..A very tired me, signing out for the evening Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
To banana .. or not to banana..that is the question..
Scenario
'Black' Footballer gets banana thrown at him from Crowd..
Footballer bends down and eats banana.. then carries on playing
Well .. we've heard of internalized racism .. but this is taking the biscuit.. or should I say the banana
Now.. people are posting selfies of themselves and bananas [click]
What a crock of s***
What next
You know.. I'd like to think that if that were me.. somebody else would be eating that banana
I've said it before.. I'll say it again.. stop play.. walk off
'Black' Footballer gets banana thrown at him from Crowd..
Footballer bends down and eats banana.. then carries on playing
Well .. we've heard of internalized racism .. but this is taking the biscuit.. or should I say the banana
Now.. people are posting selfies of themselves and bananas [click]
What a crock of s***
What next
You know.. I'd like to think that if that were me.. somebody else would be eating that banana
I've said it before.. I'll say it again.. stop play.. walk off
Monday, 28 April 2014
Aswad flashback & Posters on my wall
Do you remember bright yellow, pink and green 12" records?..
I do.. and they were great!
Anyway.. if you were to ask me to select my top Aswad albums I would struggle.
Perhaps at a push I'd say New Chapter.. but I'd really have to give that some thought, go back, and listen again, before I commit.
Aside from thier social commentary and tight rhythm section..Tony (Bass player) was cute.. Brinsley cuter, and yes.. I had a poster of them on my wall.
I tell you this for free..Tony, used to be very sexy playing that Bass, I've never seen anyone hold it down quite like that before..or since, to be honest.
Nosiree
There are times when I wonder abut fame. Fame is very seductive, and very powerful. The potential for great highs and great lows. I think fame.. can be very tricky.
I wonder if or how fame changed Aswad, of the impacts
I wonder if thier greatest work was produced on the cusp of fame, or in the early days of it.. before the pressure.. before it all
There are times that I feel I've never really given Drummie his full credit.. It's no secret that Brinsley was my lead man but Drummie also sang some great tunes that will always hold special resonance also.. he's a top drummer for sure.. but nevertheless, here's a selection ft Drummie Zeb on lead vocals..
Ft Brinsley on lead vocals..
An early performance..
African Children Part 2
ft Tony ( Bass) on lead vocals
I do.. and they were great!
Anyway.. if you were to ask me to select my top Aswad albums I would struggle.
Perhaps at a push I'd say New Chapter.. but I'd really have to give that some thought, go back, and listen again, before I commit.
Aside from thier social commentary and tight rhythm section..Tony (Bass player) was cute.. Brinsley cuter, and yes.. I had a poster of them on my wall.
I tell you this for free..Tony, used to be very sexy playing that Bass, I've never seen anyone hold it down quite like that before..or since, to be honest.
Nosiree
There are times when I wonder abut fame. Fame is very seductive, and very powerful. The potential for great highs and great lows. I think fame.. can be very tricky.
I wonder if or how fame changed Aswad, of the impacts
I wonder if thier greatest work was produced on the cusp of fame, or in the early days of it.. before the pressure.. before it all
There are times that I feel I've never really given Drummie his full credit.. It's no secret that Brinsley was my lead man but Drummie also sang some great tunes that will always hold special resonance also.. he's a top drummer for sure.. but nevertheless, here's a selection ft Drummie Zeb on lead vocals..
Ft Brinsley on lead vocals..
An early performance..
African Children Part 2
ft Tony ( Bass) on lead vocals
Story of a work of art in Hackney - ft Aswad: Zion
This evening, In preparing for my research, I decided to immerse myself in the sounds of my childhood.
Aswad encapsulated what it was like to be black and british growing up.. for me.. in my world.. in my side of town
You know this already.. but music, really has been, and remains, a big part of my life.
There are so many singers and musicians that I could mention, but Aswad.. was truly my band. We loved them... I loved them.
I remember seeing them one year at the Nottinghill carnival, on the Meanwhile Gardens stage. Fire. it was amazing.
I have no recollection of how we got home, I think we sailed home on cloud nine.
I had a band myself back then and we modeled ourselves on Aswad, which may seem strange as they were all boys, and we were all girls!.
Our manager at the time, was an old time friend of Brinsley Forde, so we were able to go backstage at the Dominion theatre and meet them. We were young, and it was an amazing time.
Listening to these tunes tonight got me thinking.. yet the words struggle to get through.
I'll try.. if not..
maybe tomorrow..
You see.. there are numerous memories.. but this post is really about something, or someone else.
The song Zion, touched me this evening, and I'll tell you why.
Our keyboard player was the daughter of one of the most amazing musicians I've ever met. he played the saxophone, but also, the flute..and Zion, features... a very beautiful flute. Whenever he joined us for rehearsal, he simply added a touch of magic to our music.. so much so, I will never forget. A little like when Jackie Mittoo joined us.. theses guys had an extra-extra, special gift.
Yes..had
You see.. Globe died suddenly one day.. and it shocked us all
Jah Globe, as we called him, is the saxophonist in the Mural located in Dalston, Hackney.
..and every-time I walk down that road, I see him..
and as I do so, I remember, a truly gifted man, my friends, and our band
Seems this post was really about, Jah Globe
About the Mural
This mural is painted on the exposed flank of a four-storey late 19th century end of terrace building on Dalston Lane. It was originally designed by Ray Walker and depicts the Hackney Peace Carnival of 1983. It was painted by Mike Jones and Anna Walker in memory to the muralist Ray Walker (1945-84)who passed away midway through the painting of it, leaving Mr Jones to complete the painting with Mr Walker’s widow.
Its depicts a street parade through a Hackney streetscape containing anti-nuclear, CND, anti-war, green, feminist, anti-racist, pro-tolerance images in wake of the 'race' riots of 1981.
This mural was painted as part of the Greater London Council's 'Year of Peace' initiative. In November 1982 the group 'London Muralists for Peace' was formed. This group was commissioned to create six murals in London with the theme 'Peace through Nuclear Disarmament'. It was painted by the wife and friend of the well-known muralist, Ray Walker, who died, aged 39, in 1984. This is a well-loved local landmark that reflects the diverse community of Hackney and its radical political past.
Partial source Hackney Citizem [click]
hackney Peace Carnival Murial [click]
Aswad encapsulated what it was like to be black and british growing up.. for me.. in my world.. in my side of town
You know this already.. but music, really has been, and remains, a big part of my life.
There are so many singers and musicians that I could mention, but Aswad.. was truly my band. We loved them... I loved them.
I remember seeing them one year at the Nottinghill carnival, on the Meanwhile Gardens stage. Fire. it was amazing.
I have no recollection of how we got home, I think we sailed home on cloud nine.
I had a band myself back then and we modeled ourselves on Aswad, which may seem strange as they were all boys, and we were all girls!.
Our manager at the time, was an old time friend of Brinsley Forde, so we were able to go backstage at the Dominion theatre and meet them. We were young, and it was an amazing time.
Listening to these tunes tonight got me thinking.. yet the words struggle to get through.
I'll try.. if not..
maybe tomorrow..
You see.. there are numerous memories.. but this post is really about something, or someone else.
The song Zion, touched me this evening, and I'll tell you why.
Our keyboard player was the daughter of one of the most amazing musicians I've ever met. he played the saxophone, but also, the flute..and Zion, features... a very beautiful flute. Whenever he joined us for rehearsal, he simply added a touch of magic to our music.. so much so, I will never forget. A little like when Jackie Mittoo joined us.. theses guys had an extra-extra, special gift.
Yes..had
You see.. Globe died suddenly one day.. and it shocked us all
Jah Globe, as we called him, is the saxophonist in the Mural located in Dalston, Hackney.
..and every-time I walk down that road, I see him..
and as I do so, I remember, a truly gifted man, my friends, and our band
Seems this post was really about, Jah Globe
About the Mural
This mural is painted on the exposed flank of a four-storey late 19th century end of terrace building on Dalston Lane. It was originally designed by Ray Walker and depicts the Hackney Peace Carnival of 1983. It was painted by Mike Jones and Anna Walker in memory to the muralist Ray Walker (1945-84)who passed away midway through the painting of it, leaving Mr Jones to complete the painting with Mr Walker’s widow.
Its depicts a street parade through a Hackney streetscape containing anti-nuclear, CND, anti-war, green, feminist, anti-racist, pro-tolerance images in wake of the 'race' riots of 1981.
This mural was painted as part of the Greater London Council's 'Year of Peace' initiative. In November 1982 the group 'London Muralists for Peace' was formed. This group was commissioned to create six murals in London with the theme 'Peace through Nuclear Disarmament'. It was painted by the wife and friend of the well-known muralist, Ray Walker, who died, aged 39, in 1984. This is a well-loved local landmark that reflects the diverse community of Hackney and its radical political past.
Partial source Hackney Citizem [click]
hackney Peace Carnival Murial [click]
Dr Lee Ann Reus on TED Talk
Dr. Lee Ann De Reus is an Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies and Women Studies at Pennsylvania State University-Altoona and the co-founder of Panzi Foundation USA (www.panzifoundation.org). As a scholar-activist, she travels regularly to Panzi Hospital in eastern DR Congo to conduct research, develop programs for rape survivors, and inform her advocacy work in the U.S.
Habib Koite
Hey!!..
How's your day going?
Me?.. coo-ella.. keep on keeping on..
Wishing you all a great week!
**
How's your day going?
Me?.. coo-ella.. keep on keeping on..
Wishing you all a great week!
**
Sunday, 27 April 2014
In conversation..Cornel West & Mark Anthony Neal
Seriously, I love Cornell West. He's one of my my secret not so secret kinda older kinda crushes
His intro was so typical of him.. made me laugh
I just love the way he talks, his 'overthetopness'
He loves his music, I'll put it out there.. come to my BBQ Cornel..
...'he began in the chocolate side of town.. spilling over to vanilla..' seriously.. who says that.. Cornell does..
likes his ice-cream metaphors :)
His intro was so typical of him.. made me laugh
I just love the way he talks, his 'overthetopness'
He loves his music, I'll put it out there.. come to my BBQ Cornel..
...'he began in the chocolate side of town.. spilling over to vanilla..' seriously.. who says that.. Cornell does..
likes his ice-cream metaphors :)
Left Unsaid..
Good morning all.. from a chilly green East London
A side note...
Most of you will know I have two sons and a daughter.. plus a grandson.. well my news is.. I'm expecting a grandaughter! we expect her on Ti's birthday, but you know how these things go, could be earlier could be later
I've seen the scan picture, and she looks very cute. of course.. cuteness does run in the genes right! :)
Now... Chris's song 'Left Unsaid ' got me thinking..
Are there things that should be left unsaid in a relationship?.
Hmmmm.
Cooking.
Should.. 'I hate your cooking' ever be said in the early months of a relationship?
If you're a man.. would you date a woman who could not cook?..
..what about you ladies?.. could you date someone with zero cooking ability?
Dress sense.
Should a man ever tell a woman what to wear? or comment on her clothes?. Yikes
Let's says the woman likes to dress sexily, lots of boobage.. or loves short skirts.. should her boyfriend or husband have the nerve to say.. 'tone it down? ., or even.. 'do you really think you can get away with that!??
Orgasms
Should a woman ( lets be honest..it's always the woman) ever tell her husband or boyfriend (or girlfriend) that she's faking it/ or faked it?. That he's not quite hitting her spot!(If he isn't)?
Hygiene
(Personally I'm seriously shocked if either should have to but)... Should either partner tell the other they need to wash thier skin?, or brush thier teeth?.. everyday!!?
I love you
Who should say it first?. Is it ever real just before, during, or just after sex? ( Why not say it on a park bench)
Should you continue to say 'I Love you' years into the relationship?.. Is it sweeter (my favourite).... when written down? errrm.. (*evidence if shit goes pear-shaped lol*)
How do you ever know, that what you feel.. is really love?
Is it always a risk?
Money
If you're both on a budget and one person makes a bit 'clothing' purchase..( Yeah I know you're thinking.. how big can a clothing purchase be?!.. lol, you'll have to trust me - ehem..I've heard they can be big.. ) should that person 'fess up'.. or make out like they don't know where the money went that month?!
Kinks
Do them to keep partner happy?..
..or find new partner?..
Religion
If you believe in god.. could you date an Atheist?..or visa versa?
Should you bring religion into the relationship?
Food
If one partner does not eat meat..
..should they expect or insist the meat eater gives up and goes green?...
..or should the meat eater insist the veggy get's his or her lips around some MEAT!
Hey.. one pun on a Sunday cant hurt heehee
Happy Sunday :)
A side note...
Most of you will know I have two sons and a daughter.. plus a grandson.. well my news is.. I'm expecting a grandaughter! we expect her on Ti's birthday, but you know how these things go, could be earlier could be later
I've seen the scan picture, and she looks very cute. of course.. cuteness does run in the genes right! :)
Now... Chris's song 'Left Unsaid ' got me thinking..
Are there things that should be left unsaid in a relationship?.
Hmmmm.
Cooking.
Should.. 'I hate your cooking' ever be said in the early months of a relationship?
If you're a man.. would you date a woman who could not cook?..
..what about you ladies?.. could you date someone with zero cooking ability?
Dress sense.
Should a man ever tell a woman what to wear? or comment on her clothes?. Yikes
Let's says the woman likes to dress sexily, lots of boobage.. or loves short skirts.. should her boyfriend or husband have the nerve to say.. 'tone it down? ., or even.. 'do you really think you can get away with that!??
Orgasms
Should a woman ( lets be honest..it's always the woman) ever tell her husband or boyfriend (or girlfriend) that she's faking it/ or faked it?. That he's not quite hitting her spot!(If he isn't)?
Hygiene
(Personally I'm seriously shocked if either should have to but)... Should either partner tell the other they need to wash thier skin?, or brush thier teeth?.. everyday!!?
I love you
Who should say it first?. Is it ever real just before, during, or just after sex? ( Why not say it on a park bench)
Should you continue to say 'I Love you' years into the relationship?.. Is it sweeter (my favourite).... when written down? errrm.. (*evidence if shit goes pear-shaped lol*)
How do you ever know, that what you feel.. is really love?
Is it always a risk?
Money
If you're both on a budget and one person makes a bit 'clothing' purchase..( Yeah I know you're thinking.. how big can a clothing purchase be?!.. lol, you'll have to trust me - ehem..I've heard they can be big.. ) should that person 'fess up'.. or make out like they don't know where the money went that month?!
Kinks
Do them to keep partner happy?..
..or find new partner?..
Religion
If you believe in god.. could you date an Atheist?..or visa versa?
Should you bring religion into the relationship?
Food
If one partner does not eat meat..
..should they expect or insist the meat eater gives up and goes green?...
..or should the meat eater insist the veggy get's his or her lips around some MEAT!
Hey.. one pun on a Sunday cant hurt heehee
Happy Sunday :)
Saturday, 26 April 2014
Sweet Loving on Saturday: Christopher Martin
Got a little lost in this one.. it's the bass line.. promise :)
Hope you're having a lovely weekend!
Hope you're having a lovely weekend!
Thursday, 24 April 2014
Ablaye Cissoko
One of the albums I spoke of earlier is called Le griot rouge.
and I do believe, I will be much quieter for a few days now...
I hope you enjoy the song
and I do believe, I will be much quieter for a few days now...
I hope you enjoy the song
My Senegal and Mali music showcase
I don't feature music from Senegal or Mali much, which is odd perhaps because there's a particular style of music from both places that I love, and Senegal.. is a place that I fell in love with, without ever visiting.
I guess I actually fell in love with Gambia, but whist there, almost everyone I met was convinced that I was from Senegal. So, maybe that's why.. or perhaps its simply people I've met over the years. I remember a girl called Rokiya.. truly the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. We got along well.. she moved out of town. When I think about some of the coolest women who have had some kind of impact on me, or I've easily got along well with..aside from a few English chicks.. many have been from..
Somalia, Gambia, or Senegal. True. and perhaps Nigeria.
Still...I am relatively easy to get along with though ( even if I do say so myself)
Unless of course.. something is wrong with...you
I jest :)...Should I also add my weird sense of humour to the mix.. no? you sure?.. cool.
For the record, there are many places that I also love ..Zimbabwe is one, met a funny girl from there many moons ago.. yes.. lots places simply fascinate me
Okay.. where was I..
..I have two albums in particular that I bought many years ago, that I can listen to back to back.. I came across them by accident, as they featured in a documentary I watched about a charity called Tostan, and I hunted them down. I can't remember the names at the moment, but when I do I'll play you the most amazing track you've ever heard.. promise.
I guess I actually fell in love with Gambia, but whist there, almost everyone I met was convinced that I was from Senegal. So, maybe that's why.. or perhaps its simply people I've met over the years. I remember a girl called Rokiya.. truly the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. We got along well.. she moved out of town. When I think about some of the coolest women who have had some kind of impact on me, or I've easily got along well with..aside from a few English chicks.. many have been from..
Somalia, Gambia, or Senegal. True. and perhaps Nigeria.
Still...I am relatively easy to get along with though ( even if I do say so myself)
Unless of course.. something is wrong with...you
I jest :)...Should I also add my weird sense of humour to the mix.. no? you sure?.. cool.
For the record, there are many places that I also love ..Zimbabwe is one, met a funny girl from there many moons ago.. yes.. lots places simply fascinate me
Okay.. where was I..
..I have two albums in particular that I bought many years ago, that I can listen to back to back.. I came across them by accident, as they featured in a documentary I watched about a charity called Tostan, and I hunted them down. I can't remember the names at the moment, but when I do I'll play you the most amazing track you've ever heard.. promise.
But baby.. It's just my job..
I've been up extra early these days - lots rolling around in my brain space.
Anyway, just a quicky before I get ready
I enjoy watching Dinner Date as I have my own dinner, and yesterday the guy on it, was a stripper. he seemed like a nice guy, a little shy really.
On dinner date , the main chooser must choose 3 dates out of 5 (based on thier menus), then select his or her favourite for a 2nd camera free date
Now although each of the girls thought he was okay.. not one of them was happy to date a Stripper.
The strange thing is, this guy called himself everything but a stripper. He was uncomfortable admitting that was what he did. He called himself an 'erotic dancer'.. a 'performer'.. until one girl said.. "so basically...you're a Stripper..".
"err.. Yes".
None found it appealing at all, and none gave him the full 3 stars. All of the women were quite gorgeous solid girls/women, any hetro man would be happy with.
Now, I think there is a difference between male and female strip shows. Women who go to strip shows tend to do so for a laugh.. whilst men tend to get really horny.. (take it more seriously)
I'm sure the business of stripping is profitable, but would you be happy if your partner was a stripper?.. or if we take it further.. an Escort?
Ti asked me if I would date a stripper. I said I can't imagine we'd have much to talk about.. I hmmm'd and arr'd then just gave up
"No".
(..although it's said one should never say never)
For me personally, what a guy does is important. I need to be able to respect him,admire him. For me, that's kinda crucial. I like to admire something about a person. You may say well everyone has something...sure.. but I need to be able to recognize it.
A stripper?
Seriously.. what would we talk about when the stripping's over?
and..will he be a shag machine after shows when the fans come a running?
* disclaimer..not saying I don't respect strippers.. but for my guy.. me.. hmmm??
Anyway, just a quicky before I get ready
I enjoy watching Dinner Date as I have my own dinner, and yesterday the guy on it, was a stripper. he seemed like a nice guy, a little shy really.
On dinner date , the main chooser must choose 3 dates out of 5 (based on thier menus), then select his or her favourite for a 2nd camera free date
Now although each of the girls thought he was okay.. not one of them was happy to date a Stripper.
The strange thing is, this guy called himself everything but a stripper. He was uncomfortable admitting that was what he did. He called himself an 'erotic dancer'.. a 'performer'.. until one girl said.. "so basically...you're a Stripper..".
"err.. Yes".
None found it appealing at all, and none gave him the full 3 stars. All of the women were quite gorgeous solid girls/women, any hetro man would be happy with.
Now, I think there is a difference between male and female strip shows. Women who go to strip shows tend to do so for a laugh.. whilst men tend to get really horny.. (take it more seriously)
I'm sure the business of stripping is profitable, but would you be happy if your partner was a stripper?.. or if we take it further.. an Escort?
Ti asked me if I would date a stripper. I said I can't imagine we'd have much to talk about.. I hmmm'd and arr'd then just gave up
"No".
(..although it's said one should never say never)
For me personally, what a guy does is important. I need to be able to respect him,admire him. For me, that's kinda crucial. I like to admire something about a person. You may say well everyone has something...sure.. but I need to be able to recognize it.
A stripper?
Seriously.. what would we talk about when the stripping's over?
and..will he be a shag machine after shows when the fans come a running?
* disclaimer..not saying I don't respect strippers.. but for my guy.. me.. hmmm??
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Lenny Henry's call to action
Okay, so Lenny Henry has this campaign to increase diversity in UK television, more Black and Asians in the industry
..which led me to this speech - Interesting.
I quite like Lenny.
He's funny
..which led me to this speech - Interesting.
I quite like Lenny.
He's funny
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
Monday, 21 April 2014
Dr Phil Valentine
Dr Phil Valentine. Hygienic Scientist; Naturopath; Metaphysician, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Polymath, Lecturer, Free-Thinker.
I think this lecture was originally called Vampires of Consciousness
I think this lecture was originally called Vampires of Consciousness
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Chronixx
Funny! - reminds me of the film Rockers.
He dropped his peas lol!
Who knew a trip to the shops could be so interesting...
*tip* If you hook this up to your speakers ( unless you have good headphones) you'll really enjoy it better. hmm nice bass line.
He dropped his peas lol!
Who knew a trip to the shops could be so interesting...
*tip* If you hook this up to your speakers ( unless you have good headphones) you'll really enjoy it better. hmm nice bass line.
I was wondering.. what would Jesus say..
Is it okay to be in a bad mood on Easter Sunday?!
Rather.. is it okay to admit it.. openly?!
No?
Well.. I am.
..Going to that is.
I wont tell you exactly why I'm in a bad mood, as it's kinda silly, but not.
Well, okay.. maybe I'll tell you a bit.
My place is furnace hot. My jeans are annoyingly tight, my waist is playing host to an inch that thinks it's cute, my hormones are all over the place, and.. they took off Supersoul Sunday.. a show that tends to focus on spiritual upliftment early in the morning.. and replaced it with ... extreme couponing.. on Easter Sunday for gods sake.
That's deep.
What they tryna say?.. don't pray.. don't uplift thyself - go shopping instead... with coupons.
I have to work so cannot really chill yet, I feel grumpy because this is the second day in a row cooking 'bigish family dinner' which I did early this morning ( as it was Ij's birthday yesterday) and now I feel sorry for myself.
I fancy a hot date away from it all, but hot's kinda cool these days
I'm not scary,
..but maybe some people really do find me intimidating.
Dick e'ds
Good for them.. give 'em a peanut.
Grrrr.
Right.
Glad that's out of my system
Feeling better already.
Happy Easter! x.
Rather.. is it okay to admit it.. openly?!
No?
Well.. I am.
..Going to that is.
I wont tell you exactly why I'm in a bad mood, as it's kinda silly, but not.
Well, okay.. maybe I'll tell you a bit.
My place is furnace hot. My jeans are annoyingly tight, my waist is playing host to an inch that thinks it's cute, my hormones are all over the place, and.. they took off Supersoul Sunday.. a show that tends to focus on spiritual upliftment early in the morning.. and replaced it with ... extreme couponing.. on Easter Sunday for gods sake.
That's deep.
What they tryna say?.. don't pray.. don't uplift thyself - go shopping instead... with coupons.
I have to work so cannot really chill yet, I feel grumpy because this is the second day in a row cooking 'bigish family dinner' which I did early this morning ( as it was Ij's birthday yesterday) and now I feel sorry for myself.
I fancy a hot date away from it all, but hot's kinda cool these days
I'm not scary,
..but maybe some people really do find me intimidating.
Dick e'ds
Good for them.. give 'em a peanut.
Grrrr.
Right.
Glad that's out of my system
Feeling better already.
Happy Easter! x.
Saturday, 19 April 2014
FIRST [Web Series]
Hmmm I really like this..
Pretty nice 1st date too if I may say so..
Issa Rae ( of Awkward black Girl Series) Production
nice soundtrack - nicely written, nicely shot
Pretty nice 1st date too if I may say so..
Issa Rae ( of Awkward black Girl Series) Production
nice soundtrack - nicely written, nicely shot
Friday, 18 April 2014
Caribbean bun
Bun at Easter.
Yes..one of those traditions I like..
'The Islands' tend to differ slightly in how we/they make bun e.g..for the bun recipe I've not known stout or red wine to be used
So, I would say, follow the bread recipe just add the spices/fruit/raisins to the dry mixture - keep it simple.
I'm not great a following recipes, as I tend to learn to cook dishes by watching
I was going to make bun but I probably wont now as I should have made it yesterday. never mind.. there may be a bun or two with my name on it in Stokenewington
I find his style a bit messy, feel there are too many ingredients, e.g jam/ browning?!? and i'll not be flaffing about with any greaseproof paper.
Here's my direction - season dough, mix dough, rest dough, roll dough, cook dough.
Done.
Hey!!..his bread didn't rise!?
Fun to watch though.. and useful
Yes..one of those traditions I like..
'The Islands' tend to differ slightly in how we/they make bun e.g..for the bun recipe I've not known stout or red wine to be used
So, I would say, follow the bread recipe just add the spices/fruit/raisins to the dry mixture - keep it simple.
I'm not great a following recipes, as I tend to learn to cook dishes by watching
I was going to make bun but I probably wont now as I should have made it yesterday. never mind.. there may be a bun or two with my name on it in Stokenewington
I find his style a bit messy, feel there are too many ingredients, e.g jam/ browning?!? and i'll not be flaffing about with any greaseproof paper.
Here's my direction - season dough, mix dough, rest dough, roll dough, cook dough.
Done.
Hey!!..his bread didn't rise!?
Fun to watch though.. and useful
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Stuck with you
Good morning early birds!
I heard this watching my morning fix of King of Queens.
I'll make it my song of the day.. it's so happy:)
Nice relationship song, and kinda says it all doesn't it
So whilst I work out what to put on today..
Have a great day!
I heard this watching my morning fix of King of Queens.
I'll make it my song of the day.. it's so happy:)
Nice relationship song, and kinda says it all doesn't it
So whilst I work out what to put on today..
Have a great day!
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Sweet songs for the night
*smiles* to those who know the name of the original song for this track
Yeah.. I remember I liked this song so much.. and you know what?.. hey..I still like it
Cool remix..
*Would be even better minus the N word*
Terry Linen
We've had some beautiful sun filled days this side of town haven't we.
I'm overlooking the garden as I speak and as I work, it feels nice even if I do feel a bit like a bat and unaccustomed to daylight.
I know I am not alone.
I also know that I will reunite my body with clothes and take a little sun in before the end of the day.
Now.. there are a few singers who I can just easily play in the background, as a soundtrack to my day almost, especially on sunny days like this.
cool n easy
The list is long, but one of those singers is Sanchez, the other is my featured artist today..Terry Linen.
Terry sounds alot like the late great ">Garnett Silk, who died tragically in 1994
The weather looks promising, and as I've treated myself to the kind of BBQ kit that wouldn't look out of place in the Caribbean, that shall be my treat, as soon as I say.
Yes.
'grab the coal turn up the music, and let's do this'..
Anyway, back to it..
So for now.. I hope you enjoy the sunshine, and these tracks, as much as I x
I'm overlooking the garden as I speak and as I work, it feels nice even if I do feel a bit like a bat and unaccustomed to daylight.
I know I am not alone.
I also know that I will reunite my body with clothes and take a little sun in before the end of the day.
Now.. there are a few singers who I can just easily play in the background, as a soundtrack to my day almost, especially on sunny days like this.
cool n easy
The list is long, but one of those singers is Sanchez, the other is my featured artist today..Terry Linen.
Terry sounds alot like the late great ">Garnett Silk, who died tragically in 1994
The weather looks promising, and as I've treated myself to the kind of BBQ kit that wouldn't look out of place in the Caribbean, that shall be my treat, as soon as I say.
Yes.
'grab the coal turn up the music, and let's do this'..
Anyway, back to it..
So for now.. I hope you enjoy the sunshine, and these tracks, as much as I x
Monday, 14 April 2014
Sunday, 13 April 2014
Who do we think we are?..
Montserratians ( like most Caribbean islanders )are hybrid. A mixture of of Africans - Caribs - Arawaks - and Irish, although by the 1800's the Islands population were majority African.
In case you'd like to visit - this is a pretty good guide video!
So who do we think we are?
There are many reasons why I say this, but I think it's important for black Africans to visit the Caribbean and for Caribbeans to visit Africa.
Africans that I speak to tend to know very little about the Caribbean which initially used to surprise me.
I noticed over the years, through both observation and articles, that for a long time Africans tended to look down their noses at Caribbeans, and visa versa. Those divisions were aided in places like Britain with the pathologizing and discrimination of and towards Caribbean people and families. (which became more subtle over time)
Many Africans depicted Caribbeans as slaves or children of slaves, and Caribbeans depicted Africans as weak spineless sell-outs.
Those depictions although perhaps subjectively founded in perceived truths, miss the point entirely.
.. and thankfully.. slowly , those perceptions appear to be changing.
Of course differences exist, but equally, there is a shared and fascinating history.
[disclaimer - The radio host, Rose, is very close to my mum, as she's my cousin]
Emergence of the Nation.
Very little is known of the early history of Montserrat. The indigenous population probably was made up of Arawak Indians who were killed off by Carib Indians by the time of Columbus's voyage in 1494. The Caribs left the island by the middle of the seventeenth century but continued to raid it. They named the island Alliouagana ("Land of the Prickly Bush"), perhaps after the aloe plant.
Culture
Most of Montserrat’s population are descendants of people who arrived on the island against their will. These include not only the African slaves brought to the Caribbean, but also Irish indentured servants who first came to Montserrat during the 16th century.
Montserrat is often referred to as "the Emerald Isle of the Carribbean" because the Irish figured prominently in its early history. Montserrat was first settled in 1632 by a British contingent from the mother colony of Saint Kitts. Although the original colonists were English and Irish, Montserrat quickly became a haven for Irish Catholics escaping from religious persecution. The Irish first came as indentured servants and later as slaves to work in the plantation system.
Later, Catholic refugees from Virginia came to escape from religious persecution. By 1648, there were one thousand Irish families on the island. The French occupied the country between 1644 and 1782 but ceded it to Britain in 1783. [click]
In the 1600s, African slaves were transported from Senegambia (consistent supply throughout)
1650's Kongo and Angola
1670's Bight of Benin
1800's Gold Coast sharp rise until Britain abolished slavery in 1808 (anti-slavery patrols began along the coast).
1740s The Bight of Biafra, centered on the Niger Delta and the Cross River (significant exporter dominating the Trans-Atlantic slave trade until its effective end in the mid-nineteenth century.
To fulfill the demand for slaves, the significant tribes in the region (such as the Luba, Lunda, and Kazanje) turned on each other using the Cokwe (hunters from further inland) as mercenaries. Slaves were created as a result of raids. The Cokwe, however, became dependent on this new form of employment and turned on their employers when the coastal slave trade evaporated.
Montserrat's population grew rapidly in the 1800's, so it would be a calculated guess that many of those African slaves at that time were from the Gold Coast region.
More information
Located among the small series of volcanic cones that make up the Leeward Islands, Montserrat became An English colony about 1633 when her governor, Anthony Brisket, a Wexford man, opened it as a place for Irish Catholics who had served out their time as indentured servants in the British West Indian islands and who had discovered that while the English welcomed them as laborers they were unwanted as neighbors. The Irish flocked to Montserrat and by 1680 outnumbered the English by two to one. There is evidence of a Catholic church on the island by about 1650 and a succession of Irish Catholic governors, most notably Sir William Stapleton, continued to favor their countrymen. By 1689, when the Catholic king of England, James II, was deposed by the Protestant, William III, it seemed that Montserrat would be given by her Irish majority to the French. As it turned out, the English fought heroically in the West Indies to preserve their colonies there.
In the middle of the seventeenth century, sugar began to replace tobacco as the island's cash crop. Tobacco could be profitably cultivated on small farms but sugar required an initial heavy investment. Some Irishmen had the necessary means such as John Blake of Galway, but most of the sugar plantations belonged to Englishmen and most of the Irish were relegated to the steep, jungle covered slopes, where they practiced a subsistence agriculture. Sugar also meant slaves. Africans began to arrive in large numbers through the next century. There were about 1,000 slaves on the island in 1678, 3,500 in 1708 and nearly 9,000 in 1755. By 1800, they were the majority.
Montserrat, however, never became a typical English West Indian island, where African slaves vastly out numbered a handful of Whites and racial mixture hardly ever took place.
In the eighteenth century, Montserrat had two oppressed races. The Penal Laws, intended to crush Catholic, Celtic Ireland, applied also to Montserrat. The Irish, already reduced to poverty, suffered political disenfranchisement and religious persecution. Many of the young men emigrated but enough remained to constitute a peasant class eking out a bare living on marginal land. It was perhaps natural that the Irish and Africans at the bottom of the social structure worked, drank and made love together.
An Afro-Irish population came into existence, its growth disguised by the tendency of English officials to count people as "Negro" if they had the slightest trace of African ancestry. We can glimpse the hidden reality when we find slaves named Bridget or Tom Kerwin and increasing reference to free "mulattos." In the eighteenth century, the sugar boom ended and fresh imports of Africans ceased to arrive in Montserrat. The process of Afro-Irish mixing therefore accelerated and each generation was more racially mixed than the one-before.
In the 1830's, slavery was abolished and the laws against Catholics repealed but Montserrat's racial harmony, born of oppression, continued into a better, more democratic era. Unlike most other West Indian islands, where racial animosity is thick, questions of race and color are considered rude on Montserrat. Dressed in a darker skin than their cousins in the old country, the Montserratians are yet Irish. Their names are Irish, they speak with a brogue, they have a solid reputation for hospitality and in times of adversity the rely first on "ourselves alone." It is with good reason that they stamp the sign of a shamrock into a new arrival's passport.
Hugo was not the first hurricane to devastate Montserrat. She has suffered many similar catastrophes but Hugo was perhaps the most heartbreaking of all. A poor country at the best of times, Montserrat had finally begun to make measurable progress in raising her standard of living. As one of the island's officials put it, they had just about gotten into the age of electricity and are now back into the age of kerosene. What, if anything, their cousins in the rest of the world can or will do for them remains to be seen.
[partial source by James P. Walsh & originally printed in 1989]
More..
The Arawak and Carib were Montserrat’s first residents before Christopher Columbus discovered the island and named it after Catalonia’s Monastery of Montserrat in 1493. Many of the first European settlers were indentured Irish servants transported to the New World against their will, much like the African slaves who followed after Montserrat became an English territory in 1632.
Sugar and Sea Island cotton plantations, along with rum, formed the backbone of Montserrat’s economy for several decades. France briefly captured the island in 1782, but became a British territory under the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolutionary War. This dramatic period in island history is displayed at the Montserrat National Trust headquarters (P. O. Box 393, Olveston).
St Patrick’s Day became an official public holiday after a failed March 17, 1768 slave uprising, but the island did not abolish slavery until 1834. When Montserrat’s economy suffered after sugar prices plummeted in the 19th century, a British philanthropist named Joseph Sturge purchased his own sugar estate in 1857 to prove that hiring paid workers was more beneficial than using slave labor. The Sturges became Montserrat’s most powerful family. They started a school, began Montserrat’s commercial lime juice industry and founded the Montserrat Company Limited. After the Sturges began selling land to the local population, most of the island was owned by shareholders.
Between 1871 and 1958, Montserrat was part of the British Leeward Islands colony, becoming part of the West Indies Federation during the following four years. After Sir George Martin opened his AIR recording studio in 1979, many of the world’s top musicians flocked to the island to record their albums in Montserrat’s private and tranquil surroundings.
Hurricane Hugo, however, brought an abrupt end to Montserrat’s growth when the Category 4 storm destroyed 90 percent of the island’s buildings, including AIR Studios. Once Montserrat recovered from that natural disaster, the long-dormant Soufrière Hills volcano buried Plymouth, the island’s capital, in over 39 feet of mud. The Soufrière Hills volcano also destroyed Montserrat’s airport and forced over half the population to relocate.
Music
Me
I tend to take Montserrat'ness' for granted.
To be honest I find it slightly frustrating trying to get to grips with tracing my own lineage. Whilst I haven't given up entirely, at present I don't have the time. I think I've mentioned before that I don't have that much information on certain things. I have visited the island, and had the opportunity to see where my parents grew up, went to school, hung out, how they lived etc, which I guess has sustained me, and quenched my thirst enough.
So who am I?.
I cannot answer that easily.
Definitely hybridic, with a long story.
Where did my story begin?
Here? in Britain?
Literally speaking, I guess so, although it doesn't feel that way. I feel as though I've been an observer of my life.. and I have felt that way for some time.
I guess, it's what I do.
It's sometimes said that we are all born with a clean slate. But at this moment in time I don't agree with that anymore.
I believe we are are all born with histories and expectations attached, which we either fulfill, or don't.
for better, or worse
Anything after that, is window dressing.
Happy Sunday x
In case you'd like to visit - this is a pretty good guide video!
So who do we think we are?
There are many reasons why I say this, but I think it's important for black Africans to visit the Caribbean and for Caribbeans to visit Africa.
Africans that I speak to tend to know very little about the Caribbean which initially used to surprise me.
I noticed over the years, through both observation and articles, that for a long time Africans tended to look down their noses at Caribbeans, and visa versa. Those divisions were aided in places like Britain with the pathologizing and discrimination of and towards Caribbean people and families. (which became more subtle over time)
Many Africans depicted Caribbeans as slaves or children of slaves, and Caribbeans depicted Africans as weak spineless sell-outs.
Those depictions although perhaps subjectively founded in perceived truths, miss the point entirely.
.. and thankfully.. slowly , those perceptions appear to be changing.
Of course differences exist, but equally, there is a shared and fascinating history.
[disclaimer - The radio host, Rose, is very close to my mum, as she's my cousin]
Emergence of the Nation.
Very little is known of the early history of Montserrat. The indigenous population probably was made up of Arawak Indians who were killed off by Carib Indians by the time of Columbus's voyage in 1494. The Caribs left the island by the middle of the seventeenth century but continued to raid it. They named the island Alliouagana ("Land of the Prickly Bush"), perhaps after the aloe plant.
Culture
Most of Montserrat’s population are descendants of people who arrived on the island against their will. These include not only the African slaves brought to the Caribbean, but also Irish indentured servants who first came to Montserrat during the 16th century.
Montserrat is often referred to as "the Emerald Isle of the Carribbean" because the Irish figured prominently in its early history. Montserrat was first settled in 1632 by a British contingent from the mother colony of Saint Kitts. Although the original colonists were English and Irish, Montserrat quickly became a haven for Irish Catholics escaping from religious persecution. The Irish first came as indentured servants and later as slaves to work in the plantation system.
Later, Catholic refugees from Virginia came to escape from religious persecution. By 1648, there were one thousand Irish families on the island. The French occupied the country between 1644 and 1782 but ceded it to Britain in 1783. [click]
In the 1600s, African slaves were transported from Senegambia (consistent supply throughout)
1650's Kongo and Angola
1670's Bight of Benin
1800's Gold Coast sharp rise until Britain abolished slavery in 1808 (anti-slavery patrols began along the coast).
1740s The Bight of Biafra, centered on the Niger Delta and the Cross River (significant exporter dominating the Trans-Atlantic slave trade until its effective end in the mid-nineteenth century.
To fulfill the demand for slaves, the significant tribes in the region (such as the Luba, Lunda, and Kazanje) turned on each other using the Cokwe (hunters from further inland) as mercenaries. Slaves were created as a result of raids. The Cokwe, however, became dependent on this new form of employment and turned on their employers when the coastal slave trade evaporated.
Montserrat's population grew rapidly in the 1800's, so it would be a calculated guess that many of those African slaves at that time were from the Gold Coast region.
More information
Located among the small series of volcanic cones that make up the Leeward Islands, Montserrat became An English colony about 1633 when her governor, Anthony Brisket, a Wexford man, opened it as a place for Irish Catholics who had served out their time as indentured servants in the British West Indian islands and who had discovered that while the English welcomed them as laborers they were unwanted as neighbors. The Irish flocked to Montserrat and by 1680 outnumbered the English by two to one. There is evidence of a Catholic church on the island by about 1650 and a succession of Irish Catholic governors, most notably Sir William Stapleton, continued to favor their countrymen. By 1689, when the Catholic king of England, James II, was deposed by the Protestant, William III, it seemed that Montserrat would be given by her Irish majority to the French. As it turned out, the English fought heroically in the West Indies to preserve their colonies there.
In the middle of the seventeenth century, sugar began to replace tobacco as the island's cash crop. Tobacco could be profitably cultivated on small farms but sugar required an initial heavy investment. Some Irishmen had the necessary means such as John Blake of Galway, but most of the sugar plantations belonged to Englishmen and most of the Irish were relegated to the steep, jungle covered slopes, where they practiced a subsistence agriculture. Sugar also meant slaves. Africans began to arrive in large numbers through the next century. There were about 1,000 slaves on the island in 1678, 3,500 in 1708 and nearly 9,000 in 1755. By 1800, they were the majority.
Montserrat, however, never became a typical English West Indian island, where African slaves vastly out numbered a handful of Whites and racial mixture hardly ever took place.
In the eighteenth century, Montserrat had two oppressed races. The Penal Laws, intended to crush Catholic, Celtic Ireland, applied also to Montserrat. The Irish, already reduced to poverty, suffered political disenfranchisement and religious persecution. Many of the young men emigrated but enough remained to constitute a peasant class eking out a bare living on marginal land. It was perhaps natural that the Irish and Africans at the bottom of the social structure worked, drank and made love together.
An Afro-Irish population came into existence, its growth disguised by the tendency of English officials to count people as "Negro" if they had the slightest trace of African ancestry. We can glimpse the hidden reality when we find slaves named Bridget or Tom Kerwin and increasing reference to free "mulattos." In the eighteenth century, the sugar boom ended and fresh imports of Africans ceased to arrive in Montserrat. The process of Afro-Irish mixing therefore accelerated and each generation was more racially mixed than the one-before.
In the 1830's, slavery was abolished and the laws against Catholics repealed but Montserrat's racial harmony, born of oppression, continued into a better, more democratic era. Unlike most other West Indian islands, where racial animosity is thick, questions of race and color are considered rude on Montserrat. Dressed in a darker skin than their cousins in the old country, the Montserratians are yet Irish. Their names are Irish, they speak with a brogue, they have a solid reputation for hospitality and in times of adversity the rely first on "ourselves alone." It is with good reason that they stamp the sign of a shamrock into a new arrival's passport.
Hugo was not the first hurricane to devastate Montserrat. She has suffered many similar catastrophes but Hugo was perhaps the most heartbreaking of all. A poor country at the best of times, Montserrat had finally begun to make measurable progress in raising her standard of living. As one of the island's officials put it, they had just about gotten into the age of electricity and are now back into the age of kerosene. What, if anything, their cousins in the rest of the world can or will do for them remains to be seen.
[partial source by James P. Walsh & originally printed in 1989]
More..
The Arawak and Carib were Montserrat’s first residents before Christopher Columbus discovered the island and named it after Catalonia’s Monastery of Montserrat in 1493. Many of the first European settlers were indentured Irish servants transported to the New World against their will, much like the African slaves who followed after Montserrat became an English territory in 1632.
Sugar and Sea Island cotton plantations, along with rum, formed the backbone of Montserrat’s economy for several decades. France briefly captured the island in 1782, but became a British territory under the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolutionary War. This dramatic period in island history is displayed at the Montserrat National Trust headquarters (P. O. Box 393, Olveston).
St Patrick’s Day became an official public holiday after a failed March 17, 1768 slave uprising, but the island did not abolish slavery until 1834. When Montserrat’s economy suffered after sugar prices plummeted in the 19th century, a British philanthropist named Joseph Sturge purchased his own sugar estate in 1857 to prove that hiring paid workers was more beneficial than using slave labor. The Sturges became Montserrat’s most powerful family. They started a school, began Montserrat’s commercial lime juice industry and founded the Montserrat Company Limited. After the Sturges began selling land to the local population, most of the island was owned by shareholders.
Between 1871 and 1958, Montserrat was part of the British Leeward Islands colony, becoming part of the West Indies Federation during the following four years. After Sir George Martin opened his AIR recording studio in 1979, many of the world’s top musicians flocked to the island to record their albums in Montserrat’s private and tranquil surroundings.
Hurricane Hugo, however, brought an abrupt end to Montserrat’s growth when the Category 4 storm destroyed 90 percent of the island’s buildings, including AIR Studios. Once Montserrat recovered from that natural disaster, the long-dormant Soufrière Hills volcano buried Plymouth, the island’s capital, in over 39 feet of mud. The Soufrière Hills volcano also destroyed Montserrat’s airport and forced over half the population to relocate.
Music
Me
I tend to take Montserrat'ness' for granted.
To be honest I find it slightly frustrating trying to get to grips with tracing my own lineage. Whilst I haven't given up entirely, at present I don't have the time. I think I've mentioned before that I don't have that much information on certain things. I have visited the island, and had the opportunity to see where my parents grew up, went to school, hung out, how they lived etc, which I guess has sustained me, and quenched my thirst enough.
So who am I?.
I cannot answer that easily.
Definitely hybridic, with a long story.
Where did my story begin?
Here? in Britain?
Literally speaking, I guess so, although it doesn't feel that way. I feel as though I've been an observer of my life.. and I have felt that way for some time.
I guess, it's what I do.
It's sometimes said that we are all born with a clean slate. But at this moment in time I don't agree with that anymore.
I believe we are are all born with histories and expectations attached, which we either fulfill, or don't.
for better, or worse
Anything after that, is window dressing.
Happy Sunday x
Saturday, 12 April 2014
Monday, 7 April 2014
Yeah, it's Lundi..
..and things will have me quiet for a few days. Well..quieter, at the very least.
Popping in to send you this message .. something short and sweet for this chilly and busy Monday
**
In remembrance
20yrs ago.. Hell was unleashed in Rwanda
Rwandas genocide is one of the saddest moments of our recent world history
I think we can all learn something from it, if we care to
We learn that hatred can be easily forged
Colonial rule often leaves a deadly legacy..
and propaganda and mind control is powerful.. and can be equally lethal
Our thoughts and prayers go out to both the victims and the survivors.
I admire anyone's ability to forgive such heinous acts ( and I'm not just referring to those who stoked the fires.. and then turned thier backs)
We know we would never want such a thing to happen again, but that was said after WW2
Perhaps.. we are just slow learners
To all those who are still refugees.. to those who had to flee their homes in terror, to the healing and healed, orphans and widows, those who lost family and friends.. and whose lives were changed forever
Heros and villains
Hope you like this song x
**
Rwanda - 100 days [click]
Captain Mbaye [click]
Popping in to send you this message .. something short and sweet for this chilly and busy Monday
**
In remembrance
20yrs ago.. Hell was unleashed in Rwanda
Rwandas genocide is one of the saddest moments of our recent world history
I think we can all learn something from it, if we care to
We learn that hatred can be easily forged
Colonial rule often leaves a deadly legacy..
and propaganda and mind control is powerful.. and can be equally lethal
Our thoughts and prayers go out to both the victims and the survivors.
I admire anyone's ability to forgive such heinous acts ( and I'm not just referring to those who stoked the fires.. and then turned thier backs)
We know we would never want such a thing to happen again, but that was said after WW2
Perhaps.. we are just slow learners
To all those who are still refugees.. to those who had to flee their homes in terror, to the healing and healed, orphans and widows, those who lost family and friends.. and whose lives were changed forever
Heros and villains
Hope you like this song x
**
Rwanda - 100 days [click]
Captain Mbaye [click]
Sunday, 6 April 2014
TD Jakes - Lady
I like TD Jakes.. and he has a good sense of humour.
I like him for many reasons.. a less obvious one being that every so often, he will say something, or do something that irritates me, and reminds me he's a man (a person with faults too) .. which is good.. essential actually. Healthy.
Plus he doesn't pretend to be perfect
His words are encouraging, and I think often resonate, regardless of ones 'religious/ or non religious' beliefs
I first came across Jakes by 'accident'.
I was in a book store many years ago on Stokenewington High Street, and I came across his book [click] read it, and loved it.
I lent it to a colleague... just because I liked it, and I wanted to share. She cried, as it turned out she was having marital problems and the book was a huge comfort to her.
I didn't know she was having any problems.. after all.. she hadn't been married 3 months.
I liked her .. she was like me in many ways.
When I started working at that particular place, I was in my late 20s/30s, and she was 40.. I was gobsmacked, as she looked the same age as me. She was cute, funny, fit, young, and smart. ( not tryna say that's me or anything.. )
That moment changed my views on age forever.
I'll revisit that book when I have time.. see how I feel
the band sound great at the end btw.. cool drummer
I like him for many reasons.. a less obvious one being that every so often, he will say something, or do something that irritates me, and reminds me he's a man (a person with faults too) .. which is good.. essential actually. Healthy.
Plus he doesn't pretend to be perfect
His words are encouraging, and I think often resonate, regardless of ones 'religious/ or non religious' beliefs
I first came across Jakes by 'accident'.
I was in a book store many years ago on Stokenewington High Street, and I came across his book [click] read it, and loved it.
I lent it to a colleague... just because I liked it, and I wanted to share. She cried, as it turned out she was having marital problems and the book was a huge comfort to her.
I didn't know she was having any problems.. after all.. she hadn't been married 3 months.
I liked her .. she was like me in many ways.
When I started working at that particular place, I was in my late 20s/30s, and she was 40.. I was gobsmacked, as she looked the same age as me. She was cute, funny, fit, young, and smart. ( not tryna say that's me or anything.. )
That moment changed my views on age forever.
I'll revisit that book when I have time.. see how I feel
the band sound great at the end btw.. cool drummer
Well done Jermain! [The Voice UK]
What a shock that was...
I couldn't believe it!
I remember saying... oh he'll be out first.. never mind..he’s a Hackney lad, he'll be okay... no big deal for him, he'd have known disappointment before... he's a trooper.
Then he won!
I screamed... 'Whaaatt?!
Occasional viewers like me, tend not to vote for those kinds of shows (refuse to get sucked it) and... besides..shall I say the obvious?
So... why did Jermain ( not sure that's how his name is really spelt)..win?
Just for the record, I'm happy he did. I would have been equally happy if Sally won, as she has the most soul/pain filled voice I've heard in a long while... a beautiful voice and there's something special about her...
Now, to be honest, Jermain was definitely not the best singer of the 3 on the night. But he does have that great ability to 'draw for the baritone ' which makes us go yeahhh bouyee'
So, if he wasn't the best on the night.. why did he win?...
I think, Jermain Jackman won because he has worked out at 19yrs of age, what many fail to realize at 50... and what some... never do. and that is..
It’s more important what you put in to society... than what you take out...
Yes... the show is called the voice...
But.. who cares..
He entertained us, put his heart into it, sang well and deserves his win.
Now there may be another reason he won.. often people say these shows are fixed, but that's the spin i'll put on it.. unless I discover otherwise..
My critical eye wondered why Christina Marie looked and dressed as though she was the same age as Sally Barker
(One woman is 19-20.. the other is' 57?!)
I laughed when Ricky Wilson’s hatred got the better of him, so much so that he couldn’t even say the name of his own act without messing it up
( no pic.. he's annoying)
To think.. I used to like the Kaiser Chiefs.. well.. they're no Coldplay that's for sure #gotlucky#justsaying
I had mixed feelings when Will said... okay... so it's not the best part of London is it?
I wanted to say... 'Hey Will.. check out these house prices.. Someone somewhere’s doing okay
( To be honest many are totally overpriced for what you actually get)
Good job!
Wish Jermain all the best in his endeavours
He's geeky.. even kinda wimpy
But he's got heart.. he's got soul.. and he's alright
Unless his political choices.. hmmm.. never mind..
*sings* Yeah.. (Tom Jones style)
The dictates of cultural imperialism in a white supremacist society.. says..
Celebrate me here..
Yet ignore me there...
**
She said.. " I always thought it was the FDLR, CNDP who were raping... that it wasn't our Congolese brothers, but when i saw what happened.. that our army has looted and raped their own people, .. our life in Congo, has no meaning.."
Spotlight on the work of Dr. Denis Mukwege Mukenge.. and his colleagues
**
Speech made by Dr. Denis Mukwege on September 25, 2012
at a UN General Assembly side event on sexual violence
"Your Excellencies, Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would have liked to begin my speech with the usual formulation, “I have the honor and privilege of taking the floor before you.” Alas! The women victims of sexual violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are in dishonor. I constantly with my own eyes see the vague stare of the elder women, the children, the mothers who are dishonored. Still today, many are subjected to sexual slavery; others are used as a weapon of war. Their organs are exposed to the most heinous abuse, often without access to medical care.
And this has been going on for sixteen years! Sixteen years of wanderings; sixteen years of torture; sixteen years of mutilation; sixteen years of the destruction of women, the only vital Congolese resource; sixteen years of breakdown of an entire society. Certainly your respective countries have done much to address the consequences, and we are very grateful for that.
I would have liked to also say “I have the honor of being part of the international community that you represent here.” but I cannot. How can I say this to you, representatives of the international community, when the international community has shown its fear and lack of courage during these sixteen years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
I would have liked to say as well “I have the honor of representing my country,” but I cannot. In fact, how can one be proud of belonging to a nation without defense, left to itself, completely pillaged and powerless in the face of five hundred thousands of its girls raped during sixteen years; six million of its sons and daughters killed during sixteen years without any lasting solution in sight?
No, I do not have the honor, nor the privilege to be here today. My heart is heavy. My honor, it is rather to be with these courageous women victims of sexual violence, these women who resist, these women who despite all remain standing.
Today, thanks to the report by the UN Group of Experts, the Mapping Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations, and many other credible reports, no one can continue to hide behind the argument of the complexity of the crisis. We know now the motivations behind this crisis and its different actors. What is missing is the political will.
Excellencies, Ambassadors; it is with great humility that i tell you that we need courage to stop this crisis that has lasted for far too long. Sixteen years is too much. We do not need more proof. We need action, urgent action, to arrest those responsible for these crimes against humanity and to bring them to justice. And justice is not negotiable. We need your unanimous condemnation of the rebel groups who are responsible for these acts. We also need concrete actions with regard to member states of the United Nations who support these barbarities from near or afar.
We are facing a humanitarian emergency that no longer has room for equivocation. All the ingredients are there to put an end to an unjust war that has used violence against women and rape as a strategy of war. Congolese women have the right to protection just as all the women on this planet.
Shelving all these credible reports will gravely harm the credibility of the various United Nations resolutions requiring the protection of women in times of conflict and will entirely discredit our dear institution, which is supposed to ensure the non repetition of genocide.
The advances made by our civilization are declining; they are declining through new barbarities that we are seeing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Syria; but also through the deafening silence and the lack of courage of the international community. We cannot silence the truth as it is persistent. We should rather confront it to avoid betraying our ideals.
I have the honor to say that the courage of women victims of sexual violence in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will, in the end, overcome this evil.
Help them restore peace!
Thank you"
A side thought..
I would be very surprised if Dr Denis would ever again be able to have an intimate relationship with a black woman after all he has seen and been through. I know he is married, but I almost 'guarantee' that his wife is not African or of African/Caribbean descent. Not for any other reason other than the impact his work will have had on him
So not because he suffers from race hate, or because he has an inferiority complex or colonial indoctrination syndrome.( although I'm not implying that every man or woman in a mixed relationship has these issues, although its sociologically naive to rule it out in all cases)
No.. I suspect he's of a much higher calibre than
I think he's an amazing person
Yet ignore me there...
**
She said.. " I always thought it was the FDLR, CNDP who were raping... that it wasn't our Congolese brothers, but when i saw what happened.. that our army has looted and raped their own people, .. our life in Congo, has no meaning.."
Spotlight on the work of Dr. Denis Mukwege Mukenge.. and his colleagues
**
Speech made by Dr. Denis Mukwege on September 25, 2012
at a UN General Assembly side event on sexual violence
"Your Excellencies, Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would have liked to begin my speech with the usual formulation, “I have the honor and privilege of taking the floor before you.” Alas! The women victims of sexual violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are in dishonor. I constantly with my own eyes see the vague stare of the elder women, the children, the mothers who are dishonored. Still today, many are subjected to sexual slavery; others are used as a weapon of war. Their organs are exposed to the most heinous abuse, often without access to medical care.
And this has been going on for sixteen years! Sixteen years of wanderings; sixteen years of torture; sixteen years of mutilation; sixteen years of the destruction of women, the only vital Congolese resource; sixteen years of breakdown of an entire society. Certainly your respective countries have done much to address the consequences, and we are very grateful for that.
I would have liked to also say “I have the honor of being part of the international community that you represent here.” but I cannot. How can I say this to you, representatives of the international community, when the international community has shown its fear and lack of courage during these sixteen years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
I would have liked to say as well “I have the honor of representing my country,” but I cannot. In fact, how can one be proud of belonging to a nation without defense, left to itself, completely pillaged and powerless in the face of five hundred thousands of its girls raped during sixteen years; six million of its sons and daughters killed during sixteen years without any lasting solution in sight?
No, I do not have the honor, nor the privilege to be here today. My heart is heavy. My honor, it is rather to be with these courageous women victims of sexual violence, these women who resist, these women who despite all remain standing.
Today, thanks to the report by the UN Group of Experts, the Mapping Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations, and many other credible reports, no one can continue to hide behind the argument of the complexity of the crisis. We know now the motivations behind this crisis and its different actors. What is missing is the political will.
Excellencies, Ambassadors; it is with great humility that i tell you that we need courage to stop this crisis that has lasted for far too long. Sixteen years is too much. We do not need more proof. We need action, urgent action, to arrest those responsible for these crimes against humanity and to bring them to justice. And justice is not negotiable. We need your unanimous condemnation of the rebel groups who are responsible for these acts. We also need concrete actions with regard to member states of the United Nations who support these barbarities from near or afar.
We are facing a humanitarian emergency that no longer has room for equivocation. All the ingredients are there to put an end to an unjust war that has used violence against women and rape as a strategy of war. Congolese women have the right to protection just as all the women on this planet.
Shelving all these credible reports will gravely harm the credibility of the various United Nations resolutions requiring the protection of women in times of conflict and will entirely discredit our dear institution, which is supposed to ensure the non repetition of genocide.
The advances made by our civilization are declining; they are declining through new barbarities that we are seeing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Syria; but also through the deafening silence and the lack of courage of the international community. We cannot silence the truth as it is persistent. We should rather confront it to avoid betraying our ideals.
I have the honor to say that the courage of women victims of sexual violence in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will, in the end, overcome this evil.
Help them restore peace!
Thank you"
A side thought..
I would be very surprised if Dr Denis would ever again be able to have an intimate relationship with a black woman after all he has seen and been through. I know he is married, but I almost 'guarantee' that his wife is not African or of African/Caribbean descent. Not for any other reason other than the impact his work will have had on him
So not because he suffers from race hate, or because he has an inferiority complex or colonial indoctrination syndrome.( although I'm not implying that every man or woman in a mixed relationship has these issues, although its sociologically naive to rule it out in all cases)
No.. I suspect he's of a much higher calibre than
I think he's an amazing person
Saturday, 5 April 2014
Nick Clegg vs Nigel Farage - Europe Debate
I'm still trying to find time to get through this , but from what I've seen so far.. Nick Lost.
Nick plays the 'respectable' establishment white middle class educated male card well ' but he lost legitimacy awhile back. Yet still...he continues to try and 'blind' the British electorate with his 'Nickness'
Even if Nigel is wrong.. or you don't like his rough around the edges style.. remember.. too many smoothies will make youNick.. I mean sick :)
I'll let you know if my view changes.
*£1000 per day? Feel free to place one of those wind turbines in my yard
That's over £36,000 per year for naff all.. I don't make the wind blow
Nick plays the 'respectable' establishment white middle class educated male card well ' but he lost legitimacy awhile back. Yet still...he continues to try and 'blind' the British electorate with his 'Nickness'
Even if Nigel is wrong.. or you don't like his rough around the edges style.. remember.. too many smoothies will make you
I'll let you know if my view changes.
*£1000 per day? Feel free to place one of those wind turbines in my yard
That's over £36,000 per year for naff all.. I don't make the wind blow
Friday, 4 April 2014
Great dates
So .. I was thinking..
What constitutes a great date to you?
Ultimately it has to be the company... right?
In the right company you could be anyplace, (Not A&E of course!) at anytime, and feel filled with joy, and totally at ease.
I remember, awhile back, someone saying to me something along the lines of feeling attachment to others being wrong. I realize however, that they simply spoke out of insecurity, and possibly craved and felt attachments dearly. In truth, to not feel attachment...as a human being.. would be a worry. To not connect with others, or to live a selfish or individualistic life, is to live no life at all .. right?
To feel connected to others means to feel...Life.. yet also to vulnerable to others too ( which some may find scary) but it keeps one humble I reckon
You see, I honestly feel that it's what we as humans desire most. To fully connect with others, with someone...to sense their heartbeat, to enjoy thier energy, to talk, to laugh, to cuddle.. to be physically intimate, to make love
It's why we date.
It's why, even after a nightmare 'relationship'.. we get up, piece our broken hearts back together again.. fill our souls up.. giggle..blush.. and do it all again!
We do so.. because we are compelled to love.
So... apart from great company, what else would you consider a great date?. For me?. it varies.. (I'm quite a mix)
but ultimately, it involves being outside. (hmmm to begin with )
So what comes to mind is...
A nice walk in the park.. enjoying nature
I love water, so sea fronts ( beach is cool on warm days)
Doing something funny or sporty ( karting/horseriding/iceskating.. or something I've never done but always wanted to)
Getting dressed up in a really pretty outfit, and enjoying a show (play) ( something cultured/music/art) before a nice scenic drive around London ( or wherever I was at the time) in a beautiful Rolls (Royce - see below.. Hey.. It's my car.. and London always looks beautiful at night!)
Perhaps a trip to the movies, just hanging out together in town, holding hands like teenagers (the non aggressive more stylish cooler ones:))
or even..
A simple lunch date in the summer, outside on a bench, or at a cafe under a parasol.. enjoying a cool breeze, and watching the world go by
Ultimately.. it would appear, that a great date for me.. is doing things I like to do anyway.. just with a great guy, who just so happens to enjoy the same (or at least very similar) things!
Oh.. and kissing.. a great date must include kissing (someone who can kiss well) .. or ( if it's the 1st/2nd date and you're taking it slow because you really like 'em..) at least the desire to!
Here's to good old fashioned dates..
Now.. let me see that car again.... yep..pretty sure it's best when it comes with a driver. I like the name Wilson for a driver.. yeah I can see it now, as I ease out of my heels.."Wilson... I'm tired..take me home..")
What constitutes a great date to you?
Ultimately it has to be the company... right?
In the right company you could be anyplace, (Not A&E of course!) at anytime, and feel filled with joy, and totally at ease.
I remember, awhile back, someone saying to me something along the lines of feeling attachment to others being wrong. I realize however, that they simply spoke out of insecurity, and possibly craved and felt attachments dearly. In truth, to not feel attachment...as a human being.. would be a worry. To not connect with others, or to live a selfish or individualistic life, is to live no life at all .. right?
To feel connected to others means to feel...Life.. yet also to vulnerable to others too ( which some may find scary) but it keeps one humble I reckon
You see, I honestly feel that it's what we as humans desire most. To fully connect with others, with someone...to sense their heartbeat, to enjoy thier energy, to talk, to laugh, to cuddle.. to be physically intimate, to make love
It's why we date.
It's why, even after a nightmare 'relationship'.. we get up, piece our broken hearts back together again.. fill our souls up.. giggle..blush.. and do it all again!
We do so.. because we are compelled to love.
So... apart from great company, what else would you consider a great date?. For me?. it varies.. (I'm quite a mix)
but ultimately, it involves being outside. (hmmm to begin with )
So what comes to mind is...
A nice walk in the park.. enjoying nature
I love water, so sea fronts ( beach is cool on warm days)
Doing something funny or sporty ( karting/horseriding/iceskating.. or something I've never done but always wanted to)
Getting dressed up in a really pretty outfit, and enjoying a show (play) ( something cultured/music/art) before a nice scenic drive around London ( or wherever I was at the time) in a beautiful Rolls (Royce - see below.. Hey.. It's my car.. and London always looks beautiful at night!)
Perhaps a trip to the movies, just hanging out together in town, holding hands like teenagers (the non aggressive more stylish cooler ones:))
or even..
A simple lunch date in the summer, outside on a bench, or at a cafe under a parasol.. enjoying a cool breeze, and watching the world go by
Ultimately.. it would appear, that a great date for me.. is doing things I like to do anyway.. just with a great guy, who just so happens to enjoy the same (or at least very similar) things!
Oh.. and kissing.. a great date must include kissing (someone who can kiss well) .. or ( if it's the 1st/2nd date and you're taking it slow because you really like 'em..) at least the desire to!
Here's to good old fashioned dates..
Now.. let me see that car again.... yep..pretty sure it's best when it comes with a driver. I like the name Wilson for a driver.. yeah I can see it now, as I ease out of my heels.."Wilson... I'm tired..take me home..")
Thursday, 3 April 2014
The Four Horsemen [documentary]
Description
'FOUR HORSEMEN is an award winning independent feature documentary which lifts the lid on how the world really works.
As we will never return to 'business as usual' 23 international thinkers, government advisors and Wall Street money-men break their silence and explain how to establish a moral and just society'.
'FOUR HORSEMEN is an award winning independent feature documentary which lifts the lid on how the world really works.
As we will never return to 'business as usual' 23 international thinkers, government advisors and Wall Street money-men break their silence and explain how to establish a moral and just society'.
on White privilege
Always room for a little humour.. although this one wont help me with my paper!
He's scary.. looking all normal when we know he's crazy angry.. his sarcasm is off the richter scale.. and hmmm I wonder whose skull that is behind him?!. hotdiggity..call the cops.
Funny guy...Is helegal legit!?
Wow.. so the Chinese have a 'cup more brain' than Kenyans? :)
hmmm could this explain our neoliberal land grab problem?
Reciting those numbers backwards. That test is used to test for dyslexia.
and you know what?.. I can't do it!!.. and... this hat is sliding down my eyes :(
**
Tim Wise [click]
Documentary trailer ">[click]
He's scary.. looking all normal when we know he's crazy angry.. his sarcasm is off the richter scale.. and hmmm I wonder whose skull that is behind him?!. hotdiggity..call the cops.
Funny guy...Is he
Wow.. so the Chinese have a 'cup more brain' than Kenyans? :)
hmmm could this explain our neoliberal land grab problem?
Reciting those numbers backwards. That test is used to test for dyslexia.
and you know what?.. I can't do it!!.. and... this hat is sliding down my eyes :(
**
Tim Wise [click]
Documentary trailer ">[click]
on Whiteness
...and again at 25:18.. any woman sitting with her legs spread eagled is a bit of a distraction.. and i'm hetro!.
Yet still.. I paid attention.. interesting insightful doc
Forgotten Heroes - Captain Mbaye
I think when we learn about people who are courageous, people who carry out acts of kindness, who do things from a place of love or selflessness, they are worth remembering, especially during the times when we fall short.. Lack the courage of our convictions, or fail to question or challenge a status quo which lacks legitimacy, is unethical, or even lacks common sense.
Okay, so yesterday.. I knew nothing of this man
Captain, Mbaye Diagne
In the past, I could never quite get why the UN peacekeepers were/are unarmed, but the answer is really in the title isn’t it..
From what I’ve always understood of many African countries which were colonised, is that colonial rule has always operated by creating an 'indigenous' African hierarchy. Appointing, in many cases, 'warrant chiefs' and ensuring that colonial (or white) power is/was maintained by it appearing not to have any. When taxes were gathered or punishments carried out, the administrators were those appointed to do so... they were often black ..and were paid well... or at least they ate the crumbs from the masters table.
They would be educated to British 'esq' standards, and on independence it was often those people who stepped into the institutional/governmental positions once created by the colonisers.
An illegitimate hierarchy or power structure will always cause animosity.. and has a shelf life.
And if the elite 'preferred' ethic group was the minority group... the dominant majority could potentially have an axe to grind.
What’s sad about places like Rwanda is that there were many relationships and marriages across ethnic boundaries, and children from these unions, and in reality, the ethnic divisions were a socially constructed illusion.
Sad.
'The masters tools, will never dismantle, the masters house'
Audrey Lourde
Tribute to Captain Mbaye.
A man from Senegal - BBC Report [A good man in Rwanda]
Okay, so yesterday.. I knew nothing of this man
Captain, Mbaye Diagne
In the past, I could never quite get why the UN peacekeepers were/are unarmed, but the answer is really in the title isn’t it..
From what I’ve always understood of many African countries which were colonised, is that colonial rule has always operated by creating an 'indigenous' African hierarchy. Appointing, in many cases, 'warrant chiefs' and ensuring that colonial (or white) power is/was maintained by it appearing not to have any. When taxes were gathered or punishments carried out, the administrators were those appointed to do so... they were often black ..and were paid well... or at least they ate the crumbs from the masters table.
They would be educated to British 'esq' standards, and on independence it was often those people who stepped into the institutional/governmental positions once created by the colonisers.
An illegitimate hierarchy or power structure will always cause animosity.. and has a shelf life.
And if the elite 'preferred' ethic group was the minority group... the dominant majority could potentially have an axe to grind.
What’s sad about places like Rwanda is that there were many relationships and marriages across ethnic boundaries, and children from these unions, and in reality, the ethnic divisions were a socially constructed illusion.
Sad.
'The masters tools, will never dismantle, the masters house'
Audrey Lourde
Tribute to Captain Mbaye.
A man from Senegal - BBC Report [A good man in Rwanda]
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