In the days when I was a worker, I made great use of my Palm pda thingy. Seems I missed the real benefits when I come to read what is going on in my guest spot.
Given the problems some women have in scheduling hair-dresser appointments, I foresee a rise in the numbers of the sexually frustrated.
Soldiers On Parade
Marcus Turner
Here they come marching past the houses, shiny boots and khaki blouses,
Stiff as the creases in their trousers, standing tall and straight and strong,
And they all keep in step together, glint of steel and flash of leather,
Braving every kind of weather as they boldly march along.
You may dismiss it as a ploy for the enlistment of the boys
Who’ll be impressed to see the toys and play the games that can be played,
And you may well prefer abstention, but I feel compelled to mention
You’d do well to pay attention when the boys are on parade.
Look at your sons. Before they’re older, they’ll be stronger, they’ll be bolder —
Just the thing to make a soldier! — and we’ll turn them into men,
And they’ll be taught to follow orders, keep the peace and guard the borders,
To protect us from marauders and defend us to the end.
But the position they’ll be filling is to be able and be willing
To be killed and do the killing when there’s a price that must be paid,
And you may well prefer abstention, but I feel compelled to mention
You’d do well to pay attention when the boys are on parade.
In the pursuit of a community of decency and unity
And equal opportunity, we stand prepared to fight,
And if there’s a threat to our position from aggressive opposition
Then, with guns and ammunition, we’ll repel with all our might.
And we’ll dehumanize and hate them, send in the troops to decimate them,
As in the name of all the nation all it stands for is betrayed,
And you may well prefer abstention, but I feel compelled to mention
You’d do well to pay attention when the boys are on parade.
Merely the whim or intuition of an elected politician
Makes a mêlée without conditions as the monster leaves its cage.
It’s a machine that knows no quarter, dealing death and sowing slaughter,
Raping mothers, wives and daughters in an all-consuming rage.
And we may well believe we need it, and we’ll pay to arm and feed it,
But can you tell me who will lead it when the decision must be made?
And you may well prefer abstention, but I feel compelled to mention
You’d do well to pay attention when the boys are on parade.
Some will wonder what’s to fear, and say that there’s no danger here,
But there has never been a year when soldiers haven’t been at war;
And the inhuman executions and the bloody revolutions
And the Ultimate Solutions, too, have all been seen before.
And there is always someone scheming, and sometimes at night, as I lie dreaming,
In the distance I hear screaming, and in my heart I feel afraid,
And you may well prefer abstention, but I feel compelled to mention
You’d do well to pay attention when the boys are on parade.
Here they come marching past the houses, shiny boots and khaki blouses,
Stiff as the creases in their trousers, standing tall and straight and strong,
And is it any cause for pride that now the women march beside them?
Will there be wiser gods to guide them in discerning right from wrong?
For every step is a reminder of the threat that lies behind us
If we forget the ties that bind us when the decisive game is played,
And you may well prefer abstention, but I feel compelled to mention
You’d do well to pay attention when the boys are on parade.
And as the procession passes by, consider the sight before your eyes,
’Cause it’ll be you they’ll kill and die for if they are called to the crusade,
So you can love them and adore them, or you can hate them and abhor them,
But for God’s sake don’t ignore them when the boys are on parade.
Goodbye to my England, So long my old friend
Your days are numbered, being brought to an end
To be Scottish, Irish or Welsh that's fine
But don't say you're English, that's way out of line.
The French and the Germans may call themselves such
As may Norwgians, the Swedes and the Dutch
You can say you are Russian or maybe a Dane
But don't say you're English ever again
At Broadcasting House the word is taboo
In Brussels its Scrapped, in Parliament too
Even schools are affected, staff do as they're told
They must not teach children about England of old
Writers like Shakespeare, Milton and Shaw
The pupils do not learn about them anymore
How about Agincourt, Hastings, Arnhem or Mons
When England lost hosts of her very brave sons
We are not Europeans, how can we be?
Europe is miles away over the sea
We're the English from England, let's all be proud
Stand up and be counted- Shout it out loud
Let's tell our Government and Brussels too
We're proud of our heritage and the red white and blue
Fly the flag of Saint George or the Union Jack
Let the world know - we want OUR ENGLAND BACK !!!!
I still have a little glow of self-righteousness about showing that pup what swimming was all about. It will enjoy its own life more and will add to the enjoyment of it's owners.
Makes me all the more understanding of Superwoman Shirley Conran and her comment that Life was too short to spend time stuffing mushrooms.Peace Takes Courage is a project by Ava Lowrey. Ava is a 15 year old student and peace activist from Alabama. In Mid-March 2005, she created her first animation. Since then she has made over 70 animations, many of them about the war in Iraq. Reading her work, it is clear that she attracts a lot of criticism that comes in very harsh wording. She turns this to her own advantage. Blogger extra-ordinary indeed! Go read.
On the beach at Longniddry today. Sun burning eyes out. Temperature about 24C. Tide in. No waves. Pointy nose is swimming her little heart out. Coming towards us is a family group. Dad - bit chave like with baseball cap wrong way round and tattoos, chubby mum unsuitably dressed for beach. Kid about 4 or 5 years old. Also, on a lead, a black labrador boy about a year old. Interested in the water but leashed in by bloke. As they neared, I said that the dog should be in the water. "Nah. He canna swim". I explained that all dogs swim and his dog could prove it there and then.
Asked if the dog retrieved and was told he brought balls back but "they didn't have a ball with them" (What did they think they were at the beach for?). I said we could use a stick. Bloke was worried that dog might get splinters in his mouth! I resolved that issue and got the dog playing with the stick. Then suggested that dog be taken off lead and we try the water. "Oh. He might run away" Explained that when the dog knew what swimming was, they would never get it to go away from them.
Stick into water just out of dog's reach. Walked in well and floated with dog paddle. Reached stick and brought it back. On dry land, dog went mad jumping about. After that, every stick a winner.
My good deed for the day.
Sitting happily in the sun today, I almost forgot what a mess this country is in. Then I heard the report on the 7/7 explosions. More whitewash.
Never mind. I have worked out what is needed to improve the quality of government we receive.
Every Friday afternoon, every member of the government regardless of sex, rank, party or sexual preference is raped by a very well-built individual. Each week, a percentage of these acts will be carried out in public at regional centers.
This will make it clear to the politicians how we feel as the electorate.
The Times article that I have guest-blogged sets out a very convincing case. I also find it interesting where it reports words used by supposedly influential Islamists in respect of the Jews. How can one expect such persons to indulge in reasonable debate to settle differences?
Is the Pope Catholic?
You three regular readers will know what I think about the decision here. It may be legal but where is the sense in it? However, it may well go all the way to the Lords yet so I live in hope.
What is worth going into is the cost. Nine men and their families. Trial, benefits, etc. Somewhere between £20 and £30 million. The casual error margin of £10 million suggests it is a rough and ready assessment. The figure of £4.5 million is stated as due to the trial. We have seen the sort of administrative cock-up the Home Office made of potential deportees. What comfort can we have of their efficiency here? And elsewhere as yet still covered up?
This marvellous piece of agitprop was produced by some BBC outfit or other. What the hell has How to Complain about the Police got to do with the BBC. Hackneyed phrase but I don't want my license fees spent on this type of product. I cannot really understand why anyone would need to draw up such a document. I was in two minds whether or not to give it the oxygen of publicity but I thought you three readers could be trusted.
There is a strong movement that aims to put the best possible gloss on what is happening in Iraq. This guy is trying to make the point that British losses are not really all that bad.
He ignores the fact that any loss of a British life in Iraq is wrong. Plain and simple fact is that whatever we claim to be achieving is not worth one English life.
I've included something in this Guest blog that shows the depth of division in USA. I do not think this guy is a green ink, block capitals and underlined writer. I have read a number of American blogs that support what he is saying.
Importance of this - to me - is that if things are so fubar'd, we'd be wise to get out from under. Problem is that I consider our foreign office people lack the balls to tell Tone that his good ole boy buddy is a bit off the hook. This makes the continuing uncertaintity regarding will he go or will he stay a little more significant.
Is this guy Upton Park?
The newbies in B Liar's (what he chooses to call) government are getting their feet under the new tables. Already we are seeing some fairly big ghosts. The prison scandal is very much bigger than had been admitted. The farm payments are a shambles. People were given new jobs whilst retaining ones they had held before the shuffle. Chickens coming home to roost I think>
I've just been watching that Dr. Phil character on the box. Psychologists and their colleagues have always interested me and I'm quite content to listen and analise their preachings and pronouncements withou any serious consideration as to the validity of what they are saying. I'm sure that in many ways they are like the religion shows one sees on American TV. Hoever, they package their thoughts well. Have a look at this - I'll bet there is as much you agree with as there is that which annoys you.
Back in the days when I had a job as a civilian manager, I was dismayed at the low levels of personal organisation amongst my colleagues. I would sit with them on meetings and their lack of basic time and energy management came across every time. All seemed to be excused by their mantra "I'm very busy". This was their excuse for muddle, confusion snd untidyness. My Army background had served me much better than their management training. Much of what this guy says was in my mother's milk. (Had Outlook been around at that time of course!). I still find it interesting and useful. Good to see that someone has started to think about and write reference these issues.
Blank day today.
Been feeling under the weather. Lack of serious concentration. Don't care what is going on in the mad mad mad world. Be back soon.
TODAY'S GUEST BLOG
Not today. Sorry
There is a report in today's Guardian that causes me concern. I read
"The ministry of defence said a "maximum of five" British personnel were on board, but had yet to confirm a death toll."
Why the secrecy? What does it achieve? Surely to God they know who was on the chopper and who is not accounted for. All this does is reinforce my impression that they do not know what they are doing.
This is important as further on we read
"After initially using batons against the crowd, some of the soldiers opened fire. According to Iraqi police, four or five Iraqis were killed, including at least one child. British soldiers said they believed the Iraqis were killed by mortars fired by the Mahdi army, but British defence sources admitted later that the dead Iraqis might have been shot by British troops."
The Rules of Engagement in Iraq determine when and how troops may respond to enemy action. If a soldier did use his weapon, he needs to be damn sure what he is aiming at and why. Things may have changed but firing rounds into the air or over the heads of a hostile crowd has long been a No No. This is indiscriminate firing and, just like the little boy and his arrows, no one knows where the bullets will land. The claim regarding mortars will get the Mandy Rice Davis response (They would say that wouldn't they). Any dispassionate reader will get the impression that, at best, the situation was so badly controlled that the soldiers did not know what they were doing. To any Iraqi hot-head, the injustice is writ large.
My underwear may be in a tousled state here as I was once in charge of a team making sure that this sort of fiasco did not happen. Until the true facts were known, nothing was said that would allow opponents to claim we had changed the story. Very prompt discovery of everything that had transpired was essential. It is not an easy task but it can be done. Get this sort of thing wrong and it will haunt you for a very long time. Our troops are reported to be concerned that any positive action they take may not be supported by the higher chain of command. What I see happening here makes that lack of understanding all the more likely.
Given that so much of our destiny in external affairs is very closely related witrh what America does, we here should give more attention to what goes on there. OK - the names of Rove and Rice may ring bells but bear in mind that much of what we see and hear easily - the Muzak of our daily life - has already been past a suitability filter.
Thankfully, there is still a strong American tradition for plain speaking free of the spin that is on much of what we get as daily fare. I make a point of reading some of the more outspoken critics. It's hard going at times when they refer to events and personalities outside our experience but Google is free. Have a little try at my Guest blog - the Media Suicide item is a good example of what I find enlightening.
TODAY'S GUEST BLOG
Read this. Maybe it isn't Gospel but it will make you think!
Oh - and add this to your reading.
Iraq is spiralling even further downwards. Our political "masters" have been saying that we in the South had achieved much. The 'Blackhawk Down' scenes show just how much. Given the disaster in the Labour party's domestic performance and the way in which that was (mis-) handled, B Liar is clearly incapable of planning or undertaking anything on a wider scale. It is not my place to criticise America's leaders. I have no real knowledge of what is going on over there other than some very dire sounding reports. Together, I no longer believe they can effect anything good in Iraq. The problem solvers have become the problem. We should recognise this and remove ourselves from the plot.
I cannot see what we are likely to achieve. Our removal would lead to the Iraqi people focussing on the real problems they face. If this means that they choose to become a real threat to anyone, introduce them to nuclear warfare. I am old enough to remember Japan's end and have seen both cities. Dreadful and horrific. If we are now seeing in Iraq the effects of other methods, I'll settle for the Sunshine Surfeit.
TODAY'S GUEST BLOG
Any place on this earth that will for one minute shield and support the sort of murdering beasts described here, does not deserve one iota of the sacrifices demanded of coalition troops. The video will have been widely shown and will doubtless have received in many places the sort of reaction we saw yesterday in Basra. The old maps had it right "Here be wild animals".
I'm putting off collecting the papers today. There will be endless boring post-mortem about the elections and the results. The cull will figure large and Prezza's Escape will have even more dissection. Many people are asking just what he will do. B Liar says he is just the bloke for negotiations. Obviously, when the men in grey suits (Labour version) come knocking on Tone's door to tip him the dreaded black spot, they will be met by 2 Shags and put to flight immediately.
Any American ladies out there who have gaps in their social diary may wish to check out the possibilities open to them in the coming month. Just fuel up the SUV and away you go.
