[color=blue]I watched a very enjoyable programme last night on BBC 4.
It was called "Our Hidden Lives", and starred Richard Briers, and Lesley Sharp.
It was based on the diaries of real people written just after the Second World War, when the Government of the Day, set up the "Mass Observation Unit", where they asked ordinary people to write down their doings and thoughts in a form of Journal and they were asked to submit these writings to the Mass Observation Unit.
The main things that featured strongly between all five of the people whose Diaries were featured, was the almost permanent hunger that they suffered, along with shortages of almost everything. Also featured strongly was the Authorities attitudes towards homosexuality, how easy it was for "Agents Provocatures" to entrap unsuspecting victims at Public Conveniences, or "Cottages" as they were then called.
There were mentioned instances of men, in their seventies being sent to prison for "ten years of penal servitude", just for so-called indecent acts with another man.
By the early Fifties, most people seemed resigned to things never improving, and food being always on ration.
It seems that although we "won" the War, we still duffered chronic shortages and hardship for many years afterwards.
It also showed people, families. wearing their overcoats indoors, during the Winter, as there was also shortages of Coal and other fuels.
I, personally, can still remember Ration Books, and I think that sweets were the last thing to come off rations.
Things didn't start to improve until the mid fifties, and from then on, by the Sixties, the War Years were well and truly behind us.
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This is a call to all Autonomous / Anti-authoritarian / Anarchist People Of Color across North America to begin assembling APOC formations in your hoods, communities and regions!
A small but nationwide listserv is in the early stages of planning a national APOC gathering in the coming year. APOCistas on the conference list are encouraged by APOC gatherings that have taken place recently at anarchist bookfairs, conferences and convergences across the country, which have been spurred in part by conversations occurring on a national level.
For APOC to grow and thrive as a viable force for folks of color in the so-called United States, more base-building needs to take place. More input from people across the country is needed to shape what APOC movement will look like, and what it will achieve in the coming years.
Folks on the conference listserv encourage you to start bringing together APOC formations in your hoods, communities and regions, and to develop sustained APOC projects that will help contribute to broad radical struggle, and a national APOC conference too.
These projects could be anything, really. For instance:
- An APOC listserv in your area, if there isn't one already
- A virtual collective, e.g. print and editorial groups producing and distributing APOC content
- A regular APOC social gathering in your area, at which APOCers can come together, make connections, and spin off projects and ideas
- A specifically APOC collective, meeting regularly in your city/town and developing its own actions
- A community space or social center managed by and for folks of color
The possibilities are really endless. We strongly encourage all Autonomous / Anti-authoritarian / Anarchist People of Color to build from the connections and conversations taking place at APOC gatherings across the country, and develop more sustained APOC movement in their areas.
It is with deepest regret that I am writing this Obituary for one of the sweetest, kindest, and most unselfish people that I have ever had the honour to call "Friend".
In actual fact, we were more than just "friends"....we had been lovers too. We lived together for almost twenty years, only splitting up in 2000.
Still, we kept in touch and still saw a great deal of each other. Until three years ago, when her health took a turn for the worst. She had diabetes, (amongst other things) and she had stopped taking her medication. She ended up having to have a leg amputated.
However, thinking back to the early days of this lady's life. She was born to a single mother in 1928, and, in those days of the Workhouse, her mother had to fight really hard to keep her little daughter.
Then came the Second World War, and the little family was bombed out from their home in East London, three times!
Later, Eileen went into a Convent, where she stayed for about six years. Not as a Nun, but as a "uncontrollable child". In other words, after fighting and working so hard to keep her daughter, her mother eventuall (because she'd got married) let her daughter go.
Eileen walked out of the Convent on the day of her 21st Birthday. Caught a train back to London, and went "home".
In less than six months, she had met a man and got married. A baby daughter, Jackie, soon followed.
Jackie suffered from epilepsy, and died of a seizure after biting her tounge, at the age of Twenty Nine.
By this time, Eileen has had two more kids, a boy and a girl. The boy joined the Army after his father died, this left only Eileen and her youngest daughter, Sandra, alone again.
Sandra got married, Eileen was left alone to fend for herself. She "latched on" to a series of men, all of whom let her down.
When I met her, we had both taken flats in the same house, in Weymouth. We became friendly, and after her current "Boyfriend" had stolen a couple of my Giro Cheques, and was sent to jail, we grew even friendlier, so much so, we both decieded to live together.
We jointly bought a little terraced house in South Wales, and moved in. We were happy for ten years, then her Mother had a terrible accident, and burnt to death in her kitchen.
I had the task of breaking the news to her. Not nice!
After this, she moved back to London, leaving me to deal with selling the house and all the pressures that went with it.
Anyway, I did, and we had more than doubled our initial purchase money.
I moved in with her in London, but by this time we were feeling the strain, as I had not wanted to sell the house.
So I moved in with a guy I had met at my local garage. This lasted a year.
By then, Eileen had moved, yet again, to Basildon to be nearer her eldest daughter and her family.
I visited Eileen, and she could tell that I wasn't happy about my current relationship, and invited me to move in with her.
I did so, gladly, and for a while we got on well together. But gradually, as Eileen's health worsend, she developed Diabetes and Altzheimers.
Once again, she had become very hard to live with, so I found my own place in 2000 where I still live.
Eileen went into a Care Home, and many stays in hospital, amputation, and eventual complete apathy. Last time I visited her, she did not even know me. It upset me so much that I never went to see her again.
Now, she's at Peace, a commodity she could never seem to find in Life.
Rest in Peace, Eileen. I'll miss you.
I was browsing the Internet (as you do), and was directed via another site to a site that has made a stand against Political Correctness.
To cut a long story short, I signed up to the Campaign and became a Member of the Organisation. Reading through Members Stories, I came across this one from a person whose wife was working as a Classroom Assistant with young, Primary School age children.
Have you noticed that when Newspapers publish pictures of certain youths who have been convicted of stabbings, shootings, rape, or other serious and anti-social crimes, one thing about almost all of their photo's is the "Dead-Eyed" stare as they face the photographer?
Eyes that seem to be devoid of any emotions or human feelings?
My Partner pointed this out to me the other day when she was reading an article about a couple of young men who had killed somebody by stamping on them until they were dead.
The following story poses the very same question as she asked me, namely why is it that most of these Feral Kids seem to have that same "dead-eyed" stare.
Perhaps the following piece may just have an answer.
" My wife recently took a job as a classroom assistant. I am shocked at what she tells me now goes on. 'PC' and 'worrying about everything' are now really taking a huge amount away from our children. A crying child can't be cuddled (my wife has brought up three children beautifully); a sick kid's runny nose can't be wiped (you have to just give them the tissue). Even more distressing, a reception class little girl went to the toilet accompanied by my wife. The poor mite, through no fault of her own (she probably had a tummy bug) covered herself and her undergarments. She was distressed, embarrassed and just stood transfixed. But all that is now allowed is the handing of tissues over the cubicle door and telling them to clean themselves. Either that or you have to 'call in parents'.
My wife ignores them. If a kid has fallen, or has a terrible home life and is just crying in the playground through sheer misery, they get a cuddle. Stuff them all and their stupidity - not the teachers mind you, who hate it as well, but the politicians, bureaucrats and hidden agenda merchants that force this stuff through.
Could this be a contributory factor to the sudden appearance of all these dead-eyed, uncaring, 'feral' children? They are all just about the age to have been young children when all this nonsense started to take hold. Could it be that in their hours of need they felt that adults abandoned them?"
Well, it is certainly food for thought, and could well be just one of the main reasons for the current crop of Feral, Dead-Eyed youngsters that seem to be so prevalent in Society.
I am reproducing the first paragraph of the Mission Statement pertaining to the newly launched "Tony Blair Faith Foundation."
'The Tony Blair Faith Foundation aims to promote respect and understanding about the world's major religions and show how faith is a powerful force for good in the modern world.
Faith is vitally important to hundreds of millions of people. It underpins systems of thought and of behaviour. It underpins many of the world's great movements for change or reform, including many charities. And the values of respect, justice and compassion that our great religions share have never been more relevant or important to bring people together to build a better world.
But religious faith can also be used to divide. We have seen throughout history and today we still see how it can be distorted to fan the flames of hatred and extremism.'
Taking a quick look around the Foundation's Website, I notice the emphasis on Children, Schools, and Young People.
When Tony Blair was in Office as Britain's Prime Minister, he always laid a heavy premise on "Education".
In fact one of his punchlines on becoming elected was: "Education, Education, Education."
Another favourite word of his was "Respect".
This word, recently taken out of context by Street Gangs who accuse their enemies of "Dissing" them, means that they think that if a person "Disrespects" them, then that unfortunate individual is ripe for a beating or, worst case scenario, a knifing.
I'm pretty certain that our Tony did not intend this use of the word. But it was latched onto by the Mass Media and before too long, the Yobs and Hoodies and General Street Riff-Raff had got hold of it, (a new word added to their very limited vocabulary) and taken it as their own, and in doing so had inadvertantly changed it's true meaning.
This new "Faith Foundation" which looks like a force for good in the World at first glance, has, I feel sure, hidden purposes.
I would give any organisation started by this man, a healthy dose of sceptiscism. He was British Prime Minister for over a decade, and during that time, he led a Government riddled with corruption, lies, and spin.
I hope that this new Foundation will not turn out to be the same, but I don't hold out very much hope.
I felt really ill last night after I had watched the result of the vote from the House of Commons, so ill in fact, that I was in bed before Midnight! This from a person who normally goes to bed around Three a.m.
I am thinking about the far wider implications regarding this issue. Forty two days is a very long time. Six whole weeks of a persons life, where that person is shut away from their friends and family. The person will lose their job, possibly even their home. Even if, at the end of their incarceration, they are released without any charges being levied against them. What will happen to them then? Their lives will be ruined. Their reputation in tatters.
Paltry compensastion of £3000 per day over twenty eight days will never compensate them for the humiliation, interrogation, and loss of freedom they will have suffered.
The government “won” the vote by only nine votes. There are nine Ulster Unionist M.P.’s sitting at Westminster. Work it out for yourselves. What were they bribed with, how much was offered to them to throw their weight behind the government?
How much British Taxpayers cash was offered to these Ulster Unionists, still led by the “Rev” Ian Paisley? Gordon Brown said, in a Press Conference that the only “concession” offered to these M.P.’s was a veto on the Embryo Bill, or something. Frankly, I do not believe it. Nor should you.
Gordon Brown is desparate to score “Brownie Points”, and to be seen by the British Public as being “strong on Terrorism.” This whole issue had become a Crusade for him. Isn’t it somewhat ironic that his “crusade” is aimed directly at the Muslim population of Great Britain?
Make no mistakes about it, it’s the Muslims who will suffer the most if ever this draconian law ever becomes law.
It now has to go to the House of Lords, and Labour does not have a majority there. Most of the Lords are against this, and will, no doubt, give this Bill a rough ride when it comes before them.
On the same day, “Secret Documents” were “somehow” left on a train
seat. These Documents were regarding very sensitive information
regarding Iraq and Al Quaida.
They were “handed in” by another passenger to the BBC of all people.
This stinks! Put yourself in the place of that “passenger”. If you had found an Orange Cardboard envelope on a train, and you opened it to see what was inside, then, having skimmed through those seven pages, you realised that you should not be reading this stuff, and that it was, indeed, “Top Secret”, what would you have done with them?
The BBC would have been the last people that I would have handed in to. I would have taken it straight to the nearest Police Station!
Were these Documents left behind “on purpose”, on the day of that crucial House of Commons vote?
Make up your own minds.
Whatever, it is a very, very sad day for British Democracy.
copywrite 2008. Sandie Seward.
One of the best features about being retired is the extra time you can manage to find to catch up with older films and television programmes that when they were first shown on Television or in the Cinema you might have missed due to pressures of work and time constraints it imposed.
This week, I have taken the time to sit through the whole series of "Brideshead Revisted", a series that when it was first shown, I mostly missed, only managing to catch a couple of episodes here and there.
Now I have had the chance to watch it completely from beginning to end, and what a wonderful experience it was.
It's thirteen hour length makes it the equivalent of watching seven feature films back to back, so it is quite a marathon viewing experience.
The series stars many fine and distinguished Actors and Actresses, including Jeremy Irons, Anthony Andrews, John Gueilgud, and Jane Asher.
Due to the Technicians strike, the whole thing took two years to film, set in exotic locations such as Castle Howard in Yorkshire, Malta, Gozo, Venice,and on board the Queen Elizabeth.
The story centers around the friendship of Charles and Sebastian, a young Catholic Aristocrat, who meet during their first term at Oxford.
Although there is very little overt nudity or scenes of a sexual nature, the story quite obviously centres on the homo-erotic relationship between the two young men. Charles, from an Upper Middle Class background is seduced by Sebastian (Lord Flyte), and is drawn into the young Lord's world of the Catholic Aristocracy.
The main themes of the story, (based on an adaptation by John Mortimer of a novel by Evelyn Waugh) are the love between the two young men, and the inhibitions imposed by the devout Catholic Family from which Sebastian originates.
It is set between the Two World Wars of the last Century, the Roaring Twenties, of Flappers, Jazz, Debutantes, and "Bright Young Things" making the most of those mainly carefree happy days.
Slow in places, particularly the death towards the end of the story of Sebastian's father, the whole eleven episodes are very enjoyable to watch, and they recall an England that has now vanished forever.
Another article that I have written for my Newsvine Column, which I thought I'd reproduce on here.
lthough I had rather a late night working on my Newsvine column last night, I was awake early this morning, because I needed to get down to my local Newsagents before the Sunday Papers sold out.
I was after the "Mail on Sunday", not because I really wanted the actual newspaper, (I read their online pages instead), but I particularly wanted the "Freebie DVD" they were offering with it. A copy of the Neil Diamond film, "The Jazz Singer", a great film with a wonderful soundtrack. I already own the album (on vinyl), so I wanted the film to go with it.
Now, if I hadn't have been watching television last evening earlier on, I wouldn't have known about the give away inside the paper. I am not often swayed by television commercials, but this just had to be an exception.
Somehow, I think it's rather sad when, in order to sell copies of a newspaper, they need to bribe people with "freebie" offers like this.
Since having the Internet, and Broadband, I seldom buy any papers these days, much preferring to go online and read the articles and features that appeal to me. This way, I am able to avoid unwanted gossip concerning over-paid and under-talented, so-called "Celebrities", instead concentrating on the really important issues of the day.
Now, I am seriously thinking about stopping my ongoing order for home delivery of my local paper. Why? Because I have discovered that they, too, have a website, and it's far better updated and informed than the drivel they fill their paper up with every weekday.
All this leads me to ask the question, Is there a long-term future for Newspapers?
In fact I even feel that the term "Newspaper" is rather misleading,
and could be leaving itself open to prosecution under the Trades
Description Act. Take the average Daily paper, and just how much actual
"News" will you find?
Hidden away amongst the adverts for cars, furniture, and other
expensive items, you'll find the odd paragraph here and there of
something that could loosely be described as a News Item, but because
almost all the papers these days seem to pander to the Lowest Common
Denominator, who seem to have the attention span of a Goldfish, a good,
well-written article is getting harder and harder to find.
I think it was, because at least we knew our “enemy” in those days. Our “enemy” was Communism, pure and simple. It was “Us” and “Them.” The U.S.S.R. was the group of Communist States who were opposed to our way of life in the West.. We had spies, they had spies. We had armies, they had armies, we had a Navy. They had a Navy. We had Nuclear submarines, and so did they. Missiles, and Nukes, pointed at our major cities and establishments. Our Nukes pointed at theirs. Nobody was going to be the first to push the button, because we both knew that to do so would have been an act of suicide for Humanity.
It came close, a couple of times, in 1962 there was the Cuban Crisis. In 1983 there was “Operation “Able Archer”. Both of these events almost led to annihilation for both sides. It was close. Some might say, too close for comfort.
But, thankfully, we are still all here to tell the tale, and as the Cold War ended, a new relationship between the old Soviet Union and the Western Powers developed. Not a friendship, exactly, but more of an understanding. We breathed a sigh of relief.
Now, in the first decade of the Twenty First Century, do we really know just who our enemies are now?
There is Iran, North Korea, and, of course, poor old Iraq, who
wasn’t really an enemy at all. No weapons of Mass Destruction, no known
links to Terrorism.
They lied to us, and we were deceived, as were the Iraqi people. Iraq is now torn apart, all for nothing.
Was it, is it worth it? Well, personally I don’t think it was.
Now President Bush is turning his sights onto Iran again, on the pretext of them developing Nuclear Weapons, in other words, “Weapons of Mass Destruction”. Sound Familiar? It should do.
Then of course there was Nine Eleven, an excuse, if ever one was needed, to increase surveillance, Military Spending, and a marvellous opportunity to keep all it’s citizens under observation. As the years pass since that horrific event, our society has become under more scrutiny than ever before, until the governments have interfered in almost every aspect of our private lives.
So, who exactly are our “Enemies” today?
The truth is, I don’t think we really know. Nothing is “clear cut” anymore, and nothing is what it seems. The truth is, we can’t trust anyone these days, certainly not our own Governments, who repeatedly lie to us, until even they don’t seem able to separate fact from fiction.
They can blame Osama Bin Laden and his Al Quiada Brigade, and they can also blame “Home Grown” Terrorists. The truth is, they really don’t have a “proper” enemy, so, they make one up, and tell us to be constantly alert for any suspicious activities that we may happen upon.
If there are indeed, any real “enemies”, then I feel that perhaps we should be looking in our own backyards first. Bush, Cheney, Blackwater, FEMA, and other similar outfits are closer to home than any so-called “Terrorists”.
Be afraid, Be very afraid.
