Some months back I was elected as one of 2 convenors for the (Labor Environment Action Network) New South Wales:

LEAN is an Australian Labor Party fringe organisation theoretically comprising of a network of grassroots Labor Members from across Australia who are committed to action on climate change and sustainability.

The reality is unfortunately quite different.

Originally elected as the convenor for the ACT branch it would be an understatement to write that I ran in to a huge body from the small executive of apathy and lack of action.

Any correspondence with the central body was ignored and as the Federal Election of 2010 approached so the response of the LEAN membership in the ACT was to retreat from action on the premise that the focus of activity needed to be on the Election.

The contradiction of this response is that it Climate change or Global Warming as I call it was not only a key part of our Labor Governments platform but it was one of the single most important issues of the Australian community.

In the course of the election as is know by those who have read earlier post to this blog I had due to personal reasons re-locate back to Sydney.

The LEAN organisation it has to be said I met there was equally apathetic and lacked any focus or ability to mobilise the community to take action locally against Global Warming It was unable and couldn’t muster the energy or galvanise members of the Labor Party or Labor movement to any form of cohesive action.

The ground was given up to the Party of the “Greens” and to “Get Up”

What we found was that voters who might be otherwise described as left leaning Social Democrats defected with their votes to the Greens. Meanwhile in the new space of social media and “youth” the space was given up to “Get Up”

Though this post is not about an analysis of either the Greens or Get Up to put some context in passing it should be acknowledged that these organisations are moving forward. This is especially so with Get Up with no direct Party affiliation conducted itself with vision and is a refreshing addition to the Australian Political Scene.

To digress slightly GetUp about describes itself as “an independent, grass-roots community advocacy organisation which aims to build a more progressive Australia by giving everyday Australians the opportunity to get involved and hold politicians accountable on important issues.

Bravo!

The Greens on the other hand are a Party targeted at Parliament and the cornerstone of their organisation they say is to “provide a real alternative to the tired, cynical politics of Labor and the Liberal party. Unlike the two old parties, the Greens have a proud history of standing up for what is right, not just what is easy or what polls well”.

The Greens also state: They are much more than an environmental party.  While promoting meaningful and smart solutions to ensure future generations of Australians have clean air, clean water and clean soil – the Greens are also working in many other areas to champion integrity, decency and fairness.

We in the Australian Labor Party need to really take note of this message from the electorate which clearly moved to the Greens and not to the Tories!

Why I don’t join the say Greens and why I choose to remain with the Labor Party is I am driven my belief in *Socialism and Trade Unionism I have been involved in one way or another with the working class and will never cease from aligning myself with the Labour movement which has fought for and often died in the cause of Workers and Working Peoples rights. I remain a “true believer”

Those struggles have often been local but the outcomes have been successful internationally very often with Women taking the lead example being the Right to vote, Pacifism against the First World WAR (something that split the Pankhurst’s Mother and Daughters) and in modern times

The tailors’ trimmers strike at Ford subject of the film Dagenham.

Today we face another struggle the threat of Global Warming which threatenS all of Humankind which brings me to the core of this post.

A plan to reinvigorate LEAN and to aid in its way recruitment to and return of disaffected members of the Australian Labor Party.

A POA (plan of Action)

Why I chose to title to title this POA “Bread and Roses”

So often it seems we are embarrassed by our Labour roots that we have almost become apologists to confine ourselves to populism and just the electoral process. Most major advances for Men and Women in respect of social justice have their roots outside of a Parliament or

While a key objective of LEAN is to put forward progressive views and action on the environment it was not intended to be just another environmental group but one that is uniquely labour in its philosophy.

LEAN has the opportunity to alert people to the crisis of Global warming and Climate change while simultaneously showing that it is only the Labor party that is positioned well to lead and deliver the solutions to combat environmental degradation in Australia.

This battle is not for the faint hearted and we will receive setbacks from time to time but it is time to re-invigorate and re-launch the LEAN organisation.

It is time to take it to the streets, to our neighbours and our local communities.

It is the opportunity for us to play no small part in the recruitment of the “8000” new members set to us by the Prime Minister.

The slogan “Bread and Roses” represents a twofold approach

Roses representing the beauty of the environment we strive to protect, access and the environment we intend to reclaim.

Bread represents the grass-roots of our party and the continuing battle to maintain hard-won conditions of workers and working people but not at the exclusion of ethical large and small Business to participate in this globally important cause. It is also how we can demonstrate it makes economic sense to protect the environment

The slogan “Bread and Roses” is not mine!

It originated in a poem of that name by James Oppenheim attributed to the women who led the textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts during January March 1912

Women Strikers

Centenary of the Lawrence Textile Strike an inspiration for today

In 1912 the Lawrence Textile Strike united dozens of immigrant communities led by women. The popular mythology of the strike includes signs being carried by women reading

“We want bread, but we want roses, too!”

Lawrence, Massachusetts was the great woollen centre of 20,000 workers who walked out of the mills in spontaneous protest against a cut in their weekly pay. Workers had an average wage of $8.76 for a 56-hour working week. Half of all the city’s residents over the age of 14 worked in the mills.

I imagine the Flag is Red Children strike

When a state law made 54 hours the maximum for women and for minors under 18; the companies reduced the working week to 54 but the production quota remained the same.

Women mobilise for a Peacful Picket

The Companies refused to raise wage rates to make up for the average loss of wages per worker because of the reduction in hours.

This caused the walkout which rocked the great New England textile industry. Under the determined but peaceful leadership of Women the strike became front-page news throughout the United States.

Determination

A most significant part the strike was that it was a democracy not unlike the Occupy movement today. The strikers had a committee of 56, representing 27 different languages.

Pariots Just the Same

The employers would have to see all the committee to do any business with them. And immediately behind that committee was a substitute committee of another 56 prepared in the event of the original committee’s is being arrested. Every official in touch with affairs at Lawrence had a substitute selected to take her place in the event of being thrown in jail.

During the two months of the Lawrence strike, the best of the Labour movement was expressed

Direct non violent action

The prominent role of women

Participatory democratic decision-making

Egalitarianism and a Classless 99%

Secularity

Below a picture of Clara Lemlich A Polish immigrant and a Jew and Political activist

And interesting parallel to this action today is the Occupy movement which shares many philosophical and strategic characteristics with the Lawrence strike not least its peaceful nature…that is of the activists not the behaviour of the authorities

Due to the violence of the authorities far from weakening the resolve of the strikers it acted in their favour with the Women Leaders refusing to be drawn to a physical battle even in the face of the  police killing a young woman Annie LoPizzo and a 16-year-old boy, as well as large-scale beating of women and children

1912 Army & Lawrence Textile Strike

A most significant part the strike was that it was a democracy not unlike the Occupy movement today. The strikers had a committee of 56, representing 27 different languages. The employers would have to see all the committee to do any business with them. And immediately behind that committee was a substitute committee of another 56 prepared in the event of the original committee’s is being arrested.

Every official in touch with affairs at Lawrence had a substitute selected to take her place in the event of being thrown in jail like this picture of Syliva Pankhurst when she was sent to Holloway when fighting for the enfranchisement for Women.

Sylvia Pankhurst being force fed through her nose

LEAN in 10 Weeks?

 

Of course we do not face the threat of jail but the lack of LEAN activity in NSW means we are unlikely to even be known about by anybody outside the Party. It is time to get moving. We need to see some substantive advance in 10 weeks from now.

After ten weeks the New England textile strikers won important concessions from the woollen companies for 250,000 employees. Thought typical of the main stream media of the time is the article written below

Spin 1912

Do we not want bread and roses too?”

During one of the many parades conducted by the strikers some young girls carried a banner with the slogan:

“We want bread and roses too.” This inspired James Oppenheim to write his poem

“Bread and Roses,”

As we come marching, marching, in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill-lofts gray
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,
For the people hear us singing, “Bread and Roses, Bread and Roses.”

As we come marching, marching, we battle, too, for men–
For they are women’s children and we mother them again.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes–
Hearts starve as well as bodies: Give us Bread, but give us Roses!

As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient song of Bread;
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew–
Yes, bread we fight for–but we fight for Roses, too.

As we come marching, marching, we bring the Greater Days–
The rising of the women means the rising of the race–
No more the drudge and idler–ten that toil where one reposes–
But sharing of life’s glories: Bread and Roses, Bread and Roses

The Music score

LEAN 2012

It disturbed me to hear some observers and delegates to National Conference state that now the Carbon Tax was passed there was no longer a need for climate activism and more so no longer a purpose for LEAN.

I believe judging by their inactivity at conference in participating at our desk or our event or related events some LEAN members secretly harbour similar views. They can only be judged by their inactivity or perhaps worse it is a lack of our leadership.

We can leave it all to government but if we truly believe in creating a sustainable environment, and reducing carbon emissions action begins in and around the home, our local environment and how we choose to get to and from work, how we influence changes and what we do at work sustainably.

It annoyed me at the lack of participation of National LEAN members in attendance at conference who chose either to participate very little or not at all. This has to change.

Earning Bread

For over 100 years Labor’s vision, policies and leadership have been the foundation of a fair and just Australia. We have promoted social and economic progress by defending Australians against attacks on their working and living conditions, ensuring a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work and opening opportunity for more people to succeed in life.

Now, in this time of global economic and environmental distress Labor must transform itself to meet unprecedented challenges. With capacity unequalled at any time in human history for our talents and technology to overcome age-old problems of scarcity, disadvantage and poverty, Labor must rise to our mission to empower all people to achieve these ends in an environmentally sustainable way.

Sustainability has three key components:

• recognition of the interdependence of social, economic and environmental well-being;
• a focus on equity and fairness, and that we need to take account of the effect of our actions on others in an interdependent world; and
• recognition that meeting the needs of today must not be at the expense of future generations being able to meet their own needs in a clean and healthy environment

Smelling Roses

Lean represents an exciting opportunity for the ALP to communicate a positive message re a myriad of environmental issues to the public and develop a better educated stronger and larger ALP in respect of the environment. A membership that will grow to be a very powerful lobby to our government locally and federally providing we take personal responsibility something sadly lacking at conference

To achieve this LEAN has to change!

NSW Lean has moved away from factionalism and should remain non-factional. It should focus on rank and file Party members to be approached during the change process to join.

But to join what and why? Not just something to be stuck on a political resume?

We have to be clear what our purpose is; has it changed or does it need to change from the original ideal

However LEAN should develop a network around NSW and ACT and build a presence in all existing state branches and establish regional LEAN branches that though accountable centrally are empowered to act autonomously working within the parameters established by the LEAN executive.

The current Party reform agenda provides LEAN today with a backdrop to reaffirm it is a grassroots and non- aligned Labor movement of members who holding a passion for the protection of the environment want to see the ALP membership grow and branches engage profoundly with their local neighbourhood community.

LEAN provides an opportunity for rank and file to be a conduit from Government and Party Hierarchy in matters of the environment via the rank and file membership to engagement of the “local” community and community groups.

This process will uncover “friends” of Labor in matters of the environment locally, create a sense of purpose for members and empowerment while engaging in activity that will not only advance the cause of Labor but will touch the senses. The “smelling of the roses” I call it. Something that brings pleasure as we act in the community.

We in LEAN NSW can take a leading role in this initiative and forge the correct and positive role in the communications process regarding information about the environment internally and externally and identify solutions.

This is an opportunity to position LEAN as the Leading Party Ginger Group at the forefront of shaping government thinking in terms not only of policy (a big call) but at least locally broadcasting that policy more directly to the community as a whole and providing listening post back to Government.

However true to a Lean tag line “Grassroots action” it is important that we gain active support from the unions and encourage real participation from Young Labor…after all it is theirs as well as our [future] planet that we; that is those of us in our twilight years put at risk.

We need to “Just do it √”

The Labor Renewal agenda is focused on increasing the power of rank and file member over policy development and driving greater engagement between the Party and the community.

What is critical to the future of LEAN NSW /ACT is that it is substantially non factional in its approach and from all initial discussions we are clearly agreed on this.

Why include ACT

At the present time there is within the ACT no-one person or persons currently positioned to advance LEAN the Canberra Territory and since the ACT falls Geographically within NSW is close to Queanbeyan Goulbourn and YASS it makes sense to incorporate or associate any ACT LEAN branch for the time being with lean NSW.

It also makes sense as cross-border issues relating to water, transport and other service delivery, as well as the opportunities for improved good environmental economic development across all of the NSW “AREA” makes it imperative that a NSW ACT regional approach to drive growth of LEAN is embraced if only for the short term. Short term until such time the ACT as strength to act independently.

This has been discussed with members of the ACT ALP branch and our own NSW and National executive

Our 3 main Goals:

• Growing an active and supportive membership within the NSW and ACT branches.

• Empowering members to act locally and autonomously.

• Connecting with local community

Sub Goals

• Strengthen social cohesion with Unions and ALP members in their local Community

• Improve quality, diversity and the character of the community life we engage in

• Reconcile community partnership and ALP leadership within the Community

• Identify at least one  LEAN member in an ALP branch

• Provide support to that member or members to act locally with confidence

• Achieve flexibility in local ALP LEAN decision-making to speedily respond to local community issues

• Create better city-regional linkages by creating regional LEAN branches e.g. South Coast, Far South Coast, ACT, West Sydney, S Sydney/ Illawarra, Sydney City & East, Central Coast, Far North Coast, North West….etc

• Empower Local LEAN communities to identify and act on initiatives

We need to be very  clear what LEANs’ objective are:

Do we want the Planet to look like Mars

Imagine this is what Scientists tell us Mars probably looked like

Look familiar

1)  Recognise that we need to return to a safe climate as fast as possible. We ask all Labor parliamentarians to work with the community to understand the climate emergency and scale and need of urgent action.

2) At home: Commit to creating a Clean New Deal in industry, employment and innovation. The transition to a low carbon economy offers the Australian government the chance to create a new manufacturing base, highly skilled jobs across rural and regional Australia and introduce the necessary education programs for a low carbon workforce in the Asia-Pacific region. There is significant evidence that a Clean New Deal approach or a ‘clean jobs revolution’ will kick-start and protect the Australian economy.

3) World Wide: Understand that this is an important international human rights issue and that the government needs to re-invigorate and take a leading role through international forums and the United Nations to again draw  world attention the impact Global warming and climate change will have on creating the pre-conditions for conflict.

4) Our Region: In particular, Australia should undertake co-operatively with all countries within Australia’s region of influence an audit of the cultural, economic, environmental and civil resilience. In this way we can work with our neighbours building a humane response to the increased water, food, fuel pollution and land stresses they face.

Going forward in 2012? Acting “locally” is responding “globally”.

 

Taking action to lobby Government and improve the way we value and manage our natural resources through better conservation planning and management.

Acting as members of LEAN to communicate effectively Government Policy to the Public at large

Promoting and contributing to development and implementation of improved environmental outcomes for NSW by continually lobbying the NSW Liberal Government and publicly promoting sound economical environmental solutions in co-ordination with and under the guidance of the NSW Shadow Minister for the environment Luke Foley and Shadow Minister for Primary Industries Steve Whan to make sure LEAN is fully co-ordinated with our Parliamentary comrades.

We can show how existing environmental activism and community ideas contribute to higher levels of planning. We can sow seeds for change.

 

“Storming, Forming Norming”

Each of the headings below are just some starting points for multiple discussions and outcomes and to assist in the establishing starting points and timelines to delivery outputs.

Issues we can be involved in locally?

1) Domestic waste minimisation, reduce water usage.

Characterising the Domestic waste stream, water management, formulating incentives framework (regulations, fees), Improve water use, and Carbon insertion into the Garden Greater use of drought resistant planting.

2) Corporate Waste minimisation.

Characterising the corporate waste stream, identifying users, formulating incentives framework (regulations, fees),

3) Transport. Public/Private integration.

Research Fossil fuel alternatives, Bio Methane, better resource utilisation, shared services, infrastructure, Land use planning measures to reduce oil based transport

4) Urban and commercial planning and design

Be a repository of Concepts and eco-efficiency technologies for new homes. Promote Integration into existing homes. Promotion of greater Public Transport infrastructure underpinned by walk, ride, bus, share drive etc

Reduce car and second car based community mobility. Better use of community hubs, shop, transport, recreation nature opportunities. More local convivial meeting places. Neighbourhood “enhancement”

5) Biodiversity/ Sustainable natural resource management /conservation.

Flora and Fauna, Managing species, ecological communities and ecosystems of our forests, water supply areas, fisheries, pastoral and agricultural lands for sustainable outcomes. Biodiversity impacts exacerbated by Global Warming and Climate Change

6) Community Ownership and involvement.

Volunteering with local state and federal Government support. Building a community of interest that will have an active input into community objectives. Building community capacity to develop and implement threat abatement and rehabilitation plans for local nature reserves, and integrating actions at the landscape scale for biodiversity outcomes.

Engaging with and supporting or creating local “park or garden care” groups to achieve good community development and environment outcomes.

Acting and living locally to reinforce non oil based transport dependence

Action Notes: (in no order of priority) yet nor is it comprehensive!

1 ) Distribute Press releases regularly

2 ) Abandon notion of a regular monthly LEAN meeting and replace with a timetable of events with a clear call to action at each. Invite participants from environmental groups to participate and present. Each event should be focused on environmental issues and be targeted to result/outcome in a Public community event.

3) Possible invited speakers/presenters for events (could be for panel) including

Luke Foley Upper House Member, Shadow Minister for the Environment & Climate Change, Shadow Minister for Water, Shadow Minister for Energy, NSW Labor leader of the Upper House

Greg Combet, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency; Minister for Industry and Innovation

Doug Cameron ,Senator for New South Wales

Tony Burke, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

Peter Garret,   Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth

Matt Thistlewaite, Senator for Macarthur, Paterson, Cowper, Calare, Parkes and Wentworth

Kristina Keneally Ex Premier of NSW  Member for Heffron   Joint Founder of LEAN  previous holder of role of convener of LEAN NSW

Bob Carr, Ex Premier of NSW   See his blog Thought-lines

Jenny McAllister, Australian Labor Party National President Founder of LEAN previous holder of role of convener of LEAN NSW

We need to network with NGOs, and Union Leaders.

Other organisations might include: Australian Conservation Foundation, Voiceless, (The Animal Protection Institute) Conservation Council etc

4) Establish Regular Monthly executive meetings (perhaps twice monthly to start with in LEAN NSW re growth phase) Ideally at a good centrally located friendly environment e.g. coffee shop in City

5) Create a Buddy system of matching up a current LEAN member(s) with a new member or member(s) to keep up momentum and encourage action.

6) Design a road show to take LEAN to branches or to regional groupings of ALP Branches

7) Scrub clean the existing LEAN membership list Divide list between LEAN NSW executive to undertake task of contacting.

8)Notify ALP branches via Part Head Office  or direct of our activity and plans.

9) Instigate an annual supporter subscription/fee.

10) Identify Party more affluent members who might contribute a “regular+” “subscription” to LEAN

11) Explore sympathetic Corporations Business people who might “subscribe” to LEAN

Event programs might include “Greening Cities” “Murray Darling issues” “Marine Parks” “Coal seam Gas” “The Economics of Ethical Organic and sustainable Farming” “Water Capture” “Problems of Agriculture- a family perspective”

12) A LEAN Conference

13) Get the National website up to date it’s shit; Review layout. Make recommendations. Localise authoring capabilities for website contributions. Needs an executive summary of who what LEAN is

14) A re-launch dinner with speakers and slide show etc March 2012?

We have a great opportunity to move LEAN and the membership of the great ALP forward.

Now to my 2nd Christmas in Sydney

The end of 2011

Was a year of enormous personal strain but I got through it and not without some great emotional and financial support from a significant friend.

It would be remiss not to acknowledge that this person who gave me a place of refuge when I became shelterless and homeless. In reality 2011 was a year where a number of people from my past rallied to help me in a time of great need.

I am eternally grateful to them as without that support I have no idea what may have been the outcome.

The year began with a low point as the memory of my recently failed defacto marriage was still very much a legacy. Only today on reflection I was thinking how anybody who knew me before I entered that relationship  in 2005 till its end in August 2010 would (probably do) find it hard to swallow that I allowed myself to remain in what  was an increasingly a most psychologically abusive manipulative relationship.

Those who might be interested on bullying is a link to an earlier post of mine

I guess that’s what happens when it creeps upon you slowly and silently. More so when coupled with what had been a 4 decade long  dream of arriving “home” one day after years of searching. It was easy to deny ignore the signs of the  reality though the Monkey on my shoulder kept whispering in my ear …..that all was not what it seemed to be on the surface.

Matters have now finally arrived at Court and we will see what the final outcome will be when judged by an “independent arbitrator”

I am reminded of a book I bought years ago written by a Dr Marion Slingova published in 1968 when writing about the Prague Spring “Truth Will Prevail”

Truth Will Prevail

I think it will.

Today I found these *articles that sum up for me perfectly the other party and some of the intellectual snobbery that you can face inside the family unit or outside should you believe you might be a bit of a working class intellectual but no academic like me.

I often found  my self bombarded with intellectual spin when confronted with degree or PHD wielding “hoity toity namby pamby” upper class snobbish twat who thought that they don’t have to engage you with respect or dignity simply because your education they think doesn’t match theirs

*Typology of Scholars: The ‘Politician’ 

lacks an original thought: 

if you tie this to   :-

Typology of Scholars: The Colonialist 

you are probably confronting a Psychopath in your midst

2011 the year I launched my blog and got to micro blogging with twitter.

The blog is something I committed to and found I had bitten off more than I could chew due to all the legal and health stuff…but I did manage to just about keep my head above water though the past 3-4 months were taken by the need to do other things

Twitter has been fantastic as a resource for alternative news away from mainstream media.

On twitter I have found a few of correspondents or reporters who when confronted with alternative views…..by me politely….. can’t engage or accept another researched opinion.

Why is this? Is it because they run the risk (I guess) of being exposed as fools trying to look smart in the “muddy pond”.

I think of one twerp a “Mr Denmore”: who for the perhaps right intentions distorted data bits from data sets to produce graphs that were plainly incorrect.

I say right intention as the aim was to highlight that the Australian economy was doing better than the Tories would have us believe…However it’s not good enough to get the facts wrong. The entire premise can fail if one can drive a Mack Truck through the supporting evidence. The ends do not justify the means. Its corrupt practice it’s that simple Mr “High and Fucking” mighty Mr Denmore

What I tweeted @MrDenmore within the limits of twitter 140 characters was as follows: in square brackets [ ] are insertions to make better your understanding of the conversation.

His responses are not available due to him blocking me on twitter

The graph in question:

Mr Demore wrote this caption for the Graph

“Dear media, before you roll out ‘Black Hole’ headlines, check out this OECD graph. Australia is in blue”

My Tweets in response were from 1-7

1 [your] Graph is out of context Due [to] differing definitions; debt matrix figs not comparable See page 216 220 229 230 233 of the OECD report that you got your data from

2 [Re] your graph ‘Gov financial liabilities’ It is distortion to extract a single data bit from [an]entire data set

3 b4 you referred to OECD data re unemployment; it also flawed due to different definitions across countries of what is [defined] as full employment

4 [You] cant use a data bite isolated from a data set

[The] bite you used [for] graph is cautioned by OECD [with] see footnote as subject to inaccuracy

5 You surprise me you don’t know what [my] point was My Tweet [is]pretty clear To display a graph out of context is not helpful or erudite

6 That’s why caveat was added by OECD I see many accept your premise without question

7 That is not what I disputed. I wrote [to you] Due to differing definition of debt matrix. [The Debt] figs not comparable across nations [as] per OECD footnote

As a result of the above Mr Denmore who describes himself as an Ex-journalist, ex-broadcaster, ex-catholic decided  Ex-communicate me :

When confronted with his incorrect use of Data he simply proceeded to block me. The “Fucktard”

Back to more twitter twats at the foot of this blog post.

Living near to the Harbour as I now do it is often easier to either catch the bus or get a Ferry across water to town. One of my lads in the UK David Jefferies like this picture but we have to change the sign spelling:)

Jefferies Street Wharf

Another view of the Wharf

An alternative is catching the bus and in Sydney each of the depots  decorate a bus for Christmas.

Here are some pictures of the one I caught going home day before Christmas Eve. It was really cool and a real laugh to be on board. The Driver was excellent.

A Christmas Bus

Greetings from the Depot drivers

Inside

inside looking forward

My workshop

Over the past 18 months this is where I have been working when I tinker either cutting wood; attempting to be a real handyman a bit of engineering or model making.

This space is a dream come true and is something I had never really considered before my move to Canberra in 2007.  In Canberra I had a space and I enjoyed it very much but it doesn’t compare to what I have now, though I miss the Canberra garden but I was  told recently all the carbon insertion work I did is a legacy that is working well on my original vegetable garden .

Talking about the Garden the solicitors from the other side refuse to co-operate in letting me know how my Rabbits and chickens are doing…C*@ts

So the Workshop

Let me take you on a Work shop tour which is all under the house. A year ago this was just a blank unlit dank and damp underground cellar with no lighting

The first view is as you enter from the backyard

The entrance

To the right is the front work table where my friend does her hobby craft work dressmaking curtain making etc. Yes that is a refrigerator you can see and no it isn’t full of beer but wine milk and ice-cream

Another view looking out to the entrance. To the right is where I keep spare light globes power leads and boards

Another view of work table

This is a view of my garden tools grinding wheel, bench saws and mobile work bench.

Garden Tools Saw Benches

Shelving to right is where I keep Car cleaning and detailing products and in the far corner you can see the entrance to MY Den

View from W Shop entrance

Car detailing products Glues Polishing etc

Car Cleaning Detailing products Paint etc

This is my workbench which is converted IKEA Computer desk It is a lot deeper than appears in this shot.

On these shelves are models that are work in progress. It is also where I keep household paints oil for the deck, tapes and brushes

Models Work in Progress

The Lion’s Den

This is a special room that was originally similar to  this, though this is much better organised than the first storage room (now the Den) which was very damp with just a very porous floor.

2nd Storage room

It had just an earthen floor, was damp and had a slope of 5%, was dark musty and full of house building debris like old kitchen cabinets. So it had to be cleaned out and the earth dug out to create a usable height to be able to lay a concrete slab

Another view

Another view Storage room

After the slab was laid  I had to clean out all the spiders, washed and rendered the walls and then installed lights. Quite clever really

I had a rug that was surplus to requirements so I have put this on the floor along with a linoleum road system from when Robbie my boy WAS a boy and is still my boy:). If you look carefully you can still see where we created a race track on it over 20 years ago

The Road

A view of the lino and wine

I also had 2 old book cases that I measured up for new MDF backing that I got cut at Bunning’s. I also purchased some doors from IKEA and attached those. Next thing was that the units were to high so I had to modify the frames and cut them down in size. Job well done I think

In the picture you can see a copy of a David Hockney I created. I used crayons and pastels to produce what can only be described as a forgery…but it looks great. It languished in the dark in Canberra in an old Garage along with all my artwork. Pleasingly I am now able to blow of the dust and start hanging them for appreciation.

The Den another view

I also installed an old book-case beside the TV which is from my friend Paulette who lives in the Units where I lived in Ocean Street Bondi. I used to often have dinner with her and her husband. We caught up just before Christmas for dinner and we reminisced about my time there and my ex and her youngest who  had dinner with us too.

Briefly about Paulette she is a survivor of the Holocaust a French Jew and was sent to Auschwitz from Paris. However it was while in Auschwitz that she met her Husband

In this view you can see my workshop desk.

another view of the Den

Do you like the pattern on the Quilt:) ?

I have finally got round to unpacking all the wine and that is what you can see to the top left in this picture

 so to “My Happy Box”

Some time ago I set out on a journey inspired by the ABC program  Collectors. That journey was one where I wanted to recover the toys, books, comics and memorabilia that had given me so much happiness as a boy. What I was to find was to be for my” happy box”.

So I discovered eBay

I had carried with me for far too many years no little resentment that my mother and then my brother had given away all my things from childhood and teenage years.

I decided to make a start in 2006 to search and recover those things I had fond memories of ….for what I  call “My Happy Box”.

The journey had begun on the afternoon of the funeral of my Mother when I started to search in the National Children’s Home Harpenden for my House Mother.

Though I was too late to find my house Mother of over 4 years Sister Eva Brooker alive I can happily say my project has been very successful and one that has enabled me to lift any resentment I had for my real Mother. It has been a real “make happiness” experience

I decided to choose a special few of the items that would be most dear to me that I would only be able to grab in say an emergency

This is a close up of 25 items on the “Happy Box” display shelf Why 25? Well 20 wasn’t enough and it started out as 10

It contains my Teddy Bear previously written about in my blog.

My favourite Annuals books and some favourite toys.

The first car I remember having (That’s the Yellow Land Rover)

My first book  ” The Story of Nicolas Thomas” “The Little Wooden Horse” and Emil and the Detectives (not in this picture yet )…Will write more later

From right to left:

It has an Express Dairy Milk float just in front of the bear. A Post office Telephones van I remember getting on my 8th birthday, an old pre 2nd world war army jeep, a Tanker like my Dad bought me. These are all Dinky Toys

Then there is what I belive was the first toy car (the Yellow jeep) I ever had…this was a great find

There are 2 motorcycles I bought with pocket-money when I went on holiday to Devon with the Cub Scouts…I was amazed to find these on ebay.

Then there is the green Racing Car which for those who need to know such things is an HWM. I used to play with this on the beach at Sandwich Bay Kent..near Dover It too is a Dinky Toy In front of that is an old Dinky Riley. All the cars are in charming play worn condition.

My first “proper” book I read was Jennings and Derbyshire and this has traveled with me from when ever I was given it as has the little Wooden Horse (which I used to read to my son).

The Tiger Annual was given to me Christmas 1959 and I recalled all the pictures and stories when I opened it.  Obviously I was already interested in Racing Motorcycles as I clearly remembered the cover.

The Roy of the Rovers Annual bought to satisfy my emerging interest in the great game.

You can also see 3 of the aircraft I used to play with….Its treat to sit on one of the settees in my Den stare at my happy box and fondly go back in time:)

My 25 Happy Box Items

The next  shelf contains models of Motorcycles form a classic era of Racing and includes the programs of all the meetings I attended first with my Dad then with the lads from the Roundabout Youth Club Elephant and Castle and then from Riverside Youth Club Deptford…

Deptford is where I can claim I am still known affectionately as “The Club”…That makes me feel good

Fuzzy Shot of Motor Cycle Books and Models

Motor Cycle Programs

My Records back in sight

Music has always been dear to me and as I expressed at the beginning of this blog when I found myself in Canberra I was in a cultural black hole. The household I was to spend the next 42 months in was musically as desert and my records were consigned to depths of  the Garden shed. Today they are back and accessible so more sun is again entering my world and I feel life is good.

That’s Tom snoozing

Records

I do have a vast collection of CDs and Music DVDs but there was little interest in Canberra but today my sound systems are again alive to the air bursting from my Wharf-dales.

I made the rack from some IKEA shelving and custom CD racks. There is a heap of Classical Music in there.

CD DVDs Collection

CD DVDs another view

Additional Storage

The original plan had been that “My Den” was just to be a dry manageable storage area but it started to take on other possibilities to “display then sit in and then be a place to escape to. So it became my Den.

With that I need to create another storage area adjacent to the Den and this is a series of pictures that show what I did from boxing day for 6 days.

I spotted some timber off cuts at Bunning’s but first I had to dig out

Line the floor with plastic just as I had seen Andrew a builder and a mate lay the concrete .

I then had to buy ready mixed bags of concrete and use a dustbin to mix it in. The last time I had done anything like this was when I was about 8 or 9ish and I mixed bags of Marley mix and laid it for our cellar in our house Hither Green, Lewisham London. My Dad used to bring a bag home each night and I would mix it and lay it

I built a ladder frame to attach the wood too and the rest was easy. I poured concrete around the base using a plastic dustpan as a sort of “Hod”

These are some shots

Wooden floor laying

work in Progress

I also had to make a Wall Partition to seal it from the rest of the underneath Here you can see Rosa inspecting the work

Cat Inspection

Finished and Polished

In front above is the Den. To right of the picture above you can see the entrance to the other storage room I have just created. The cost of materials was just about 120-130 bucks.

Another storage room

This is another storage room that I have leveled the floor and covered with tarpaulin

2nd Storage room

Outside Yard tidy

My Christmas work was not done so a few shelves and a hanging bike rack installed

This gives you a better sense of the space in our Small back Yard In the foreground you can see the mixing dustbin

All of the above though most was packed and hidden away was what was once described and blogged by another as Clutter. If you have life have an intellect, read, listen to music, make things, do mechanics, have stuff have tools…you are going to have clutter otherwise I reckon you are going to be pretty fucking boring…wouldn’t you agree …unless you are deep down “Green” with envy

The back Yard and new bike racks

Another project was making some basket homes for Ringtail Possums They are only little chaps so I am experimenting with these while they recover from lost habitat nearby

Possum stay on Rear deck

Here you can see some possum boxes installed for Brush Tail Possums. In Canberra I installed one in the back Garden of the House in Griffith. If you get to be in the back garden you will see it attached to the huge Amber Tree.

Another time a funny story I got stuck up this tree when trying to rescue the “big Grey cat Misty” and the youngest had to call the Fire brigade had to get the cat and me from the tree. How that happened is for another time.

This is a box I have installed in the back garden in Sydney

Possum Box

Wildlife

We have lots of it and here are some pictures of a Possum in Woolloomooloo one Sunday Morning when I am on my way for morning breakfast

Injured Possum

I have a friend who just before Christmas was looking after this baby flying fox. They require full on work but you can leave them for a while hanging upside down. You will hear much about Rabies etc Let me say this unless you pick one up you aint going to get bitten Like sharks respect the environment and you will be okay. In any event life is a risk

Baby Flying Fox

These are some pics of a rescued brush tail possum

Baby Brush Tail Possum Growing

Baby Brush Tail Possum Growing some more

Christmas Dinner Barbecue

For Christmas dinner we had a roasted barbecued Beef fillet I prepared it over night creating a marinade with Ginger, Garlic, soy, Honey, Chilli and Guinness. Look it was like this I saw a can of Guinness in the fridge and thought what the hell experiment….and it worked

I also did Turkey Breasts with a Mango and Passion Fruit Glaze

One of the other things I have rediscovered since leaving Canberra is very regular cooking. I have always described myself as a great experimental Cook but this was not received by a family of fussy children who’s Father I understood was something of a cooking guru …So my meager efforts not being in the same culinary league where not so well accepted. It was just another chip here a chip there at myself esteem. Any how I am full on cooking stir-fry’s Curry Grilling and it’s good to do. The environment I’m now in is encouraging, peaceful free of temper tantrums and adult petulance. “Hallelujah”

Food

This was the Yule tide Chocolate Mousse log bought from a little Patisserie in Military Road

Christmas Log

Robbie my boy in Holland who has been in Holland for the last 4 years sent me these pictures of some Christmas scenes in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam at night

New Years day dinner

Through a little app called “whats App” recommended by Robbie two dear old friends with whom I used to share a back yard in Darlinghurst found Me Krono and Anita were fantastic neighbours always inviting me to Tea Dinner whatever they were having When they were not doing that would bring me up to my New York type unit biscuits cakes etc. I was very spoiled

One day they went out and got a kitten called Alli

A few days later I was smitten and this is a picture of Roger and Alli together Often Roger would go down stirs to eat Allis food while All would pass Roger on the stairs and come up and eat Rogers food Both cats were bonkers

Alli and Roger Kittens

My friend and I went for New Year dinner I forgot to keep the camera clicking …too much chat

But this is the Salad

We had Snapper for main but all that was left by the time I remembered about a photograph were Fish heads

Here is the sweet which was a favourite of Broz Tito from the Northern Region of Croatia Hrvatsko Zagorje. It was made from Pancakes rolled with sour cream and sugar. It was FANTASTIC

Titos Sweet

To go with the sweet we had a Botrytis Shiraz from the Hunter Valley called Suckling Pig from a Winery called Piggy Peake

So back to some serious stuff and twitter

Another case of someone refusing to discuss was over Libya. An ABC researcher Jess Hill was religiously pandering to Qatar financed bloggers to report their opinions on the state of the Civil War. That would have been fine but for the fact she refused to provide the other points of view . It wasn’t about “truth in repeating” as such; which is important but one about balance so one can make take informed position on the Libya War.

All I did was to challenge her bias and by writing “you are just being a propagandists for the Rebels and the Crimes of NATO With that she threatened by accusing me of being abusive that she would block me. On contesting this I was blocked. So the distortion of the ABC news continued.

There are other examples I could cite where the “erudite” will make a statement and when challenged as comprehensively as 140 characters allow …….will choose to ignore. Am I that ignorant or stupid

Grogs Gammet is a classic example especially his piece on the Labor Party Reshuffle

Which after using my 140 twitter characters I wrote a fuller reply to

“New blood, new targets… hello 2012″

To understand the context you need to read the article http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3729772.html

My Response:

Typical Greg Jericho Paragraph after paragraph of intellectual waffle with no real Political analysis or where “to from here”.

Seems Greg it is indeed you who “knows only the words but don’t know the music” It is notable you write almost nothing on the elevation of Nicola Roxon or Tanya Plibersek or Women in cabinet You effectively “bag” Jenny Macklin a very capable Minister by suggesting she will be overwhelmed with workload & provide just passing comment on Kate Ellis.

If you “knew the music” you would know Mark Butler is a rising star of the Party and Government. You may well be critical of other commentators being cliché ridden but your also indulge in this.

Your comment “mass dumping” is akin to the same and [far from the truth and sensationalist].

What we have seen in this reshuffle is a ministerial re-distribution of responsibilities and some fine tuning in others.

[see it for what it is not what you would like it to be seen as]

Another  person that came to my notice is Damon Muller a Criminologist from ANU : In an article from the ABC Drum Mr Muller implies  arson is the major cause of Bush Fires. This is rubbish

Listen to this from ABC Drum

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-02-07/interview-anu-criminologist-dr-damon-muller/2590986

You will find it is thin, lacking research substance and contains not a piece of data…not even a snapshot or point of reference.

It is equivocal and is only supported by “feelings” .Muller  admits freely that so few Bush Fire arsonists are caught there is no real data and yet is happy to promote himself as erudite on the subject and arson is a key issue.

This vagueness of expression also makes it difficult to empirically verify the reality of arson occurring in the bush.

Why do we jump to assume “tabloid like” that when there is a bushfire it’s been deliberately lit? Fire has been natural feature of the Australian landscape for thousands of years and certainly before white settlement.

I found many years ago back in London as my Mother popped eucalyptus seeds into the oven that many Australian plants can’t germinate without fire and heat; they have evolved this way over millions of years. Consequently, fire has been a feature of Australian environment long before white settlement and I expect before the first humans arrived on the long journey from Africa.

Causes naturally must be many; strikes of lightening and tinder; the especially as it dries rots generates heat it spontaneously ignites. These are just a few examples of how fire can occur without human intervention.

Other causes I suspect are non arsonist like a cigarette butt. How I hate seeing in the city drivers flashing ash…I am sure without thinking they can do this when in bush land areas. I actually pulled up a driver to remonstrate with him last February on the Wakehurst Parkway for doing this

More causes can be sparks from power lines clashing or falling, embers from a campfire or back burning that gets out of control, the odd discarded glass bottle.

It’s a mistake to assume that because a fire is deliberately lit that means it was maliciously lit.

http://clearlyexplained.com/nature/earth/disasters/bushfires.html

Over millions of years Australian fauna has and does need fire naturally to reproduce but it doesn’t need human beings to deliberately light the fires or be accused of doing so. Why then look for scapegoats…

Why because it’s intellectual mumbo jumbo to line the pocket of an intellectual snob. Get the focus right, but then without the raison d’être of “crime as the cause” the Criminologist wouldn’t get his Tax payer funded grant.

The bottom line is when dealing with fire and ‘arson’ then it should be obvious that it ought not be just a matter of punishing people for lighting fires of who are very few.

A land and environmental  holistic management plan is what is required and it’s time to extinguish the exaggerated myths about the scale of arson just to put a few grant dollars in the pocket of armchair theorists.

Bush Fire Engine

If you read my post on the London Riot you will see another ANU academic Rick Brown who got it all wrong Again with the thinnest of knowledge about the causes of that upsurge of civil disobedience. Another criminologist from the ANU who obviously hadn’t done any research or preparation on the issue just “faffing” around with vague answers throughout the entire segment he was interviewed on by the ABC.

Why give these onlookers like Brown or Muller who obviously haven’t done [empirical] research on social issues but just speculate

Chaps you might both care to read

Any way as Madness would say Fuck ya  Bollocks to it all

So 2012 progressed and many of the challenges were covered in the last post 

A few outstanding issues remain from some of my drivers to create my blog and since Justice has been just one of my Mantras regarding the NATO strikes at pro Gaddafi civilians in Libya and the Occupy Wall Street movement

So that’s Twitter and this blog out-of-the-way for 2012….well almost there is some fine tuning here tomorrow    Now done over two days I’m terrible at proof reading

Must do my article on the German Revolution…the notes are done

I apologise for those who have continued to return to my blog. The last 8 weeks of 2011 were hectic to  blog but those who watch out for or follow me on Twitter and Facebook will understand just how busy I was.

However I kept abreast of World news and religiously shared it and my views via twitter and my Facebook.

Roger my Cat was a main source of worry in the last 2 months of the year. I written at some length about him here today and as I was loading pictures got this feeling I wrote about his rescue in the last post . How silly is that I didn’t check …I still haven’t

Roger - Whiskers

2011 was consumed with a multitude of Legal matters that diverted my attention away from here:

1)  My defacto family law dispute Now of almost 18 months duration.

2)  My costs dispute and Court issues with my previous  Solicitor I sacked for utter stupidity Which lasted 9 mths

3) A complaint raised with  dealt with improperly by the ACT Law Society 6  mths ongoing

4) The Attorney General on the important issue of Legal reform required in the Australian Capital Territory resulting from my disputes with ACT Law Society and my previous Solicitor

5) A matter in the Queanbeyan Magistrates Court again involving an action against a previous Solicitor

6) My 2nd and most recent Family Law Court appearance 22 December for a Conciliation Hearing. This was a complete and utter debacle caused by the other sides failure to disclose financially and not provide any copies of all documentation as directed by the Court previously for our perusal to review. Needless to say I did fully comply as directed.

7) Preparation to dispute again in my Family Law matter the other side  attempt to waste more time and costs by having the matter transferred to the Federal Magistrates Court ACT. This goes to hearing on 9th February in the Family Court of Australia.

8) Seeing several specialists over my deteriorating physical health…for which there is no solution.and

9) most importantly the chronic illness to Roger my Norwegian Forest Cat who required a fair bit of TLC for over the last few  months.

Roger the day I took Emma to Visit

10) Dog sitting Billie a 15-year-old Labrador who had a stroke

Billi on back seat getting ready for a ride

So reading that it all sounds rather challenging and indeed it was it was but I am happy to write most of it is past with varying degrees of success.

So in reverse order outcomes:

9)

Roger is doing very fine and though we are not out of the wood yet with his kidney condition the Vet Ingrid from 4 PAWS says he is the “Miracle Cat” He really was nearly lost and he was kept in hospital for over 6 days on an intravenous drip. It all resulted in him becoming lost one night. I looked for him for 2 days.

The story

I found Roger in a disused Workshop Garage Petrol Station.

While out looking Thomas the cat you may recall “a rescue cat” led me to him.

Tommy

Roger was stuck in debris but he manged to wriggle free as I cut my way through the security fencing. He was very bedraggled. His rescue was I think also helped because that night evening after picking up Emma my Burmese from the Vet (after an operation to remove 2 teeth) I decided to do a detour round some back streets in my sons souped up Golf Engined Car.

emma-and-roger

I drove past the disused building complex. I did this because the car has a distinctive note and Roger; I have been told many time appears when he hears me arrive home with it. Naturally I had done a walking tour of the surrounding streets putting up posters and calling out.

Using the  car allowed me to go back over the areas again. I heard Thomas meowing in the back lane way and I went to investigate.

When I first saw him I did nothing ..went back. 10 mins later cries again. I returned with Torch in hand and Thomas ran off …and went under the security fencing. I tried to stop him and heard what I thought was Thomas again…

Tom an Upside down Cat

I scanned the torch around and found another pair of eyes reflecting back at me. When I called out from the response I could hear it was Roger.

I couldn’t get over or through the fencing so I had to rush back and get cutting tools.  He was in bad shape, and  he drank gallons of water and went to sleep on my lap. Next morning I took him to the Vet .

He was on a IV drip for the next 6 days He had almost complete kidney failure but being on fluids he recovered very quickly . The prognosis was varied but I just hoped he has  been hit with a massive infection from a bite which caused an infection that got into his blood stream and then into his kidneys…so perhaps just something temporary

Roger and Tom Winter Sun

tom and roger winter sun 2

I posted all this on Facebook and I was overwhelmed with all the good wishes for Roger  from my friend Annette in the US to Dawn in the UK  to Anita and Krono my dear friends from Croatia to Patricia up the North Coast here in Sydney my friend fromWIRES  (Wild Life Information Resuce and Education Service)  Julie and my Robbie in Holland.

A truly international response

Thank you.

When it came to paying the HUGE $1800 Vet bill a significant friend just said to me ” I’ve got it”

8)

I have a physiological problem and am told simply that the surgery is complex and the  risks out weigh the remote chance of success. I don’t want to dwell on it here but suffice to say it was time all time-consuming and require a regular Care Plan maintained monitored by a team.

As  I am part of “greying” Australia I am not unduly concerned. It’s just about management.

7)

We we just have to wait and see. We are prepared as well as one can be. Win or lose there are advantages to me in the matter being heard in Canberra as there are in Sydney. We will see.

6)

It’s a matter ultimately of “Contempt of Court” and we will have to see how the other side play it out.

How ever it wasn’t helpful that before the hearing their Barrister stated and its on the Court record that they did not expect conciliation to be successful

It then was even less helpful the other side’s  solicitor shoots off before the conciliation hearing and tells my solicitor something like…..

“Your client’s a loafer lazy & did nothing in the home and is just a freeloader”

Phew good start…..

He goes on

….“his (my) fault he (i)was stupid enough to give my client (her) all his money and  buy things for the home. My client was never serious about the relationship and my client says if your client was naive enough to believe her that’s his stupidity. My client just wants to get as much as she can doesn’t care how she does it and your client was stupid to have fallen for it. She has no intention to pay anything and as far as she is concerned that’s it!  She saw nothing wrong in taking anything she wanted if it was given by your client”

I put all that on the Court record with the Registrar and WE have written to the other sides solicitor reminding them of their a pre hearing quote from their client….

Finally again pre hearing while my Solicitor was elsewhere the other sides solicitor and within my earshot is giggling and saying in that my “solicitor doesnt know what she is  doing”

Are the other side really  that fucking idiotic…Actually its me that has been doing the bulk of the work with just my lawyer and a Senior Counsel guiding me…..

So where to…?

You have to all so appreciate that

first these time wasters  denied there was a romantic relationship..and that our financials were quite separate and she was just giving me a place to stay in Canberra,

then they said it was casual,

then agreed it was a defacto relationship but less than 2 years…

and now their defence is they have no money…and so it goes on

5)

Matter of a warrant taken out by previous lawyer to seize property was dismissed…see 4)

4)

I have been personally written and spoken to by the The Attorney General regarding Legal reform I believe is required in the Australian Capital Territory I have found support from several practitioners in the ACT for this I cited several reason I believe highlights the need

The Law Society’s closed ranks approach to maintaining ethical standards and straight out dishonesty

The unethical behaviour of the other sides lawyers and the miscommunication within ACAT

3) I alleged that the ACT Law Society did not, nor does it have appropriate measures and standards in place to investigate clients’ complaints regarding Lawyers unethical behaviour, excessive over charging, or the drive to objectively examine a Lawyers fitness to practise Law in the ACT.

I have proposed to the AG that Lawyers should not be self-regulating and they should be brought into  in line with the Australian Legal Services Commission and the Current Law Reform Commission recommendations. I have been assured in writing this is being done

2)

After much waste of time that distracted from my main Family Law dispute I succeed in getting a bill of costs reduced nearly 200%.  I wish this had only just wasted an entire day but in reality in terms of duration it took  7 months to sort out.

The final hearing on the dispute took into the early evening to achieve a good outcome but achieve it I did. With more time I could have got it reduced further but time this day was pressing so I decided to cut my loses as I wanted to get to grips with the Family Court matter and also the conciliation hearing due 22 December

1)

The only matter outstanding and always the main one after Roger is the matter of the Family Court It now has my entire focus…so fucking watch out.  It will probably get to hearing in 9 to 12 months maybe longer as there are no children involved.

All my documents are prepared and my evidence copied. Most witness  affidavits taken…I am  advised to use just 3…but which ones?

If the matter transfers to ACT we just have to redo my affidavit. It currently is over 300 paragraphs and the Federal Magistrates like it to be no more than 10 pages ( not including annexure).

To accommodate the rest of my affidavit it would just have to be attached as an anexure or alternatively the court has acknowledge  it could be done as many 10 page affidavits filed consecutively plus all my current annexure. So it’s a waste of time ..but the words are written and its just a matter of cut and paste.

So there you have it !  That,s what was happening to me up to Christmas Eve 20101

Some Shorts :

If you want to know about Libya I will be back with more but suggest you watch my micro blog Twitter in meantime.

I am going to invest in a new look for this blog in 2012

The Global Financial Crisis’s still holding up development of my Jazz and Blues Radio station

I am resurrecting interest in an A League Team for Canberra and have confirmed the availability of $2mil for that. I need to raise another 2.

I was elected NSW  convener for the Labor Environmental Network a position I am chuffed to say has been previously held by our last Premier of  NSW Wales Kristina Kenealy.

I attended all 3 days of the Labor Party Conference which was great to catch up with old and new Comrades

At the LEAN fringe event we had a visitor. She didn’t have a name tag but there she is all the same at the feet of Senator Mark Thistlewait

I really like the People in my New Sydney Branch of the Party

My 4 Cats keep me very occupied.  This is a rather fierce Rosa (Luxemburg)

Sorry wrong picture this one

I really enjoy twitter for disseminating News so please watch out for my tweets all from independent News sources and my own investigative work.

Finally a Great Picture of Billie at Coffee at Tobys Estate

Next Post tomorrow or Monday what I did for Christmas and New Year and

the future of Libya and Syria

I apologise for not having blogged recently as I can  see many of you are re-visiting.

It is amazing how many visits are from people returning for a look-see.

I  have not forgotten my blog but volunteering, own health issues. the temporary loss of my cat (my mate) Roger his subsequent 6 day hospitalisation loss of his voice and subsequent ongoing intensive care have taken up much of my writing time. I emphasise writing as the thought processes was still going . Those who folow me on twitter and Facebook will know I have remained active.

Some brief International Foot Notes

Libya: Since I haven’t blogged there has been the change of government in Libya Those who have followed me on twitter will be well aware of my commentary  and that in my view its a conflict that is far from settled. There are a few rude shocks for many years to come. I do feel neglectful not having posted anything here for a while about it but earlier posts here will reveal that I warned in May 3 that the head of the Rebel Forces Abdel hakim Belhadj who led The Libyan Islamic Fighting founded in 1990 by Libyans who had fought against Soviet forces in Afghanistan He was captured with the  Taliban in 1993 and it took the World media 4 months to wake up to this fact. Though there is dispute arising within the NTC about just who is in charge of the military.

A point to note in my previous posts on Libya that all the you tube I posted showing and proving atrocities of the Rebel Fighter were removed. All you will see today are just blank screens

Syria I also tweeted constantly that the reason for the stepping up of the intensity of the NATO bombing in Libya was to get it over ASAP so the next stop would be Syria. In this case again I have not got here for you today an in-depth analysis. I belive Turkey as a member of NATO is standing by and maneuvering  to sometime make an incursion of some kind under the guise of a defensive attack on Syria via Kurdistan.  Turkey could do this with support of  the pro Turkish  Kurdish Yekiti Party that has openly been supporting the  “protests’ in Syria and Turkish attacks on the anti Turkish and pro Syrian PKK .

Turkey is using its alleged disagreement with Israel as a smokescreen to encourage Arab support for any adventure it embarks upon in any interest it may have in extending its influence  in the old Ottoman empire as the Arab world becomes increasingly fractured and moves worryingly towards more extreme Islamist fundamentalism.

Egypt  Just to remind my followers  This is what I blogged February  nearly 9 months ago

http://escalatoroverthehill.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/a-coup-for-democracy-i-dont-think-so/

Any ideas that the Military will now give up power is fanciful. Earlier this month the cabinet proposed a document of guiding principles for a new constitution that gave the military exclusive authority to approve any legislation on its internal affairs, potentially allowing it to defy an elected government. The promised election are planned to will be staggered across three dates with nine governorates from 28 November to January 2013 district by district with results being publish as they are completed.

This raises a number of obvious questions of influence The military also refused international observers of the elections. So it seems Egypt is headed for some form of distorted Parliamentary Military Dictatorship.

Egypt is split up into 27 governorates, and the poll for its lower house of parliament – “the people’s parliament” – will be staggered across three dates with nine governorates voting in each round.

While the military again promised today November 22 that they would be  elections soon finishing in July 2012 they again attacked  crowds in Tahrir Square.

originally in February the Military had promised a civilian administration by September this year

Tahirir Square

Tomorrow I am due to meet the Founder Brian Sherman and Dan Campbell of  Voiceless The Animal Protection institute. My purpose is to try to galvanise the Labor and Trade Union movement to be engaged in the this movement for justice for those who are “voiceless” and promote economically sustainable ethical husbandry and farming.

I became interested in Voiceless after listening to Michael Kirby on ABC Radio National one morning and then decided to go along to the Law Lecture Series given by Peter Stevenson they ran across the country. In my case the Law Society NSW.

These are their aims

Voiceless envisions a world in which animals are treated with respect and compassion.

Voiceless will bring the institutionalised suffering of animals to the forefront of Australia’s agenda; ensuring that animal protection is the next great social justice movement.

About Voiceless

Voiceless is an independent non-profit think tank dedicated to alleviating the suffering of animals in Australia.  Established in 2004 by father and daughter team, Brian Sherman AM and Ondine Sherman, Voiceless:

• Creates and fosters networks of leading lawyers, politicians and academics to influence law and public policy;
• Conducts high quality research and analysis of animal industries, exposing legalised cruelty and promoting informed debate;
• Creates a groundswell for social change by building and fortifying the Australian animal protection movement with select Grants and Prizes; and
• Informs consumers and empowers them to make animal-friendly choices.

People often ask what animal law is and why animals need lawyers.

Everyday in Australia thousands of animals are shot, beaten, tortured, starved, imprisoned and harmed in incalculable ways. We eat them, wear them, hunt them, race them, experiment on them and make them perform for us on command.

 Bearing that in mind and also, bearing in mind that the law denies animals a voice by classifying them as property, we at Voiceless believe that the real question people should be asking is not, “Why should animals have lawyers” but “Why don’t they already have them?”

“For a long time it was left to two groups to speak up in defence of animals: on the one hand, philosophers; on the other hand, animal welfare people and animal activists. Now, in the last few years, it has been heartening to see a third group enter the fray: lawyers. There has been a blossoming of conferences and symposia on the place of animals in our legal systems, courses on animal rights at law schools, books and articles everywhere. Philosophers are full of ideas, activists full of energy. Lawyers add a third necessary quality. They are astute, good at working out where in practice to apply ideas for maximum effect. Together thinkers, lawyers and activists make a good team.

“Voiceless, through its legal component, has been at the forefront in the struggle to advance animal rights in Australia. The way has not been easy and will perhaps get even more difficult. The animal exploitation industries have huge resources behind them, and have the ear of government. But it is impossible to believe that, in the end, justice and compassion will not triumph.”

The above piece was written by Voiceless’s patron J. M. Coetzee and spoken by Hugo Weaving at the 2007 Voiceless  Awards Event on 3rd December 2007.

You really can look after animals and make money too

My Mate Roger. Slap bang in the middle of my activities I lost my Cat Roger

This was the Poster I put up in the area.

This is a picture of Roger in Hospital you will see the IV drip in his leg which remained for 6 days

Roger with Drip

I found Roger after him being lost for 2 days This is the story of how I found him

I found Roger in a disused Workshop Garage Petrol Station. While out looking for Thomas the cat you may recall a rescue cat I wrote about on a previous blog post here “Dinosaur Attacks Cat” led me to him.

Roger was stuck in debris but he manged to wriggle free as I cut my way through the security fencing. He was very bedraggled.  His rescue was I think also helped because that evening after picking up Emma my Burmese from the Vet (after an operation to remove 2 teeth) I decided to do a detour round some back streets in my sons souped up Golf Engined Car. I drove past the building complex. I did this because the car has a distinctive note and Roger; I have been told many times appears when he hears me arrive home with it.

Naturally I did a walking tour of the surrounding streets putting up posters and calling out but the car allowed me to go back over the areas again. I heard Thomas meowing in the back lane way and when I went to investigate. When I first saw him I did nothing ..went back. 10 mins later cries again.

I returned with torch in hand and Thomas ran ahead of me to go under the security fencing I tried to stop him and heard what I thought was Thomas again I scanned the torch around and found another pair of eyes reflecting back at me.

Thomas waiting for his "next case"

When I called out it I realised it was Roger from the answer back.

I couldn’t get over or through the fencing so I had to rush back and get cutting tools. there rest is a happy ending He was in very bad shape He drank gallons of water and went to sleep on my lap. I took to the  Vet the following Saturday morning.

On the Tuesday morning just as I was entering Parliament House and just before a meeting with Luke Foley the NSW opposition leader on the Environment I was called. I was told that would I go up as it wasn’t thought Roger may only survive perhaps 2 days. We got through the meeting (which was productive) and I went up to the Vet Hospital.  I was already going 3 times ady but 4 Paws who were looking after him said I could spend as much time as I wanted. Within na day he stared to make a remarkable recovery. I decided to take Emma to see him and this is a picture of that visit.

Emma Takes over

So now at home I am watching his every move though the picture suggests he isn’t that active but he really is back to his old self.

Thinking of the next meal

He is on special food which I have added to make it a bit special. He must drink loads of water He is on a drug for life called Forketor.

Happy Days are here again

Roger made  me realise “never give up” on your pet because Ingrid the vet said that my visits especially the 4 on Tuesday made the difference. It’s nice to think that; but actually rather confronting too. We have a long way to go before we are out of the woods. I d rather put all my energy into him and volunteering but there is the Family Law Matter

My family Law matters have also conspired to be a time-consuming distraction from my blog. The process of which has caused me to be quite introspective about it all.  That is the relationship, the legal process  and the rights and wrongs. I have had to reach deep into my soul to ask of my self  “where does compassion and kindness go” when driving such events as I am.  Those elements  are a key part of who I am,of my philosophy of living. Forgiveness too! I like all these things about my self and they are what make me smile and give me strength everyday.

I have always prided my self with that strength as  it is alien to my nature to be unforgiving to be without compassion and to appear devoid of kindness and I do not like what I see I have to do today. I am uncomfortable with it.  But then I re-visit the facts of the matter to bring myself back to reality.

A pause to consider someone near you a work colleague a family member may not be doing it so easy.  Please consider that without notice a sense of despair can creep up on anybody. Our children are vulnerable too. I have a friend from a time gone by who has a daughter I read about recently in some strife. I do hope they see this and are aware.

It is a turmoil that must be faced by very many people who after a breakup and not just experience that loss but can find themselves like me homeless and very isolated when you really only have a developed network in another City or even Country.

From experience I can assure you it is no easy challenge to overcome. I would like you to consider when you next see a homeless person what journey may have brought them to a street or underpass or if they are lucky a hostel near to you.

The dizziness of the emotional turmoil the sense of betrayal which hit like a sledgehammer seemed an impossibly huge hurdle to overcome. It is still a process of chipping away daily in recovery. I certainly couldn’t have undertaken the task alone without the ongoing support from some great woman some of whom I have known for decades here and overseas and others who are very recent in my life. To them I will remain eternally grateful.

Did you know 43,000  Women and children are homeless in Australia in Australia today Obviously many of with friends but many are living in cars tents and crisis shelter. Think about it next time you see someone selling a copy of the Big Issue.

Well that’s me back after a little time away. Bless Davie

Who is Jessie J

Jessie J a London  artist, hence the London Bus icon who using her own gile and wit came outside of the mainstream music industry to promote herself.

What is also shown here is just how the internet and YouTube can be a vehicle for young emerging talent to use use this new communication media for just plain healthy fun.

Jessie J is a new (well to me : )pop artist hailing from England who released a breakthrough single titled “Price Tag” featured here. While the song seems to be about the rejection of materialism, the symbolism of the video gives the song a deeper meaning: The music industry is no longer about generating money, it is about indoctrination. We will look at the hidden meanings of the song and video.

At first glance, the song has a noble message Love Music over money. So JJ conveys this apparent revolutionary call with a made for you tube video, featuring a “crossover rap artist. Alright, that might be harsh, but it illustrates the fact that there is a lot of cognitive dissonance involved with this pop song. Although its message is about the non importance of money (consider money is actually a myth being based not on real value artificial  a perception) embracing individuality, it was successful in hitting the world uniquely via YouTube

This song was embraced across a greater part of the Australian Public School system getting featured one morning on the ABC Radio. I heard it was intrigued liked the song so decided to research so here is a compilation of what I found.

At end of all these YouTube takes is the original by Jessie J. I suggest you look at this post in small doses less you get your brain turning inside out. What we have here is a real example of an online community.

What I have done here is a list in my order of preference with the most appealing to me the last being in my opinion the best. I have viewed around over  40 to 50 postings on YouTube. Guess you could say of this phenomenon this is my answer to the Eurovision (er hum Song Contest except its World Wide and without the flag waving …cheap too  I have included at the time of writing this now 2 weeks ago the number of views each video has received marks out of 10 and some thoughts on the renditions.

I hope you enjoy. Warning to much of this post in one hit could send you into Price Tag overload

Each video is interspersed with the lyrics

Seems like everybody’s got a price,
I wonder how they sleep at night.
When the sale comes first,
And the truth comes second,
Just stop for a minute and
Smile
15 A cappella CIMORELLI 6,584,339 Views         7/10

Middle America had to be here Expect the parents would be horrified to know that an old Socialist was featuring their children on this blog. Well shit happens they are a talent soooo they are here. Luv the little Rap insert.

Why is everybody so serious?
Acting so damn mysterious?
Got your shades on your eyes
And your heels so high
That you can’t even have a good time

14 Najwa Latiff   506,707 Views             7.25 /10

Najiwa just makes you smile with this version. Pure charm such a lovely smile makes me smile enjoy

 

[Pre-chorus:]
Everybody look to their left (yeah)
Everybody look to their right (uh)
Can you feel that (yeah)
We’re paying with love tonight
13 Connor Maynard 3,479,618 Views  7.5/10

Very professional rendition (maybe too professional) great voice but as this post is about the soul of the singers and my for some rough edges I marked this down. Great Voice though…very Michael Jacksonish

[Chorus:]
It’s not about the money, money, money
We don’t need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world dance,

12 Mariana Reis        44,224                            7.5/10

Fear I am being hard here beautiful voice

[Chorus:]

Forget about the price tag
Ain’t about the (uh) Cha-Ching Cha-Ching
Ain’t about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling

11  Krystal Kruze   662,599 Views    8/10

Sounds of summer cool rap insert This version should make you smile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M92tzb735Ag&feature=related

Wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the price tag.

10 Maddie Jane   Age 11 34,721,660 Views   8.5 /10

Great voice Great voice real soul marked down simply because of the professional acoustic guitar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oBQnIumBRY&feature=related

 

[Jessie J]
We need to take it back in time,
When music made us all unite!
And it wasn’t low blows and video hoes,
Am I the only one getting tired?

9 Acoustic Version Janet & Sonia girls 1,892,084 Views   8.75 /10

Super Cool I was not going to get away with a version from God Squad Beautiful voices

Why is everybody so obsessed?
Money can’t buy us happiness
Can we all slow down and enjoy right now
Guarantee we’ll be feeling alright

8 Final Rumour         6,257 Views  9 /10

British Girl Band just what you expect from a working class girls reggae rhythm Raw honest Luv the chasing scenes. reminds of early Beatles and Monkees etc

 

[Pre-chorus:]
Everybody look to their left (yeah)
Everybody look to their right (uh)
Can you feel that (yeah)
We’re paying with love tonight

7 Marria Aragon  Age 10   1,381,927   Views               9.25 /10

I may have marked this Maria down…will she grow into another Alicia Keys? If she does I have been a bit hard.

[Chorus]
It’s not about the money, money, money
We don’t need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world dance,

6 Brooke  24,166 Views     9.25/10

Smokey country blues voice recorded in the kitchen Just listen

 

[B.o.B]
Yeah yeah
Well, keep the price tag
And take the cash back
Just give me six strings and a half stack
And you can, can keep the cars
Leave me the garage
And all I, yes all I need
Are keys and guitars
And guess what, in 30 seconds
I’m leaving to Mars
Yeah we leaving across
These undefeatable odds
It’s like this man
You can’t put a price on a life
We do this for the love
So we fight and sacrifice
Every night
So we ain’t gonna stumble and fall
Never
Waiting to see a sign of defeat
Uh uh
So we gonna keep everyone
Moving their feet
So bring back the beat
And then everyone sing

It’s not about the money

5 Acoustic Guitar by Dolan Miu  2,275 Views  9.5 /10

Nice & Nice again a little over produced but nice voice and soft acoustics

 

[Chorus]
It’s not about the money, money, money
We don’t need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world dance,

4 Hannah Trigwell     242,795 Views                 9.5/10

Vibrations of voice sung in the kitchen no sound effects soooo simple production Oooooo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIMRzIpYxBs&feature=related
[Chorus]
It’s not about the money, money, money
We don’t need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world dance,

3 PARADISE POINT    89,142 Views  10/10

70s cross between new Romantics and Soft Cell Punk Great energy NICE Just needs to be a little more Raw Great Version

[Jessie J ‒ Outro]
Yeah yeah
Oh-oh
Forget about the price tag

Price Tag

2 Ready Set Go        38,911 Views 10/10

Power of punk undertones fun version great effort  Love the leap by the rhythm Guitar As the girl warms up her voice really develops

Think this is my fav Reggae beats, raw honest Love it Just aint long enough. Drumming is great good use of the new Bass drum

1 Cover Drive   23,734 Views 10.5 /10

Finally the original(s) Jessie J

Live Acoustic Session @ InDemand Studios

The Original Enjoy “Whoa”  a long session I know but I am escalatorover its my way

Over the past month I have been incredibly busy with amongst other things the finalisation of my Family Court documentation. So the papers have been drafted filed in Sydney and were served on the other side the same day Thursday in Canberra. I am working on several postings.

1) On the Lost Revolution in Germany 1920 ..a reply to Bob Carr

2) an update on Libya and the Civil War and the continuing NATO bombardment.

and

3) An interim blog post and  one that I should get up tomorrow Monday on Jessie J and the song “Price tag” .   After hearing a National school event in Australia where hundreds of schools participated nationally  in singing the song across the nation. I decided to Google what all the fuss was about and the inspiration of such an event. I stumbled upon hundreds of versions of this Jessie J song on You Tube which was quite amazing. So I thought I would download from the  mass I listened too those that I thought would be great to share. There are 15 in total that I have placed in order of merit based on my tastes. You will I hope find it quite inspiring even if repetitive to listen to the different versions.

Come back tomorrow and see what you think and perhaps go find your favourite and share it too.

There are other posts I have in the wind for sometime all mentioned previously but all the Legal stuff including the cock-up by my first Lawyer and my subsequent complaint filed to the Law Society, the preparation of my Family Court Matter , my back operation, and equity raising for the Radio Station have all come between me and this blog. Even twitter has taken priority and so too has the Scotland and the Rugby World Cup. My son Robbie is visiting from overseas so that too has my attention for a few days. I hope I can get back on track now.

See you all tomorrow Davie

The Scene

August 4: 29-year-old Mark Duggan was shot dead by police

August 6: 150 people march peacefully to Tottenham police station demanding “justice” for Mr Duggan’s family. They were left outside with no explanation given.

After several hours of waiting all hell broke loose

Several days of unprecedented revolt by the most impoverished minority populated neighbourhoods of London shocked  the  stuck up British aristocracy and upper classes.

Prime Minister David Cameron cut short his Italian vacation in sunny Tuscany overseeing the RAF bombing over Libya.

Within a few days over 16,000 police officers were on the streets of London. They’ve made more than 1,700 arrests, according to news reports, for looting, arson, vandalism and violence since the riots began, employing a variety of sweeping methods, including raids of low-income housing projects. A majority of those arrested are minors, many of whom are being identified with footage from Britain’s extensive network of CCTV cameras.

The looting and arson that has scarred London and now other English cities represents the most frightening apparent manifestation of this public discontent. Yet, unlike the student riots or mass demonstrations, there are a few precedents in British history for the kinds of violent disturbances Britain has witnessed in the past few days. Indeed, it is the lack of a clear context (social, historical or otherwise) that makes them so terrifying.

Rebels without a cause?

Britain is certainly no stranger to serious rioting or civil disturbance. Many of the areas of England affected by riots as inToxteth  Liverpool, Lewisham and Brixton in South London, have a history of unrest. There appear to be parallels in the way that the death of Mark Duggan has led to rioting in Tottenham as did the death of Cynthia Jarrett provoked the Broadwater Farm riots in 1985.

After the riots that raged throughout the United Kingdom young Britons already with sense of disfranchisement now face the hasty, heavy hand of the law.

I understand so far 4000  people have been charged The number of arrests continues at such a high rate that prisons and juvenile detention centres are running out of cells and beds to provide to their inmates,

According to the Guardian newspaper this panic attack undermines the due process of law and the presumption of innocence but with a government and government officials being driven by the media calling for harsh sentences guarantees of fairness of sentencing is remote

Prime Minister David Cameron said that a “major police operation  is under way to track down looters caught on CCTV picture by picture and that phony concerns about human rights issues won’t stop them being published and won’t slow down the process”

Cameron wants anyone “convicted” of violent disorder to be sent to prison but it isn’t his decision, because the judiciary is independent of the Government and bound by the law and the UKs unwritten constitution. So Cameron has acted in flagrant violation of British Law

This is the man so vocal about human rights in Libya.

It is clear the  impulsive punishments now being doled out especially by the Higher Courts and by some British magistrates do not represent the sentencing guidelines as laid out  In the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 Judges have been instructed that they “must follow” sentencing guidelines rather than merely “have regard to” them.

They can still disregard them where they believe following them would be “contrary to the interests of justice”, but they must explicitly state their reasons.

Sentences confirmed by the Court of Appeal following the Bradford riots of 2001 show that the judges have previously upheld relatively long sentences against those convicted of public order offences.

One man with no previous relevant convictions was sentenced to 4 years and nine months in jail for holding a metal bar and allegedly being seen “occasionally” throwing stones at police lines.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that no one has yet been charged with the recent rioting It is a complex offence to prove and requires more than 12 people as a group be involved

In Tottenham, a father who fled his burning flat with his two children after it was attacked by rioters has called for proportionate sentencing and said prison for small-time looters “will not solve anything”. That is make the punishment fit the crime.

An example is the stupidity of sentencing for someone not being able to account for carrying a bottle of water that they claim to have picked up outside (inside) a shop (does it matter) getting 12 months Goal.

What good is a lengthy sentence going to do to any person and their later attitude to society? Being in a den of real criminals is not really good for the rehabilitative process. It should be noted that the UK has the heist rate of incarceration in Europe as it is

Burning Carpet Store in Croydon

A Community worker Mohamed Hamadan, 46, lost all his belongings in the fire that destroyed the Allied Carpets building in Tottenham, north London, on the first night of rioting

His observation “We can’t just use this, [prison sentences] as a blanket way of resolving social problems,”

The Ministry of Justice has defended the apparent disparity in sentencing.

“Magistrates and judges are independent of government,” “Their sentencing decisions are based on the individual circumstances of each case and offender.

That is why different offenders may be given different sentences for what might appear to be similar crimes.

“To provide a consistent base for these decisions an independent body of experts, the Sentencing Council, set guidelines. These provide a suggested range of sentences that might be given for particular types of crime theft, burglary or robbery.”

In another case a Mother-of-two was jailed for 5 months by a district judge after she pleaded guilty for accepting a pair of looted shorts from her housemate. On Appeal Andrew Gilbert QC ruled the decision was “wrong in principle” and changed the sentence to 75 hours of community work.

However the person who looted the goods was still given a sentence of 18 months gaol a first offence.

The riots have been shocking that normally level-headed people start to see due process of law as an encumbrance to justice and get caught up in the Hysteria of revenge. The reverse is what should be true due process is fundamental to democracy and justice, even for the most criminal offender.

From the bench, what magistrates see is a raging bundle of id impulses, the desire for immediate gratification untempered by a sense of guilt and with only an ill-formed notion of right and wrong. The temptation to bang them up and throw away the key is strong, and magistrates will no doubt be encouraged to continue to do  just that by the Conservative Tories and an opportunist Ed Milliband who showed his true middle class pink at the special session of Parliament.

Fortunately for some offenders it is  not the way the courts work.

Police conducting an interview

Despite the British government considering shutting down social media websites and Blackberry messaging services since blamed for playing a major role in spreading news of the unrest, a paradox is the Greater Manchester Police has been using Twitter to announce the prosecutions of rioters.

They have also been using Flickr to post pictures of suspects in hopes that citizens will identify them

So it appears, these last couple of weeks at least, after years of ignoring glaring inequality and injustice, that all of England finally took some notice of the crowded North London neighbourhood of  Tottenham and to similar minority communities in Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol where an explosive, fiery social rebellion occurred

Tottenham is an area of multi-cultural mix of White working and middle class British-born African-Caribbean along with Turkish, Portuguese, Albanian, Kurdish Somali and Jewish population. Something about this community most share in common is poverty, unemployment, poor quality housing, a sense of despair and the abuse and neglect by the rich the bankers and the “Toffs” of the Government

Menezez Victim of Police Shooting

The events exploded over yet another police killing of a Black Man. This policy of shooting also happened to one Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder

Some argue that London’s current revolt is quite different from the recent protests in other European capitals e.g. Athens and are distinguished from those in the Middle East. What is clear in this revolt for that is what it is; it lacked the cohesion of politicisation! When one sees the sell out of the British Labour and the Social Democratic parties of Europe and their disconnect with the poor. Its  little wonder that those floundering in a mess of non political hopelessness exploded.

This is something they share the black and minority communities of North America. Neither have powerful advocates that are independent of the political and capitalist establishment.

Traditional community and the Labour Parties have failed in Britain and the United States to organise and represent the working class They have (as Edward Milliband did in his address to Parliament) utterly failed these communities and allowed both Downing Street and Wall Street to impose their most austere policies on those least represented.

One Hood

“Most of all, it once again exposes the trickery and deceit of those who aspire to be our leaders. Not a single black ‘Parliamentarian spoke out in defence of the young people That isn’t to say one should condone their misguided method of revolt but they should at least to have identified the cause linked to effect [riot] of the deprivations suffered .

Below is a Video of a community worker writer Marcus Howe who was interviewed live on BBC television on 9 August, 2011 The interview encapsulates what is wrong with the media The interview was conducted by BBC presenter Fiona Armstrong

Shortly after Howe began lamenting that “young blacks and young whites… have been telling us, and we wouldn’t listen…” the presenter interrupted him to ask him if he “condoned the violence”. While denying condoning the violence, his attempt to decry the killing of Mark Duggan was interrupted by the presenter. Howe spoke of the events as a political uprising:

 ”I don’t call it rioting, I call it an insurrection of the masses of the people. It is happening in Syria, it is happening in Clapham, it’s happening in Liverpool, it’s happening in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and that is the nature of the historical moment…”

Armstrong asked “You are not a stranger to riots yourself, I understand, are you? You have taken part in them yourself.”

Howe responded:

“I have never taken part in a single riot. I’ve been on demonstrations that ended up in a conflict. And have some respect for an old West Indian negro, and stop accusing me of being a rioter. Because I… You won’t tickle me to get abusive, you just sound idiotic. Have some respect.”

Of course, the British government peddles a different story about events in Tottenham. Most are echoed by the establishment press and are readly absorbed by the simpletons who feed on such falsely written and Broadcast media.

Typical main stream media response collectively dismissed the social problems of  Tottenham highlighted by the police killing of the black youth was from the beginning simply criminal gang acts of looting by mainly unemployed youth with nothing to do on a hot summer night.

To the extent that this crude and vulgar opinion is shared by many in Britain, it only serves to confirm the truth: Tottenham underclass is politically and socially isolated from the rest of British society and particularly from the rest of the organised working class.

Their isolated non politicised existence explains why the difference different form this rebellion took being more a chaotic riot as opposed to the far-better organized massive upheavals in Madrid, Athens and Cairo that united majority sections of those populations and therefore more easily won sympathy and admiration throughout the world. Although typically it’s okay over there but not [our] my backyard.

Another observation that these people not just youths did not as alleged attack their own communities they identified with, but attacked The High Street which they identified with the “haves”.

Why? Because this brought into sharp if unconscious focus, the divide through their eyes that exists in society. One of the “haves” v “have-nots” right just around the corner from their doorstep.

no ticket to ride

Culpability for the desperate acts across the UK is shared by organizations of the working and middle class that have failed to embrace and engage these communities and offer them leadership benefits of organization and social identity

The political and welcome inclusion into Political movements and Parties like the labour Party I believe; would have significantly altered how these young people young adults  residents reacted.

  Divided and Disorganized

In the United States attempts during the era of the civil rights movement to politically and socially unite the black community were met with government-inspired assassination and police harassment, proven by the US government’s COINTELPRO reports.

COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) was a series of covert and illegal projects conducted by the FBI aimed at surveillance, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting legitimate Political Organisations.

Organisations movements targeted included the civil rights movement, including Dr. Martin Luther King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Congress of Racial Equality,  the American Indian Movement; groups protesting the Vietnam War and a broad range of organisations branded “New Left”

The FBI specifically developed “agent provocateur” tactics intended to heighten tension and hostility between various factions in the black emancipation movement. Examples of this can be seen today in the UK  with tensions between the Afro Caribbean, Asian and disenfranchised White working class communities.

As a result, beginning in the 1970s, criminal gangs began replacing FBI-targeted militant organizations like Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, Congress of Racial Equality, Southern Leadership Conference, Black Panthers, Young Lords, Brown Berets, and numerous other effective social and political organizations in the communities of the oppressed.

This had a debilitating effect after several decades, and results today in reactions to police brutality and poverty being often marked by scattered individual acts of frustration and anger. Protests are sometimes laced with anti-social behaviour previously adopted as survival techniques. This is what happened in the UK

For example, while ostensible political targets such as police cars and offices were burned in both Tottenham and Cairo, there was also, in the former case, the indiscriminate burning of buildings and some personal accounts of victimisation that come from years of pent-up rage.

There were other examples of criminal activity and even conflicts between gangs in the oppressed community of Tottenham that were also reported. Again, these are a result of decades of disorganization in the oppressed communities.

This is not an excuse for anti social behaviour but an attempt to lay bare the reasons why the outbreak now.

It is an explanation that contains the answer for its resolution: new organizations must be forged that unite the community around common social goals and aspirations.

The proliferation of criminal gangs and the utter lack of a coherent, credible and socially class-conscious leadership is but another reflection of political and social separation from the majority of working people.

But this reality and the impact it has on distorting the communities’ response should not in any way diminish the powerful and profound social nature of the Tottenham revolt, one deserving of our full support.

A Community in Action with a positive approach

This was recognised in the 1970s and in the face of eventual vicious public spending cuts under Thatcher we were able to overcome to a great degree the sense of alienation on one of London’s  if not largest Public Housing Estate. The Pepys

Pepys Estate

In the 80s I was involved in a program called the Safe Neighbourhood Unit that was to find favour nationally throughout the UK in differing guises.

Its origins were on the Pepys Estate Deptford S.E.8 and its Sister estate. Broadwater Farm

Though the link to the report below is a shadow of the original it gives some idea of the issues faced then and now on an Inner London Public housing Estate. Important was that the data gathered in this report was contemporaneous and didn’t rely on a single (light switch) co-relation to violence of poor housing but on a whole board of con-founder light switches.

It was a though report that was totally involving of the local population.

As the Senior Youth and Community Worker  (a role held since 1974) I was  elected as the Chairperson of the Safe Neigbourhood Unit/Pepys Improvement Project Steering Committee

the members of which included :-

The Community Liaison Officer from the Metropolitan Police

The Housing Manager of the Greater London Council

Principal Planning Office of the Council

A senior representative of the London Probation and After Care Service.

Senior Youth Office from Inner London Education Authority.

Senior GLC Architect …with whom I worked on the development and design of “abuse resistant public doors and street furniture.

Also represented and most crucial to the outcome were the individual residents and members from the Pepys Estate Tenants Association, representatives from Save the Children  and perhaps most importantly the Youth from the estate.

You can understand I was very proud after my challenges (with Police previously outlined in earlier posts)  being chosen to Chair this committee.   Quickly going back to my past clash with Police as a 15-year-old though never found guilty of any offence I was barred from pursuing an audition with the National Youth Theater.

I was lucky I had people around me who helped me overcome that blow…I expect the Youth of Tottenham including Mark Duggan don’t get that support. That’s why “London Riot” is a Map of the Underground.

Back in between 1975 1982 we had a rate of unemployment of 20-25% In 1977 the local National Front candidate in Deptford received 44% of the vote in local Council Elections.

Though disbanded in 1996 the Safe neighbourhood Unit undoubtedly had a legacy and halo of success in a crumbling society. A note aside Though I was already over the maximum recruitment age then I was actually interviewed and asked if I would consider a Constable role with the Metropolitan Police as a result of my Police – Community liaison work.

It turned out the local Chief Inspector had been brought up in co-incidentally in the same children’s home as me. Small world huh?

The Pepys

This is a synopsis of Safe Neighbourhood report published in 1998. It has some inaccuracies and the original report and action plan of refurbishment and social inclusion was published in January 1982 is of greater detail.

When delivered the report and the Safe Neighbourhood Unit were subject of a BBC documentary.

I have the original report still as it is still one of my most treasured possessions [along-side] my reports of German War Crimes in Poland which incidentally can be viewed today at the Sydney Holocaust museum.

Housing safe communities

http://www.popcenter.org/library/scp/pdf/93-KendrickP.pdf

The alienation felt by a community with no sense of inclusion is seen in the 1965 Watt’s rebellion in Los Angeles. Like the London Riots was similarly attacked in its day as a criminal enterprise, but history has now properly recorded it as a true revolt against poverty and discrimination.

History will eventually report the UK Riots in this way

The rich and powerful benefit from divisions and rivalries based on colour ethnicity, race religion, in the oppressed communities. Arguably, these same forces promote criminalization as a way of preventing the kind of social unity that could become a powerful political force such as seen in revolutions in history.

A politically educated and organised working class is the frightening odyssey that certainly haunts the wealthy elite in Britain.

The wealthy elite in the US and Britain are well aware of an underground discontent fuelled by job loses cuts in public services imposed on the marginalised poor in Britain and the US.

It may interest you to know with civil unrest spreading into the western world, the US is readying what to do should mass riots break out state-side.

What exactly is the official US plan of action should the government need to step in and squash demonstrators? Send the military after minorities!

Marc Ambinder, a White House correspondent at The National Journal, writes that the armed forces have plans should widespread riots infiltrate America.

“If what happened in London ever happened in the US, the military has plans – CONPLAN 3501 and 3502 – to suppress the insurrection,” The instructions contained with the CONPLAN guidelines are believed to be initiatives that the US can enact during times of domestic disturbances.

Just an Onlooker today

Today I live in Sydney Australia and increasingly miss my London. I watched the TV images of the riots and remembered my involvement on the frontlines of the Lewisham Riots in 1977.

Though originally brought up in care in Hertfordshire I grew up in Hither Green and Deptford in the London Borough of Lewisham.  With each image I saw on the TV I felt a longing to go back. That’s me still believing I can make a difference. I believe what I know today equips me to make even better fist of it at encouraging the youth to take a positive approach to this challenging situation of social deprivation poverty and unemployment.

I feel guilty that I’m not there now; though I did make application to return to run a project in Brighton in early 2010 and am yet to receive an acknowledgement of my application almost 2 years later.

So why did the revolt happen? The daily bombardment of deceitful advertising messages “that you are what you wear, what you drive, what you watch and what you watch it on” but sorry you can’t have it if you aint gotta job is bound to cause a collision sooner or later If all you have is the bleakness of a grey housing estate landscape with the only light coming from multi coloured advertising messages it’s little wonder they have their faces covered and fucking hoods up.

Damage to property has, of course, been a feature of many violent protests in Britain’s past. The suffragettes  targeted gentleman’s tailors as symbols of patriarchal oppression. Anti-capitalist protesters targeted major global brands such as McDonalds and Starbucks.

It seems with very few exceptions almost all Parliamentarians came out saying  behaviour is “unjustifiable” and “unacceptable” without questioning how it might have been avoided. Britain needs to look at “cause and effect” and just why so many people feel so completely marginalised. They of course now indulge in a range of finger-pointing and name calling

Who is blaming who

Should we be surprised that these young people behaved destructively, How should we describe the actions of the city bankers who brought the World economy to its knees as the waltzed off with their big bank bonuses.

They wear suits and in Australia we reward riches won by doing  over someone in business. It’s interesting bar one notable example not one of the Banker financiers is in Gaol. So it seems size does matter only nick a pair of trainers.

The public and international Anglophile anger expressed even here in Australia provoked by the scenes of looting and violence seen on our screens August 6-8 is evident in support for calls for the British police to employ tougher tactics including water cannon and Rubber Bullets and calls for the Army. This predictable hysteric response promoted by the globally owned and distorted media is not the answer. The interviewing in Australia journalists social commentators who are completely out of touch having done no research on the matter is profoundly unhelpful. One of the worst example was the interview on either Lateline or the 7.30 report of a  Rick Brown a criminologist from the ANU who obviously hadn’t done any research or preparation on the issue just “faffing” around with vague answers throughout the entire segment.

Why interview an onlooker like Rick Brown who obviously haven’t done empirical research on social issues

If you don’t want your young people to tear apart the High Street as they retrieve their “Bankers Bonus” or retrieve their “Tax rebate” like Robin and all the Hoodys you better wake up and start to engage the less well off and deliver a sense of purpose for existence and one where the purpose is to have the latest gadget from Apple

Aftermath

I thought this was  going to be one of my most thinnest and content poor posts I have done. However on review I am quite pleased

This blog like the last has been a long time coming. The  reasons are many and I can write that it is frustrating with so much to post about world events Libya, Syria, East Africa (Cote d’Ivoire) Global warming, The US and EU Financial crisis, and the London Riot where the ignorant speculation from Australia is way off the mark as I suspect it to be in the UK itself.

The World is in a parlous state. Our public services workers in NSW especially our Health Care Professionals and Emergency crews are under threat of wage cuts and longer hours. See further down a short piece on the Fire Brigades Employees Union who are taking a leading role in the defence of workers conditions.

The main post I am working on at the moment and researching is on the London and UK Riots and one on Oslo. Though I make passing comment on both here.

These will be up over the weekend. I am also compelled to post something for the Voiceless and the obscenity of Australia’s Live Animal Export Trade!

“It is the role of the strong to speak out for the weak that have no voice”  Dietrich Bonheoffer

 

Those who are familiar with my work to date know that what I write is lengthy, researched and thorough. I don’t seek approval for what I, write just acceptance that I pose views most often of the minority

You can find examples of those alternative views if you flick back through my blog. Posts include Libya, Syria other events in Africa; Bin Laden’s death, US foreign Policy and NATO adventuring.

My lack of blogging recently is due to a couple of ongoing events that have taken up again valuable personal time.

law & money

Number 1 on the list is a legal matter. Not this time my family law property dispute but an event that is related and has impacted enormously on the effectiveness in dealing with that matter. It has absorbed swaths of valuable time. I will expand on this at the end of the short news pieces below.

London Riot

I am writing it from the point of view of a young person once in trouble with Plod (Police) a person who then started as a “tea Boy” Office Junior in a Law Firm who handled a matter of a physical disagreement with some young Cops. My lads with whom I am now back in touch after over 28 years never knew about this side to me.

But first have a look at these images

See anything wrong either when looked at separately or when compared together?

1 Woman in Fire

3 Image

Very suspect the 2nd shot shows a dress the last it has gone. The first it’s not there at all and the scale of the jumping woman does not correspond to the people in the street!

What is my connection with all this? Why my interest?

I was first a part-time youth worker and then Senior Youth and Community Worker on the Pepys Estate in Deptford London, a person who played a significant part in the establishment of Safe Neighbourhood Units throughout the UK and a person who was asked (though by then over age by 2 years in 1982) at the time to join the Metropolitan Police as a copper with an emphasis on Community Policing. This came after my liaison experience in the Lewisham Riots 1977 other later flashpoints and my community work in Deptford.

I am curious to know what a certain Australian National University criminologist Damon Muller would make of it…

Perhaps as a prelude you might care to explore the extensive amount of tweets and face book entries I have made on the subject of the Riots over the over past week.

 

Libya

Tripoli Blasted again

Obviously I have been very silent on this with my focus on my law matter. It is clear to all who care to take their heads out of the Libyan sand that for good or bad Gaddaffi obviously enjoys the support of the majority of Libyans after 6 months of Civil War.

It may be confined to Tripoli but it is the centre for almost half of the population

If you consider the sovereign state has been under constant bombardment by NATO for over 6 months it is remarkable that they continue to fight on. If you also consider the blockade no obvious supplies of outside arms his munitions arsenals destroyed it is remarkable that the Libyan people are able to fight on.

Obviously Gaddafi enjoys support from a great % of the population.

It’s time the world woke up to this. The Libyan rebels have no legitimate basis to be recognized as the government. They disbanded the interim Council on a whim. Who democratically elected them?

The UK French Italian governments recognised the Interim Council; now disbanded so they can release to the rebels the Libyan funds so the rebels can pay for 5  months of Bombs.

Whats in Store for US after Gadaffi ?

Syria

To describe the opposition as protestors is rubbish. The fact is there is an organised armed insurgency going on and a look at any map shows that all the areas where there are disturbances are close to hostile borders.

Hostile surrounds

Are the Turks positioning themselves as a part of NATO to attack Syria when it is sufficiently weakened by the internal conflict? Not yet because there is the matter of Libya that NATO has to finish first. If the Turks go in now the whole matter would end in disaster. Hence the renewed push by the Libyan rebels.

One of the complications in Syria will be Hezbollah and the Palestinians who are supporters of Assad. Perhaps we will see another adventure by Israel to forestall any support by Hezbollah for Syria. I need time to do a closer examination.

What you can see the entire area is a tinder box It is also why the so-called Egyption revolution will remain incomplete so Israel does not have the threat from its southern neighbour. You will recall I never supported the notion that there was a revolution in Egypt See my blog articles

 

 

Syrian disturbences

 

Oslo

Norwegian Labour Party

Those who follow me on Face book and twitter I posted the link to Anders Breiviks Face book Page. Face book after just a few hours decided not only to take down his page my link to it but also to remove my comment about the content of his FB

How democratic. What did his Face book reveal?

It revealed an obsession Modern Warfare 11

He listed his interest as including Hunting (voiceless animals), Shooting in isolation from just hunting

Of himself he said he was a Conservative Christian

He was fascinated with watching Dexter.

One of the saddest things about Oslo  is tremendous loss of young labour and socialist talent for democracy.Any of these children below could have been yours.  This picture was taken the day before the shooting.

Utoya Labour Children

What few have considered on a population to population basis the number of people lost in Oslo from the Norway is the equivalent to the 3300 lost in the twin Towers Manhattan.

His well-planned and coldly executed massacre of 94 of his countrymen was, as he saw it, a blow against the policies promoting social inclusion and a recognition of a diverse multicultural society promoted by the labour-leaning government.

see the next post over the next day for more information

When I commenced the journey of fighting for my right to remain in [my] home that I had contributed to significantly financially and non financially I engaged a Lawyer as you do. This lawyer from the get go [now]in my opinion proved inept, lacking knowledge and was completely incompetent in the area of Law to wit they claimed expertise.

NSW Fire Brigades  (They’re fighting for you)

In Solidarity and as Citizen who can sleep at night and at ease because of the fine work these men and women do for us I thought I should write something about the struggle out fire-fighter are facing in New South Wales

Did you know that fire-fighters start their working lives as the most healthy of the population but after 5 years of service and exposure to the toxicity of fighting fires and clearing up Hazards they face increasingly poor heath

Firemen on the March

With the NSW Liberal Government, under Barry O’Farrell, now refusing to lift the restrictions on the rights of public sector workers in NSW, it’s time to step up the campaign.

Throughout NSW fire-fighters, delegates, and union Officials have joined dozens of community rallies, as well as meetings with MP’s and local councils.

“They’re fighting for you” The music video

The next step is the 2nd major rally to be held at NSW Parliament, by NSW Unions, public sector workers, and community members.

In this  NSW public sector campaign against Barry O’Farrell and his NSW Version of Work choices; workers have to blunt Max the Axe

Rally details   Thursday September 8, 2011

1. FBEU Assemble St Mary’s Cathedral/Square 1130hrs

(Other Unions meet at Domain)
2. FBEU Speeches then march to Parliament 1200hrs (Meet with other Unions)
3. Parliament Speeches main Rally 1200-1230hrs
3. All Unions march back to Hyde Park 1230hrs

Fire Appliances  park in College St.This rally will be bigger than the last one of over10,000. At least 2-3 times So come on down bring your family, bring your station crew. Community supporters are welcome.

I might suggest bring water pistols to fire at any opposition but that might land me in Jail for sedition like my Grandfather in the General Strike so ignore that idea. I want to march with my class brothers and sisters:-)

Twitter and Domestic Violence

I believe I may have been successful in having Twitter remove the hashtag#reasonstobeatmygirlfriend

I wrote to our Attorney General Robert McClelland and to a Legal activist who is expert in internet Law who in turn wrote to Twitter.

The point I came from apart from obviously opposing domestic violence would twitter allow a Nazi slogan to trend? Would it okay to have hash tags #killobama? Would it allow #mocking 9/11 victims…NO …..so why condone domestic violence?

So why support domestic violence? Since I don’t use this hashtag I can’t be sure it was stopped from trending.

One issue I have with twitter is on a personal note whereby not only my ex partner engaged in denigrating me in this public forum but they did it do it still behind the screen of anonymity

In my book this is also a form of domestic violence Yes they are female and I am a male but the attacks were then and still remain a form of violence.

Another party also anonymously (to me) engaged in the tittle tattle of denigrating me and also using the direct messaging system hurriedly locked his tweets when I was catching up to him wrote to my ex partner “have locked tweets as a possibly to late precautionary measure”

Precautionary measure against what Mr DM

Family law Courts Sydney

Now back to my legal stuff All the above is of far greater importance but I have some getting off chest to do.

My principal aim was to secure for a period my place in my home while I found an alternative home perhaps in Canberra, a job and some further time to recover more fully with my spinal injury. I had also been ill not that anyone realised for some considerable time as my body as I was to find out in November 2010 had started to reject my eye socket implants. At first in September I was treated for TB with massive amounts of antibiotics for 3 months as co incidentally I carry the [dormant] infection.

Its the Law

With marginal improvement by chance it was found my body has said enough the implants and had caused me a range of side effects. Night sweats, coldness, weight loss constant attacks of double vision caused by the socket forcing more and more my eyes minutely in opposite directions.

So all I needed in hindsight was time. As you may be aware this was not given so in the process moving a household of furnishings  I again damaged my back only far worse than before. The result being I am now registered with a disability

This solicitor’s desperate and bull-headed though weak approach to all the above property issues over several unproductive months finally made me realise or at best believe the solicitor lacked sufficient knowledge of this area law to continue to represent me.

I am cautious of what and how I write simply because the matter is before the appropriate State Law Society. Though they do hold a view that anyone should be free to write lies about anyone else under the guise of Freedom of Speech.

Why should I worry you may ask if indeed that is what they believe then it follows I should be able to write name and shame as I wish.  However I would rather wait until I get the just result I deserve before doing that. It which event it will be published in the mainstream media.

pic

Extra Extra

It makes you wonder if any solicitor should be practicing in an area of law where it is as I understand the ethos was intended to reduce conflict, not inflame it and certainly not to waste a clients money. Obviously there must be other lawyers out there who do not have the developed skills in mediation, negotiation and balls to stand up to their opposing ‘friends’.

To make matter worse my lawyer did not listen to me, follow my instructions from day one, explain anything to me or inform me if she was completely out of their depth which in hindsight it now appears she was.

The result is I have filed an extensive complaint to the appropriate Law Society to wit they responded. Almost a month enough was spent on my reply gathering up evidence to their response. It had taken up considerably more time than I expected.

Over 3 weeks was spent to produce a document of response that is over 30 pages and supported by annexure of supporting *written evidence over an inch thick. Much as I would like to I will for now refrain from highlighting any of that evidence.

This document was presented over the weekend and it is an amazing relief now it is filed. I wait confidently but anxiously also for the next step.

On the positive side the exercise has enabled my new Lawyer to gain a far better grasp of the original family property dispute to which we can now return our aggressive attention to. Yes I mean aggressive as in peruse hard.

We have perfected our working relationship and understand each other’s foibles; I think J  It has also given me a thorough knowledge of my own evidence and written material of almost 6 years Most of it written by the other party and have now got it organised and filed accordingly.

The matter filed with the Law Society has been a good practice run though in that matter my affidavit alone will be well over 70 pages and if using the other complaint matter as a guide where most of the supporting evidence was only a little over 6 months the material in my Property Law affidavit will be covering a period of almost 6 years.

Seriously the written evidence of annexure to be attached to my affidavit will probably be seriously couple of feet thick.

Though probably we will save the  mass of the evidence  for any court hearing and so perhaps we will only include with my affidavit such material as proof to my claim and to file the action.

These matters are not cheap but my determination is such I am fully expectant that it could cost me $50,000 and I have budgeted accordingly. Should the matter go to court I will instruct a SC Senior Counsel otherwise known in previous times as a QC.

In this family property matter as the other side have declined to mediate they will have no claim to recover their costs from me in the event I should not be successful; which is unlikely. In matters where the parties’ positions appear irreconcilable, smart parties engage a highly experienced Barrister Mediator, to whom both parties comprehensively present all facets of, and support for their respective positions.

In search of stupidity

After comprehensive deliberation, the Barrister Mediator will give their advice on the Family Court’s probable decision, with comprehensive explanation for that advice, allowing each party to contemplate that advice for possible resolution. But no in search of stupidity you don’t have to further than the other side

The legal cost in mediation is 95% less than the alternative of a Family Court determined settlement; and one in which the Barrister Mediator feels more accountable to the parties than is a Family Court Judge.

My only decision is in what Jurisdiction to file my matter. There are pros and cons to file the application in either the Family Court or the District Court. In the later I will if successful be able to claim all my costs on the other side. Since there are no children involved the District Court will do and since the other side again refuse to mediate I will most likely win costs. In the District Court our thrust will be based on 1)deception by the other [defacto] party and my proven financial and non financial contributions to the home. In the District Court we are not put to prove the nature of the defacto relationship.

In case you wonder the core of the other side’s resistance is that we were in a casual relationship though we lived together for many years in excess of the minimum of 2 years.

No doubt the other Solicitors will have their attention drawn to this post and mine will probably kick my ass but I have nothing to hide and I am not revealing anything they don’t know.

My adversaries must think they hold a smoking gun and if it’s what we believe it is 1) it won’t apply in the jurisdiction of the District Court and to rely on it in the Family Court is purely a game of chicken and my material evidence to squash is overwhelming and water tight. Hence why I believe my claim will be successful.

As I’m in the right (win or lose) I have no fear anyway. It’s like boxing if you believe you are going to lose you most probably will If you are not prepared to be hurt in the process or accept it could hurt badly or you may indeed lose you shouldn’t step into the ring. My ex knows me well and so she will confirm what I say about myself is true.

I reckon we should have my application filed within the month. Mark you a few weeks away from the legal jostling is great

In the meantime I am working on the London Riot post which should be up in a few days.

To finish on a lighter note and I expect my friends will cringe but I had to put this up. Its bourgeois but its class and I really like the music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ts5aEt40o28#!

Oil, Shell the Nazis and a British Peer

I wrote this blog directly in response to an article by the ex Premier of NSW Bob Carr published in his blog “Thought lines” and also to show how there is a history of falsifications and distortions in the press. This feeding of falsehood is dished up to us on a daily basis  by the media.  A simple examination of history reveals many examples where we have been completely hoodwinked by the mainstream media and where popular and democratically governments have been overthrown by military intervention (coup or invasion) by the “West”.

Symbol of the Russian Worker & Peasant

Just some examples included in my life time are Vietnam, Chile, Guatemala, British Guiana,  Congo, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Lebanon, Greece, Venezuela and Argentina. There are other cases where countries have been attacked on the premise that they are not democratic but as they don’t “tow the line”  but have resources like oil, are part of a critical “pipeline” to move oil  or are rich in minerals. They  are ripe for intervention. Today this is includes Libya and Afghanistan.

For my thought on Libya please see some of my earlier posts on the Subject.

Andy Warhol Hammer & Sickle

However this blog the timeline is from 1917 and deals with the Russian Revolution.

As I have written in a previous blog post I admire Bob Carr and I am in awe of his knowledge and when I read his articles I am reminded of my own lack of education. However in response to one of his most recent post “Back to Stalin” 17/07/11 I felt compelled to respond.

I know my view is not popular and it is with some discomfort that I write; but I am passionate about the subject and have always held a minority view. That said this is not an apology for Stalin but an expose of how it was that a person such as he was given the conditions to rise to power and the responsibility the West played in that process by militarily ( covertly and overtly) interfering in the affairs of a Sovereign state.

In my post I deal only with facts and the sources are many. I have worked solid on this for several days. Defensively I write again “I am no academic”

I hope you find it interesting and revealing.

The premise of the assertion that the November revolution in Russia is coup is wrong. It was the final step in a long path of events that were occurring throughout the period of the seizure of power by the Provisional Government in February of 1917 from the Tsar. Russia was without any democratic institution and had been an absolute Monarchy.

The circumstances of the Revolution  are these.

The Tsar was overthrown by a popular uprising and a provisional government installed. There is much more detail that could be written around the cicumstances but today I wan to get to the heart of the matter ; the seizure of power by the  Soviets.

Kerensky, the leader of the Provisional Government at the time, not only feared the Bolsheviks but also Russia’s Allies — Britain, France and United States — who were intent on keeping the bedraggled Russian Army in the 14/18 War. Also at risk was the prospect of Ukrainian wheat, Donet’s Coal and Caucasian oil falling into German hands.

Kerensky attempted to persuade the Russian Army on the verge of breaking up to continue the war. He ordered another catastrophic offensive. The response was that troops deserted in ever-increasing numbers. Everywhere behind the lines the deserting soldiers were forming themselves in to committees what we all now know as Soviets.

At the time the whole of Russia was one gigantic meeting place for Anarchists, pro-allied propagandists, Bolsheviks, Social revolutionaries Liberals and Mensheviks. It was in chaos.

Revolutionary Art

Lenin’s Party, the Bolsheviks, had been declared illegal by Kerensky and forced underground, but was growing in power with the support of the soldier and worker committees. The Cheka (initially the revolutions intelligence arm) wasn’t formed until December 1917 when it became apparent that there was a requirement to counter ration card and currency forgers and as a counter to the remnants of the Tsar’s secret Police The Okhrana.

Gapon

The Okhrana in 1905 was to the fore of the Bloody Sunday demonstration, when imperial guards killed hundreds of unarmed protesters who were marching during a demonstration organized by Father Gapon, who had collaborated with the Okhrana.

Bloody Sunday 1905

Some might argue this could be likened to some of the events that are occurring in the Middle East and North Africa today. Part of the  debate today  is whether as an example the rebels in Libya are indeed revolutionaries, Islamist Jihadists or simply stooges of the Imperial Oil/Gas interests with a bunch of mislead youths caught up in the “romance of it all”

Bloody Sunday 1905

Back to Russia: Against this chaotic background in 1917 the Menshevik government found itself incapable of feeding the people while grain was stored in the warehouses along the Volga River. The Kerensky government found itself incapable of organising delivery to Petrograd and Moscow.

At the centre of this was Roosevelt’s man in Russia working for the Red Cross, Raymond Robins, who though immediately reporting to a Colonel Thompson found after touring the countryside that the organisation of local government had completely broken down and that power had already been transferred to the local councils of peasant and worker deputies (The Soviets)

Raymond Robins "My Own Story"

Robins reported back to Thompson that the Kerensky Government was a “sort of paper and consent affair superimposed on top with bayonets in Petrograd and Moscow”.

However Kerensky believed in the continuation of the war, and to that end the allies believed he should be maintained in power. At the same time the head of the British intelligence service had returned to London to suggest a military dictatorship was the best answer for stability and keeping Russia in the war.

Raymond Robins

There were 2 men identified to lead this coup — Admiral Kolac and General Konilov, Commander in Chief of the Army. The British and French Governments decided on Konilov. This was actually opposed by the US representatives in Petrograd, Thompson and Robins.

An attempted putsch then took place which commenced with a proclamation by Konilov that the Provisional Government headed by Kerensky would be overthrown.

At that point thousands and thousand of leaflets were distributed entitled “Konilov the Russian Hero”. (Years later in his book The Great Catastrophe, Kerensky revealed that “these pamphlets were printed by the British Military Mission to Russia and brought to Petrograd by General Knox the British Military attaché .

Konilov

Konilov ordered his troops to march on Petrograd and it was this that was the real[attempted] military coup. Even before the Red Army was formed, General Kornilov promised, “the greater the terror, the greater our victories.”

Petrograd Troop Train

On its own initiative the Bolshevik controlled Petrograd Soviet then mobilised and immediately arrested all known supporters of Konilov including some 40 Generals and Kerensky’s Minister for War, Boris Savinkov who was implicated. The Konilov Putsch triggered the very thing it was designed to prevent: the revolution and seizure of power by the Communists.

Konilov and Savinkov

In his book Raymond Robbins wrote “The rise of the Soviets did the job without any force, this was the power that defeated Konilov”

The US Ambassador Frances of the time sent the following telegram to the U.S. State Department:

“KONILOVS FAILURE ATRIBUTIBLE TO BAD ADVISE, MISINFORMATION, IMPROPER METHODS, INOPPORTUNENESS, GOOD SOLDIER, PATRIOT, OTHERWISE INEXPERIENCED. GOVERNEMENT WAS BADLY FRIGHTEND AND MAY BENIFIFT FROM EXPERIENCE.”

This is a clear indictment that the Government of the United States was directly interfering in the internal affairs of a Sovereign State.

November 3, a secret conference of allied military officers was convened to discuss plans to stop the Communists take over.

The head of the French delegation General Niesel denounced the Provisional Government as being weak while the British condemned the US for not getting behind Konilov. General Knox, representing the British, was to push again the idea of a military coup and dictatorship. When challenged by Robbins, Knox’s response was at the suggestion that he may get a dictatorship (Lenin and Trotsky) of an entirely different character was  recorded as saying in response to a question of whether to deal with Lenin and Trotsky “We will stand them up and shoot them”

Sailors could be like Libya Rebels?

By November 7, the revolution happened almost imperceptibly — rank and file people, soldiers, sailors with them proceeded to take over the key buildings across Petrograd.

By December 2 Ambassador Francis sent his report to the State Department about the emergence of a Cossack General Kaledin who had an army of 200,000. He recommended of a loan of $2mil to support the Kaledin cause…and so the final seeds were sown for the commencement of the Civil War. With that any hope that the Soviet Republic would be able to be an open and fully democratic state and have  a respectable (to the West ) “social democratic face” was lost.

Frances was to meet Kaledin’s agents in Petrograd. At the same time the British intelligence service dispatched an agent Sidney Riley (a Russian born) to make contact with other forces opposed to the regime. Though still at war with Germany the New York Times described the Bolsheviks as “our most malignant enemies”

It was against this background of western subterfuge that the Russian counter-intelligence services were created. The Cheka was formed at a time a bitter Civil War had broken out.

It seems in 2011 the lessons have still not been learned about intervening in sovereign nations internal affairs; the exception being the young Spanish republic though democratically elected in 1936 was subjected to the Franco Military Coup and to a Civil War of 3 years. All while the Western Powers the guardians of democracy stood idly by while the Germans and Italians gave full personnel and material support to the Fascists

Lenin in debate

The Cheka  was at the outset intended that formally to hand over “counter-revolutionaries and saboteurs” to the revolutionary tribunals. With the ebb and flow of the front lines the excesses not so unlike those of the Military Courts Martial of either the Allied or Central Powers in the 14-18 War summary elimination of deserters saboteurs and black marketers was common place.

In recent times we have seen such summary actions occur with our NATO Allies such as Greek Junta in the 60s or US South American Allies like Argentina and Chile. Always we  the West has either stood idly by or been actively engaged in the violent overthrow of democratically elected governments where they have had a socialist character. Chile is a classic example with the overthrow of Salvador Allende who was the democratically elected president.

We have had the Military tribunals set for Guantanamo and the forcible and illegal rendition of prisoners. The hypocrisy one hears exhorted about the Russian revolution and it’s ideals would be laughable if it wasn’t for the fact our western democracies are as guilty by proxy in rise of the Cheka  and NKVD ( the KGB came later) and the excesses attributed to those organisations in defence of the Russian revolution. Those excesses are directly the result of western interference and attacks on the young Russian Republic. It was inextricably tied to the rise of Stalin.

By August 1918, in support of the White Russians as opposed the Red [Army], British troops landed in Archangel and Murmansk, seized the Baku oil fields in the Caucuses. British French and 30,000 Japanese landed in Vladivostok and were later joined by US troops from the Philippines. 50,000 Czech troops who had deserted from the Austro-Hungarian Empire were mobilised against the Russians. Other countries involved were China, Greece, Romania and Turkey

Civil War Front lines

There were even 1500 Italians. In the Ukraine, the German troops continued to advance. Later after the 1918 war, the Germans were to be re mobilised to attack the Russians again alongside the Poles. To the North were the Fins who having recently overthrown their revolutionary government attacked Russia under the leadership of General Mannerheim supplied by the British and the Germans. Manerheim was later to be engaged in the Winter War  prior to the outbreak of and during WW11 and was again supported by the British and Germans.

Interesting bedfellows we [ British] have had.

By 28 August 1918, a coup was organised by the British Sidney Riley in Moscow, the Government having been relocated there in 1918. There were to follow days of turmoil in the course of which Lenin was shot, from which he never fully recovered dying in 1924.

A proclamation was issued by a White Russian General Rozanoff”:

“that in any village that meets our men with arms will be burned down with all full grown men shot all homes burnt ….” The assault on “human rights supported by the west clearly starts with the ‘White’ Russians.

In 1919 at the Paris Peace conference, a plan was put forward the by German General Hoffman who was on the General Staff. It was known as the “Hoffman a plan” ….. to march on Moscow. Hoffman later reviled the West in his memoirs The War of Lost Opportunities for not having followed his plan.

General Hoffman

In 1923 the British Ambassador to Berlin following a visit to Hoffman concurred, writing “nothing can go right in the world until all the civilised powers unite and the Soviet Government is hung”.

Later versions of the Hoffman plan were to emerge with the support of French Generals Foch, Petain, Finn Mannerheim, Admiral Horthy and Director of British Navel Intelligence Sir Barry Domville.

Oil was to play its part in this One of the most important personalities to be drawn into this anti Soviet campaign was Sir Henri Wilhelm August Deterding…head of Royal Dutch Shell. Ther is a little more about the is English Peer further on   in the blog

In 1924 Like the News of the World phone hacking today, back then the British Press was excelling itself with the so called Zinoviev letter. The letter was purportedly an instruction from Zinoviev, the international Communist Leader of the Comintern, to Pro Soviet Labour Party members how they might “assist in the revolutionising of the international and British proletariat just before in the upcoming election. It was published in the Daily Mail. Opportunistically Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald tried to use the used the letter to his own ends by distancing himself from it though he had knowledge that it was a forgery.

What we saw in the 1920s we see with the News of The World 2011 We see it on Fox News everyday. We saw it in Vietnam out right lies and distortions and the Murdoch Press  demonstrates today that facts and truth can be replaced by ideology. It is okay to tell lies either to protect the unfairness of society and make more money or you can tell the  truth and not make more money. It’s a free choice the Daily Mail made and the same choice Murdoch  makes to distort the News.

The Zinoviev letter was later found not only to be a forgery according to Scotland Yard but emanated from Germany and was sent to the paper by a George Bell who it turned out was on the payroll of Royal Dutch Shell who still had their eye on Russian oil. Incidentally Bob (Carr) for Donald Hayfield to liken Zinoviev looks as being rChico Marx is somewhat disingenuous and some might even think anti-Semitic since both were Jewish. It is  remarkably stupid for an emeritus professor to write. In any event its unlikely that the Russians would of had a clue who Chico Marx was at the time given that he was in the US and there was after all no TV.  I haven’t read the book  “Stalin and his Hangmen” (not Henchmen as you wrote) but I  am not surprised about his view given his family were Georgian (like Stalin) emigres to London  having been on the losing side in the Civil War.

In the Cicli War; against this background of western intervention, the Cheka was formed and the seeds laid for the excesses and distortions of the Soviet Republic that were to emerge under Stalin. The Civil War was to continue for another 4 years until 1922 with the Reds taking back the Port of Vladivostok in Russia Far East. Fighting continued for well over another year so in effect the Civil War didn’t end until 1923. This victory was hardly won by a bunch of Clowns

Churchill

The Great Conspiracy Against Russia

Famine was rife across Russia while the interventionists continued to attempt to overthrow the regime. By 1922, British Secretary of War Churchill dispatched Sidney Reilly again, this time to Europe as well as to Russia, to sow furthers seeds of counter-revolution and outright acts of terrorism.

The Western intervention and the Civil had a devastating effect on the country’s economy. It is estimated that the total output of mines and factories in 1922 had fallen to 20% of the pre 14-18 World War level, some area had a  more drastic decline; cotton production fell to 5%, and iron to 2% of pre-war levels. At the end of the Civil War Industrial output in 1922 was 13% of that in 1914

In just over 20 years the Soviets were to rip the guts out of the Nazi War machine at the cost of over 20 mil dead.

Who knows what the Soviet Union may have looked like had it not been for the Intervention of the Americans, British, French, Germans  who are remarkably the same countries intervening in Libya to day…..just saying. What we do know is that this revolution inspired and continues to inspire people all over the planet all be it having learned from the errors of the young Soviet Republic. The video link here and  below is a snapshot.

<iframe width=”425″ height=”349″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/GBbZA0ZQF6I” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>

Which brings me back to Shell: In the course of my research on Sir Henri Wilhelm August DeterdingI discovered this Picture.

Nazi Funeral of Sir Henri Deterding

This funeral held 10 February 1939 with some trappings of a state funeral, was held at a private estate in Dobbin, Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse (photograph above), with senior Nazis officials in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and  Hermann Göring. Oviously the [Young] Soviet republic the great experiment was under threat from all sides from  1917- 1941

Graveside Nazi Salutes

As Lloyd George stated at the conclusion to the First World War “The [Russian] peasant accepted Bolshevism for the same reason the French peasant accepted the French Revolution”. He wanted land and hope

In Gore Vidal’s most recent book “Point to Point” he makes a telling reference that while there appeared to be a plentiful bounty for all there is likelihood due to the return of  the objective conditions that were the cause of the French and Russian revolutions means that such upheavals are most likely to occur again.

With the economic conditions now emerging from the late 90s with the widening gap between rich and poor, the foreign military adventures the indebtedness of the US the World Financial Crisis conditions of  “revolution” are again surfacing. With that comes the risk of an erosion of our hard-won democratic rights.

As I wrote once in my Blog about Spain beware “for whom the bell tolls ….it tolls for you and me”

This war of intervention began in a veil of secrecy and dishonesty and ended in shameful disaster.  There are some lessons from 1918 it seems we are yet to learn in 2011.In 1918 it was the British Intelligence Service today it is the CIA.

Never to have a post without some music video

Red Army Choir there are so many clips to choose but I settled on this…for now

Its a marching song from the perspective of someone standing at the road-side

Please view them as you wish and not too seriously a bit of tongue in cheek if you please.

I’ll Leave you with this Hell March red Alert 3

Red Alert

As with all my blogs I will come back with some refinements over the next few days.

I will have follow ups to Libya Syria Music of course but my slowness in blogging recently is caused by diversions to more pressing matters work being one:-)

I hope to get back on track soon

Regards Davie

A small place is as big as the world.

Today I decided to write some more about my background….indulgent? I guess it is.

There are several reasons for doing this; none I hope is from some form of Narcissism.  I wrote in the early part of this blog I wasn’t previously convinced that many if not most blogs were actually written by people simply wanting to air their stuff in the belief that their day-to-day trivia would really interest others. I believed many bloggers are simply sufferers of NPD

My view changed when I explored blogs further and found myself reading more associated with social commentary world events and simply providing information. I decided and wrote that I had probably been previously too judgmental about blogs in general. This was because there are so very many great blogs out there that I find I am in absolute awe of their content, their look and feel the writing ability and the knowledge of the writer. I constantly feel humbled and as an excuse for my efforts have to tell “I am no academic”

Bob Carr’s blog Thoughtlines is one that really impresses me and I am embarrassed to even consider being in the same space. It is the one of note that comes to mind as I write now.

Many of the political blogs make me feel quite lacking especially as in mine I will revert to my personal legal challenges soon to be launched battles in the Family and District Court.  Oh that I possessed the strength to confine my writing to just political thought, with the odd post about sport culture or foody things.

But I am not just up to it! I just do not have that strength of character. I wish I did. It is simply that the salvos of my personal affairs were first published by another in their blog and the content of those postings were so untrue I needed to have my say

Am I also a self-important Moron: Perhaps

I have seen and read several blogs over the past months that are shamelessly plagiarist.  One I’ve read focuses on film and book  reviews so obviously taken and cobbled together from several other written sources. We are not talking research we are talking about copying   You can fool some people sometime but you can’t fool all the people all the time .

There are food blogs that are simply glorified recipe books where the recipes are taken straight from cook  books. Unless you are a chef or really creative in the area why bother  except to boast.

However on review again of many blogs I do find justification in my original thought that the vast majority have no theme and are pure unadulterated self-indulgent gossip and glorified twitters They have nothing of value to add to the planet other than they are written as communication to keep in touch with  friends who are equally lacking in any real content for their lives.

How arrogant am I….. but really who the hell cares if you write anonymously if you painted a brown chair black or you just want to publicise accusations of your Boss improperly flirting with you. I think the worst I have read is when people blog just how much their children annoy them and still there are people who read such stuff ans still consider them to have some intellect and to be worth knowing.

In one blog I read how a mother had forcibly washed their child’s mouth out with soap and water. I still rack my conscience about whether I should report this abuse. I still might or better ask some friend who live but a stone throw away go make a visit to express their disgust

In my blogging I often find myself giving me a big kick but the need is there to write and share the injustice and post a warning over the way I was treated in a very recent relationship. I am not sure there is a single reason why I feel like this but having spent over 5 and a half years with a deceptive and especially cunning and manipulative partner who I now intellectually understand was just after every last cent they could extract from me to the point of even hacking into my Qantas frequent flier account changing the email notification and nicking all my points enough to fly to the local Supermarket and back.

So why write about it here? Isn’t that being equally self-absorbed? Probably!  The big issue for me was they went public and involved a multitude of people including my community friends in their nonsense. They have continued to do so and gossip what they believe are private conversations.  I feel compelled to write again.

This space is my way of  countering again the rubbish that had been written about me and the discussions (gossip) that is still taking place. My chronicle here eases  hurt it is cathartic and Fuck; it feels right to do so.  The Courts too will have their place in the matrix of justice but for now as that process trundles slowly on so I sit down and write.

I also wanted to write today (and these were the original 2 main reasons) because I went to a Care Lever Australia Network (CLAN) gathering on Saturday in Bankstown. It was for the opening of the organisation Head Office.

I was less than impressed with the mutual Political back slapping that dominated the proceedings and it added in my opinion little for the dignity of the forgotten Australians. Sadly it seemed totally focused on the children from care in Australia at the exclusion of those who were forcibly migrated here from the UK. Thankfully I am neither but I now know from my time in the National children’s  home came very close to being one.

A discussion with Ken Loach “Oranges and Sunshine”

However there are many of us already separated from our folks who regularly saw our elder defacto brothers and sisters being suddenly be part of the disappeared. We lost these defacto siblings forever. Something I would like to do is to get the Australian and British Governments to take the apology to the third stage . An apology  for all those left behind now also forgotten in the UK. They need their apology also.

Child migration -60s

At the CLAN event we had several members of Parliament invited there as speakers and one who couldn’t attend did so by video link.

I think it was fine to have the building opened by a Political dignitary but for the proceeding to then be totally dominated by Politicians was plain wrong. We were subjected for the next hour and a half to politicians promoting themselves. I have been around politicians long enough to see through most of the bullshit. I found it was patronising in the extreme and I don’t think it afforded real dignity to the attendees

My expectation had been that the building would be opened by a dignitary and then there would be a general milling about. This did happen later but the moment when this was appropriate to do was missed due to the Political grandstanding mainly by the Conservative Politicians

“Oh what a good chap am Oh how I know what is must have been like and what poor fellows you are” seemed to be the underlying theme.

Well I think I saw through that and it’s wasn’t good. Even when I arrived I saw 2 seats in the front row which I went to plonk myself on…Well just one but I had taken my original Teddy bear for the day

My Bear and Me

Nah I wasn’t an important dignitary so not for me so sorry up the back row… The dignitaries should have been comfortable sitting amongst us but now even now after the “apology to the forgotten ones” superior status was given its head. We are just the sorry ones.

One of the very worst “faux pas” by a politician ever then occurred. It was one of the most embarrassing I have ever seen given the sensitivity of the audience and occasion…it went like this

This Politician a liberal (Conservative) claimed in his speech to have read a book written by an ex Care Lever.  I should add he did say he did time in a home. While on the platform he said looking directly at the author “Now so and so is a great successes story. I found his book fascinating and what is great is that so and so went on to becomes what was it? A sociologist or psychiatrist”

“Neither came back the reply. I’m a Dr of Chemistry”

Now how could you get something as simple as that so wrong? Only if you are a Liberal (conservative) politician I guess. IDIOT

How embarrassing

Later as we were walking to a barbecue area and me clutching my Teddy Bear from the National Children’s home (that has been with me since 1951) this same politician was behind me.

He asked what’s that referring to the bear ?

pIC

I turned  my head and said “My bear” “Yep he goes with me everywhere across the world

(which is NOT STRICTLY TRUE but as the day was special and he takes pride of place in my house so I decided to be brave and take him along with me and fib a bit).

Not knowing from what side of politics this Politician was from I chose to say “see the red scarf that cos he is in the ALP”.

Had to get a response one way…Yes NO?…No

He looked extremely perplexed…

So I repeated it ….Umm I thought either way by his reaction he thinks I’m really am odd at best or something else…a bikie perhaps

So me claiming not to be odd and in need of mental support; I had a bubble thought  “not a very friendly chap”. After all the bear was a perfect way to engage anyone either side of the political divide but not this Politician.

Only when I got home did I discover he was a conservative…so I guess he can’t help it. From his speech I got the impression  he perhaps was only there for his own agenda His by the way he promised to wrap up a good half-dozen times

I will be watching his political performance from now with great interest. I have invited him to be a Facebook friend so I may have to eat my words here if I am wrong…..Not wrong

Another Politician I should mention is Malcolm Turnbull. Now poor Malcolm got all flushed when I simply wanted as I told him “as a member of the extreme left of the ALP  thank him for his kind words and efforts for the “forgotten ones”.  He was completely gob smacked and another who looked at me very oddly. He couldn’t get away quick enough.

Oh happy day

There was another Politician I got to speak to however who was a delight. This was Claire Moore. What can I say lovely engaging down to earth and was just great to chat with. I didn’t know then she  is a Labor Senator. It’s the difference between the genuine and the opportunist?

So now to the other reason for today’s blog. It is simply that in light of Saturday I wanted to share the following which I first penned in October 2006 with  *items in brackets have been added since then.

It is called A small place is as big as the world. just a story about my early childhood…

it goes like this.

****My fondest childhood memory I have is of a big kitchen in the children’s home at Harpenden.

To recap what I have written here before on this blog when I was born my Mother had tuberculosis so…….we were separated.

I always recall how my Mother would tell me years later how it was  when she was only able to see me through a glass screen …hung by a nurse upside down by the legs. It was the closest she was able to get to me due to her recurring illness. How hard that must have been for her.

That kitchen was huge ……………but then I was just a little boy and so was the home…..huge……….The largest in the UK I understand… Today a kitchen dinner table is still a most comfortable place I find myself to be. A perfect substitute is a large dinner table that is usually found in most large homes like 22a ???????? (my parents home in Hastings).  Unfortunately for my Mother she had to stay in hospital so she had to suffer an immediate separation from me. We never did that bonding thing.

Licking the cake mix bowl was my biggest treat. The finite details are not so important now but I know that when I first see a big country house and large dining room tables I am always transported back in a moment.

I have vague recollections of Olaf (my father) visiting me and I do recall the red speed boat made that is seen in a picture of me on the homes balcony.

Me & the Boat at Harpenden children's Home

Douglas (my half-brother) kindly found the picture for me. I remember the day I left the home clearly as night follows day. My house Mother and I said our final goodbyes. I still remember vividly that moment peering through the back window of what I believe to be the Austin 8 though I expect it was the Austin 7 below.

austin-7

I have one picture of her Sister Riva, not a direct shot as it is essentially of me. (Since the original writing of this I have found another)

David & Sister Eva

It is however my second most favorite possession. What is my first? Well maybe you will let me show you one day. It is a picture……….well 2 actually. Though over the years I have secured 3 family mementos 2 of which. I brought back to give [my] Mother.

So there I was leaving my home that day for my new one……………and in reality my truth is that I still haven’t arrived yet after 4 decades of wanting though 71 (my London house) came close to it. But sadly it is gone which is why I found it [hard] to return to the area. (Though I have done since via Google maps)

My journey is still the road and sometimes I feel lost at times (as I did last August 2010)

I have some great memories like when Doug my brother would take me to the pictures or Frances my sister would bath me.

My den my bedroom was “my” place. It was tiny. My cupboards such as they were; [were] fashioned from orange boxes. Probably 4 of them that stood and measured probably just 4 feet x maybe one and a half or so.

My bear, we all had one didn’t we? He yes a he, was a hand-me-down still clothed  in my NCH children’s home uniform which he still fashions today. No fur (our dear sister had shaved and cut it). He is worn bare with the straw stuffing poking through in parts like his snout.  Back  then I recall he had no nose, one eye hanging by a thread, only one leg, only one hand hanging loosely and held on by a hinge of sacking cloth. No ears too.  Today I was able take some great shots and when I return (to the UK) he will go back with me.

The Bear

Remarkably with all those missing parts like any sea-faring adventurers with wooden stumps for legs or hooks for arms he was to travel far and wide. He was the captain of my ship, which was my bed as we travelled the stormy sea. My bed was often the  life boat to rescue other seafarers less fortunate than us. The actors some were animals “all stuffed”

A hedgehog

Another smaller blackish brown bear…I also think was a “Steif”

A seal, ( the one I had the fight over # see Schoolyard Bully)

A golli and a knitted cowboy (made by my Mother)

A rabbit with blue trousers…must have been Peter

and me of course went around the world and we all traveled through time.

My little place my room my den was where we would fight the Indian repelling them from my little bedroom now a fort My bedroom was actually what used to be called a box room We would do battle with the invading Norman with the occasional foray as one of Cromwell’s men to fight the Royalists in the Civil war. We landed at Normandy too.

What we achieved was really heroic….ah just a little boy’s dreams

With Cars traced from books and stuck on to card I would race at the Monaco Grand Prix. The track was a cracked linoleum floor and was witness to some of the most remarkable moments in (motor racing history. There were Ferraris Alfas and the British too with their Lotus (me) and the striped Coopers or the BRM ALL both resplendent in the British Racing Green and the Lotus with its yellow wheels which I loved.

I even built ships from a sack of old blocks of building wood to do battle at Trafalgar. Yes we beat the French and later time travelled to the Pacific to beat the Japanese. We even mined for coal under the bed.

My bed might be a wagon racing across the plains to open the Wild West. I was also the sheriff of Tombstone arresting the outlaw.

My bedroom floor was a tiny place that was as big as the stadium at Wembley. The crowds watched as mini pictures of hand drawn soccer players flicked a ball made from a roll of paper precisely one inch square made into a ball.  The shots were into goals made from a single shoe (whose sole always leaked in rain) at each end of a threadbare Persian mat.

“The Scots to beat the English?” We always did after all we are a warrior race and the best in our Royal Blue.

Englands loss to Scotland 2-3 Wembley 1967

My little Paraffin stove kept me warm; enough to melt the ice on inner side of the window and cause Jack Frost to slip away.

Typical paraffin Heater late 50s 60s

It was my place and to venture out even to the toilet was a journey I often couldn’t make. The other side, that dark side of the door was often a terrifying foray to the other side * [of the bedroom door] Often all of the world it seemed was so unkind. “They say”  “suffer the little children not” but we always do and we do and we did and no one knew.

I was approved in my place my den, no arguments there.   My animals all stuffed came to life to offer their friendship and join my gang. They approved of my world and that was all that mattered. And then there was my dog “bruin”

Bruin

But at eight he was gone and yet he remains in my memory as vivid as ever. He had cancer I was told but we made our pact. I promised that he wouldn’t go (in that I failed) but in the other I kept my word that there would be no Shaggy dog to replace him ever.  How could there be?

I have kept my promise…….and sometimes even as I read this now I am embarrassed just how I still feel. Its the child within

So all of that is why I have never had any grandiose plans for wealth.

This is why I am comfortable in my little place I now live because to venture into one [very] large takes me to a place from which I was removed and I loved and a cannot easily face a return to….. however brief.

I am always in awe of large places and wealth. Because the leaving takes too long, the memories hard to erase and the journey; my journey to another home still continues today.

Sometimes I have ventured back to ask “why”.

I am happy now I know and *I approve of that. I have done well I think. I brought my son up as his primary care giver until he was 9….and there is more to tell….but I will stop there….for now.

So now you know why ”a big place is a small place and a small place is as big as the world we imagine”.

Perhaps this poem by Pablo Naruda the poet murdered by Pinochet sums up my life from its high point in 2007 until its lowest in 2010

Pablo Naruda Poet

And that is why I have to go back
to so many places in the future,
there to find myself
and constantly examine myself
with no witness but the moon
and then whistle with joy,
ambling over rocks and clods of earth
with no task but to live,
with no family but the road

For 13 days in August 2010 this poem became a reality as I was again free.

The story was written just as a narrative Just some innocent ramblings I decided to share it some 18 months into my relationship with my ex I did it when I felt confident decided finally it was time to share it with my best friend and partner. There was nothing in it other than it was about me and I wanted to share it with a special person. I drafted it a few months after the death of my Mother.

*When I arrived home approval for anything was not something that was readily given for a job well done around the house. I think that is something to do with the era of the 60s. I think we as parents hopefully have learned from this. I think we are much more inclined to express our love and rewards much more than parents did in the 50s and 60s

But in any event now I was A MAN so some Bo Didley

Unfortunately I was to be reminded of this in Canberra throughout my stay of over 3 and a half years  there.  There was little recognition (yet) for all the money and work I did to maintain and improve the home and property of my friend.

12 July: It is now a matter that will eventually go before the Courts and painfully so as it requires a toughness that I don’t admire in anyone let alone me.

After drafting “A Little Place”  in March 06 I completed it to share secretly with someone special and without doubt they were special.  To be frank I guess there was an element in me that was wanting some recognition  and validation of  “how well” I may have turned out; tough (I kid myself a lot:-) kind and gentle “  Yes I think that was it ……..but certainly not sympathy seeking …I’m too much a lad and a bit “flash” for that and it was written after 21 years of a very single and happy life.  I was established and 18 months into a terrific 101 relationship.

The rest of  “my story” you may have already picked up around this blog  was  rarely ever touched on. I was very happy and it was a very forgotten part of my life.

For good and bad I  decided to write about me very personally again in this blog today yet again in response to continuing back yard gossip, blogging and tweeting about me.  An example of which I did post here as an illustration. I removed it because my anger about it has subsided and but leaves me now with the question of them

“Why did you need to do any of it “?

Writing this day was Cathartic.

Whatever …… it is just my story some more ” A Story about a boy”

 I think you get the picture

And while we have the Petty Things here is their biggest hit from the 1960s enjoy