tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54717707529710177742024-02-07T17:55:44.091+00:00AntennaIt's in the buildings and it's in the streets, between the cracks in the pavementFireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.comBlogger420125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-76748903525358240622020-08-25T19:07:00.004+01:002020-08-25T19:08:49.230+01:00TWO KINDS OF CLOUD<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kstpjHKFnfO2PZ1WxEpKLi4Tr5C88m82x0W7K5tIxE1M6CQoyBmxrMHc3wYEJzhjuvXDb2B-SpiBWvLYpMzjZXfMYO8UlozlXvmeRl7k5mZ0lpbuyRoiA0Jdqr04pvSa8eODyrstoZXg/s2048/August+sky.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kstpjHKFnfO2PZ1WxEpKLi4Tr5C88m82x0W7K5tIxE1M6CQoyBmxrMHc3wYEJzhjuvXDb2B-SpiBWvLYpMzjZXfMYO8UlozlXvmeRl7k5mZ0lpbuyRoiA0Jdqr04pvSa8eODyrstoZXg/w410-h307/August+sky.JPG" width="410" /></a></p><p></p>Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-75735673862962144012020-08-19T17:00:00.011+01:002021-10-16T22:41:32.193+01:00AGE OF CHAOS<div style="text-align: left;">A destructive wave of sameness sweeps everything in its path<br />Cloned Identikit houses, streets and developments<br />Country fields become shiny solar mirrors <br />Groaning wind turbines stride along resentful ridges<br />Flood, storm and drought puzzle farmers and gardeners<br />We wonder where the bees, birds and butterflies have gone<br />Wherever something is wrong it is too big<br />A toxic alternative seduces those who have lost a sense of pride and belonging<br />The powerless and disenfranchised lob a bomb into the living room of their baffled masters<br />Exhausted dark-skinned people in flimsy dinghies wash up on our shores<br />They explain that they are here because we were there<br />Statues topple into the harbour to remind us that all lives matter<br />So many of us can't breathe<br />A plague has killed off many of our old folk and some of our young folk too<br />Shares in disposable plastic are at an all-time high<br />Shares in actors, singers and publicans are at an all-time low<br />Ministers are rewarded for their incompetence or having rich friends<br />They cry grade inflation as teenagers are punished for their hard work<br />None of the academic lenses seem to make sense of all this<br />We have lost perspective<br />Neither left nor right can protect what we love<br />Teenagers are depressed<br />Mums and dads are alienated<br />Grandparents are lonely<br />Nothing is sacred any more<br />God has fled<br />We cast around looking for someone or something to blame<br />China? Russia? Johnson? Trump?<br />As we mourn what we have lost</div>Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-77760707868740745232020-06-15T18:29:00.003+01:002020-08-19T15:38:44.939+01:00MY WORLD IN TEN IMAGES: #10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNv4XXcChvg8rush7WMIEKUjDvMCSfvMZv9eS2NPHH1jH2GqSooPl_dcefxV3BBgF3-9tkOEQagwrWFTqMumaCTwPmXdFsRhkbkbYiURjNAgkmdRvKwHKxj2zvUKmwSaGpk3fWzZRTnMV/s1600/Media+Lens.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="1329" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNv4XXcChvg8rush7WMIEKUjDvMCSfvMZv9eS2NPHH1jH2GqSooPl_dcefxV3BBgF3-9tkOEQagwrWFTqMumaCTwPmXdFsRhkbkbYiURjNAgkmdRvKwHKxj2zvUKmwSaGpk3fWzZRTnMV/s400/Media+Lens.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-7138972405531694452020-06-14T14:55:00.000+01:002020-06-14T19:15:56.603+01:00MY WORLD IN TEN IMAGES: #9Cycling revolution<br />
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<br />Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-46251323884419752462020-06-13T21:33:00.003+01:002020-08-25T19:09:34.842+01:00MY WORLD IN TEN IMAGES: #8Birdlife<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Qn9saoLncsI6PQisbaeJVGEz1yPE3yMMnTmyWZE9UCEnTTDOK7OiQ46OenVFJ0I_XxvD_XkN9T5TDgWxsSvu19t12ct_sT2XIOik6n7oMHIn7oLmn7qGTjPTdAEDia0d7viSkbnP3eU8/s1600/Bullfinch.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="662" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Qn9saoLncsI6PQisbaeJVGEz1yPE3yMMnTmyWZE9UCEnTTDOK7OiQ46OenVFJ0I_XxvD_XkN9T5TDgWxsSvu19t12ct_sT2XIOik6n7oMHIn7oLmn7qGTjPTdAEDia0d7viSkbnP3eU8/s400/Bullfinch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-87014364388692485822020-06-12T16:48:00.002+01:002020-06-13T21:34:30.781+01:00MY WORLD IN TEN IMAGES: #7The moon and the sea<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOMrSal87CaNDHOsdUmIQIH4z21tfTW-f_c947Yv4lsED6cwqvwjNldP01Da06NyeLLtH9xJDzJUmrmeXjJ8RsPtAK20XYi7ALsuB81wAIYrIukW0at8uPixwrO6yhiL7QwJe0hK4_lyn/s1600/Moon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="573" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOMrSal87CaNDHOsdUmIQIH4z21tfTW-f_c947Yv4lsED6cwqvwjNldP01Da06NyeLLtH9xJDzJUmrmeXjJ8RsPtAK20XYi7ALsuB81wAIYrIukW0at8uPixwrO6yhiL7QwJe0hK4_lyn/s400/Moon.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-22043484836613127152020-06-11T22:42:00.003+01:002020-08-19T15:36:00.604+01:00MY WORLD IN TEN IMAGES: #6Art Nouveau<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcJHhk1LqerrZjxtnxERdo6iQD6E6s2Oazob-v3tEO6Aw3hpBbW20jSXAX4jQZCgQSk4DGPBwXcYjvSlLpHzqj6kj61h2Q7744TMOlM8FkL6-okxLUNo8zHcZfuUsLnOGoD0SzfgpCqyV/s1600/Hotel+Tassel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcJHhk1LqerrZjxtnxERdo6iQD6E6s2Oazob-v3tEO6Aw3hpBbW20jSXAX4jQZCgQSk4DGPBwXcYjvSlLpHzqj6kj61h2Q7744TMOlM8FkL6-okxLUNo8zHcZfuUsLnOGoD0SzfgpCqyV/s400/Hotel+Tassel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-55262659762855943362020-06-10T21:47:00.002+01:002020-08-19T15:38:05.955+01:00MY WORLD IN TEN IMAGES: #5View from the mountaintop<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNqNahokvwd2nG_Lo5hSS5K7AKeu81sz_arSwvmLrhwutUzRWdqlA3lkK-Ya8h3hqb_SlGD2krrAtsxluYjVAo6bnt7V-E_fs_OYAp6HhgX86IkciIeehU9XaUrCvbaRChIiAWRxnpYU4/s1600/Cader+Idris.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNqNahokvwd2nG_Lo5hSS5K7AKeu81sz_arSwvmLrhwutUzRWdqlA3lkK-Ya8h3hqb_SlGD2krrAtsxluYjVAo6bnt7V-E_fs_OYAp6HhgX86IkciIeehU9XaUrCvbaRChIiAWRxnpYU4/s400/Cader+Idris.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-20033191071654984992020-06-09T22:52:00.001+01:002020-06-09T22:52:31.767+01:00THE MAGIC MONEY TREE (PART 2).<i>..Daisy rose from her desk, stared out of the window, and exhaled long and hard. This wasn't a fantasy any more, this magic money tree was real, and it was starting to drop more apples!</i><br />
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Turning back to her writing desk, Daisy opened the left-hand draw and pulled out a scruffy old notebook, brown with the stains of an exploded can of beer in a Singapore locker. Slowly, methodically, she began to compile a list of names. Dad. Her brother Dan in New Zealand. Jo in Bristol. Steve in Regensburg. Estíbaliz in San Sebastian. Sarah, wherever she might be right now! The ten people who Daisy was closest to in all the world but who had no contact with each other - especially not Dan and Dad. It was important that they were the spokes of the wheel and she was the hub. She didn't want any of her inner circle comparing notes...<br />
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Over the next few days, Daisy went to work. £100,000 was deposited in a bank account in Wellington, another hundred grand transferred to a Bavarian account. The same princely sums winged their way to the Basque Country and several UK accounts. Daisy smiled to herself. Only nine million quid left. Impending bankruptcy! She imagined what might happen next. It promised to be fun.<br />
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But a few days passed and absolutely nothing happened. In fact, the silence was deafening. Daisy called Dad for a chat, but he obviously hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. Then, the following evening, the phone rang excitedly. It was Sarah. And from the tone of her voice, she had some dramatic news...Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-84265448938429913772020-06-08T19:02:00.003+01:002021-10-16T22:43:37.989+01:00MORE THAN MEETS THE EYEOut today on Bandcamp<br />
Twelve tracks<br />
Forty-three minutes<br />
Electric guitars<br />
Acoustic guitars<br />
Bass guitars<br />
Keyboards<br />
Drums and percussion<br />
Cellos<br />
Trumpets<br />
Multi-tracked vocals<br />
Songs that swim beneath the surface<br />
Songs that get under your skin<br />
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<a href="https://fireseed.bandcamp.com/album/more-than-meets-the-eye" target="_blank">https://fireseed.bandcamp.com/album/more-than-meets-the-eye</a>Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-84799953357178888122020-06-07T21:26:00.005+01:002020-06-08T10:37:38.419+01:00LEARNING IS EVERYTHINGLearning is...<br />
home<br />
kindergarten<br />
school<br />
college<br />
university<br />
lifelong<br />
family<br />
community<br />
work<br />
play<br />
entering the arena<br />
the school of hard knocks<br />
developing critical faculties<br />
making connections<br />
joining up the dots<br />
building a coherent picture<br />
design, architecture and engineering<br />
politics, economics and psychology<br />
sociology, philosophy and anthropology<br />
asking the right questions<br />
not being afraid of difficult answers<br />
hands-on<br />
reading books<br />
listening to podcasts<br />
paying attention<br />
cultivating empathy<br />
readiness<br />
a curve<br />
dialogue and debate<br />
making mistakes<br />
acting on feedback<br />
not making the same mistakes<br />
vulnerability<br />
taking risks<br />
having the courage to fail<br />
picking oneself up and trying again<br />
cultivating curiosity<br />
examining hobby horses<br />
listening to new stories<br />
going over old ground<br />
being able to see in new ways<br />
moving from A to B<br />
or from A to Z<br />
imagination<br />
seeing further<br />
digging deeper<br />
reaching higher<br />
not waiting for permission<br />
a baby step forward<br />
a quantum leap<br />
a paradigm shift<br />
patience<br />
passion<br />
perseverance<br />
tenacity<br />
gritFireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-47471231010260928822020-06-06T14:11:00.005+01:002020-06-06T14:20:15.555+01:00DICTIONARY OF CONFUSING CONCEPTS<b>Arena </b>- The place where we lay ourselves and our work on the line<br />
<b>Art </b>- The intention to share and display original work which is received by others<br />
<b>Aunthenticity </b>- Unfiltered and unexamined behaviour [see <b>Integrity</b>]<br />
<b>Blame </b>- The discharge of pain and discomfort<br />
<b>Clarity </b>- Communicating intentions and expectations precisely, showing kindness and compassion for others<br />
<b>Connection </b>- A combination of empathy and sonder [see <b>Sonder</b>]<br />
<b>Courage </b>- A willingness to stare down fear and risk failure<br />
<b>Critic </b>- A detached person who attacks from outside the arena while being unwilling to fight inside it[see <b>Arena</b>]<br />
<b>Dip </b>- An inevitable but temporary loss of energy or enthusiasm in the middle of a worthwhile project or journey of personal growth<br />
<b>Empathy </b>- The willingness to walk a mile in another person's shoes<br />
<b>Fatigue </b>- An embodied response calling out for self-care and rest<br />
<b>Fun </b>- A barely-remembered sense of play and enjoyment locked away in the distant past<br />
<b>Gratitude </b>- The recognition of the essential contribution of others to our endeavours<br />
<b>Integrity </b>- When what we believe, do and say are all in perfect alignment<br />
<b>Listening </b>- Actively processing the words of another person without interrupting or formulating one's own response<br />
<b>Showing up</b> - Regularly and consistently entering the arena, even in the most difficult circumstances [see <b>Arena</b>]<br />
<b>Silence </b>- A tool for listening to others and holding space<br />
<b>Sonder </b>- The moment of realization that other people are living a life equally as rich, vivid and complex as one's own [See the <i>Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows</i>]<br />
<b>Sympathy </b>- Feeling emotionally affected by the difficult emotions of others [see <b>Empathy</b>]Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-42726398883428512052020-06-05T18:38:00.002+01:002020-06-05T18:38:51.712+01:00TENSIONCreating unhealthy tension<br />
In the red corner<br />
In the blue corner<br />
Stepping on toes<br />
Treading on eggshells<br />
Ruffling feathers<br />
Putting a foot in it<br />
Putting the boot in<br />
That sick feeling in the gut<br />
Creating healthy tension<br />
Prompting change<br />
Using silence<br />
Opening up space<br />
Making a commitment<br />
Investing time and money<br />
Setting deadlines<br />
Asking questions<br />
How might I...?<br />
Finding good in others<br />
Taking a risk<br />
Laying it on the line<br />
Sharing work<br />
Posting on Facebook<br />
Writing a blog postFireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-1981723920658471422020-06-04T19:17:00.001+01:002020-06-04T19:17:35.818+01:00CHOICESBeing or having?<br />
Learner or certificate?<br />
Process or product?<br />
Teaching or delivering content?<br />
Uniqueness or conformity?<br />
In context or decontextualised?<br />
Personalisation or one-size-fits-all?<br />
Centre or periphery?<br />
Transformation or deficit?<br />
Empowerment or marginalization?<br />
Belonging or othering?<br />
We or us and them?Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-11093874924186313442020-06-03T17:20:00.004+01:002020-06-08T10:38:57.906+01:00BATTLE OF THE HEMISPHERESLEFT BRAIN DOMINANT<br />
Detail<br />
Certainty<br />
Closes down<br />
Generalizes similarities<br />
Explicit<br />
Standardization<br />
Disembodied<br />
Breaks down into parts<br />
Bottom-up processing<br />
Building blocks of language<br />
Literal understanding<br />
Knowledge<br />
<br />
RIGHT BRAIN DOMINANT<br />
The big picture<br />
Uncertainty<br />
Opens up<br />
Notices differences<br />
Implicit<br />
Originality<br />
Embodied<br />
Reassembles into wholes<br />
Top-down processing<br />
Idiom and metaphor<br />
Humour<br />
Wisdom<br />
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Which hemisphere will triumph?</div>
Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-37639605893687666612020-06-02T18:29:00.003+01:002020-06-02T18:30:50.553+01:00WALKING IS A REVOLUTIONARY ACTI used to think that cycling was a revolutionary act<br />
Great exercise<br />
Pollution-free<br />
No sedentary commute to work for me<br />
No - or at least less - road rage<br />
Whooping for joy as I sailed downhill past a queue of static cars<br />
The faces of their drivers locked into a tense grimace<br />
I would often write some of my best songs on these journeys<br />
Lyrics and music dropping unbidden into my lap<br />
As I threaded my way along the dappled paths of Selly Oak Park<br />
Feeling like a cipher for some higher musical authority<br />
But two months into quarantine and my feelings have changed<br />
It is walking that is truly revolutionary<br />
To trundle along at three miles per hour in this turbocharged world<br />
This seems like true rebellion<br />
Instead of being a blur the ground is clear beneath my feet<br />
The lens has been cleaned to help me see more clearly<br />
No need to slam on the brakes to stop and inspect an interesting find<br />
Easy to do an impromptu litter-pick<br />
No problem navigating a steep path strewn with tree roots<br />
Or taking a meandering detour through woodland terrain<br />
Today I stopped to chat to my old neighbours on a grassy path through a meadow<br />
On a bicycle I would never have struck up a conversation with Mick* the park attendant<br />
Walking is showing the finger to the car industry<br />
Walking fills my head with ideas<br />
Walking is comfort to the mind<br />
Walking is balm to the soul<br />
Walking is a joy<br />
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[*Not his real name]Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-20440866807341383972020-06-01T21:53:00.001+01:002020-06-01T21:53:15.408+01:00LAUGHING GASMy early morning walk through the wildflower meadow<br />
Has turned into an impromptu litter-pick<br />
Beside an inadequate-looking receptacle<br />
Overflowing with the excesses of a sunny weekend<br />
I chat to my brand new friend, Mick*<br />
As he bags up the cans and plastic bottles<br />
The ice cream wrappers and the fast food cartons<br />
The park attendant tells me he's just cleared up a chuckle of laughing gas canisters<br />
Strewn across the car park where the Old Barn** used to be<br />
Before it was set ablaze in an arson attack<br />
Mick likes his job more than I was expecting<br />
The Council is currently paying him full-time wages for part-time work<br />
Mick's loving his long afternoons in the garden<br />
Lying in a hammock with a beer or three<br />
Courtesy of the UK taxpayer<br />
This is especially interesting to know as England stares down the barrel of Austerity 2.0<br />
Laughable really!<br />
<br />
[*Mick's identity has been protected for obvious reasons]<br />
[**The Old Barn was erected by the Cadbury family in the 1920s]Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-35858211315145712462020-05-31T15:01:00.002+01:002020-05-31T15:04:25.511+01:00RECKONINGA time of reckoning is come<br />
Minneapolis is burning<br />
Brooklyn is ablaze<br />
Los Angeles is on fire<br />
Death is Detroit<br />
None of us can breathe<br />
Amid the acrid stench of smoke from smoldering tyres<br />
Governors call in the national guard<br />
Military police face off with protesters outside the Oval Office<br />
The nation is convulsed with rage and fury<br />
As it slumps into a second Great Depression<br />
When the looting starts, the shooting starts<br />
My eyes are still sore from the pepper spray<br />
JJ got a nasty gash from a guardsman with a mean truncheon<br />
He was stitched up by Jasmine<br />
With no health insurance to pay for his hospital treatment<br />
Saw a CNN cameraman hit by a rubber bullet<br />
During the wee small hours<br />
Trump's hollow tweets echo around cyberspace<br />
Fomenting violence against black protesters<br />
Even as the dying embers of his presidency crumble to ash<br />
Among Twitter fact checks<br />
His sycophants scatter like naughty schoolboys<br />
George Floyd RIP<br />
#BLM<br />
<br />
A time of reckoning is come<br />
A plague has visited these valleys<br />
A wave of disease washing over our former pit towns<br />
Poisoned by the Brexit well<br />
Is this what taking back control looks like?<br />
Thatcher's children become Johnson's parents and grandparents<br />
Our narrow lives circumscribed by the arbitrary cruelty of Universal Credit<br />
Blighted by social services on the cheap<br />
Presided over by a gang of gutless stooges<br />
It was mayhem again at the food bank today<br />
Barely enough essentials to go round<br />
The wife's had no new PPE for weeks now<br />
She says it'll be a miracle if she doesn't catch it<br />
Stay alert, they tell her, protect the NHS<br />
<br />
A time of reckoning is come<br />
The hourglass lies on its side<br />
Time suspended<br />
The aeroplane fleets are grounded<br />
Resting on the melting tarmac like lazy seagulls<br />
The cruise ships are unwelcome in any port<br />
Plague ships, we call them<br />
The rain forests burn<br />
Smudging the deep blue autumn skies indigo<br />
Our indigenous peoples are buried in mass graves<br />
Our favelas are cesspits of disease and suffering<br />
A madman has seized the reins of government<br />
Oh Lord, why have you forsaken us?Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-28359496013804219312020-05-30T17:08:00.006+01:002020-05-30T18:43:39.587+01:00INSERT IF THERE HAS BEEN A BEREAVEMENTDear Fireseed<br />
<br />
Thank you for contacting me about Domino Comings. Also thank you for all you have done to observe the lockdown and to help us defeat the spread of the Covid-91 virus. I appreciate how hard it has been for everyone at this difficult time.<br />
<br />
[INSERT IF THERE HAS BEEN A BEREAVEMENT] May I add my condolences to the recent loss of your family member.<br />
<br />
I have taken time to look at this important issue, and take in all of the detail over the last few days. I listened to Mr Comings' statement and felt that this was comprehensive and sincere. The police concluded “there might have been a minor breach of the Regulations” and the case has been closed with no further action required as going to Durham was within the rules. I believe if a constituent in a similar position worried about who would take care of their child had sought advice from my office, I would have advised as per the guidance that they must do what they believe is necessary in exceptional circumstances.<br />
<br />
I am very aware of the anger and frustration this has caused to many constituents. I am aware of the sacrifices people have made. I have made the Prime Minister’s office aware of their frustrations when I have spoken to them over the past few days. Representing our great local area is an honour and a privilege, and even when I disagree I am happy to represent my constituents nonetheless. I think that it is now time to draw a line under this issue.<br />
<br />
Everyone has made sacrifices over these last few months that they could never have imagined, including not being able to see sick family and friends and even attend funerals. Some of the language in this debate however has been unnecessary and unpleasant. I feel deeply uncomfortable with the hounding that Domino's family have received and were receiving prior to the family leaving for Durham, accounting for part of the reason to leave.<br />
<br />
Some of you may think that I am just ‘toeing the line’ but I want to assure you this is my genuine view. Many people have lost trust in politics and ask that politicians speak more candidly. As your MP I see it as my job to be honest and candid with you. My focus throughout this pandemic has been to use my role as an MP to offer support, guidance and help to people across the constituency. That is where my focus will remain.<br />
<br />
Best wishes<br />
<br />
Carrie Sandbank MP<br />
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Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-55801548903371775352020-05-29T19:17:00.002+01:002020-05-29T19:18:14.213+01:00I CAN'T BREATHEI can't breathe<br />
A jackboot presses down on my windpipe<br />
With all the weight of history<br />
I see the slaves on the sugar plantations<br />
Singing their spirituals<br />
Whipped within an inch of their lives<br />
I see the strange fruit<br />
Swaying in the breeze of a cool Alabama evening<br />
I see Dr King<br />
Speaking to a nation from the Washington steps<br />
I had the same dream<br />
I saw the same mountain tops<br />
I saw bills, laws and statutes<br />
I heard the pretty words<br />
the stories of liberty, fraternity and equality<br />
I saw a man who shares my racial ancestry<br />
Walking and talking with kings on the White House lawn<br />
But as I lie in the gutter<br />
Suffocating, broken and in agony<br />
I<br />
Can't<br />
Breathe<br />
<div>
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Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-16379124456238941932020-05-28T19:08:00.001+01:002020-05-28T19:08:35.109+01:00R NUMBERThe R number is like an invisible drone<br />
Hovering hidden among us somewhere between 0.7 and 0.9<br />
Nudging dangerously close to 1<br />
Although no one knows for sure<br />
R for reproduction<br />
R for rule<br />
R for restriction<br />
R for responsibility<br />
R for reluctant<br />
R for rash<br />
R for reprehensible<br />
R for restarting the economy<br />
R for rushing like lemmings over a cliff?Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-7153467611480546082020-05-27T20:28:00.001+01:002020-05-28T19:09:23.807+01:00BLIND SPOTA red mist descends<br />
A visceral fury of righteous indignation<br />
A blow below the belt<br />
An offence to the British sense of fair play<br />
But, distracted by the bluster and obfuscation<br />
The bystander is looking in the wrong direction<br />
He takes his eye off the ball<br />
And intercepts a hospital pass<br />
Feeling the full force of a leg-breaking tackle<br />
As his tibia shatters into pieces<br />
He is stretchered off the pitch<br />
Driven to A & E<br />
To find himself waiting on a trolley<br />
In a dim corridor<br />
The pain slowly building<br />
Without triage or painkillers<br />
Waiting for the morphine hit to numb the senses<br />
As he writhes in agony<br />
Looking for someone else to blameFireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-59876825241026299642020-05-26T18:46:00.002+01:002020-05-28T19:09:05.908+01:00DO NOT ADJUST YOUR MIND – THERE IS A FAULT WITH REALITYDo not adjust your mind<br />
The goal posts have shifted<br />
The laws no longer apply<br />
Facts are alternative<br />
Truth merely a metaphor<br />
Be a rule-maker not a rule-taker<br />
Social distancing is for yes men<br />
No need to work remotely when you can drive to the office<br />
Be exceptional in exceptional circumstances<br />
The media cannot be relied upon<br />
Those reporters need their eyes testing<br />
Those leaflets through the door all lies<br />
The rose garden no longer reserved for presidentsFireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-74656168830116802432020-05-24T21:09:00.003+01:002020-05-24T21:23:46.707+01:00ATTENTIONWe pay attention<br />
Attention has a price<br />
And it has a cost<br />
We pay attention to things that have value<br />
Is love pure embodied attention?<br />
Teaching involves gaining and focusing attention<br />
Learning involves paying better attention<br />
Or attending in new ways to what was previously peripheral<br />
Attention requires readiness<br />
Struggling students are not paying enough attention<br />
Attention is enticement<br />
Drawing the audience forward<br />
Designing little speed bumps<br />
To help people concentrate on their driving<br />
2 + 2 = 4<br />
2 + 2 = ?<br />
Which of those equations got your attention?<br />
If you're explaining, you're losingFireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471770752971017774.post-58964552221531585122020-05-23T14:54:00.003+01:002020-05-23T14:54:51.444+01:00ANTHROPOLOGYW: Western<br />
E: Educated<br />
I: Industrialised<br />
R: Rich<br />
D: Democratic<br />
<br />
On reflection, I live in a WEIRD culture.Fireseedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533582050749717408noreply@blogger.com0