Where are we now?

Hmmmmmm ……..

Ok ….let’s not forget that the outcome of the ‘Brexit’ vote here in the Uk AND the election of …..of ……I can’t even say it I’m sorry:D:D:D …..

ANYWAY yes the election of the new president of the USA …..in both cases it was by a WHISKER ….but a whisker none the less ….so there’s no point shouting Boooooo now …..ok protest ….at least make it known it’s a whisker ….BUT what’s it all about?

Now …..when I started ‘Blog On!!!’ I think I said ‘The’ world …’My’ world didn’t make sense anymore:D:D:D …..Ok ….Ok ….Hmmmmmm yes well:D:D:D …..and try as I might I don’t seem to be able to keep my fingers to myself and STOP this bloody blog….shut the fuck up ….as I’m not sure if it’s healthy for me and I don’t know why I’m doing it:D:D:D

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

CONFUSION!!!

Yep CONFUSION ….a cynicism ….mistrust ….think of a species that banged it’s head …said ‘Ouch THAT hurt’ ….but rather than change tac just keeps banging and banging it’s head because there doesn’t seem to be a different way of doing things …there IS but it takes GUTS ….it takes GUTS and a will to see beyond the ‘self’ and accept it involves a HUGE shift in thinking ….maybe it’s ‘conciousness’ ….or maybe we work better when we are UNconcious:D:D:D

It’s about ‘communication’ isn’t it?

And I don’t mean our social media profiles going BLAAAAAAAH!!!

There ARE …IS ….some amazing stuff going on out there ….little pockets …..but you’ve got to get beneath the layers of BLAAAAAH!!!

Like it or not …..aware or not …..we are ALL going thro a significant period of change ….the fearmongerers are still holding on tho ….BY A WHISKER!!!!

We don’t seem to know what’s real and not anymore do we?….well yes I can agree things are often a matter of ‘perspective’ …..but did  Trump the chameleon merely expose a ‘truth’…there ARE similarities to Nigel Farrages ‘Brexit’ campaign  ……Maybe Corbyn too although COMPLETELY different motivations ….ALL caught on a wave of hunger for change …

And talking of ‘change’  did you SEE the President of the US’s acceptance speech??? ..the TOTAL  persona change on winning the election was INCREDIBLE!!! …talk about ‘Reality T.V show’ ……a VERY cynical game played ON the people …..and it all seems to have confused EVERYONE ….world leaders congratulating as per ‘etiquette’….are they INSANE???…what would YOU do if someone holding such views became your child’s new  headteacher???
And poor Obama …..he’s had to spend HOURS handing over to a man who ……who…….

Bloody Hell this is CRAZY!!!:D:D:D

I STILL reckon Obama is one of the good guys …..

A cynical game show …..a world that encourages Psychopathy ……led by a Psychopath who’se not even bothering to hide it!!!hmmmmmm it’s a cold and joyless route to go down tho  ……SURELY folk see that

PSYCHOPATHY …GOOGLE IT!!!

Are we REALLY going to just watch the whisker become the whole damned cat!!!?

……and talking of books

I understand these 2 have done a collaboration ….hot off the press ….well last month …it’s called ‘The Book of Joy’….and my god do we need some of that in the world right now

Yep …some folks think they’re a little bonkers …but JUST look at them:D:D:D   They’ve been around a LONG time these 2 …throughout ALLSORTS of troubles and been very influential in their own quiet way … you HAVE to admit just by looking at them that they must be onto something …..look at the folk in the background:D:D:D …..it’s certainly a book I’m adding to my  own collection ….you can get it via AMAZON ….one of the wonders of the Internet:):):):):):)

The Power of Pooh 6

Now I first did this little series …..hmmmmm let me see ….it must be going on 2 years ago now

ANYWAY it seems I was not alone …..others were thinking along similar lines ..because although many folk may think I am stark raving mad I am in fact ahead of the pack:D:D:D …or at least alongside current thinking …and I can PROVE it!!!

In the summer of 2015 there was the grand opening of a rather slick and stylish institution …yes …in the country of Italy …world renown for style and sophistication ….there opened

Ta DaaaaAH!!!!

SONY DSC

THE SHIT MUSEUM!!! …..dedicated to all things SHIT:D:D:D…demonstrating the versatility and aesthetic of this freely available and Eco friendly substance:):):):)

And THIS summer …the summer of 2016 ….a similar little venue opened on the Isle of White ….it’s catching on folks THE POWER OF POOH IS CATCHING ON!!! ……hmmmm well …I’m not sure the Isle of White is getting the aesthetics quite like Italy :D:D:D …BUT none the less they are recognising pooh as a substance to acknowledge and honor ….

As is the museum of Tokyo who take a different approach again …here you can actually experience what it like to BE a turd …a fun approach where you don a natty little hat and get flushed down the loo:D:D:D

A woman wearing a poo-shaped hat walks up stairs to climb on a giant toilet slide at a toilet exhibition at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo on July 9, 2014. The exhibition, which aims at educating visitors about sewage, health and waste, will last until October 5. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA

ANYWAY ….it’s ALL good:):):)

Last couple of instalments to follow at the weekend … bet you can’t WAIT:)

The Power of Pooh 5

Fashion and beauty products ……yes indeed ….strut that stuff ….all the below have utilised pooh in their production ….with today’s technology it doesn’t have to be all sackcloth and ashes to live a sustainable and sustaining lifestyle ….we’re ALL a little vain aren’t we? ….it shouldn’t cost a fortune tho either ….that would just be RIDICULOUS ….this idea that the more you pay for something the better it is needs to be turned on its head ….we’re talking shit here afterall:D:D:D

Phew!!!…..I’m trying to crack on with this little series …one more for tonight then a little break:)

The Power of Pooh 4

Convinced yet?

Hmmmmm ok ……so let me explain further the versatility of this stuff ….you can build a home with it ….fuel it …that’s get the fuel you need to cook, heat and run your gadgets from ….and yes it can be used to make home furnishings too…well we all know about the treatment of leather ….yes you do ….vats of manure used to be used in the treatment and dying of hides to make into leather ….and yes …yes I know …perhaps the use of leather is not very ethical but STILL….

……and where do you think the word ‘Tan’ comes from? …correct! …..the guys that worked in the Tannery ….messing about with big vats of fluid and hide, used to end up with pigment stained arms ….yes ….they had ‘tanned’ arms!!!

Hmmm OK …..so it might have looked a bit odd but I’m sure it was fine if they kept covered up elsewhere and just wore short sleeves …..and ANYWAY pooh has such amazing textures and can be fashioned into allsorts ….I wouldn’t be suprised if one could produce a biodegradable faux leather from it ……someone, somewhere probably already HAS:)

But for now ….in terms of home furnishings how about this little lot ? …….yep ….ALL use pooh in the manufacture ….incredible I’m sure you’ll agree!:D:D:D

You can even have a crapper made of crap to crap in ….the whole thing gone full circle so to speak:D:D:D

Anumber of artists like to get all creative with it too ….mixed to the right consistency pooh makes a fabulous sculpting material …

Paper too ….

….or by adding pigments you can actually paint with the stuff ….take a look at THIS lot

 

….well I don’t know about you, but I’d be happy to have ANY of the items featured above in MY home:):):):) ……in actual fact when I have finished defacing my current gorgeous but slightly arsey notebook I think I will put my money where my mouth is and use pooh pads from here on in :):):):)

Oh ..and better add a disclaimer that all images for this little series are from ‘google images’ so it just goes to show that there is already an appreciation of all things pooh going on …it just needs to spread if you know what I mean:D:D:D

The Power of Pooh 3

So …let’s get back to Blog On’s crap little series shall we? ….where was I? ….Oh yes ….so …we’ve got the fuel and the food sorted …hmmmmm what next can we have in this crap filled world? ……Oooh I know …….we need somewhere to live don’t we? …..I mean for goodness sake we are NOT Neanderthal ….we need buildings ….Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Need and all that ….we haven’t’ even got the basics sorted yet …we need some sort of shelter ….yes I think we’d better have a quick look at shelter next …hmmmmm how the power of pooh can be utilised in building ….yes, yes a sustaining and sustainable substance indeed:D:D:D

Now we all know about wattle and daub don’t we? …..do we? ….no, no …it is not a firm of solicitors it’s what those cute little thatched cottages everyone thinks are all over England used to be made of …..I might not be 100% correct here, but my understanding is that it’s a mix of pooh, clay or mud and straw ….even if I’m not right, I’m sure you can see where I am heading here ….you know …build a timber frame or something …a woven base for the stuff to cling to ….get a load of crap …animal dung preferably ….mix with clay or mud ….a little water to make a thick plaster and slap it on ….inside and out ….it would be great fun wouldn’t it? ….just imagine sticking your hands in a vat of the stuff ….slapping it on and smoothing it over…..it would be kind of therapeutic wouldn’t it:D:D:D ….let each layer dry, finishing with a few layers of finer stuff …then decorate to your own taste …hmmmm what with? …..would lime wash do it? …..is that weatherproof and breathable? ….don’t know but we’re just focussing on the use of pooh for now …the proofing can be looked into later :D:D:D

ANYWAY ….yes this method of building ….or a slight variant has been used for centuries allover the world

Ok ….Ok ….so you might not want to live quite as basic a lifestyle as that …some still do tho …and the buildings are LOVELY to look at you must admit ….they LOOK ‘organic’ don’t they? ..something of the soul about them …beautiful:):):):)

However, don’t panic if it’s all too much to digest:D:D. ….pooh can also be formed into bricks ….or a chipboard type material for more common style building  ….and I’m led to believe it’s a GREAT insulation material ….hmmmmm maybe a bit of mixing and matching could go on when planning and erecting buildings for the 21st century

What do you reckon?

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Dies At Age 88 – BuzzFeed News

We don’t know the full significance of this yet. But there will certainly be one. Particularly for the Thai people for whom he reigned as monarch for over 70 years …..

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/meghara/thailands-king-bhumibol-dies-at-age-88?utm_term=.iypZqdYX9&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=News%20-%201014%20Friday&utm_content=News%20-%201014%20Friday+CID_92f11759e11977e6a4a322ec118bb9dd&utm_source=BuzzFeed%20Newsletters#.eoEq6B1n3

The Power of Pooh 2

Life can be REALLY shit sometimes can’t it? ….just remember when you are being dealt a bum deal that often, out of the best quality shit comes the greatest fertiliser. Cultivate an appreciation of the stuff and perhaps it can be turned on its head:):):):):)

Pooh comes in a variety of shades and textures as I’m sure you are well aware by checking your own ……

C’mon YES you do ….EVERYONE has a quick look before they flush …agreed? …..yes well I’ve no idea why we do it or what we are expecting to discover on so doing …….we just do don’t we?   ALL of us …..yes even royalty, the uber rich and allegedly beautiful people …they ALL crap and check it ….it’s a GREAT equaliser …. when I’m a little nervous …lacking in confidence …at an interview say ….I always do that thing where you imagine the folk having a pooh …..I’m sure you’ve heard this advice before ….and it works …trust me;)

ANYWAY ….look at the variety of pooh held in the palm of one hand here …..beautiful isn’t it :D:D:D

So ….in my imaginary world we are all crapping into a system which whisks it away, feeding into some kind of large scale Biofuel plant which in turn recycles and provides fuel in a number of ways ….gas, electricity, fuel for transport ….Hey it’s my blog ….I can change the world in my head if I like:D:D:D

In addition ( or part of… as biofuel plants waste nothing) we have the traditional use of pooh …the one we all know and love ….yes I’m talking about its use as a soil fertiliser …WONDERFUL stuff.

I understand animal dung and chicken shit are the pooh’s of choice in this arena …well if you want to dig it in raw…..this brings back memories of my father ( an allotment keeper) whose ears used to prick up at the sound of horses hooves:D:D:D …..yes there was a riding school, gypsy horse field where they would excersise with the trap AND the rag and bone man near where we lived ….when any equine passed our house my Dad would rush out armed with bin bag and shovel in the hopes of catching a prize:D:D:D   It was all HIGHLY embarrassing …but Dad …if you can hear me up there I’M COMING ROUND TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING!:D:D:D

Anyway …am digressing slightly SO …yep …whether it be a small garden, allotment or farm ….dig some shit into the soil and watch your veggies flourish …believe me …fresh ‘organically’ produced fruit and veg tastes completely different from the mass produced, chemical laden supermarket variety …I was brought up on the stuff and only realised once fending for myself :D:D:D

Oh and if you’re reasonably fit and live in a flat with no outdoor space …why not take a break from the insular, air conditioned lifestyle and consider WWOOFING …that’s World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms…payment is in kind not cash …in return for helping out on the farm you get to experience the lifestyle and if you like it …travel the world to boot …just the cost of airfares and a little time and hard graft:)

Hmmmmmm ….I was planning to take the boys during summer …didn’t get my shit together tho did I 😦
Sorry Dad …..am getting there tho ….am getting there ….in my head at least:D:D:D

Frack Off!!!!

Yep …..it’s becoming more and more evident that this is what the current British Goverment think about the majority of its people …..PARTICULARLY those in the far reaches of this ridiculously small island ….otherwise known as ‘The North’ ( you would think it was too small a land mass to divvy up like that wouldn’t you?)

ANYWAY ….Theresa May et al have bypassed local decision ….( that’s general public …local and county councils  who had already refused this company to conduct its business in the area) ….and have given the go ahead  to start  (the controversial, environmentally unfriendly …and frankly backward in terms of extracting fossil fuels deep from the earth) process of ‘fracking’ in Lancashire ….there’s uproar!!!

Oh …and yes …I do have an alternative suggestion ….I’m well aware that we and the rest of the world need ‘fuel’ …….eco fuel tho ….ECO FUEL!!!

There are SO many options ….it COULD be and SHOULD be freely available to all ….as should water …I once did a little series on  a very interesting matter we can extract eco fuel from and I think I might do it again for my blog

The matter I am thinking of is something we are ALL full of ….not least our current Tory Goverment …..can you guess what it is yet?

C’mon you’re a bit slow on the uptake

Yes …CORRECT!!!

I am thinking of  ……….

SHIT!!!

a substance not to be sniffed at in more ways than one!!!:D:D:D

Series to follow:D:D:D 😉

Could class ever go away?

I’m sure you’ll find the link to the guardian article previously posted interesting and a pretty good analysis of ‘class’ in British society today

It’s making me reflect on my own situation ….I guess you would say I’m from ‘working class stock’ ….most of my elders worked in the textile industry which was common in West Yorkshire at the time ….there was a LITTLE shuffling about tho ….my maternal great grandparents were from Ireland …great grandfather being killed in an industrial accident ( he worked as a delver in the stone quarries) leaving a widow and 2 daughters who were kind of hidden by relatives who worked ‘in service’ untill they got on their feet …the Mum running a haberdashery market stall and the 2 girls working in a small family run mill ….one of them running the offices when the owner was put in jail:D:D ( He was a conciensous objector to war) ….and the younger girl later going off to marry an offshore fisherman on the east coast of whom I have very fond memories of staying with in the holidays 

Ooooh where did YOU go for your holidays as a kid?

Grimsby:D:D:D 

Oh and Staithes too ….and as we got older Dad got a little more adventurous …taking us hiking all over Scotland and holidays being holidays with Dad ..ALWAYS going out in boats ( think he was a fisherman at heart …..or a climber …quite a character my Dad …but I digress)

Oh and HIS Dad ( My Greatgrandfather) was ‘the mystery man’ ….it’s funny what you find out about folk after they pass on isn’t it …grandad was just grandad at the time …but after he died there were no papers ….and when we thought about it …it was a bit odd …as HE had always worked in the mills but my paternal grandmother had been a schoolteacher?…it just doesn’t add up does it?   And YES my brother has tried to find out more …he’s into family trees and the like …I think hoping to find some royal blood or somthing ….alas his searches have come to nothing on both fronts:D:D:D

The mystery man:D:D:D

So where am I going with this?

I don’t know but am rolling with it 

But anyway …yes …some RIGHT characters in my family ( I’ve said before will blog more on this subject at some point)

And yes I agree with a lot of what the guardian article is saying ….one thing for sure was there was a lot of humour around …with the older generation in particular ….was that about fear? ….Hmmmmm ……I don’t know about fear ….but if life is pretty hard you either develop a sense of humour or go under …and if folk take themselves TOO seriously WELL that’s just a joke in itself isn’t it?

Yes …Humour …maybe it’s a ‘cultural’ thing …and one the other classes could do with taking on too:D:D

And yes ….maybe there’s a point in terms of ‘education’ too …but you’ve got to think a little more creatively about ‘education’ ….education for who and for what ….it’s all very well talking about academia …but what if no’one knew how to build a house or farm the land say ….what if all your taps are leaking at home ….you’re not going to call in a University professor or a Banker are you?:D:D:D …..yes we probably need all …learn …keep an open mind …..be critical …keep the spirit of 3 as I call it …the wonder and why …if it adds up …keep it to build on ….if it doesn’t measure up to scrutiny ….drop it and move on

There’s room for all….it’s about value and inclusion …one is no better or worse than the other …society looks down with scorn at the ‘working class’ STILL ….expects us to be ‘aspirational’ …..but aspiring to what exactly?

There’s material wealth and greed

There’s power and control

But what else …what makes for a successful life

Life is about continual growth and learning whatever class or background you are from …it’s not ALL about the ‘working class’ making the changes …it cuts both ways;)

And that is why I do not like Theresa Mays proposal re the reintroduction of the selective grammar school system. We are in the 21st century and should be aiming for a dynamic, creative and YES academic but YES practical skills too education for all …a broad base education from 5 to 16 THEN specialise in the chosen route depending on aptitude and interest:)

Just adding my twopenneth ….take it or leave it …comments welcome:)

Oh …and if you want my PERSONAL view of ‘identity’ …YES I’m shaped by my upbringing ..but I’ve had a lot of experiences and broadening of horizons as an adult ( I kept being drawn back to West Yorkshire to support my Dad in later years but that’s another story)

Anyway yes …my current ‘identity’ is that on my ‘Halcyon’ site ….I just am …and so are you ….lets cut the crap:D:D:D;)