TOO MUCH WARMONGERING: Miliband, in PM Questions yesterday, was not being responsible in pushing PM to make advance comments regarding the G8. Disengagement from necessity to meet advantages Putin, does not disadvantage him, so G8 should not exclude him. He is simply laughing in the West's face at this time. He is simply re-establishing Russia as the global power its past communist antics, followed by various stages of despotism while trying to appear democratic, clouded the reality that it was once a serious power with rationality. Its a new world for them but the country is moving forward, it would appear, unlike the West's preoccupation with too much religion, that denies the reality in which it claims to believe. Religion, as a collective whole, has done as much damage to the West as Communism has caused elsewhere around the planet.
          In terms of peoples' freedom, the EU has ensured that unelected despots create the EU as they want it to be, then they created a parliament, specifically forbidden to change the structure. All the UK's potential governments make damned sure we don't vote on the issue as to whether we accept the status quo or not. The EU is in no position to criticise Russia for not acting democratically. All it was doing was protecting its peoples' interests, being a fledgling in open publicly accountable democracy and rather frightened about a world that does not rigidly adhere to rules and regulations that are irrelevant or simply unworkable... like religion. Understanding with patience, not confrontation should have been the West's approach.

WEDNESDAY 19^th MARCH 2014
SNAPSHOTS
PUTIN ON TARGET [16:17]: Nothing so far has happened beyond that which was implied from the beginning, save for the West to appear what silence would not have shown so effectively: that it is impotent and really at this stage none of its damned business. There is the question mark that undermining forces were already being supported by Russia but essentially Putin foresaw what was going to happen, or could and it was his duty for his country to protect Russia's interests. What the West has to take into account is that its perceptions of being the supreme masters of the world were a presumption too far and it must now learn a little humility: the need to work with people not swagger the arrogance of past imperialism.
          Makes Alex Salmond look a right twit. Crimea can do so much in just a few days what's holding Salmond back, isn't he sure of himself?

UKIP CAUGHT UP IN RELIGIOUS TWADDLE [17:00]: The Times reported some while back a fact of which I had been unaware: that Orthodox Judaism forbids men from shaking hands with women other than their wives. What on earth is a "modern" political party in the UK doing pomoting prospective MEPs who hold such unacceptable attitudes? Sexual equality in all social matters must be accepted as a fundamental right and reality.

TUESDAY 18^th MARCH 2014
SNAPSHOTS
JUST CAUGHT MY EYE: I was suddenly reminded that the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England decided to celebrate being a cardinal by claiming the coalition government responsible (by not taking sufficient action in support) for UK poverty. Were the Catholic Church as open and honest as it demands of its adherents the cardinal would also have acknowledged his church's responsibility for deliberately discouraging responsible attitudes to contraception, thus causing families to propogate contrary to their economic resource and blatantly expecting protestant or non believers to pick up the cost tag of his church's sheer irresponsibility. He also failed to acknowledge his church's deliberate sexism in its refusal to accept women clergy and failed to explain its wilful perpetuation of child abuse. Put matters in context O Cardinal, before you have any right to expect us to listen.

GB NOT SO GREAT, EDUCATIONWISE: On March 11 The Times advised immigrants were, on  average, considerably better educated than the native "Anglo-Saxon", as well as those immigrants born here through three or four generations. This would seem to counter any charge that our education system is amiss since these people will have been educated in the same way as the rest of the country BUT, is it a matter of attentiveness and the discipline of attending? This implies their religious devotions, which might be presumed to be other than Christian, are behind their learning. That may be worrying, as many nonChristian religions seem to insist on a cultural background unrelated to modern western society, not excusing the fact that some claiming a Christian background can likewise be ridiculously nutty.
           This is particularly serious since the same paper carried a front page headline of Muslim parents wanting the anti-terrorist sections of the police to pro-actively "sort out" would-be jihadists. This pro-active involvement appears to run parallel to a change in police attitudes through pro-active female police officers taking charge. In itself this is encouraging since Muslims apparently have an inbuilt bias against female involvement, so may be it is the mothers predominantly making things happen. If so, once more showing the appalling inadequacy (on both sides) of men.
           Church of Rome take notice! Church of England, move your ass more quickly. It also turns out that complaints against a "planned underground take-over" of a state school seem to be based upon an inability to check facts before getting over-excited, as some newspapers apparently did.

UKIP: In terms of Goldsmith's Referendum party, UKIP is highlighting, that simple, straight forward madness is an ineviatble part of the political scrum. So what are the purported "professional" politicians doing about it, other than continuing to be their usual barmy selves? So, apparently are the civil servants around them! The National Statistics Agency has consistently updated various reports several times because they can't get their figures to agree so other organisations' figures (not all in the UK) are likely to be more correct, for they even asked Canada for clarification, prompted by the new Canadian Governor of the Bank of England, more used to civil servants in Canada knowing what they are doing. Thank God for the Commonwealth otherwise, where else might he have gone?

ROUND AND ROUND IN CIRCLES:  In The Times of March 11, there was a leader on an article about Time. John Robinson, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, referring to perceptions that life was getting frenetically hectic, commented that today people simply cannot just "be". W H Davies also asked, in his poem Leisure, 'What is this Life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare". There seems to be a perception that if one is not 'working' then one is being idle and the diversity of synonyms and alternative verbs are effectively negative, save for the use in terms of an engine 'idling'. That is, it is turning over without being engaged in a load or gear.
          For me, that definition turns the whole world around. I am instantly engaged. An engine idling is serving a purpose: it is on the starter's pistol, like a runner, ready for the off. On modern cars particularly that could be charging the battery but with older dynamo generating cars it could be running the battery down. Life continues in a continual state of change. So, with the idler. Jerome K Jerome remarked in his book. Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow that he could sit and look at work for hours.
          The title for his book of essays is the title of his first essay which opens as follows: "Now, this is a subject on which I flatter myself I really am au fait. The gentleman who, when I was young, bathed me at wisdom's font for nine guineas a term—no extras—used to say he never knew a boy who could do less work in more time; and I remember my poor grandmother once incidentally observing, in the course of an instruction upon the use of the Prayer-book, that it was highly improbable that I should ever do much that I ought not to do, but that she felt convinced beyond a doubt that I should leave undone pretty well everything that I ought to do."
          Now that is a clear example of the positive merits of idling, or being idle. I should not need to remind readers that he is the author of Three Men in a Boat!  My problem is that my idleness is expended in starting various motors that never haul anything or take me anywhere, save for the land in which I require no transport, in which I alone may solely travel.
          Perhaps there is good reason for there being more negatives than positives in the nuances on idleness. Seneca implies guilt: "out of breath for no purpose, always busy about nothing". However, for Aristotele, leisure was the first principle of action. "The opportunity to choose trivially in leisure is the blessing of an affluent society. Still more is the opportunity to choose idleness.
           The last verse in the poem Kyle of Lochalsh "The thread that runs through all the tales they weave—/A silver thread that runs through life itself—/Makes no demands, nor asks that you believe, But for a moment, 'be... and know thyself'." It appears in my first offering of poetry Gone Fishing! published by Hazelwood (Publishers) Ltd but is not yet available in digital format.

MONDAY 17^th MARCH 2014
SNAPSHOTS
EVERYTHING IN A MESS AND EVERYONE MAKING A MESS! So, we have the majority vote. No, we don't. It has to be seen in context. It appears that Putin abused a relationship and persuaded a President to act contrarily to the wish of his parliament. Putin then moved surreptitiously on a pretext but dishonestly, seemingly in support of some of that country's citizens who did not wish to move forward as the majority of the overall country's citizens indicated they wished to move, or certainly as the majority of the country's overall elected representatives perceived was best for that country overall.
           Fear affected both sides. Self-interest and a certain sense of arrogance over-rode calm thinking through the road ahead. Looking on, what should have been obvious from the beginning? Russia: strength of military might; accustomed to central co-ordination and singularity of purpose; frightened of individual thinking. Like the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Russia believes education should be what the West perceives as indoctrination; Russia still lacks self-confidence in managing truly free expression, especially contrary opinion to the established patterns of thinking. Factually, it has self-interest in Crimea, for which it is justifiably concerned and has a duty of care to its citizens to protect. It gave Crimea away to Ukraine without a vote but at that time Russia effectively controlled Ukraine. What has happened is that Russia has taken no more notice of how the world has changed than the Holy Roman Catholic Church has taken note of the reality of God's Creation. Religion and secularity are each equally out of touch with the way the world today wags, or would like to wag.
          America, renowned for being late for the previous two world wars and declaring Europe should run its own business without America seems suddenly to want to be on time if not too early! That is not helping but it does indicate the way the world has shrunk and the extent to which we should be looking at cohesiveness not emphasising our divisions.
           The EU is going off at half cock. it has spent the last few years pretending it is a block of consistent views and is now owning up to the reality that such diverse countries have diverse opinions and will respond as is right for their individual interests, which is why the fundamental principle of the EU is flawed: you cannot have uniformity across diversity and richness and value derives from individuals thinking freely. This is why Russia is nervous, because it has not yet fully matured into the West's experience of true freedom. Even the West hasn't got it right. Only now is the West accepting sexual realism and the Church of Rome is as determined as ever to fly in the face of reality to the point of absurdity. Understandably Russia is nervous but tries to hide it, behind calm determination and creeping action.
           What should be happening now, as Churchill said: "Jaw jaw not war war". We all need to cool down and speak quietly with one another, not go charging off threatening sanctions against people who might argue with Putin. Obviously they won't if the EU puts their backs up! What a statement about the ineffectiveness of the EU. What a highlight about our inadequacy to get going on a new nuclear power station, showing our vulnerability of essential resources. The West is artificially trying to consolidate that which should not be consolidated but thrives with the richness of diversity.

SUNDAY 16^th MARCH 2014
SNAPSHOTS
MESSING AROUND WITH TEACHING AGAIN: It is not that long ago we had "educationalists" advising that team sports were undesirable as no one should lose. We now have people advising that all children should start school being told they are graded "top" (if that is what is meant by an "A" grade) and that they must work hard to maintain the status with which they were started off in life. As I understood education, its purpose is to awaken students' critical faculties, enabling them to independently sift fact from fiction and to reason rationally. If so educated, they almost immediately understand the purpose and reality behind rational grading, that it is based upon proven facts and instantly realise they have been sold a pup. What is the point of foisting a delusion upon an audience you are going to advise have been deluded?
         The excuse, apparently, is to reward for effort not ability. Are we to say that current teaching does not take into account both? The purpose of education, in crude terms, has always been to sift the wheat from the chaff, acknowledging that chaff has its worth and ability needs to be guided into those areas which coincide with the students' predispositions as well as their abilities.
          Having thus taught them objectivity and relationship of skills to jobs appropriate for their abilities, society tries to determine that these matters are completely irrelevant. What should determine job prospects should have nothing to do with their abilities and appropriateness for the job but what sex they are, in relation to the sex of the people around them, seems to be the current job prospects argument. Why on earth did we bother to teach them objectivity and how to think?

EDUCATION AND RELIGION: Too many religions do not understand basic teaching. I am not here intending to research the origin of man's presumptive domination other than cursorily observe the majority perception of physical strength and stamina, accepting base animal instinct as an ancient necessity. Modern society does not need that ancient concept.

TAXES: Osborne wants a 10p tax rate. It was Labour that abolished the 10p rate. Why aren't we told , "we got that wrong"? He complains that the coalition still has not got rid of the financial debt into which his party plunged the country and he regards that as the coalition's fault, not his party's for having created the debt

SATURDAY 15^th MARCH 2014
SNAPSHOTS
BIAS AGAINST ABILITY: Once more the havenots are trying to argue the unfairness of those with ability. The argument against so many Old Etonians in the cabinet is that being an Old Estonian they don't have ability. On what grounds? It is precisely the same argument regarding the balance of women. Women must be elected or appointed in order to balance men and women not because there are more able men than there are able women. The job determines the abilities required and therefore the appropriateness or not of the appointment. When the job is relevant to it being occupied by a woman, man, bisexual, homosexual (male or female), transsexual either way, then such a person correctly needs to be appointed. In exactly the same way, the only way to ensure equality of education is to ensure the state schools are as competent or better than private schools and there has been recent debate that the state schools should be judged on private school criteria which, by implication is of a higher standard. When the comprehensives produce people of political ability they t will be in a cabinet. Where's the problem?

SORTING OUT THIS RELIGIOUS TWADDLE: Apparently some Islamists have just attacked some soldiers in Egypt while at their prayers. Were it realistic to describe such people as being Islamists then they have disowned themselves from their own religion; or are declaring their religion unacceptable to a civilised modern society. Which ever, it is an invitation for secularity to take charge. We need to bring several presumed authoritative concepts to heel. Humanity is the reality of this world's status and all humans are equal regardless of sexual fact or proclivity. That which does not acknowledge that status is not fit for exceptional consideration. If ate  Church of England had got off its ass a century ago  or, arguably four centuries ago, we could have led with moral integrity. Even now the Church of England is still fumbling around taking too long to do what should never have needed doing since equality of women throughout the church was unequivocal the moment Elizabeth ! took command.
          In trying to make London in particular but the UK generally an open state of society we are preparing the way for the reality of our spiritual state later on as implied in Galatians 3 24:28. So lets get on with it.


FRIDAY 14^th MARCH 2014
SNAPSHOTS
THE EU CONTROVERSY: Today the BBC (Daily Politics) showed us the procedure for becoming considerable to be an EU civil servant. Having passed such a hurdle It is a great pity that so few of them choose to show the knowledge they are supposed to have proved and so bring sense and sensibility into the marquee of fools!

LORD STANSGATE: Tony Wedgewood Benn would appear to be the only true socialist with the wit to oppose the EU. That was before going slightly haywire during his latter years of serious Labour consideration. A controversial figure, who made his mark in the elegance of his speeches and through his concise writing. 88 is a good age to achieve. Well done.

SOCIETY Local society may not be quite so disastrous as national society but even national horrors are local to someone but the fiends are out there, everywhere, as also is the great courage of many, been sentenced to perhaps too quietly sung. Locally John Jenkins 70, a pony-tailed builder who'd fleeced a pensioner of 67 of over half a million pounds for a consultancy that should have cost only £60,000. He disappeared while the jury were deliberating and is presumed to have left the country.
          Picture of the week was of schoolchildren cooking for a charity event, literally.
          A teen driver trying to be responsible slept in his car rather than drive home after intoxicating himself and died from carbon monoxide poisoning. He had the engine running to keep warm.
          Nationally, a father of a schoolboy punched another schoolboy in the head knocking him out despite the schoolboy politely apologising for accidentally treading on his foot.
          On the same page, we learn that the mother of a convicted robber, who had been sentenced to four years imprisonment for killing a disabled male for verbally protesting against his friend for riding his bicycle on the pavement. A national outcry felt the sentence was too short, to which his mother said she did not know why there was such a fuss, so what?
          The least trusted bank in the UK, the Royal Bank of Scotland, reportedly having lost £8billion is presumably the Bank of Scotland Salmond will rely on if the Scots decide to have independence. Why on earth does he prefer the Bank of England? Because he wants to ruin that too?

THURSDAY 13^th MARCH 2014
SNAPSHOTS
THE EU CONTROVERSY: Miliband declares his continuing uncertainty by trying to play both ends towards the middle. The obvious conclusion of what he is actually saying is, "I don't like this subject but feel I ought to do something, so I'm sitting on the fence in order to show I am actually doing something!" The reason for this is he doesn't like to remind people it was his party, in direct defiance of his party's belief of standing up for society, which waved two fingers at the people and gave away the very rights that are causing all our problems. A subsequent speaker tells us, Labour supports the EU but is afraid of being too up front about it, unlike the LibDems. Why, when the EU walks roughshod over us? At least give us reasons, because there certainly is not any talk about giving the EU the kick up its backside that it clearly needs.

LOST AEROPLANE: Disappointingly but also somewhat frighteningly, as one must ask what might be happening elsewhere, Malaya seems to be making a right pig's ear of the missing aircraft. Are we simply finding out that aeroplanes are not monitored to the extent we had been led to believe they were?

MONEY, TAXES, FAIRNESS, SHARING VALUES: Conveniently following on from the death of Bob Crow we have unions jumping up and down at the economic news of public workers pay deals. Not a word about the Labour Party's (purportedly the people's party) choosing, in their years of government, to cause us all to spend our tax money on paying interest on loans that seem to have done nothing to advance the interests of the very workers they supposedly represent and which deficit the coalition is desperate to put right, in order that we may all gain from the prosperity of our hard work.
          I am technically retired, according to state predictions but due to an inherent disinclination not to be doing something that does not result in a productive outcome, I am suddenly faced with hitting the 40% tax liability. That is despite the Labour Party choosing to so mismanage affairs that investment income is reduced; the coalition government has been unable to raise the tax threshold as soon as was hoped; I delayed receiving state pension due over five years, so tax liability is for all five years in one year.
           Yes, that is not all earned income (it is paltry interest, due to Labour's policies, on income from deposits accumulated by taking a responsible attitude throughout my life); as well as income from both the state pensions (now being received) and a private company pension. Prudence; due care for potential disasters (which mercifully did not happen earlier) and a responsible way of living in the world, including voluntary public service as a councillor in my home area and other voluntary social interactions. As members of the coalition government have themselves said, "we have not been able to implement the necessary tax reforms intended". These would have taken me out of the 40% level. In other words, I see myself solely as Joe Average, achieving no more than might reasonably have been expected from the background start I had in life.
          Now let us return to Bob Crow. He sold himself to his members on his ability, which is why his union membership increased so staggeringly, in contrast to many other unions. However, what did he actually achieve? He was in a closed environment, lacking competition (no wonder socialists do not like competitive forces). He simply blackmailed. His bully boy tactics did not bring out all the people he expected to bring out when he called a strike. What were his strikes but blackmail, stating he believed his particular branch of the labour force was more important than the rest of the labour force trying to earn their own crusts. Interesting that they too now may be as liable as I am on paying 40% tax!
           When doing holiday work as a student in a factory I was advised by one trade union official: "you shouldn't go to the lavatory after you have clocked out, you should do that in the firm's time". Another trade union official said to me, "We're threatening strike action because not enough of our members are earning above the average wage." To achieve that obviously everyone had to be paid the same amount. This seemed to confuse him. These are the realities of trades unions.
          Pursue such ways and what is happening over such lines of thinking? The Communists are trying to be capitalists without letting it appear so. Okay, let us keep to capitalism but control it through national pay rates according to the country's perceived needs. We've tried that. It failed.
           We want everything controlled centrally and regulated according to need. We're actively trying to decentralise while at the same time appearing to be pushing decisions down the line but actually not— how else did the Somerset Levels flood but trhough NOT doing what the locals said was essential. [Not actually quite that simple but the principle is correct.]
           That's the EU's intention: standardise everything across a diversity of differences. That is why the EU is unable to agree a common front against Russia's perceived intention to be authoritarian and a likewise bully boy.
           The reality is they have different interests and needs—that is reality, something the EU does not like facing. So, why do the trades unionists want to be bully boys to those hard workers struggling to support their families for the vested self-interest of their particular members, when the most socialist party of all, the Labour Party, caused the situation to arise?
          Free trade? Competition is bringing down prices but Morrisons are not meeting customer requirements so, twelve months after making nearly £900 million profit, the shareholders are now having to fork out for a nearly £200 million loss.
          John Lewis, their workers (who own the company as a partnership) are likely to gain 15%. That is Private Enterprise. The EU wants to standardise across the richness of diversity. Diversity is the reality of life. The Labour Party wants to support the people and improve their standard of living and is against capitalist values. Why then borrow so much money from the capitalists causing the country to pay staggeringly high interest rates, rather than provide social aid in measured form.
          Take religion. There was a movement to ecumenism for greater understanding. It is the philosophical version of the EU's standardisation. That didn't work either.


MONDAY 10^th MARCH 2014
WORLD GETTING VERY BIZARRE
This is really extraordinary. Russia outlaws homosexuality and presumed Russian ethnics in Crimea, which Russia is hoping to annexe, commit sa do-masochism by publicly whipping people, rather like the Islamists do, who themselves take exception to people enjoying their sexuality, hence their pre-occupation with FGM and publicly flogging people! A contradictory world indeed!
          Today was an interesting diversion which i have written up on my NHS page. Here I will simply observe that on my walk a pair of red admirals and a pair of cabbage whites were frolicking around the plants in someone's garden. Their hard work has been noted by a complete stranger and whomsoever you are will probably never know I passed your door but your effort was worthwhile, as are the efforts of all gardeners who may do things purely for their own enjoyment. Nonetheless, be assured the efforts of all of you are noticed and appreciated by a wider audience than you may know. Hurrah!

SUNDAY 9^th MARCH 2014
COULD THE LIBDEMS SERIOUSLY BE MEANINGFUL?
This after-noon's presentation of Nick Clegg's speech, closing the LibDems' conference, towered with the LibDem's intentions at their best. As always, there are provisos. To reflect that he was somewhat contradictory, highlights the nature of our world, that it IS a contradictory world. Taking a positive note from his speech, that contrariness is more to do with our openness and adaptability than to pigheaded, arrogant stubbornness.
          Reality has to be faced head on. Are the LibDems up to it? Perhaps the better question is, are WE, the people, up to it? To say the decision to participate in government was obvious is as unfair to the people who brought it about as the LibDem women have recently proved to be in their opposition to the very man enabling it to happen, through exercising their petty personal biases. That high strung female exhibition of personality traits highlighted the LibDem's history of bias to trying to be all things to all people, ending up as wishy-washy as the supporters who deserted them in showers, because they could not take the driving rain that comes with being in government. Nick Clegg asserted his belief in this country much as I would have expressed it myself.
        The problem, however, is doing something about it in way that is meaningful and yet not missing out on the right opportunities. For me, what Nick Clegg has done is to turn up the lights on his forthcoming debate with Farage. He highlights the nature of the world we are in: a world of contrasts and contradictions and asks "how best to adapt fundamental principles to the diversity of reality without losing either the underlying philosophy of purpose and intent while remaining flexible". 
          Russia raises several issues: it is frightened; it retains the ability to bully as well as having the history that in bullying it always gets its own way—classic school playground scenario; the West is weak, in economic terms and therefore highlights its diversities when facing crises showing why the concept of an EU superpower as one unit is nonsense. It is a composition of individual sovereignties.
          The Russian situation highlights why we must have diversity of power source and why we must be as independent as possible—Labour's failure to move with nuclear power. The logic ends arguments against shale fracking: we need to find out the viability and to get on with it, especially if Scotland goes its own way.
          Clegg highlighted British lawyers being foremost in demanding and outlining basic human rights. How then did we allow the EU to over-ride those principles and give exemption to religions whose philosophical basis is a deliberate and wilful affront to women?  As the BBC's 'The Big Question showed up, there is no question whatever that religions that in ANY WAY what so ever treat women as secondary citizens, those religions must be brought to heel and if necessary outlawed, or at least their unacceptable practices.

ARE WE MOVING FORWARD?
The appearance of Met chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe on Channel 4 news on Friday 7th March was less than inspiring. Rather than give reassurance of providing a boot up the bum he still seemed more concerned about defending his goal and saving his job. The need to declare he felt he was the man for the job seemed an admission that he realised many people did not think he was and he seemed somewhat unsure himself, hence his need to say that he was, which seemed merely to confirm the uncertainty. I remain unconvinced, especially as his TV time seemed more concerned at what he intended doing, all of which I thought had already been implemented and was an expected basic standard before they started!

ON THE LIBDEMS
Declarations to raise personal allowances and the tax threshold are sensible measures and are totally compatible with the cost-effective relationship needed for benefit assessments. However, making such declarations when the ability to implement seems remote is not helpful, it merely raises dreams away from the practicalities and only "by the way" draws attention to their unlikelihood due to labour's misfeasance of our financial security.
           It is certainly disappointing that supporters of the LibDems have lacked the courage to stay with them let alone flock to them. They made a courageous stand in order that they would greet the next election with the practicality of government experience and they chose the right party with Clare's law with which to align, although i think numbers alone precipitated the decision. That, at this stage, it appears not to have been appreciated is disappointing but time will tell.

CLARE'S LAW
Is going to be debated on BBC's The Big Question on this Sunday morning. It became law on Saturday 8th March giving partners an opportunity to pursue enquiries of any reported violent behaviour in previous relationships. Two questions arise. Who is going to think to ask and why, as such people can be very convincingly two-faced. So, does this mean anyone entering into any relationship is going to ask the question? The argument seemed to be in faviour that is should be projected further.
          Second and this harps back to an earlier question regarding secrecy of government held personal information (NHS), why are we so jealous of personal privacy? In days of yore God knew everything. NHS records provide important information in a collective whole that is there by default, so why should it not be used statistically and impersonally?
          In the UK we have been blessed with the freedom of complete privacy, regarding it as a triumph of our society that evil does not usually present us directly, either personally or as the collective whole of the state. We particularly demand openness of government and politicians, generally all people in public view, including performing artists where arguable freedom of privacy has tended to be infringed. In principle, why do we need privacy, unless we are intending to do down our fellow citizen; or our assumed collective understanding of the role of the state/government?
          This issue arises both in the principles behind Clare's Law and also in the proposal to decriminalise failure to pay the BBC licence fee. Surely, this is a step, however slight, into accepting that taxpayers may select the taxes they are prepared to pay, so they personally have only that aspect of government to which they personally agree? Very dangerous. Or is it simply recognising the reality that as democracy broadens out and religious entities insist in carving their place in the wider society, that the only way to govern is to accept diversity of principles of intent?
          How does that sit with Scotland's purported desire to go independent, yet join the EU? How does that sit with the EU's determination that all should be subjected to the universality of intent when, over Ukraine, the EU most positively asserts its diversity of individual self-interest?
          We set ourselves in conflict with preconceived religious ideas on Creation, which themselves have difficulty getting on with one another, persisting in the codswallop that diversity of that reality of life, however created, is best represented by conformity, when everything about Creation is diversity, flexibility and adaptability. Are we sure we are not living in a mad house of our own creation, simply by being wilfully bloody stupid? That we have educated ourselves beyond our ability to understand our own learning?

THE INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK TIMES
          This is a good reminder that however convenient is digital news the daily print on paper still provides a different nuance. When market researchers stop me on the street a simple answer, "Yes, I work in publicity/promotions" usually ends further discussion. If I have time, I declare I am retired, although still acting in a consultancy role, or else simply "a gentleman of independent means", which usually throws them and indicates I am prepared to chat. So we chat. In those circumstances I am very difficult to chat with, since I refuse classifications without purpose 'on principle'. Genuinely, I do believe I am not slottable into any standard concept, almost to the point of it being a matter of pride.
          The problem with the international edition is that it is global, which gives the advantage of seeing the world as America sees it, well some of it but I counter this by taking digitally The New York Times as the Americans do receive their news, which is why I regard Piers Morgan's contract curtailment as no other than being suprprised it took as long as it did. It was challenging of him to take the line on guns he did but it clearly switched off Americans and that is of concern. There are certain aspects of the Americans in which they just damned well will not sit and hear alternatives to their presumed opinions and those are worrying traits, not necessarily less worrying than the Russian stance. Then of course there is the diversity of our own press. Just "keeping in touch" can be quite expensive these days!
           The New York Times presumes the EU will impose sanctions that much is going on under the covers, oh dear. Quite the wrong thing to do as is being perceived. For the moment it is clear Russia is all powerful and it knows it. No one in Europe is in the mood for war and that concept, used properly, should lead to greater harmonisation... or will it? The danger will be that it will be merely the modern day appeasement. In Cyprus, little heard of here, there are signs of intention to reconcile. In a sense, that is what Ukraine is about. Interesting contrasts. Countering that course is Russia APPEARING to be totally open. What is happening is that the West is realising it is NOT omnipotent and has itself been living in something of a dream world, just as the EU persists in doing.
          Tolls provides a cartoon of a wasteland (reminding me of T S Eliot) entitled "The Persistence of Procrastination" on the subject of Climate Change. Similar Prevarication is espoused in South Africa of changes to the law on political party funding—the very people permitted to bring in the changes being the very people to whose disadvantage such laws will apply. The paper describes it as foxes guarding the hen house. An unfortunate juxtaposition when the Pistorius trial is showing us how well black Africa is managing affairs.
          Countering Russia's determination to grab what it wants in defiance of Ukraine as a complete entity, Japan's nationalistic bias may threaten its US links, while the EU is showing the diversity of opinion in contradiction to its bias to speak with one voice and increase uniformity, defying nationalistic perceptions. Scotland wants separation from the UK, yet wants to control the UK's currency without asking the UK's inhabitants and tax payers, while at the same time wanting to give up the acquired independence by joining Europe! Interesting seeing things from another perspective.

IRRESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PRESS
          There was a lot of kerfuffle some small while back over the idea that murderers, sentenced to life, could not be so sentenced. The concern was actually only the failure to review. Where on earth was the problem? The whole purpose of trading hanging for full life terms was that we occasionally got it wrong and sentenced people to death when they were later found to be innocecent. The press got unnecessarily over-excited, probably because they felt nothing much else was of interest and we have white paper to fill. If it was felt that death can be an unjust finality from which mistakes are unrecoverable, the principle of mistakes happening still applies to life terms, for wich compensation can now be made, so what on earth was the problem of life term reviews?

OUR TIMES ARE DIVERSE: ENCOURAGING OR DISCOURAGING?
          That is life; why religion is diverse in its opinions; while the EU concept of being one together contradicts how the world wags.
          More than three quarters of teenagers feel the press report them negatively which is disappointing because they are our future. I remember, as town mayor, giving a short speech to a gathering of several school groups who had made various presentations to the examiners on their way to a national award for best company. I was able to tell them that attending had been absorbing and that what ever the outcome, there were no losers; all had won by being good enough to get that far and make their presentation but someone had to come out first... I did not envy the job of the examiners to name that someone.
           I have also had experience of youth groups set up by the council administration when i was the town's mayor. There was no question about the enthusiasm and sense of responsibility the young people exhibited in the way they went about setting up a youth council and involving themselves in diverse aspects of the town and its people.
          Over 80% of teenagers feel they are unfairly represented in the media; such negative media affects their chances of getting a job; nearly 90% felt that social media was an effective way of gaining momentum behind social issues and 38% ha signed an online petition.
          Reported today is the sort of response I had experienced as mayor, ensuring a youth council got off the ground and was realistically functioning twenty years previously. Why then still negativity? However, this report in the condensed Independent concluded youth are generally hard-working and caring and that certainly was my experience twenty years ago. The problem, as I stated then was the preoccupation of newspapers to sell their papers, rather than fully and with considered balance present the facts, coolly and calmly. The conflict is clear, balanced presentation of facts while trying to attract attention and sell papers to make profit for the investors: therein lies the eternal conflict—you do not realise what you have lost until you have lost it! Be involved. The nub is that society is diverse and needs that diversity to include all—the EU demands sameness and is top heavy in bureaucrats to make it so.
          Baroness Warsi raised these very points in the Middle East. "Tension, turmoil and terrorism are "...stripping the soulfulness and kindness of spirit from the heart of Islam", calling upon Islamic leaders to "... reclaim the true meaning of the religion". She claimed that such divisions were rarely confronted but posed... a great danger to our world".
          "The hatred that can exist between sects—between people who follow the same God and share the same holy book—disturbs and saddens me. Even in Britain we are not immune from it, with division being preached by some and the belittling of another's faith, or domineering being used as a way of re-affirming one's own. Often the strongest condemnation seems to be reserved for your brother or sister in faith".
        At least that is one prominent leader in a major religion prepared to speak out for commons sense and true belief. At the same time, the head of one of Christianity's great dividers—the Holy Roman Catholic Church—decides to renew divisions amongst his calling. He criticises the government's welfare policies, without acknowledging his church's responsibility for destitution, by denying the proper use of contraceptives to help retain family size within the families' economic means to support, carefully not stating specifically that his church expects the Protestant taxpayer (or he of no faith) to pick up the tab. Quite unacceptable conduct if he wants to be taken seriously as a meaningful senior churchman.
          The Independent's daily briefing carries a lovely section: "Caught and Social" parodying The Times' "Court Circular". Saturday's radio Any Questions was most disappointing, the TV version Question Time is much more meaningful.

AN INTERLUDE
What does the potter's wheel mean to you? Not sure? Think on it in connection with the heading above. I am in such an interlude. The sun is shining; technically and factually it is English spring time. I have just broken off from my studious preoccupations to grab the moment, walking around my home town where I have not walked for too long a time, grateful for the eyes that can see; the ears that can hear; the ability to walk at all. I offer my prayers and best wishes for those who have cause to wish to be me. Not that I am anyone special, just a guy meandering his way through the world in which (as Churchill said) I chose to be born.
          Walking up over Castle Hill I recalled times, when as a boy I, with my aunt Hazel, would walk that way and meet Stan Dickens, farmer thereof. He was one of that BAODS crowd (Berkhamsted Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society). I first made his acquaintance in my first 'proper' public play, along with Alan Dickman and his father; both chemists of H H Dickman and Sons in the High Street (still there), from where we bought our grease paint, Leichner in those days; before Max Factor expanded their women's make-up into the range required for theatre work. H E Todd was also of that crowd, he being the creator of Bobby Brewster; Eunice Snoxall of Snoxall's garage of Chesham Road, where dad had our black bullet nosed Austin A40 serviced. They were also at Boxmoor, where they had more room for expansion. Their Chesham Road garage later became the varnishing department of Wellcome's Clunbury Press, so I knew the area in both guises before it became flats.
          There was also my first, well not quite, infatuation. One long, golden-haired Denise who, alas, was more interested in her pet lamb, seemingly not realising lambs become sheep and was most distressed when it was sent off for mutton, although it did save her father from mowing the lawn for awhile.
          Walking that way, seeing the magnificent views of the Ashridge estate, looking down on the castle ruins; in that moment, I was aware of more than 1,000 years of Great Berkhamsted history and realised again the singularity of my home town. Here, on the edge of town, Berkhamsted Place, built from the outer stones of the castle, hence the castle's ruined state; The Place itself now over-ridden with detached and semi-detached properties but of reasonably substantial size as to meld with the landscape. Berkhamsted farm was still there; then the folding pastureland hills. The reason for Berkhamsted still being a classic Chilterns market town.
          Many sorrows in the world. No different from those this realm has endured, in days of yore; the three inns next to one another in the High street reminding us this has always been a destination in itself, as well as a major coaching stop on a major road, Watling Street, since the Romans came. My heart goes out to those suffering what we once suffered and I only hope that our gained knowledge from that same experience can help them on their way to properly enjoy their own peace, shortly.

AT HOME AND ABROAD
There are times when it seems the world is going to pieces and one must do something in order to wake people's ideas up. The key problem is being overly indulgent, or tolerant, of the intolerable and unacceptable.
        February 27th's Evening Standard told us that Cameron has failed on his immigration policy. This begs the question, did he say what he did as a political gesture to counter UKIP or did he really not know what he was talking about? Merkel clearly stated that he was implying things with which she had no agreement in the manner he had been implying was the case. In clarifying that her visit served a purpose. This implies Cameron's idea the EU will adapt to us is clearly opposing the wind and splashing himself in the face. In effect we have to bear in mind it was Labour that sold us down the river and the LibDems will support EU against us or our chance to voice an opinion. There would appear to be but one practical outcome: get UKIP into EU parliament and see how they shape as a party and how the EU handle that statement of their presence, the first time we have been able to express ourselves. There appears to be a mass movement across Europe in a desire to bring it under the people's control. We then review the situation in 2014. I suspect UKIP will fail to hold together (I am happy to be proved wrong) and therefore will be unable to field a seriously potential UK government. This would mean accepting the fait accompli the Labour party would appear to have lumbered us without asking us—we were only asked to agree trade interaction not political controls.
        From an entirely practical viewpoint it would appear we are stuck with what we have got and we just have to get on with it, always remembering that we have not paid as disastrous a price for socialism as the Russian people have paid and currently the Ukranians. We also have to bear in mind the LibDems forcing of more rational thinking on tax. The Tories' rational argument for sound accountancy can only work if taxation levels are raised. To increase (via the minimum wage) a higher wage than the market will bear will only turn business away, as some businesses are currently bringing work back from China because they have increased their wage costs too far.
          Labour is now proposing an Act making insulting behaviour towards service men criminal offence. I always thought that insulting Her Majesty's forces always was a criminal offence. That it has not previously been thought necessary is of concern as an other indicator of the diminishing status of public decency.
          The same issue of the London Evening Standard and that day's Daily Mail report the mother of the convicted killer of an autistic man, who had the public spirited wit to remonstrate with a cyclist cycling on the pavement, was "no big deal". This accompanied by a sentence that many people regard as paltry. Let us see what the Court of Appeal reasons.
          In contrast, Mac produced a lovely cartoon on Mrs Merkel's visit: "Remember, two verses of Deutschland, Deutschland and don't mention the war!"
          It now appears that car mechanics cannot even be relied upon to test drive customer's cars to check safety of repair work. A dealer in Poole wrote off his customer's £170,000 Mercedes Benz AMG just through driving it around, to chek it still worked!
          It was reported that hundreds of police officers swooped on a range of properties to arrest fifteen and recover hundreds of thousands of pounds as well as guns and assorted valuables. Last night, as I started writing this, we learn that fifty houses have had to be evacuated because some completely irresponsible fool has been storing explosives in his home. The imbecility of people seems to be getting worse and what diversities of stupidity and criminality. Bankers are appointed who don't actually understand the banking system—The Co-op are thinking of selling off farms and pharmacies. Could that connection be due to someone not knowing how to spell pharmacy and thinking they are related to farms? With so many bankers completely bereft of basic accountancy one has to ask! Then why pay them bonuses, save for the man realising and pointing out they do not know what they are doing.

SATURDAY 8^th MARCH 2014
MIX AND MATCH
The name Malala is at the head of this page. She is still around, currently supporting (among other things) Fahma Mohamed. Fahma has met with the Education Minister on FMG of which she became aware when attending an Integrate Bristol meeting after school. This raises further the lunacy of the Labour Party wanting taxpayers to fund Islamic orientated schools—the very sector of society promoting Female Genital Mutilation, Muslim manipulation being again on BBC news this (Friday) evening.
          The only way of stopping this archaic illegal practice is to ensure open public integration NOT assistance for further covering up an abhorrent cultural practice. A practice which itself highlights warped religious thinking. There is a world of difference between male circumcision, following ancient Jewish practice and the wilful unnecessary mutilation of the female. Even male circumcision is not regarded as so medically urgent as it once was. This is yet another example as to why it is religionists that must state their case for their irrationalities, not the general public be forced to tolerate their aberrations.
          Conversely, the World Health Organisation (Fahma is supported by the secretary-general of the UN) has warned about an epidemic of obesity in UK schoolchildren. Over 35% of children aged between 10 and 11 in England are overweight.
          I remember raising overweight on Facebook some while back and close friends decided to take issue with me for 'simply' observing the fact. Although, on that occasion, it did not relate to children. A point of their criticism was of my potential lack of knowledge that some of my observations could have fallen upon those suffering cancer, or other debilitating disease that throws their body mechanisms out of kilter.
           I disagreed with their criticisms on the grounds that failure to observe and share gave another opportunity for nothing to be done. That is the point of social interactions, to keep the debate open. If we do not take proper care of ourselves we lay ourselves open to the public incurring unnecessary costs, at the expense of other patients, whose illnesses may be more severe and be caused by none of their own making.
           Following on, in a wider context, I observe the debate about the NHS desire to sell data. First, the government tried to co-ordinate the entire mass of digital information. While prudent monitoring is essential, we need to stop panicking over data dissemination. Yes, there are criminals out there and digital records can be interfered with but this has to be seen in the context of the wider good.
           Individual rights campaigners have long argued against CCTV. CCTV frequently provides the only safe way of convicting criminals committing serious public order acts. In my opinion, case closed. The argument should only be about observational ranges and detail of images acquired. Likewise, NHS data has vast potential for perfectly genuine commercial interests—I am only a printer but I write as a former employee of The Wellcome Foundation who has rubbed shoulders with doctors, veterinarians and research scientists for thirty years. It is we, the taxpayer who has forked out the money to acquire this information and selling it on helps reimburse or offset future expenditure. Why not? It is also we, the taxpayers, who have to fund the damage caused by drunkenness, drug abuse, where our money is wilfully squandered by those who are inadequate by deliberate intent. Why should we? For no other reason than to add to the weight of argument, elsewhere in the world people are dying simply out of hunger. How can we not do something positive and cost-effectively? 
           At what point do we abandon self-interest for the greater good? The BBC's The Big Question raises this on Sunday 9th March. Question one.
Is it our moral duty to stand up to Russia?
           No, it is our moral duty to recognise freedom of expression and realise we Westerners have been appallingly snobbish about Russia and Putin. Yes, he's a bit of a prat, as his long walk down a red carpet highlighted his pretensions. Unfortunately, his pretensions are backed by the reality of strength with which to make his claims. He's the product of a totalitarian background (Cameron thwarted by the Old School here, preoccupied with duck houses and castle moats, 'though not so damagingly) and Putin is playing the West's "own game" against it a damned site more effectively than the West is playing its own game itself! He has an empire: we gave ours away; The EU is a collection of failed empires; America is as debt-ridden as the rest of us. Poor Ukraine. A flash in the pan ignited by Putin, possibly misjudging and/or proving he is indeed very very competent.
Does Clare's law go far enough?
           The fact that I had to check up on Clare's Law shows I haven't cottoned on. It is an interesting conflict. People don't like the NHS releasing our data for cash returns which we taxpayers paid to acquire, thus denying the opportunity for returns helping to defray future costs and gain much cost-effective information. Once punished we are supposed to be able to rehabilitate, certainly religionists would claim this. Statistically we don't seem to achieve cost-effectively. Let's see the result of one step first then review. 
Can children be damaged by fundamentalist religions?
          On Fundamental religion everyone is damaged and the fact damages itself. Refusing to acknowledge the reality of the "God's Creation aspect" as it is, rather than the way they persist in espousing it, religion is just getting in everyone's way who is trying to do something positive. Religion is arguably the last thing any child should be taught, until religionists make up their minds as what they actually do believe, which is at least a damned sight nearer the reality of life than religion currently understands it.
          The Guardian produced an amusing cartoon: two humanised oil rigs sporting the faces of Cameron and Salmond headed "Scotland's choice: two farts in a hurricane". Loved it!

FRIDAY 7^th MARCH 2014
AFRICA IS EXCITING
The time shows wonderful mixes of opinion across this vast continent. In Uganda we have a decent man, bewildered by an indoctrinated childhood, totally at sea with something he simply does not understand. Museveni is therefore happy, in his conscience before his concept of God, that denouncing God's creation is a proper thing to do, by outlawing homosexuality. He is doing nothing different than what we British did a century and a half ago.
           The British parliament acted exactly as his parliament has just done. Unfortunately, Queen Victoria, being a woman who loved sex and having a horny German husband, could not understand why anyone could not love sex as she did and refused to accept women were so damned stupid as to ever say "no" to their husbands. She refused to sign the Bill.
           Consequently, the Bill had to be rephrased so as to be solely biased against men, despite the fact homosexuality is a natural aspect in nature, although not scientifically known at that time. It was through animal breeding that homosexuality was discovered, when a male refused to mate with a selected partner, which of course is how aristocrats are lined up, apart from occasional political over-rides. That is why the Russian revolution was so determined to flush out the blood line, it wasn't just politics. The Duchess of Cambridge seems to have a sound line behind her so, opening out the royal stud line should add strength and further guarantee the lustiness of the line.
          We are all the subject of the micro-biology of genetics. For religionists to claim, "Aah, but the spirit that enters that body has to control its biology" is utter nonsense and in direct opposition to the very 'God the Creator' concept in which they claim to believe. Try changing your body chemistry when you have been diagnosed with cancer! That is not to say that mind cannot affect the body, the more one reads about cancer and its treatment the more one hears, as I have personally just recently of seriously cancer affected persons going into remission, seemingly against the odds, through a vehemently positive attitude of mind.
          As a thirteen year old I remember telling my hospital doctor "My mind is the interpreter of my soul, my body the servant of my will, its purpose is to do that which I require of it." Now seventy and faced with 'slow growing inoperable' tumours (even slow-growing can be too fast!) one is a little more philosophical. What is without doubt is that there is a body of affinity with positive thinking and successful outcomes. Technically, this is not scientific evidence, other than the size of numbers in a particular context. Medical opinion is to be positive and persist. Why is there a scientific problem with religionists' taking the same attitude? The numbers are large across different faiths in different contexts of spiritual phenomena. Why is there a problem in accepting this as a bedrock of established understanding?
           All that is happening with the wakening forth of acceptance of homosexuality, in the western world is increasing awareness of the rationality that is a basic component of God given Creation. We learn more, we understand more, we move forward, as is the nature of His Creation, as religionists seem to proclaim without themselves actually believing in what they preach, persisting as so many do in "old age" thinking! We knew then, that is all we accept today. It is simply ridiculous and they undo themselves and their purpose.
           It is with interest I discover the opinion of Terry Eagleton on Dawkin's The God Delusion. Author of forty books including Reason, Faith and Revolution: Reflections on the God Debate Eagleton is clearly a man to follow up. His book Literary Theory: An Introduction (1983) sold 750,000 copies!
           Back to Africa. From Uganda to South Africa, where the western world has made a right pig's ear of civilised living and the black world, given the freedom to run its own affairs, has grown immensely. In the Pistorius case we have a black woman judge presiding over a conflict between whites. Oh boy, how the South African world has moved on.
           What a contrast to that conversation I had with a white South African on a London tube train so many years ago. He was trying to make out that "... the blacks aren't made like us, they don't have the intellectual ability. It takes generations to develop as we have done." "Only when you make damned sure they are not educated." I riposted. Here was religion at its worst. The Dutch Reformed Church fully supported apartheid and the white supremacy, just as Rome today decries the British government's financial rationalisation of state support. At the same time Rome denounces contraception as a means of responsible parenting, determining the British Protestant taxpayer should pick up the costs of over large families, not requiring families to take a responsible attitude towards their financial abilities. It is all to do with power and people control. Hypocrisy, cant and a refusal to accept their "God Created" world as it actually is, is what lies behind too much of established religion.

THURSDAY 6^th MARCH 2014
CATCHING UP IN ERRATIC SPURTS
I had intended doing this earlier. I was in the hairdresser's this after-noon. It seemed only yesterday when i was last in there but it was nearly six weeks previously. I also had the sense that it was only an hour previously that it had been Thursday last week. Going nuts, or just getting that old? Perhaps it is age but the speed with which time passes, during which I perceive little has been actually achieved, is increasingly worrying. What I like seeing, however, is the contrast (or the comparative relevance) between the microcosm and the macrocosm: that juxtaposition alone speaks volumes simply through their state of contrast. So catching up with the news retrospective is not a bad thing, rather than trying to keep up with it as it happens! First time I have recognised the value of weekly editions. I have a friend in the States who keeps up with English news by taking a weekly abstract.

PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY
February 26 reported the incident of a man supporting his "friend" confronted by a middle-aged pedestrian remonstrating against cycling on the footpath. I myself was nearly knocked down by a cyclist cycling in direct defiance of a red traffic signal and totally ignoring the people who had started crossing the road, me being one of them nearly mown down. Mercifully, this reported incident was on camera filming the "friend" killed the pedestrian with his fist.
           Were this truly a "friend" he would have immediately remonstrated with the cyclist himself and apologised on his behalf to the pedestrian affronted. This clearly was no friend, clearly determined to label both of them by their behaviour as unfit persons to be at large. Four years (two before he is out) imprisonment for manslaughter does not seem to be sufficient, we await any further outcome. There have also been reports of several cyclists being killed on the roads through movements of heavy vehicles. Yes, some motorists do drive irresponsibly but so do some cyclists cycle irresponsibly and apparently so do some of their "friends" behave irresponsibly.

LABOUR STILL CHAOTIC
In Harriet Harman we have the disappointment of seeing one of the intelligentsia of the Labour party declaring her unfitness for government. The moment I realised PIE (Paedophile Information Exchange) was accepted and affiliated to the NCCCL (National Council for Civil Liberties)) I dismissed the organisation as unfit for purpose. That it is now "Liberty" has not yet drawn me back.
           Harriet Harman had no cause to be put out by her historical association as she seemed not to be involved with, nor had any responsibility for, checking out the suitability of members when she first joined. In fact, it seemed at that time to be an unmitigated shambles of administration, another reason for not taking it seriously. At that time it seemed only a little more sensible than Mary Whitehouse's organisation and just as irrational.
           While I have only operated politically on a very small scale, whenever buttonholed by a member of the public I have always been happy to answer them directly. Either the fact you are prepared to talk throws them and they are off, or you give them a rational answer to their question and they lose the self-confidence to continue. The mere fact that they had buttonholed you seems to be their sense of achievement.
          Why, at her level of experience and public operation why Harriet Harman could not simply have done the same thing, instead of going on the defensive, i simply do not understand. I had perceived her as a safe pair of hands. Now, i can only be more horrified at the prospect of a Labour government. The idea that PIE should have duped a government into giving them taxpayers' money probably ties in with the period when many socialists actively sold off school playing fields, deeming them unnecessary, as sport taught self-reliance, not team work and that someone always had to win. In their view all children should be allowed to win... So why on earth were they not being taught anything remotely relevant to life and the grown up world? That's socialism for you.

GETTING IT WRONG AND STILL NOT LEARNING
Apparently, this is the time for commiserating with the miners who were led into poverty and near starvation by one Scargill with inflated ideas of his and his union's self-importance. Regretfully, we still have not built the necessary nuclear power stations to cope with our fuel demands and need to reduce carbon gases. That is down to government and mostly to Labour, again, although the Tories do carry some accountability for failing to move on.
          The trades unions still have not learned about cost-effectiveness and personal accountability to maintain professional standards. The Daily Mail advises [February 26] that the Royal College of Nursing may have squandered as much as £50,000 supporting the unsupportable: rank professional incompetence for two members struck off for not being professionally competent. However, if professional people want to contribute their money to organisations that spend it in that manner two things are obvious: one, it is their affair; two, they would appear to be overpaid, from taxpayers' money!

SQUANDERING TAXPAYERS' MONEY
In terms of paying out taxpayer's money pointlessly it now appears that a Guantanamo Bay Briton was paid £1million compensation, prior to just being arrested on suspicion of waging jihad in Syria. Not proved guilty yet but were the Americans not right after all? The problem is defining in a free society what is reasonable involvement in the world's affairs?

JOY OF JUST BEING: PRAISE THE LORD
The same paper on the same date printed a full colour picture of a little girl sitting on a rock, an island, in a sea of wide opened purple crocuses. Spring is on the way! It is a great world and we all need to try and hold that greatness

"WE'RE ALL WORKERS", SAYS 'WORRIED OF BERKHAMSTED'
On February 25^th The Guardian printed a rationally sized photograph of yellow crocuses in Hyde Park. Clearly more concerned about paper than the Daily Mail, which usually doesn't have much to say but to shout headlines, hence its devotion to a whole page for their picture, while The Guardian is more concerned about being meaningful and demands cost-effective use of space.
          Apparently, the Tories are seeking to represent 'the workers'. Other than certain Tory MPs who prefer to spend more money on duck houses, for the pets living in their castle moats, than on welfare for the common good, I thought we were all workers. Having just completed half a century working, to keep myself from being a burden on anyone and making provision to keep myself until my death likewise, save for possible infirmity, I can at last consider myself as something of a 'gentleman of independent means'. Now, having some experience of that I can also say that 'just being', in this convoluted world of continuing rapid change is very demanding and tiring! How did I ever have time to earn a living... and live!? What I find astounding is that there is still a proclivity to spend money on nonessential matters, without any thought of tomorrow, let alone next year and retirement. The mechanics of the future simply do not seem to be addressed and we seem not to have learned much in the half century I have been involved? I find this worrying.

WEDNESDAY 5^th MARCH
SOCIALIST CONTRADICTIONS
Bob Crow, of the RMT union, charges off against emptying train toilets on the railway line. Were he remotely responsible, he would be sounding off at the appalling loutishness of general members of the `British public', renowned across Europe as the world's litter louts. It says quite clearly above the toilet, "please do not flush when the train is standing in a station".
         He rightly raises the issue, to which he apparently has only just woken up, that this is unhygienic for workers on the line. So why did he not raise the issue before? Presumably, because now there is a break from other opportunities for being on the front page and he likes being the centre of attention.
         Apparently, it has also escaped his attention that modern trains are designed with sanitary tanks. What he is therefore indirectly complaining against is heritage railways using old-style stock. So why isn't he honest enough to say he resents the private money of members of the public spending their hard-earned money, despite the strikes he causes to disrupt their ability to earn their keep and pay their way, to enjoy themselves on helping to reduce railway costs by further enhancing income on main lines?
           Meanwhile, the Labour party, which union members are forced to support, regardless of their voting intentions or personal political wishes (until the Labour party finally implement a one member one vote rule, which anyone with sense would always have demanded from the first but which the trades unions have always resisted (they don't like freedom of expression)), has illustrated its potential for intelligence with its latest report on a comprehensive view of citizen's welfare. I have not read the report but the details emerging from David Neil's "Daily Politics" interview (Tuesday) indicates a whole lot of sense.
           Why, then, does the Labour party, only the day before, proclaim its support of religion? Apart from a desire to claim more votes (as it perceives) and endeavours to show it does have some vague ideas on how the world really does wag, why proclaim support for utter irrationality? The Church of England, after half a century arguing against women priests and then against women priests holding more senior positions has finally got its act together and officially sees no problem with them? There has never been, nor never could have been, a problem with women clergy at any level in the Church of England other than plain stupidity—the church was started by a woman, sorting out her father's administrative mess! Its supreme governor is a woman! Where then, such irrationality, since religion claims the world is God created? Rationality is part of that God and His Creation. It is an historic presumption in itself that 'He' is not a 'She' nor "ambidextrous", or simply neutered. After all, Greek and Latin both contain neuter options in language construction, so why is religion so irrational to the reality it proclaims as God created and presuming that God is male, other than the Christian tradition, which was governed by the social proclivity of the day?
           Regarding sexuality, Galatians 3:28 states: [New International edition] "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ."
           Through various mediums with whom I have sat (I am not myself mediumistic, other than through the conventional communication of secluded contemplation) I have an open mind regarding other life existences. For a spirit to regard itself as 'complete', I perceive at least two lives are necessary to understand the male and female psyche but Galatians would indicate this is not necessary. The complete spirit enters on birth and on death regains the spiritual awareness it already possessed but hopefully improved upon through life's experiences on this plane. Arguably, successive lives, while gaining diversities of experience, cannot acquire an equality of the allness of spirit, as different time frames themselves are different experiences with myriad possibilities of interpretation from experience gained.
           The issue at this point is that the Church of England is at last facing up to and changing some at least of its irrationalities. Why then is Labour embracing a religion totally mixed up with historical culture, biased against the female; preoccupied with the earthly values of garb; perceiving women as almost a different race entirely; when the established 'state' religion is beginning to see some sense? All religions proclaim a God created world that is male orientated in which rationality is a key component. Why then do religions persist in being totally irrational in their pursuit of what they proclaim?
           The extreme form of socialism is communism, which has proved to the world that it fails: Russia is becoming capitalist and is held in check by self-centred oligarchs. The Labour party ran this country into enormous debt, which is why we are unable to seriously counter Russian aggression—possibly advantageously as our penury demands we stop and think.
           From this comes great positive opportunities. We are beginning to realise our world is truly integrating. We MUST work WITH one another, wherein lies the compulsion to "give and take". Too long we have treated Russia as a common cur. Russsia is simply (hopefully) saying "Hang on, we're not going to tolerate this attitude any longer". Apart from perceived genuine concerns, perhaps that is all this present contretemps is about? The root cause being "a frightened people".
           Having achieved three score years and ten my future is more to that moment when this bag of biochemistry in which I exist is no longer inhabitable and I return to that existence from which I came. In so far as I have been able to interact with my former state of existence, there seems no certainty of agreement. Different views seem to persist dependent upon with whom and through what mediumship I communicate. What is without doubt in my mind (and I have Galatians to thank) is that what we perceive here as diversity is merely glimpses of a canvas more vast than the vision we can comprehend here, where we can only see through a glass darkly and in stages, as we are able to comprehend and manage that awareness. 
           What I see, with increasing confidence, is that the richness to come shows that diversity need not cause disharmony. It merely enriches the depth of the panorama. That should be the goal to which we here in this plane should be heading. This continuum of our present existence should be aiming at acquiring acceptance of differences, respect for appropriate boundaries and the realisation there is more in common than we are willing to observe. This ties in with the need to recognise just what are the practical boundaries, in terms of time and space, of our present existence and that we must make preparation to ensure our resources are not wasted but preserved and allowed to regenerate. That is the real nub of our present crises. It is an opportunity to take stock of the collective whole and seriously re-appraise our presumptions.

TUESDAY 4^th MARCH 2014
NOT SO QUIET ON THE HOME FRONT
This Morning
The world is not yet at war, although there are warring factions around the globe. Appropriately today I come a cross a quotation seemingly well fitted for today: "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." -Eli Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1928)
           Well, we are protesting and so far in a manner correct and proper and maybe remembering the beginning of World War I, a hundred years ago, serves a positive purpose. History is important and "... we will remember them." is so very relevant at this time. Not just internationally but in our own country and home.

INTERNATIONALLY
It is not unfair to claim that Russia is trying to avoid responsibility and consequences for interfering in the Ukraine by persuading its President to default, in defiance of what appears to be the populace's wishes. Certainly it appears to be the opinion of the majority of the elected representatives of its parliament that it should continue with overtures to the EU while not necessarily seeking to relinquish historical relations with Russia.
          It is quite clear that Russia is wriggling. So far, protection of its citizens in an area where Russia's own history shows it as both friend and foe, which is what lies behind the difference of opinions within Crimea, makes its actions dubious, despite an underlying justifiable concern for its own people. We can bear this in mind when ever any other country feels the need to send in troops to any other country when it fears for the safety of its own passport bearers. This unfortunately also broadens the dangers of conflict, since we have replaced a British passport for an EU one, without us being asked! Was this really thought through for incidents in which Russia is currently leading?
          It is important that the West plays it very cool, as it is transparently obvious the West is weak and Russia is strong: physically, strength wise. However, it is also clear that Russia itself realises it is playing a high stakes game. This may be the first major international play out in which modern technology and universal media plays a serious and positive role. Nothing is hidden under cloths or tables [William and Harold pre1066].
          The production of a letter from the ousted President is a feeble attempt at justification, as the obvious charge is going to be that it was written after the event, and/or under Russia's direction. There is no question that Russia's behaviour while publicly declaring strength of position, is in fact a somewhat panicked response to a manipulation Russia mismanaged.

AT HOME: THE OTHER COSTS OF SOCIALISM
The Balkan situation makes clear the need for financial stability and credit worthiness. One of the reasons the West generally is weak to act is the size of its respective national debts. The value of the proposed Conservative policy, to bring the country in to adequate capital reserves, is today highlighted. The irresponsibility of Labour's running us into debt is highlighted but also its own proposed future policies that indicate it is bereft of voting eligibility.
          Why is the Labour party wanting to spend public money, we do not have as a result of a Labour government, on Muslim schools? Purely to obtain votes it will not otherwise garner. Labour is not behaving rationally, nor is the EU, supported by both Labour and the LibDems. it is indicated that pupils must wear Islamic dress. How come, since Islamists have determined they should dress as they wish, now they are suddenly demanding that we may not? School uniform needs to be rational and practical. How do pupils play sport in robes? What, they do not believe in sport or equality of women with men and vice-versa?
          The Crimea highlights the basis of human rights. Why on earth are we supporting the Ukraine's right to independence when the EU, into which we have been politically plunged without our being asked, persist in encouraging religious entities to deny basic freedoms to its own populations? By what rational right has a religion to determine it will take exception to women, gays and those of personal sexual predilection? Just because religions are not rational is not the excuse for the EU to be likewise be irrational, irrational though it actually is! It claims to support Ukraine, yet countermands its argument for doing so by ensuring that bureaucrats control essential base aspects of the whole EU edifice, which was set up before parliamentary powers which parliament is not authorised to control. It is a basic contradiction that undermines its own argument against Russia. It is the same contradiction, supported by Her Majesty's government and especially Labour and the LibDems. Where is their own people's opportunity, most especially the UK's, to determine if they want their sovereignty determined by a bunch of fools somewhere in Europe (the EU keeps moving its headquarters).
          Alex Salmond wants independence for Scotland. He specifically excludes Scots away from home and includes the immature of society to weight the vote (he hopes). He wants to interfere in the rest of the UK's management of the pound sterling without those peoples being asked if they want their currency b*****ed about by a smaller country that has just stated it does not wish to be included in the UK? Where, on that basis, is our argument, let alone the EU's, in interfering in Ukraine, claiming we are defending the independent rights of its citizens when none of the EU's entities are giving a damn for the rights of its own citizens!

MONDAY 3^rd MARCH 2014
SUDDENLY ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE
The Morning
Started with an interesting aside on Facebook. Deciding to declare as a new aphorism [Reality is always frightening to those who themselves have never been real!], resulted in a dialogue with Julie Elliot; one Gabriel Garrick chose to interact requesting definition of terms used, leading to the following explanation.
          "To define any word/term in the context of general use (as used here) is to contradict the universality of common meaning and narrows the term's value to only a pre-described context. 'Reality' in 'general' meaning is that state or states on which the majority of people, regardless of opinion, would perceive as a state of existence without need to describe or explain, or think further. It is an automatic common experience/acceptance.
          'Those' is used as a pronoun for an undefined body of people within the overall concept of society. "never been 'real'" observes that these people see a form of 'reality' not shared by a vaster group of persons of sufficient size in number as to constitute the 'norm' of society. For such people to discover (if their minds are that open) that there are other views, some of which embrace vast numbers of people in general agreement, can be a shattering experience.
          Religions are the classic example. They believe in a God created universe but resolutely refuse to define God. Part of Creation is rationality: therefore, God must be rational. Why then are religions generally irrational? In being irrational, they factually deny their own proclaimed beliefs. The ‘reality’ of Creation is that it is in a continual state of change. All religions are steadfast in mankind’s knowledge at the time they were started. Were religions to truly believe what they proclaim they would be in a continual state of change, ready and happy to embrace the future, as time develops mankind’s understanding further. Instead, religions resist change, therein denying the ‘reality’ of their own faith!
          Eliot expresses this beautifully in the “Burnt Norton” canto of  “Four Quartets”. “Time present and time past/ are both perhaps present in time future,/ and time future contained in time past. / If all time is eternally present/ all time is unredeemable.” Here, I disagree with Eliot.
          “If all time is eternally present/”, the cross existed before its actual appearance within the time frame of history in which Christ first appeared. Therefore all time is redeemable, which is the purpose of the cross and the raison d’être of the Christian religion: the only one of all the world’s religions attempting to define God but in the context of mankind’s knowledge at that time and expressed for the wide understanding of simpler mindsets.
           I could go further but I won’t. This is why I run this site. Facebook is not really appropriate for discursive emissions and all my time is currently overloaded with diversities, prohibiting appropriate time on structuring my methodology."
        Then came further news on the Balkans and I started thinking we were playing out a Shakespearian tragedy. I thought of the Pendley Open-air Shakespeare Festival. Their current page is headed "Some Things are Better Out in the Open". That could equally apply to Putin: and perhaps sooner than we might like as the revelations might be awesome. I thought it therefore appropriate to share that Facebook comment here.
          "How many understand the complexities of the Shakespearian stage? For that is what is currently playing out.
          There is the main stage, the fore-stage and a variety of side issues on different levels, including balconies, all designed to attract attention at different moments, while at the same time still playing out their roles when the audience attention is not focused on them.
           The script is the key to what is going on. So what is going on? We have different scenes playing out in different places while the script also changes locale, not necessarily in relation to specific physical places. This is a dramatist at work; a puppeteer who would be a general but for the moment is a little shy of cutting his knee.
           Each step is designed to draw attention to another area and to provoke one stage further until there is a response that places the defendant in the adversary position making it appear the defendant is the aggressor. That is what is behind Putin's play-acting.
           This is superb stage management. Hence my interest in the heading on that page of Pendley Shakespeare Festival's web site. That is real theatre and excellent Shakespeare but are the players on the world stage as good at acting as Pendley's actors? Pendley's actors KNOW they are actors, pretending to be real people. Do the real-life actors realise they are real-life people; that this is no play; and that death is not make believe, 'get up and take a bow', it is death in a field of mud under the earth bewailed by their loved ones? Those loved ones are not theirs but other people's.

MEANWHILE IN SOUTH AFRICA
The world seems way behind and out of date. A black African judge presides over a white man's killing of his very beautiful white girlfriend. No jury, to counter the danger of perceived historical racial prejudice but what a way to do things! In Europe they are as frightened as the populace of South Africa once was, which Europe condemned but even then The Dutch Reformed Church, originating in Europe still failed, as surely as the Catholic church still fails in Europe. Old and ancient, does Europe really have a clue as to what it is about?


SATURDAY 1^st MARCH 2014
CATCHING UP & FOLLOWING ON AFTER A BREAK!
Reviewing the papers bought but not looked at, let alone read, over the last fortnight gives an interesting change of insight into the news. One gains a more cohesive over-view: the microcosm melds into the macrocosm and the macrocosm shows a wider homogeny than might be generally perceived from details revealed only as isolated moments in different frames of time. These tend to amplify diversities rather than embrace similarities.
          Glancing through the papers casually I am somewhat depressed by the persistence of déjà vu in almost every aspect of life. We review the one hundred year anniversary of the First World War, started in the Balkans, once more attracting our attention with their disruptive influence, a troubled people indeed: their problems both seemingly instantly solvable; yet the cause so understandable as to project the dangerous inevitability towards suppression and war. Great care and patience is needed and the courage NOT to act despite seeming loss of advantage through inaction. Most of all, trust is required where fear has already embedded so much distrust. Essentially, distrust is born from the various efforts over the centuries in which trust has been so wilfully abused by the powerful, not just the physically powerful but also those with the mental acuity to dominate, suppress others and thrust their egos. Ego is the root cause of all our troubles, the ego of self that over-rides any and all proclivity to render service. Render service to who? One's fellow beings; entities; life-force; creation: the simple statement, "We are, this is, what now?"
          One can understand the various entities' nervousness. Russia has a fleet based in the Crimea; the area's history is Russian-orientated since the First World War, during which time various Russian influences have shown the area the power of Russia's love and hate. It is understandable that Putin feels a responsibility for his country's interests, while also trying to distract attention from the possibility he is the cause of the present problem, by having manipulated a Russian bias contrary to Ukraine's majority interest which prefers to "grow up" and open out to the wider world via the EU.
          In that, the Ukraine represents a parallel world to the UK. Scotland wants independence from the UK having, three hundred years previously, agreed Westminster should dominate rather than Edinburgh (it was a Scottish king that inherited England). The Scottish Nationalist party is gerrymandering the vote for independence by denying Scots not living in Scotland at the time the vote is taken, despite the fact postal voting through absence has a long-serving precedence. The vote is also being gerrymandered to include sixteen year olds but the Scottish nationalists have not been honest in declaring their intention that this means sixteen year olds can be called up for national service... the obvious conclusion of lowering the age of consent but are sixteen year olds truly old enough to drive a car on a public road and if not are they fit to determine their country's government and accept legal parenthood, for those are the inevitable ultimate consequences?
          More over, Salmon has determined that Scotland will control the English pound if Scotland votes for independence but has made no provision to ask the English, Welsh and Irish if they find interfering in their national currency is acceptable. He is doubtless relying on Westminster's precedent of allowing the EU to over-ride the voters' wishes without asking them, so he expects Westminster to agree with him without giving its own people the referendum over who may control their own currency. Neither does he appear to have discussed with the EU what his country's relationship would be with the EU if the Scots vote for independence, presumably expecting to blag his way, simply declaring a fait accompli. Is this situation any different than Russia and the Ukraine? Afraid of being late again, is Obama charging in without thought that this might be the occasion when the USA being late might be the right thing to do?
          What an interesting time we are living in. Déjà vu indeed!

SUNDAY 16^thFEBRUARY 2014
Oops! Been preoccupied and plants need watering. Drooping badly but I think they are lifting their heads slightly. Just in time with the water, hopefully.

FRIDAY 14^thFEBRUARY 2014
GETTING MYSELF SORTED OUT
Phew! Beginning to get back together. Been absent helping my brother-in-law clear his mother's flat—she's moved into an all care home. Interesting experience, everything locked up and she is the most aware of them all but the worst are in another building across the way. Oh God! you can live too long, although at the moment she's fine to be with, she just needs help awareness constantly for physical safety reasons.
          Interesting aside. Totally absorbed in my own surroundings I am not unaware of the rest of the world and have diverse interactions with it but the sudden diversion into someone else's world helped me to review my own. I suddenly realise what it is to run one's own life around oneself. An odd thing to write for a bachelor who has not really settled into a "retired phase of mind". Still much to do and still determined to do, despite health telling me too early I am getting old and need to pace myself more vigilantly.
          Just that contrast over the last week has brought home I truly am a gentleman of independent means... for the moment. Concerns for unknown costs that may arise as health deteriorates becomes a concern but for now, just plough on, be and make the most of what you have. Yet a sense of selfishness creeps in: people do not have to experience the reality of flooded homes, flooded businesses; lost dreams; the sense of taking several years backwards to feel embittered. For some, just being as they are without these traumas is trauma enough. To all those not so fortunate, I grieve for you and wish you well.

MONDAY 27^thJANUARY 2014
NOW THE LIBDEMS ARE BEING UTTERLY IRRESPONSIBLE
Once more the LibDems are determined to show their total unfitness for government. We cannnot take in any more refugees and we are the second leading country to make serious massive efforts in terms of monetary outlay. To add further to our economic contribution is plain foolhardiness.

RELIGION STILL BURBLING TWADDLE
On Channel 4 this evening we have a Russian, Vitaly Milonov, clearly highlighting how the land of Communism (another failure in that great country's history) has suddenly turned right wing Christian. Vitaly is a purported lawmaker, who is clearly appallingly ignorant on medical reality, judging by his ideas on homosexuality. Even one transvestite, with both parents doctors of medicine, do not have the medical competence to understand homosexuality. Never mind insurance, for God's sake, simply do NOT be ill when visiting Russia. Their state of medical knowledge seems the pits and extraordinarily warped versions of Christianity are plunging the depths of unChristian views. Aother example of claiming God the Creator of all but presuming to deny some of that which He has created! It seems Russia is still a very backward undeveloped country.

REVIEWING GB
Utter twaddle being burbled about further developing London. We need London to be spread out across the country! This discussion does raise the question as to whether HS2 is right. We perhaps need the north staying in the north, not able to have people rush so eaasily to London. We need to stop this headlong rush south.

HOUSING MINISTER FLOUNDERING
On BBC's Politics there seems a load of waffle and no factual reality of substance. Clearly things are NOT happening under this government. However, while there is much controversy over HS2 there does not seem to be the same national awareness over housing. Ignoring the finance aspect, the reality of HS2 makes putting housing further north, away from London or simply the "South-East" a practical prospect. We need to match costs with job salaries to pay for them and travel availability, otherwise we will end up in a built conurbation throughout the South-East. Have we reached the point when we need a national review of all houseing/living conditions? Surely that is supposed to be gained from the censuses?

THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION
An exciting debate by three highly intellegent and well educated women. Very interesting point about women being thrown on the defensive: why are men not being expected to change THEIR attitudes to life generally, as well as to women.

SOMERSET PROBLEMS: FLOODING
The government ministers and local MPs seem still to be floundering. I personally suspect the Environment Agency has had its attention diverted elsewhere, hence lack of control. Have they simply been following the wrong procedures?
           Once more planning is under debate and rightly. We concrete over far too much, stopping too much ground from absorbing water, causing water to simply run off. What are the statistics on rainfall, are we having more totally or more spasmodically in this area?

THE SNOWDEN APPEAL
The Snowden appeal is still going the rounds to have him exonerated for liability for his criminal activity against his own country and the western, arguably whole, world. Were he remotely interested in others than simply promoting his own ego, he would return home of his own accord and face the music, arguing the validity of his case. He doesn't, because he knows he is wrong and knows he has done us all a serious offence contrary to our own safety. The statement in the latest appeal for him states: " This is about much more than one man. If Snowden's act of truth-telling leads to crippling punishment, it sends the wrong signal to abusive governments and whistle blowers everywhere. If 1 million of us take action now, we can send President Dilma [offering him refuge from the consequences of his act] the largest citizen-supported asylum bid in history -- sign to safeguard Snowden and defend democracy everywhere."
          This is totally incorrect. The message sent will be exoneration of irresponsible country presidents wanting cheapskate answers for their own lack of ability and a clear message to all that criminality, properly managed by equally corrupt, or at least immoral, entities will get you let off. That is the real message that is being sent around appealing for Snowden's support.
          Snowden had plenty of opportunities inside his country to put forth his concerns and failed to do so. Let's hear his explanation, in court in his own country that he has so wilfully betrayed NOT exalted. What he is raising, is the extent to which one man may choose to command an opinion above that of his people who has chosen NOT to put his opinions (as I have done in my home town, as most people do, save terrorists) to the test of public opinion and seeing truth and value of those opinions in fellow citizens' minds. Those are the correct procedures. In World War Two, Churchill was faced with the same situation. The person advising him, like Snowden, was exceedingly concerned and in great personal turmoil, that he was infringing "due procedures". He proceeded in a responsible manner to a man he could trust and who later delivered for us our fine war prime minister. That is blowing secrets in a responsible manner for the benefit of the greater good.

SUNDAY 26^thJANUARY 2014
THE POPE FORCED TO BE DIPLOMATIC
The Times showed the pope looking po-faced as he met President Hollande. I suppose he had no choice but to grant him a meeting just as the Queen has suffered the indignity of being treated like an honourable man because the heads of state she meets have warped ideas of women's place in the real world outside their religious dreams. In that, they have a point. As Galatians [3:28}states "...there will be no ...male or female... all will be one in Christ", effectively telling us that the need for sex is the procreational need of this physical plain of existence rather than the perpetual reality of  spirit." The only problem is that such contexts bias thinking to a predomination of male supremacy, rather than a bisexual equality and would therefore seem to contradict the spiritual message, rather than accepting the reality of this "plain/plane/mode of existence". Odd.

EGO AT THE LOWEST LEVEL
The Times also reported a man shot in the leg over something to do with money while a mother (Emma Wilson, 25) was sentenced to a minimum of fourteen years for battering her eleven month old son to death. No reports of medical insanity, therefore the assumption must be the manifestation of pure evil. Neatly bringing religion back into the equation. Whether or not one holds religious views and assuming medical science is trustworthy on its knowledge of clinical psychiatry, then the nonreligious must give serious consideration to accepting the fact there is such a state of being as pure evil. If one accepts that, then there is a valid argument for religion and if there is a valid argument for religion, there is a  valid argument for a concept of God. The problem then becomes one of defining God. Therein, we need to agree to live properly as nearly all religions command their supporters, WITH one another and not against them

EGO AT THE LOWEST LEVEL
The Times also reported the value of mysticism as Goldie Hawn expounded on mindfulness at the world Economic Forum in Davos. Apparently this is well practised by business executives and Olympic athletes. Since most of the Middle East problems are to do with differences upon the interpretation of the nature of God, why on eaarth are these leaders not practising it?
           Yet on the next page we have a British woman doctor comolaining that fellow doctors do not report genital mutilation. It appears that those people most excited and enthusiastic about their religion and belief consier it necessary to mutilate female genitalia. Yet another statement of the absolute twaddle that is religion generally... or is reigion being confused with cultural values? In that case the burkha and niquab are confirmable as cultural matters and having nothing whatever to do with reigion. In which case we may reasonably question the concept that the woman must be regarded as subjective to the male. That too is a cultual factor that has got confused with religious mores. The triuth is that it is all wrapped up in purely male ego that is being massaged under the guise of religion, because bullyboy men lack the manhood to actually stand up for themselves on their own account: thereby admitting they have no moral case for their argument of domination?

Such mutilation is a direct contradiction of their religious beliefs. If God created all as religionists claim to believe, then they are wilfully in contravention of their concept of God, who created what they have determined they will abuse. Where, precisely is the logic of tis stance? Logic is a fact of creation and therefore is of God. How then can any religion justify not being rational and logical?

WHO'S GOING NUTS FIRST: NOT FARAGE OR UKIP BUT PERHAPS PRINCESS MICHAEL OF KENT?
Fortunately madness is not a trait of the Royal Family (King George's problem was physiological (biochemical)) and Princess Michael is a foreign import. What lies behind her utterly irrational and totally unsubstantiated outburst was the simple matter of common little money-grabbing, she's trying to sell a book she has written and could only get a dead duck person to interview her for that publicity. For example, from the Express this morning, we learn: In an astonishing outburst: "'...she also described Princess Diana as uneducated and said she could not cope with fame because she did not have a strict mother.' Princess Michael, who recently celebrated her 69^th birthday, made her comments during a bizarre chat with disgraced media tycoon Conrad Black on Canadian TV." Some people regard him as a common criminal in this country. That says a lot about Princess Michael.

BALLS TALKING ABOUT BALLS AGAIN!
Ed Balls once more waffling (on this occasion the BBC's the Andrew Marr Show) but much more impressive than when he delivered a speech yesterday to the Fabian Society. 'Just don't incur debt in the first place, other than for expansion, based on the ability to pay' now apppears to be Labour's philosophy.
            I had thought it was everyone's policy who had any practical understanding of business affairs. Is Balls now admitting Labour does not have much understanding of business, which is why they support union irrationality? Am I being as stupid as Princess Michael?. He is still not acknowledging it was his party that put us in the mess out of which we are trying to climb and is now looking to bring down a deficit his party created? Why then create it in the first place? If he believes in getting the deficit down why did the Labour party create it? If he believes in reducing welfare, why did his party create the welfare deficit? He is now eager to work oppositely to the way his party worked last time they were in government. What we want is explanations as to why we are in the state of debt we are, created by his party, out of which we are trying to get. I still think that Labour still doesn't get it. I admit, I've never got it! Am I now as nuts as Princess Michael?

Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP
McCloughlin making a complete pig's ear of presenting his case on railway costs. His department seems generally to be in one hell of a mess. Apparently it recently lost a computer stick. Civil servants seem to do this regularly, i think a few years ago they lost two or three laptops, leaving thm on the train! On those occasions I think Labour was purportedly running the country... downhill.

FARAGE PREPARING TO LOSE IN 2015
On the BBC's The Sunday Politics Farage made a superb weather forecast. Clearly he is expecting to lose in 2015 and is preparing for his Music Hall act as a means of earning some money when he is no longer relevant. For now, UKIP is quite practical for the EU elections this year. EU is as daft as he is and seeing them in Europe will give us a chance to see how they actually hold together as a party. Interesting.


IS WAR EVER JUST? The BBC's 'The Big Question'.
Meeting very well managed. We have a Muslim now saying that we need an international 'police force' to manage impartially. Arguably 'correct' Islam is NOT in conflict with fundamental Christian moral principles. Take the macrocosm to the microcosm, when a married couple are unable to agree the best benefit of their children and one of them insists on thrusting their own inflated juxtaposed issues, they then divorce but are expected to remain civil and in communication with one another without upsetting each other. We need an international equivalent for the macrocosm.