random ramblings...

if this is rambling, i need some new boots

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Fret Level 5

i'm burning all my credit cards to stay awake
the broadband has gone mouldy
a whole pack of sanity towels is blocking the road
but there's drugs to lock us up
and prisons to keep us sane
hooray

i've bought lots of nothing at a very good price
people who value nothing will buy it
i'll borrow some more from the bank
of the last river on earth
where i'll phish your identity
take that

next week there will be timebombs
and incendiary pauses
and all the words you can ever eat
so let's imprison some tourerists
in a maze of twisted logic
last orders please

i'm waiting for last year's great sensation
to arrive on the back of a cataclysm
i apologise for not being afraid
tesco value and the x-factor should fix it
and a raised fret level too
bye bye

and some more...

...poetry. it just keeps coming out. don't ask me how, i don't know

============

shellfishness

and there i was, openhearted but wound-up and bewildered
when it came, that...that scalding emotional lavaflow
vomited from some dark, blinding place bleached black
it's there but you give it no name
your something-something
you shocked me
i'm a bit of a first-timer
every single time

i don't know what to do
there's hurt in all directions
and something in me closed up hard and brittle
and i don't know what to do

we're so shellfish
we drift at the mercy of the sea
until we find a rock to cling to
a place to let life flow through us
to stop wanting and start having
whatever life the tide brings
we keep ourselves in a hard shell
until its safe to open up

that sounds all wrong
i really should say

i'm so shellfish
i drifted at the mercy of the sea
and now i've found a rock to cling to
a place to let life flow through me
to stop wanting and start having
whatever life the tide brings
i kept myself in a hard shell
until it was safe to open up

i'm such a coward
with these things
but i'm trying

we need clean water to thrive
if it's gritty we get all clogged up
and stop growing
it takes a lot of effort to clean all that crap out
and you feel really dirty inside
but there is a bright side
it does produce the odd pearl
and my shell's shut tight

and i still don't know what to do
and i'm sorry i'm so busy
i'm in a good place
and it feels really sad but
i'm not where you are
and i don't really know where i'm going
and our paths might not cross
but i have to go there
and if i didn't, i wouldn't be me any more
and you don't want that
so i have to go
and i'm so sorry
my love

this just in...

...from somewhere. i wrote it in about half an hour and i have no idea where it came from

===========

Sharing The Fire

the fire and love
bring us together and keep us warm
let's come closer and see the firelight
in each other's eyes and dazzle our hearts
that would be great

but it's not always like that
the spark of love needs dry, well-chosen tinder
must be sheltered from the wind, the rain and the cold earth
kindling must lie waiting and the heart must glow bright
as the breath feeds it

don't light your fire on a rocky spot
the rocks will crack angrily and hot splinters burn
cold wet spots bore it to death with a bottomless chill
a kindly place where the soul and nature rests is best

feed your fire with good timber
too green, and it gives no heat
too weathered and the flames die fast
learn to recognise the good stuff
don't worry about the hard work
cutting and gathering
listening and giving
in time, you will grow stronger
and it will warm you just as well

others will come to share your beautiful fire
let them tend it too
there are many ways to tend it
and you'll never know them all
share it well
you get warmer, not colder, when it's shared with a friend
a stranger knows it as the greatest gift of all
and will bring you blessings

there may be times when fuel is hard to find
or your fire dies from lack of attention
don't worry
you'll know better what to expect
don't rush
dark embers can burn and reawake
if the hearth is still warm
and they like to do it
when you're looking the other way
life is for living, don't dwell
do what you love

fire and love are very alike
they need the same things and live well together
but they're not the same, oh no
fire is a good servant, but a bad master
with love, it's the other way around

The Night Before Christmas (sort-of)

i wrote this a week or so ago with the intention of performing it at Glastonbury Assembly Rooms yesterday night, where we had a great Winter Solstice Community Gathering. i didn't though: i hadn't taken the trouble to learn it - and i think reading on stage is really naff. anyway, it's to the meter of The Night Before Christmas. i hope you enjoy it

==============

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
just one creature was stirring - he was clicking a mouse
the flatscreen was glowing, for political geeks
found the holes in the cover and out sprang Wikileaks

but this christmas was bleak, Dad had just lost his job
over joining the union, and not shutting his gob
and his sister the student, protesting the cuts
got beaten with truncheons, no if and no buts...

so no presents this year, not festive and jolly
some dickhead had stolen their tree and the holly
and mistletoe, well, he'd tried it for weeks
but the girls at his school just don't go for geeks

but this won't be a tale of intrigue and scandal
or the crown of a holy tree lopped by a vandal
whose currency was an exchange of pure ire
aimed perhaps at an ex-mayor whose arse is on fire

and it won't be about all the crap you can buy
while the soap on the telly brings a tear to your eye
or the turkey you stuffed and are eating for dinner
or some bloke in a dress telling you you're a sinner

our geeky friend loaded his weapon of choice
a laptop computer that gave him a voice
not a riot, he thought there's a cleverer way
and it's just like a game...and i like to play

so he got on a chatroom and with a few clicks
he found out how to pull off some pretty neat tricks
bombarded some websites with masses of data
so for everything else there's...bye! see you later

his low orbit ion cannon blasted like hell
the targets he aimed at wobbled and fell
but he wasn't alone. there was a knock at the door
who could it be? and at half past four?

a man and a woman was what he saw there
the woman was pregnant, the man had white hair
no sleigh and no reindeer, no stocking and orange
but the king of the geeks - it was Julian Assange!

he said 'hello mate, i know how this looks
but the motel is full and they think i'm a crook
so now we're reduced to asking a stranger
cos no way is my kid being born in a manger!

but Julian! he cried, you're arrested for rape!
he replied, with some things, i'm an ignorant ape
i fell for her charms, but i should have known better
cos one leak i don't like is a broken french letter

look on the bright side, he said, it's a mess
but for once in my life, i've got an address!
and people now know i'm a red-blooded male
and i'm discovering all of the leaks in that jail!

so he opened the door and invited them in
i don't care, he thought, if they say it's a sin
he's my hero, he thought, and he might have his faults
but no way should the bastards have dragged him to court!

he gave them his bed and made them some tea
and they talked about what it might mean to be free
of the burden of debt and the misery caused
by the bankers who dictate our government's laws

and the mess we're all in, when it's amply apparent
that things only get better when it's all transparent!
stuff the lies and deception and disinformation
and the horrors committed 'neath the flag of this nation

where the good people try to be good to each other
while some others cash in and would sell their own mother
if it suited them. and they talked until late
when suddenly Julian said 'hey, this is great
but i've work to do. i'm not one for slacking
let me borrow your laptop, and i'll do me some hacking

so Julian sat up and put things in order
while the Three Wise Men got detained at the border
no baby was born, no need for a doctor
no star in the sky, just a black helicopter...

when our geeky friend woke the next day, they were gone
did he dream it all up? no, he couldn't have done
the note on the desk was real, and the chair
had a sweaty bum-print, and a lot of white hair...

and later that day, well what a surprise!
a courier van full of parcels arrived
full of presents and food, and a christmas tree too
it was clear that someone had sent it, but who?

so he looked at the note that he'd brushed to the floor
it said 'thankyou mate' and, what was more
'merry Christmas to your dad and your sis and your mother
but mostly to you, for helping a brother'

'the gifts are all paid for, so don't lose any sleep
i hope they're the right ones, and nothing was cheap
my bank account's frozen, so i couldn't pay
but those tax-dodgers Vodaphone sent some my way. hey hey!'

so merry Solstice and Christmas and Hannukah too
we're just here for the love and the peace and it's true
that while we may be in a small spot of bother
there's nothing that can stop us being good to each other

the story of an 'abandoned' police van

you might have followed the media coverage of the students demonstrating all over the country yesterday:
here's one of the images that was widely used: as you can see, it looks like a bunch of masked hoodlums out for a bit of 'bovver'. however, i think things are not what they seem. it may be that some young people smashed up a police vehicle: but why was it left there? where are the other vans? why was it left unattended right in the path of a demo?

ever been fishing? i think this van was left as 'bait', in the same way that, during the G20 business last year, about the only shopfront not boarded up on the demo route was - guess what? a branch of RBS, who were profligate gamblers of the worst sort, before they were bailed out with squillions of our quids. smashing up banks and police vans makes for good pictures in the Daily Mail and the rest of the 'yellow press'

anyway, here's another pic of the same van:

in the Guardian, this was originally captioned something like "Protesters try to stop a ploice van from moving", since changed to the more accurate "Students in London try to stop a police van from being attacked". the young people in this picture probably know what any sensible activist knows: that violence tends to alienate the very people you've got common ground with. that's why the road protestors in the mid-90s were almost never violent: they stood their ground, often with a struggle, but didn't use violence in the process. eventually, even the right-wing the press couldn't keep printing crap about them - the lies didn't work, and the protestors gained widespread sympathy, including in arch-Tory organs like the Telegraph and, believe it or not, Country Life.

anyway, here's the picture that really caught my eye (and not just for the obvious reasons):

five pretty young women pose for the camera with their fashion accessories in perfect order. what was the demo to them? did it turn into their chance for catwalk fame? they're not exactly dressed for a demo on what was a chilly day - and i wonder if they've brought their make-up with them?

is this what demos have become? has Big Brother come out of the house and done a mind-meld with his namesake, who lives among the securocrats?

i'm wondering whether to be happy or depressed about this last image. are they showing that they're empowered and making their own decisions, including looking good on a demo? or have they swallowed the oxymoronic 'celebrity culture' blue pill and intent on getting noticed? is the demo just another photo-op? i'm still wondering

well, at least they took the trouble to turn up instead of staying at home with a copy of Elle. and hats off to all the young people who got off their arses - i'm pleased to see that they're not the bunch of depoliticised, feckless, drunken twits parts of the media will have us think they are

FIT officer loses his hat

Student Demonstration Time:



i respect these kids: they've really got their shit together, as you can hear from the chants

Captain SKA - Liar Liar

Captain Ska says:

Dark days have arrived in Britain. The coalition government and their toxic flotilla of cuts are ruthlessly hacking away jobs, damaging vulnerable lives and chipping away at the very fabric of our society. We cannot afford to stand by and let this country sail towards a future of inequality.

Fear Not! Captain SKA and his ship have arrived to fight this coalition, but more crew members are urgently required, there is strength in numbers.Pass this video on to other potential shipmates.



and now for the amazing Henry Rollins on a similar subject:

Fitwatch is up and running again

Fitwatch - www.fitwatch.org.uk - is now up and running again, hopefully somewhere where the Met can't feel their collar.

just a reminder: Forward Intelligence Teams collect information on activists who have not necessarily committed any crime - they're just activists, like the ones who put their lives on the line to achieve, amongst other things, the right to vote and equal rights for women.

They're part of ACPO, the Association of Chief Police Officers, which is a private company (mostly funded directly by the Home Office, so it's in essence a government body) and as such exempt from Freedom of Information act requests. hard to believe, but true. if that sounds like something from a police state, well...?

Fitwatch closed, but here's their last post

The Metropolitan Police have closed Fitwatch:

Here's their last post:

=======

Resisting the Forward Intelligence Teams – the cops who harass protesters

Fitwatch website has been suspended for “attempting to pervert the course of justice” after host were contacted by the Met. Pass On PLEASE This is all we know at this time.. If you saved know any one who saved any content please please get in touch..

The Blog was suspended on request of Acting Detective Inspector Will Hodgeson from CO11 as part of Op Malone.

The cops always give fucking stupid names to their operations to find rioters so in the tradition of OPERATION CARNABY to find the poll tax rioters the hunt for the Millbank rioters is named OPERATION MALONE. Private Eye had it right in the 80s when they named the police operation that led to the Brixton riots OPERATION WOGSMASHER.

More information and new web address to follow soon.

Fitwatch – e-mail: info@fitwatch.org

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co…client=mozilla

After last weeks events at Millbank during the student demonstrations fitwatch.com published some advice for those worried they had appeared in the press and may face arrest. The piece called Beating police repression after the student occupation can be read on this blog http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com and now, thanks to the bungling Met a growing number of sites across the internet.

The piece has been removed and the fitwatch site closed down on request of Acting Detective Inspector Will Hodgeson from http://twitter.com/#!/CO11MetPolice. Early reports suggest that this was happened due to a request from the police to the site’s host complaining the site by be involved in perverting the cause of justice. This is a worrying development. Whilst we will doubtless know more tomorrow, as yet it does not seem a Court Order had been issued which means the filth are now bullying internet hosting companies into removing material which upsets them. The Police say they requested #fitwatch domain hosts – JustHost.com you mean intimidated them to take it down.

The good news is that the offending piece can be found at:

http://dirt.thevacuumcleaner.co.uk/2010/11/beating-police-repression-after-student.html

http://norfolknonaligned.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/beating-police-repression-after-the-student-occupation/

http://bryanspygar.blogspot.com/2010/11/beating-police-repression-after-student.html
http://truth-reason-liberty.blogspot.com/2010/11/police-take-fitwatch-down-as-they-go-on.html

http://barnsdale.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/fitwatch-suspended-time-for-solidarity-make-sure-the-students-are-well-advised

http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/sussex-university-occupied/

The remarkable and brilliant student action at Millbank has produced some predictable frothing at the mouth from the establishment and right wing press. Cameron has called for the ‘full weight of the law’ to fall on those who had caused tens of thousands of pounds of damage to the expensive decor at Tory party HQ. Responsibility is being placed on ‘a violent faction’, after the march was ‘infiltrated’ by anarchists.

There are an encouraging number of intiatives to show solidarity with the arrested students – something that is vital if they are to avoid the sort of punitive ‘deterrent’ sentences handed out to the Gaza demonstrators. A legal support group has been established and the National Campaign against Cuts and Fees has started a support campaign. Goldsmiths lecturers union has publicly commended the students for a ‘magnificent demonstration’ .

This is all much needed, as the establishment is clearly on the march with this one. The Torygraph has published an irresponsible and frenzied ‘shop-a-student’ piece and the Met are clearly under pressure to produce ‘results’ after what they have admitted was a policing ‘embarrassment’.

51 people have been arrested so far, and the police have claimed they took the details of a further 250 people in the kettle using powers under the Police Reform Act. There may be more arrests to come.

Students who are worried should consider taking the following actions:

If you have been arrested, or had your details taken – contact the legal support campaign. As a group you can support each other, and mount a coherent campaign.

If you fear you may be arrested as a result of identification by CCTV, FIT or press photography;

DONT panic. Press photos are not necessarily conclusive evidence, and just because the police have a photo of you doesn’t mean they know who you are.

DONT hand yourself in. The police often use the psychological pressure of knowing they have your picture to persuade you to ‘come forward’. Unless you have a very pressing reason to do otherwise, let them come and find you, if they know who you are.

DO get rid of your clothes. There is no chance of suggesting the bloke in the video is not you if the clothes he is wearing have been found in your wardrobe. Get rid of ALL clothes you were wearing at the demo, including YOUR SHOES, your bag, and any distinctive jewellery you were wearing at the time. Yes, this is difficult, especially if it is your only warm coat or decent pair of boots. But it will be harder still if finding these clothes in your flat gets you convicted of violent disorder.

DONT assume that because you can identify yourself in a video, a judge will be able to as well. ‘That isn’t me’ has got many a person off before now.

DO keep away from other demos for a while. The police will be on the look-out at other demos, especially student ones, for people they have put on their ‘wanted’ list. Keep a low profile.

DO think about changing your appearance. Perhaps now is a good time for a make-over. Get a haircut and colour, grow a beard, wear glasses. It isn’t a guarantee, but may help throw them off the scent.

DO keep your house clean. Get rid of spray cans, demo related stuff, and dodgy texts / photos on your phone. Don’t make life easy for them by having drugs, weapons or anything illegal in the house.

DO get the name and number of a good lawyer you can call if things go badly. The support group has the names of recommended lawyers on their site. Take a bit of time to read up on your rights in custody, especially the benefits of not commenting in interview.

DO be careful who you speak about this to. Admit your involvement in criminal damage / disorder ONLY to people you really trust.

DO try and control the nerves and panic. Waiting for a knock on the door is stressful in the extreme, but you need to find a way to get on with business as normal.

Otherwise you’ll be serving the sentence before you are even arrested.
The role of the police is not to “keep the peace,” or even to “uphold the law.” It is to ensure that the balance of power is maintained and that dissent remains containable and controllable. If our goal is to resist the attacks upon our class, rather than simply appear to do so, then we must also resist police repression and show solidarity with all who suffer it.

As well as UK indymedia, Bristol indymedia and Scotland indymedia as well as being linked to on facebook pages, republished in forums etc.

And of course google.

All in just two hours, please join in, republish and show the Met the internet will not be censored. Add links to anywhere else you’ve spotted it in the comments below.

Fitwatch have said they ain’t going fucking anywhere and will be back online soon, in the meantime you can catch them on facebook

this post can also be found here:

The article that apparently disturbed the cops so much can now be found on the following sites…

projectsheffield.wordpress.com

dirt.thevacuumcleaner.co.uk

norfolknonaligned.wordpress.com

bryanspygar.blogspot.com

truth-reason-liberty.blogspot.com

barnsdale.wordpress.com

johhnyvoid.wordpress.com

policestate.co.uk

libcom.org

permanentrevolution.net

urban75.net

bristle.wordpress.com

cambridgeanarchists.wordpress.com

edinburghanarchists.noflag.org.uk

isle-of-avalon.co.uk

blog.voyou.org

thanks to http://fitwatch.tiltingatwindmills.org.uk/2010/11/16/more-on-the-fitwatch-website-closure/

so what is there to write about?

hello dear reader (i'm assuming there's one, at least)

i'm presently doing some research about some strange goings-on related to property and planning permissions. these are local issues, but at least one of them is "a local issue of national importance".

this sort of thing won't endear me to our local district councillors as they've been making some rather odd decisions, which i hope to shine a light on

i'll do my best to write clearly, but i'm learning as i go along, so please bear with me and correct any errors, if you see them

there'll be the odd rant too :)

i've also dropped the unnecessary use of capital letters...sorry if you don't like it