Now, take a deep breath…….

Life wasn't meant to be easy....

It has not been a good start to the year. Each year we say to ourselves “Next year’s got to be better!” At the end we look back and you know what? Lousy!


Unfortunately for us in our quest for freedom and as the Americans put it, the pursuit for happiness , we believed that we all wanted improvement and change, regardless of nationality or creed. “Improve education, help them to help themselves” was the catch cry of the seventies and eighties. The quest has partially succeeded but with the good comes the uncomfortable.Change.

The Russians, no matter how miserable  their existence under Stalin and the yolk of communism now hanker for the good old days when they were a force to be reckoned with. Today we have a clash between old Islam and the new modern Islam.

In the 70’s and 80’s we saw the emergence of the Red Brigade, responsible for numerous killings of political leaders, the rise of The Black Panther movement in the U.S., followed closely by numerous terrorist hijackings and kidnapping by the PLO. The war in Lebanon should not be forgotten where kidnapping and assassinations were on the daily menu.

New communities, new countries freed from the colonials, new generations, new set of rules are to the fore as we enter another year. The trouble will be to maintain our equilibrium.

"Here you are, my lovelies! This might help!"
(Guest appearance of the witch by courtesy of Disney and Snow White)

Declining Possum

<p>Back to School (?)Reminds me of those awful schooldays. Our Latin master was an international Rugby Referee and as such put us in awe and fearsome dread. We sweated over reading out loud which was an excruciating task,perspiration dripping onto the desk... ..but then we didn't have possums to help us ....<p>

'..and so on -estis , -sunt

What a difference a day makes ..........

Je suis bête

It's been a heavy few days. Unprecedented scenes of camaraderie and solidarity. Funny that it takes a shock,like the events of last week,  to unite us. Why can't the EU continue in this vein?
Doubt it. We're a funny mob capable of all sorts of things . Side by side with the throngs that crowded Paris streets , we have anti-islamisation demonstrations in Germany.

The Human Rights Watch reports that in six months of 2014  Boko Haram have killed , in Nigeria, more than 2000 innocent men,women and children , the annual figure ir reported to be nearer 10000; recently, too, in Pakistan more than 130 school children were gunned down in cold blood in the name of belief.

We are convinced our democratic ideals are true and are shocked to find those who don't agree. It's like the old Guru, smugly secure, in splendid isolation , atop a high mountain who,  when told that the meaning of life was not a deep well , replied thunderstruck, "It isn't?"

People can get killed for their convictions but  their beliefs and faith live on. Time is the sole evidence and proof of validity.

Alas, stupidity too, lives on. This is an ideal time for those arguing the case for bigotry to emerge from the shadows.

Bigotry is worse than stoopid.

He was told to stick the bomb in a jumbo jet's hold

Je suis Marianne

Liberte

Eugène Delacroix 

What's that about the pen?

Charlie will live..

The cold blooded killing of twelve in Paris is a shocker. No excuses, no matter what the cause.