Opinion

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With more than one disaster competing for the top new headline position within the last few weeks, it does indeed feel as anything is possible at the moment.  Sitting from my safe haven of the North East currently, eyes glued to the unfolding dramas and pinching myself occasionally to ensure reality has not bolted out the door.  This country could quite easily be on the cusp of a civil war, revolution, be plunged into the sad reality of martial law(perhaps shipped in).  Whatever does eventuate, you can be guaranteed of two things.  Politicians who began the who fiasco, will be parading around  ensuring the required amount camera time and pithy sound bites are dished out, and it will damage our economy even further meaning more doom and gloom headlines for the foreseeable future.  Its grim up north some say, but at the moment at least we don't have to content with violious vagabonds tearing up our city centres.

The most beguiling of all recent stories is the eruption of wanton looting, burning and an array of different criminal acts being carried out by large gangs of young louts across the country. This feels like the culmination of blunder after blunder everyone currently in positions that have been gifted to the   The media come time and time again to the conclusion that Blackberry Instant Messager has had a large part to play, as have many internet social and communicative tools.  Bit of a shame for Blackberry really, getting caught in the crossfire between an large amounts of media companies attempting not to implode and venting their frustration at the recently departed bedfellows also known as current and previous members of the government, and a large percentage of disenfranchised, muppets with a thirst for Carling Special Brew, chucking things, especially if they can be ignited then thrown, and the odd 32 inch tv or 500.… Continues …

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My wife gave birth to our first child a few weeks ago, and I'm writing this after a midnight run to the hospital laboratory with a stool sample, to check if our baby's diarrhea is anything to worry about.

It's not.  Which is good, but I'm wondering if I'm destined to spend the next 18 years on pins and needles, waiting anxiously for diagnoses, rifling through parenting books, and scouring the web for info.  I'm going to need some way to keep from stressing about every little hiccup and cough.

And then it struck me: the news media does this to us too.  It throws impending doom in our faces every day — as if we couldn't imagine it ourselves!  Catastrophe is literally around every corner.  Even innocuous events are spun to their full, ominous potential.  It is really and truly an anxiety-inducing parade of fear, and it's non-stop, 24 hours a day.

What kind of terrible events are on tap at the moment?  Here's a small sampling:… Continues …

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From the news of Bin Laden's death and subsequent burial at sea I was keenly aware that this would give huge rise to yet another conspiracy theory. These types of theories have been bandied about the Web and written up against all major events that have happened for the past 100 years plus, from the moon landing to Hitler setting the Reichstag fire, the deaths of Diana, JFK, Abraham Lincoln, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the motivations behind various wars, aliens, the using of different chemicals on the populace and of course 9/11.

I have read some of these theories and the "Collapse of Building 7" included as one of the main factors to the 911 theory did sound very plausible. I still wonder as to how it collapsed but I just have never been able to whip my head around the "whole" idea of mass government conspiracies.  I cannot see, personally, that governments would go to such lengths for certain alleged gains which rarely are achieved.

And then today I read about a book called Voodoo Histories which a research journalist has written to debunk and show up certain main conspiracy theorists' theories, expert witnesses and their allegations.… Continues …

2012...

When I first stumbled across this date, the prophecies and significance that have been associated with 21/12/2012 (before the movie may I add), I was hugely drawn in by the vast number of different predictions on what would happen (if anything), and how the these foreseen events would occur... in approximately 21 months from now?

What does stand out to me is the amount, the different standpoints but yet similar views on this “End of Age”.

First off and probably the most hyped is the Mayan Calendar, which runs out on this exact date, (erm well by some people's calculations).

Popol Vuh is the Mayan Creation Myth, that the Earth, humanity, and life experience cycles of destruction and re-birth over long periods of time, every 26,000 years. This is called the Long Count.  Throughout the Mayan culture and to this day the stars have had a huge part to play in their outlook on the cycles of earth, harvest, socio-structures and of course the measurement of these, and more importantly the measurement of time.… Continues …

Reading the newspaper today, I am struck dumb by the lack of common sense and righteousness of today’s society.

The Phone Hacking Scandals, the state of the British economy, the rights for terror suspects, Tunisia, Hezbollah being in power in Lebanon, unrest in Egypt and other Arab countries run by dictators which if ousted may then have a government run by other terror organizations and wave upon wave of environmental disasters.

If there was ever a time to think that the Apocalypse is coming you would not be alone in your thinking that we have never been closer to a cataclysmic catastrophe than at the present time.

Looking back over the years there has always been war, corruption, violence, environmental disasters and the rest but has there ever been a time when so much of the above is happening all at the same time?

In times gone by there have always been Inspiration People to show us the beauty, poetry and love that IS within the world, it eases the soul into believing in something better, takes your mind off the bad and helps keep faith that there is some sort of goodness, light, love and hope out there and that they're working towards making a difference.… Continues …

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"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever" - from George Orwell's 1984

For millions of Americans this is their future. How else can you describe a person's future as a prisoner of the American Prison Industrial complex? Take a look at the facts and figures and what you will find is incredibly frightening and something needs to be done about it.

I'm not saying that people who commit horrible crimes shouldn't be locked up but when one in every 18 men are either behind bars or being monitored there is something wrong in society. As of June 2009[update], 2,297,400 were incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails  This means America, the land of the free, has the worlds largest prison population. The worst part is that although crime rates have declined by about 25 percent from 1988-2008 the Prison population has increased dramatically in same period. This cost the states $47 billion dollars in 2008.… Continues …

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Today in the News US President Obama said progress was sufficient to permit a "responsible reduction" of US forces to begin in July.

I'd like to ask what progress? Afghanistan still is by far the worlds largest producer of opium and has the 2nd most corrupt government in the world. Transparency International rates only one country, Somalia, as worse.

The cornerstone of the coalition strategy in Afghanistan calls for the Afghan government to eventually take over security and to provide stronger government institutions and services. How can this happen though in a country where the police set up checkpoints and stop cars demanding payment for permission to pass. In 2009, Afghan citizens had to pay approximately US$ 2.5 billion in bribes, which is equivalent to 23 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).… Continues …

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  The most interesting story I have read recently was about the English Defense League attempting to forge links with minority groups in England such as the Sikh, Jewish and gay communities.  The move is likely to be to fuel hatred of the Muslim community, and in fact the EDL were formed in response to Islamic terrorist activities last year. It has also been stated that they have made firm ties with  The Tea Party.  The EDL have been opening divisions specifically to exploit religious tensions for there own gain.  There  has been report of a "Jewish Division", which I think is a very dangerous move, and wonder if the gentleman in question will be allowed to wear the customary Doc Marten's his chosen fascists deem uniform.  Truly scary.  The EDL are setting these up under the banner of assisting other in response to encroaching Sharia Law.  The EDL Facebook page states "After all, leftists have portrayed themselves for decades as the only ones really interested in promoting a progressive and inclusive agenda: homosexual rights, women's equality, minority rights, reproductive rights, immigration, world peace, among others."  Amazing they would even try this type of stunt, but propaganda is propaganda after all.  EDL have denied being a racist group and have stated that they will not tolerate violence.  Meanwhile, founder of the group, Stephen Lennon denied assaulting a police officer during clashes with Islamic protesters in west London. I hope he is found guilty in the forthcoming trial.

I hate “Do-gooders”. There we go. I’m setting my camp out early with that statement. More to the point, I hate “Evil-doers”. But I find it very hard to distinguish between the two as without one the other would not exist and before long and the closer you inspect you will find a point where the two merge.

Tell me you have not been in the following situation good reader; you have been invited to a social occasion, whether it be a party or a alcoholic gathering of sorts, or any given group activity/gathering for that matter and you are struck dumb by the arrogance and downright unashamed patronising gloat-fest spouting from the mouth of a herd member, going on and on about which charity they support, what “fun” activities they have taken part in to raise funds and or awareness and what “connection” they felt to the current chosen concern.… Continues …

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It would seem that the focus of the press at the moment is all about the changes to Government spending and how it is changing the services that available to the British Punter.  Doom and gloom stories are about all of the time and it would be  a ostrich-like news fanatic of me not to point some of this stuff out. 

Education changes have been making the headlines, mainly due to ongoing "riots" during student protests over fees.  Not like Riots back in my day mind, they were proper riots with proper pipe bombs, coshs and  Riot Squad everywhere.  A Gentleman was charged this week with "violent disorder" for throwing a fire extinguisher through a window such was his rage.… Continues …