Is it the end of April already? How did that happen?

Despite the fact that I will sound like the old fart I am inevitably turning into, where has the year gone? I know I 'missed' most of February dashing back and forth helping to look after my Dad, hospital visiting and so forth, but still, end of April? How did that happen?
Time to put into action all those winter plans.....
Maybe I'll just have a cup of tea and some banana cake first though :-)
I am already walking more, in preparation for a 12 mile night walk in June, which may well kill me (the actual walk, not the training!) but as always I feel I should be doing more
Maybe that's my plan, stop trying to do things I feel I SHOULD be doing and do thing I WANT to do?
Easily said and hard to implement, though
x x

Mark Steel, speaking my language......

Recently I re-read 'Reasons to be Cheerful' by the socialist comedian and
writer Mark Steel. It chronicles his life as a left-wing activist, attending
all the marches and benefit gigs that I used to dream of going to when I was
a young thing in the 80's.

The nearest I got to being an active agitator was standing outside Barclays Bank in Ormskirk in 1986 trying to get people to move their account, as Barclays supported aparteid (we also were mentioning the consumption of Outspan oranges as a side comment!) oh, and I went to see the Red Wedge Tour in Manchester the following year, both of which I feel hardly qualifies me as a full-on threat to Society.

I was really struck by his thoughts and comments at the end of the book, and I am going to quote the last 2 paragraphs verbatim...

My advice is to value yourselves higher. Follow the instinct, don't be
sensible. Massive events are made up of tiny acts. At the next act of injustice,
take a gulp, open your mouth and be the one to run down the muddy bank, to start
the booing, to stand in front of the tank, to refuse to get on the train - to kick out the irritating idiot at the party.

The happy ending is that one of the most popular films of all time is Spartacus Whereas I wonder whether that film would have been as successful if the Romans had come into the field, asked 'Which on is Spartacus?' and received the answer 'It's him over there mate. He's nothing to do with us. You see, we're New Spartacus'

A good reason to eat seasonal (And organic) food

Saw this http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/american-songbirds-are-being-wiped-out-by-banned-pesticides-804547.html in today's Independent about songbirds being poisoned by pesticides to satisfy Europe's need for grapes and melons in the winter and it made me think.

There is a reason for seasons and we should have more respect for that. If we go too far away from that the consequences are usually fairly nasty, but initially not for those who show the disrespect. There is a cost and consequence for everything and we should try and find out what that is, so we can make informed choices.

For example, if you don't give a rats arse about killing North American Songbirds, then please feel free to continue eating 'cheap' supermarket grapes and melons all year round. On the other hand, read a label or two, find out where your fruit is produced and then decide.......

x x