tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47102500865329239222012-02-10T19:34:44.108ZOxzenEnquiries into philosophy, zen, enlightenment, peace, justice, music, spiritual and emotional intelligence, current affairs, politics and education.Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.comBlogger5221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-86801443575197906672012-02-10T19:34:00.000Z2012-02-10T19:34:44.120ZLayer 516 . . . Killing the NHS Bill, Marketising the Health Service, and Sensible Conservatism.
In the previous blog there was a piece about the future of Conservatism. The Conservative party is very much in the news again today.
Tim Montgomerie's an interesting chap. He runs a blog called ConservativeHome. Some time ago he wrote a column for the Guardian in which he said, among many other things,
I’m not defending the financial sector. Greedy banks hid toxic debts in increasingly Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-72095374542331086972012-02-07T15:18:00.000Z2012-02-07T15:18:28.708ZLayer 515 . . . Spiritual Thoughts, The Future of Conservatism, Dumbogeddon, Right-Wing Stupidity, Left-Wing Timidity, and Schoolification.
Recent thoughts of the Dalai Lama
When we are angry we are blind to reality. Anger may bring us a temporary burst of energy, but that energy is blind and it blocks the part of our brain that distinguishes right from wrong. To deal with our problems, we need to be practical and realistic. If we are to be realistic, we need to use our human intelligence properly, which means we need a calm Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-63720472271218988692012-02-03T10:22:00.002Z2012-02-03T10:42:34.513ZLayer 514 . . . Atheist Temples, Religions, de Botton, Spiritual Intelligence, Question Time, BBC Balance, Bankers' Bonuses, Muddling Along, Mitt Romney and Radical Alternatives.
Here's an interesting headline:
Alain de Botton's atheist temple is a nice idea, but a defunct one
De Botton's atheist temple call does not need to be realised – our existing places of worship can be appreciated by all
And there we have a depressing strapline that sits beneath it. John Gray just doesn't get it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/02/Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-88945438183457370152012-02-02T12:38:00.000Z2012-02-02T12:38:38.735ZLayer 513 . . . Radical Movements, Global Protests, Visiting Japan, Occupy London and Banning Bonuses.
In yesterday's G2 Paul Mason had a two-page article - very sober and measured, as you'd expect from such a senior and serious journalist - reflecting on the future of the radical movements that came to prominence in 2011.
Global protests: where does the revolution go from here?
2011's anti-capitalist protests and Arab spring made everything seem possible. But will 2012 bring real change? The Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-61754030243204666042012-02-01T10:21:00.000Z2012-02-01T10:21:52.884ZLayer 512 . . . Meditating on Happiness, The Hedonism Archetype, The Nihilism Archetype, and The Happiness Archetype.
How To Become Happier
Now where was I? Oh yes - happiness. Or rather - how to become happier.
In Layer 509 I said I was reading a new book by Tal Ben-Shahar, which is called 'Happier'.
http://oxzen.blogspot.com/2012/01/layer-509-happier-rat-racers-top-of.html
Here's a few more quotes from the section on the Rat-Race Archetype.
The reason why we see so many rat racers around is that our Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-18240419908828356262012-01-31T08:09:00.000Z2012-01-31T08:09:36.881ZLayer 511 . . . Taxing Wealth, Fear of Taxes, US Elections, Global Apocalypse, Carl Jung and Data Pool 3.
The thing is, politics is far too important to be left to politicians. That's why we need public intellectuals, capable analysts, and great writers & journalists. And we need the Guardian to give them a creative platform. Here's a selection of what was in the paper yesterday.
[It might seem like dull, dutiful, hard work sometimes to keep up with what's happening in the world, but in times of Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-92127582390598459852012-01-30T15:45:00.000Z2012-01-30T15:45:18.977ZLayer 510 . . . Revolutions, Start The Week, the Force of Ideas and the Power of Truth.
The following sentences are from a blog by Oguejiofo Annu which Oxzen quoted last January (Layer 426) -
http://oxzen.blogspot.com/2011/01/layer-426-tunisia-martyrs-markets.html
On January 14, President Ben Ali [of Tunisia] fled the country amid escalating violence and opposition . . .The entire Africa and middle east is taken by surprise. Strong men and presidents are quietly sweating it outOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-10260226896677728702012-01-29T16:53:00.000Z2012-01-29T16:53:19.274ZLayer 509 . . . Happier, Rat Racers, Top of the Pops, Music, Star Wars and Jane Austen.
Happier
Today's Observer contains within it a free book which is very cleverly called 'Happier'. Following on from yesterday's blog ruminations on 'happiness' this is timely indeed.
The book's author, Tal Ben-Shahar PhD, has very astutely cottoned on to the fact that 'happiness' is in fact an indefinable and highly relative concept - relative both within ourselves and between one other. It's Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-45149919176089866652012-01-28T09:48:00.001Z2012-01-28T09:51:04.208ZLayer 508 . . . Happiness, Desert Island Discs, Kirsty Young, Contentment, Intelligences, Philosophy, de Botton and Zen.
It's Desert Island Discs Weekend. Hurrah!
Castaway: 70 Years of Desert Island DiscsKirsty Young tells the story of the long-running programme as it celebrates its 70th anniversary and investigates what has made it such an enduring part of the radio schedule.http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01b8wrw
Why Desert Island Discs is still in the grooveWho are the classic radio show's most colourful Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-5228379675852747842012-01-24T18:23:00.000Z2012-01-24T18:23:45.448ZLayer 507 . . . Scotland, Capitalist Realism, Maximum Wages, Welfare Cuts, Cannabis Taxation, The Age of Austerity and Morality.
There are several good articles in the Guardian today, all of which deserve to be read by progressives and others who care about political literacy.
Alex Salmond's column is a brilliant exposition on why Scotland needs either full devolution or independence:
An independent Scotland will be a beacon of fairness
As an independent nation Scotland can make a far greater contribution to Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-24531868488242951142012-01-21T19:00:00.001Z2012-01-21T19:05:36.745ZLayer 506 . . . Inheritance Tracks, Wax, Laughs, Hardy and Even More Cohen.
It's often worth listening to Saturday Live at 9.00 on Radio 4, if only for the feature called "Inheritance Tracks". This morning featured Ruby Wax, who gets better as she gets older.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019q9jx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b019q9jx
"The piece of music I inherited was the first time I ever heard The Beatles' "Twist & Shout" - and I almost fainted on the Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-33928185246980830112012-01-20T11:27:00.000Z2012-01-20T11:27:06.626ZLayer 505 . . . Old Ideas, New Album, Cohen, Justice, Art, Education and Ecuador.
Terrific piece on Leonard Cohen in today's G2.
Sombre prophet, mordant wisecracker, repentant cad: Leonard Cohen is back with a great new album, Old Ideas – and more wit and wisdomhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jan/19/leonard-cohen
These days, Cohen rations his one-on-one interviews with the utmost austerity, hence this press conference to promote his 12th album, Old Ideas, a Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-20803838989061218182012-01-05T21:08:00.000Z2012-01-05T21:08:04.086ZLayer 504 . . . Kicking Off Everywhere, Global Unrest and a Viral Revolution.
Paul Mason's an ace journalist who is currently the economics editor of Newsnight. This week he had a major article published in G2 called "The Revolution Goes Viral". It's basically a trailer for his new book, "Why It's Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolutions".
Global unrest: how the revolution went viral
The past 18 months have seen extraordinary outpourings of discontent. But whatOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-23834822389167700542012-01-01T15:02:00.001Z2012-01-05T21:13:18.936ZLayer 503 . . . Happy New Dragon Year, Five Blessings, Years of Revolutions, David Lammy, Social and Economic Policies, and Class War.
So here it is . . . Merry January 1st. And a Happy New Year!
"New Year occurs on different days in different countries following Buddhism.""Different countries holding values and principles of Buddhism celebrate New Year on different days of a year. Basically, dates of New Year are drawn on the basis of luni-solar Buddhist calendar, which varies from one country to another. The Buddhist Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-36614964501022999362011-12-23T08:23:00.001Z2011-12-23T08:23:01.137ZLayer 502 . . . Banking Reform, City Whingeing, Britain's Interests, Tax Havens, Tax Avoidance, Neuroscience, Punishment, Values, Virtues and Education.
An interesting column by Vince Cable in the Guardian this week:
Put aside the City's whingeing
The threats posed by banking reform are exaggerated. The country's interests must come first
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/20/phoney-emotions-generated-eu-transaction-tax
.......................................
Simon Jenkins' column this week is, as usual, well worth checking Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-368293787483400692011-12-22T09:38:00.000Z2011-12-22T09:38:13.141ZLayer 501 . . . Strictly, Dancing, Singing, Cooking, Reality TV, Brucie, Jamie, Gareth, Gok and Education.
Reality TV
The TV dance show thing is interesting, to say the least. In the first place, what's with the 'Strictly'? Obviously a reference to a crap 90's film called 'Strictly Ballroom' - but who cares? And now the whole silly TV phenomenon is known by practically everyone as "Strictly". It's silly because it manages to turn a very skilled and challenging activity - dancing - into a freak showOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-74732407844098477382011-12-20T13:35:00.001Z2011-12-20T19:32:20.484ZLayer 500 . . . Education, Learning, Exams, Creativity, Money, Government, Civilisation, Protestors, Freedom and The Markets.
"I didn't feel Oxford was teaching me how to learn - it was just teaching me a bit of German."
So said Sir Peter Moores on One To One (Radio 4) this morning.
He gave up university. ("A pretty cool thing to do," said the presenter, Lucy Kellaway - who has been asking questions about what having a great deal of money does TO people, rather than FOR them.)
"Instead I enjoyed going round the Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-49079783428562780332011-12-17T17:26:00.000Z2011-12-17T17:26:53.867ZLayer 499 . . . The Protestor, The Bank of Ideas, Occupy, Secrets, The European Union and Dave.
The first real frost of the season last night - a perfect winter's day today: blue sky, bright sunshine and no wind.
Where does time go? Christmas is only a week away, yet autumn's hardly over. So what's been occurin'?
It seems Time magazine has chosen "The Protestor" as its "Person of the Year" -
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101745_2102134_2102355,00.html
Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-61022467004798346712011-12-09T22:11:00.000Z2011-12-09T22:11:42.389ZLayer 498 . . . No Fixed Identities, The Unity of Opposites, Heraclitus, Taoism, Education and Exams . . . . . . . . And Comedy.
"In Our Time" on Radio 4 this week considered Heraclitus and his philosophy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017x3p4
"It's wise to agree that all things are one", said Heraclitus.
He also believed in 'The Unity of Opposites', and said that the road up is also the road down.
There are many different perspectives, but there is a greater unity to everything.
"It's difficult for humans to Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-84180914049474890322011-11-22T15:26:00.000Z2011-11-22T15:26:34.021ZLayer 497 . . . Multiple Intelligences and the Life of Pi.
Multiple Intelligences and a Novel - 'The Life of Pi', by Yann Martel
I have friends who own Kindle devices who no longer consider buying proper books from bookshops unless they're unavailable for the Kindle. Personally I love having proper books around me, and I continue to find so many good books at bargain prices. I've been meaning to buy and read this prize-winning novel, The Life of Pi, Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-27020764149324833642011-11-18T19:03:00.000Z2011-11-18T19:03:44.288ZLayer 496 . . . Thunder, Euphoria, Spiritual Transcendence, Connectedness, Rev, Ecstacy, Adam, Colin, The War On Drugs and Tackling The Causes.
Maybe everybody should get blissfully stoned at least a few times in their life - if only to have some sort of benchmark against which to assess other states of bliss, or ecstacy.
I was thinking about this whilst listening to Pink Floyd's Delicate Sound of Thunder live CD - and getting carried away by the sheer genius of the musicianship and the performance. To say nothing of the incredible Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-32395115484189345342011-11-09T11:40:00.000Z2011-11-09T11:40:06.886ZLayer 495 . . . Ethical Fluff, Destroyers of Wealth, Industrial Psychopaths, Common Treasury, Fighting the Consensus and a Serious Mass Movement.
A somewhat disappointing polemic today from Simon Jenkins - usually one of our most astute commentators (see Oxzen comment on CiF under the article).
He's absolutely right to criticise liberals for not being specific in their demands for changes in policy and legislation, and by doing so, hopefully, needle such liberals into more thoughtful and radical demands. But it's a pity he seems to be Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-90067450882406798882011-11-07T18:47:00.000Z2011-11-07T18:47:04.109ZLayer 494 . . . Occupations, Protests, International Solidarity, Common Spaces, Common Goals, New Possibilities, Reality Checks, Two Bills and the Tobin Tax.
We live in interesting times - when revolutions break out in autocracies, when politics a la Blair/Brown/Mandelson/Gould are said to give you cancer, when the Church of England is forced to re-think its subservience to the City and bankers.
It's surely no exaggeration to say that the times we're living in are very much like the Sixties - with people all over the world asking questions about Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-86048132245917819472011-11-07T14:27:00.000Z2011-11-07T14:27:54.000ZLayer 493 . . . Ed Miliband, Ken Costa, Tipping Points, Responsible Capitalism, the Spiritual Dimension, St Paul's Protests, Making Connections and the Dumbest Idea in the World..
It's been an interesting few days in the media for thinking about business, finance, capitalism and politics.
This morning, listening to the Today programme, I heard that Philip Gould has died. Ed Miliband has of course done the decent thing and lavished praise on him, as one of the 'co-founders' and drivers of New Labour, also dearly departed.
Interestingly the Today programme re-played an Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-43933227170843415762011-11-06T12:53:00.000Z2011-11-06T12:53:49.073ZLayer 492 . . . Iran, Palestine, Education, Plan B and Protest Songs.
London Calling
I'm writing whilst listening to Bruce and the E Street Band in a window on a screen - the brilliant DVD of their Hyde Park concert.
It's impossible to forget that gig - the opening chords crashing into the evening; London Calling; the Strummer-like yelps - Ow Ow Ow Ow . . . Bruce yelling - "Is there anybody alive out there??!!!"
There was life a-plenty on the streets of StokieOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-11272110692974202482011-11-05T16:16:00.000Z2011-11-05T16:16:51.191ZLayer 491 . . . The Churches of England, A Debate, The Media, Rowan Williams, John Sentamu, the Moral Agenda, Taxes on Bankers and Jarrow Marchers.
I went to church last night - and I've never before seen a church so packed, with every pew taken and with extra seats needing to be brought in. A very lovely church it is too - St Peter's has been the parish church of De Beauvoir Town since 1841.
No need to worry - Oxzen hasn't had a moment of revelation and decided to follow The Lord. Indeed not. The Church of England is going through some Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-21459875757655323242011-11-03T08:13:00.005Z2011-11-03T08:13:00.784ZLayer 490 . . . The Wire, Fair Societies, Healthy Lives, Greece Crisis and Yemen's Struggle.
Returning to the previous Layer's comments on The Wire, Wikipedia says this -
The Wire
David Simon described the second season as
"A meditation on the death of work and the betrayal of the American working class ... it is a deliberate argument that unencumbered capitalism is not a substitute for social policy; that on its own, without a social compact, raw capitalism is destined to serve Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-18903834033895362662011-11-02T10:53:00.001Z2011-11-03T18:01:55.450ZLayer 489 . . . Bluesy Roots, Bad As Me, Tom Waits, Dogs' Lives, The Wire, The Hole, Faith in the City, and the St Pauls' Protests.
It's A Dog's Life
I'm back on dog duty, picking up doggie dumps on a daily basis. Coincidentally I came across this is the New York Times -
Dogs have a blissful appreciation for the simple pleasures in life. Like four-legged Zen masters, they grasp the importance of living in the moment, and along with being loyal and protective, can teach humans a lot.Perhaps, that is, if their masters Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-81448808089605661142011-11-01T08:45:00.000Z2011-11-01T08:45:21.638ZLayer 488 . . . Top Boys, Dealers, Secateurs, Pavements, Cities, Teenagers, Gangs, Psychopaths, Intelligences, Profits, Crimes and Hackney.
Reclaim The Pavements
You can say what you like about capitalism, globalisation, bankers and the like, but my pet hate at the moment is people who let their trees and shrubs grow unchecked and thereby block our pavements - sidewalks if you prefer. Even partial blocking is intolerable.
I was thinking about this yesterday, and had a sudden realisation. Why wait for the local Council to take Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-88664167412091314892011-10-29T08:07:00.001+01:002011-10-29T08:07:00.686+01:00Layer 487 . . . Private Eye, 50th Anniversary, Politics on TV, Outrageous Pay Rises and Bay of Rage.
Private Eye
A special issue of Private Eye - marking its 50th anniversary - is now on sale. I've been reading the Eye on and off since I was a teenager - it was an essential read back in the satirical sixties. Thinking about the several boxes of back issues in my cellar, I came across a cartoon in the current issue that shows a bloke fuming at his wife, saying, "You've thrown out the only copyOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-42967853654099470382011-10-28T09:54:00.000+01:002011-10-28T09:54:45.587+01:00Layer 486 . . . Literacy Crisis, Education, Dyslexia, Vulgar TV, China, Frozen Planet, Peaceful Protest and Resignation.
Thinking about the times we live in -
Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters.All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come.An intelligent hell would be better than a stupid paradise.Common sense is in spite of, not as the result of education.It is from books that wise people derive consolation in the troubles of life.The little people must be sacred Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-16088731647957532962011-10-27T13:36:00.000+01:002011-10-27T13:36:56.114+01:00Layer 485 . . . Canon Giles Fraser, Detonation, Resignation, Principles, St Paul's and Protests.
Further to my comment yesterday about Giles Fraser, Canon of St Paul's -
St Paul's Cathedral canon resigns
Giles Fraser quits over plans to forcibly remove Occupy London Stock Exchange protesters from outside cathedral
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oct/27/st-pauls-cathedral-canon-resigns
The canon chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, the Rev Dr Giles Fraser, has resigned in protest at plansOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-59661624658811749102011-10-26T14:55:00.000+01:002011-10-26T14:55:55.134+01:00Layer 484 . . . The Olympic Family, Fuckwits, Gridlock, Protests, St Paul's, Fundamental Change and Putting Down Roots.
The Olympic Family
What an unfortunate expression. What can it possibly mean? At last night's meeting/briefing for 'the Hackney community' (ugh) presenter after presenter kept talking about The Olympic Family. What they actually mean is - all of those entitled to drive or be driven along the "Olympics Only" vehicle lanes leading to and from the various Olympic sites: competitors, officials, Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-42849979621330222692011-10-24T14:27:00.000+01:002011-10-24T14:27:01.632+01:00Layer 483 . . . An Architecture of Consciousness, A People's Forum and a Bay of Rage.
It looks like I underestimated (in yesterday's blog) the number of cities where there are anti-capitalist camps - according to this piece in the New York Times. The Observer's version of this article estimates the number of camps as 900, not 600.
Cairo
In Protest, the Power of Place
by Michael Kimmelman
http://www.nytimes.com/Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-4592960822215327822011-10-23T19:08:00.000+01:002011-10-23T19:08:22.888+01:00Layer 482 . . . Freefall, Stiglitz, Anti-capitalist Occupations, Eagleton, Economics, Villanelles, Douzinas, Greece, Tunisia and Gaddafi.
From BBC TV last night I learned that 600 Canadian soldiers died in 1944 in an area near Caen on the day that British and American planes bombed the city into oblivion. Obviously the bombs were not meant to kill allied troops.
...............................................
"Francis Reginald Scott, commonly known as Frank Scott or F.R. Scott, (August 1, 1899 - January 30, 1985) was a Canadian Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-84923251076966292322011-09-24T10:30:00.004+01:002011-09-24T13:55:02.643+01:00Layer 481 . . . The State of the World, the March of the Neoliberals, the Greed Creed, Austerity and Roy Harper.
It's time for a bit of catching up on who's been saying what about these appalling times we're living through - in particular Professor Jayati Ghosh and Stuart Hall. In times like this there's no point in mucking about with halfwit commentators - we need to listen to people who know what they're talking about.
As Michael Moore pointed out some time ago, Stupid White Men are largely responsibleOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-91769986217503875802011-08-27T16:32:00.000+01:002011-08-27T16:32:38.544+01:00Layer 480 . . . Summer Was Cancelled, The Arab Spring, Libya, A People's Army, Comedy, Music, Intelligence, Musical Genres
.
The rain lashes down; there are shouts and squeals from the children who are out playing peacefully in a nearby garden. Barely ten minutes ago I was contemplating sitting outside to read the newspaper. Then the rain hammered down in a sudden, heavy discharge - out of the blue, you could say. This is the way it's gone this summer, and with my son's birthday and the late Bank Holiday looming up Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-68904065767689745272011-08-19T10:07:00.000+01:002011-08-19T10:07:40.684+01:00Layer 479 . . . Towns, Cities, Communities, Big Lunches, Urban Riots, Gandhi, Hazare, Tim Smit, Heligan, Totnes and Naomi Klein
.
There's been an interesting series of programmes on BBC TV this summer on the subject of towns. As something of an amateur geographer it was compulsory viewing for me, in spite of the irritating presenter - his false bonhomie & chumminess, and his ridiculous shortie double breasted macintosh that he'd insisted on wearing throughout the series and had about nine pockets and two epaulettes too Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-34170870485306799212011-08-10T10:27:00.000+01:002011-08-10T10:27:26.420+01:00Layer 478 . . . The Bigger Picture, Global Financial Crisis, Economic Policies and Will Hutton.
Last night the riots kicked off in Manchester, and continued in Birmingham and the West Midlands. The rest of the world looks on in amazement.
There's so much happening here that it would be easy to miss the bigger picture - the global financial crisis and the failure of economic policies. It's worth repeating - if we intend to create a better and more prosperous society it's crucial that we Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-1841670990489858662011-08-09T12:21:00.001+01:002011-08-09T12:31:10.935+01:00Layer 477 . . . Riots, Anarchy, Societal Breakdown, Justice and Beyond.
"Good evening! We're expecting disturbances in many parts of the UK this week."
So said Richard the Met Office weatherman, at 1.00am this morning. Tongue in cheek? Surely not.
Thank you Richard. You're not wrong either.
But as Bob Dylan said, back in the Sixties - you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
All evening and all night long there's been chaos and violence onOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-14325274606074964222011-08-05T14:38:00.001+01:002011-08-05T15:29:09.158+01:00Layer 476 . . . World Markets, States of Emergency, Turmoil, Panic, Infidels and Union Sundown.
"World Markets In Turmoil" screams today's main headline atop the Guardian. And we're not talking here about fruit and veg. No friends, we're talking about the big one here - the next great meltdown of our wonderful globalised capitalist system. Wonder what's going to happen this time to protect the wealthy and the powerful? - what more can the wretched of the earth possibly suffer in order to Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-83343503329298090752011-07-13T23:42:00.000+01:002011-07-13T23:42:13.579+01:00Layer 475 . . . A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Imagine this. Going to see a performance of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (or indeed any play) and being able to stand right next to the actors as they speak their lines. Moving from location to location for each scene, sometimes down earthen pathways that are lined with candles and lanterns, with each scene having its own unique outdoor setting. Being accompanied by a group of minstrels who Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-46158542255787194022011-07-08T08:43:00.000+01:002011-07-08T08:43:51.444+01:00Layer 474 . . . Games, Pastimes, Winners and Losers, Berne, Reich and Maslow.
My father taught me how to play chess. He taught me the basic moves, but nothing about strategies, openings and endgames - of which I still know very little. I've never been a great one for playing games, or for pastimes. What the hell is a pastime?
My father taught me some basic things about life. He lived a very simple life - practically hermit-like and very monagamous, as far as I could seeOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-59535229211109040712011-06-14T20:30:00.000+01:002011-06-14T20:30:11.153+01:00Layer 473 . . . Politics, Labour, Liam, Ed, Education, A Mad Professor, Poor Children, and Assaults From The Right.
Liam Byrne MP may well be a very decent chap, but he's a bloody useless advocate for the Labour party. He popped up on the radio this week, trying to explain what the leadership of the party is trying to do to make themselves more relevant and make the party more electable.
Gone are the days when the Labour party was led by people who could speak with passion and conviction about what the Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-34007005975771948612011-06-10T11:35:00.000+01:002011-06-10T11:35:50.970+01:00Layer 472 . . . Alfie Bowe, Songs and Singers, AC Grayling, Rowan Williams, Blair, Bunnies, Private Equity and Phone Hacking.
Opera singer Alfie Bowe, brought up in Fleetwood, Lancashire, said this on Desert Island Discs -
"I never actually go to the opera. It's not my world. I don't feel comfortable in it. I love singing and performing, but sitting in the audience I'm bored stiff."
So there we have it. I love the honesty of this man.
And his choice of music! First disc - Bob Dylan: Knocking On Heaven's Door.
He'sOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-12304377687291198672011-06-09T11:14:00.000+01:002011-06-09T11:14:37.100+01:00Layer 471 . . . Essays, Rowan Williams, The New Statesman, Proper Public Argument, and the Bastard Blair.
Thought For The Day
The things that bring meaning to life are fellowship, solidarity and community.
.......................................................
Bastard Blair on the Today programme again . . . Every single word that comes out of his mouth is pure shit. Here's an appalling psychopath with an abysmal track record - whose great success was in winning the Labour leadership and thenOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-5917359099239197132011-06-06T11:47:00.000+01:002011-06-06T11:47:02.133+01:00Layer 470 . . . Not Keeping Up, Spain, Obama, Gil Scott-Heron, The Super-Rich, Nakba Day, and Social Housing.
It's a bit of an effort to keep up with what's happening in the world these days.
Good things have been happening in Spain. The people are stirring. Crowds have been gathering in towns and cities and demanding an end to the political and economic bullshit that's being inflicted on them, just like it is everywhere else. The start of the European Summer?
Obama
Of course he's driven by a spiritOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-80364936329917553452011-05-22T10:28:00.001+01:002011-05-22T11:00:13.478+01:00Layer 469 . . . Dylan, No Direction, New Labour, The Beat, The Rapture, and a New Morning.
Thought For Today
It's often through teaching that the teacher learns more about a subject.
..................................................
"He's got the holy spirit about him. You can tell just by looking at him. He can't help what he does."
This was said about Bob Dylan by one of the people interviewed for Martin Scorcese's film, No Direction Home, broadcast (again) on BBC4 last nightOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-31376397979073781442011-05-17T17:05:00.002+01:002011-05-18T11:25:52.160+01:00Layer 468 . . . The IMF, Strauss-Kahn, Hattie Carroll, Naomi Klein and Bob Dylan.
IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn refused bail on sex assault charges
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who denies the charges, remanded in custody in New York over fears he might flee the US
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/16/dominique-strauss-kahn-medical-examination-court-hearing
As far as Oxzen can see the IMF is still a New York-based ultra-powerful right-wing institution controlled by Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-62237492636165652002011-05-10T19:38:00.000+01:002011-05-10T19:38:27.147+01:00Layer 467 . . . A Message on Headed Notepaper.
This is a fucking outrage - and all credit to the Guardian for highlighting it:
Parents angered by schools' promotion of home tuition schemes
Parents say tactics used by schools are pressurising them into signing up to home tuition schemes
by Sue Learner
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/may/10/parents-protest-promotion-home-tuition
Parents across the country are protesting about Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-25204197336930804812011-05-08T22:01:00.001+01:002011-05-08T22:01:40.318+01:00Layer 466 . . . One Wedding, One Referendum, One Assassination, Scottish Elections, FPTP, SlutWalking, the Guardian, and Praising Essays.
The incredible weather continues. Temperatures have been reaching 26 degrees, with cloudless skies, and mostly no wind at all. The cyanothus trees and shrubs are in full blossom, as are the standard white lilacs. The first roses are out, the sunflower seedlings are nine inches tall, and it's late Spring already.
So what's been happening in the world? Something about a royal wedding, and Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-40311933715370550272011-05-05T08:08:00.000+01:002011-05-05T08:08:05.541+01:00Layer 465 . . . Happiness, Nostalgia, Rose Tints, Extroversion, Well-Being, Letting Go, Science, Research, Spiritual Intelligence and Metaphysics.
Does nostalgia make you happy?New research says looking back on the past with rose-tinted glasses helps your wellbeing in the present
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/04/does-nostalgia-make-you-happy"I don't like nostalgia unless it's mine," Lou Reed once famously remarked. He may be happy to hear, then, that new research finds a pleasant personal trip down memory lane does Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-45928690132979997542011-04-16T00:50:00.000+01:002011-04-16T00:50:21.152+01:00Layer 463 . . . Education, Human Dignity, Conversations, Views of Ageing, the Pursuit of Happiness, and Phone Hacking.
Thought for Today
I've almost given up on listening to Radio 4's God Slot, but still look forward to hearing the thoughts of the Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, who strikes me as a truly spiritual man. Yesterday he talked about the conflict in Libya, and about visiting a Jewish Primary school where children were preparing for Passover. His concluding thought was this:
The future of freedom Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-70255746908484973332011-04-09T10:16:00.001+01:002011-04-09T10:18:46.515+01:00Layer 462 . . . Voices, Artists, Adele, Music, Honesty, Authenticity, Expression, Zephania and Springtime.
Voices
For artists, finding a personal voice is all. This is true for writers, singers, musicians, painters, sculptors, etc. It's discovering what you care about, what you have to express, and finding a way to say it.
It's possible for quite young children to discover a personal voice, given the right opportunities, given plenty of encouragement, and an absence of indoctrination and Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-61049688609152599102011-04-08T00:45:00.001+01:002011-04-08T00:48:04.945+01:00Layer 461 . . . Spiritual Life, Social Responsibility, Confronting Reality, Campus, Green Wing and Political Crisis.
In Our Time - Radio 4
Victorian social reformer Octavia Hill.
From the 1850s until her death in 1912, Octavia Hill was an energetic campaigner who did much to improve the lot of impoverished city dwellers. She was a pioneer of social housing who believed that there were better and more humane ways of arranging accommodation for the poor than through the state. Aided at first by her friend Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-64900668500052735022011-04-05T17:00:00.002+01:002011-04-05T17:00:02.526+01:00Layer 460 . . . The Good Book , A Secular Bible, Grayling and Philosophy.
Back in 2009 Oxzen wrote about World Philosphy Day, about teaching philosophy in schools, and quoted from AC Grayling and the Dalai Lama:
Layer 223 . . . World Philosophy Day, Greeks, Stranglers, Floyd and Spiritual Intelligence
I'd also intended to quote from Grayling's book What Is Good? (The Search For The Best Way To Live), but never got round to it.
Grayling has now published a book Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-48316492471421117022011-04-03T01:00:00.001+01:002011-04-03T01:00:04.972+01:00Layer 459 . . . Work, Education, Management Culture, Creativity, Collaboration and Character.
BBC2 - The British At Work
Unfortunately it's not just Brits who got sucked into fuckwit work culture and management culture. It's been a worldwide phenomenon - working ever-longer hours under management that's either Hitlerian, Machiavellian or David Brentian. Possibly all three simultaneously, depending on whether management thinks your 'performance' is OK or not.
The good thing about Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-23351883062034684742011-04-02T01:00:00.001+01:002011-04-02T01:00:03.240+01:00Layer 458 . . . Empathy, Social Intelligence, Human Cruelty, and the World's Most Valuable Resource.
The obvious reason the rich don't give a shit about the poor is they're greedy bastards who can never get their hands on enough moola to satisfy their grasping, materialistic, status-seeking, pleasure-seeking desires.
Another reason is their total lack of caring, empathy, social intelligence - call it what you will.
The science of empathy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/mar/27/Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-19013960611592258362011-04-01T12:09:00.000+01:002011-04-01T12:09:44.757+01:00Layer 457 . . . No Mandate, Supporting the Protests, Waltz With Bashir, and Woody Guthrie.
I like this comment from CiF:
mwhite
Why do the protesters deserve support? Firstly because the Conservatives have no mandate for their policies, secondly because they were elected by the votes of only 25% of the electorate, and thirdly because of the 20 big, fat lies they have been peddling for the last 18 months:
Lie 1: Three days before the election, David Cameron: "Any cabinet Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-69716836396776089872011-03-31T11:14:00.000+01:002011-03-31T11:14:54.071+01:00Layer 456 . . . Demonstrating Against Cuts; A Better Politics; Do Nothing Day.
I'd thought my demo days, like my festival-going days, were well and truly over. But by the time Brother J got in touch last week to ask whether I was planning to join in, I'd already made up my mind to go on Saturday's big demonstration against the coalition's cuts.
(c) Oxzen Pics
The day pretty much lived up to expectations. There was a Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-82770588049955933122011-03-30T09:28:00.000+01:002011-03-30T09:28:26.115+01:00Layer 455 . . . In Memorium.
Ice Cream
The last words
I heard her speak:
Ice cream.
All she wanted now,
Ice cream
Hospice
Ice cream
For this injustice
Ice scream
For her goodness
Ice cream
For her struggles
Ice scream
Her battles
Her troubles
Her asthma
Her allergies
Her stubbornness
Her dragonness
Her Yorkshireness
Ice cream
Ice cream
Her toughness
Her tenderness
Her laughter
Her passion
Her beauty
Her intelligence
Her Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-16298413961048233252011-03-08T19:31:00.000Z2011-03-08T19:31:54.314ZLayer 453 . . . International Women's Day, Angry and Unafraid.
It's International Women's Day, and the good old Guardian has made sure that all six of its opinion page articles today are written by women. Also, the whole of G2 is filled with pieces on the "100 Most Inspiring Women".
Fair enough. Except . . . the cover of G2 includes a photo of . . . Margaret Thatcher.
And there's another, even bigger, photo on Page 5, along with a column of text that Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-82387257186225708062011-03-05T22:03:00.000Z2011-03-05T22:03:39.165ZLayer 452 . . . World Book Week, Starkers, Soaking The Poor, Uniting Britain and Deficit Deniers.
This week has been World Book Week.
http://www.worldbookday.com/about_world_book_day.asp
...............................................
"In the world of Agatha Christie everybody in vain, bitter, jealous and potentially murderous."
- Sue Perkins, 2011
Sounds about right. Sue Perkins, for those who don't know her, is brilliant.
........................
Talking of vain, bitter and Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-35740824529240951672011-03-05T13:30:00.000Z2011-03-05T13:30:53.160ZLayer 451 . . . Creativity, Education, Protests, Democracy, Mervyn King, Bankers, Economic Literacy, Bill Nighy, the NHS and Jamie's School.
"To be human is to create."
Try telling that to our schools. Creativity? What's that? May as well talk about enlightenment.
Also heard on the radio this week - Michael Gove is apparently one of those who believe that this country should continue to carry out aggressive military interventions in other countries. Quelle surprise.
To think that this jumped-up little twat, who clearly has no Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-19479380999988715272011-02-28T20:38:00.000Z2011-02-28T20:38:42.302ZLayer 450 . . . Class War, Economic Fundamentalists, The City's Mafiosi, Pambazuka, Changing the World and Blessed Unrest.
It seemed strange to be blogging about the competing economic theories of Keynes and Friedman recently (Layer 447) - as if anyone's really interested? However, Michael Tomasky wrote this piece for the Guardian last week -
So this is the Tea Party's endgame. No government
In 1995 Clinton and Gingrich were always going to deal. But these economic fundamentalists don't want compromiseAs the Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-41707808543378918092011-02-24T10:07:00.000Z2011-02-24T10:07:49.965ZLayer 449 . . . Dignity, Justice, Human Rights, Protests and Peaceful Revolutions.
One of the Egyptian protesters said, "This is not just a revolt to topple the regime. This is a revolt for our dignity and for justice."
Meanwhile, on TV yesterday, a reporter said, "Outside Tripoli he (Gaddafi) has no control whatsoever."
When people start to demand the right to some dignity and social justice, then it becomes more unlikely they will replace one set of ruling bastards with Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-58241699072949639792011-02-20T12:29:00.001Z2011-02-21T11:01:38.677ZLayer 448 . . . The Magic of Music, Education, Beatles, Chords, Phonics, Egypt, Dignity, Courage, Death and Tax Avoidance.
All You Need Is Love - The Beatles
Sky Arts 1 is re-running the Tony Palmer series of classic documentaries - All You Need Is Love: The Story of Popular Music. Last week it was the programme about the Beatles - their rise and shine.
It's taken me years to understand the magic of the Beatles's MUSIC. Yes - they were dynamic, funny, good-looking, loveable moptops - but what was so special Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-57853645622927838772011-02-16T11:26:00.000Z2011-02-16T11:26:16.813ZLayer 447 . . . The Rights of the Child, Education, Michael Morpurgo, Schools, the Dimbleby Lecture, Lessons in Hate and Violence, and the Need for Apologies..
Continuing with yesterday's economics theme, the following articles are very good summaries of the case for Keynesian approaches, and the case against Friedmanite economics:
The Economy: We Are All Keynesians Now
Friday, Dec. 31, 1965
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,842353-1,00.html
from 2008
The End of the Age of Milton Friedman
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-madrickOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-91729731314378367242011-02-15T01:07:00.000Z2011-02-15T01:07:14.725ZLayer 446 . . . Genius, JMK, Hating Liberals, Understanding Economics, Friedman, Will Hutton, Elephant Mothers and Education.
John Maynard Keynes was a liberal, and was a member of the British Liberal party.
Right wing and neo-conservative Americans hate all liberals, for reasons it's important for the world to understand.
JMK was a genius who received worldwide recognition for his work in economics - and yet very few of us have even heard of him, let alone educated to know about his work so that we understand his Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-23238906162544986322011-02-13T11:08:00.000Z2011-02-13T11:08:11.390ZLayer 445 . . . A Larger Global Consciousness, Solidarity, Unity, Defiance, Paths to Democracy, Algeria, Egypt and Learning How to Demonstrate.
More excellent photos here -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/gallery/2011/feb/11/egypt-protest#/?picture=371625685&index=0
..................................
A Larger Global Consciousness
What I like about Al-Jazeera is that its presenters and the people who contribute to its coverage seem to have no great egos, are good communicators, and are extremely knowledgeable about Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-18886833613611947622011-02-12T10:42:00.000Z2011-02-12T10:42:27.303ZLayer 444 . . . End of an Era, Egypt's Joy, Hope for the Future.
Unlike the events of 1968, which brought NO regime changes to any of the countries in which they took place, 2011 has begun with regime changes in both the countries where people have taken to the streets and demanded that their Head of State stand down.
The danger now is that having got rid of both their presidents, the people of Tunisia and Egypt will see no real political, social and Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-52157272149265796722011-02-11T09:51:00.000Z2011-02-11T09:51:01.160ZLayer 443 . . . People Power, Peaceful Protest, Civil Disobedience, Democratic Aspirations, Serving the Public, Learning Lessons, Big Banks, and The Big Society Bail-In.
The worldwide interest and indeed the fascination with the events in Egypt reminds me of the situation we had in 1968 when students and workers took to the streets in many countries to protest about human rights, the war in VietNam, inequality, low wages, apartheit, colonialism , neo-colonialism, etc.
After all these ensuing years we have learnt, if we didn't know it already, that the Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-10457229598920267712011-02-11T07:34:00.001Z2011-02-11T07:48:47.230ZLayer 442 . . . What Egypt Faces Today.
Egypt: The army's fateful choice
The president's obstinacy puts the military on the spot at a time when the power of the people has spilled across the country's political landscape
Guardian Editorial
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/11/egypt-hosni-mubarak
President Mubarak last night laid a powder trail that could explode today in the disastrous confrontation between the Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-56293238020487175002011-02-10T19:16:00.000Z2011-02-10T19:16:39.386ZLayer 441 . . . Egypt, Mubarak, Resignation, Revolution, Detentions, Torture, Scapegoating and Banking.
Egypt, bankers, and public expenditure cutbacks continue to dominate the news, but here's an interesting piece by Zoe Williams on the Tories' continuing efforts to discriminate in favour of married couples:
All Iain Duncan Smith's rot about marriage disguises a tired old taboo
The guff Duncan Smith talks about commitment shows what really drives him: painting cohabiting couples as an Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-11023139241863465112011-02-09T18:57:00.001Z2011-02-10T19:30:25.919ZLayer 440 . . . Policing the Protests, Egypt, Tax Laws, The City, Funding the Tories, and Treasure Islands.
It's been pointed out to me that yesterday's posting was somewhat angry in tone. And here's me thinking how calm and moderate I'm remaining in the face of diabolical goings-on in the world!
On the radio this morning there have been reports of warnings by police spokesmen about the readiness of the police to respond to protests and demonstrations. Well, we all saw how the police responded in Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-27497007307488364712011-02-09T08:45:00.002Z2011-02-09T08:50:03.256ZLayer 439 . . . Multiculturalism, Segregation, Brotherhood, Religion, Egypt and Revolution.
The radio's telling me that the subject of 'multiculturalism' will be discussed on "The Moral Maze" this evening. So this is a moral issue, is it?
It's only immoral in the sense that David Cameron's attack on 'multiculturalism' is immoral - designed simply to win friends and influence people on the far right of the political spectrum.
The alternative to multiculturalism is monoculturalism. Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-2173665958804373582011-02-08T22:00:00.001Z2011-02-09T17:51:44.607ZLayer 438 . . . Humour, Grim Reality, Hard Times, Resistance, Passivity, Complicity, Regime Change and Accountability.
An old mate of mine suggested that these blogs are lacking in a sense of humour, and I can't argue with that. This is hardly comedy central. In fact, THIS is Comedy Central -
http://www.comedycentral.com/
Alternatively, it's worth checking out Private Eye for humourous comment on politics and current affairs:
http://www.private-eye.co.uk/
I like a good laugh myself, and the people at ComedyOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-86629348890010487962011-02-05T19:55:00.000Z2011-02-05T19:55:23.545ZLayer 437 . . . Peter Green, Great Music, Fleetwood Mac, Shivers Down The Spine, and Hands Off Our Libraries.
There was a bizarre piece in the Guardian today about the break-up of the White Stripes.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/feb/05/white-stripes-rememberedThere was an outpouring of grief this week when the White Stripes announced they were to split.
Grief???
As far as I can see, Jack White is a talented and creative musician, a very good guitarist, and a lover of the blues - Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-20296104429725760162011-02-04T13:59:00.001Z2011-02-06T01:59:12.392ZLayer 436 . . . Jon Snow, Schools, Education, Universities, Classics, News, Journalism, al-Jazeera, Egypt, Revolution and Fully Evolved Humans.
"My problem with my school was this: I wasn't interested in the things that people wanted to teach me."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00y203s
Poor Jon Snow. A good man who had the misfortune to be brought up as an over-privileged child in a mega-bourgeois family; son of a father who considered him a failure because he couldn't or wouldn't learn Latin and Greek.
I nearly wrote 'geek' justOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-10448651300256323162011-02-03T13:46:00.000Z2011-02-03T13:46:14.770ZLayer 435 . . . The Power of the State, Britain, Egypt, Beyond Mubarak, Democracy, Policing and CS Gas.
My son made the point some days ago that the British State is far too powerful to allow a people's movement or uprising to topple the government. Leaving aside questions of the legitimacy of a government that's attempting a rapid, radical and irreversible (shock doctrine) change in the health service and the education service without ANY warning in a manifesto that they intended to do such Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-59929478436929283142011-02-02T22:04:00.000Z2011-02-02T22:04:47.453ZLayer 434 . . . . Egypt, Mubarak, Intelligence, Human Values, Spiritual Intelligence, Knowledge and The Uprising Continued.
There was someone on Midweek (R4) this morning who said, "My mum said she wanted me to have the best possible education. And it was my mum who gave it to me. She taught me about values."
Someone else reminded us that Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge.
Then again, so is empathy; so is instinct; so is intuition; so is sensory feedback; etc. [Only the government, Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-81502791286439558182011-01-29T10:47:00.001Z2011-01-29T10:50:11.789ZEgypt, Uprisings, Demonstrations, Chaos, Political Change and Legitimate Grievances.
It seemed somehow right that the origins of these North African uprisings should have begun in the area formerly known as Carthage - the ancient civilisation of Tunisia.
It's even more appropriate that the uprisings have moved on to Egypt. The people of Egypt are demanding the restoration of their human rights and the restoration of a civilised society. It's also the country where Barack ObamaOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-73322765402537715332011-01-28T19:28:00.000Z2011-01-28T19:28:59.331ZEgypt: Latest Updates.
Things are happening very fast in Egypt, and also Jordan, it seems. Follow developments instantly on the Guardian's live blog -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2011/jan/28/egypt-protests-live-updates
Protests in Egypt - live updates
• Muslim Brotherhood leaders arrested after march pledge
• Mohamed ElBaradei plans to join today's march
• Authorities restrict internet access as part of Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-23808796204292814932011-01-28T12:57:00.001Z2011-01-28T19:26:08.815ZLayer 432 . . . Egypt: Latest Updates.
Things are happening very fast in Egypt, and also Jordan, it seems. Follow developments instantly on the Guardian's live blog -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2011/jan/28/egypt-protests-live-updates
Protests in Egypt - live updates
• Muslim Brotherhood leaders arrested after march pledge
• Mohamed ElBaradei plans to join today's march
• Authorities restrict internet access as part of Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-2459204357379655662011-01-28T10:48:00.003Z2011-01-29T06:46:54.960ZLayer 431 . . . Meditation, Mindfulness, Miliband, Zen, Soros, Davos, Bankers, Bonuses, Boris, Posh Rock and Egypt.
It's interesting to observe the awesomely mega-rich as they go about their everyday business, especially if they owe their wealth and status to their own intellectual and creative efforts and not to inheritance, theft, corruption or the corporate gravy train.
Bill and Melinda Gates, for example, these days spend all their time and energy running the Gates Foundation and handing out their Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-19698501293009589882011-01-27T12:38:00.000Z2011-01-27T12:38:35.590ZLayer 430 . . . Posh and Posher, Public Schools, Grammar Schools, Government, People Power and Spy Power.
Working class men and women used to be in Parliament, but not any more. These days you need to be something like the son or daughter of a church minister, preferably with a first class degree in politics, philosophy and economics, or law; preferably from Oxbridge.
So said Oxzen in Layer 428.
Andrew Neil presented an interesting and serious programme on politics this week -
Posh and Posher: Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-841687452636872132011-01-24T12:12:00.000Z2011-01-24T12:12:40.664ZLayer 429 . . . Comedy, Justice, Miranda, Jonathan Ross, Michael Sandel, Fairness and Cruelty.
I had a debate with my son on Saturday about whether Jonathan Ross is the right presenter for the British Comedy Awards. Ross still seems to have an image that's supposed to be cool, edgy, sharp, dangerous, alternative, hip, rebellious, sexy, post-modern and cynical - which are all deemed to be rather a good thing, apparently.
This is in contrast to someone like Miranda Hart who's persona Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-3955144803262553982011-01-23T14:28:00.001Z2011-01-23T21:48:02.469ZLayer 428 . . . Forbidden Love, Sex on the Job, Rough Trade, Politics, Wee Dougie Alexander, and Adele.
Douglas Alexander has been chosen by Ed Miliband to become his shadow foreign secretary. This raises very serious questions about Brother Ed's ability to build a winning team. He's never actually managed an organisation in real life, and he's making a complete nonsense of the most important aspect of management - recruiting the right people to fill the key roles.
He totally messed up with his Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-53150272180096493042011-01-21T12:31:00.001Z2011-01-21T12:35:39.348ZLayer 427 . . . Coulson, Laughing Policemen, Rotating Politicians and Educational Revolutions.
The thing about the Today programme on Radio 4 is that it's often far more entertaining than the so-called light entertainment programmes. In between the dour and dull bits about politics and current events there are lots of amazing, disturbing and brilliantly funny bits.
..............................
When I was young, my dad's favourite record, and one of the nation's favourite records, wasOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-33330531943406332592011-01-21T00:43:00.000Z2011-01-21T00:43:32.805ZLayer 426 . . . Tunisia, Martyrs, Markets, Mohammed Bouazizi, Democracy, Councils, Bureaucrats and Activists.
A Jasmine Revolution?
The Tunisian market trader who killed himself by setting himself alight in a public street was the 'martyr' who began the recent Tunisian people's uprising or revolution. This was a man who'd had more than he could take from corrupt, stupid and incompetent officals and officers of the local town council.
http://www.egyptsearch.com/forums/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-13037230695027960842011-01-20T18:33:00.000Z2011-01-20T18:33:08.282ZLayer 425 . . . Education, Facts, Knowledge, Feelings, Gove, Gradgrind, Idiocy, Pedagogy, Ritalin, Curriculum, Intelligences, Zen and Lifelong Learning..
"Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick toOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-64411484555412750882011-01-19T17:10:00.000Z2011-01-19T17:10:18.815ZLayer 424 . . . The Importance of Good Music, Alex Salmond's Discs, and the Coalition's Cuts to Music Education.
I've always had the greatest respect for Alex Salmond as a politician who's both a socialist and an anti-monarchist, but his choice of music to take to a desert island was both horrendous and laughable.
Now, I know I've got my prejudices - towards blues, rock and roots music - but how can anyone bear to listen to Alex's appallingly parochial and downright sentimental selections?
I would askOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-50410779294911839162011-01-18T23:28:00.001Z2011-01-19T08:01:18.470ZLayer 423 . . . Britain's Banks, Fear and Loathing, Excess, Failure, Greed, Justice, Peston, Sandel, Hobsbawm, Citizenship, Spiritual Values, Ethical Questions, and How To Change The World.
The film Battle in Seattle was shown again on TV last week. An excellent, but enraging piece of work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmQzw-O8eRY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_in_Seattle
The film depicts the historic protest in 1999, as thousands of activists arrive in Seattle, Washington in masses to protest the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999. The World Trade Organization is Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-9258952655617232722011-01-15T12:56:00.001Z2011-01-19T08:07:50.961ZLayer 422 . . . More Music, BBC4, Sister Rosetta, Hugh Masekela, Chess Records, Roots of Rock, Tests, Exams, Children Under Pressure, Education, the Oldham Verdict, Barack and Cuba.
Three wonderful programmes, back to back on BBC4 last night -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xf8k7
The Godmother of Rock & Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe
During the 40s, 50s and 60s Sister Rosetta Tharpe played a highly significant role in the creation of rock & roll, inspiring musicians like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. She may not be a Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-77500118678705307492011-01-14T22:20:00.000Z2011-01-14T22:20:36.496ZLayer 421 . . . People Power, By-Election, Miliband, Obama, America, Wikipedia and Intelligence.
Tunisia
"A lesson in people power - from the Arab world!" said the Channel 4 correspondent. Non-violent demonstrations "led by the secular middle class" have deposed the President, who has now left the country.
The protests were over unemployment, rising prices, lack of proper democracy, and State repression.
Interesting lesson . . .
.........................................
By-Election Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-7611635275536437282011-01-13T13:07:00.001Z2011-01-13T14:17:06.069ZLayer 420 . . . Libraries, Social Hubs, Closures, Philistines, Pedlars of Fear, Securocrats and New Labour Nasties.
It's now beginning to feel like the bad old days of Thatcher and the Nasty Party. Every day the blood starts to boil at the sheer awfulness, meanness and stupidity of government.
This week it's the continuing effects of unnecessary cuts in spending, the rise in prices caused by increasing VAT, the money wasted on goverment spies, the closing of libraries, and so on.
The closure of libraries Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-51639605390173862112011-01-12T19:46:00.000Z2011-01-12T19:46:51.658ZLayer 419 . . . Mental Health, Women (and Men, and Children) in Crisis, Education, Pills, League Tables, Bankers, Giffords, Palin and the Tea Party.
Time to get back to the newspapers for a dose of harsh reality . . . for a top-up of disgust at the state of the world.
If anyone happened to read Layers 412 and 417 and thought I was over the top with my comments about miserable, burnt-out young people and the amount of mental health issues in our society, then think again.
"Is it any wonder that so many children, and so many adults, areOxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-40852694508880755772011-01-11T11:50:00.000Z2011-01-11T11:50:34.559ZLayer 418 . . . Music, Pleasure, Dopamine, Neuroscience, Health, Wellbeing, Frissons, Chills, Satori and Other Wonders of the Human Brain.
Why blog about music? Why do so many people consider music to be an important, even a crucial part of their lives? Why do so many people have no time, no need, and no regard for music? Are these people soulless, or just made differently? Different to what?
Looking back, I can remember my first record player, my first LPs, my first 45s, my first live music bop at the local youth club, my first Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-92057675546099784672011-01-09T19:00:00.000Z2011-01-09T19:00:52.656ZLayer 417 . . . A Generation Under Strain, Old and Sad, Parris & Portillo, Brandreth, Clive Rowe, Panto, and the Secret Mediterranean?.
Having watched the first programme of Trevor McDonald's new series, 'The Secret Mediterranean', I felt moved to write something about it - but really, I don't know if I can be bothered. This is OK! TV for the retarded. This is Hello! TV for couch potatoes. You can get a pretty good flavour of what it's like from Sam Wollaston's review, and the spot-on CiF comments following it.
http://Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4710250086532923922.post-58032721645623585082011-01-07T11:28:00.000Z2011-01-07T11:28:46.239ZLayer 416 . . . The Ashes, Test Match Cricket, Night Owls, Digital Lives, Tiredness, Energy, The Winter of our Disconnect, and the Gift of Time.
'And gentlemen in England now a-bed shall think themselves accursed they were not here'.
So here I am pouring a glass of best malt whisky and breaking open a box of chocolate brazils - by way of middle of the night celebrations. It's all over now. An Ashes victory by three games to one - all three victories by an innings and plenty.
I've never been a massive sports fan, and could never Oxzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353093872818421124noreply@blogger.com0