Expenses
Today I'm going to put in a claim for MP Expenses
My Privilege expenses are because it should be my right to have them.
So here goes.
Yesterday I saw some ducks fly over head.
I can't do my job with the worry and distraction of homeless ducks.
Therefore I need to claim a duck house
and its installation
to take away the worry.
Also when I went to London, it was too early to get (the wife) up to make my packed lunch,
so therefore I need to claim from dinner for 4 at La Gavroche.
Finally, my jeans got a bit mucky on the old seats of the National Express
I couldn't face the meeting with our top dog without nipping out to Savile Row
I wonder what my boss will say ??
Today I'm going to put in a claim for MP Expenses
My Privilege expenses are because it should be my right to have them.
So here goes.
Yesterday I saw some ducks fly over head.
I can't do my job with the worry and distraction of homeless ducks.
Therefore I need to claim a duck house
and its installation
to take away the worry.
Also when I went to London, it was too early to get (the wife) up to make my packed lunch,
so therefore I need to claim from dinner for 4 at La Gavroche.
Finally, my jeans got a bit mucky on the old seats of the National Express
I couldn't face the meeting with our top dog without nipping out to Savile Row
I wonder what my boss will say ??
Learning Times
Tonight I learnt something new.
At least I think I did.
I forget so much,
that I might have learnt this before,
or at least some of it.
But it appeared as new -
so I feel good and newly learned.
I learnt all about the dreadful times in the forties and early fifties
culminating in the Chinese marching in
and destroying
the county, the culture,
the people, the religion
the festivals, the palaces
the ideas
that was Tibet.
And I fear that it wont be long,
before the whole world forgets.
50-60 years is a long time,
and many people wouldn't know
and so in another 50-60
who knows.
so.......just so you know......
1. The invasion of Tibet began in 1949. Chinese occupation has resulted in the death of over one million Tibetans, the destruction of over 6,000 monasteries, nunneries and temples, and the imprisonment and torture of thousands of Tibetans.
2. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's political and spiritual leader, fled Tibet in 1959 to Dharamsala, India, followed by over 100,000 Tibetans and established the Tibetan Government-in Exile. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for a steadfast dedication to non-violence.
3. Tibet, before occupation, was a nation with an established sovereign government, currency, postal system, language, legal system, and culture. Prior to 1950, the Tibetan government also signed treaties with foreign nations. The Chinese government claims that Tibet has always been part of China, yet its invasion of Tibet resembles imperialist aggression that China accuses other powers of exhibiting.
4. The "Tibetan Autonomous Region" (TAR) is not Tibet, nor is it autonomous. The Chinese government has divided historical Tibet into one region and several prefectures and counties, with the TAR encompassing only the central area and some eastern regions of Tibet.
5. The basic freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly are strictly limited, and arbitrary arrests continue. There are currently hundreds of political prisoners in Tibet, enduring a commonplace punishment of torture.
6. The Chinese government increasingly encourages Han Chinese to migrate to Tibet, offering them higher wages and other inducements. This policy is threatening the survival of Tibetan people. Tibetans are becoming a minority in the TAR. Yearly, thousands of Tibetans still flee from Tibet, making the treacherous journey over the Himalayas into a world of exile.
7. Historical Tibet was a vast country, with an area roughly equal to Western Europe. Tibet is the source of five of Asia's largest rivers, which provide water for two billion people. Tibet's fragile environment is endangered by Chinese strip-mining, nuclear waste dumping, and extensive deforestation.
8. The Chinese government claims to have “developed” Tibet, with “developments” mainly benefiting the new majority Chinese, not Tibetans. China, neglecting education and healthcare, has spent millions of dollars building infrastructure; many roads, buildings, and power plants directly support heavy militarization, allowing China to maintain Tibet as a police state.
9. The Chinese government aggressively seeks foreign investment for its “Go West” campaign, with use of these international funds to develop Tibet as a resource extraction colony and consolidate regional control. Foreign investments in Chinese companies legitimise China's colonisation and exploitative projects that harm Tibet.
10. The United Nations and international community have done very little to address the core issue of China’s illegal occupation of Tibet. China represents an enormous market and cheap labour force, and its associated businesses have such a strong lobby that officials are reluctant to take substantive measures. Since western countries adopted policies of so-called “constructive engagement” with China in the 1990s, the human rights situation in Tibet has only deteriorated. In November 2008, the UN agreed with Free Tibet's report on torture, clarifying that it believes that torture is 'widespread and routine' in Tibet.
Tonight I learnt something new.
At least I think I did.
I forget so much,
that I might have learnt this before,
or at least some of it.
But it appeared as new -
so I feel good and newly learned.
I learnt all about the dreadful times in the forties and early fifties
culminating in the Chinese marching in
and destroying
the county, the culture,
the people, the religion
the festivals, the palaces
the ideas
that was Tibet.
And I fear that it wont be long,
before the whole world forgets.
50-60 years is a long time,
and many people wouldn't know
and so in another 50-60
who knows.
so.......just so you know......
1. The invasion of Tibet began in 1949. Chinese occupation has resulted in the death of over one million Tibetans, the destruction of over 6,000 monasteries, nunneries and temples, and the imprisonment and torture of thousands of Tibetans.
2. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's political and spiritual leader, fled Tibet in 1959 to Dharamsala, India, followed by over 100,000 Tibetans and established the Tibetan Government-in Exile. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for a steadfast dedication to non-violence.
3. Tibet, before occupation, was a nation with an established sovereign government, currency, postal system, language, legal system, and culture. Prior to 1950, the Tibetan government also signed treaties with foreign nations. The Chinese government claims that Tibet has always been part of China, yet its invasion of Tibet resembles imperialist aggression that China accuses other powers of exhibiting.
4. The "Tibetan Autonomous Region" (TAR) is not Tibet, nor is it autonomous. The Chinese government has divided historical Tibet into one region and several prefectures and counties, with the TAR encompassing only the central area and some eastern regions of Tibet.
5. The basic freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly are strictly limited, and arbitrary arrests continue. There are currently hundreds of political prisoners in Tibet, enduring a commonplace punishment of torture.
6. The Chinese government increasingly encourages Han Chinese to migrate to Tibet, offering them higher wages and other inducements. This policy is threatening the survival of Tibetan people. Tibetans are becoming a minority in the TAR. Yearly, thousands of Tibetans still flee from Tibet, making the treacherous journey over the Himalayas into a world of exile.
7. Historical Tibet was a vast country, with an area roughly equal to Western Europe. Tibet is the source of five of Asia's largest rivers, which provide water for two billion people. Tibet's fragile environment is endangered by Chinese strip-mining, nuclear waste dumping, and extensive deforestation.
8. The Chinese government claims to have “developed” Tibet, with “developments” mainly benefiting the new majority Chinese, not Tibetans. China, neglecting education and healthcare, has spent millions of dollars building infrastructure; many roads, buildings, and power plants directly support heavy militarization, allowing China to maintain Tibet as a police state.
9. The Chinese government aggressively seeks foreign investment for its “Go West” campaign, with use of these international funds to develop Tibet as a resource extraction colony and consolidate regional control. Foreign investments in Chinese companies legitimise China's colonisation and exploitative projects that harm Tibet.
10. The United Nations and international community have done very little to address the core issue of China’s illegal occupation of Tibet. China represents an enormous market and cheap labour force, and its associated businesses have such a strong lobby that officials are reluctant to take substantive measures. Since western countries adopted policies of so-called “constructive engagement” with China in the 1990s, the human rights situation in Tibet has only deteriorated. In November 2008, the UN agreed with Free Tibet's report on torture, clarifying that it believes that torture is 'widespread and routine' in Tibet.
Eurovision
I've given up watching the voting in
the
Euro Vision
song contest.
Now I'm off to watch the much more exciting
entertainment
of
paint drying.
I saw this lady at an Abbey near Cambridge
She seems quite
content.
I've given up watching the voting inthe
Euro Vision
song contest.
Now I'm off to watch the much more exciting
entertainment
of
paint drying.
I saw this lady at an Abbey near Cambridge
She seems quite
content.
Heroes
Life is full of heroes
Like the hero that designed the Nikon D80
Like the hero that discovered tea and then the china mug in which to drink it
Like the hero who who baked the first loaf
Like the hero who created denim.
Then there is the TV series
and the end of 'Volume four'
which was a bit flat really,
and nearly as lame as the Dallas-waking-from-a-dream story line.
I'm a little tempted not to tune in to Volume five.
What I need now is a hero to buy my house.
Life is full of heroes
Like the hero that designed the Nikon D80
Like the hero that discovered tea and then the china mug in which to drink it
Like the hero who who baked the first loaf
Like the hero who created denim.
Then there is the TV series
and the end of 'Volume four'
which was a bit flat really,
and nearly as lame as the Dallas-waking-from-a-dream story line.
I'm a little tempted not to tune in to Volume five.
What I need now is a hero to buy my house.
Walk Out
The story went like this........
went out last night, around 8 ish
went to Pizza Express
once again it was 75% full,
but they couldn't possibly
squeeze in two for at least 40 mins
a bit rubbish,
do they want those tables empty all night.
Then
Bella Italia
plenty of space
and now I know why;
bottle of wine arrived
pretty good
olives
excellent
pizza....... o dear
the first was sent back uncooked
apparently they don't have a pizza oven
so cooking from the top under a grill
leaves the base as uncooked dough
the same pizza came back 5 mins later
this time with the topping very well cooked
but the base still raw dough
So we left
Walked out
The poor waitress did great
not her fault they sell pizza but have no oven
a lot rubbish.
Then;
Belgium Monk - Brilliant
beer, chips with mayonnaise, tender lamb
cooked to perfection.
Well done - I'll be back
but Bella Italia and Pizza Express in Norwich
forget it.....
The story went like this........
went out last night, around 8 ish
went to Pizza Express
once again it was 75% full,
but they couldn't possibly
squeeze in two for at least 40 mins
a bit rubbish,
do they want those tables empty all night.
Then
Bella Italia
plenty of space
and now I know why;
bottle of wine arrived
pretty good
olives
excellent
pizza....... o dear
the first was sent back uncooked
apparently they don't have a pizza oven
so cooking from the top under a grill
leaves the base as uncooked dough
the same pizza came back 5 mins later
this time with the topping very well cooked
but the base still raw dough
So we left
Walked out
The poor waitress did great
not her fault they sell pizza but have no oven
a lot rubbish.
Then;
Belgium Monk - Brilliant
beer, chips with mayonnaise, tender lamb
cooked to perfection.
Well done - I'll be back
but Bella Italia and Pizza Express in Norwich
forget it.....
Just to Prove itI'm not at all scared
of New Forest Ponies
otherwise
how would I have got
so close?
As you can seethe sun was out
the river was flowing
the horses were friendly
As you can't see
I had my running shoes on
my bags packed
and ready to get out of there!
Relegated
to send or consign to an inferior position, place, or condition
rest in peace Norwich City.
1st May
I'm not sure how today will
go down in history
Maybe the first day
of the longest hottest
summer in history
Maybe the first day
of the end of the flu pandemic
Maybe the first day
that I hit my sales targets
Where as
in 1707
on 1st May
the Act of Union
came into force
creating Great Britain.
The question is, was that a good day?
I'm not sure how today will
go down in history
Maybe the first day
of the longest hottest
summer in history
Maybe the first day
of the end of the flu pandemic
Maybe the first day
that I hit my sales targets
Where as
in 1707
on 1st May
the Act of Union
came into force
creating Great Britain.
The question is, was that a good day?
