Contrary Mary's Road Rant

I am a contrary sod, I know that. I don't follow the crowd in the way I think, look, behave, eat or believe. And I don't trust the media or the government; whatever they say I immediately assume they are lying. This contrariness has so far stood me in good stead and I have no plans to change it, unless everyone starts copying me of course. Take the A11 expansion in Suffolk. This is supposed to be the answer to our traffic congestion prayers - make the road wider and the traffic will flow better, easing the jams that build up in my little market town caused by drivers taking shortcuts to avoid the, er, traffic. We have lorries clogging up our narrow high street because a neighbouring local authority, not even our own one, gave them permission to cut through our town after businesses complained taking the longer way round was costing too much. And strike me down with an AA route planner but I'm a driver yet I don't want to ease the traffic by widening roads. I want to ease the traffic by improving our pathetic so called public transport. Put more of those extra long cars with lots of seats in, buses I believe they're called, put more of them on the road. But of course that won't happen because the road lobby want us to drive our individual fuel wasting, countryside flattening cars. There's a lot of money to be had from selling cars, selling accessories, charging tolls, charging for taxes, MOT tests and licences, and not forgetting of course the massive profits to be made from the sale of petrol and diesel. The bus companies won't put on more buses because there is not enough profit in it for them. These people bid for the routes knowing full well they would not be able to maintain a "service" to benefit the passengers. As profit making concerns their priority is to make money, not to get passengers from village to town and back again. I have to drive to get to work in Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding area. I would rather take the bus than drive and I would love to get on a bus that departs on time and gets me there on time. But our buses run at two hour intervals, at times which are not conducive to many people's working patterns. Capitalism does not have the will to fix these problems; its priority is to make as much money as possible, as quickly as possible. Any concern for the environment and passengers is at odds with this. And they say I'm contrary.

Paul Rodgers - Free, Bad Company & A Nice BTM

Long before Beyoncé, Rihanna and other similar talentless shriekers known for their pert bottoms, there was a fine singer called Paul Rodgers. Now not only is My Brother Jake a great tune but Paul Rodgers had, and probably still has, the finest btm in show business. Cop this:

Jam v Conserve - Fight!

So what is the actual difference between jam and conserve? Just the word conserve puts the sticky confection onto the shelf marked "exclusive", "not for the likes of you" and "if you are a pleb avert your eyes NOW". But seriously, what is the difference?

Before Paul Young Went All Rubbish

Before singer Paul Young went all bland, a prototype Michael Buble for the 80s, he produced something very special. And I am hungry.

There Must Be Two Eds

The Ed Miliband I have read about talks of immigration control, unemployment loans and a firm refusal to renationalise. The Daily Mirror and folk on twitter talk as if he is a shining beacon of the left; the man who condemns UKIP and the Tories for their rightwing-ness. I see one Ed, they see the other Ed, let's call the whole thing off. TUSC is what Labour should be and more.

Capitalism For All Ages - There Is No Escape

I work for charities in a number of different roles. One of my jobs involves seeing elderly people in their own homes, and we get talking as you might imagine. The clients like me because I am cheerful and one of them even told me recently I've become a part of the family. Things like that are precious to me and can never be bought. Human interaction at its best is just wonderful. Under this vicious government we are all suffering cuts in jobs, services and benefits. These cuts affect everyone across the board, from school leavers unable to secure their first jobs to the elderly doing their best to manage on a small state pension. The cuts have made us all pull in our belts until we cannot pull any tighter. One thing I have noticed through this particular job is how vulnerable the elderly are to trickery and exploitation. One client is bombarded with junk mail asking for money, and this lovely old lady sends cheques to everyone who asks. Her kind and generous nature has led to a great diminution of her savings but of course these faceless companies would neither know nor care about that. What these companies do is not illegal - she doesn't have to send them money if she doesn't want to. But when there is the promise of a large prize it is very tempting to keep sending them one more cheque; after all this might be the one to make her dreams come true. When elderly people are living on their own with no family to protect their interests these vulture-like companies take the opportunity to swoop. The junk mail comes from different places, usually some out of town trading estate, on different coloured paper, in different fonts and showing different signatures at the bottom. But it's strange how once a client gets roped into entering a prize draw for one organisation, they find themselves inundated with similar requests from others. It's almost as if they're all coming from the same person;) I've gone off script a bit here but I just feel so angry and saddened when I see people being tricked at a time in their lives when they are least able to understand what they are getting into. Capitalism is behind this. Making money is all that matters and to hell with any notion of decency and morals.

The Bloodstained Roadshow - Let's Do It

We should buy clothes from charity shops, splash them with blood (red paint obviously) and anti-capitalism slogans, then put on fashion shows in high streets. Primark need to answer questions. Why was there no health and safety agreement in the Bangladesh factory? Any suggestions for good music - Walls Come Tumbling Down by The Style Council? It may sound sick but capitalism is sick and it deserves to be shown up for the evil that it is. And of course it is time we actually started changing it.

It's Not Normal - Weetabix and Tuna Patties

Well, looking online for vegetable fritter, burger or rissole recipes (what is the difference between them anyway?) I came across something quite vile - Weetabix, tuna and vegetable patties. It's not normal, I'm telling you, it's not normal. I used to work with a woman who said that whenever something displeased her.

I Loathe Robbie Williams - Here's My Cure

I'm really getting the hang of this embed code thang now. Thanks to @_Paul_And_ for the assistance.

Lone Ranger - Testing Testing

I think I have the hang of this video thing now. I hope...

Motors Video - Saaaakkke

Blimey what a palaver to get a video on a page. Lordy buv.

Local Democracy - Head In Hands Time

I really must stop reading my local online forum. It is dominated by a handful of reactionaries, now over the moon at the election of a UKIP councillor. It rattles me no end to see them complaining that the other candidates did not bother dropping leaflets through their doors.

Hold on a minute. Is that what democracy is all about? You vote for the person on the leaflet? What about looking outside your tiny domain and trying to understand why poverty and immigration exist in the first place? Try finding out what your candidate has been up to politically in the past.

No wonder we get the politicians we get. Are people really so lazy and shallow they can't be bothered to read a bit more than a two sized A5 glossy leaflet with bullet pointed, meaningless promises?

Democracy, shamocracy.

Hippy Music - My Confession

I'm a 60s child, born at the beginning of the decade so too young to enjoy the hippy music until I started to pay attention in the 70s. But I confess I am a bit of a hippy; all that peace and love sits well with me.

So here we are -
http://www.caat.org.uk/resources/companies/

Good Morning Starshine - Oliver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxHAa_O0xII
I saw the Hair film in 1978 and fell a bit in love with Treat Williams as Berger, the poor guy sent to Vietnam in error. I loved the film then and love it now but I still prefer Oliver's version of Good Morning Starshine.

I Got Life - Treat Williams (Hair)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1LRD3DtFAo
I love his table dancing. Nice ar... bum. And the lady in the pink dress - you go girl.

Manchester England England - Treat Williams (Hair)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRsSfNXW01A
Poor Berger. Mistaken identity condemns the hippy hero to death in Vietnam. That's war for you; it kills the innocent.

Woodstock - Matthews Southern Comfort
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyTUF5gP2KE
I know this was written by Joni Mitchell but I prefer this version with lead vocals by Ian Matthews. So there.

For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp5JCrSXkJY
Not an anti-war song; this is the story of an anti-curfew protest by young club goers in Sunset Strip. Nice guitar sounds.

Turn Turn Turn - The Byrds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ga_M5Zdn4
Why do I love this song? Because of the Rickenbacker intro of course. Without doubt one of my favourite musical instruments. Not my very favourite though.

Time Is Tight - Booker T And The MGs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbBcXvKvB08
Not sure if this counts as hippy music to anyone else but it does to me. And of course it features that keyboard. You know the one I like.

Stoney End - Barbra Streisand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j__OhNPutzA
My favourite Barbra Streisand song of all time. Written by hippy Laura Nyro, so that's why it's here.

Weapons - One Time Use Only

Weapons manufacturers do not want to sell their killing machines just the once. Their explosives only work once, so what's to do? Thankfully the answer lies in the hands of our government and the arms dealers. Provoke hate and paranoia and bang goes your uncle.

http://www.caat.org.uk/resources/companies/

Eating For £1 A Day. The Latest BBC Propaganda.

I have been reading quite a bit recently about the subject of eating on a greatly reduced budget. I work for  a free advice agency and I know for a fact this cannot be done, not without ending up weak, stressed and ultimately in hospital.

Before this latest piece of budgeting advice kindly circulated by the BBC, I saw a client who lived on plain boiled pasta and nothing else. She had bills and debts to pay off, so she prioritised those over eating. She ended up suffering from exhaustion and malnutrition; hardly the best outcome for someone who should be fit and available for work according to the government.

There is "cheap" food available in supermarkets; labelled as "value", "basic", "economy" or similar. On the face of it this cheap food does appear to offer good value for money but turn over the packaging and read the list of ingredients - fat, sugar, salt, flavourings, starch, emulsifiers and preservatives to mention a few, not forgetting the ingredients the manufacturers don't list - fried faeces in turkey mince anyone?

I personally live on a diet as frugal as I can possibly make it. I cook cheap curries using lentils, fresh vegetables, onions and curry powder. I make a potato stretch between three of us by using it as an ingredient in stews or as fried slices served up with omelettes. I use a lot of pasta and rice in my cooking. These are filler foods; items to bulk up a meal and leave your stomach feeling satisfied. On their own they are pretty worthless nutritionally.

Sometimes for quickness I buy the cheapest, nastiest pizza at 60p in the supermarket and top it with my own onion, sliced pepper, tomatoes and courgettes. I can make these vegetables last for a week and use them in a multitude of ways.

So on the face of it, I'm a careful shopper. I rarely buy ready meals and I look for fresh fruit and vegetables in the reduced sections of supermarkets or at my local greengrocer. But to do this for £1 a day? I don't think so. And nor does anyone else with a shred of commonsense or decency.

I am interested in learning about freeganism or dumpster diving as it is called in the US; the practise of taking discarded food from supermarket skips. This food is destined for landfill, so if we don't take it, it goes off to a dump where it will sweat in the sun and create methane. This is food still fit for human consumption but the supermarkets don't want us to know that. They want us to keep buying more and more, while they waste more and more. What a crazy, mixed up capitalist world we live in.

Shame on you BBC. Big shame on you.

Wendell's World of Minor Catastrophes

Never a day goes by with something going wrong in Wendell's world of minor catastrophes. Take today for example. Two of our bicycles had minor faults, so we put them in the car and took them up to Green Ventures, a social enterprise in Thetford which specialises in renovating bikes that would otherwise end up in landfill. After a short wait our bikes were serviced and ready to come home again, so all well and good.

I then decided to go to Sainsbury's to get milk and flour to save me going out again later. I bought these items, together with a comic which included free gifts for little one, but more of that later. Now being a Saturday the car park was busy but we found a space and went in to get stuff. So far nothing had gone wrong, which in my world does not auger well.

Upon exiting Sainsbury's car park it is necessary to turn right onto a busy two way road, looking for fast traffic coming from both directions. The cars to my left blocked my view and I had little one in the car with me, so I was not prepared to leave until it was clear on both sides. This was not good enough for the red faced, middle aged man in the green van behind us, who thought leaning on his horn would help  my decision making process. It did - it startled me, and I remained stationery for a few seconds longer.

So after turning right at the roundabout we emerged onto the dual carriageway. Green van man horned again and when I looked in my rear view mirror I saw him waving an angry fist at me. Oh, I did feel admonished - so I admonished him back. We then turned left past the golf club and fortunately a blue car had got between the two of us and I was away. I looked in my rear view mirror a few times and noticed he was now tailgating the blue car. That man needs re-admonishing I thought.

Now back to the comic and free gifts. One of the gifts was a plastic mobile phone with discs which can be ejected at the pull of a trigger. After arriving on our driveway I looked at this object and pulled the trigger. A red disc flew straight into the air vent beneath the windscreen where it lodged itself out of finger's reach. Little one was distraught at this, so I proceeded to try and poke the disc out with (a) a wrench (b) a luggage strap (and (c) a plastic flag handle. None of these worked and when little one told me she had three more discs I gave up.

Finally, I removed our two refurbished bikes from the car and went indoors but I could hear little one crying on the front lawn. When I asked her what was wrong she told me her bike wasn't working and the pedals weren't going round. I had a look and noticed the chain had simply fallen off, so I lifted it back into place. I'm sure the black oil will come off my hands in a day or two.

I'm now typing this and little one is asking to go for a cup of tea and a bike ride. So after tea I will be out and about again. I do hope green van man isn't in the forest.

UKIP Voters - The 995

I live in a small town in Suffolk and like you, enjoyed the county council election circus on Thursday. I say enjoyed as if I mean it - I don't. And thanks to 995 closet racists in denial we now have a UKIP councillor "representing" our town.

Through speaking to the locals I learnt they were going to vote UKIP on Thursday just "for a change" or "to see what someone else can do". All of them, bar none, told me they were not going to vote Tory this time; they were going to vote UKIP. They made the usual references to sorting "that lot out" meaning the Polish and Portuguese immigrants and smiled at me, expecting me to do the same. I am in a position where I cannot state my political preferences in my day to day work, so I suck up the ignorant comments whilst gently steering the conversation towards safer ground.

And to be fair I can understand why they might feel the way they do. The town has changed over the years and is no longer the isolated little England they once knew, or so they think. In fact there has been a Polish population here since the end of the Second World War when ex-servicemen settled. It is predominantly a bungalow town and being Suffolk the landscape is flat, making it easy to walk to the local shops and stop to talk to one another in the market square. It all sounds idyllic, and compared to south London where I grew up, it is. I think it is fair to say Suffolk people don't like change and they don't like to be rushed.

And we suffer incidences of vandalism and burglary the same as anywhere else, albeit to a much lesser degree, but locals are quick to assume the vandal or car thief must be a foreigner. In fact since moving here I have observed the worst behaviour coming from the "London overspill" but that's another story.

The Poles and Portuguese are labelled "them" with white English being "us". I'm an incomer myself and it took a good while to ingratiate myself with the community I can tell you. Folk here are insular, (although once you get to know them they are easy going, funny and rather kind). I have heard of people moving in from Norfolk 20 or 30 years ago and still only being tolerated, never  fully accepted. If there is little hope for me becoming one of "us", what hope is there for the Eastern Europeans?

So now we have a UKIP councillor representing "our" interests. What this person will do to sort things out remains to be seen but I suspect nothing will come of it; he is thankfully a lone voice on the council at the moment. What worries me is the fact these people voted UKIP in the first place.

The Genius Of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone has existed in three distinct periods; the early 60s, the 80s and the 2000s.  I have watched every episode from the original series and a few from the 80s and 2000s.

As a favour to @AndyPragnell and @colinb65 I am listing here a few of my favourite episodes from the original series:

The Obsolete Man - starring Burgess Meredith as obsolete librarian Romney Wordsworth. In this 1984-ish dystopia it is no longer permitted to own or read books, therefore Romney is declared obsolete by the state and is summoned for execution. The set is dark and minimal and Fritz Weaver is chilling as the Chancellor calling for the death of this unwanted old man -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXzQD2SRESs

Elegy - starring Jeff Morrow. A trio of astronauts find themselves on a distant planet where nobody moves. Are they surrounded by statues and who is Jeremy Wickwire?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYVpJw1qErM

He's Alive - starring Dennis Weaver as a young neo-Nazi who turns his hatred on someone very close to his heart. It features a brilliant speech on dictatorship by Rod Serling, a truly wise man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFE-8_xsHog

Perchance To Dream starring Richard Conte as a man who has terrifying nightmares. What will happen if he falls asleep again?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN0uc08c26k

The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street. Rod Serling's brilliant allegory on McCarthyism and cold war paranoia -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO73e7Y5wHY

And of course -

Living Doll with the famous Talky Tina as a doll protecting the interests of her little girl owner in the most dramatic way -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2FXeeVTx2k

Not forgetting -

The Rip Van Winkle Caper - a fascinating tale of man's greed (capitalism) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyDCaSqxhUc

So there you go guys but take time to watch the whole series if you can.  Rod Serling was a genius who used popular television to convey deep messages in an accessible form. I wish he was still with us today.

Love Wendell

Why Ignoring The Left Is Dangerous

I have a powerful imagination, I admit that with pride not shame. Sometimes my imagination takes me into Rod Serling-like flights of fancy and sometimes I reflect on the words of George Orwell, Robert Tressell and Aldous Huxley. But using your imagination to envisage the worst possible scenario is vital if we are to protect ourselves from the threats coming to our society from the far right. The Tories are a hateful breed, they have no care or compassion for the weakest and poorest among us and I find visualising George Osborne in a Nazi uniform worryingly easy to achieve.

New threats are coming from UKIP - infant class Nazis working their way up to the top form. I saw Nigel Farage in a meeting recently. He professes to be non-racist which did not equate with his constant references to Romanians and crime. The eager audience licked it up while I sat and scowled. Why is anyone surprised UKIP is being "infiltrated" as they put it by the far right, including EDL members? They are cut from the same cloth; it's just one is at the bargain basement end of the hate spectrum while the other is at the pricier end (think M&S, Debenham's, Waitrose. I'm not suggesting they have anything to do with UKIP by the way).

The left has no voice in the media apart from Owen Jones, the token "socialist". People like him because he raises a dissenting voice and I have nothing against him personally. But he is still a Labour member and let's not forget Labour hasn't proved itself worthy of the nomenclature "left" for a very long time. Its talk of shirkers versus strivers and concerns over immigration rankle with socialists like me. I want to see us, the workers, united against the idle rich and the exploitative capitalism they impose on us. By workers I mean all of us, including non-workers and foreigners who I welcome with open arms. We must stand together to defeat the hatred from the far right.

Anyway, back to my imagination. I can foresee a time when it becomes illegal to have far left views and certainly to be a trade union activist. People who dare to go against the grain and speak out will mysteriously disappear.

Shame on the media and especially the BBC for pretending we don't exist. The BBC has fallen head over heels in love with Nigel Farage yet has no hesitation in mocking Bob Crow on Have I Got News For You and Question Time where he is frequently seated at the end of a panel made up of right wing politicians and journalists.

I am not spitting the dummy because the Socialist Party does not get on the television. I am genuinely worried about our future. We are sleepwalking into a Nazi dystopia of our own making. Speak up, don't be afraid of ridicule, just speak up and keep speaking.

Voting Should Not Be Compulsory

Just been reading my local town forum with its resident UKIP foolishness. Some other contributors, not necessarily UKIP, saying vote for whoever is going to do their best for the town regardless of party lines. I haven't heard the result yet but it'll be either a big tory turd or an even bigger UKIP turd thanks to the local reactionaries.

I did go to the polling station after all and wrote my views on the ballot paper. I certainly did not vote Labour just to keep the other two out; I despise Labour as much as the others. And for that reason I don't believe voting should be compulsory. As every year goes by I am more convinced the whole elected representative thing is a sham anyway.

Power to the people.

Fitz & The Tantrums - Staxy Soul Music!!!

I switch on the computer this morning, make some drop scones for breakfast, and come back to look for Daryl Hall. These are the things I like to do at 4.30 on a Friday morning.

So looking through Youtube for Daryl Hall I notice this odd name, "Fitz & The Tantrums". I look at the lead singer and the first thing I notice is he's got Phil Oakey hair. Normally that would be enough to put me off but I reason as they're appearing with Daryl they can't be that bad (I don't do 80s music; certainly not electro-pop anyway).

Now do as I did and put your musical preconceptions aside. I urge you to grab a handful of this; it's real soul music. Oh joy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOM8lbhJJeY

We Truly Are The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

No, I'm not voting. I'm not even going to walk down to the polling station and scribble on the ballot paper. I'm not even going to write TUSC in big letters right across it, or A in a circle for anarchy as someone on Twitter just threatened to do.

I'm not voting because (a) there is no TUSC candidate for my county council and (b) I agree with the old adage/cliché about not voting for THEM because it only encourages them. By them I mean the so-called mainstream parties. That phrase immediately puts better parties or individuals into the category marked "other", just like organic food is marketed as the alternative to "conventionally farmed produce". Socialism is in the "other box". I mean real socialism, not Labour. I mean real people power with us, the workers, taking control of our lives and sharing in the world's resources instead of giving, yes giving, the best of what we produce to the rich.

We truly are the ragged trousered philanthropists. Out of the goodness of our hearts, apathy or ignorance of a better way of doing things, we give wealth to the most undeserving people on the planet. We work, we sweat and die die early, so the rich can reap the benefits of our labour. The rich, the ones who inherit wealth  handed down to them, know nothing about real work. And to rich bosses work means going to a board meeting, shouting orders at minions, making phone calls or getting irate at servants but most of all doing sweet Fanny Adams.

Voting is all a façade to shut us up, to stop us making a fuss. We're not participating in democracy, we are allowing ourselves to be fooled year after year, generation after generation. We will never know freedom from wars, starvation and exploitation until capitalism is destroyed. Voting for THEM keeps capitalism alive, albeit with different nuances, different excuses and different priorities.

So why would I vote for TUSC? Simply because they are the best party to represent the interests of the working class, of which I am a very proud member. The TUSC is the only party of no cuts and committed to renationalisation of the transport system and utilities. If you go to work, if you have to work to survive, you are working class. Whether you work or not, if you are dependent on wages or paltry benefits, you are working class. Be proud of that fact.

Ultimately the answer lies not in the ballot box but in  you and I taking back what is rightly ours.The rich have had their turn and look what they have done to our planet and continue to do; gold and diamond mining, fracking, digging for oil in the arctic regions, nuclear power and warfare, the evil arms trade, the destruction of ancient woodlands and rain forests, and the deaths of men, women and children in factories producing cheap clothes for our high street stores (we all love a blood stained bargain don't we?)

To save the planet and to stop killing other people in the name of so called defence, capitalism must die. Start taking peaceful action to make this a better world.  Resist, question, argue, stand together and start saying no. Forget the timewasting, attention distracting petitions and surveys.

The so called mainstream"representatives" will never make this a better world. Never.

International Mystery Man - It's Anders

I have made some great friends on twitter and upset/been upset by a small minority.  One of the very best friends I have made is international man of mystery @AndyPragnell

Anders (which is his correct name; they got it wrong on the birth certificate) is at the top of my top list. He is often found waiting in the virtual trees like a verbal sniper, ready to shoot a barb here, a pointed retort there, but always with a kind heart, a warm smile and a friendly wave.

He has quite good taste in music, thanks to my education of course. Anders now knows a great deal about the magnificent Hammond organ and the uber clangy Rickenbacker - two of my absolute favourite instruments. Politically speaking, he's a good 'un. Like me he's on the side of the working class, the people who keep the country going with no rich parents or posh school backgrounds to fall back on. We've no time for monarchy, Anders and I, and we both dread the coming of that new baby, Daphne or whatever it's name will be.

Anyway Anders; a special gift for you my mate somewhere in England -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ophw7rvZcyc

He wears corrugated trousers you know. But he doesn't wear knitted trunks.