Punishment in 18th Century Wales - John Torbuck

'Some of the most obstinate criminals are punished by Suspension, but not by the Neck, as here in England, but by the Wrists. Thumb-rop'd together with String of Hay, and so fasten'd to a Peg; well! this is but the Beginning... the Sting will follow: The offending Taphy thus dangling in the Air, the Beadle approaches with a stick im'd with a feather at one End, and tickles his Testiclesp, these softer Titillation engender some vibrations of the Body, and nimble Friskings, which are shrewdly chasti'd by a Cat-of-nine-tails.
For several crimes they have various Punishments. That grand Enormity of Breaking-wind is chastised there as it is in England, that is, the Hand of Magistracy doth usually inflict a pretty lusty Cobbling, that is, for every Report of Loss of an Hair, though some that have been much addicted to the Infirmity, and therefore have been very guilty of a Stink, have endured the Cruelty of tormenting Fairies, that is, have been pinch'd into Manners, and a better Smell.

From A collection of Welsh Travels and Memoirs of Wales
1738

Ah, the whif of what passed as justice rattling down the years......

EVICT ERIC PICKLES

The Department for Communities and Local Government were yesterday given 28 days notice to vacate their central London premises and mounting criticism of their recent behaviour. Travellors, Gypsies, Roma and Supporters behind the move stated " persistant racially aggravated persecution... harrassment, alarm and distress amounting to anti-social behaviour and gross misconduct."

More details here
http://travellersolidarity.org/

Fight for Sites: Evict the Department for Communities and Local Government

Palestinian child prisoners 'abused'.

Rights groups say youths arrested by Israeli forces face prospect of beatings and rights violations.

Hundreds of Palestinian children are arrested by the Israeli military every tear for throwing stones at occupying forces.
They are tried in Israeli military courts and human rights organisations say the trial lacks due progress and are against international law.
When asked about the allegations, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson told Al Jazeera that the rights organisation that documented the abuses was "not a credible organisation", and said that no such evidence had been shared with the Israeli authorities.

Al Jazeera's Charles Stafford reports from Abu Dis, in the occupied West Bank.

Source: Al Jazeera

Adrian Mitchell (24/10/32 -20/12/08) - Guns

a sense of proportion.....

                                                       They seem to have all the guns,
                                                       Most of the guns in Britain are
                                                       British/American government property
                                                       Police property
                                                       Or the property of gentry-gangsters
                                                       Who are British/American government property.

                                                       Nobody I love has a gun. Not in Britain.

                                                       The rich are rich because they fuck people about.
                                                       They call it the Quality of Leadership
                                                       And they have special school-machines producing
                                                       Leaders to fuck people about.

                                                       People with guns
                                                       Tend to fuck other people about.
                                                       The people they tend to fuck about
                                                       Are people who don't have guns.

                                                       None of my friends has a machine-gun ready,
                                                       Let alone a tank.

                                                       A few yards ahead of us, a row of truncheons.
                                                       Behind the truncheons, rifles,
                                                       Behind the rifles, grenades,
                                                       Behind the grenades, machine-guns,
                                                       Behind the machine-guns, tanks,
                                                       Behind the tanks, bombs,
                                                       And behind the bombs - the rich.

                                                       The rich are as stupid as guns,
                                                       They will be killed with their own guns.
                                                       In every capital
                                                       The fucked about of the world are taking arms.
                                                       The people of the world
                                                       We are going to take it.

                                     
                                             
                            


                             
  

Artscape: Poets of Protest - Manal Al Sheikh: Fire Won't Eat Me Up

Poet, editor and activist Manal Al Sheik, says it is now lethal for her to be a writer in her home town of Ninewh, Iraq. We follow her as she prepares a new poem for a public reading in Norwegian.

Happy Autumn Equinox

Every day, the season air humming, for some can be numbing, walking on the edge..... beyond the weight, voices talk, voices share, navigate between imperfect intervals and mornings rush..... towards a mutlitude of possibility. Shadows become a thousand words, and the roaring continues , the wind is never silent.


Happy Autumn Equinox

heddwch/peace.....

Nick Clegg Says Sorry - The Remix

I like it when people say  sorry, it can't be easy.But sometimes it just happens to come a little too bloody late. Is this for the country or is it for his party's conference this weekend. His original apology did not sound very heartfelt either, I prefer this version
Not sure if it will change anybodies opinions about him though. Don't think he's goin to win any popularity contests any time soon, either. ****R