Dreaming of Freedom

K and I met up with Rojin yesterday and nipped round the National Gallery for a whistle-stop tour. We then wandered down the south bank towards the Tate Modern and I got to see the Globe Theatre for the first time. I can’t believe that it’s round the corner from the Tate Modern. We stopped in the Swan for tea and lemon drizzle cake and then walked further past Drakes’ Galleon and towards Southwark cathedral. We nipped into the closing market before heading back to Covent Garden and The Real Greek were we munched down some food and watched the road being dug up on Long Acre. Apart from having a lovely day it was sad seeing all the people sitting at the side of the streets out on the streets looking homeless and sad. I’ve found a site that looks kind of interesting and may help people who find themselves homeless.

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I was angered when Madonna of all people criticised London transport last week. She has also criticised the NHS in the past. I am not interested in ignorant rich people who think the roads, hospitals and other such useful things were invented purely for them but I am furious that they think they can comment on things they don’t even use. Just because she’s caught in a traffic jam she wants us all to feel sorry for her. Get out of your car that’s polluting the air for the rest of us and stop whinging. How dare she mention the congestion charge - she probably doesn’t even notice the money she spends on it and without the charge Central London would be horrendous. If we’re going to cut traffic and air pollution we all have to do our bit and we’re lucky in London to have such a good public transport system. I know that’s not without it’s problems and it certainly drives me crazy at times but at least we’ve got it and you really can live in London and not feel that you need a car. Ken Livingstone did a brilliant thing introducing it. Go Ken go!!

And as for criticising the NHS… since when do people with any money use the NHS? As far as I can tell there is one system for them that can’t pay and nice private hospitals for thems that can.

Oh it feels good to rant!

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I’m back in London after a very refreshing holiday in Wales. The highlight was sitting in a hot tub looking at the moon whilst sipping champagne. That was pretty good. The worst bit was probably the time we trudged miles in the pouring rain but that was pretty mild compared to the wet adventure I had last year climbing up Snowdon.

As soon as I got back here I climbed on my bike and cycled into Central London. It only takes about 50 minutes so I’m still wresting with myself over whether I should cycle in to work every morning. It’s so cold at the moment and the thought of heavy traffic is putting me off.

Yesterday I went to my favourite little cafe in Chiswick - you know the one! I’m reading a book called Solitude by Anthony Storr. It really nice to hole up somewhere and munch down a couple of pages of it. Today after work I nipped into the National Gallery for a free tour and then vegged out at home in front of Juno - a refreshingly good film with an excellent sound track. Thanks for the recommendation Baggins and Co.

On a more serious note I’m noticing there is a lot of opposition to airport expansion especially the Heathrow and Stansted expansions. There has been an unfortunate decision by the High Court to state the expansion as legal. Several groups are involved in trying to stop the expansions, including Stop Stansted Expansion and Stop Heathrow Expansion. The usual Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth campaigns are going and Ken Livingstone has come out against expansions. I guess it’s up to us to stop flying despite the cheap flights and the expensive alternatives. When the government starts to take climate change seriously and taxes air travel while subsiding greener forms of transport, I’ll start to believe they care about the issue.

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It’s good to see that teachers are resisting overt propaganda in schools. In an attempt to bring up a generation of young people with misconceptions about the Iraq war the the MOD has prepared lesson plans with their own version of events. Luckily instead of blindly walking into the classroom and teaching this 1984 style history, teachers have questioned the lessons on the grounds that they don’t allow students to be taught with objectivity and balance. It is vital that we don’t allow the classroom to become an extension of the media and I am particularly glad this issue has been highlighted because while genocide continues in our names we should loudly proclaim that we know why our country wages war, what it seeks and what the real losses are and we should not accept their distorted version of events.

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I have just finished watching a film called ‘What would Jesus buy’ featuring a rather eccentric activist Reverend Billy. The group he has set up has been campaigning about a variety of things but the film focuses on the anti consumerism message. Combined with the anti Walmart film I indulged in last night I am feeling in a ranty mood and am determined to boycot Asda/Walmart and in fact all unnecessary shopping. Although this is something I resolved to do years ago. I find that working and living in London is not really compatible with any sort of environmentally friendly life style. Apart from Chiswick and High Street Kensington I have not found any organic shops to buy food from. There is as always a shortage of fair trade and environmentally friendly clothing. Although it is now possible to buy some organic and fair trade products from supermarkets this only encourages us in their doors and makes us forget that what they represent is the opposite of the main beliefs behind the fair trade and organic movements. Unfortunately the place I live boasts only supermarkets so the options for food shopping is limited but having reminded myself about the fact that Walmart has it’s clothes made in sweatshops, refuses to allow employees in America to unionise, pays low wages and offers no benefits to most employees while raking in profits of billions - I find I have lost my appetite anyway.

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I’ve just been to see Media Lens receive the Gandhi Award in East London. It was lovely to see John Pilger there as well as the two amazing Davids who run Media Lens. They certainly deserve the award after the amazing job they do keeping a watch on our biased and truth-distorting media. There was a wonderful atmosphere there primarily because everyone was so polite and peaceful. I had a affirming sense of being in the same room as other people who believe in my own non-violent pacifist convictions. In fact this atmosphere is very indicative of the approach of Media Lens who have been stalwarts in the fight to get the truthful war coverage in the Middle East. One guardian writer put it rather well when he said
“The fact that Edwards and Cromwell are so unfailingly polite seems to upset the editors and journalists that they approach when probing their motives, actions and results. I seem to recall having been at the sharp end on one occasion too and it is an uncomfortable experience to be brought face to face with assumptions you have failed to question.” Roy Greenslade, The Guardian Blogs, 30.11.07.

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Burma - what a nightmare. I can’t bear to think of the suffering that must be happening there as the military attack people. A grisly picture of a monk horrifically bruised and beaten floating face down in a river was to be found in the free papers of London today along with claims that thousands have been killed. I wouldn’t be surprised - the regime in Burma has been brutal and oppressive since the last uprising in the 80s.

On another note - don’t forget the anti war demo on the 8th. Unfortunately I’ll be sitting in an exam hall but I’ll be there in spirit. The Lancet estimate that 655 000 have died but I should imagine it’s much much higher than that - the ORB have estimated that 1 million have died. It’s disturbing that this bloody situation has been going on for six years, two countries have been devastated, untold suffering and death has been wreaked and yet we allow it to continue.

Umm yeah - that would be me! I’ve busy moving to London and working and haven’t done anything except pay the taxes that help to bankroll the war. It is good to work though and I do love my job and I guess the taxes help pay for the NHS until it’s privatised.

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I’ve just been watching George Galloway in Parliament attempt to defend himself against the report from the Standards and Privileges Committee which claimed that: “he did not register his interest in the Mariam Appeal, or the individual donations it received above the registration threshold; he did not declare his interest in the Mariam Appeal on all occasions when he should have done so; he used his Parliamentary office and staff in support of the Mariam Appeal to an excessive extent; he breached the advocacy rule in the terms in which it was in force at the time.”

They have found him that because he had thus “damaged the reputation of the House” that he should “apologise to the House, and be suspended from its service for a period of eighteen actual sitting days”. I don’t know and I guess only George does whether this is true or not. I don’t know whether he knew that his charity was benefiting form the food for oil programme. Again I guess only he knows. The Committee seem convinced he did. The whole food for oil and economic sanctions were a sick game anyway. Debasing and degrading a country is wrong whatever Tony Blair’s and George Bush’s god thinks.

Galloway was making a sterling attempt at a defence. He is a powerful orator and he successfully besmirched some of the members of the committee before Michael Martin ‘named’ and threw him out. If we had had a press worthy of our interest they would have started filming him immediately and broadcasting Galloway outside but as it was we had to wait ages to get some snippets of his speech. I don’t think I’ve seen Galloway speak before – but boy is he entertaining. He has a good voting record and the guts to stand up and speak passionately - he has impressed me.

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Day Seven of No Sugar! I’m doing fine although I do have to keep reminding myself not to eat sugar. It’s hard to remember, especially when you are hungry, to eat something sensible and not just munch on a chocolate. However I don’t really miss it much. I do feel a tiny bit thinner but not much. The real change is in my mood which is more stable. With less mood swings I feel happier and less lethargic and I am less likely to feel grumpy. My mind feels less agitated as well.

Yes I Hear you say sugar is bad for you! We know. Well maybe we know but why do we eat so much of it. The sugar trade is bad for people, it’s bad for our health and it’s really only good for profit makers ranging from plantation owners to big bad sugar corporations
Sugar was founded on slavery and not much has changed. The terrible conditions that many workers on sugar plantations endure is documented but not stopped. The British Medical Journal over thirteen years ago raised concerns of child workers. Concerns about obesity have also been raised but consumption increases. Concerns about the negative impact of sugar on health have been mooted by health professions and surface again and again from all quarters.
Sugar is a global concern for people concerned about inequality, poverty, slavery and health but yet I walk into any shop selling food and there it is – in everything.

So firstly I’m going to see how long I can go without the stuff, whether I feel better or whether I crave it and then I’m going to get hold of Nancy Appleton’s book Lick the Sugar Habit and read it. Watch this space for a book review.

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I went to Norwich Arts Centre to see Rory McVicar, Jeffrey Lewis and Kimya Dawson last night. Some of the songs were great. I took to Rory McVicar and the groovy old films they had playing on the screen behind them.

John Pilger was great! Of course a lot was squished into 2 hours so it has its limitations but otherwise it was a well made film. Heartrending but necessary. It was good to see the man himself. What a guy! A life time of investigative journalism! He must be very strong to see the horror for himself. Someone asked him how he managed to do it and he said he felt privileged to be let into people lives and do the work he did but it must be very hard to see so much suffering and hear so many tales of woe.

Right I’m off to meet Rich for coffee and a natter. I’m trying to ignore the fact that we now have another new PM and this one is even more interested in ID cards. Keep an eye on him on this clever little website.

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