Libraries gave us power
Then work came and made us free
What price now for a shallow piece of dignity
We don't talk about love we only want to get drunk
And we are not allowed to spend
As we are told that this is the end
A design for life
A design for life
A design for life
A design for life
I wish I had a bottle
Right here in my pretty face to wear the scars
To show from where I came
We don't talk about love we only want to get drunk
And we are not allowed to spend
As we are told that this is the end
A design for life
A design for life
A design for life
A design for life
Originally created by the Manic Street Preachers, but personally such a beautiful version. The threat to public libraries is very real, keep defending, this blog would not have existed without them
Songwriters ;James Bradfield/ Sean Moore/ Nicholas Jones
Today I mark the occasion Simone de Beauvoirs birth. She was many things, an athiest, feminist, existentialist, philosopher, intellectual and political activist, born to Francois and George Bertrand de Beauvoir, her father encouraged her to be an avid reader from a young age. At 14, she had a crisis of faith and decided definitely that there was no God. On all accounts she was a precoucious, but intellectually gifted curious child, who would later come into conflict with her parents over their difference of beliefs. Educated at a convent school, she went on to study philosopy at the Sorbonne, seeking a life as a writer and teacher. In 1929. she took the aggregation exam in philosophy at the Ecole Normale de Sueriuiere, even though she was not a student there, and was placed second before Jean- Paul Sartre becoming the youngest philosopher teacher in France at the age of 21.She would begin a lifetime relationship with Jean Paul Sartre, though refusing to marry or set up house with him, instead oth took and even shared lovers over time, becoming famous Parisian intellectuals and part of the city's cafe culture. regularly meeting other great minds of the time.Together, she and Sartre would develop existentialism, a philosophy that takes freedom to be the highest value in a universe where God is dead and where human beings create their own values through their choices and actions, In the post war period, existentialism was the most challenging expression of radical, secular, philosophical humanism. She would teach philosophy and literature throughout the 1930's, but was dismissed during Word War 11 from her post by the Vichy government after the German army occupied Paris in 1940. Both she and Sartre would work for the French Resistance during the remainder of the war, but unable to teach, she soon launched her literary career. She went on to write many groundbreaking books that can be found today on many bookshelves across the world. She wrote her best known book The Second Sex, on the treatment of women throughout history, in 18 months at the age of 38 in 1949.It helped raise feminist consciousness but also stressed that women's liberation was liberation for men too, it was subsequently placed by the Vatican on their list of prohibited books. if that does not wet your appetite , am not sure what will. Her first philosophical essay called "Pyrrus and Cineas" 1944, asked such quetions as :" What are the criteria of ethical action? How can I distinguish ethical from unethical political projects? What are the principles of ethical relationships? Can violence ever be justified?" She would go onto write four volumes of autobiography. After the Second World War she travelled to the U.S, where she would meet and have an affair with the writer Nelson Algren, who is best known for his book ' The Man with the Golden Arm" The novel ' The Mandarins' . 1954, is based on her relationships with Algren and Sartre, and is a chronicle of the movement of post World War intellectualls from their 'mandarin' ( educated elite) status towards political engagement. It was in the 1970's that she would become an active member of the women's liberation movement in France. Her name was one of the 243 listed in a 1971 manifesto in a bid to legalise abortion in France, that featured famous women who claimed to have had a termination, before it came legal in 1974.An intellectual vigilante she used her pen as a weapon, breaking down gender stereotypes and challenged laws that prohibited women fom having control over their own bodies.Today more than ever it is vital to recognise that freedom can't be assumed. Some of the freedoms that de Beauvoir fought so hard for, have since come under threat. In 1986 her health, having sadly declined due to her heavy use of amphetimines and alcohol,, she died aged 78, and was buried next to Sartre in the Cimetiere du Montparnasse, next to Sartre. A life of many contradictions, but nevertheless a fascinating and inspiring woman whose life and work still has huge influence on many over the years. Her work stll provides us with a fascinating unique point of view, on what it it is to be human and how that still pertains to the struggle for political and spiritual unity. Ideas that still resonate with us today.Happy birthday Simone.
The concept of twin souls ( more popularly known as soulmates) is as old as civilisation itself, I was fortunate to find mine, my muse , at the time of starting this blog, back in 2009, Jane Elizabeth Husband, my dear beloved' the mighty furbster, who I am thinking of today, one year after her passing. She made my life and world so beautiful,and understood the true depths of love and kinship, that fortunately we shared together, who still shines brightly within my heart. The following poem is dedicated to her memory. She taught me a lot.
Heart and Soul
Sweet cords of memory
cancel out lines of disbelief,
move moments of regret
in the distance waves goodbye,
this gift of time, who released so much love
a voice so elegant and pure,
who filled up all the empty spaces
continues to be so dear and true,
carries on dancing in the night sky
a light that cannot darken,
no one will quite replace her
gleaming now in eternity,
flowing through every day given
giving no cause for regret,
running free deep within
never fades with slipping sun,
everytime I hear an accordian
in heart and soul, we are one.
The ten year Israeli-led blockade of Gaza , the narrow enclave that is home to nearly half of all Palestnians living under Israeli occupation, which has decimated the Gazan economy and Gaza's once strong furniture, garment and agricultural sectos have been all but destroyed after more than a decade of restrictions on exports, imports and movement. Gaza has been declared unlivable by the UN, with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world and 80 percent of people relying on humanitarian aid to survive.
This is a place where life has long been cruel, where refugees forced out of Israel by the Nabka and families who have lved in Gaza for generations have suffered under dire conditions for nearly 70 years. But in the last decade, it has become a site of stunning misery. Ten years ago this past June, Israel imposed a stringent land sea and ar blockade on Gaza which has restricted most movement to and from the strip and pushed the tiny territory to the brink of collapse. Conditions hae become so extreme that the United Nations has stated that by 2020 the Gaa Strip could become uninabitable
The crisis in Gaza is not just a humanitarian tragedy, it should be a moral outrage. This ongoing suffering must end.
The above visual was produced in collaboration with Oxfam, and builds on Visualising Palestine's extensive work to highlight the daily realities faced by Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip.
View and download here ;-
A quick reminder of 2017's year of mayhem. Theresa May though remains a shambolic figure, her authority in shreds. and her lack of leadership and cohesion, and sheer incompetance is going I fear be a disaster for this country. as millions face poverty, criminally inflated rents, humiliating benefit cuts and welfare sanctions amounting to state sponsored starvation, 2018 is going to be just as painful as last year. She is the personifiation of this disunited kingdom. We need to see the back of the heartless Tories as soon as possible.
Words arrive from seas of dream
no one is illegal, no one is forgotten
with revision division abandoned
creating new traditions to handle,
we have ruined, but we can build again
taking leap forwards in faithful belief,
waiting and watching, keeping alert
creating justice and retribution,
burning free, coalescing with others
restoring paradise that no longer smothers,
beyond wars created by governments
with patience seek roads of contentment, beyond cruel apartheid walls of oppression
as the shadows play, let history books rewritten,
together we remain strong, don't give up the fight
steady and slow, darkness turned into light,
our eyes in summer,spring, autumn, winter
will glisten with rainbows and laughter,
hope returning with no ending
visions created by our human senses,
on elysian fields, no borders necessary
new gardens of eden created,
all our messages ring with love
as a brand new dawn reawakens.
blwyddyn newydd dda/ happy new year.. heddwch/peace. Cheers Ian Curtis
A Palestinian girl, Ahmed Al - Tamimi aged 16 years, from a well-known activist family who lives in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, who many Palestinians view as their hero, is currently wearing prison clothes, her only crime being is that she was born in Palestine and showed resistance to her oppressors, and called for Freedom, Peace, and ending the occupation and removing the apartheid wall. Her courage is unrivalled.
This brave girl has been participating against her oppressors ,standing up against injustices. She has been protesting the theft of land and water since 2012. She has had to endure personal sacrifice, having lost an uncle and cousin to the occupation. Her parents Nariman and Bassem Tamimi, have been arrested time and again.
A video posted on facebook last Friday shows Ahed and her mother blocking two Israeli soldiers from entering their home after occupation forces had shot her 14 year old cousin Mohammad in the face by a rubber bullet, and fired tear-gas canisters directly at their home, breaking several windows.
Two years ago a video featuring her went viral as she sought to protect her brother being taken away by a soldier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=485&v=mg1-_oIfjqc
On Tueday December 18th Ahed , was abducted from her home, during a pre-dawn raid carried out by Israeli Occupation Forces. At least 30 soldiers were involved in the raid and Ahed's arrest. During this raid, occupation forces assaulted various members of her family, including Ahed's 14 year old brother, and confiscated their cell phones and computers. Later in the day after learning that Ahed was being held at a police station near Jabaa village, her mother travelled there to be present for her daughters interrogation, only to be arrested by occupation forces on her arrival. An Israeli cour yesterday extended her detention.
Ahed is currently one of 211 Palestinian child prisoners in Israeli jails as of November 2017 http://www.addameer.org/statistics Israeli Occupation forces regularly abduct, arrest, and abuse Palestinian children and torture them while in custody.The arrest of Ahed is sadly not an isolated incident, but rather follows suit with Israel's policies and increased attacks on Palestinians since Donald Trump's symbolic assault on Palestinian sovereignty with his announcement on Jerusalem. As Palestinians continue to mobilize in light of this decision, it is imperative that the international community condemns all efforts by Israel to stifle Palestinian resistance. Israel's attempts to silence and install fear in Palestine youth , must be met with outrage, while extending full support to targeted Palestinians so they are not demoralized.
The United Nations has repeatedly called on Israel to withdraw from occupied Palestinian territory. accusing Israel of being guilty of policies and practices that constitute the crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people, in violation of international law.
I stand against the imprisonment of Palestinians, especially children, believing that all occupied people have a right to resist their occupation. and therefore stand with Ahed and her family in this difficult time and salute their struggle of firm resistance against their illegal occupation
Please consider adding your name to the following petitions demanding Ahed and Palestinian children are released from Israeli prisons now. The international community must put an end to the ill-treatment of Palestinian children. Enough is enough. To Ahed and the children in Isreli jails. We stand by your side, and are holding you in our hearts. We wil not give up until you are free. You are not alone. I urge fellow people of conscience to demand freedom for Ahed and her fellow detained and jailed Palestinian children in occupation detention centers, interrogation centers and prisons. The resistance of the Palestinian people has never been quelled by arrests or repression, and it must be clear that we, around the world, continue to stand alongside the Palestinian peope as they defend Jerusalem and their entire land and people under attack. This includes standing with detained and jailed Palestinian prisoners in their struggle for themselves, their people, and their occupied homeland.
It is only a few days now untill the new year, but children are still being imprisoned in the modern age. Love and peace will never die, and the people of Palestine and the free world, salute you Ahed for the courage that you have shown.
Another surreal year, the story of my life, again not popped to record stores as much as i'd have wished, have spent some time trying to get over my partners bereavement. Getting there, though I doubt, I will ever quite fully recover from the loss. Despite this , here are some musical highlights from the last year that have managed to pick me up, in no particular order.Power to the music. I feel optimistic about 2018, I believe it truly will be one of change. See you on the other side. Kick the Tories out. 1. Mwstard - Cloc
2, Nik Turner - Life in Space
3. Steve Ignorant's Slice of life - Love and a lampost
4. Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
5. Benjamin Zepaniah - Revolutionary Minds
6. Lisa Knapp - Till April is dead
7. Lankum - Between the Earth and Sky
8. Penny Rimbaud -What Passing Bells : The War Poems of Wilfred Owen
Festive greetings.It's that time of year again, when we sing about peace and good will, amidst mistletoe and wine, merriment and laughter, and we have the simple impulse to give, share and support others, release feelings of mutual aid and solidarity..
As the tentacles of the capitalist market reach into every part of our lives, encouraging us to pay for the convenience of expressing our feelings for our fellow beings, through excessive gift giving, time also to reflect and think of others who have even less, and those who will be giving up their time to help others. The latter acts I believe are part of our nature, an impulse that I believe should not be be a once in a year anomoly, it is something as human beings that we should collectively daily nurture, as Peter Kropotkin wrote in Mutual Aid,' a factor of evolution that we need in order to survive.'
Today lets try not to forget the many organisations and services providing comfort to those that need it most,who will be dealing with a sharp rise in demand for crisis services at this time of year, as people face homelessness and benefits disruption over this festive period, because of our government and its policies. For some ,this time of the year is not a time of year for thinking about buying or recieving presents, taking time of work and seeing family and friends. It is a time of immense difficulty, fear and uncertainty, people left in isolation, feeling alone, as services are closed, many left cold, hungry and without support, in a downward spiral . People who feel they do not belong, who are discredited and denied their status as human beings.
So it is important especially at this time of year to look out for one another, and reach out to those in need of our help, the underpriveleged and marginalised, those too weak to look after or defend themselves. So happy Christmas to all, but please do not leave individuals standing alone, please keep sharing your mutual aid and solidarity. Together we can make a difference to those that need it the most, as some of us get a little inebriated, lets try and keep other spirits alive too, And after this holiday period has ended, lets keep shaping our society into a better place to live, for the many not the few. Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much. All the very best.
They are simply rotten , as simply as that , and currently more concerned what color passports will be post brexit , at the cost of £500 m blue is their color, They just want us all to live in an isolated monolingual mono cultural country of poverty and despair, where the hardest hit struggle to suvive, who simply want some sense and reason to come back into our lives. But the self seving elitist thieving Tories keep releasing their conscious cruelty with their deliberate punitive policies, leaving the country bedridden with austerity, suffering the fall out from cuts to services,which at end of day are purely ideological. Their Christmas gift to Britains poorest children is to get rid of their free school meals.
This is Conservatism in a nutshell. There is no such thing as a fair society under a Conservative Government. How do we stop them, we keep pushing, fighting back, for a fairer society, for the many not the few, we have to stop them in their tracks. If you can, have a merry christmas, do not them steal any hope or joy that you may have stored within. Kick out the Tories.
