Listen up ConDems, Parenting is the most important job in the world

I was thinking earlier that this God-forsaking coalition claims a hypocritical belief in Christian values, which is why of course, it is attacking the most vulnerable - Children through their parents, disabled men, women and children.

I wanted them to watch this video from Lorna Byrne and stop attacking mothers, beating them with an iron rod, chasing them into non existant jobs, or jobs that don't pay.

Then this morning, while in the coffee shop, I happen to glance the front page of The Times.

The coalition is going to offer tax breaks to mothers!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So afraid of losing the female vote, they're going to throw money our way!!!

Hang on; wealthy mothers. Only wealthy mothers.

Wealthy working mothers can get a tax break for their cleaners, babysitters, gardeners. They already get a tax break for their nannies. I'm told Council Leader in the playground can put his and his wife's childcare on expenses. Neither of them are fighting to keep our "it's not viable" after school club open.

ALL PARENTING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB IN THE WORLD

HELP NEEDS TO GO TO THE MOST VULNERABLE, NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM IN A "WELFARE REFORM" EXERCISE AND GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH.

To just go back to dreamland a minute, I said to He Who Said I Was Hot, that the very job I'd love to outsource would be cleaning. It's a pipedream for a low earner after childcare, school dinners, music lessons, after school clubs. As it is, one of those will have to go...wish it was childcare, I can do that myself.

Help ALL mothers, don't hurt them.

Children feel everything.

Bad bacteria on push bikes

Here's what my lower abdomen pain feels like (do tell me if you've ever had the same, it's a horror not knowing as you may know)

Like there are bicycle handlbars down there and hundreds of bad bacteria hanging onto them and when the mood takes them, they pull on the brakes and I go 'aaargh' because I wasn't expecting it.

"You feel a squeeze you mean?" said my sister, and the doctor when I saw her. Oh bless those with command of simple language! Oh bless Stigmum and her creativity!!

The bacteria were braking, nay, squeezing, alot during "Shame" (aargh, there it goes again!)

Michael Fassbender....
Oh MAN!!!
We are a divine species!
I'll say no more....

What the Dickens?!

Happy Birthday Charles Dickens!
200 years old today! Same as me!
Not much has changed ey? Social inequality still high and actually being legislated by this government to get worse! When you turn in your grave Charles me lad, WAKE UP these cockeyed clueless political classes.
On the plus side they stopped beating kids in school, ooh, 30 years ago. To my knowledge anyway (Nicolas Nickleby)
Thanks Charlie, for everything.

Dreams of Big Fish

I was at some kind of party, there were lots of people there chatting to one another but I wasn't talking to any of them, I was just, there.

As I walked through them to the back of the room, I aaw a window and through the window, the enormous eye of an enormous orange, shimmering, fish.

It was staring at me, with its big round eye, which I found quite unnerving. So I turned, and opened a door and found myself on the deck of a boat. There were people there. I turned, to make sure the fish had gone, I imagined it, but it had climbed through the window and was in the room, still staring at me, coming towards me, walking tall, so very big, on its tail fins.

I walked down the deck, very quickly, my heart pounding inside me, and could sense the Big Fish, I turned so I could see what I was running away from, and I saw the other people, none of whom were afraid of this Big Fish, and all of whom were at ease, touching it, smiling at it, as the Big Fish continued to stare at me.

Then I woke up, breathing hard and thought

I have no self esteem

Why am I so afraid when there's nothing to be afraid of?

I told my son about my 'wierd' dream.

"Why didn't you let it carry on mummy?"
"Because I woke up!"
"I had that dream two nights ago that you were dead."
I remembered, he'd come to me at around 10pm crying.
"I told you death means life in dreams didn't I? Maybe it means mummy's got a new life coming to her and my dream is telling me not to be afraid."
"Am I there mummy?"
"You are in me. You are always there even if I can't see you."

"Hug mamma, hug."
"..............."

A message from your GP - R.I.P

I'm going to copy out a flyer that was at my doctor's surgery. I'm going to copy it out after reading in the Mirror on wednesday of an ex X factor contestant who died of bladder cancer. Someone very close to me had bladder cancer but because that person was very fortunate to have private insurance, that person was seen and dealt with very quickly and as a result is still alive.

Meanwhile, the flyer also mentions the rail service. The rail service! What might that have in common with the NHS?!
Rather alot currently with the High Speed rail plan that the posh don't want because it'll ruin the countryside and the poor don't want because they won't be able to afford it, after they've lost their homes in a bulldozing exercise that is.

(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2086170/High-speed-rail-plans-fly-face-measures-cut-spending-elsewhere.html?ito=feeds-newsxml)
(http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/development/mp-urges-camden-to-fight-high-speed-rail-project/6519909.article)

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR GP

As GPs we are extremely concerned about the negative effects this re-organisation of the NHS would have on our patients.

The NHS currently includes the 'Providers' of care (hospitals and GPs) and the Administrators. Administrators monitor the quality of services. They also "commission" services from the 'Providers' that means they decide what sort of services the Hospitals and GPs should provide so that the whole population is best served within the limits of the NHS budget.
As a proportion of the UK budget the NHS costs about 8% - this is less that the average for most develped countries like France or Spain.

THE LATEST REORGANISATION.

The governments [sic] proposed changes would de-nationalise the NHS so that in the long run all hospitals would essentially become private and the only role of the NHS would be to buy services with a limited pot of money. This is similar to our national rail service which is expensive even though it gets huge government subsidy every year and still leaves many users dissatisfied.

(Then there is a picture of a tombstone with the engraving:)
NHS
R.I.P
1948 - 2011

We don't think the NHS is perfect, but we do think it is very good considering what it costs the taxpayer. Another large reorganisation is the last thing the NHS needs. The NHS was improving in many ways until recently and patient satisfaction has been improving.

Reorganisations cost a lot of money and lead to chaos fro some years. We think that this reorganisation would cost the taxpayer more for a worse service as profits would go to shareholders or large companies.

The End (ok, it doesn't say The End, that's just for you, so you know that it's back me writing)

The government had no mandate for the total destruction of the NHS service
There is no proper consultation on the billion pound highspeed rail service most people don't want but the government is going ahead with it anyway.

It's the new doctor's consortium which has written this flyer.
I think they are actually saying R.I.P to us, the patients.

I've known it for years and now you do too.

Do people have to wait to die because they can't afford to live?

Our Advent Calender

After my son opens a window he dips his little hand into the Quality Street tin I bought reduced in the supermarket.
Before he knew we were doing this he was so upset I wouldn't get him a chocolate calender but I told him the whole point of Christmas, the whole message was lost to him.

"It's not all about presents, presents, presents you know!"

Tis though innit, about gifts.

The gift of life; our families, our friends, our selves.
It's a moment to celebrate all we have and be thankful for it.

I wish you all a very very Merry Christmas and a bountiful New Year!

Conversation with handsome man on the tube

Jumping on a northern line train, late at night

"Not being funny," I say to a handsome man in a red jacket sitting next to me. "This is exactly the same seat I was sitting on three hours ago when I took the train into town."
Looks at me with a faint smile...
"Yeah, really," I continue. "This Glamour flyer was on this seat, just like it was on this seat just now, where I left it!"
"Maybe it's telling you something," says the man. He had a slight antipodean accent, hmmm, nice looking guy!
"Telling me..." I look at the flyer again offering six issues for a pound plus a free gift.. "Sorry Glamour, I can't be arsed. You know what though," turning back to the good looking man. "It's almost like when you say 'Stop the world, I want to get off,' then you get back on exactly where you left, though, different perspective..maybe...."
"This'll blow your mind," he says. "That ticket was actually on my seat. I moved it onto yours."
"Oh really? Maybe the person who came on after me moved it onto your seat and then you moved it back...."
"Maybe you were sitting here," he says.
"Hmmm, was I? No. No I wasn't, I was definitely sitting here!" and laughing I grab the pole with my left hand as though clutching onto it for dear life.

Then with perfect timing, before I could make a total idiot of myself, the train reached my destination.

"This is me! A very merry Christmas and nice talking to you!"

"Nice talking to you too! Merry Christmas!"

I didn't look back and oh flip, I just realised I didn't look in the Metro today to see if he'd left me a message. Darn! Oh well, he wasn't meant to be!

It's a wonderful life!

Saturday afternoon, having made no plans with anyone while my boy's away, I saw online that the Prince of Wales theatre in Leicester Square, was showing It's a Wonderful Life.

I love that film, though only ever remember seeing it on a teeny portable, so seduced by a big screen and a £4 entry (I'm a member of the cinema!!) off I went.

Do you know, I never realised that the film was all about housing! Yeah! Ok, not all about housing but Bailey's Buildings and Loans is central to the whole film. George, dreams of going travelling but has to stay and run his father's company, which offers loans and affordable housing for the town's inhabitants.

The alternative for the town of Bedford Falls is wealthy slumlord Potter, who evicts people who can't afford his high rents... Remind you of anything today? Any party in particular?

After marrying and raising four children George starts up Bailey Park, an affordable housing project so people have an alternative to Potters expensive rents in rundown slums.

Towards the end of the tale, George goes to commit suicide off the local bridge (our local paper is awash with people doing the same thing over Archway Bridge (though there's a road beneath it, not water like in the film so sorry sorry sorry about the pun).

Bedford Falls without George is Potterville. The housing project doesn't exist. The high street with its mix of independent stores and buildings are now nightclubs, pawnshops, strip clubs. My street is all tanning centres, saunas, cafes and five supermarkets. Five! Like we need five. You can only buy clothes in one of three charity shops on my high street. The road's not even a mile long.

Just last week Mary Portas delivered a damning report on our high streets. We're all supposed to go to malls now. Welcome to the new American State of Great Britain...Free healthcare? Ha ha ha, get an insurance...

It is a lovely film, much lovelier than I've described here. Mary (Donna Reed), George's wife, is so beautiful. George (James Stewart)...

I cry everytime I see this film but what I noticed on Saturday is that I start crying after George has been rescued by the angel Clarence.

I howl as all his friends come to help him after his wife has gone out and told them he's under arrest.

One word though to people watching it on their own.
The inscription inside a copy of Tom Sawyer that Angel Clarence gives to George says: "Remember that no man is a failure who has friends." It's not true is what I thought as I sat there on my own.
I'm not a failure am I stigs?

I've heard the film is out in colour. I don't think I would like it in colour. I think it would take away the romance, take away the warmth, make it look dated as Rosie Scribble found it.

The message is very strong today. Look at what you've got. Don't look at your debt or your past or your future, just look at what you've got, starting with your breath, with any luck.

It's not an easy life I will warrant and I will say a prayer for those who have nobody on Christmas day and for all those who feel very alone, which will be many many people.

I'm not alone, am I stigs, even when my boy's not with me.

Achy achy heart though, come home soon son!

Love hearts and aliens

An eztimated 2,700 people died from fuel poverty last year according to today's papers. Wasn't I saying just yesterday that I was paying to freeze to death? People are, pensioners especially vulnerable. I met an old lady yesterday who can't sleep in her bedroom at the moment so she and her dog share the sofa as the living room is warmer. Please sign the petition.

To beat the current cold that is living in my own uninsulated flat, and having more choices than a pensioner, I raced to Primark yesterday afternoon and bought a baby grow for grown ups. A fleecy one. They are all the rage. My son asked for one for his 9th birthday and I seriously thought he was regressing but no, at the time there weren't any for his age available, so popular these all in ones are becoming.I returned the size 7/8 football designed one yesterday and exchanged it for one with lots of little aliens.

Mine has love hearts all over it which my son disagrees and says is pink leopard print. No matter, we're beginning to resemble teletubbies the two of us.

My boy was warm last night but I wasn't. I must be more sensitive to the cold.

With this in mind I bought a copy of the Daily Mail because they are offering a "free" double duvet if you send 35 tokens and a fiver for postage.

I know I know...For over a month I have to buy the Mail just so I can get a 9 tog duvet.

Oh well, I take the view that reading a view you don't agree with helps consolidate your own point of view.

We disagree on alot me and the Mail. I mean, the Mail doesn't even like me and my sort and Mail readers take a dim view of me and my sort too but no matter.

On fleecing energy companies me and the Mail have the same view.

People have already died and more are going to be killed by cold related illnesses.

Please sign the petitions with yourself or old people in mind. These companies are going to make a £125 profit off each customer it was said on the news a couple of days ago. It's disgusting: http://www.foe.co.uk/what_we_do/final_demand2_32882.html

If you are still superloaded despite your energy bills you can build your own jimjams to be really really snugly cosy! I can but dream... Just a basic for my son with hood and feet cost over £35. For me I dread to discover: http://www.the-all-in-one-company.co.uk/

Otherwise, try not to think of the working conditions required to churn out the cheap and head to Primark. They've got some cool designs! I wore a t-shirt under mine last night.

Layer layer layer...

I'll switch on my heaters at some point. I just want to enjoy my "low" bill for a while...

When in existential trouble...BUILD

Yesterday afternoon, after my pub shift would have finished had I been at work, an Argos delivery man carried the box containing my 'desk and chair' up my stairs.

He smelt nice, which was nice.

Some parts of the desk required two people to assemble it but there was no second person I could call, so I did it myself. Took a while. lifted the structure onto the top desk bit back to front so had to lift it out again, but hey! I did it!!

So today. where I've stepped outside and had to step back in again because my chest keeps tightening and I think I'm going to have a panic attack, I have instead marvelled at my two new bits of furniture which given an illusion of ordered space in my living room.

Oh to have bespoke furniture for in truth, were I rich, I would not have a desk like this with a keyboard shelf attached by runners, because I have a laptop. It is kind of bespoke though; I've left my mark on it.. it's not a smooth finish!

So yes, with a door slamming shut on my pub job (she wasn't there both times I went to apologise so I'm guessing...) I'm hoping the renovations to my front room, with its pine storage and a 'beech effect' desk, will precipitate a lovely job, that I can do staring out on to the tops of these trees before me (I do so need the sky to be close)

So yes folks, I'm drowning.. letter from the electric company saying charges are going up by 11% in a few weeks..I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one to feel out of my depth

So, I'm taking some time out. Tidy up, read.. I bought myself Shantaram with some tokens I was given for writing a review piece for someone (£10!) but I may read something more spiritual instead because I hate feeling like this. Thinking you're at the bottom but knowing there is no bottom, you just keep falling.

My country is in existential trouble. It should take a leaf from my blog and BUILD. Build what's affordable. Build affordable homes for people. 80% of £350 a week is not "affordable" just like fix term contracts are not "secure".

I sign out and wish you a very happy Bank Holiday. Hopefully next time I write, my son will be home.

(oh and damn, was going to write about the Lily Shea Trio gig I went to - the guitarist is a friend and Lily's voice is smoky or else smooth like chocolate when sings her jazz and the classical music concert at St Martin's in the Field...I am actually alright, I just need to focus on something other than what I'm trying not to think about and really want to switch off my computer and breathe, and empty my mind of negative things. Thanks Stigs, ending on music!)

Throw out the dead wood - Astro advice!!

I've had a wonderful weekend! On Friday I was invited to a party at the Cafe de Paris. What a raucous time was had there while watching the burlesque show! I've never been before; I recommend!!

Last night I was invited to a barbeque by my neighbours downstairs. What a brilliant time I had there! What an eclectic bunch of friends I was introduced to or got chatting too!

What was really wild about both nights was that the people who invited me I didn't really know that well but I went along and I had a really excellent time.

I took a chance and had a really excellent time. (You read that, shy people!)

Today, as I sup my tea, I read the horoscopes that have zoomed into my inbox.

"The one thing in life you can count on is change," I said to the Polish tattoo artist last night as I, ahem, sipped an Italian aperitif made up of Campari, white wine and water. "Heh heh! Hic!"

You might not be one for change but the planets are aligning this week. You might think all this astro planet stuff is a load of hokey pokey.

Bring it on, I say! Bring it on and allow me, allow us, to come out of it all unscathed!

Here, for you... Throw out the dead wood!

Astro theme for the day . . .Moon Meditation: “Changes from inside out !…” The big astro news of the week is that there’s another mighty meeting of the planets this week - this time between lucky Jupiter and explosive Pluto. Links like this between the big outer planets don’t come along every day of the week - not even every week or month. They are a message from the Universe to all of us that we need to throw out the dead wood in our lives. Or actually, since Jupiter the amplifier is involved, make that a massive message from the Universe to all of us that we need to THROW OUT THE DEAD WOOD IN OUR LIVES! Where in your life has something died and gone toxic? Yes that’s a horrible image but it’s a very valid one under these Stars - Pluto is all about detoxing, eviscerating the dross, clearing out the old to make way for the new. We all have a major chance to do that now. It could be a person, a job or a living situation which you know has to change. It could also be something more subtle, like a habit or an attitude which you know is poisoning things for you. If you use this link to get rid of it, the process should be relatively painless.
(Closer Online)

The mystery of 2011. Freaky!!!

Received in my inbox today. I generally hate chains but this one is so interesting!! It's mad!! I love it, hence share it with you!! (There was a picture of a calender but I couldn't cut and paste it for you but I'm sure you'll get the picture!)

The thunder roars overhead as I pass you this magic!!!

"Have a Fengshui of a day!"

THIS IS THE ONLY TIME WE WILL SEE AND LIVE THIS EVENT Calendar for July 2011


Money bags

This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays.

This happens once every 823 years. This is called money bags.

So, forward this to your friends and money will arrive within 4 days.

Based on Chinese Feng Shui. The one who does not forward.....will be without money.

Kinda interesting - read on!!!

This year we're going to experience four unusual dates.

1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 and that's not all...

Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born - now add the age you will be this year,
The results will be 111 for everyone in whole world.
This is the year of the Money!!!
The proverb goes that if you send this to eight good friends money will appear as it is explained in Chinese FENGSHUI.

Its a mystery, but its worth a try. good luck.

I sent it to nine (?!) and to you, whoever you are because I just love how mad it is!! Try it! (and yes, of course, I hope the cash comes rolling in!_Who doesn't?!

Priorities

In the meadow at the ladies pond
I'm so lucky
It's the best place to be this beautiful blue sky sunny day
The best
The best!
I AM so lucky!

Priorities
Wanted to blog this morning
blog then swim?
swim then blog?
Swim then blog or
I wouldn't leave the flat
this beautiful day

To blog:-
1. Housing - 50% social housing - not likely - Evening Standard
2. Housing. Guardian article: If people don't make a noise. I make a noise - do people on benefit not count

Above taken from notebook for after that, the weight of housing thoughts made my head drop onto my sarong and there it remained until I forced myself to go swim again.

(I didn't dive in. First swim of my Crikieth and I didn't dive in.. What.. I think I'm too old now??? One observation about age though, at the ladies pond:

Younger women - blonde hair, brown hair, black hair, red hair, ginger hair, strawberry hair, mousey hair, all kinds of different coloured long and short hair.
Older women - differing shades of long and short grey

Against a luscious green backdrop

Reunions - Food for the soul!

Two reunions this weekend!
Friday night, old journo friend Anne was over from France so a great excuse to get together.

Saturday was a school reunion. Some of us hadn't seen one another in decades!! I was supremely lucky on two counts. The first was that I was a little hungover so it quelled the nerves and the second, which was spectacularly lucky, was that one of my closest friends from back then came over from Paris and asked to stay with me!!!

What a formidable lot of fine women we were!! No-one over glammed it, although every one was glam, and not much older looking than when we were teenagers, it was surreal!!

We were pretty much all represented which was really cool
Women with husbands/partners and jobs
Women with husbands/partners and children and jobs
Women with husbands/partners and children
Women with children and jobs
Women with children.

What a blast!

From 2 until 7 we had the upstairs room in a pub, then eight of us went out to dinner which only cost £20 because two of the girls covered the cost. None of the wealthier ones made any of the poorer ones feel in anyway devalued. You know, shit and skint and like failures. None of that, we were all who we AMAZINGly were! Are!

And that was the bliss of the whole event - being reunited with people who value you, who value me! Real affection swirled around that room, that restaurant, that pub afterwards, that club three of us fell into at the end!

On the way out of the pub, earlier in the day, one pregnant mother heading home said: "Good luck with your campaigning!" Ooh that tickled me that did. I played it down, that day, what I did but what a boost to have it accepted, particularly right now when I feel I'm sailing quite close to the wind....eek! I can do it!

This morning I told a mum on the school run about my weekend and she asked if it was the school I liked. "Of course!" I said. "I don't think I have the courage to go to the shit school one. Or maybe would have the courage but why would I put myself through that?"

It's really important to be around people who value you.
(We're saying value alot here stigs...)
It's true though; it makes for fantastic present moments and fine memories!

What ever good there is, hold it within yourself

Let it permeate your very soul and give you what you need!

Fear can be a real waste of time

I planned to have a picnic to mark my Crikieth birthday.
Over the past few years I have marked every birthday with a picnic.
My heart wasn't totally in it this time.
"The last time," I said to people. Not just the stress of it; but mostly the stress of it.
Annie facebooked me on Friday. "Do you have a Plan B"
"No, I said. I'm praying! Asking Angels to blow the clouds away so there'll be sunshine!"
I decided to be realistic though and look at the weather forecast.
Lovely saturday, lovely monday, downpour picnic day. "Wash-out" said the weather man.

For once, I could have a plan B.

My flat. It could accommodate adults I told another friend on facebook, but children? Including hers there'd be 27... with mine...28. FUCK!

Perhaps I should just cancel but cancelling my Crikieth.Stay in, on my own, feeling sorry myself... what did that say as a prelude to the new decade???????????????

Queen. This on repeat ALL Friday night. Over and over and over and over:



Never in all the years that I've had birthday picnics has the weather let me down, but never have I had a flat to accommodate any plan B. The promised pitter patter of raindrops felt almost like a celestial conspiracy.

I spoke to my son, told him he'd just have give up his bedroom. "Let Chaos Reign!"

My party was a terrific success. 27 children didn't come. Hannah left her 4 behind, others left siblings with husbands. My brother in law (my sister came!) took the boys out to play football in the rain.

Why, for an occasion such as my Crikieth birhday, didn't I always just plan to do it in this flat - which is designed for parties really?

Because I was scared. Scared people wouldn't show up. Scared people wouldn't enjoy themselves. Scared scared scared.

Had I done it in my flat, maybe those who have come to my picnics in the past would have more likely come. Who knows. I told myself to think about the people who did come though, not the psople who didn't.

Scared scared scared...pff...

Fear. Whoever knew it can be a real waste of time.

"Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway" = a book I think, an expression perhaps.

There might be something in it!

Crossing the great decade divide

I look forward to new decades. Perhaps that says more about the decade that precedes the one I'm entering, but still, I tend to be positive; clean slates an' all.

I left blogspot I think the day the social worker was meant to come round. He didn't turn up and I was upset because I'd bought my dad a birthday card but hadn't had time to send it because I was sat at home waiting for the appointment.

The following day, I bought a 3/4 bottle of Rose wine, the last one in the supermarket. Why not I thought, a little sup, be thankful for what and who I have in my life.

I started to cry into that bottle. With every sip, a tear would fall. Yeah, aging might have been part of it, but so too, the friends I had at the beginning of the decade, who weren't with me any more. My goodness I sobbed. Good job it was a small bottle...

I woke up on Friday still crying. Thought I'd treat myself to a spot of retail therapy.

I cried on the bus, I cried on the pavements, I cried in the stores, I cried on the tube to Moorgate where I'd been invited to a 'soft launch' - the opening of new restaurant - where I had a Lobster and King Prawn risotto and verily dried me eyes after that!

Panic over my picnic replaced alcohol that evening. I had no Plan B.

After I posted on Tuesday I went back to Oxford Street and returned the goods I'd bought.Well, nothing fit for a start and I'm not that into pink.

So I'll say that crossing the great decade divide can be quite fraught, but once over the other side, quite liberating too.

Well it has been for me.

Like I said, I like new decades. They're like a fresh start, a clean slate, a new page. I've learnt over time not to have any expectations though.

So I have no expectations of what this decade might bring.

Live your days one at a time, moment by moment if you have to.

And Good luck!

Counting one's blessings

This beautiful blue morning I thought I'd take a walk up to Hampstead Heath where I would count my blessings. I've got my hair on my head, got my brains, got my ears got my eyes got my nose, got my mouth, I've got my smile, just like Nina.

I had so many blessings to count I simply emptied my mind and let the air kiss my face, my fingers, me.

It's good to empty one's mind occasionally and breathe in then out again

Picking oneself up by way of horoscopes...

Your career dreams are coming true. The right connections and support for what you envision are within reach. Flaunt your talents and accomplishments; those who have the power to help you will be impressed.

Oh Keen!

There's a limit to what you can do today. You can't fly to the moon. You can't snap your fingers and cause rose bushes to blossom. You can't consistently predict the winners of horse races or see the numbers that will win the next lottery draw. Or make you-know-who do you-know-what, just by the force of your will. But there are, still, many things you can do. You can't break the rules of nature but in so far as they can be bent by anyone now, they can be bent by you. So bend them with confidence and with sensitivity!

Oh Cainer!

I shall think upon your words as I sweep the debris from under my feet!

The Revolution will be live

RIP Gil Scott-Heron, the "Godfather of Hip-Hop" who died yesterday aged 62.

I'm going to take a break from blogging. I haven't figured out what I'm going to say to Dobbie and I need to get it all straight in my head.

I was going to stop being Stigmum's conduit forever today.

I was going to stop blogging. That was my plan. In my head.

Quite fitting, if I can't go out on a happy ending, I go out on a protest!

This was never the song I was going to end it on though, so I guess I've got to come back!

Happy Bank Holiday all and happy half term to the kiddies, especially mine, who's in Barcelona right now as the city plays football against Manchester United at Wembley, London.

I love you my son my sun and remember, I said I was in your heart so not far if you need me, and you are in mine, a comfort when I miss you x

Stewart Lee is very funny!!

By chance last night I got a free ticket, courtesy of my friend Steve, to see the comedian Stewart Lee at the Royal Festival Hall.

"Are you a fan?" asked Steve, who'd left a message on facebook hours earlier saying he had a spare.
"Well, I don't know if I'm a fan of him, but I am a fan of comedy!" I replied. I really didn't know what to expect, but hey, entertainment + friend = happy stiggers, what can I say?

It was brilliant! It was so good! I was late, it was a three hour show he was performing, and I arrived just after the 1st interval.

He started making gags about charity. Working for charity, giving charity. Highlighting US figures that the wealthiest give 1% and the poorest over 3% of their salaries. I'd seen on twitter, which I retweeted the other day:

Poorest 10% households give 3.2% of income to charity, but richest 10% give only 0.8% (Cabinet Office figs)

The poor wouldn't be so poor if they didn't give so much! Of course I can't retell it. Lee said he wasn't altruistic, didn't give because he cared, gave because it made him feel good and then did excellent sketches on other comedians earning millions subtly, gently pointing out, that they are not altruistic either....

My favourite were the political sketches.

I may have been the only one who laughed when he compared David Cameron to the murdering Roahl Moat. But then I was high in the Gods and couldn't hear those below.

In the 80's, Lee said, the mood was anti tory, today is anti-electronic. I thought that would be it, no political satire but he delivered a sketch of Cameron's uni days which was right on the nail.
I can't recreate it for you, as Lee sat there on stage, with a guitar, which he said he wouldn't play, but was all part of his act, of course. He painted a picture of Cameron as what I can only describe as a smarmy character.

He is isn't he? Smarmy. Cameron? Don't you think so?

Top night. Top to see Steve who I haven't seen for ages, ages ages.

I was supposed to go see The Estimators play but I estimated the time all wrong. When I got home I realised the bar shut at 1.30am and I would have got there after Lee's show. Dancing to SKA music would've been the perfect end to a perfect evening.

As it was, I levelled my feelings with two slices of toast and marmite and a mug of tea. Lovely. Can't believe the Danes have banned our delicious spread from their shops.
No, I have no comic comeback for that - I wish! - it's just random thoughts that come to me in the quiet of a night.