Bryan Islip's Blog, page 12
September 24, 2014
Something that means something ...
Sometimes, from out of all the musica Americana surface dross, a song or even a line in a song shines out like a pearl in a bucket of detritus. How about this, re-discovered the other day ...
"I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows ..."
Oh yes, me too. I believe it.
"I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows ..."
Oh yes, me too. I believe it.
September 19, 2014
The Scotland Independance Referendum
The Scottish people have said no independence.
This is the temporary triumph of fear over hope
Shame on Big Money and on Westminster, in that order.
This is the temporary triumph of fear over hope
Shame on Big Money and on Westminster, in that order.
September 16, 2014
Money talks but Nations roar!
I'm English and proud of it. And I'm Scottish by adoption and proud to be that, too.Westminster might as well be a nation entire unto itself. I, for one, am very sorry about that, for during my post WW2 lifetime I have watched in horror as it wormed its newly cancerous way deeper and deeper into the very fabric of the United Kingdom. I'm not talking party politics (an outdated term if ever there was one. Six hundred and odd - what? Doing just what?)
Scotland, like its big brother down south, is a nation and as such should look after itself, not in rivalry but in close collaboration with the rest of Western Europe and any other friendly country. This will begin on Friday! And Westminster should devolve its powers to the regions of England pretty damn quick, before the people take the Law into their own hands. The criminal elements in the City of London should have nothing to say about it.
Money talks but Nations roar!
Scotland, like its big brother down south, is a nation and as such should look after itself, not in rivalry but in close collaboration with the rest of Western Europe and any other friendly country. This will begin on Friday! And Westminster should devolve its powers to the regions of England pretty damn quick, before the people take the Law into their own hands. The criminal elements in the City of London should have nothing to say about it.
Money talks but Nations roar!
September 14, 2014
A message for Mr Salmond
A message for Mr Salmond ...
“It's not the critic who counts. It's not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled. Credit belongs to the man who really was in the arena, his face marred by dust, sweat, and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs to come short and short again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming. It is the man who actually strives to do the deeds, who knows the great enthusiasm and knows the great devotion, who spends himself on a worthy cause, who at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement. And, who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and cruel souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt Good on you and all your YES campaigners, Alex / Nicola. I think you'll understand, but I doubt whether those of the decadent Establishment down south would either understand or very much care.
“It's not the critic who counts. It's not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled. Credit belongs to the man who really was in the arena, his face marred by dust, sweat, and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs to come short and short again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming. It is the man who actually strives to do the deeds, who knows the great enthusiasm and knows the great devotion, who spends himself on a worthy cause, who at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement. And, who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and cruel souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt Good on you and all your YES campaigners, Alex / Nicola. I think you'll understand, but I doubt whether those of the decadent Establishment down south would either understand or very much care.
September 7, 2014
YES of course
On the positive: Yes of course Scotland is a nation. As such it has a right to govern itself. Will it want to do so, come September 19? YES of course it will if it proves to have the requisite moral fibr. Why wouldn't it?
Just as did Canada, Australia, Ireland, America et eal, et many, many als, each of them once bound to a Westminster government, ruling by itself for itself.
On the negative: the United Kingdom was united under force of arms and/or money over eight centuries, starting with Edward the first, 'Hammer of the Scots' (and of the Welsh, the Jews and the Mohammedans.) Today Westminster is London, is the City of London, is big bankers' money, is the plaything of the USA. And has been corrupted beyond repair. Why would Scotland now need Westminster? Why would it not need its ancient pride as a nation?
I am English and extremely proud to be English. My family extends back beyond the year 986 (no, not 1986!), when King Edward the Confessor was born in Islip Manor, in the village of Islip in Oxfordshire
But I have been and still am dismayed then disgusted by Westminste-pattern, post WW1 history of self-perpetuating government, its gradual annexation by 'The City'. Surely Westminster's sell-by date has long been and gone! England deserves better, I say!
If England one day has the gumption to create massive changes in the way and by whom it is governed, to resurrection of its creative, industrious and moral past, why would it need to govern (i.e. possess) Scotland, the north of Ireland and Wales - these last of its minion States?
Just as did Canada, Australia, Ireland, America et eal, et many, many als, each of them once bound to a Westminster government, ruling by itself for itself.
On the negative: the United Kingdom was united under force of arms and/or money over eight centuries, starting with Edward the first, 'Hammer of the Scots' (and of the Welsh, the Jews and the Mohammedans.) Today Westminster is London, is the City of London, is big bankers' money, is the plaything of the USA. And has been corrupted beyond repair. Why would Scotland now need Westminster? Why would it not need its ancient pride as a nation?
I am English and extremely proud to be English. My family extends back beyond the year 986 (no, not 1986!), when King Edward the Confessor was born in Islip Manor, in the village of Islip in Oxfordshire
But I have been and still am dismayed then disgusted by Westminste-pattern, post WW1 history of self-perpetuating government, its gradual annexation by 'The City'. Surely Westminster's sell-by date has long been and gone! England deserves better, I say!
If England one day has the gumption to create massive changes in the way and by whom it is governed, to resurrection of its creative, industrious and moral past, why would it need to govern (i.e. possess) Scotland, the north of Ireland and Wales - these last of its minion States?
September 2, 2014
On a Sharjah beach
A friend asked me why I 'do those blogs'. Good question. I've published 676 of them thus far and am still not certain of the answer. Nearest I could come; 'because I love to write and like to share my thoughts in writing'. But the truth is I would send out these pages (57,022 of them have been viewed according to the mighty Google) even if nobody at all would get to open and read them.
All the blogging experts tell you to stick with one subject if you want to gain hits and followers. That's not what I want. I want to tell - myself if nobody else - about life and my life as best and most truthfully as I can. There are so many facets, dark as well as shining bright, to both. Some of my blogs are very public and some very personal, such as this one, re-discovered yesterday amongst hundreds of my old poems ...
On a Sharjah beach
How strong the mid-day sun grinds down on thee,and crescent beach that rims an azure sea,as your brown skin shines wet against white sand,but me beneath umb’rella’s shadow bandimagining, as is my wont, to dreamthy very femaleness; but it would seemthe waves of heat roll on relentlesslysap vigour from that limpid ocean, me.
Yet still I trace the contours of your form,your eyes are closed, at peace against life’s storm,bandana’d hair, nose fine just aquilinewhite teeth, pink lips that oft-times have kissed mine, your slender neck, those shoulders graceful, square;small rivulets have found their way down therebetween dependent dark capped perfect moundsthat in my mind I climb and my heart pounds.
My fingers thrust the soft and sandy shoreI’m conscious of each grain and even moreof this whole wondrous, complex universe,this water, fire, this air, this turning earthand you dear, you, and of the drops that beadbetween those breathing hills that, shining, leadmy thoughts, my dreams into another land, that lies beneath a white bikini strand.
There is no sound save distant seaboat’s drone,(a crawling dot across the great unknown),I smell the brine, still taste my lunchtime beerand smell your flower perfume in the air;I trace the contour of your hips, your thighs those narrow feet that hold such fine surpriseand rising now I walk into the seatread soft so not to wake up sleeping she.
My toes sink in, I stride out ‘til at lengthI can surrender to the ocean’s strength.I lazy swim, my body twists and turns,then on the surface silent floats, sun burns …I listen to the sounds of underseathose echoes, creaks and clicks mysteriously …but what is that, that subaquatic touch?I try to stand, the water try to clutch.
Before I topple, slip beneath the brineI see your smile, I reach for what is mine;but, underwater, sunlight dances, restsand dapples tan and gold your lovely breasts;gasping, I stand and whisper in your ear although no other human soul can hearand when you do not try to move away our sea-world ends in love one perfect day.
Bryan Islip, 1994
All the blogging experts tell you to stick with one subject if you want to gain hits and followers. That's not what I want. I want to tell - myself if nobody else - about life and my life as best and most truthfully as I can. There are so many facets, dark as well as shining bright, to both. Some of my blogs are very public and some very personal, such as this one, re-discovered yesterday amongst hundreds of my old poems ...
On a Sharjah beach
How strong the mid-day sun grinds down on thee,and crescent beach that rims an azure sea,as your brown skin shines wet against white sand,but me beneath umb’rella’s shadow bandimagining, as is my wont, to dreamthy very femaleness; but it would seemthe waves of heat roll on relentlesslysap vigour from that limpid ocean, me.
Yet still I trace the contours of your form,your eyes are closed, at peace against life’s storm,bandana’d hair, nose fine just aquilinewhite teeth, pink lips that oft-times have kissed mine, your slender neck, those shoulders graceful, square;small rivulets have found their way down therebetween dependent dark capped perfect moundsthat in my mind I climb and my heart pounds.
My fingers thrust the soft and sandy shoreI’m conscious of each grain and even moreof this whole wondrous, complex universe,this water, fire, this air, this turning earthand you dear, you, and of the drops that beadbetween those breathing hills that, shining, leadmy thoughts, my dreams into another land, that lies beneath a white bikini strand.
There is no sound save distant seaboat’s drone,(a crawling dot across the great unknown),I smell the brine, still taste my lunchtime beerand smell your flower perfume in the air;I trace the contour of your hips, your thighs those narrow feet that hold such fine surpriseand rising now I walk into the seatread soft so not to wake up sleeping she.
My toes sink in, I stride out ‘til at lengthI can surrender to the ocean’s strength.I lazy swim, my body twists and turns,then on the surface silent floats, sun burns …I listen to the sounds of underseathose echoes, creaks and clicks mysteriously …but what is that, that subaquatic touch?I try to stand, the water try to clutch.
Before I topple, slip beneath the brineI see your smile, I reach for what is mine;but, underwater, sunlight dances, restsand dapples tan and gold your lovely breasts;gasping, I stand and whisper in your ear although no other human soul can hearand when you do not try to move away our sea-world ends in love one perfect day.
Bryan Islip, 1994
August 29, 2014
Scots arise!
It was good to see Scotland’s Chief Executive standing up to the bully boy tactics of Westminster’s representative the other evening. I realise that both sides want to avoid driving wedges between the people of Scotland and those of its southern neighbour, but the silver fox’s finger-wagging throughout their first encounter really did annoy me, as did the man's constant barrage of meaningless threats to the effect that London would take away Scotland's currency in the event of a YES. Those guys should realise how the folk up here react to threats!
The thing that puzzles this expatriated Englishman - one who loves his country - more than anything is just this; why would anyone in Scotland want to go on and on being vassal to a government it did nothing to elect? A government based far away in (and for) the city of London?
Scotland is a nation - a ‘land of Scots’ both indigenous and imported. Westminster as at today is a government that has through recent years sought to bring the whole United Kingdom to its knees with its crazed focus on financial disservices, unwanted multiculturalism, hostility to its European neighbours and stupid ‘where can I fight the next war on foreign soil because I’m a big boy in the world’ism?
Should the Scots vote YES in 18th September - as I hope - perhaps that and the suicidal rush to get out of the EEC will finally force long-overdue changes in the way my country (England) is governed. It may not be too late for the damage to be undone ... Winston Churchill may be watching, with whatever sadness ....
August 28, 2014
August 27, 2014
This morning world - Aultbea,
This morning world in and from Kirkhill House in Aultbea ... in the 5th one down, see Sammy Seagull? She's never far away ...
August 20, 2014
Scotland be brave?
Miracle! I have had a sneak preview of Alex Salmond's opening address in the upcoming BBC television debate (Monday next) ...
Ladies and gentlemen: at this point I have some allocated time to re-set out Scotland’s platform without interruption or anything more in the finger wagging department from my silver haired friend over there.
Scotland is, as its name must suggest, a nation unto itself. A ’land of Scots’ (both indigenous and adopted). A nation that deserves the freedom to govern itself, to manage its own affairs. A nation of people with the pride, the creative intelligence and the genetic character to succeed in maintaining and improving over time their own wellbeing and their very own prosperity. A nation whose union with its neighbours was always more a marriage of friendly convenience than of true love. A nation that doesn’t any longer have to be governed by a system made far away by the English for the English, by London for London, by the bankers for the bankers.
After many years of struggle, on the 18th September the people of this Scottish nation will be afforded the democratic right to break away, to take a deep breath, test their strength and conviction, set forth with self-confidence and with all sails set fair. This will not mean the loss of Scotland’s historic friendship with our neighbours in the British Islands. In spite of the negative rhetoric, not to say threats of the Westminster power train our ties with the peoples of the British Isles are unbreakable. On the contrary, independence will mean making more and closer friends in the great continent of which Scotland is a natural part - a continent that Westminster and ‘The City’ seems to have been doing its very best to alienate for so many, so negative years.
Do not, I beg of you, be diverted by talk of currency and economy. I am by background an economist and I can assure you that economists are good at telling you what happened and what is happening, far less so in forecasting what is yet to come. If economists could see what was coming none of them would need to be economists. Their guess is little if any better than yours. The elected government of Scotland - of whatever colour now or future, with whatever leadership now or future - will of course oversee and manage currency and money in / money out. But such issues must and will be decided in the light of what is happening over time inside Scotland and outside in the world at large. They will be decided in the best interests of the electorate; the people of an independent nation.
Should you disbelieve in Scotland’s right to nationhood you have the subordinate right to tick the NO box. Otherwise, believe you are a part of Scotland the Brave. Be brave. Give Scotland a chance. Tick YES!
