There's enough of them already...

 This is very disorganised but that's how I'm feeling today so I make no apology, it just is what it is. 

This is what is happening in my street. Worst of all, they expect me to agree.

Up in arms, prepared to fight, the neighbours are stirred up,

The Club Has Closed.

The drinking den with smoking shelter (optional) attached

is gone but worse to come,

the rumour’s doing the rounds, we saw someone come out

Challenged him

What’s going on, what’s it going to be?

The answer couldn’t have been worse.

Crackhouse, Whorehouse, Paedophiles retreat?

No, worse (of course)

You never would believe what is afoot

Lowering the value of our properties,

The tone of the neighbourhood,

Bringing people in who don’t belong, here.

Yes, that’s right. A Mosque!

Something must be done.

Bring back the boozers, smokers, Saturday night 

shouting-in-the-streeters and

good old local 

Dope sellers.

No Mosque here, we say. 

No Way.

RANT

I just caught a glimpse of a piece on bbc breakfast. If it's on again before I have to leave I'll pay more attention, but the gist of it was this: 


Some woman, talking about education, was saying that our children should be educated with the purpose of feeding the machine. Well, obviously she didn't use those exact words, but that is what she said. Schools, teachers, the education system should tailor what it does to the needs of business. I think she used the word 'responsive'. Business has a duty too, of course, she acknowledged- to identify and communicate their projected needs. TO ASSIST THE EDUCATORS IN FEEDING THE CAPITALIST MACHINE. Well, of course she didn't say those words, and she didn't shout them in capital letters. But that is what she meant. 

Our education system should NEVER be dictated to by business. Our education system should be teaching children to be creative. To think for themselves. To ask questions. Our children should be taught philosophy. And that if we don't look after the planet we live on, nothing else will matter anyway.
I AM INCANDESCENT WITH RAGE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION IS ABOUT BUSINESS NEEDS. 

Of course, they will say that it's about skills. But you can learn wonderful, real, important skills whilst having a rich education. Children can learn to think and to communicate. To read, to write, to calculate, but also to be confident, innovative, adaptable, thoughtful. To work together or alone. ALL OF WHICH ARE IMPORTANT LIFE SKILLS. Children should be taught the essential skill of critical thinking. To enjoy every day. To be happy with who they are, and how they look, and that to be different is not to be wrong. Yes, they can learn science, and history, and geography, and mathematics, and literacy, and literature, and art, and craft, whilst learning how to live their lives to the full. 

And they should learn that they are not, and never should be, living their lives as fodder for someone else's enrichment. 

Well, I told you it was a rant.

The Book of Clegg

And Lo! David was mightily pleased with himself, for all attempts to smite him down were thwarted by his foresight, in cleaving to himself a shield, a conduit, so it would pass that any wrath or retribution which he might attract should be deflected through this conduit, and all of David’s pain shall be his pain, and David shall live a life that's charm’d, ensconced in safe abode, e’en though he whose purpose it is to take upon himself all mortal suffering in David’s stead shall be consumed by fire and plague and a multitude of electoral losses.

Candidate

Slyly wiping sweaty palms, kept going on adrenalin, overbright and manic eyes, slightly scary rictus grin, desperately hoping you’ve got in.

T#101

An Unedifying Scene

So, let me get this right

A camera watched Osama 

being shot through his left eye

and fed the picture over to a screen, 

where Obama watched the image 

from the camera 

as it watched Osama die

then a camera watched Obama 

as he looked up at the screen 

to see the image  
from the camera

of Osama as he died

and relayed it round the world, 

so everyone could see 

Obama watch Osama 

through a camera 

as Osama died

right there 

up on the screen.

Is it only me,

or is there 

anybody else

right now,

who saw all this, 

and feels 

a bit

unclean?

Osama’s bin Obama’d

Wow! The superpower superheroes powered in, just like in the movies, and took the bad man out. Pow! So, does that mean we’re all safer, now?




T#98

How Dare You?

The pressure cooker helmeted hothead steams, boils over. 

A rush of blood, 

The Push, 

and the sad, slow stranger tumbles, over and over again.

With sincere condolences to the family of Ian Tomlinson, whose inquest is a matter of great interest.



T#85 

A Capitalist’s Dilemma

The children are fighting again. 

Do we teach them tolerance, respect and compromise, 

or sell them weapons 

wash our hands 

and close our eyes?



T#73

Stamp, Muammar, Stamp

The cockroaches crawl all around you, creep into your dreams. 

You stamp your feet. Still they come. 

They are your nightmare. 

You are theirs.



T#48

I thought there was ‘no such thing’ anyway

A very short poem can't begin to express my anger and contempt for this government. Read this one out loud, slowly, with emphasis, spit out the words if you will and please feel free to alter the words ‘back off’ to whatever you see fit, if it helps.


Big hearts in our community,
Big souls Big ideas smashed on the rocks of poverty.
Back off Mr C.
There’s no place for you in OUR Big society


T#21

The Assessment

....is dedicated to Atos Origin, the company employed by the government to throw sick people off benefits. This may seem a stark 'assessment' of their role, but as they get paid a bonus for each person found 'fit to work' it is the plain truth. The fact that most of these people, if they have the energy and nerve to appeal, get their benefit reinstated barely gets reported. Nor does the anecdotal evidence from GPs that they have had terminally ill patients declared 'fit to work'. My concern is that the tests used in these assessments are uniquely unfair to people with mental illness, as they may well be physically able to lift a full kettle and walk 20 yards but are not able to work and are also unable to state their case because of their illness. Please contact you MP and ask for a government rethink about the way these assessments are carried out, an investigation into the terms of the Atos contract and special measures to protect the mentally ill from unfair treatment.




We’ve decided that you’re fit enough to work.

  

We’ve decided to increase your medication

We’ve decided that you’ve started to self harm

We’ve decided that you need an intervention

We’ve decided you’re a danger to yourself

We’ve decided that you really should be sectioned.

We’ve decided that you’re fit enough to work.

an old game

Paper’s for their edicts rules and laws, scissors for the cuts they say we must endure and stone? well- stone is for the day we say ‘enough’



T#11

Government Statement

A root and branch investigation of the current fiscal situation (disregarding conservation) leaves us with determination- to sell the trees.

T#7