Journal Entries
Louis Armstrong
Posted Mar 24, 2003
"Some of you young folks bin sayin to me,
'Hey Pops! What'ya mean What A Wonderful World? How about all them wars all over the place? You call them wonderful?
And how about hunger and pollution? That ain't so wonderful either.'
But how about listening to old Pops for a minute and all I'm saying is see what a wonderful world it would be if only we'd give it a chance. Love, baby, love, that's the secret, yeah.
If lots more of us loved one another we'd solve lots more problems and, man, this world would be a better place."
Louis Armstrong recorded in 1970 in the intro to What a Wonderful World.
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Latest reply: Mar 24, 2003
Peaceful solutions
Posted Feb 19, 2003
Given that I think that bombing from high altitude has to be about the worst solution to the problem of removing a powerful, determinded dictator of low moral fibre in a global situation of oppression, fear and acts of terrorism, what would be a better solution?
Discuss this Journal entry [8]
Latest reply: Feb 19, 2003
Glasgow peace protest
Posted Feb 16, 2003
Oh but it was hard work getting up at eight o'clock on a Saturday morning, the day after Valentine's day in order to travel to Glasgow to join the protest, but it was worth it.
We didn't get to Glasgow until twelve midday, which means we must have spent three hours getting there from when we arrived at Waverly station. (it only took fifty minutes to do the journey in reverse) Why had I not stopped to consider that how many people would be at the station trying to get to Glasgow? Waverly was mobbed. We queued for tickets, for the cash machine, for food. (Burger King had no queues whatsoever, every other food outlet was sending out for extra baguettes)
Took the slow train to Glasgow. The fast ones were full, but also didn't seem to be moving. Scotrail in a panic - just how many people could they fit on one train. Was there a conspiracy to prevent the Edinburgh contingent joining the march?
The most beautiful weather. In Glasgow, in February! Clear skies, warm sun, cleared streets so that millions of people could walk to the SECC where the Labour party conference was being held. It was a wonderful festival atmosphere. People leaning out of windows along the route to wave flags and cheer on, people of every demographic on the march, hundreds of different placards with different messages that all meant the same. It was so good to see, to be a part of, to be their with friends, a day out for a good cause.
And will it make any difference at all?
Maybe it won't change government policy. However I think that importantly it showed thousands of people that there are thousands of others who believe like they do that the wrong solutions are being found to the problem of making the world a safe place for everyone. That feeling of powerfulness, the power of the common man will stay with the people on that march.
Right. I'm off to buy the Sunday papers to see what happened everywhere else.
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Latest reply: Feb 16, 2003
Diplomacy
Posted Feb 11, 2003
'Diplomacy' seems to have taken on a new meaning all of a sudden and that meaning is 'slanging match'.
I was listening to the American parts of Nato slag the French and German parts this morning on the radio. Then the French got a chance to respond, which they did, not much more politely, but more subtly. Funnily enough the British government was keeping well out of it, being suitably polite to both sides could have proved too much for them.
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Latest reply: Feb 11, 2003
7 stone 13 lbs
Posted Jul 19, 2002
One pound off 8 stone. Woohoo. 
It's only taken 7 months to get there from seven and a half, but I guess that averages out at a pound a month.
And don't I feel so much better for it. I don't get suddenly starving, cold, ratty and tired all at once. I can get six hours sleep and go to work and be tired, but not a complete zombie. I don't get irrationally stressed and angsty - well not too badly anyway. Take a miricle to stop me getting irrationally angsty. 
They might even let me give blood next time the blood bank calls.
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Latest reply: Jul 19, 2002
purple dragon
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