Wednesday, May 30, 2007

MOST PEACEFUL COUNTRY ?

Norway seems to be labelled right now as the most peaceful country. Finland is placed in the top 10. The UK way down as the USA somewhere unmentionable. But this is now time to repeat at least one statistic from the "goodly Finland".

About three out of every ten women get beaten to shit by Finnish men. Peaceful?

Who wants to play ice-hockey next?
MELANCHOLIC WORKAHOLICS DO MATURE

Aki Kaurismäki the Finnish film-maker has turned 50 years of age. It is a kind of blessing for him he says. He can now forget the bullshit and concentrate on a reasonable death. But there is more. He seems, today, to find a maturity emerging which will get political before it eats his heart out. He seems on the road to re-write Kafka although any happy ending is certainly not on those cards. Anyway the Finnish government can consider what he has said recently to a Helsinki newspaper : " There has never been a more pathetic government running a worse country than we've got now. "
Bloody hell that could have been Winsten Churchill ranting on about "never has there been a more ....." ( I leave you to link Churchill and Finland just for the fun of it).
ACCOUNTABILITY ?
I have been trying to get information concerning both direct and indirect costs of the latest Tony Blair world trip. Is there any tax payer in the UK that knows or can help?

By The Way : many might feel that Blair should remain in North Africa for a long period of contemplation in the deserts of his mind and ethical codes but this is not what I am after right now. How much did his latest trip cost?

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

AT LAST : EUROPE FINDS WORK FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS
The recent waves of protest, especially in places like Poland, have found something of a solidarity in the EU and the USA. Our "Tinky Winky" is not really gay at all but a damned menace to society. This purple tellytabby has provided, at long last, a research project for psychologists that really suits those kinds of talented lost souls. This is a worthy link. It was about time we found sensible work for psychologists.
Message to psychologists : You deserved it.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Lessons From Lord Anthony

As holiday fever all too often becomes a misadventure the lessons are there to be learnt from the demise of Lord Anthony ( for objective reporting on this see best-selling rag of the UK, News of the Screws) who played one too many a game with the providers from the service sector.
As there are aspidistra types frequenting this site I feel a public duty to make a call for caution when frolicking on the Continent. I am even considering make a website to campaign for health warning labels on continental travel documents.
It seems that one can never be too careful nowadays.

Friday, May 25, 2007

A BANK HOLIDAY : GOD BLESS US ALL
It seems to be that the UK ( as in yuk) celebrates a Bank Holiday or so I am told. Is the bank holiday a "time" for justifying bankers ( with a B not a W) as they take secure anti-risk-time through the misfortunes of those "others"?
Is this bank holiday time a time when the money remains in circulation and for the profitable future markets to continue being on holiday vis-a-vis "THE REST".

Since when has a banker ever been away from a holiday I ask.

However I hope this holiday period is enjoyable for all. Holiday time is a time to spend and to mend the fragile-self is it not? Holiday time is a time to consume happiness itself is it not.

But. But sometimes a holiday is just what we all need. A wake-up time? Ahdunno....
YOUR NIGHTWISH RETURNS WITH SWEDISH CONNECTION

Look out for ANNETTE. Wonderful voice with soft harshness at will although usually melodic and expertly conservative. This new Swedish connection to your Nightwish is a must to get into. No, no I am not her father .....

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Have You Ever Made Notes On The Margins and then forgot the idea ?

Came up against a page of a book yesterday. In the margins was a comment in ".."s and written there to remind me to check this out so that my memory could be verified. The quote in the margins was :-
" Religion never has you faltering
In the belief that you not they need altering "

Now I cannot find where I got that quote from damit !
But I still like it.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

TWO MORE LIFE-LONG BURNERS : MORE "SERIOUS FUN"
After a period of bone-idleness and pure depravity this Zola surfed the new sites on the blogosphere and found two rogues getting rigged up for the fray. Two life-long burners illuminate what is mostly a very grey and conservative medium.
Yes the Merkin and Trousers have agreed to be public scapegoats for all our troubles.
When I get even more active I will put them on me list of rogues ( which needs updating anyway so I'm told).

Serious fun? Indeed always that which the conservatives dislike and the utilitarians cannot stand. Roll over Jeremy Bentham, listen to that Trousers and Merk .....
IMPORTANT THINGS OR FINANCIAL IN$URANCE ?
No doubt in my mind. The easier something is to in$ure the more the absurdity-value emcompasses the transaction.
Related to this if something can be in$ured it is not really necessary for the good life.
When something is insured then the real life-game is lost.
In$ure my life anyone?

Monday, May 21, 2007

A GENERATION, or three, THAT HAS NOT REALLY LIVED
Recently our resident senior and historic scribe, Anticant, has claimed that the lousy state of today can be traced back many years. If not to the failed elitism of Reith then at least to the pessimism of a W.B.Yeats which is the failure of a "Second Coming" in the 20th century. Indeed the sperm count is rather low today anyway so who cares, in fact. But Anticant has a good point. Excitement, for example, today is a "Happy Consciousness" at best ( devoid of real excitement that always includes disaster areas and failures) or, at worst, a consumer consuming well insured and standardised fun. If it was the 1970s that really showed this move to a generation that had not even begun to live it was the damned Americanised 1950s of Harold Mcmillan and his "never had it so good" copy of the USA standard of excellence that gave birth to this McDonaldised world of yuk.

Forget the political economy or even the BBC priests of rightousness. Such evidence is banal. Forget the insipid inspirations from public schools and Oxbridge in their rally against Fordism and scientific management. As any social historian worth her salt knows it is the "things that really matter and the things that mean" which are evidence. With this reality check in mind let me "inkspot" the situation by using real evidence of the coming of a generation that has never really lived.

We look to crisps. In fact "SMITHS CRISPS". There was a time when those crisps in the packets were an adventure. The packet was often sealed so the crisps remained crisp and dry. But there were many times when that packet was not quite sealed well enough and the crisps were rather damp and soggy even. To select a packet of Smiths Crisps was an adventure. But there was more. Inside every packet was a small blue bag filled with salt. Those that wanted to salt their crisps would take this small blue bag and open it and then sprinkle the salt to taste. Those not wanting salt would throw the bag away or pour it down a male or female shirt or blouse. This was real life and excitement.
Sometimes this small blue bag of salt would, however, also be damp. To open a bag of crisps in those years was to live on the threshold of risky times. Liminality OK !
Of course there is and was a moral to this atmospheric condition. Those understanding the sensuous adventure will no doubt embrace heartily this "bildung" but those of the generations that have not really lived will misconstrue real life as an appropriate act of sickly SATS and PRATS - "all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same".

Sunday, May 20, 2007

FILLER FROM THE BLOGGING TIMES inc

Apparently bloggers have been visiting pschologists and even psyco-therapists rather much over the last few years. The following story has come to my notice.
Blogger goes to therapist and complains that nobody takes his blog seriously and few even bother to chat or take notice at all.
Reply back from Therapist ( to the reception secretary) : " Next please".

Saturday, May 19, 2007

CONVERSATIONS WITH A JUDGE

Last night I made small talk with a judge. I asked him about the Man Utd versus Chelski match seeking his opinions on this event today.
He replied : " Oh yes, I remember well Ken Barrington, an excellent stopper and a joy to watch. Even a few of those foreigners were with a spark of excitement. Do you recall Wes Hall? He used to take five minutes to deliver one ball after running from the boundry line. Then there was those wonderful Yorkshire players, Truman and Boycott. I told the prime minister at the time that this was an example for the working class and trades unions to work well with the solid and slow moving gents of the establishment. They did not listen and it was unfortunate that our solid and slow Boycott lost faith in the establishment and we all know where that led us. But, yes, i enjoy sport it keeps me in touch with everyday life. By the way is it one of those one day matches?"

Friday, May 18, 2007

BREAKING WIND-E-NEWS

Rumour is about that lifestyle columns are warming up to THE BURROW. It all began when the resident judge Anticant complained that budgets were cut so there would be no new decorational improvements. The questions then were asked. Why? Where has all the money gone?

Then a "News of the World" investigator caught wind of the cash transactions and the future plans of THE BURROW. We can, it is rumoured, look forward to a new player in the Burrow team. The present team of Anticant, Ben and the Beadle has been felt to be too much like that infamous "Old Lady" living aloof on Threadneedle Street in contempt of the real public. A new public face was needed it was said. Typically a contract was signed in secret and a new body was signed up to this venerable institution.
Soon we can look forward to a certain "Fan Like Fanny The Friday Night Club Queen" showing the BURROW in a new light and as an addition to the conservative ways of the past. Questions are being asked as the intrique increases. Some are fearing that the nice and polite BURROW will become yet another victim of Rupert the bear.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

IT HAS COME TO MY NOTICE : By E-MAIL

Many of those that visit this site have, or know people who have, an aspidistra in a conspicuous place. ( a warning via e-mail from anon.)
It is, I feel, my public duty to warn about this.
It is exactly this kind of thing that harms the image of my blog.
The Sixth TURDSDAY AFTER EASTER UPRISINGS

It is Ascension day.
It is also the day that Gordi-Lordi Brown of UK inc. ascends to his heaven.
It is a day when covert and false witness was claimed in UK democracy.
It is a day when ....
COLLECTIVE CYBER VISITATIONS

The recent successes of Finnish websites ( and Estonian sites, even governmental) after the Eurovision Song Contest has turned back on itself. The Finnish State run YLE site has been simply overloaded. This far we learn that Eastern Europe has been involved in sending so many posts to the site and in the end blocking it. Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen, is due to say in public that he personally loved the wonderful songs from the Warsaw Pact.

After talks with George W Bush the EU and NATO representatives are agreeing to blame Putin for this cyber-war. But, as one Russian source said : " Putin is not that good with computer technology you know although he has been known to enjoy My Space."

Rumours circulate that comment is free sites are being controlled in preemptive fashion so that's all right then.
One does fear for the increasing popularity of THE BURROW though......

BREAKING WIND-E-NEWS : Latest news is that the NATO operations that are going on now had included in their programme a new look at cyber-wars. This information comes from the Ukraine ( who were, it was said, very happy with their second place in the Eurovision contest with their song Lusha Go Home). Questions are being asked now about NATO involvement. Cyber-wars should, it is said, be included under the NATO portfolio for global oppression.

Latest Update : In the last half hour news has been coming in. A question raised by the Latin American officials concerns the content of these messages that block websites involved in NATO operations. Was it true that these messages were from World Bank boss Wolfitwitch and related to the scandels of past and present World Bank officials?

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

HOW MUCH MORE CAN WE TAKE OF THIS ?

As far as I can make out the latest US inspired Blairite campaign involves targeting the unborn babies in the name of the grand social order. This seems to me like the kind of anti-social engineering of Blair and Bush and others of that kind. It is now clear that those connections made between Bush and Blair and Hitler were not so dumb.

First why "target". What a damned nasty term. Targets are to aim at before firing and shooting. Targets are to be blown away. This is akin to the UK language games of people being told to "KILL SPEED". The whole langauge game of the UK is foul. It is built upon aggression and ideological agression at that. It worries me.

Will the UK target the likes of a Beethoven?

Who is to blamed and shamed next we ask? If the unborn are already targets then god help the rest.
I wish I could cancel my UK trip this summer but I would find that rather difficult due to other people and promises of the human kind.

But maybe i misread the signs of the UK condition today.
MORAL CULTURES "AT-A-DISTANCE" ?

There have been a few deep and serious comments from bloggers ( Yellow Duck and Anticant and Ms Melancholy to name a few from recent blogs) all concerning the human touch and blogs. Some may ask for an ethics of the blogosphere. Others might, as I do, see this as a moral culture struggling to be human from a distance. I have taken seriously the recent social theorists, like Zygmunt Bauman for example, who also struggle with this possibility of a postmodern arena finding a moral culture that is NOT "face-to-face".

Bauman would ask us to keep struggling ( even when there is no certainties of outcome and no possible perfection) to build bridges and to travel with morality. We have trains and boats and planes to help our feeble bodies travel across borders and we need the same kinds of "travelling aids" to move in social worlds that are increasingly electric and computerised and .... at-a-distance. The traditional morality was face-to-face and this does not work with a blogosphere.

In another way of saying ( my way of saying ) we travel from place to place and we avoid those "SPACES OF ADVENTURE" through various techniques. The blogs are often struggling in those "spaces" still.

The question also comes that : do we really want to make an adventure space into a safer PLACE and if so why?

For those already falling asleep or getting ready to yell BORING I can only make this promise. Tommorrow I will blog differently.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

ADVICE NEEDED

The normally stay-at-home Zola must travel to the UK this summer for about 10 days. There was a time when this would be banal but today ....? I find myself asking strange questions like what should i take with me. What should I avoid. What planet am I to visit? Any kindly worldly advice will be appreciated. By all accounts things have changed rather much since my last visit and especially since my last living there - over 30 years ago.

Do I still use the word "Thank You"? If I am lost, soon to be lost or drunk and totally lost do I still ask a policeman for help? Do convents still have high walls demanding climbing expertise? Do I still avoid using the word cheers when taking a drink with others?

Monday, May 14, 2007

PERVERSITY CHALLENGE 1

Due to dwindling sales the all too often absentee landlord of this site has sexed it up a bit with a new regular feature : "Perversity Challenge".
All very simple really. You just need to identify the rogues or answer the questions.
Here is yer starter ( first prize a midnight meeting with lavenderBlue on Hampstead Heath) and good luck.

Identify the two people involved in the conversation :-
" Your connection with any newspaper would be a disgrace and a degradation. I would rather sell gin to poor people and poison them that way. "
HAVE YOU EVER ....

Has anybody memories of George Brown sober?
MISSING PERSONS FILE

Has anybody seen Lord Lucan?

Saturday, May 12, 2007

FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND ACTION

Your Zola has never been a big fan of the ruthless business class or the ideology that comes with these nasty brutish and short-termed beings with ever lengthening noses. If anybody doubts this then let me throw more strawberries to elephants thus :-

" Suppose that, as a result of using up all of the world's resources, human life did come to the end. So what? "
( from Australia and the "Business and Society Review )

On a serious Saturday ( trying to escape the Eurovision Song Contest fever that is sweeping Finland and spreading banality everywhere like shit hitting a fan) I am slowly coming to a soft conclusion that a response to the Australian comment is one necessary action for any future.

Friday, May 11, 2007

THE BLIAR DOES IT AGAIN

Now we hear that the Right Honourable Bliar has been spinning again.

Bobby Moore ( a damned good half-back and more) is now a symbol of UK under Bliarism. Blair praises a football guy to praise himself - to praise Blair, himself.

This Toni Bliar tribute is really an insult to Bobby Moore.
THE LATEST LABOUR SAVING DEVICE

All-Cock and Brown. UK planning as a family. United we stand!
Upright.
Solid.
Citizens of the future.

If you can take the pain I can take the shit.

Vote labour.
Trust me.
I'M IN HEAVEN WHEN I SEE YOU SMILE

Toni : you will find salvation in the other-world.
R.I.P.

Pray for me
My Toni
Finland Today

The EUROVISION SONG CONTEST is going on in Finland right now.
Leap up and down with yer knickers in the air.
That was the good news.
Just wait for the bad news.

Friday, May 04, 2007

HOW TO CUT THAT CYNICISM KNOT ?

For sometime now I have felt a strong sense of cynicism eating at my life-blood. I began to live in a kind of fear. Was indifference to be the next step? Indifference the last refuge of the repressed and the seduced. Jesus wept !

Climbing out, up and away from this crevasse of ice remains, I realise now, a constant struggle. The ideal to climb out is one essential ingredient for survival. In a sense this, it seemed to me, was a labour of love. OK for that. Vital it may be for May-Being. But vitality is not easy.


Thursday, May 03, 2007

THANK MERCY FOR A WONDERFUL ROYAL PERFORMANCE

Unless you read only the newspapers from Blatcherite countries like the UK you will find a fairly solid and collective European response to the hopeful Royal in the coming French Presidential elections. Last night, during a long TV debate with the typical male and right wing bigot (that will follow Bush and Blair but with more image value), she showed her mettle and she showed her resolve. She was not fooled, as many women have been in the past, with the sick condescending tricks of those strong male leaders of the Right Wing. She was sight for sore eyes and a breath of fresh air. Very many in Europe this morning realised that and many of the 20 million TV viewers on France will also think again before finding a French woman as a no-hope for president.

For those living in the UK it is suggested that a read of a few other newspapers are in order to appreciate the truly Royal performance last night. She stood up and would not be moved when it came to injustice and continued ( if covert) oppression of everyday folk.

If this Royal woman makes president this man here will jump for joy. She has enthused a very tired body and brain.
Viva la Royal performance.

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