Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Oziana 2011.
The 2011 issue of Oziana has been released featuring the much expanded and improved "Jenny Everywhere In Oz" featuring amazing illustrations by Alejandro Garcia. To find out more about Oziana, go here. It's a great honor to have my work in such a great publication.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
My Post Riot Prescription for the UK
Since last week’s riots here in London and around England, people have been talking a lot about the societal sickness inflicting the UK and are prescribing all sorts of remedies. I love being a know-it-all and thought I’d give it a crack as well. Here’s my ideas on how to fix this country.
1. Fix the Welfare System – The UK has too many people living off the dole and doing nothing else. Generations have been raised on benefits as their sole source of income and this generational stagnation and sense of entitlement is at the heart of the matter. I propose transforming the benefits system into a Work-Fare program. The nation has no end of things that need tidied up or maintained. Every able bodied person receiving benefits and not working would be put into a civic work force that will be on hand to work on behalf of the community alongside and under the supervision of council and government employees. A formula would be worked out to assign work hours according to the amount of benefits received. Disabled and elderly people, of course, would be exempt from service. Women with children under 2 years old would also be exempt. People already with jobs would just have to provide verification of employment on a regular basis and go along with business as usual. If welfare recipients choose to not find outside employment, they would be able to work indefinitely in the Work Fare system. This would instill in people, especially the younger generation, that you have to work for what you receive. It would create a stronger work ethic, sense of urgency and pride in the benefit recipient class.
2.Make Kids Go To School – Right now, kids can leave school at a much too young age. This creates a whole mess of teenage kids with no place to go, no job opportunities, no responsibilities and tons of unharnessed energy. Make it mandatory for kids under the age of 18 to attend school. A child not receiving an education can not be tolerated.
3.Drop Tuition Fees – Cameron really screwed up by jacking up tuition fees. Drop the fees back to their lowest possible point and then provide grants to cover the gap for the poorest of students.
4.Mandatory Post-Secondary Education/Training: Kids graduating from Secondary School should not be allowed to just put on a track suit and Chav out for the rest of their lives. They need to go on to university, technical college, training program or the military.
5.Immigration Reforms – The UK can not just allow every body in the world to pitch camp and call it home.
a. Cut defense spending by 20% and allocate that money to Immigration and Policing.
b. Hire thousands of new police and immigration officers.
c. Create tighter security at all points of entry.
d. Enlist the military in border security.
e. Track down all expired visas and give their holders the immediate boot.
f. Pass legislation allowing only skilled and essential workers to be granted citizenship.
g. Pass legislation allowing visas to issued to skilled and essential workers.
i. Of course folks like the Gurkhas, who have a separate deal are exempt.
h. Mass deportations of illegals to send a message to either apply the legal way or get out.
i. Streamline the process of applying for citizenship.
6. Promote Progress – Cultural relativism can only be taken so far. Any cultural values brought into the nation that clash with the liberal, secular, Western values of the nation should not be allowed to be practiced. Full on Burqas should not be worn for security reasons. Spousal abuse and child abuse can not be tolerated – no matter how accepted they are by an immigrant’s native culture. I’d personally extend this to things like tribal scaring and the more a culturally accepted practice of circumcision. Also not to be tolerated is hate speech in public forums, homophobic practices etc. This is a Western nation with Western values of tolerance and those values need to be promoted. If people can not abide by those laws then they need to find other shores to wash up on. This can be extended to home grown groups like English Defense and BNP, whose actions need to carefully observed and recorded by the government to prevent any kind of terrorist or criminal actions.
7.Decriminalize Drugs:
a. Legalize Marijuana – Too much money is spent policing this harmless, especially compared to booze and tobacco. Legalize it. Sell it like booze in licensed shops. Kill the black market for weed and end the criminal enterprises surrounding it, while at the same time make some nice coin off the taxes on it.
i. Use money raised by pot sales to help fund NHS drug addiction treatment centers.
b. Treat Substance Abuse As A Health Issue – Free up space in prisons by treating users medically and therapeutically.
c. Make Drug Dealing A Tax Crime – Chase down dealers for avoiding paying their taxes.
8.Education Reform – Stop focusing on national exams and focus on teaching the subject matter. Get rid of those awful 11+, GCSE and A Level exams. They just encourage schools to teach for the exam. Put together a single standard test for students moving on to College from Secondary School to replace the myriad GCSEs. Have a single A Level exam for students moving on from College for students moving on to University. Very simple and allows for teachers and schools to address the real educational needs of their students without the stress of constant exams.
These steps will create a cohesive society of people sharing in the progressive, Western culture of the UK, prevent young people entering the adult world without any marketable skills, allows young people time to mature before entering the adult world, stops creating criminals through the enforcement of victimless “crimes”, prevents overcrowding in schools and housing, reduces the strain on the public benefits system and creates a healthier education system.
1. Fix the Welfare System – The UK has too many people living off the dole and doing nothing else. Generations have been raised on benefits as their sole source of income and this generational stagnation and sense of entitlement is at the heart of the matter. I propose transforming the benefits system into a Work-Fare program. The nation has no end of things that need tidied up or maintained. Every able bodied person receiving benefits and not working would be put into a civic work force that will be on hand to work on behalf of the community alongside and under the supervision of council and government employees. A formula would be worked out to assign work hours according to the amount of benefits received. Disabled and elderly people, of course, would be exempt from service. Women with children under 2 years old would also be exempt. People already with jobs would just have to provide verification of employment on a regular basis and go along with business as usual. If welfare recipients choose to not find outside employment, they would be able to work indefinitely in the Work Fare system. This would instill in people, especially the younger generation, that you have to work for what you receive. It would create a stronger work ethic, sense of urgency and pride in the benefit recipient class.
2.Make Kids Go To School – Right now, kids can leave school at a much too young age. This creates a whole mess of teenage kids with no place to go, no job opportunities, no responsibilities and tons of unharnessed energy. Make it mandatory for kids under the age of 18 to attend school. A child not receiving an education can not be tolerated.
3.Drop Tuition Fees – Cameron really screwed up by jacking up tuition fees. Drop the fees back to their lowest possible point and then provide grants to cover the gap for the poorest of students.
4.Mandatory Post-Secondary Education/Training: Kids graduating from Secondary School should not be allowed to just put on a track suit and Chav out for the rest of their lives. They need to go on to university, technical college, training program or the military.
5.Immigration Reforms – The UK can not just allow every body in the world to pitch camp and call it home.
a. Cut defense spending by 20% and allocate that money to Immigration and Policing.
b. Hire thousands of new police and immigration officers.
c. Create tighter security at all points of entry.
d. Enlist the military in border security.
e. Track down all expired visas and give their holders the immediate boot.
f. Pass legislation allowing only skilled and essential workers to be granted citizenship.
g. Pass legislation allowing visas to issued to skilled and essential workers.
i. Of course folks like the Gurkhas, who have a separate deal are exempt.
h. Mass deportations of illegals to send a message to either apply the legal way or get out.
i. Streamline the process of applying for citizenship.
6. Promote Progress – Cultural relativism can only be taken so far. Any cultural values brought into the nation that clash with the liberal, secular, Western values of the nation should not be allowed to be practiced. Full on Burqas should not be worn for security reasons. Spousal abuse and child abuse can not be tolerated – no matter how accepted they are by an immigrant’s native culture. I’d personally extend this to things like tribal scaring and the more a culturally accepted practice of circumcision. Also not to be tolerated is hate speech in public forums, homophobic practices etc. This is a Western nation with Western values of tolerance and those values need to be promoted. If people can not abide by those laws then they need to find other shores to wash up on. This can be extended to home grown groups like English Defense and BNP, whose actions need to carefully observed and recorded by the government to prevent any kind of terrorist or criminal actions.
7.Decriminalize Drugs:
a. Legalize Marijuana – Too much money is spent policing this harmless, especially compared to booze and tobacco. Legalize it. Sell it like booze in licensed shops. Kill the black market for weed and end the criminal enterprises surrounding it, while at the same time make some nice coin off the taxes on it.
i. Use money raised by pot sales to help fund NHS drug addiction treatment centers.
b. Treat Substance Abuse As A Health Issue – Free up space in prisons by treating users medically and therapeutically.
c. Make Drug Dealing A Tax Crime – Chase down dealers for avoiding paying their taxes.
8.Education Reform – Stop focusing on national exams and focus on teaching the subject matter. Get rid of those awful 11+, GCSE and A Level exams. They just encourage schools to teach for the exam. Put together a single standard test for students moving on to College from Secondary School to replace the myriad GCSEs. Have a single A Level exam for students moving on from College for students moving on to University. Very simple and allows for teachers and schools to address the real educational needs of their students without the stress of constant exams.
These steps will create a cohesive society of people sharing in the progressive, Western culture of the UK, prevent young people entering the adult world without any marketable skills, allows young people time to mature before entering the adult world, stops creating criminals through the enforcement of victimless “crimes”, prevents overcrowding in schools and housing, reduces the strain on the public benefits system and creates a healthier education system.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Tragic end of King Rupert
The current crisis engulfing Rupert Murdoch's Newscorp media empire here in the UK has the potential to be the story of 2011.
For those not in the know, King Rupert is the Australian born and naturalized American (for business purposes) Billionaire that controls a vast global media empire which includes 20th Century Fox Studios, Fox television network, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post and numerous other media outlets around the world. In the UK his News International subsidiary operates News Corps' British holdings which include(d) The Sun, News of the World and The Sunday Times.
For a complete list News Corps holdings check this out.
Anyhoo, back in the mid-2000s, scandals erupted over News of the World journalists and editors working with a private investigator to hack the phones of members the royal family and other celebrities, among whom were Sienna Miller and Hugh Grant. The issue was brought to the police to investigate but the then heads of London's Metropolitain Police claimed there was not enough evidence of wide spread phone hacking and criminal invasion of privacy to warrant a bigger investigation. News International settled out of court with Sienna Miller, Hugh Grant and six other celebrities who had their privacy violated by News of the World staff under the guidance of then Editor-in-Chief Rebekah Brooks.
Unfortunately for King Rupert, the scandal would not go away and in 2010 he announced plans for News Corps to add to its empire by purchasing the 61% of BSkyB (the UK's major satellite network). The bid had to be approved by the government and with the opprobrium hanging over News International (now headed by Rebekah Brooks) it seemed like their could be some hitches in the plan.
According to The Guardian, in 2010 Murdoch, who as a staunch supporter and friend of former prime minster and Labour Party head Tony Blair, saw Blair's replacement Gordon Brown as a kind of Judas that betrayed his political lap dog, offered to end his media war on Brown and Labour if he would work to end the investigations into News of the World's phone hacking and police bribary policy. Brown refused and Murdoch continued on with his war which managed to take out enough damage on Brown that it cost him enough votes that he was not able to form a coalition government with the Liberal-Democrats, resulting in the current mess of a government running the UK.
Then it happened, King Rupert could not hold back the floodgates for ever. Things exploded into public view when it was discovered that News of the World reporters were hacking the phones of murder victims, politicians and the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. There was a massive outcry and in an attempt to stop the bleeding, King Rupert closed the News of the World after over a century of being in the newspaper business, resulting hundreds of good people losing their jobs. Meanwhile, Rebekah Brooks, who was the head of the entire News International operation remains in her high paying gig.
There is much speculation that King Rupert is protecting Brooks at all cost in order to keep her from having to testify against her boss, James Murdoch, King Rupert's son and possible heir. If King Rupert is out to save Prince James' neck, then he must also be quite aware of the extent of the corruption and criminality in his media empire. So far, a handful of News International employees have gone to prison for their actions. If they were operating under orders that came straight from the top, then that means the man sitting on top of the pyramid is also guilty of the same crimes.
While King Rupert and Prince James going to the clink is still far-fetched, the situation has turned pretty sour pretty fast for the News Corps Empire. He has managed to do something that might not have happened since World War II and the London Blitz - the political parties of the UK are united on a single issue. The Liberal-Democrats, Labour and Tories have joined to oppose News Corps' purchase BSkyB. The pressure has forced King Rupert to abandon his plans to buy the satellite network and the three parties are proposing legislation to limit media ownership to prevent the domination of the market by a single entity, such as Murdoch's empire. Brooks and King Rupert have agreed to appear before the House of Commons but when seems unsure. Meanwhile, the police officers who sold information or seemed to work on behalf of News International to confound investigations into its criminal activities are being brought out into the light of day. In Australia, spurred on by the UK scandals, parliament is discussing laws to limit media ownership. In America, where Murdoch's most digusting apparatus (Fox News) operates, Democratic senators are discussing possible investigations of News Corps to see if they have been just as criminal on that side of the Atlantic as this one.
If nothing else happens, King Rupert has lost News of the World and full ownership of BSkyB. It seems impossible for Rebekah Brooks to retain her position. He has also reinvigorated the Labour Party by providing party leader Ed Milliband, who had been performing some what lacklusterly, with an issue that he could take ahold of and lead a charge. While Prime Minister (and pal of Murdoch) David Cameron has appeared to be stumbling with the issue of playing catch up with Miliband and Labour. Even Nick Clegg and his much belaboured Liberal-Democrats have been given a boost thanks to their long opposition to King Rupert's attempts at total media dominance of the UK. Cameron's "Big Society" has flopped coming out of the gate. The coalition government has been wobbly for quite some time now and with an insurgent Lib-Dems and Labour, its quite possible that the coalition will break up. If this happens then the Tories would not have enough seats to rule. Lib-Dems and Labour could call a vote of no-confidence on Cameron, remove him and then form a new, leftist coalition which would be very opposed to giving King Rupert any breaks.
Meanwhile, swamped by scandal and under investigation, News Corp's right-wing media machine in America maybe a lot less likely to participate in its insane agenda of propaganda and fear mongering during the 2012 elections, allowing the Democrats to actually campaign on the issues and not defending themselves from the bizarre claims of whack jobs like Bill O'Reilly etc. This of course would give Obama and the Democrats a huge edge over the extremist rhetoric of today's GOP.
Could King Rupert's troubles lead to a resurgence of the Left in America and UK? Stay tuned . . .
For those not in the know, King Rupert is the Australian born and naturalized American (for business purposes) Billionaire that controls a vast global media empire which includes 20th Century Fox Studios, Fox television network, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post and numerous other media outlets around the world. In the UK his News International subsidiary operates News Corps' British holdings which include(d) The Sun, News of the World and The Sunday Times.
For a complete list News Corps holdings check this out.
Anyhoo, back in the mid-2000s, scandals erupted over News of the World journalists and editors working with a private investigator to hack the phones of members the royal family and other celebrities, among whom were Sienna Miller and Hugh Grant. The issue was brought to the police to investigate but the then heads of London's Metropolitain Police claimed there was not enough evidence of wide spread phone hacking and criminal invasion of privacy to warrant a bigger investigation. News International settled out of court with Sienna Miller, Hugh Grant and six other celebrities who had their privacy violated by News of the World staff under the guidance of then Editor-in-Chief Rebekah Brooks.
Unfortunately for King Rupert, the scandal would not go away and in 2010 he announced plans for News Corps to add to its empire by purchasing the 61% of BSkyB (the UK's major satellite network). The bid had to be approved by the government and with the opprobrium hanging over News International (now headed by Rebekah Brooks) it seemed like their could be some hitches in the plan.
According to The Guardian, in 2010 Murdoch, who as a staunch supporter and friend of former prime minster and Labour Party head Tony Blair, saw Blair's replacement Gordon Brown as a kind of Judas that betrayed his political lap dog, offered to end his media war on Brown and Labour if he would work to end the investigations into News of the World's phone hacking and police bribary policy. Brown refused and Murdoch continued on with his war which managed to take out enough damage on Brown that it cost him enough votes that he was not able to form a coalition government with the Liberal-Democrats, resulting in the current mess of a government running the UK.
Then it happened, King Rupert could not hold back the floodgates for ever. Things exploded into public view when it was discovered that News of the World reporters were hacking the phones of murder victims, politicians and the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. There was a massive outcry and in an attempt to stop the bleeding, King Rupert closed the News of the World after over a century of being in the newspaper business, resulting hundreds of good people losing their jobs. Meanwhile, Rebekah Brooks, who was the head of the entire News International operation remains in her high paying gig.
There is much speculation that King Rupert is protecting Brooks at all cost in order to keep her from having to testify against her boss, James Murdoch, King Rupert's son and possible heir. If King Rupert is out to save Prince James' neck, then he must also be quite aware of the extent of the corruption and criminality in his media empire. So far, a handful of News International employees have gone to prison for their actions. If they were operating under orders that came straight from the top, then that means the man sitting on top of the pyramid is also guilty of the same crimes.
While King Rupert and Prince James going to the clink is still far-fetched, the situation has turned pretty sour pretty fast for the News Corps Empire. He has managed to do something that might not have happened since World War II and the London Blitz - the political parties of the UK are united on a single issue. The Liberal-Democrats, Labour and Tories have joined to oppose News Corps' purchase BSkyB. The pressure has forced King Rupert to abandon his plans to buy the satellite network and the three parties are proposing legislation to limit media ownership to prevent the domination of the market by a single entity, such as Murdoch's empire. Brooks and King Rupert have agreed to appear before the House of Commons but when seems unsure. Meanwhile, the police officers who sold information or seemed to work on behalf of News International to confound investigations into its criminal activities are being brought out into the light of day. In Australia, spurred on by the UK scandals, parliament is discussing laws to limit media ownership. In America, where Murdoch's most digusting apparatus (Fox News) operates, Democratic senators are discussing possible investigations of News Corps to see if they have been just as criminal on that side of the Atlantic as this one.
If nothing else happens, King Rupert has lost News of the World and full ownership of BSkyB. It seems impossible for Rebekah Brooks to retain her position. He has also reinvigorated the Labour Party by providing party leader Ed Milliband, who had been performing some what lacklusterly, with an issue that he could take ahold of and lead a charge. While Prime Minister (and pal of Murdoch) David Cameron has appeared to be stumbling with the issue of playing catch up with Miliband and Labour. Even Nick Clegg and his much belaboured Liberal-Democrats have been given a boost thanks to their long opposition to King Rupert's attempts at total media dominance of the UK. Cameron's "Big Society" has flopped coming out of the gate. The coalition government has been wobbly for quite some time now and with an insurgent Lib-Dems and Labour, its quite possible that the coalition will break up. If this happens then the Tories would not have enough seats to rule. Lib-Dems and Labour could call a vote of no-confidence on Cameron, remove him and then form a new, leftist coalition which would be very opposed to giving King Rupert any breaks.
Meanwhile, swamped by scandal and under investigation, News Corp's right-wing media machine in America maybe a lot less likely to participate in its insane agenda of propaganda and fear mongering during the 2012 elections, allowing the Democrats to actually campaign on the issues and not defending themselves from the bizarre claims of whack jobs like Bill O'Reilly etc. This of course would give Obama and the Democrats a huge edge over the extremist rhetoric of today's GOP.
Could King Rupert's troubles lead to a resurgence of the Left in America and UK? Stay tuned . . .
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
American-can.
Some one had recently asked me how living abroad for this extended period of time has changed how I felt about America and Americans in general. My recent 4th of July post kind of touched on this but the question got me thinking about this topic.
The simple answer is "No". That would be a bit disingenuous. What living abroad does is throw in to contrast the differences between "here" and "there". So, while I might not feel much different about my countrymen (and women) and the nation in general, why I feel the way I do is much more clear.
Things I have always disliked about America: populist anti-intellectualism dominating the national discussion; the vocal minority of fundamentalist Christians dictating policy for the rest of the nation through their political mouth pieces; the strangely erotic fascination with guns; capitalism being elevated to the position of a pseudo-religion; unmitigated consumerism being seen as a kind of social attainment; sexism, mysogony and homophobia paraded in the guise of religion.
I am a Zen Buddhist and do not adhere to the Judeo-Christian belief system. I do not believe in Yaweh or that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the grave. To me these and connected beliefs are just as much myths as stories of Hercules and Zeus. In America, I always felt a bit of unease being openly "not Christian". There was the constant threat of somebody ready to pounce and proselytize at the mere hint of a non-believer. Living in the UK, I do not feel that kind of hostility. I am very openly Buddhist and can engage in discussion about what that means with friends and strangers alike without worry that somebody will try to "save" me. Escaping this pressure is a great relief.
Part of the consumerist mentality of America is the desire to consume everything. This is most clearly demonstrated by the American love affair with huge slabs of meat. Being carnivorous goes hand-in-hand with his mindset because it represents devouring another being. The ultimate act of consumption. Being a vegeterian is not the easiest task in America - not in the act of livin this lifestyle but due to how people react to it. A great many of my countrymen (and women) react almost violently upon learning that my family is vegetarian. I understand this is due to the fact that we're challenging their mass consumption world view but man it's tiring always having to explain why I won't eat something that possessed sentience of any kind. The UK is very veggie friendly. A large percentage of the population is vegetarian. Everybody knows at least a few vegetarians and it is treated as a normal lifestyle option. It is very liberating not to be treated an oddball everytime you go out to eat and have strangers question the ethics of your eating habits.
To be continued . . .
The simple answer is "No". That would be a bit disingenuous. What living abroad does is throw in to contrast the differences between "here" and "there". So, while I might not feel much different about my countrymen (and women) and the nation in general, why I feel the way I do is much more clear.
Things I have always disliked about America: populist anti-intellectualism dominating the national discussion; the vocal minority of fundamentalist Christians dictating policy for the rest of the nation through their political mouth pieces; the strangely erotic fascination with guns; capitalism being elevated to the position of a pseudo-religion; unmitigated consumerism being seen as a kind of social attainment; sexism, mysogony and homophobia paraded in the guise of religion.
I am a Zen Buddhist and do not adhere to the Judeo-Christian belief system. I do not believe in Yaweh or that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the grave. To me these and connected beliefs are just as much myths as stories of Hercules and Zeus. In America, I always felt a bit of unease being openly "not Christian". There was the constant threat of somebody ready to pounce and proselytize at the mere hint of a non-believer. Living in the UK, I do not feel that kind of hostility. I am very openly Buddhist and can engage in discussion about what that means with friends and strangers alike without worry that somebody will try to "save" me. Escaping this pressure is a great relief.
Part of the consumerist mentality of America is the desire to consume everything. This is most clearly demonstrated by the American love affair with huge slabs of meat. Being carnivorous goes hand-in-hand with his mindset because it represents devouring another being. The ultimate act of consumption. Being a vegeterian is not the easiest task in America - not in the act of livin this lifestyle but due to how people react to it. A great many of my countrymen (and women) react almost violently upon learning that my family is vegetarian. I understand this is due to the fact that we're challenging their mass consumption world view but man it's tiring always having to explain why I won't eat something that possessed sentience of any kind. The UK is very veggie friendly. A large percentage of the population is vegetarian. Everybody knows at least a few vegetarians and it is treated as a normal lifestyle option. It is very liberating not to be treated an oddball everytime you go out to eat and have strangers question the ethics of your eating habits.
To be continued . . .
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Wave That Flag High And Dry!
The 4th of July has come and gone but my nostalgia for hot and sticky, acrid smoke filled American summer nights has not passed. This was the first Independence Day not in the US of A.
I have never considered myself all that patriotic. The sight of the American flag does do anything for me really. I don't get a lump in throat, get teary-eyed or reflect on the men and women who gave their lives to support it. It's just a flag to me. That's it. The Star Spangled Banner or God Bless America don't do much for me. One reminds me of baseball games and the other pictures of Kate Smith in old Time-Life books I used to look at as a kid.
If I feel any sort of nationalism at all its in regards to the American people. I know that my forebearers came from Scotland, Wales, Germany and Poland. I also don't give a damn. While I find Scotland and Wales to be incredibly beautiful, I didn't feel any kind of "home coming" when I arrived. They were just especially gorgeous spots on the planet. I trace my heritage back to America. That's where I was raised and its people is who I call my own. I always kind of shook my head at the various ethnic parades etc. that go on year round. They are usually fun but I feel they are kind of counter productive. What should be celebrated is our unity as an American people - "One People United". That said,I do enjoy the debates of diversity versus integration that is a hallmark of the American experience and should continue to be so throughout its history. It's that tension between these two pulls that keep the country vibrant and alive.
So, what was I nostalgic about yesterday? It sure wasn't here that awful "Proud to be an American" song that gets played to death at local firework displays and parades every 4th. Nor was it nationalistic speeches by politicians on TV. What I missed was sitting in a hot, sweaty mass of my fellow Americans looking skyward as fireworks explode and fill even the most cynical of us with childlike wonder. I missed cooking out with friends and family leading up to a backyard firework display. I miss dopey parades with little girls in their gymnastic uniforms doing cartwheels down the street and firemen tossing handfuls of candy to the screaming children lined up along the curbs.
I missed baseball, over cooked (veggie) burgers off the grill, playing horseshoes, children writing their names in the air with sparklers, marshmallows turned into torches, aluminum kegs of beer, weird salads and casseroles laid out at parties,the recognition that inspite of all of us being able to claim a different ethnic heritage that we are indeed one people.
I got none of that this 4th of July. All we had over here were memories. It was a nice night so we slept with the bedroom window opened. Sometime in the very early morning hours of the 5th of July, I was stirred from my sleep by what I could swear was the faintest hint of the acrid, sulfurous smell of fireworks. It smelt like my American dreams.
I have never considered myself all that patriotic. The sight of the American flag does do anything for me really. I don't get a lump in throat, get teary-eyed or reflect on the men and women who gave their lives to support it. It's just a flag to me. That's it. The Star Spangled Banner or God Bless America don't do much for me. One reminds me of baseball games and the other pictures of Kate Smith in old Time-Life books I used to look at as a kid.
If I feel any sort of nationalism at all its in regards to the American people. I know that my forebearers came from Scotland, Wales, Germany and Poland. I also don't give a damn. While I find Scotland and Wales to be incredibly beautiful, I didn't feel any kind of "home coming" when I arrived. They were just especially gorgeous spots on the planet. I trace my heritage back to America. That's where I was raised and its people is who I call my own. I always kind of shook my head at the various ethnic parades etc. that go on year round. They are usually fun but I feel they are kind of counter productive. What should be celebrated is our unity as an American people - "One People United". That said,I do enjoy the debates of diversity versus integration that is a hallmark of the American experience and should continue to be so throughout its history. It's that tension between these two pulls that keep the country vibrant and alive.
So, what was I nostalgic about yesterday? It sure wasn't here that awful "Proud to be an American" song that gets played to death at local firework displays and parades every 4th. Nor was it nationalistic speeches by politicians on TV. What I missed was sitting in a hot, sweaty mass of my fellow Americans looking skyward as fireworks explode and fill even the most cynical of us with childlike wonder. I missed cooking out with friends and family leading up to a backyard firework display. I miss dopey parades with little girls in their gymnastic uniforms doing cartwheels down the street and firemen tossing handfuls of candy to the screaming children lined up along the curbs.
I missed baseball, over cooked (veggie) burgers off the grill, playing horseshoes, children writing their names in the air with sparklers, marshmallows turned into torches, aluminum kegs of beer, weird salads and casseroles laid out at parties,the recognition that inspite of all of us being able to claim a different ethnic heritage that we are indeed one people.
I got none of that this 4th of July. All we had over here were memories. It was a nice night so we slept with the bedroom window opened. Sometime in the very early morning hours of the 5th of July, I was stirred from my sleep by what I could swear was the faintest hint of the acrid, sulfurous smell of fireworks. It smelt like my American dreams.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Proud announcement
I'm very pleased to announce (a bit late) that I have a short story published in the latest issue of Fish Fingers and Custard, an excellent Doctor Who "fanzine" that is available for download or old fashioned paper editions. Just follow the link and check it out. My story is called "Mexico-A-Go-Go" and involved the 11th Doctor, Amy and Rory having a run in with some Mexican luchadors. Check it out.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Anime Doctor Who
Super Awesomeness!
Why is this awesome? If you have to ask this then you need to catch up on a lot of pop culture history. I'll do my best to lay it out for you.
1. It's Doctor Who and Doctor Who is always cool. Always! Even during the Peter Davison years.
2. It's Jon Pertwee (the Third Doctor). Most people would have gone with Tom Baker or David Tennant, but the producers of this bit of mash up beauty chose the incredibly under rated and amazing Pertwee.
3. If the TARDIS landed in Tokyo it would have to be like this.
4. Venusian Akido!
5. Both the Delgado and Ainley Masters. The thing dreams are made of.
6. The Cybermen, Dalek and Sontaran designs are outstanding.
7. Sutkeh!!!!
8. Nicholas Courtney as The Brig.
9. Sailor Moon gets cyberized.
10. Davros.
I love Doctor Who. I love it like renaissance fair nerds love cod pieces and fat chicks showing off way too much sun burnt cleavage. I loves it I do!
Since I'm in the midst of viewing my first "live" season here in the UK, I think I will give a review of this season so far after tomorrow's mid-season finale. Until then I damn sure will be watching the above clip a few more times!
Why is this awesome? If you have to ask this then you need to catch up on a lot of pop culture history. I'll do my best to lay it out for you.
1. It's Doctor Who and Doctor Who is always cool. Always! Even during the Peter Davison years.
2. It's Jon Pertwee (the Third Doctor). Most people would have gone with Tom Baker or David Tennant, but the producers of this bit of mash up beauty chose the incredibly under rated and amazing Pertwee.
3. If the TARDIS landed in Tokyo it would have to be like this.
4. Venusian Akido!
5. Both the Delgado and Ainley Masters. The thing dreams are made of.
6. The Cybermen, Dalek and Sontaran designs are outstanding.
7. Sutkeh!!!!
8. Nicholas Courtney as The Brig.
9. Sailor Moon gets cyberized.
10. Davros.
I love Doctor Who. I love it like renaissance fair nerds love cod pieces and fat chicks showing off way too much sun burnt cleavage. I loves it I do!
Since I'm in the midst of viewing my first "live" season here in the UK, I think I will give a review of this season so far after tomorrow's mid-season finale. Until then I damn sure will be watching the above clip a few more times!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Stone Structure's Terrorist Watch List
1. Robert "Bob" Iger: President/CEO The Walter Disney Company (2005 - Present) and President of ABC Television Network (1993 - 1999)
(Real Stupid!)
What shows were produced on his watch as an executive and later Prez of ABC? Here is a highlight real of some of his biggest crimes: Coach, Family Matters ("Did I do that?" Yes, and we hate you for it!", Home Improvement, Just the Ten of Us, Step by Step, Anything But Love, The Jeff Foxworthy Show and Cop Rock. If that was not enough damage to the mankind's collective conscience, he also played a huge role in the creation and continued support of two of the worst pieces of crap to ever pour out of a television; Perfect Strangers and Full House.
(Stupid Beyond Comprehension)
Granted, the guy did have a moment of clarity and gave the greenlight to Twin Peaks, but that alone can not redeem him.
As if this list of atrocities were not enough for him, Iger expanded his scope. In 1996, Disney bought ABC and Iger fit perfectly in with the corporation's view that a million stupid, shitty programs and movies are infinitely better than any one piece of quality work. 2000 saw him move up the food chain to become President of The Walt Disney Company. His ascent continued with him becoming President and CEO, upon the retirement of Michael Eisner, in 2005.
Iger's love for shitty art designed to dumb down the population and turn them into consumer zombies now had unlimited resources to exploit.
Why is Mr. Iger on my terrorist watch list. Well, lets take a quick scroll through his CV shall we? He joined ABC (American Broadcasting Corporation) in the early 1970s, when he himself was fresh out of college. He worked his ways through the ranks to eventually grab the top spot at the network in 1989. His time at the helm of ABC should be enough to put him on any lis. He is one of the chief architects of the network's "TGIF" block of entertainment that went on to lower the IQ of the American people quicker than a marathon of every Wrestlemania ever.
(Real Stupid!)
What shows were produced on his watch as an executive and later Prez of ABC? Here is a highlight real of some of his biggest crimes: Coach, Family Matters ("Did I do that?" Yes, and we hate you for it!", Home Improvement, Just the Ten of Us, Step by Step, Anything But Love, The Jeff Foxworthy Show and Cop Rock. If that was not enough damage to the mankind's collective conscience, he also played a huge role in the creation and continued support of two of the worst pieces of crap to ever pour out of a television; Perfect Strangers and Full House.
(Stupid Beyond Comprehension)
Granted, the guy did have a moment of clarity and gave the greenlight to Twin Peaks, but that alone can not redeem him.
As if this list of atrocities were not enough for him, Iger expanded his scope. In 1996, Disney bought ABC and Iger fit perfectly in with the corporation's view that a million stupid, shitty programs and movies are infinitely better than any one piece of quality work. 2000 saw him move up the food chain to become President of The Walt Disney Company. His ascent continued with him becoming President and CEO, upon the retirement of Michael Eisner, in 2005.
Iger's love for shitty art designed to dumb down the population and turn them into consumer zombies now had unlimited resources to exploit.
Here are some of the cinematic nightmares he is responsible for: Snow Dogs, The Santa Clause 2, The Haunted Mansion, The Pacifier, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, G-Force and Old Dogs.
(In 15 years and our daughters are dressing like this camp skank fest- we know who to thank)
That's an awful list but the cinematic output of Disney is nothing compared to the wretched television programing/commercials they pour into our children's brains every day. Some of the worst: Hannah Montana, Jonas/Jonas LA, Wizards of Waverly Place, Sonny with a Chance, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Lizzie McQuire! Parents know this shit. They know how it is designed to suck the imagination and originality from our chidren's minds and replace it with a laugh track designed to make their shopping trips to buy Disney merchandise even that more special!
(Sick beyond words!)
To add insult to injury, this fucking guy oversaw the take over of Marvel Comics by Disney in 2010. Marvel used to be a hip, cool company that was proud of its lack of ties to corporate parent companies. It seemed to free them up in some of their story telling when it came to their big name characters. Betcha' dollars to donuts that's over. How soon til we get a pre-teen skewed sitcom about teenaged Wolverine and his cute as pie mutant pals' high school hijinx and efforts to form a rock band? Oh, I bet pretty soon.
For even making the above a possibility, Mr. Robert "Bob" Iger is one of the worst terrorist to attack our culture. I condemn him to a life time of only being allowed to watch the terrible programs he has put out! This does not even factor in the fact that he is the one responsible for the whole "Disney Princesses" attack on little girls' self-esteems. This is guy is a first class fiend of the highest order.
("Be a subservient, vain idiot girls and life will be a dream, tee-hee!)
(In 15 years and our daughters are dressing like this camp skank fest- we know who to thank)
That's an awful list but the cinematic output of Disney is nothing compared to the wretched television programing/commercials they pour into our children's brains every day. Some of the worst: Hannah Montana, Jonas/Jonas LA, Wizards of Waverly Place, Sonny with a Chance, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Lizzie McQuire! Parents know this shit. They know how it is designed to suck the imagination and originality from our chidren's minds and replace it with a laugh track designed to make their shopping trips to buy Disney merchandise even that more special!
(Sick beyond words!)
To add insult to injury, this fucking guy oversaw the take over of Marvel Comics by Disney in 2010. Marvel used to be a hip, cool company that was proud of its lack of ties to corporate parent companies. It seemed to free them up in some of their story telling when it came to their big name characters. Betcha' dollars to donuts that's over. How soon til we get a pre-teen skewed sitcom about teenaged Wolverine and his cute as pie mutant pals' high school hijinx and efforts to form a rock band? Oh, I bet pretty soon.
For even making the above a possibility, Mr. Robert "Bob" Iger is one of the worst terrorist to attack our culture. I condemn him to a life time of only being allowed to watch the terrible programs he has put out! This does not even factor in the fact that he is the one responsible for the whole "Disney Princesses" attack on little girls' self-esteems. This is guy is a first class fiend of the highest order.
("Be a subservient, vain idiot girls and life will be a dream, tee-hee!)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Me and Osama B.
As I laid under the imaging device, my hospital gown wide open, a nurse holding my penis in her hand as she shaved me down and slathered my right inner thigh with cold iodine, the last thing in the world I wanted to discuss was Osama Bin Laden's death and the impact it would have on geo-politics. The nurse didn't seem to get that. So, she shaved and slathered away, jabbering on about Obama and Osama.
I was already in a pretty bad way. Having just had surgery for a right inguinal hernia three weeks back, and still rather sore from it, I had to come back to hospital for a second procedure to embolize the vein running from my left testicile into the spermatic cord due to it becoming a varicocele.
The operation required the doctor jabbing me really hard with a needle into my inner thigh, administering a local anaesthetic and then running a wire through my vascular system and down into my left testicle to check out the varicocele. He then placed a kind of gauze further up the vein to emoblize, thus basically starving the vein to death and causing it to stop squeezing my left nut like it was an anaconda.
This is already a kind of touchy issue, add on top of it the surgeon, the imaging specialist guy, two nurses, a cute teenaged student and some other dude that seemed to be there to observe all looking at my kit, it got really weird.
So, there I am, the Tuesday following Bin Laden's killing, spread out naked on an imaging table inside a freezing cold room as a bunch of strangers check out my crotch and woman shaves my pubes. I am pretty confused over how to act. I want to explain to the teenage girl that my penis is not ususually so shriveled up - that these things happen when it is freezing.You know, let her know I'm not to be pitied. I want the doctors to explain what is going on. I want to go back in time and lose about 20 pounds. I want the nurse to stop tickling me as she shaved off my pubic hair. I want her to then stop splashing that cold disinfectant stuff all over my crotch. What I don't want to do is talk about Osama Bin Laden. But that did not stop the lady from asking.
(He might have been a mass murdering meglomaniac, but he always smiled for the camera)
I had no idea how to respond. What was I supposed to say? They just assumed that I was bursting at the seams to talk about it because the news had been full of images of Americans celebrating Bin Laden being whacked. They must have been really jazzed to have a real life American to question about this. I think I let them down with my lack of enthusiasm.
"They should have captured him alive", was what I managed to get out. The looks on the nurses faces were like a kid when they pull socks and underwear from inside their Christmas stocking.
I was already in a pretty bad way. Having just had surgery for a right inguinal hernia three weeks back, and still rather sore from it, I had to come back to hospital for a second procedure to embolize the vein running from my left testicile into the spermatic cord due to it becoming a varicocele.
The operation required the doctor jabbing me really hard with a needle into my inner thigh, administering a local anaesthetic and then running a wire through my vascular system and down into my left testicle to check out the varicocele. He then placed a kind of gauze further up the vein to emoblize, thus basically starving the vein to death and causing it to stop squeezing my left nut like it was an anaconda.
This is already a kind of touchy issue, add on top of it the surgeon, the imaging specialist guy, two nurses, a cute teenaged student and some other dude that seemed to be there to observe all looking at my kit, it got really weird.
So, there I am, the Tuesday following Bin Laden's killing, spread out naked on an imaging table inside a freezing cold room as a bunch of strangers check out my crotch and woman shaves my pubes. I am pretty confused over how to act. I want to explain to the teenage girl that my penis is not ususually so shriveled up - that these things happen when it is freezing.You know, let her know I'm not to be pitied. I want the doctors to explain what is going on. I want to go back in time and lose about 20 pounds. I want the nurse to stop tickling me as she shaved off my pubic hair. I want her to then stop splashing that cold disinfectant stuff all over my crotch. What I don't want to do is talk about Osama Bin Laden. But that did not stop the lady from asking.
(He might have been a mass murdering meglomaniac, but he always smiled for the camera)
I had no idea how to respond. What was I supposed to say? They just assumed that I was bursting at the seams to talk about it because the news had been full of images of Americans celebrating Bin Laden being whacked. They must have been really jazzed to have a real life American to question about this. I think I let them down with my lack of enthusiasm.
"They should have captured him alive", was what I managed to get out. The looks on the nurses faces were like a kid when they pull socks and underwear from inside their Christmas stocking.
(Little known fact: Osama Bin Laden was a huge Kiss fan.)
Anywho, the procedure went well. They wheeled me into recovery and left me alone for a little while. I had a book on English history to read but before I picked it up I gave the death of Bin Laden a good think. Here I was, in a hospital in London, half a world away from where I was when the WTC went down. Half a world and an entire life time.
When 9/11 went down, I was recently finished with my exteded undergraduate stint at Indiana University Northwest. I spent my nights partying at the bungalow my brother and I rented and the mornings interviewing for jobs and substitute teaching. I was subing for a class of special needs students when the attack happened. The school principal ordered the school locked down, for some bizarre fear that Al-Qaeda would attack a middle school in Hobart, Indiana. I snuck out of the school and drove home.
I was conflicted. I hated the idea of war etc. but I was also filled with a deep desire to see vengeance wrought on our enemies. I spent the next few weeks rooting on our military as they pushed the Taliban back and was even considering entering the Army myself, since the job market took such a drastic dive after the attacks. I was strung out on a constantly rolling party, filled with the paranoia and patriotic jingoism flying through the media and barelling down towards an existential crisis. I began reading religious texts looking for some kind of guidance. I became a fan of C.S. Lewis for a moment in time and began to think of myself as a "Christian Socialist", the problem was that I didn't really believe in Christ or God for that matter. I was just wanting something to make sense and seem tangible.
When 9/11 went down, I was recently finished with my exteded undergraduate stint at Indiana University Northwest. I spent my nights partying at the bungalow my brother and I rented and the mornings interviewing for jobs and substitute teaching. I was subing for a class of special needs students when the attack happened. The school principal ordered the school locked down, for some bizarre fear that Al-Qaeda would attack a middle school in Hobart, Indiana. I snuck out of the school and drove home.
I was conflicted. I hated the idea of war etc. but I was also filled with a deep desire to see vengeance wrought on our enemies. I spent the next few weeks rooting on our military as they pushed the Taliban back and was even considering entering the Army myself, since the job market took such a drastic dive after the attacks. I was strung out on a constantly rolling party, filled with the paranoia and patriotic jingoism flying through the media and barelling down towards an existential crisis. I began reading religious texts looking for some kind of guidance. I became a fan of C.S. Lewis for a moment in time and began to think of myself as a "Christian Socialist", the problem was that I didn't really believe in Christ or God for that matter. I was just wanting something to make sense and seem tangible.
I quickly got over this phase and instead began seeking the truth in action, mostly sex and drugs and booze kind of action. Eventually, that too quit being a rewarding spirtual endeavor. I was looking for something else. I sought it in love. I got married. It was good. It was almost what I was looking for but not quite. I was kind of half-baked and in turn made a half-baked husband. Ellen and I moved to China for a bit, she got pregnant and we returned to Northwest Indiana to have our child and start hacking out a future as a family. It was at this time that the Dharma came up and bit me on the ass. I had always read about Buddhism but as soon as I sat down to meditate with the Empty Circle Zen group in Hobart, Indiana, it was like I had finally come home.
Along with all of this was Bin Laden and the various attempts to catch him. He became a kind rambling boogie man, who snuck through the nation's dreams like a ghoul dragging a dialysis machine behind him. My desire to see America avenged died - burnt off in the flames of the Dharma and recognizing the damage violence has on the universe, no matter who is on the receiving end of it. I learned how to let go of my anger over things from my childhood etc. This in turn allowed me to let go of my anger over things like our national boogieman for the past decade.
Osama Bin Laden had to be made to account for his crimes. Killing him was wrong. Killing is always wrong. Maybe the guys that shot him had no choice, but it's a damned shame that they were put in a situation where they had no other choice.
Along with all of this was Bin Laden and the various attempts to catch him. He became a kind rambling boogie man, who snuck through the nation's dreams like a ghoul dragging a dialysis machine behind him. My desire to see America avenged died - burnt off in the flames of the Dharma and recognizing the damage violence has on the universe, no matter who is on the receiving end of it. I learned how to let go of my anger over things from my childhood etc. This in turn allowed me to let go of my anger over things like our national boogieman for the past decade.
Osama Bin Laden had to be made to account for his crimes. Killing him was wrong. Killing is always wrong. Maybe the guys that shot him had no choice, but it's a damned shame that they were put in a situation where they had no other choice.
(Things got tough for Osama towards the end.)
Ultimately, it was Osama Bin Laden's karma to be killed by American forces. He committed a heinous action against the nation and the counteraction was his eventual demise. But karma is not just a cosmic give and take. It is also a kind of energy that binds us through the influence we have on each other. Bin Laden has strong karma with the United States of America and its people. If it were not for his actions, I may not have had the emotional/psychological crisis that led to me opening myself up to marriage and then discovering the dharma for myself first hand, which I credit for saving my marriage and leading to my family's current life in London. So, in many ways, Osama Bin Laden has helped make me the man I am today - as he has done for millions of other people in the USA. So, while you go about celebrating the bullet that took out his lights, you should also reflect on what kind of impact he had on your life and see how you could be who you are without him and his actions. I'll bet you discover there is a lot of Bin Laden in your background. That's our people's karma with him.
All of this was running through my head as the anaesthetic wore off and the bleeping and blipping hospital sounds filled the air. My undercarriage was stained a dark orange from the iodine stuff, I had razor burn on my crotch, a tingling left ball and a chemical taste in my mouth. All I could think was that if it were not for Osama Bin Laden I would not be there.
All of this was running through my head as the anaesthetic wore off and the bleeping and blipping hospital sounds filled the air. My undercarriage was stained a dark orange from the iodine stuff, I had razor burn on my crotch, a tingling left ball and a chemical taste in my mouth. All I could think was that if it were not for Osama Bin Laden I would not be there.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Royal Wedding: Part 4.
A brief thing. I wrote a second article for The Northwest Indiana times covering the excitement for the wedding right up to the procession. It's not available online, so I'm putting up what I wrote here.
Kass Stone
Times Correspondent
London – The celebration of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding has been building for weeks.
On Wednesday afternoon, the children of Plumstead Manor Nursery (located on London’s South East side) celebrated the royal nuptials with a wedding party in William and Kate’s honor. The little girls came dressed in their best princess dresses and the boys came bedecked in their finest suits. They made royalty themed arts and crafts, ate wedding cake, danced and waved their Union Jacks proudly in honor of the prince and new princess.
Plumstead Manor Nursery treasurer Jean Reader is a lifelong fan of the monarchy. In her late 70s, Reader was one of the hundreds of thousands of people that cheered Queen Elizabeth’s coronation procession in 1953. For her, the wedding and community events like the nursery party are important for British society.
“If you look around, there are a lot of different nationalities living here and this helps make it all gel,” said Reader. “After all, we do have a monarchy and we should celebrate it. We are here to wave the flag.”
Crown Point natives Chris and Lisa Westworth had planned to be amongst the throng of people cheering on the royal wedding procession. Their plans had to change when Lisa gave birth to their son, Cayden, several weeks early. They are now content to watch the ceremony from the comfort of their home in the West London neighborhood of Chiswick.
“I just like the fact that we live in London while everyone is so obsessed about this wedding and that one day we can tell our son that we lived here when King William and Queen Kate were married. It is kind of exciting,” said Lisa Westworth.
Amongst the carnival atmosphere of vendors and celebrants in Trafalgar Square early Friday morning, just outside the route the wedding procession will take from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Westminster Abbey, were Canadians Amy Beckham and Brenda Hooton. The two traveled from their home in Niagra Falls, Ontario to celebrate the wedding in London.
“We’re here because I think there is so much bad news in the world and this is an opportunity to be happy and just have a good time,” said Beckham. “Besides, we share the royal family. She’s our queen too. She’s on our money too.”
On The Mall, seeking a place to witness the procession, were Mark Abella and Mandy Yoxall of Sydney, Australia.
“It’s our heritage. They’re our royal family too. It’s a once in a life time opportunity for us. We’re not going to get to experience this again, seeing a king married,” said Yoxall. “I mean, Prince Harry will probably get married, but he’s not going to be king.”
Kass Stone
Times Correspondent
London – The celebration of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding has been building for weeks.
On Wednesday afternoon, the children of Plumstead Manor Nursery (located on London’s South East side) celebrated the royal nuptials with a wedding party in William and Kate’s honor. The little girls came dressed in their best princess dresses and the boys came bedecked in their finest suits. They made royalty themed arts and crafts, ate wedding cake, danced and waved their Union Jacks proudly in honor of the prince and new princess.
Plumstead Manor Nursery treasurer Jean Reader is a lifelong fan of the monarchy. In her late 70s, Reader was one of the hundreds of thousands of people that cheered Queen Elizabeth’s coronation procession in 1953. For her, the wedding and community events like the nursery party are important for British society.
“If you look around, there are a lot of different nationalities living here and this helps make it all gel,” said Reader. “After all, we do have a monarchy and we should celebrate it. We are here to wave the flag.”
Crown Point natives Chris and Lisa Westworth had planned to be amongst the throng of people cheering on the royal wedding procession. Their plans had to change when Lisa gave birth to their son, Cayden, several weeks early. They are now content to watch the ceremony from the comfort of their home in the West London neighborhood of Chiswick.
“I just like the fact that we live in London while everyone is so obsessed about this wedding and that one day we can tell our son that we lived here when King William and Queen Kate were married. It is kind of exciting,” said Lisa Westworth.
Amongst the carnival atmosphere of vendors and celebrants in Trafalgar Square early Friday morning, just outside the route the wedding procession will take from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Westminster Abbey, were Canadians Amy Beckham and Brenda Hooton. The two traveled from their home in Niagra Falls, Ontario to celebrate the wedding in London.
“We’re here because I think there is so much bad news in the world and this is an opportunity to be happy and just have a good time,” said Beckham. “Besides, we share the royal family. She’s our queen too. She’s on our money too.”
On The Mall, seeking a place to witness the procession, were Mark Abella and Mandy Yoxall of Sydney, Australia.
“It’s our heritage. They’re our royal family too. It’s a once in a life time opportunity for us. We’re not going to get to experience this again, seeing a king married,” said Yoxall. “I mean, Prince Harry will probably get married, but he’s not going to be king.”
Friday, April 29, 2011
Royal Wedding Part 2: Journo-ism.
Here is the my story previewing the royal wedding. The point of the story was that most people here in London are rather indifferent, at best, about the royals. Unfortunately, the teeth were totally removed and the story feels a bit pointless. I like the folks at The Northwest Indiana Times. They're lovely, hard working people who have to make decisions I hate. I get it. Every writer hates seeing their stuff get cut up. Luckily we live in an age of technological wonders. I now present for your edification the unedited version of my story.
Kass Stone
Times Correspondent
London – Not everyone in Britain is going gaga over the royal wedding. While international media coverage of the upcoming nuptials of “Wills and Kate” may make it seem like all of the UK is about to explode into a patriotic fervor over the ceremony, the truth for the majority of people is quite the opposite.
In the small working class neighborhood of Plumstead, located on London’s Southeast side, far from the pomp and circumstance of Westminster Abbey, most people show very little interest in the wedding.
“I couldn’t really care less,” said Plumstead’s Kirsty Bennett, when asked what she thought of the wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The actress and mother of three does not find the fact that day of the wedding is a national holiday pleasing. The wedding is taking place less than a week after the UK’s children have returned from their four day Easter holiday, which continued directly on from a two week “half term” break. The day off for the wedding and the following Monday, along with the time already out of class, means that Britain’s children will have spent only about 9 days total in school for the month of April. This is a long time to have to find ways to entertain three young, rambunctious sons.
“Oh, I don’t care for it,” said Bennett, about the national holiday aspect of the wedding. “The boys have not been in school for ages. I can’t believe the kids are never in school. It’s absolutely mad. I love my children to death, but I need a break!”
Crown Point native’s Chris and Lisa Westworth have noticed a definite lack of royalist enthusiasm amongst their friends and neighbors in the West London neighborhood of Chiswick. The two former Crown Point High School Bulldogs are a bit surprised to find their fellow Americans more excited about William and Kate’s big day than their British cousins.
“For most of my British friends, for them it’s an excuse to have street parties and to have the day off,” said Lisa Westworth. “I think there is more excitement for the wedding in the United States than there is here.”
Lisa is following the coverage of the wedding in the buildup to Friday’s ceremony and finds Prince William and Kate Middleton quite likeable, but she has no delusions about the moral superiority of the members of the House of Windsor.
“I can kind of relate to them,” said Lisa Westworth, about the royal couple. “They are a young couple, like us, and they seem to really be in love with each other. But we all know that Prince Charles was a real scumbag and was cheating on Princess Diana the night before their wedding. But I guess William and Kate seem different. We don’t know though.”
U.S. singles are more likely than Brits to watch the royal wedding.
• 40% of U.S. singles say they plan to watch the royal wedding on TV, whereas only 31% of single Brits say they plan to tune in.
- From Zoosk Royal Wedding Survey.
Kass Stone
Times Correspondent
London – Not everyone in Britain is going gaga over the royal wedding. While international media coverage of the upcoming nuptials of “Wills and Kate” may make it seem like all of the UK is about to explode into a patriotic fervor over the ceremony, the truth for the majority of people is quite the opposite.
In the small working class neighborhood of Plumstead, located on London’s Southeast side, far from the pomp and circumstance of Westminster Abbey, most people show very little interest in the wedding.
“I couldn’t really care less,” said Plumstead’s Kirsty Bennett, when asked what she thought of the wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The actress and mother of three does not find the fact that day of the wedding is a national holiday pleasing. The wedding is taking place less than a week after the UK’s children have returned from their four day Easter holiday, which continued directly on from a two week “half term” break. The day off for the wedding and the following Monday, along with the time already out of class, means that Britain’s children will have spent only about 9 days total in school for the month of April. This is a long time to have to find ways to entertain three young, rambunctious sons.
“Oh, I don’t care for it,” said Bennett, about the national holiday aspect of the wedding. “The boys have not been in school for ages. I can’t believe the kids are never in school. It’s absolutely mad. I love my children to death, but I need a break!”
Crown Point native’s Chris and Lisa Westworth have noticed a definite lack of royalist enthusiasm amongst their friends and neighbors in the West London neighborhood of Chiswick. The two former Crown Point High School Bulldogs are a bit surprised to find their fellow Americans more excited about William and Kate’s big day than their British cousins.
“For most of my British friends, for them it’s an excuse to have street parties and to have the day off,” said Lisa Westworth. “I think there is more excitement for the wedding in the United States than there is here.”
Lisa is following the coverage of the wedding in the buildup to Friday’s ceremony and finds Prince William and Kate Middleton quite likeable, but she has no delusions about the moral superiority of the members of the House of Windsor.
“I can kind of relate to them,” said Lisa Westworth, about the royal couple. “They are a young couple, like us, and they seem to really be in love with each other. But we all know that Prince Charles was a real scumbag and was cheating on Princess Diana the night before their wedding. But I guess William and Kate seem different. We don’t know though.”
U.S. singles are more likely than Brits to watch the royal wedding.
• 40% of U.S. singles say they plan to watch the royal wedding on TV, whereas only 31% of single Brits say they plan to tune in.
- From Zoosk Royal Wedding Survey.
The Royal Wedding: On the Scene
(A TESCO stooge [formerly the Duchess of York] handing out crappy paper flags in Trafalgar Square)
Caught the train for Charing Cross Station at about 6:30am. I was expecting a swarm of royal wedding zombies on board but was instead pleasanty surprised to find it mostly empty. I met a nice family from near Manchester who were in town for holiday and were excited to have the chance to soak up the wedding madness.
Exited Charing Cross to find a much more frantic scene. Hordes of people were flooding into Tralfagar Square and down into The Mall. They were decked out in Union Jacks, Canadian maple leaves, Australian flags, St. George crosses, Scottish flags, Welsh Dragons and, of course, images of William and Kate. Every where I looked were banners, signs and t-shirts baring smiling images of the world's most popular wealthy couple.
(Monarchist Canadians looking for some royal back bacon in Trafalgar Square)
Once down into The Mall, it quickly became apparent that I was trying to walk into a wall of red, white and blue bedecked humanity. With my arms full of free flags and other giveaways being doled out by various representatives of various companies and a notebook full of royalist friendly qoutes, I high-tailed it out of there while the getting was good. I swam up stream through people in Union Jack wigs and faces painted in St. George's cross. I scurried quickly through the horde and past the giant screens playing old news reels of the queen's coronation and back into the safety of the train station.
(A pair of Aussies in the midst of a Vegemite and Fosters induced stupor on The Mall)
I rushed on board the #3 train back home and let the silence wrap around me. Just a few hundred yards away were hundreds of thousands of Wills and Kate loving whackos whipped into a frenzy over fairy-tales and patriotism.
Back behind the safety of my keyboard in beautiful SE18, which itself is quite dead, with the wedding on the TV, I can start to relax. The high streets are empty. I can only assume that everyone is in front of the tube watching the spectacle.
The story I wrote was quite rah-rah "we love you, Wills!" type of thing. Don't feel exactly great about it, but at least I was given the chance to write up a piece that ran today (4/29/11) about how most Londoners don't seem to care one way or the other about the wedding. Though, the emptiness of our neighborhood may call that thesis in question. The average Londoner might not care about the wedding . . . all that much, but they still care. As do I. I hate the concept of the monarchy and would love to see the British Republic replace the United Kingdom, but there is something undeniably compelling about the images being broadcast around the world and being in that mad crowd of royalist sentiments was a bit electric. Just try being around that many celebrating people and not pick up a contact high.
So, in summary. Everybody pretends to not care about the royals, but the truth is everybody is fascinated by them. Love or hate them,we are paying attention and discussing them. The monarchy is disgusting but it really puts on an exciting show.
(Kate Middleton moments before the ceremony)
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Royal Wedding - Yuck. Prolog
"It's like a fairy tale, isn't it?", you might hear said by some ladies chatting away in the grocery store check out line. The pair are both in their late-30s, dressed in track suits and wearing Crocks on their feet, and are looking at the cover of a celebrity gossip magazine with the shit-eating smiles of Prince William and Kate Middleton emblazoned across it. This gruesome two-some, inbetween episodes of Oprah and The View, are probably in the midst of seperate reveries in which they are being swept off their feet by "Wills" and taken off to Buckingham Palace for a good, long fuck-fest on silk sheets while rose petals fall from some heart shaped void in time and space floating over the bed. They are now a Princess and getting it from the heir-apparent is just one of the many benefits to this fairy-tale lifestyle. There are huge country estates, palaces, cars, planes, celebrity friends, jewels, designer clothes, excess and pampering!!!!! So much better than the IT stooge they married after college and feel obligated to toss a lay to once a week or so. Ugh! To think that I'm going to be adding to this fantasy makes me a bit ashamed of myself.
(Regent Street decked out for the wedding)
I have been asked to cover the Royal Wedding for The Northwest Indiana Times Newspaper. I'll be providing some exclusive color content.
(Regent St. in wedding regalia)
(Regent Street decked out for the wedding)
I have been asked to cover the Royal Wedding for The Northwest Indiana Times Newspaper. I'll be providing some exclusive color content.
(Regent St. in wedding regalia)
I'm pretty anti-monarchy so I'm hoping to create a more balanced piece about the wedding than most sources will present. The fact is I have not met anyone in London who is excited about a couple of rich super-elites getting married. They are just happy to have the day off. The fact that the wedding is a national holiday helps placate the proleteriate resentments of hereditary heirs to thrones spending millions of pounds on their "special day" while the rest of us have to deal with the massive government cuts the Tories and their Lib-Dem lapdogs have instigated.
(Here is an early picture of the happy couple)
Not being a citizen of the UK limits how far I feel I can display my disdain for the monarchy in public. It's not exactly my fight . . . yet. But I still can't help but feeling a little bit greasy in the pit of my stomach providing positive press over "Wills" and "Kate" getting hitched. Let's face it, any coverage of this wedding will be construed as ultimately promoting it. The best thing would be if nobody paid any attention to what this pack of multi-billionaire power broker welfare recipients do.
(Here is just a reminder that Prince Harry, William's little brother and currently 3rd in line to the throne, likes to get drunk and dress like a Nazi)
Well, it will be interesting to see what kind of story I come up with. I feel a little dirty about it but the truth is good intentions do not pay the kid's nursery bill.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
My Favorite UK Protestors. 1
One good thing the UK is good for is creating really interesting protestors. Demonstrating is a way of life here for a lot of people. I want to introduce to you one of my favorite UK protestors: Arthur Pendragon
Arthur Rex is a fixture at Stone Henge, where he is currently protesting the removal of ancient remains found on the site. He wants the remains put back where they were found. He also protests the fact that Stonehenge is fenced off from the public. He was also involved in the legal proceedings that led to the EU government siding with the UK's neo-Pagans in their demands to be allowed access to Stonehenge for religious ceremonies. Because of this, the Pagans get access to Stonehenge during the solstices and equinoxes. So, the man is scrappy and has been involved in some real progress for his cause.
When we met Arthur, he was sitting outside the fence near the entrance to Stonehenge with a sign demanding that the remains be returned and talking to anyone who wanted to hear what he had to say. He came off as a rather sweet though intense guy who enjoyed driving English Heritage and the government crazy with his constant presence and protests. As we parted company from him, he gave my 4 year old daugther an autographed picture of himself decked out as a medieval king signed "Arthur Rex". If that does not make him cool, I don't know what will.
Here is his autobiography, in brief, from Arthur's website:
Titular Head and Chosen Chief
King Arthur Pendragon is the Titular Head and Chosen Chief of what has become known as the, Lawband, Clawband and Warband, or as may be called, Wizards, Witches and Warriors. Each Order fighting for and sworn to the Ancient virtues of Truth of Honour and of Justice. Druid members of LAW may be found at Avebury on the nearest Saturday to celebrations of the eight-fold wheel. Also in London on Primrose Hill on the nearest Sunday to each Solstice and Equinox and at Stonehenge on the dawn of the actual day of Solstices and Equinoxes, performing public Ritual and Ceremony (English Heritage & Wiltshire Constabulary permitting). The Warriors may generally be found, not surprisingly, on the Battlefield - the Protest sites, and Magical support may usually be provided by Dragon Claw and the Druids
Biography
Born fifth of the fourth fifty four, John Timothy Rothwell was the son of a modern-day warrior, 4546273, Sgt W L Rothwell, a Scouser in the York and Lancaster Regiment, (for was it not the sergeants that won the war for us?) and May Victoria (a Londoner named after two queens) Rothwell nee Barratt.
Arthur (or John as he was then known) was born in Yorkshire and was raised in the shire of Hamp, being the garrison town of Aldershot. Although Sgt Rothwell is interred in Aldershot military cemetery under the above name what his original name was is unclear. Having run away from school - it was a good one, being approved - he then lied about his age, changed his name, joined the British army, corps of drums, and went to war.
Arthur himself was the original boy named Sue, 1954 being long before the time of the scan, and was in fact to be called Susan Carol. Unfortunately, when he was born, he was discovered to be far too dangly to be a girl, and after a re-think it was decided to call him Timothy John. However, Sgt Rothwell's commanding officer and his lady wife had decided upon this very combination for their own child born around the same time. Therefore, not wishing to be seen to copy, the young Arthur was duly named John Timothy, although, as we have heard, the Rothwell part of the name was highly dubious. From what Arthur has subsequently learned, it is likely that his father's original forenames were Angelo Fritzgerrio, obviously not the ideal combination during the Second World War. Thus the young Arthur of indeterminate origins was brought up, an army brat (mongrel English). His mother's line, however, is more traceable, and includes such personages as Blawe-Barret, the last English man to face Jack Johnson, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
Having received a secondary education and leaving school at the age of fifteen without qualifications (although he later gained membership of Mensa), he got a job as a telegram boy. The adolescent Arthur turned into a "rebel with without a cause" becoming a time served nomadic biker chieftain - however as 24341883 1st battalion Royal Hampshire Regiment, Arthur received exemplary conduct upon discharge from Her Majesties forces. Before returning to the biker fraternity, Arthur was in fact a Minister in the Universal Free Church, holding the title of Reverend and the job description of Psychic Investigator.
His interest in all things Spiritual began at the age of fourteen, whilst skiving school, when he and his father suffered a traumatic and near death experience in a train crash - the dustcart his father was driving was hit by a train. Following this, the young Arthur was then drawn to things of the occult, religion and philosophy, thus the beginning of his Druidic training.
After diverse adventures and life experiences, it was in 1986 that he reverted to his once true and former name of Arthur Uther Pendragon. By Beltane of 1990 he had been hailed as the once and future king, Rex Quondam Rexque Futuris, and raised Honoured Pendragon, Glastonbury Order of Druids.
Since then he has received many titles from both the Druid and Wicca community and has steadfastly fought for Truth, for Honour and for Justice, campaigning both against the encroachment on our once green and pleasant land by developers, and for and on behalf of the civil rights movement. He views himself primarily as a Freedom Fighter with his reality being, that if we ever get it, Freedom that is, his work is done and he is out of here.
He is presently known for his role as an environmentalist and Eco-warrior. What is not as well known or as publicised is the fact that he was the piling foreman on the Peterborough bypass and helped to run in a supervisory capacity a six and a nine million pound contract for Laing Management Contracting.
He and his order, the Loyal Arthurian Warband, have been involved (at the sharp end) with campaigns such as Twyford Down, the Third Battle of Newbury, Manchester Airport, Birmingham, Crystal Palace, Lymminge, Kingston, Stringers Common, Stonehenge, Dead Woman's Bottom, Teddy Bear Woods and Preston amongst others
Being sworn to the Sacred and Imperial Oath, he has run in General Elections, being the only Independent candidate to poll more votes than a national party. He has taken H.M Government to the European Court of Human Rights, and as Plaintive, challenged the Home Secretary in the Royal Courts of Justice. As defendant, he has appeared before Crown, Magistrates and County Courts against the forces of establishment. He will not shun his responsibility to challenge any Law that he and his Order see as unjust, nor will he or his Order shrink from fighting in any arena, whether it be it a Court of Law, in the pursuit of justice, an election, (through the ballot box) for general consent, or through the diverse channels of Druidry and Wicca. Thus, he and his Order take their vows seriously, and will live and, if need be, die by the sword - the sword in question being Arthur's sword Excalibur.
Personal
King Arthur Pendragon, is a Pagan Priest, and Druid Swordbearer, and takes (as do his Knights and Priestesses) their duties seriously. This means that he has an unshakeable belief in the Divine and his/and their place in this system. Thus it may be observed that he is at one - King, Arthur and Pendragon. What is best for the nation (Pendragon) must come first. What is best for the tribe (King) must come second and what is best for the man (Arthur) must come last. Thus as King, as Arthur and as Pendragon he must prioritise.
As Arthur
Arthur, the man, is Pagan and has a belief in the twinning, being that of the Sun and the Moon, Male/Female, Druid and Wicca. That we can have one without the other is not within his belief structure. That the Female is the sisterhood is without doubt and likewise that the Male is the brotherhood is beyond question. That monogamy exists is up to the individual and not within his belief structure. "The only way I may make love to the Goddess is through her priestesses - each and every female is an aspect thereof". Therefore when you hear "The Kings a Tart" it's probably true. And it works for him.
As King
As King, Arthur believes paramount in the fellowship of the Table Round, it being a case of horses for courses. Arthur being the best God'dam' Arthur we've got, simply because he is the only Arthur we've got, Parsley being the best Parcival we have for the same reason. Just as Gally and Daggers are the best Galahad and Daggonet we have for the very same reason. And like any cycle or chain. It is only as strong as its weakest link. Thus we all have a part to play and stand or fall as one. Thus is the nature of the tribe.
As Pendragon
A title given to an ancient British or Welsh Chief holding or claiming supreme power. In English, chiefly known as Uther Pendragon, father of Arthur. The word means "Chief Dragon" the dragon being the war standard. - The Oxford Companion to English Literature.
As Battle Chieftain Arthur takes his role seriously and will do naught as either King or Arthur to jeopardise what is best for the Isle of the Mighty (Britain) and the common good.
It is his belief that there are others at this time who have returned to fight and to lead the other nations. So too shall they join the fight and alliances be made for good to triumph over evil. Arthur's work however remains here in the Isle of the Mighty.
THINK GLOBALLY ACT LOCALLY
King Arthur Pendragon
Arthur Rex is a fixture at Stone Henge, where he is currently protesting the removal of ancient remains found on the site. He wants the remains put back where they were found. He also protests the fact that Stonehenge is fenced off from the public. He was also involved in the legal proceedings that led to the EU government siding with the UK's neo-Pagans in their demands to be allowed access to Stonehenge for religious ceremonies. Because of this, the Pagans get access to Stonehenge during the solstices and equinoxes. So, the man is scrappy and has been involved in some real progress for his cause.
When we met Arthur, he was sitting outside the fence near the entrance to Stonehenge with a sign demanding that the remains be returned and talking to anyone who wanted to hear what he had to say. He came off as a rather sweet though intense guy who enjoyed driving English Heritage and the government crazy with his constant presence and protests. As we parted company from him, he gave my 4 year old daugther an autographed picture of himself decked out as a medieval king signed "Arthur Rex". If that does not make him cool, I don't know what will.
Here is his autobiography, in brief, from Arthur's website:
Titular Head and Chosen Chief
King Arthur Pendragon is the Titular Head and Chosen Chief of what has become known as the, Lawband, Clawband and Warband, or as may be called, Wizards, Witches and Warriors. Each Order fighting for and sworn to the Ancient virtues of Truth of Honour and of Justice. Druid members of LAW may be found at Avebury on the nearest Saturday to celebrations of the eight-fold wheel. Also in London on Primrose Hill on the nearest Sunday to each Solstice and Equinox and at Stonehenge on the dawn of the actual day of Solstices and Equinoxes, performing public Ritual and Ceremony (English Heritage & Wiltshire Constabulary permitting). The Warriors may generally be found, not surprisingly, on the Battlefield - the Protest sites, and Magical support may usually be provided by Dragon Claw and the Druids
Biography
Born fifth of the fourth fifty four, John Timothy Rothwell was the son of a modern-day warrior, 4546273, Sgt W L Rothwell, a Scouser in the York and Lancaster Regiment, (for was it not the sergeants that won the war for us?) and May Victoria (a Londoner named after two queens) Rothwell nee Barratt.
Arthur (or John as he was then known) was born in Yorkshire and was raised in the shire of Hamp, being the garrison town of Aldershot. Although Sgt Rothwell is interred in Aldershot military cemetery under the above name what his original name was is unclear. Having run away from school - it was a good one, being approved - he then lied about his age, changed his name, joined the British army, corps of drums, and went to war.
Arthur himself was the original boy named Sue, 1954 being long before the time of the scan, and was in fact to be called Susan Carol. Unfortunately, when he was born, he was discovered to be far too dangly to be a girl, and after a re-think it was decided to call him Timothy John. However, Sgt Rothwell's commanding officer and his lady wife had decided upon this very combination for their own child born around the same time. Therefore, not wishing to be seen to copy, the young Arthur was duly named John Timothy, although, as we have heard, the Rothwell part of the name was highly dubious. From what Arthur has subsequently learned, it is likely that his father's original forenames were Angelo Fritzgerrio, obviously not the ideal combination during the Second World War. Thus the young Arthur of indeterminate origins was brought up, an army brat (mongrel English). His mother's line, however, is more traceable, and includes such personages as Blawe-Barret, the last English man to face Jack Johnson, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
Having received a secondary education and leaving school at the age of fifteen without qualifications (although he later gained membership of Mensa), he got a job as a telegram boy. The adolescent Arthur turned into a "rebel with without a cause" becoming a time served nomadic biker chieftain - however as 24341883 1st battalion Royal Hampshire Regiment, Arthur received exemplary conduct upon discharge from Her Majesties forces. Before returning to the biker fraternity, Arthur was in fact a Minister in the Universal Free Church, holding the title of Reverend and the job description of Psychic Investigator.
His interest in all things Spiritual began at the age of fourteen, whilst skiving school, when he and his father suffered a traumatic and near death experience in a train crash - the dustcart his father was driving was hit by a train. Following this, the young Arthur was then drawn to things of the occult, religion and philosophy, thus the beginning of his Druidic training.
After diverse adventures and life experiences, it was in 1986 that he reverted to his once true and former name of Arthur Uther Pendragon. By Beltane of 1990 he had been hailed as the once and future king, Rex Quondam Rexque Futuris, and raised Honoured Pendragon, Glastonbury Order of Druids.
Since then he has received many titles from both the Druid and Wicca community and has steadfastly fought for Truth, for Honour and for Justice, campaigning both against the encroachment on our once green and pleasant land by developers, and for and on behalf of the civil rights movement. He views himself primarily as a Freedom Fighter with his reality being, that if we ever get it, Freedom that is, his work is done and he is out of here.
He is presently known for his role as an environmentalist and Eco-warrior. What is not as well known or as publicised is the fact that he was the piling foreman on the Peterborough bypass and helped to run in a supervisory capacity a six and a nine million pound contract for Laing Management Contracting.
He and his order, the Loyal Arthurian Warband, have been involved (at the sharp end) with campaigns such as Twyford Down, the Third Battle of Newbury, Manchester Airport, Birmingham, Crystal Palace, Lymminge, Kingston, Stringers Common, Stonehenge, Dead Woman's Bottom, Teddy Bear Woods and Preston amongst others
Being sworn to the Sacred and Imperial Oath, he has run in General Elections, being the only Independent candidate to poll more votes than a national party. He has taken H.M Government to the European Court of Human Rights, and as Plaintive, challenged the Home Secretary in the Royal Courts of Justice. As defendant, he has appeared before Crown, Magistrates and County Courts against the forces of establishment. He will not shun his responsibility to challenge any Law that he and his Order see as unjust, nor will he or his Order shrink from fighting in any arena, whether it be it a Court of Law, in the pursuit of justice, an election, (through the ballot box) for general consent, or through the diverse channels of Druidry and Wicca. Thus, he and his Order take their vows seriously, and will live and, if need be, die by the sword - the sword in question being Arthur's sword Excalibur.
Personal
King Arthur Pendragon, is a Pagan Priest, and Druid Swordbearer, and takes (as do his Knights and Priestesses) their duties seriously. This means that he has an unshakeable belief in the Divine and his/and their place in this system. Thus it may be observed that he is at one - King, Arthur and Pendragon. What is best for the nation (Pendragon) must come first. What is best for the tribe (King) must come second and what is best for the man (Arthur) must come last. Thus as King, as Arthur and as Pendragon he must prioritise.
As Arthur
Arthur, the man, is Pagan and has a belief in the twinning, being that of the Sun and the Moon, Male/Female, Druid and Wicca. That we can have one without the other is not within his belief structure. That the Female is the sisterhood is without doubt and likewise that the Male is the brotherhood is beyond question. That monogamy exists is up to the individual and not within his belief structure. "The only way I may make love to the Goddess is through her priestesses - each and every female is an aspect thereof". Therefore when you hear "The Kings a Tart" it's probably true. And it works for him.
As King
As King, Arthur believes paramount in the fellowship of the Table Round, it being a case of horses for courses. Arthur being the best God'dam' Arthur we've got, simply because he is the only Arthur we've got, Parsley being the best Parcival we have for the same reason. Just as Gally and Daggers are the best Galahad and Daggonet we have for the very same reason. And like any cycle or chain. It is only as strong as its weakest link. Thus we all have a part to play and stand or fall as one. Thus is the nature of the tribe.
As Pendragon
A title given to an ancient British or Welsh Chief holding or claiming supreme power. In English, chiefly known as Uther Pendragon, father of Arthur. The word means "Chief Dragon" the dragon being the war standard. - The Oxford Companion to English Literature.
As Battle Chieftain Arthur takes his role seriously and will do naught as either King or Arthur to jeopardise what is best for the Isle of the Mighty (Britain) and the common good.
It is his belief that there are others at this time who have returned to fight and to lead the other nations. So too shall they join the fight and alliances be made for good to triumph over evil. Arthur's work however remains here in the Isle of the Mighty.
THINK GLOBALLY ACT LOCALLY
King Arthur Pendragon
- Say what you will about the guy but you have to admit he has style. I personally feel that he is fighting a good fight. Sure, the Druids arose in Britain after Stonehenge was constructed. Sure, the neo-Druid movement and and most of the neo-Pagan movement has very little connection to the actual pagan peoples that lived here prior to Christianity taking over. That said, today's Pagans are a real religion that draw inspiration from the ancient people of Britain and Europe and deserve to be accorded the respect other religious groups receive. That means they should have access to their holy places whenever they need access and should have some say in what to do with the relics and remains of the people they venerate. Plus, the fact that Stonehenge is being used as a place of worship makes it much cooler. It's not just some mysterious pile of stone slabs. It is a living place being used not just as a museum piece but as part of spirtual lives of modern men and women. How different is that from places like Westminster Abbey or Canterbury Cathedral? The fact that those ancient places of worship continue to function and have so much history, that is still being created, adds to their grandeur. The same goes for Stonehenge. English Heritage should embrace Arthur and his Pagan pals. Maybe let them set up a little stand explaining who they are and the relevance of the site to their faith. Embrace the living history and make everyone happy.
Maybe the problem is that the Pagans are a "new" religion and as such do not get the respect that more established religions receive? If so, this is a case of bigotry and discrimination. I trust that Arthur Rex and company are prepared for the fight to come.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
What the London Marathon Means to Me.
Today was the London Marathon. A major sporting/cultural event in these parts. But for those of use not hanging out on the sidelines cheering on the runners or kicking it at a pub party along the route it was a major pain the nether-end. Allow me to explain. Less than a week ago I had a hernia operation. Currently I feel as if I have a severly battered and tender oversized meatball where my right testicle used to me. Walking any distance or sitting in one position for any great length of time causes major pain and discomfot. Well, today I decided to get out of the house and accompany my wife and daughter to the O2 (located inside the "Millenium Dome" on Greenwich Peninsula), about 5 miles from our house, to catch the 1 GBP kids matinees at the cinema there. Today was Megamind (which I recommend highly). 
We forgot to take into account that the marathon was starting at just the same time as we were heading out for the movies. What would have been a 15 minute drive turned into a 45 minute twisty-turny, around-and-around, mess. At first this was kind of a cute adventure through our hood. Then the pain set in. My left testie began to throb and groan more and more with every "Diversion" sign we passed. 
By the time we found our way to the Blackwall Tunnel, it felt as though one half of my family jewles were going to explode due to prolonged sitting in one uncomfortable position. I pictured one of those old Madballs toys chewing its way through my boxer shorts. 
We forgot to take into account that the marathon was starting at just the same time as we were heading out for the movies. What would have been a 15 minute drive turned into a 45 minute twisty-turny, around-and-around, mess. At first this was kind of a cute adventure through our hood. Then the pain set in. My left testie began to throb and groan more and more with every "Diversion" sign we passed. 
By the time we found our way to the Blackwall Tunnel, it felt as though one half of my family jewles were going to explode due to prolonged sitting in one uncomfortable position. I pictured one of those old Madballs toys chewing its way through my boxer shorts. 
I was nearly in tears by the time Ellen dropped me off at the entrance to the Millenium Dome. Amelia and I shuffled our way into the dome and into a cinema seat. All the while it felt like an anchor was hanging from my manhood. Luckily the seat was comfortable and I was able to shift positions often enough to keep the throbbing Madball that had grown in my pants to a low roar of pain in the back of my mind.
On the way home, the only signs of the marathon along the usual, now open route home from the 02 were heaps of discarded water bottles, Union Jacks hanging from the pubs' windows and my pulsating tackle.
A severe pain in the nuts is what the London Marathon means and will always mean to me.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Getting Started!
I've started this blog to see if I couldn't do something different from the typical travel blogs by my fellow US ex-pats that are out there. Thought I'd kick things off with some photos I took of a protest in front of the Ministry of Defense in Westminster the afternoon of March 21, 2011. The demonstrators were protesting the NATO bombings of Libya. 
While I agree with the broad sentiment, I have a problem with the way the message was being delivered by the speakers on hand. 
There were two groups speaking at the same time. One was a more "Western" group and the other was a fundamentalist, Islamic group. The fundamentalist had an imam speaking, who kept repeating that David Cameron was out to kill all muslims. This of course ignores that the NATO bombing is in support of muslims fighting against another group of muslims. Not very effective. The more "Western"/secular group argued that the bombing was killing innocents and was a heavy handed response and that it was not the "West's" place to intervene. This is a slightly better argument, but it ignores the fact that the Libyan rebels happily accepted NATO intervention. In fact, they have complained about it not being enough! So the point was that Qadaffi is vile and should go but nobody should help get rid of him? Not a great point and one that does not easily translate in a noisy demonstration on a busy London street. 
There were also currents of anti-colonialism sentiments. This is more on the mark but the extremist rhetoric without a rational argument backing it up just causes the message to be easily ignored as "crazy talk".
(Case in Point)
This protestor is typical of the message the fundamentalist were trying to deliver. It is a wronge, emotional, knee jerk reaction to the events in Libya. NATO's intervention is about securing Libyan oil for the West and keeping it out of the hands of a maniac like Qaddafyi, a fundamentalist Islamic government or a government that actually has the best interest of the Libyan people at the front of its agenda.
It's easy math. The Allies support the rebels. The rebels defeat Qaddafyi. The rebels are indebted to The Allies. To pay back this debt and guarantee that their new government continues to have NATO's military backing, they cut The Allies sweet, sweet oil deals. It's a form of economic colonialism. Very simple. It has nothing to do with Islam and everything to do with economics.
So, it was an interesting event, but ultimately the protestors failed with their messages, which were convoluted and too full of anti-Western venom to make a positive impact on the good people of London, especially the good people working in the Ministry of Defense and the nearby Parliament.
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