Join the army?

Why DO people join the army?   We should make it illegal!  In fact I think it’s a crime to allure youngsters into joining the Army as a “good reliable job” abuse them, brainwash them, brutalise them and then send them off to kill people!

It’s a lie to say our young people are “fighting a war” – there IS no war!

If no one joined the army – how good would that be? If everyone sued the army for abuse – how good would that be? If people who worked in the armed forces became pariahs instead of heroes (we know how to do this because we’ve already done it to smokers) – how good would that be?  If every person on this alien planet, practiced harmlessness – how good would THAT be?

What IS the matter with Mary-Jane?

A.A Milne’s poem comes to mind every time I hear that Britain has a bad body image leading to depression, eating disorders and mental health issues. We have a bad self-image. What IS the matter with us?  The media are blamed for presenting body images that are impossibly unachievable for ordinary people.

But I think it is much more complex than that. Blaming the media is a cop-out. I think the blame should also be placed in front of the scientific health experts (our leaders) who hammer on and on and on about  health, fitness and diet to the masses tediously repetitively. Everyone is measured against BMI or some other scientific standard – we’re preached at and legislated to have lifestyles that remove almost anything pleasurable like smoking, eating and drinking. No wonder people are depressed – we have impossibly unachievable lifestyle disorder. We are never good enough!
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“What IS the matter with Mary Jane?
There’s lovely rice pudding for dinner again.”

I’ll tell you the matter with Mary Jane – she doesn’t like rice pudding, it’s only someone elses opinion that it’s lovely or good for her, she’s the one that has to actually eat it, she’s bored of it, and it’s stressing her out. Unlike us ordinary folk she has enough guts left in her to complain. Just leave her alone for God’s sake.

Ah! Dogs know….

Canine Empathy: Your Dog Really Does Care if You Are Unhappy

New research shows that dogs respond to their owner’s unhappiness. Published onJune 7, 2012 by Stanley Coren, Ph.D., F.R.S.C. in Canine Corner

People often report that it seems as if their dogs are reading their emotional state and responding in much the same way that a human would, providing sympathy and comfort, or joining in their joy. For example an acquaintance named Deborah told me that she had just gotten off of the phone after learning that her sister’s husband had died and was sitting on the sofa wiping tears from her eyes and trying to deal with her sadness. She said, “At that moment Angus [her Golden retriever] came over to me and laid his head on my knee and began to whimper. A moment later he quietly walked away, and then returned with one of his favorite toys and gently put it in my lap, and gently licked my hand. I knew he was trying to comfort me. I believe that he was feeling my pain and hoping that the toy which made him happy might also help me to feel better..”

Such incidents involving pet dogs appear to be quite common and at face value they seem to show that dogs are showing empathy for their owners. Generally speaking empathy can be defined as the ability to put oneself into the mental shoes of another person to understand and even share their emotions and feelings. Although dog owners seem to be quite sure that their dogs have empathy for their feelings, if you make that suggestion to a group of psychologists are behavioral biologists it is more apt to start an argument rather than to bring out nods of agreement.

I was interested in this blog I quote, as I have noticed how in-tune my dogs are with me – and what happens around them regarding interpersonal relationships. I think constant dis chord can make them sick, just as it does us.

I remember an amusing incident (in hind sight) when one of my daughter’s husbands came to visit her whilst she was staying with us, to try to sort out their very unhealthy, manipulative marriage. His rage at her non compliance to go home with him was palpable. We left them together in one corner of the lounge and withdrew with the dog who was distressed and anxious. There was no shouting or yelling – only a sinister silence. Suddenly the husband stomped out of the house, slamming doors and spreading silent fury all over us. As soon as he had gone, our dog ran over to the chair where he had been sitting, sniffing it anxiously. Suddenly, to our surprise, our otherwise house trained wise old dog, then wee’d all over the carpet in front of it.

What point was she making I wonder. Was she frightened? Was she putting her scent on an unpleasant place? From a human perspective, why do such a very odd thing?

But for us, it was the best symbolic summary of how we all felt – pissed off!

Isn’t that a shame?

Today, I looked after my grandaughter. She’s just started walking. Fortunately she was confined to one side of our lounge on carpeting that would not trip her. She spent hours practising walking, launching herself across the space with determination to reach the otherside. I could see her skill improving before my eyes. She loved the feeling of it, the discovery, the surprise, almost, of doing this new thing – walking! Lovely to watch.

I’ve been walking for 66 years. I’ve forgotten how fun I once thought it was. Isn’t that a shame?

But tomorrow I’m going to register my gratitude to fate, kismet, the spirit of life – whatever – that I can still do it without pain.

(Memo to self – (to do daily) – walk for “fun”)

Going too far

I am alarmed at how far the persecution of smokers is going: how the thoughtless waste of money proceeds in the history of the ant-smoking movement.

Now, all cigarettes are to be hidden from view in case their bright, alluring packaging attracts people to smoking. Shortly, it is possible all the packaging will be dun coloured with no labels, no colour, no allure. What will there be to “cover up”? Milions of pounds of our money has been wasted on NRT, with a poor success rate, abusing and persecuting the millions – MILLIONS – of smokers who have no rights, advertising campaigns, educational campaigns, covering up campaigns and the closure of thousands of pubs – once the hub (and pride) of English life.

Where is this madness leading us? How can we stop it? When smoking has officially been stamped out, what cost a war on illegal smoking? And who will pay the salaries to the thousands of workers in the Ash Industry?

I do not smoke, I vape.

But I feel sick at the idea that lobbyists’ insanity can infect our Government to such an extent that citizens are denied the right to physical pleasures in the name of “Health”.

Smokers do not cost the  Government a penny – they have paid their dues and more. As our servants, the politicians who wage war on smoking on behalf of a Government funded anti-smoking industry, have gone too far. They know not what they do.

Limos for little kids….

Don’t want to be a killjoy – maybe I AM a killjoy or maybe I’m just old. Something seems wrong with society.

My little granddaughter is leaving primary school to go on to high school. On the last day, the parents have ordered a limo – yes a limo – to take the group to pizza hut for a fun meal.

My mind boggles. I feel uncomfortable. I feel repulsed somehow. I feel something is very strange about this. So I am analysing my thoughts here.

Firstly, how incongruous to arrive at pizza hut in a limo! It’s comedic! Limos and Fortnums feel correct. But the kids go to a little village school out in t’country and there is no Fortnums here.

Then, the limo at the ages of 11 or 12 repulses me by its ostentation (remember village school) and by the subtle sophistication implicit of decadence, sex, celebrity and shallow materialism.

I think it’s horrible to be frank.

I have erred by mentioning my misgivings to my daughter. She thinks its “wonderful” – the kids will remember the ride for the rest of their lives.

Well, if a limo becomes the symbol of celebratory success, by the time they are grown up, it will be old hat. What a shame.

Are you "Socially engineered"? Probably.

A very interesting movie to watch if you enjoy to be mentally stimulated….long…

But you’re WORTH it!

Social Engineering in the 20th Century 

I dare you!

Is it true? Well probably, unfortunately. What to do about it?  I can’t say.

Author unknown – new science!

An Awful Lot of Morons Revealed

Scientists have discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.

The new element is Governmentium (Gv). It has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons and 198 asistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantitites of lefton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons or protons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction normally taking less than a second to take from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of two to six years. It does not decay but instead undergoes a reorganisation in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

In fact, Governmentium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganisation will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of moron-promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quality is referred to as critical morass.

When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons. All of the money is consumed in the exchange, and no other by products are produced.

Solastalgia Grumble Club – Our rights

Freedom of speech seems to have gone for a burton  – can’t feel relaxed voicing my thoughts any more.  I used to be very outspoken. And those I know seem equally timid. We have legislated thought control and speech control in the UK. Everyone has to be PC. This means that non-PC seems to not exist, but in truth it’s just hidden.

We have our “rights”. I’m not sure where that came from in this Science age. We only have the rights given us by the societies we live in. We weren’t born with rights. Nature does not dish out “rights”.

We have insane Libel Laws in the UK. I can be sued for just upsetting someone – just upsetting them. And all they have to prove is that they are upset! It is their “right” not to feel upset. Wow.

Litigation, no win, no pay, is ADVERTISED on the TV so everyone can sue everyone else if they really feel upset enough.

 How alien is that?

The solastalgia club

I am thinking of organising an all ages Grumble Club – for people like me who are feeling ‘out of place’ in their world. An alien world.

Older folk might be nostalgic for times past – every generation must feel that. But I think it’s MORE than nostalgia that we are feeling. I feel nostalgia and a sense of loss for ‘how it was’ when I was young. But that is not what I am feeling.

Nostalgia is what I MAKE MYSELF FEEL via a memory. My feeling is a hopeless, frustrated nostalgia – and I can tell that others feel it too.

So I think Solastalgia is a more powerful word that encompasses the deep emotion we might be feeling even though it usually describes the suffering of a nation, people or displaced group. I think we are feeling it now, in our own country.

Landmarks of solace that are used to comfort are no longer in my land

Freedom of speech
Now there is now legislated thought control and speech control

Freedom of movement
Now we are now surveilled

Personal Anonymity of ordinary people
Now we are a statistic from birth to death, in sickness and in health

Friendly Police
Now Police now enforce state regulations and submit statistics

Freedom of community behaviour
Now Health and Safety regulations control us

A friendly protective state
Now an intimidating state whose legislations are so numerous as to be unknown

Church/Religion was valued
Now scorn for Religion/Church, new atheism, disdain

Communities knew their own + trusted
Now CRB checks, paedophile neurosis

Frontiers and borders
Now Free immigration

England/Great Britain
Now Small Britain – only a tiny EU island

Garbage Removal Council Responsibility
Now Re-cycling our responsibility

Teachers allowed to discipline classes
Now Dis-empowered Teachers

Parental autonomy
Now Dis-empowered parents

Real famous people
Now manufactured ‘celebrities’

Sex as ‘mysterious’, discoverable
Now Sex as a ‘flouted’ commodity

Innocent children
Now ‘Adultised’ children

Society – naturally
Now Scientifically ‘sculpted’ society

A meaningful vote implementing change
Now a worthless vote – no change

The Family Doctor – an intimate ‘friend’
Now impersonal doctors filling their Govt. statistics only offering options according to their Govt ‘list’ and not advising anything

Home remedies, old wives and grandma
Now Big Pharmaceutical companies are driving medicine and influencing doctors

Hips failing, fatness, diabetes, high blood pressure were once unlucky ‘conditions’
Now most Illnesses are now OUR fault – we are to feel shame, take the blame

Old, wise-men politicians
Now commercialised ‘Pretty boy’ Politicians

Free Press
Now manipulated Press

Marriage as a base for a family
Now Marriage unrequired

Mysteries, paranormal, spirit
Now Scientism/skepticism denies/refutes all

Science as a method
Now Science as a priesthood

An accident used to occur, accidently!
Now there is no place for an accident – someone is to ‘blame’

People with money sued others, most folk felt safe
Now everyone now can sue anyone – everyone feels nervous

When you were old, you looked old
Now it’s your fault if you look old

People smoked
Now smoking demonised, children mustn’t see it! False scientific ‘statistics’

Science was used to prove something unarguably and re-testably
Now science is used to prove something for political purposes (like SH Smoke, Man-made climate change, vitamins are bad etc)

Winter, spring, summer, autumn were reliable – forever. Earth was our stable home.

Now climate change is OUR fault. We are killing our home – even by breathing!

God was God
Now Darwin is God

The Government was a Democracy
Now it wages wars in the name of its disagreeing citizens, and signs the Lisbon Treaty and passes laws illegally.

The debilitating effects of Nostalgia can occur when you are physically displaced from somewhere you call home. Solastalgia occurs when the environment you call home changes unrecognisably for reasons beyond your immediate control. Solastalgia can lead to distress and the psychological defense against solastalgia is apathy and hopelessness.

My personal view is that there is some kind of ‘sickness’ abroad in Great Britain, millions are suffering solastalgia and the symptom is an impotent apathy.

A solastalgia club would be a place to discuss the pain of living in a ‘foreign’ country that used to be ‘home’. We would achieve solace by discovering another person who feels the same as we do. We could grumble, complain in my club – or even DO something about our world and in getting together, we would affirm that we are NOT helplessly APATHETIC!