We Didn't Start the Fire!

I don't usually look to Billy Joel to reinforce my own perceptions of the world, but when listening to We Didn't Start the Fire and the references of major headlines from his life time its not hard to think t he was right........The world has been burning, since the world has been turning.

When I scroll through my news feed and see all the horror and misery that goes on in the world it makes me feel utterly depressed and any attempt to make a better world the most futile of acts! Well that's how i feel sometimes. In other moments I feel far more positive. 

One of humanities most interesting traits is its diversity, whether that be culture, race or history etc. The very things that make us take pride in our species are the things that cause the misery and horror in our news feeds. I don't know why we humans are built this way? I am sure there is some evolutionary reason for it, after all we are still animals like everything else on this planet. All be it with a brain that can make art and language, break down and understand how are world is constructed and even leave our little oasis Earth and enter the desert of Space. We are animals still. 

What depresses me more than anything is that if we ever (and its a big if) achieve and end to the daily shit and murder, it will mostly come from one homogenizing force! Where we all think and do the same..... Or evolution hurries the hell up and changes us for the better. 

Photography, Broughton Church near Preston Lancashire

Found a stash of old photo's on my old hard drive taken back in Preston where I used to live. This is Broughton Church taken in the early hours! The earliest part of the Church dates back to 1533 but records show the site was used as a church/chapel as far back as the 12th century. 

UKIP Summed Up By Stewart Lee

I think I have spoken about UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) before, their central reason for existing is to withdraw the UK from the European Union. this is something which I am totally against. However over recent years UKIP have gained considerably in popularity, but along with thier valid political position there is a horrid underbelly which is 'nasty'. The party has become (I don't think it started off like this) a group of racist, homophobic bigots! This is generally found in the lower ranks rather than with the likes of Nigel Farage, but their politics is certainly directed and forged with these ideals in mind.

On one of my feeds somewhere I came across this by Stewart Lee (one of my favourite Stand Ups) summing up UKIP.

 

Nothing I have seen reflects my own thoughts better than this......

Solar Lights, Better Than I Imagined

In an effort to remember that the garden is just not my domain but also my girlfriends I bought some solar lights. Which had been something she had talked about having, I have to say I was not that keen for whatever reason. So I parted with £15 and bought 20 meter length of LED's, simple warm coloured and not shaped like butterflies. The problem with the internet it can show you some very seductive and amazing design pictures and its not always something you can replicate. However on this occasion I am happy with what I have done. The pictures of course can't do it justice, the limitations of smartphone photography at dusk/night are all to plain!   

Next Months European Elections

I got my polling card through last week for the European Elections on the 22nd of May, generally I think it has a rather low priority for most people in the UK and I expect that it will have a low turn out. I for one will be voting, as I do in every election. But I do feel that the European election is important, in fact very important  and more people should take part in it.

The UK's relationship with Europe and its membership with in it is a political hot topic at the moment and one I certainly have strong feelings about. The rise of UKIP as a force is the EU parliament and possibly even with in the UK parliament by the next election shows that a large percentage of the population has serious issues with the relationship we have with Europe. The Tories of course are traditionally anti EU and have promised a referendum on membership after the next election and one if it happens I would make sure I vote in.

Europe is good for us, the EU is good for us, you only have to skim over the history books a see that peace in Europe has been achieved through the coming together of nations! Peace, Unity and Stability has been achieved and that is in no small part down to the creation of the EU! Much of the resentment towards Europe I feel comes from some historical British feeling of superiority more than anything else. And this is epitomised utterly in the values and ideals of the UKIP party. A party that harks back to the pre-Windrush era, where Britain ruled the waves and Europe was a turbulent, fascist, communist, revolutionary place full of garlic eating, sex mad, wops and frogs! You only have to look at the relative decline of the British National Party and the rise of UKIP to make an educated guess who is supporting them.

I really just don't understand where people are coming from when they decide to vote UKIP!

If Russia was a person, you would not be their friend!

When the nations of this world descend into geopolitical bickering I have always found it easier to understand if I treat countries as if they were people more specifically school children and the world is their playground. I do this because, its makes its that bit easier to understand and even relate too and more importantly how ludicrous most of it is! What is going on in the Ukraine right now is all about power and influence and who exactly has it over the Ukraine, on one side you have the West and on the other you have Russia. One of which in my humble opinion if far more benevolent than the other. I don't believe the regime change in the Ukraine was an EU led/funded/organised coup but rather a reaction to a belligerent President. Morten Morlands cartoon in the Times sums up Putin and Russia over the last few years in this respect rather well......

Like I said the world is a playground and the countries are its school children, each and everyone has its own identity and its own social groups etc etc etc... So way back in year one Russia and its mates and America and its mates both had a problem with Germany which culminated in a massive gang fight in the middle of the playground. After this early act of unity things quickly went sour and off they both went into their playground cliques. over the years the animosity grew but never did Russia and America fight face to face! A little scuffle here and an arm wrestle there, a punch up between their mates behind the bike shed with some supportive words and a stick to hit with maybe, but no brawling between the big boys. By year 7 though Russia had not been looking after its mates quiet as well as America and its gang started to fall out, fed up with it some of them made friends with America and even started hanging around with some of the European guys. Oh my this did upset Russia so much so it decided to change its ways, be more like America or the Europeans so the old mates would still be its friend. This worked..... even the Europeans would come and have a kick about now. Everyone thought Russia had changed, that all the playground fighting and the trouble with America was the end of the strife! But Russia just got jealous, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungry, Bulgaria, the Czech's all started hanging out with the other Europeans all the time and they started to ask Russia s other mates too..... Well this made Russia rather angry and when Georgia got invited over, well Russia just flipped its lid and went round and bloodied Georgia's nose! Russia had decided by carrot or stick certain 'friends' were going to stay friends!

Well I think that analogy has run its course! The ease of which I have related the story by means of a playground analogy I think shows how petty geopolitics is! There is no world shattering reason for Russian troops to be in the Ukraine right now threatening to take back there Playstation (Crimea) that they gave to Ukraine. Its petty pride, power projection and moreover bullying, it is no more complex or logical than the daily occurrences in any school playground. 

Men at Work