wrote historical romances. The difference between Cartland and Heyer could be described as talent and rhythm, and a good sense of humour.

I'm not, don't even think it! comparing myself to either of them I'm saying that if you aint got rhythm in your words you aint got nuffin

It Seems

As if all my life I have avoided anything, everything I dislike and distrust, I don't know when I began I only know its been a part of me for as long as I can remember.

I don't obsessively clean, polish and sweep I equally obsessively won't touch anything or place I dislike. At work the hated task was always the last thing on my to do list and it could stay there days, weeks before I'd even look at it. At home, well, it never happened at home until I moved to Ireland but since a couple of years after my arrival it has been full on. Don't touch, don't clean, like the rest of the country let it rot around me.

I don't write flowery poems or reams of adventures there's actually not that much adventure in a bog and there are relatively few flowers particularly in my garden which is something else I stopped working on within a few years of moving here.

I can't see the point and I can't stand the feel. Almost the only things I do are feed cats, dogs and me. maybe its a breakdown but if it is the tendency was always there or perhaps the breakdown settles on the weakest point and strengthens it? I don't know and I don't care. I don't touch.

Its so Long

Since I cooked a roast dinner and I think its longer since I cooked cabbage (I'm in Ireland...) but today I did it and it is as they say like falling off a log How comes back to you as you peel and chop and shred.

Naturally I cooked chicken which I hasten to add is not for me the Chicken is for cats and dogs I'm having the vegetarian option. I had forgotten how much I like hot cabbage water I expect most people know what it tastes like but if you haven't tried it do its one of the best things about cabbage and when we were children we were told its good for us, so how can you go wrong.....

As far as I'm concerned its impossible to cook a roast dinner for one person and the good thing about that is I have plenty for bubble tomorrow and there is also plenty of chicken for cats and dogs.

Funny how a trip down memory lane improves your mood, provided its the right lane, and no I haven't forgotten Terry Pratchett I will return to the evil little runt in due course...

At First

I thought author and to some a demi God Terry Pratchett, a man whose work I had admired for years, couldn't possibly have been responsible. I like his work too much to easily believe that in real life he was just a nasty vindictive little squirt in dire need of a kick up the backside preferably before he shuffled off this mortal coil...

Good ole Terry was born in Beaconsfield said to be the richest town in England so I think its safe to say his relationship with the east end of London and specifically the cockney accent and phraseology was more 'borrowed' than born, of course he began his career as a journalist and that certainly should have warned everyone that a little light whoring on the back streets of authordom would not in anyway sense or form be beyond him.

I still find it hard to believe, more I find it incredible, add that to his totally arrogant false impression of me and its almost unbelievable. How could anyone supposedly clever and sympathetic to others be so wrong and so cowardly? Did he even expect I would be grateful? Of course he did I should be flattered to find myself alluded to in the ugliest most unflattering terms in his last book. I wish he were still alive I'd kill him.

The whole thing is a hideous criminal mess and I have had enough.

Public people like Terry Pratchett surrender some of their privacy its part of the price of fame, fans and fortune and is usually covered by carefully selected photo shoots and interviews when was the last time someone filmed Terry Pratchett while he was lisping incoherently or dribbling his dinner? Because that's what illegal filming does its nothing if it doesn't capture an indiscretion or an embarrassing moment. Protecting him from unfavourable publicity is why rich arrogant bastards who do Gods know what in private employ personal assistants and PR agencies.

Private individuals who have no desire to be famous and no money to finance PR spinners and tech experts are entitled to real, full privacy.  If someone famous has something to say derogatory or otherwise they should also have the courage to say it to the person concerned.

I said I loved his books, didn't hesitate, didn't say one, two or a dozen. I included all of them. Terry Pratchett did not live up to his own creations...He epitomizes the opposite of the socially caring equal society he invented.

Somewhere at the foot of every new book is a small paragraph declaring everything is fiction and does not relate to any living person. Its a fig leaf meant to allow a certain amount of licence.  Fucking hard luck when you are so arrogant and so consumed with dislike of your victim you effectively name them. What did he think she would be so flattered and so stupid she would do nothing?

Someone asked me, anonymously of course, if I had read any of the books he wrote in collaboration with others. I had not and still have not. Guess who is going to read those books now starting with the last one...

Write a review it said so I did...

I too have read all Terry Pratchett books and I find myself wondering how many people he abused in each of them. Is there a list somewhere? I'd like to see it.

Is it some kind of right authors or any old bloggers and journalists think they are entitled to? Whatever else I do I draw attention and you can't buy that you certainly can't lisp it through dementia.

I don't believe Terry Pratchett slavishly followed my every post, comment or tweet I think a 'fan' sent him the juiciest tidbits, possibly the same person who illegally filmed me and then equally illegally distributed the film

And, to add certainty to suspicion today 30/8/17 we are informed that in accordance with his 'wishes', Terry Pratchett several years into dementia was well enough to wish? Terry Pratchetts computers were destroyed obliterating any and all uncompleted books he'd started to write...And, sheer coincidence... his entire browsing history was also steamed naturally under a 1950s steam roller. I think 1950s was about the end of the steam roller era...

However I do feel fairly sure that if the evil pervert went anywhere online he left a trail, everyone does all he wrecked was his end and one day soon his for want of a better word, adventures will be found and fully broadcast

One other question bothers me a teensy bit: was Terry Pratchett straight? He couldn't write a husband and wife conversation. He couldn't write romance unless he stole from old films and books, and he was as vain as a page three model. Most odd. Most writers whatever their orientation can write romance they'd be unemployed if they couldn't.

However that's neither here nor there, what I care about is Terry Pratchett wrote about me which means he knew about me which means half written books were not the only things he wanted to remain hidden in his computer...

Which other author, poet or even lowest of the low journalist ordered that all his half finished writings be destroyed? As far as I can recall everyone of them want their writings preserved and permanently displayed in libraries and book shops.

Most if not all of his earlier Discworld books were built on metaphor after metaphor and colloquial phrase after colloquial phrase. No one resented it because the metaphors and phrases padded a good story and anyway almost every colloquial phrase was Cockney and who has ever cared about them, right? Thing about Cockney is you have to be, er, really up close and personal to get to know Cockney romantic phraseology...

Terry Pratchett couldn't do a Yorkshire accent. Its one of the reasons Raising Steam doesn't work as a book. The other reason of course is his continual abuse of someone he didn't know...

Terry Pratchett died on 12/03/2015 I first published this post on 13/08/2017 Today 30/08/2017 is the first time I've heard that Terry Pratchett asked that his computer/s including their browsing history be destroyed. No publicity? No coincidence? Someone is afraid and rightly so...

Terry Pratchett had something to hide and some of his criminal activity included watching illegal films.

28/12/17

I've mentioned this elsewhere before but it maybe more relevant here. I think some if not all of the criminal gang who took at least one illegal video of me maybe the kind of middle class, journalistic scum who believe everyone want's to be famous and I in particular 'borrowed' phrases from Terry Pratchetts books.

The ignorance of the Irish knows no depths. Terry Pratchett didn't invent cockney phrases he stole them from a world he never lived in but like all journalists thought he had the right to abuse, there are no new, original cockney sayings in any book written by Terry Pratchett he stole them all and whilst that in itself is not a crime assuming ownership is beyond arrogant. He didn't sue me or anyone for using cockney language - he'd have been laughed out of court if he'd tried

Some say and Terry Pratchett must have loved it and breathed a huge sigh of relief that the Discworld stories are based between New York and the East End of London. Not true. The location, style and all the phraseology are Cockney.

Pratchett couldn’t write without Cockney characters and language. His attempt, put it no higher, to copy Dickens was a total failure, and the reason is obvious. He couldn’t do period phraseology. Dodger is one of the worst, most tedious, incorrect books I’ve ever had to force myself to read. He lost the real East End and couldn’t recreate it.

As far as I know Pratchett wrote Dodger when he was bedeviled by dementia, it was no good asking any of his hangers on to help if they could write anything worth reading they’d have done that instead of hanging around a lisping, demented, vicious plagiarist.

I’ve not finished with Pratchett not by any manner or means.

TO BE CONTINUED - I MEAN THIS

When did Charity

Become a right, when did the weak, sick, disabled or just plain bone idle become entitled? I'm not trying (its not hard) to offend anyone I'm asking the question because it needs serious thought and a real answer.

As far as I can see the only people fully entitled to state or any aid are the tax payers, the contributors, those nondescript people who do nothing more offensive than work for decades and pay all their state and/or national taxes.

Tax evasion is a major problem so obviously anyone evading paying tax is not entitled to a damn thing, same applies to the so called 'legal' tax avoiders. Most of these creatures proclaim the right of people to receive benefits whilst simultaneously never contributing to the tax revenue required to give anyone anything.

Of course the same applies to any and all royalty they head as many charities as they can whilst never donating a thing. Nor do royals usually start a charity what they do is crawl on the back of the successful ones and proceed to smother it with establishment 'costs'.

Human Rights and charity are very close. I saw a video of a mother of FIFTEEN children demanding 'someone' pay her rent and feed, clothe and educate her kids. Amazing because it clearly hadn't occurred to this 'mother' that most people don't have FIFTEEN children because they can't afford to look after them.

And there is so much more, teachers and professors indoctrinating young children and college students into believing they are owed an education, a home and full healthcare, when in fact no one is, none of us are entitled to anything not a thing, and we need to recognise that because it seems to me the current generation of tax payers maybe the last one capable or willing to allow their money to be used to keep unemployed people and civil servants of whatever description in a luxury the people themselves can't afford.

We really need to look at the whole benefits and 'entitled' system its generosity is only possible by using the money other people worked hard for and using other peoples money to keep those who can't or won't work is the main reason for mass immigration. The effect of such 'generosity' is to endanger the European culture and the European race. Sometime soon someone is going to have to take a long hard look at what they've been doing and stop it.

And, before the usual suspects bleat about race, colour and religion. Its nothing to do with any of them, all of them are looking for the same thing and none are entitled to anything. 

Do Some of us

Regret not having children? I don't. Oh, I can see advantages, for a start I wouldn't have made some of the mistakes I've made. I would have made others perhaps more wounding mistakes for I would not have been a 'good' mother. Not by a long, long way.

Which is not to say I wouldn't have been a good mum in the accepted sense I would! Definitely and too much! I would have been such a good mother. Absolutely nothing even remotely risky would have been allowed near a child of mine. School would have been thoroughly vetted and closely watched and Gods help the teacher who upset a child of mine, and I mean that I was the sister who took a younger brother to nursery and stayed to make sure nothing happened to upset him, that's the protective tendency and it would have been taken to even greater extremes.

And then I would be too soft. No such thing as too sweet or too fattening and no such thing as 'eat your greens they're good for you', no do your homework or go to bed early you have to go to school tomorrow, my child would not have crossed the road alone. Truth is any poor kid I had would have been ruined before they were ten years old.

At least I recognised my own fallibility. I wouldn't have been a good mum. Not a chance. So, no I don't regret it not a bit. I would hate to look at an adult and know I'm responsible for all his or her faults and I would be I wouldn't have let anyone else get close.

I remember a girl I knew at junior school she was beautiful, blonde with hair her mum put in curls everyday. She was beautifully dressed and cared for. I can't be sure from this distance, we were not close friends but I think I envied her, her lovely hair and her beautiful clothes.

Some years later when presumably we were both working we met again and I was silently shocked. She looked older, hair unkempt, clothes less than clean and tidy. I don't know what if anything had gone wrong all I know is she was a beautiful child whose mum sent her to school looking perfect every day.

I've Been

Watching a couple of horses on you tube and two full length films.

First Secretariat the perfect horse

Second Seabiscuit a not so perfect horse, or so the experts believed.

What did they have in common and why did the film about Secretariat do less well at the box office than the film about Seabiscuit? Hmm, Secretariat born into horse racing aristocracy and looking it from his size, strength and demeanor. Owned and bred by a fine horse racing family.

Seabiscuit also born of horse racing aristocracy perhaps not as high up the chain as Secretariat but high enough to have value, so why didn't he? He was smaller but he's not the first horse or person to be bigger on the inside. Seabiscuit was the fabled David against Goliath and maybe people loved him because we're all David.

I never watch a horse race which is not to say I've not seen many I have, when I was a child the most TVs a family had was one and we all watched what our parents watched. Every Saturday and bank holiday my dad put an accumulator on at the bookies and so every Saturday and every bank holiday I saw horse races. I've seen Arkle, Red Rum, and so many others I can't remember

I don't think I ever saw Shergar race. By then I was an adult, working and definitely not available for any horse racing. My mum and dad watched him, Shergar won the only horse race they ever went to they had a grand day and mum boasted they stood right next to Shergar she was a big fan...

No, I never liked racing and I never failed to make my dislike very clear. It was my sister who took mum and dad to watch Shergar they both loved their day out and I guess I was indulgent about that particular Derby and then eighteen months later Shergar was kidnapped and murdered by the IRA...

I've watched the films about Seabiscuit and Secretariat. It seems to me Seabiscuit and Secretariat from either end of the tracks appealed right across all boundaries. One because he was so big, strong, powerful and confident and the other because he was not.

I love to watch video clips of both horses, I love the idea that we can all love something from either end of the spectrum, I love seeing both of them win, and I love the idea that there are people who love horses for their own sake as much as they love any other animal. My mum and dad did the murder of Shergar was a stunning shock to them

And, watching Secretariat and Seabiscuit reminds me of rainy Saturday afternoons and a bad tempered, ungracious girl...

Just Finished

watching a film, two hours long and I watched all of it, well between last night and this evening I watched all of it. I think I was mildly disbelieving and just as mildly contemptuous. It was meant to be a sweet everyone loves everyone movie and in a way it was but not the right way and not I think for the right reasons.

Maybe it can't be done, maybe its not possible to put a gay romance in a heterosexual or even rural setting, but if not why not?

If I try to change a famous fictional hero into a gay character how does it work, can it be done? Of course it can but I think it needs careful thought and it would actually be much better to create a new gay fictional hero, but if no one is creative enough to write a new superhero who among the old heroes is there?

Well, I think Batman could make the leap I always think of him as being halfway there already, particularly if I think in terms of the Batman of the old tv series.

People are not heroes and most of us like to feel comfortable in our surroundings, friends and love, and maybe for some people being in the company of a gay or straight love affair of the opposite is uncomfortable. I didn't used to think so, I spent many years in a very mixed environment but the thing is it wasn't a real life environment mostly it was the opposite and some gay men were attracted to it like moths around a bright light.

Maybe there is and is meant to be a difference between heterosexual and homosexual romantic groups the old saying like to like and Nan to Nancy rings loud. I'm not going to try to analyse reasons or suggest we should change, I'm not sure if we should change acceptance is one thing adoption is another. We should all accept and enjoy each others differences but no one can successfully adopt or change something so fundamental to each individual or slap the different groups together as though there is no difference there is a difference and for me trying to suggest there's not made for a very awkward movie.

This post is nothing to do with the LGBTQ XYZ movement they are the G string and leather bike boys end  of the market, and at the moment they are caught in a trap of their own making. Nothing they do is new, original or much fun anymore. One G string looks a lot like another and leather clad boot boys are the same there is no originality there, there's not even surprise.

No, its not about them its more about real life, real people do actually accept each other, maybe they'll never be best friends but they will be friendly and if needed supportive, what most of them may not be is automatically comfortable within each opposite group and it seems that is what some people not solely gay or straight are demanding. I don't think it can be done. I'm not sure it should be we are all individuals and what makes us different is what makes us unique  Our uniqueness is what we should cherish if people want to live their lives differently it is their right to do so, what they have no right to do is demand others support and comfort them. Live your way and let others live theirs  

I Have a Mild Aversion

To 06.00 or six am I have an aversion to it in any language and any time zone. For more years than I care to remember it was the time I got up, showered, dressed, had a cup of tea and went to work. 06.00 is not a time I awake by choice.

So I was a wee bit irritated to be awoken at the hated hour by the continual, woeful, very loud and very unusual yowling of Trixie. Trixie was not being polite, there was no hint of a subtle I'd like to go out, there was instead a non stop continuous yowl.

She woke us all. I was about to give in and let her out when I just happened to look out of the window - and there he was - bold as brass, completely unafraid and just mildly curious. Both dogs went nuts.

Pippa watched with great disdain from her side of the window ledge and Trixie yowled and headed for the door. I did not let her out.Nor did I succumb to the non stop furious barking of Jessie and Maggie. This was I thought definitely a case of discretion being the better part of valour.

The absolutely adorable and beautiful ginger, real ginger not that shabby yellow of the cats we so often see, sat on his side of the window ledge and stared at us. Evidently he was curious, not ferociously so, just having a gawk through the window as other neighbours have been known to do without getting their ears bitten and their eyes scratched out...

He, I've decided he is a he even if a very young and potentially foolhardy he, definitely a he, and he is welcome! I'd like to think he has been neutered but I really doubt it.

After a minute or two, he was in no rush...he got bored and jumping down wandered off into the nether reaches and weeds of what passes for my garden. I glared at the barking dogs, told Trixie and Pippa they could not go out and went back to bed. Smiling.

What Happened in London Last Night?

The fire in a 27 floors block of flats is said to have started at about 01.00. It burned all night I like many night owls watched in horrified fascination as flames engulfed the whole of the modern block of flats. If you look you can see rows of houses close enough to the burning building to have been in grave danger as the flames roared to the sky and bits of the badly damaged building fell to the ground.

Is the area safe now, all of it, how can it be when there is a huge, dangerous shell towering over the entire area?

I wanted to write this before reading the news of views and analysis A) because its really too soon to start analysing and B) because the horror of it is fixed in my mind and pushing their way forward are the horrible suspicions and questions.

I think the first questions many will be asking is how many are dead, how many are wounded and how many are in sheer paralyzing shock?

Then come the ugly questions:

1) Was it a terrorist attack

2) How long did it take the fire brigade to get there

3) Was it caused by cheap labour workmen

4) Was any delay in the actions of fire brigade caused by government cuts to emergency services

5) Has UK government welcome to millions of third world immigrants enabled the govt to lower emergency service funding and support to third world response

Serious questions and there are many more they must be answered quickly

I want to say and there is no way to say it properly my heart goes out to all those trapped in that appalling, horrifying tragedy.

And, may it not be Londons 9/11

Paris Climate Agreement

Has been flushed down the toilet, round the U bend and into the sewer of fraudulent, nay impossible dreams.

Earth in her wonderful and very mysterious way is, or at any rate appears to be changing her climate. Maybe she's bored, maybe she thinks those nice, temperate climates the people of western countries have used, loved and abused for so long need a good kicking, maybe she thinks the seas and oceans need to be refilled and maybe she thinks those puny, nasty, downright wasteful humans of everywhere need the good kicking, or maybe the grand old lady earth just wants to loosen her corsets and get comfortable again.

Its not the first time the earth has changed its happened several times that even we puny, insignificant humans know of, but it maybe the first time one of earths species actually dared to think they could, should and damn well would stop her or at least slow her down.

How dare we?

We don't even know if climate change can or should be stopped. All we know is we fear it and are determined to at least slow it down. Its also possible some western politicians think climate change can be made useful, sure with the right warnings, threats and eventually laws all humans can be made to obey the new laws which will undoubtedly be needed to save the earths climate.

We don't know enough about earth and we don't have the right to make decisions about her climate. If we were the caring, sharing, lovable humans we tell each other we are we would spend our time and money building and reinforcing sea walls. We would make sure everything we build is fully insulated and storm proof and like Noah we would make sure all endangered species were moved to safe areas.

What we would not do is try to stop the earth our planet from doing what it has to do, we don't know if or what catastrophe might befall us all if we managed to stop something as natural as climate change and none of us has the right to claim anything we do or stop doing will stop climate change or even slow it down.

And, naturally there's politics...

Of course because those nasty white people found. discovered and invented almost everything and use a lot of their own inventions all the time they are guilty of being successful, arrogant and most importantly - white, and because of their success, their arrogance and their lack of colour they must be punished! To them goes the burden of higher taxes, lost jobs and of course - the blame...

President Trump has committed the sin of not believing humans could or should interfere with climate change. He is of the opinion politicians are using climate change as a stick to beat successful countries, why he understandably asks should Americans pay tax for climate change when countries like China and India with huge populations and what can only be described as 19th century attitudes to health and safety at work pay no such tax? Why indeed...

If western politicians want to save the planet they should start with being honest about why they want to tax western countries more than others, and while they're on the subject why they allow millions of people of different religions, customs and cultures to move to western countries, and yes it is about climate change both mass immigration and climate change have been dreamed up by the same people the question none of them want to answer is why?

Arm Pits

Oddly enough have been forcing their way to my attention for some days maybe weeks so maybe its time to give them an airing. Or more realistically shed a little light on female body hair in what I've grown to think of as unreasonable places.

For most of our lives most European women don't have to worry much about body hair, there's some on legs, arms and even face but not much and all easily dealt with. Under arm hair is not a problem either most of us shave or dilapidate it off whenever the weather is hot enough for sleeveless tops or whenever we're going somewhere special.

I think if we're honest most of us get rid of underarm hair from late spring to mid autumn, unless of course we're in the early days of a relationship, and that's my point. Most of us don't shave underarms all the time or even all the year.

Course we're not supposed to say that we're all supposed to spend all our spare time in the bathroom titivating ourselves, well guess what? Most of us don't and the older we get the more this applies. Its not lazy or indifferent its not about how we feel its more about what we wear and how what we wear makes us feel. And if any man thinks women dress to please men they are kidding themselves we dress to please ourselves and possibly annoy someone else.

Which bring me to the reason many older women probably don't shave underarms as often as we once did. Upper arms sag, there's no hiding it and as far as I know no cosmetic surgery to disguise it our upper arm muscles just lose their spring and droop rather more obviously and with more wrinkles than bust or buttocks. So the days when we wore sleeveless anything grow very few and far between

Aging has unforeseen and unexpected side effects, arms sag, hair you never had suddenly appears on face, arms, legs, anywhere and while face, arms and legs are still highly visible and easily dealt with underarms are suddenly covered. To avoid shaving? No! Sleeves become more popular because of upper arm sag and perhaps an off shoot of this minor annoyance maybe to let underarm hair stay where it is for longer than we did when we were younger.

I don't hate underarm hair but it does distract attention from that outfit you spent a fortune on and very often underarm hair completely fails to match the colour of the hair on your head. It might if you didn't dye your hair but who's going to stop dying their hair or start dying their armpits? No one. And, anyway what difference would that make to the sagging upper arm problem?

So, all these silly young things droning on about underarm hair not only show their ignorance of the female they show their ignorance of the aging process   I don't think its rude to mention the subject and it doesn't embarrass me but it does say something about those who think we either should or more likely we shouldn't shave under our arms.

We should do whatever the hell we please and the older we get the more we should do it.

Manchester Ariana Grande Concert

In a big English city hundreds of young girls were allowed to go to a pop concert given by Ariana Grande. Young people would have driven their parents nuts to go and see her many parents would have taken them and either gone to the concert with them or have dropped them off and waited either outside or at home waiting for the call to go and collect them. 

Instead an appalling, disgusting tragedy struck, some terrorist murderer blew himself up and murdered twenty two people including the young people caring parents had allowed to go and have fun. How those parents feel is beyond guessing, every parent knows they have to let go, most do so gradually taking them to concerts, letting them go inside alone to enjoy a couple of hours of screaming, dancing and shouting freedom.

Now that innocent minor rite of passage may end. Concerts may become another no go area for anxious parents. Twenty two people died, many were injured and that's not cuts and bruises we're talking about, that's children who may have lost limbs, may never walk again, maybe scarred for life.

The UK is not an anti Islamic country, oh, there are people like me who complain of the danger Islam represents to women and children but we are mostly abused or ignored. The UK is a multicultural country, politicians never stop telling us how successful multiculturalism is and anyone who disagrees with them is called a racist and a bigot.

Who is going to heal the hearts and minds of young people, who is there to care enough to make sure people suspected of having terrorist associates and/or ambitions are dealt with in a manner severe enough to discourage others, who is going to shut down all extremist Mosques? It won't be government not left or right politicians have neither the honesty or the courage.

Because of politicians thousands of young girls have been sexually abused by immigrant men. The silence and indifference of the authorities was and is too wide spread for the instruction to ignore it to have come from the bottom it came from the top and now we will hear about politicians meeting to talk about, what? How to prevent the British people from becoming angry? Yes that's likely all British and EU politicians will discuss, minimize the danger of attack, maximize to the hilt the 'danger' of racist bigotry. And, by the way acts of murder by racists and bigots are very few and far between. 

The only real way to protect all the people in the UK is to teach everyone in the UK that UK law is paramount and all who break UK law will be dealt with in UK courts not Sharia courts. In that way the UK will at least ensure everyone knows the risks they run.

I've Had Better Days

But it all started so well! I felt fine, so fine I decided to go to town and do a wee bit of shopping. I told myself I wouldn't buy much, indeed I know full well I can't afford to buy much! But undaunted by dire financial straits I got ready, I hate my hair it has to go, and walked to town.

And, it was a lovely walk, not too hot, this is Ireland, but not too cold or breezy either. I want to be clear I enjoyed the walk to town and if I was a little puffed when I got there the last schlep is what the generous might call uphill.

I popped into the 'pound' shop not to get any shopping but to ask if I left my wonderful walking stick there about six weeks ago. I had not nor had I left it at Tesco so I'm very disappointed and upset to have to confess that I've lost the walking stick. I can't help thinking that if I had the stick what happened to today wouldn't have. Or at least not in the dreadful, upsetting and even embarrassing way it did.

But I'm losing track. I went to Tesco. I swear I'm incapable of going into a shop that sells cat and dog food without coming out with some and this time even though it wasn't cats club and wasn't in a tin I do think this time was the proverbial time too far.

I decided to walk home, sure there wasn't that much in the bags and on such a lovely day what could possibly go wrong? I could, that's what could go wrong.

The bags got heavier my feet ached and I think I became slightly light headed because I got as far as the end of town and literally had to stop. I felt sick, I felt dazed I felt I needed to sit down but I couldn't walk as far as the nearest bench which is no less than a hundred or so yards away.

I didn't know what to do. I really didn't. I just knew I would never make it home on foot. I called a taxi and I must say I'm so grateful to the taxi driver. I'm not sure I made a lot of sense but he knows me and when do I ever make a lot of sense?

At home I made a cup of tea  tried to get my breath back and act normal. It didn't work. In the end I lay on the bed and took the time it needed to recover.

I will never buy food in town again. It will have to be delivered I will never carry anything even slightly heavy again and the strange thing is that this incident so much less dangerous than the illness that saw me into hospital somehow felt more frightening and much more dangerous.

I would hate to be incapacitated or even worse! Die Alone on a road.

A Few Thoughts on UK General Election 8/06/17

Hmm On this one I am deeply suspicious and less than enthused Conservative (Tories), Labour and Liberal Democrats (LibDems) are dishonest and deeply committed to nothing more than hanging onto their own highly paid part time jobs.

That's about it really. I cant think of one good reason to vote for any of them If forced to choose I would choose either United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) or a stand alone Independent. Under no circumstances vote for any party or person based on what that party or person says.

Look at their previous, check their expenses, check their voting record, then call the devil a fool and vote for the one who has the best chance of beating the establishment serfs.

There's a way to go, not as far as in an American presidential election which drags on for years, but a couple of months of hard sell and multiple lies are upon us. I guess if anything major changes like an obvious betrayal of Brexit voters I might return to this subject but honestly I don't believe the words of any politician particularly those of all three major party leaders, and that won't change.

Keep up I'm Trying

My hand at a conspiracy theory. For all I know its not new it may have been floating around the web since day one but its new (ish) to me so here goes.

Why are almost all western govt's supporting the Islamic invasion of Europe and other western countries, could it be some sort of plan to deprive western people aka Europeans of most of the rights, values & freedoms millions of Europeans died to achieve and protect?

How sudden is it? Not very some might say the onslaught began with 9/11 when every Saudi Arabian was allowed to leave America instead of being arrested and questioned about the possibility of their involvement in the atrocity. They might say USA and western govts submission to Saudi Arabia continued with the USA suppressing important parts of the report into the 9/11 attack. Who knows we do know Muslims were only prevented from building a mosque next to the World Trade Centre site by the outrage of the American people

Who would have paid for he mosque I haven't and am not going to check but Saudi Arabia has paid for the building of virtually every big mosque in the west and obviously its done so with the approval of western govt's.

Naturally after 9/11 the west fully agreed with the attack upon the Taliban in Afghanistan they harboured or did they Osama Bin Laden and to this day we don't know if Bin Laden who needed serious medical help on a regular basis has been killed or if his death has been as they say exaggerated.

What we know is the attack on Afghanistan was followed by attacks on Iraq, Libya and now Syria. It has been said Saddam Hussein was a dictator & a tyrant but that has been said of the leader of every country the west has defeated. Of course it was said about Gaddafi  of Libya which is where it goes a bit runny. Far from praising the west most Libyans say Gaddafi was a very good leader who treated Libyans well and knew how to control extremists.

Syria is an expansion of the Libyan lie. Most Syrian people say Assad is a good leader. He is not just the son of the previous leader. Assad won the Syrian leadership in an election supervised and approved by western election authorities. Its said there is no rebellion in Syria there are American paid mercenaries ISIS and Alqaeda

All of the 'wars' in the middle east are supported by Saudi Arabia and other oil rich middle eastern states and all of the wars in the middle east have created millions of refugees none of which have been taken in by Saudi Arabia or the other oil rich middle eastern states.

Instead Europe has been invaded by more than a million refugees, although refugee has become an elastic word meaning anyone who decides to move from anywhere and claim refugee status in a western country.

All the while Saudi Arabia and others have been bombing Sudan and Yemen killing thousands and creating more refugees who run to Europe and the west.

In 2015 the UN made Saudi Arabia one of the most inhuman countries in the world chair of its Human Rights Committee and to add insult to injury the UN has made Saudi Arabia the chair of the Womens Rights Commission. Women in Saudi Arabia have no rights indeed they must have a male guardian.

In order for Saudi Arabia to gain chairmanship or even admittance onto the boards of UN Human Rights and UN Womens Rights at least some western govts MUST HAVE APPROVED the proposals.

And all the while 'refugees' flood into Europe and the west, and western people are told they must not object because objection to Muslim mass invasion is Islamophobic and racist,

And all the while the few remaining Christians in the middle east are being killed, women and children are being raped, slavery is a growing trade and western govt's do nothing and say less. Its been said as many as 85% of the 'refugees' into Europe are military age men.

What happened, what made such an obvious invasion acceptable to EU states lead by Germany?

Who among the western leaders supported Saudi Arabian elevation to the UN Human Rights and Womens Rights Councils?

Most importantly Why, what are we not being told?

Update

One thing we do know and which I should have mentioned is both Iraq and Libya are oil rich states and it could be argued the big oil companies want full control and profits from the recovery and sale of oil, added to that there are rumours there might be gas and/or oil in Syria and even if not some say the big oil companies want to run oil pipes through Syria.

Something else we all know is there's no way the USA and western countries destroyed several middle eastern countries killing hundreds of thousands of people and evicting others from their own countries just because they didn't like the countries leaders...

I come back to Saudi Arabia its regional power is irrelevant to western countries but not to Iran and what were once other Shia Muslim countries.

Its odd that Saudi Arabia the most regressive, inhuman country in the Muslim world has no greater enemy than Iran and for some reason unknown to western people Iran is the one Muslim country western govt's seem to hate.

Sorry if this is a bit garbled its me and I'm not going to start faffing about with it, well not unless I think of something to add....

What Can I Tell You

I don’t like grey. I don’t know why but I don’t like grey Its one of those things I don’t hate grey I just don’t like it

There are as many shades of grey as there are of every other colour and I don’t like grey In theory its fine I’m right there with those who declare grey is a good useful colour

Grey goes with almost everything, grey suits are common as mud its probably true to say more men wear grey suits than any other colour, hmmph they’re hiding something I look upon them with suspicion and disdain.

Its not as though I like flash colours and clothes I really don’t I think most would describe the way I dress as conservative, nothing too bright, quite a lot of tweed which to be fair I hardly ever wear anymore, well that’s what happens when you hardly ever go out.

I’ve noticed there is an increasing amount of grey in home decoration I don’t mind it a tin of paint is cheap enough and what’s wrong with magnolia?

Grey has its uses it probably goes better with dandruff than black, navy or brown, but I don’t like grey.

You see even the spelling is interchangeable its either grey or gray depending largely upon whether you’re in the USA or the UK and who the hell cares .

Nope, I just don’t like grey

The Single Bed

Traditionally is quite small no more than three feet wide and about six feet long. Its a fine length and width for one person. I know this because for some unremembered reason when I left England I left my big bed and took only the matching single beds I had in the spare room.

And, so I can confirm a single bed is fine, comfortable plenty big enough to share with an elderly cat...

Its also fine to share with a smallish dog who feels the cold and very sneakily wriggles under the duvet, these little things teach us to move up.

Its not bad to share a single bed with two dogs particularly if the elderly cat has gone and the second dog is anyway smaller than she was.

Its actually not too bad to share a single bed with two dogs and one cat one has to be more careful and stick to the edge of the bed but a cat on ones shoulder is doable

The problem arises when two dogs and two cats want to share a single bed

It can't be done.

Cats will not take the foot of the bed, nor will they allow a dog to have anything they want and what a cat wants is everything.

I know I should get a new big bed but I can't bring myself to buy anything new in this house. The picture is of my old bedroom and my perfect Tax is asleep on my side Tax very graciously allowed Trixie and Pippa to sleep on the big bed as long as she had the 'main' space, they kept a respectful distance and she didn't have to look at them.

I miss home.

20/04/2017

I lied.

It is possible for two cats and two dogs to sleep on a single bed, they can if they spread themselves out:

One cat at the foot of the bed, this is quite difficult because cats don't particularly like the foot of the bed but if one of them is in the right mood it can happen.

Both dogs have to act tough and hang on to their edge of the bed regardless of claws and teeth. This is difficult for dogs who are used to a certain comfort in what they regard as their bed.

One cat has to peremptorily take the shoulder of the human and flatly refuse to get off. She does this regardless of shoves, groans, yells, swearing and the tossing and turning of what in I'm sure are most other beds the human owner.

It appears two cats and two dogs can by crushing the feet, legs and shoulder of the human into a space a mouse couldn't occupy sleep together either side and on top of their human.

At four am in the morning also known as the middle of the fucking night said human had had enough.

The human got up.

Put the kettle on, snarled at both cats and let them out into the night which is where they decided they wanted to go,

The human then made the tea got a few biscuits and switched the computer on.

It was half past five and the sky a dirty grey dawn when the human and two dogs got to bed.

The Europeans

Are it seems to me a slightly different race, if you think about it there is no doubt its writ large in mountain climbers, explorers, conservationists, even socialism is European in origin. 

What other race crosses the world to climb a mountain just to say they did it? Of course the indigenous people of every country climb their own mountains every day but only one race does it for fun and a sense of achievement. Its the same with explorers and obviously the urge to go see is centuries old. The earth is known and so now the European is looking at the stars and preparing to travel.

What other race travels the world to find and try to protect endangered species be they people, and there are a few tribes hanging onto their individuality or animals. Some barbaric Europeans do kill animals for sport but most Europeans hate the hunting and killing of wild animals and object to it very strongly and vociferously. 

Socialism probably practiced in many non European countries was given a voice and rights by Europeans.

And athletics practiced everywhere and admired, respected and organised by Europeans.

Rightly or wrongly all over the world wherever Europeans have settled they have striven to improve their part of the world.

If you look at the modern Tiny House Movement Its classical European and the people building their own homes and trying to live 'off grid' are invariably European, they leave the cities and their home towns to find a place where they can build a house outside of city laws, maybe some don't make it but like their ancestors they do still try.

Europeans are not as bright as Asians but they are more adventurous and prior to the twentieth century Europeans were very proud of their adventurousness, their agility and their  spirit. That pride has been beaten down by would you believe Europeans themselves and its time it stopped. Europeans are adventurous, courageous and far more accepting of other races than most of those other races.

Its no good denying there is a difference between races we should all acknowledge and be proud of our differences. What other race would encourage others to move in only to hear those other races say Europeans don't have a culture? Europeans have a very strong culture  if it seems weak its because Europeans don't want to force it on anyone anymore. It would be a mistake to force them to defend it.

In many respects this is probably wrong. I could care less. I didn't write it for praise, agreement or the usual and highly suspect tut. Tutters...And do feel free to replace the 'T' with the more appropriate 'N'

I Have to go to Town

I must. Its not a choice and its not a whim. I must go to town to get my prescription, there are no arguments I. Must. Go. To. Town.

I hate the very idea of it. The walk is no longer interesting it is long and arduous and I resent it. More than that I am beginning to find it difficult and I really, really hate that. There is no way in the world not even the wettest boggiest day of the year, yesterday for example, when the road to town could be described as a stroll along a beach. It is increasingly dangerous and unpleasant. Or it is to me because I don't want to go to town and I must.

One reason of course is Cats Club I did think about ordering it from Amazon but would you believe Amazon charge more for it than the supermarket does and the post charges are astronomical! I didn't order from Amazon.

So, here I am I must go to town and I know that even though I don't actually need Cats Club I will be unable to resist buying three or six tins for the girls. We no longer have a boy and I miss Ollie more than I can say.

But! Yesterday I had a stroke of luck my very nice neighbour walked by, naturally we had a brief chat and being me I mentioned Cats Club. I didn't mean to sound as though I wanted him to get it for me. I really hope I didn't sound as though I did. I was just whinging about going to town knowing I would weigh myself down with Cats Club on the way home. Thinking about it I may have sounded as though I wanted him to go and get the cats food.

I hate myself! I didn't have to go to town for cat food I have cat food. I have to go to town for my prescription and because I am weak I know I will buy the wretched cat food while I'm there and breathlessly drag it all the way home.

And naturally, being me, I didn't have enough cash to pay my neighbour for the Cats Club I did check and three euros will not do, so a need to go to the hole in the wall is added to my prescription. It can only be put off for so long. I must go to town.

And, I am very grateful to my nice, kind neighbour and so are the cats or they would be if they ever gave a thought to anything but Cats Club.

The Military

Go where they're sent, some may volunteer for missions and if they do its because their support for their country, and the strength and intensity of their training intensifies their willingness to serve their country, there is no doubt that the best of the military of any country are among the very best of all of us of every country.

William 'Ryan' Owens was a navy SEAL who went to Yemen on orders from his military and political seniors. He may have volunteered for the mission but he didn't create it, he obeyed orders, and for many of us obeying orders is the hardest thing to do.

William 'Ryan' Owens died on active duty in Yemen, his family are devastated, his wife distraught, they deserve the respect of their country and as much assistance as can be provided to help them to come to terms with their loss..

His father blames the military and the government for his death and that is natural and understandable.

His wife clings to anything that keeps his image alive and that is natural and understandable.

Its not for any Democrat or social justice warrior to query or criticize what the members of Ryan Owens family do or say to help them cope with their grief and keep his memory alive.

There is a time for recognition of a debt owed and there is a time for recriminations In the case of William 'Ryan' Owens Democrats have forgotten which is first and who is most important.

Three Times!

This morning I fed them Jezzie & Maggie ate some of each in the hope it would lead to toffee or eclair for dessert, but neither Pippa or Trixie would touch any of it, they have prowled around the house all day doing their best to look half starved and this let me tell you is not easy for two overweight fuss pot cats. Out of weakness and gullibility I performed the tin opening ritual twice and the dry food once, all three uneaten meals are still there and there they are jolly well going to stay.

I've had enough of it! Its not my fault Tesco Castlebar don't do Cat Club. I do bring some home whenever I go into town but I hate going to town and so put it off for as long as possible and obviously its the first thing that gets used up. Two cats and two dogs wolf the whole lot down in hardly any time at all, then I'm left with four dissatisfied hungry animals who are nevertheless not hungry enough to eat anything they don't like thank you very much. And yes both dogs have to have their share of the Cats Club or they won't damn well eat theirs.

And, as far as I know they have NOT caught the mouse Trixie was generous enough to bring me two nights ago, there was a bit of indiscriminate banging and clanging so there might be a corpse lying somewhere in the bog under the floor boards but then again there might not. The mouse is probably building a home and sending for family and reinforcements.

Enough! The cats and dogs can go without until they get hungry enough to eat what's put in front of them. I really mean this!

As for dog treats instead of toffee or eclairs I do not wish to be reminded Jezzie is not even remotely interested.

Pederasty

Is the attraction of adult men to boys. The age of the boy can be from, say 12, to 19 or 20 and that's it. All bodies change and firm, hard, tight flesh often begins to thicken, sag and loosen at about 19, or so some men seem to think.

Some academics and trendies say no one is hurt and the boys may learn but that's wrong from every angle. All the boys learn is how to be sexual playthings, that they have a very short shelf life and when its gone they are rejected  That's some kind of early life lesson.

Its not an emotional attraction the men feel its physical and its short lived.

Thank goodness very few parents would ever be convinced by such smug, superior hypocritical eyewash.

Do You Ever

Stroll along the road beneath the whisper of the trees and pause for a moment, no more, at the stream? The breeze is always kinder at the stream, the rain falls softer, the sting swept away in the gurgle of the stream below and the old bridge though broken can still take the weight of one who sits and watches. 

The trees live on changeless in a changing world, gone are the days when a farmer would clear the edges keeping the weeds at bay. Now tall weeds lean over the banks clogging the stream, still the water gurgles, sure nothing can hurt it here. Once there was a king fisher now there are no fish. 

As if to compensate the modern world shows us the changes we have wrought if you look you will see glittering and discarded the empty containers and empty bottles, all plastic, all poison, hopefully they are trapped in the weeds but there are no guarantees not anymore.

The sun dapples in the trees and on what remains of the stream, grass is as green as ever though weeds grow rich and the stream gurgles, sure nothing can hurt it here. And here on every trip back from town I sit for a moment and watch the gurgling stream

Trump v Obama, Clinton, Bush et al

Because that's what the media are doing to Donald Trump. I don't think its the time for such comparisons try again in four years and see what fits. 

For now Trump is untried he should be given time to achieve or fail. I think America has been held captive by a political elite since George Bush senior was elected, maybe Ted Kennedy tried to break their hold when he supported Barack Obama instead of Hillary Clinton but if he did he failed to defeat anyone but Hillary Clinton because Obama might as well have been a Clinton, only the names changed.

In America live some of the poorest people in the world, certainly the poorest in the western part of the world, but we rarely see that poverty. We're shown street gangs not the homes they come from. We're told about food stamps not how important they are, and we're told about ghettos but not the reason for ghettos or that ghetto is just another word and that people in detached shacks in the Appalachians are just as badly if not worse off than the people in the ghetto.  No Bush, Clinton or even the sainted Obama did anything for anyone in a shack in the Appalachians or a ghetto in Detroit except to grow the numbers.

I honestly can't see a reason to condemn Donald Trump in advance because he may not do what no Bush, Clinton or Obama did, and when what they did was play with the laws without really meaning what they were doing. How can Obama be all in favour of LGBTQ rights and equality for women when he continually praises and supports the Islamic religion which is dangerous to both LGBTQ people and women. How does that make sense? 

What Donald Trump has done is reveal Americas deep dislike of the political establishment, politicians would do well to remember Democrats have been losing for years and for all of those years Democrats have refused to recognise the reason for their losses. Its time they stopped lying to themselves and their airy, fairy friends in Hollywood. they lost because they love glitter and all they sold was glitter.  Its nothing to do with the colour of someones skin, its far more to do with not recognising problems and solving them and frankly if Barack Obama couldn't do it with the stroke of a pen he couldn't do it.

I'm glad Donald Trump won I wish him well in his presidency and I hope he delivers what he promised. He's a salesman he better know how to do more than sell a line because any politician can do that.

Martin McGuinness 23/05/1950 - 21/03/2017

Has died He will be missed by everyone in the north, even loyalists and unionists though they may deny even the idea of it. 

His death casts a shadow over the struggling peace process and perhaps over the most senior of his colleagues. From now on Gerry Adams is isolated. I hope Thomas Murphy is either free or will be released. Now is not a time for the remaining peacemakers to be incarcerated.

Below is a short post I wrote when Martin McGuinness retired I meant it then and now. 

The people of Derry/LondonDerry have lost someone who loved them most. 

-----

Martin McGuinness Has retired. He will not stand in the forthcoming Stormont election. He will no longer lead Sinn Fein in the north of Ireland. Whatever people think of Martin McGuinness I for example am not a supporter his leadership in Stormont has been helpful, discreet and as far as I know more bipartisan than DUP and Unionists.

Make no mistake Martin McGuinness, Gerry Adams and to his often unacknowledged credit Tom Murphy took considerable risks to bring peace to the north, and in spite of some dissidents that peace has held. John Hume is greatly respected for his part in the peace process McGuinness, Adams and Murphy not so much, but those three brought the IRA with them and no one else could have done that.

Have the three big names changed? I doubt it they are as republican now as they have always been but they learned and then taught others to represent it better they paved the way for a successful all Ireland Sinn Fein. 

I should say I remember a much younger McGuinness, bright, cold, stubborn and sharp but never defensive he was not and is not ashamed of his past or the past of the IRA and that too applies to Gerry Adams and Tom Murphy.  

I like so many absolutely hate the violence of their past, the intimidation of local people, the punishment beatings and the eviction of people from their homes and families but all of us have to come to terms with what was and if we want peace accept the willingness of others to be peaceful. 

I can't think of anyone else who could have reached out to and been on friendly terms with Ian Paisley. 

I wish Martin McGuinness a long, happy and healthy retirement. Now is not the time to discuss successors.

Blame Game?

No, not a game at least not to me I was and still am one against the rest I just didn't know the 'rest' was more than one and then more than six or seven. I didn't know some of 'them' were so local and I didn't know ordinary people could be cruel, so don't try the blame game on me.

I blame all of you in much the same way and for much the same reason so many of you blame yourselves. Except I'm the one who was wounded and naturally wounds heal and equally naturally some wounds are too deep, too damaging to heal. Look upon illegal filming as an inoperable wound and I blame you because you stalked me, you made an illegal film and you shared the film.

I don't know what gave any of you the idea you could do such terrible things with impunity, but I look at the ever increasing news about bloggers and web sites and I see a glimmer of a reason. Some bloggers and websites appear to have convinced themselves they are above the law, that in some mysterious way real life and consequences don't apply to them.

A couple of rich and famous people have proven the stupidity of that lie but those who hide behind others apparently still think they are protected. Really? One, six or seven, a hundred, two thousand and a famous blogging company and you think you are safe?

Their hypocrisy and deceit may not come from the top of the journalistic tree it hangs from its branches, and drips off the finger nails of teachers who only ever wanted to be writers, it glistens like spittle on the lips of those who want and need to believe but who can't believe unless they dress up like children and play.

Hurting people is not a game invading the privacy of anyone let alone the most ordinary of people is not a joke.

Did I mention more has been deleted overnight. Nothing to fear?

The Drifting Triumph of Dread

The drift is slow, quiet, not unpleasant, soft like a cloud, swift like a dream.

What to hold onto, what to care about?

Those who care about you, of course,

Those who don't, of course,

One is made of memories the other of nightmares

They are not important to long, slow days adrift.

Memories are wonderful long gone days full of laughter, love and work.

Nightmares are of a time since they have no end only dull accustom.

Fear there is, fresh and growing

Fear of falling and not rising,

Fear of sleeping and not waking.

Fear of animals bewildered, afraid, crying.

Fear can't go it can only grow until one day it is real

The Drifting Triumph of Dread

Happy 2017

Because at last 2016 has almost gone and I can't wait to see the back of it. I can't recall a year when so many beloved people left us. I don't want to list them I don't think its fair or necessary they each earned their right to a dignified solitary departure and knowing me I'd be sure to miss out a loved musician.

2016 has hours to go and I think its better to hope for the future than stare longingly at the past. I will have a glass of wine or two and welcome the New Year as I kick the last one out the door.

Blessings if you pass this way may your New Year be all you wish for.

George Michael 25/06/1963 - 25/12/2016

George Michael has gone. He was fifty three which is no age at all. He was so talented but more importantly and as many of us are only now learning he was also a very kind, generous man.

Very much of his time he embodied the need and demand for free expression and if I didn't agree with all his beliefs I defend his right to hold and voice them.

He was too young to die without questioning how but maybe that's a question we strangers to him shouldn't ask. If he was in poor health and wanted the world to know he would have told us himself.

RIP George Michael you made a difference in so many ways.

2016 has been a dreadful year we have lost David Bowie, Prince and now George Michael. Heaven has some rare talent now.

Merry Christmas to Everyone

I must confess I'm not in the mood for celebrating this year but the lasting beauty of Christmas is that we, none of us need to be in the right mood Christmas simply is and as over priced and devalued as it has become it is still very special to all Christians and a great many non Christians.

We in the west owe so much of our culture and our civilisation to Christianity that its impossible to imagine how we would have evolved without it, and so, in spite of my mood and in spite of all the attacks upon Christianity I do wish everyone a very merry Christmas.

May your stocking be filled with everything you need. 

So Cold!

All day long the frost refused to go it lay sparkling and shimmering and I kept thinking of the homeless. Ireland is no place for the homeless. In summer its wet and damp. In winter its freezing no blanket keeps you safe or warms a street or a doorway.

The homeless have no food or water and as far as I can tell there are very few fountains. It seems like once there were fountains everywhere and everyone could drink now there are none and if you're homeless where do you go for a glass of water?

The sun was so strong everything shone. The good thing about winter frost is it covers grime, mud, debris and waste with clean rich diamond sparkles but there's no warmth in the sun just a bright glaring glow on the cold hard frost. Sunset was perfect it always is but for the homeless sunset is when fear sets in and nothing is colder than fear.

I read that some people are sheltering beneath makeshift tents in a Dublin park and that is cover from the rain, but it offers neither warmth or protection and is cold comfort on freezing days and nights.

All week it has been beautiful and freezing and all week I have been thinking of the homeless I don't hate myself for being warm. In truth I'm not that warm! But nor am I cold or thirsty may this winter go quickly and may the homeless find a home.

May you be warm this winter and may you never know hunger and thirst.

Sometime on Twitter

Life's a dream A kaleidoscope of Flashing images Changing patterns whiz And whirl Until you stop The spinning wheel On zero

Sometimes its rubbish,
Sometimes its not
But it is always and forever
Me

Why Did Donald Trump Win

And it wasn't just Donald Trump who won it was a clean sweep for Republicans and now Democrats are licking their wounds, screeching to a God they don't believe in and refusing to look the truth in the face.

The truth is Hillary Clinton is not the only reason Democrats lost here are some more but lets get Hillary out of the way first.

Reason Number One: 

Hillary Clinton was and still is facing the possibility of serious criminal charges previous generations might have called some of those charges Treason and the Democrat Party nominated her as their candidate for President of the United States, but sure we live in civilised times chances are she will get off and anyway in these civilised times the only people who would be charged with Treason are probably low ranking members of the military and low grade civil servants. Many, many people didn't like it.

Reason Number Two

Americans are told it is un-American to be proud to be American and to want all visitors to America to enter legally. Wanting visitors to America to have full, genuine identification is racist, just as many Americans didn't like this.

Reason Number Three

Rape culture people are expected to believe that every man is desperate to get into a womans nickers Any Americans who disagree with this are obviously misogynists even if they're women. Many probably all Americans and most of the world have had to endure the sight of a girl, a college student stumbling around with a mattress on her back. At first some said she did it because she had been raped but when that was proven to be untrue it was said she did it to highlight the rape culture. Never mind that unfounded allegations of rape is very serious and can wreck the lives of those falsely accused. and again many Americans didn't like this.

Reason Number Four

Gender: Americans are told and woe betide them if they disagree that there are now hundreds of genders and women should allow men to use womens rest rooms if a man or men want to get in touch with their feminine side regardless of whether they look or act like women or not  Never mind that allowing men to use womens rest rooms puts women and children in danger and at the very least causes embarrassment to young girls. How does that square with the need for 'safe spaces'? Its likely almost every parent and many young girls really dislike this.

Reason Number Five

Is more nebulous its homosexuality Americans are told they must accept homosexuality regardless of their own religious beliefs. Its not enough for Americans to treat homosexuals as equal and entitled to the same legal protections as anyone else they must believe homosexuals are entitled to more than mere equality, and for the record gender is NOT the same as homosexual.

Personally I think each of us is entitled to our own individuality and that's it. If we are entitled to our own individuality we are not entitled to impose our individuality on anyone else. We should do what 99% of people do which is get on with our own lives and let others do the same. If the organisers of a parade do not include homosexuals that's up to the organisers, besides most of us know what homosexuals on parade do, some will be leathered and mustachioed the rest will be in tasteful G strings. Its all been done, the likelihood of it changing a single mind is minus something and is probably completely counter to inclusion. Show trials about wedding cakes don't change minds they reinforce objections.

Reason Number Six

Everyone knows globalization only applies to America, the European Union which is NOT Europe, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. No other country is lectured on the irrelevance of their own nationality, In America, jobs are exported to low wages countries and Americans are told its good for them. Illegal immigrants are allowed to remain regardless of identification and criminal history. So called Sanctuary cities are proud to allow illegal immigrants to get jobs and housing at the expense of the long suffering legal population. and no one outside the politically correct liberal left believes or agrees with it

There are many more reasons 

What happened at the last Presidential election is the people said NO, they said it very loudly too, maybe Hillary Clinton will end up with the majority of votes there is talk of a million more people voting for her than for Donald Trump but there is also talk of three million fraudulent votes and so it seems the less said about actual votes the better it is for the Democrats.

And that is why Democrats lost almost no independents or of course Republicans believe a word they say, they have wrecked their own credibility in the most arrogant, blatant display ever seen in an election.

Democrats must now look at their own behaviour, the behaviour of their more notorious supporters and donors and clean house. Do they even realise an unelected to all intents and purposes private individual which Hillary Clinton was and still is virtually owned the Democrat party and all its decision making processes, Look at the way Bernie Sanders was robbed of a fair fight, Why did Hillary Clinton have so much power and influence? And when they've worked that out they must make sure no one ever takes over an entire political party again, they've got four years I hope they make good use of them.

I must admit I've long had questions about the Electoral College but if you look at the voting map its easy to see why it was chosen, in a country as big as America with each state semi independent each state must be treated equally or the big cities would decide every election and no way is that democratic. So, if people want the United States of America to remain united they must allow each state to have an equal say.

 

Twitter and all Social Media Sites

Do the owners of sites like Twitter and face book know who and why some, and it seems an increasing number, of accounts are shadow banned? Its a fascinating question because the very clandestine nature of it seems to require site owners to place a great deal of trust in site employees, unless of course site owners and/or directors check every account that's shadow banned as it happens, which seems unlikely.

Contracts may appear water tight and unbreakable but what if a member of staff bans someone for personal reasons? Is there not then an entirely different kind of case? Particularly if it can be shown a staff member hacked and stalked a site user then shadow banned that user to conceal the crime?

Social Media is changing and among the changes there appear to be attempts to ban people without telling them why they are banned. I think people deserve and have the right to be told. It seems arbitrary to ban someone for reasons they are not allowed to know. 

Its an interesting point, that's all I'm saying.

Filthy?

The state of our home regardless of whether its clean or dirty is more often a reflection of our state of  physical and emotional health only look at the number of people who obsess over domestic rituals or who allow a home to disintegrate because for whatever reason being there is something they hate and neglecting it the result. 

Is sex filthy? No! Of course not although talking about sexual intercourse, these days more often referred to as 'having sex' used to be. The old romantic novels and magazines used to refer to 'making love' I don't know if they still do but it seems a bit out of place today, after all sex can reflect every emotion including anger and humour and between consenting adults none of them are filthy.

Real filth exists in the mind. The mind of people who enjoy inflicting hurt on others. The creature who films people when they're in a bathroom, on a toilet or in a shop just trying something on. To the illegal filming of someone in their own home and then compounding their crime by sharing it among their accomplices. Its a state of mind that can't be cleaned and could get worse. 

No one who does such a thing can legitimately claim they cared about their victim in any way at all and the best their accomplices can say is at least they didn't make the film. Its filth there is no excuse or rational explanation there is just filth.