Lance Greenfield's Blog, page 85
May 19, 2015
Death is Not the End – Bob Dylan
Whilst I am working: writing documents and emails, completing spreadsheets, creating presentations, I often listen to music. Today I got totally into Bob Dylan. I don’t know why. I just drifted that way. He is, and always has been, such an understated and modest artist, yet he is very powerful and compelling.
On this day, a track that grabbed my attention more than any other, and which I would like to dedicate to a special friend, is this one.
Dear special friend, you know who you are.
Dear Follower of Lance Greenfield’s blog, if that track left you thirsting for more of Dylan’s genius, put your earphones one and plug yourself in to this for the next hour-and-a-quarter. Enjoy!
May 18, 2015
4 Sacred Native American Sites In Danger Of Being Destroyed By Corporations
Originally posted on INDIGENOUS MEDIA:
Osage-Mounds
By Paul Brammer / Blue Nation Review
The days where Native American tribes were forced to give up their land are far from over.
Here are four sacred Native American sites in danger of being destroyed in the name of corporate greed.
Badger-Two Medicine
The Blackfeet Tribe calls the land of Badger-Two Medicine “the Backbone of the World,” the place where the story of their people began. But now the mineral-rich land, located in modern day Michigan, is in danger of being drilled for oil.
Solenext, LCC, the last of the 47 leaseholders of the land, filed a lawsuit so that drilling could begin. Earl Old Person, a member of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council since 1954, is fighting to preserve what he calls “an altar to the Blackfeet Confederacy.” He wrote a letter to Obama urging the president to intervene.
Oak Flat
After lawmakers slipped in a clause…
View original 235 more words
We’re all DOOMED!
To quote Private Fraser from Dad’s Army, “We’re all DOOMED!”
Our new Conservative government have already made it clear that they will further oppress the masses who are already disadvantaged and continue to enrich their fat cat friends.
But they were democratically elected, so we should not complain. Rather, we should campaign to oust them at the next opportunity.
Five years though. It’s a long time.
May 15, 2015
Father of the bride – what a give-away!
You really do need to watch this video. What a Dad! I wish I’d thought of this first.
Epic Way to Give Away A Daughter at Her Wedding
Posted by Latinos Post on Wednesday, 15 April 2015
One of the true greats of blues has moved on
BB King’s spiritual flame will continue to burn brightly in the hearts of millions.
Lucille – including BB King’s explanation of why his guitar is called “Lucille”
(this is a MUST LISTEN!):
May 14, 2015
We’re all DOOMED!
This country is as good as f#cked!
Excuse my language, but I despair for the United Kingdom over the next five years.
To quote Private Fraser from Dad’s Army, “We’re all DOOMED!”
Our new Conservative government have already made it clear that they will:
Repeal of the Human Rights Act 2011
How could anyone oppose any of the following?
Right to life
Freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment
Right to liberty and security
reedom from slavery and forced labour
Right to a fair trial
No punishment without law
Respect for your private and family life, home and correspondence
Freedom of thought, belief and religion
Freedom of expression
Freedom of assembly and association
Right to marry and start a family
Protection from discrimination in respect of these rights and freedoms
Right to peaceful enjoyment of your property
Right to education
Right to participate in free elections
The continuation of the privatization of the NHS
This has always been the hidden agenda of the Conservative Party
The re-legalization of barbaric fox-hunting
Another Tory policy to appease the landed gentry (Party donors)
More suicides due to the impact of the bedroom tax with further increases
…. by increasing the bedroom tax by applying it to other categories of renters other than just social housing tenants.
Abolition of tax credits
Suppression of the minimum wage (where I would wish to see a raise to a living wage)
Continuation of zero hour contracts – but re-named as ‘flexible hours contracts’
The Work and Pensions Secretary said they were good for workers’ “work-life balance” and should be renamed as “flexible-hours contracts”.
Reduction of the recognized “full-time” working week for qualification for benefits to 12 hours rather than the current 25 hours
Scrapping housing benefit for youngsters
Those under the age of 21 who are claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance will be barred from claiming housing benefit. Tough benefit sanctions introduced by Iain Duncan Smith have led many claimants to rely on food banks, according to the Trussell Trust charity
Abolition of statutory maternity pay
Leaked plans outline proposals to abolish statutory maternity pay. Alternative proposals suggest getting employers to contribute more to the cost of statutory pay.
Cuts to disability benefits
The Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments and Attendance Allowance would no longer be tax free if these plans took affect.
Carers could be targeted too
The Carer’s Allowance could also be hit by restricting those eligible for Universal Credit, which would lead to 40 per cent of claimants losing out.
Iain Duncan Smith is back in charge of benefits cuts!
David Cameron has reappointed Iain Duncan Smith as Work and Pensions Secretary, meaning he will be in charge of making the huge benefit cuts the Conservatives pledged in their manifesto.
The man who presided over the ‘bedroom tax’ and the £26,000 benefits cap now has to find a further £12 billion in welfare savings.
The pledge – which will hit the working age poor – was one of the most controversial parts of the Conservative manifesto.
But during the campaign they only said where £2 billion of these savings would come from. With a further £10 billion to find, here are eleven reasons people are worried about Mr Duncan Smith returning to the Department for Work and Pensions.
On ‘Important Distinctions’ and An Open Letter to the Prime Minister
This is a re-blog of Juliana Farha’s post. Juliana is the second wife of Kit Malthouse who is NW Hampshire’s newly elected MP, Deputy Mayor of London and director of a few companies related to the finance house that he founded more than a decade ago. He refuses to give up any of the latter jobs in order to take his new duties of representing the people of my area a little more seriously.
Anyway, have a read of Juliana’s blog post. What she tells us about in this article is much more important than any petty domestic political quarrels that we may have.
She concludes with:
Mr Cameron tells us he stands with Israel. I stand with human dignity, the right to self determination, and respect for international law. Sadly, this is the critical distinction on which we appear to disagree entirely.
Those of you who know me well will understand why this drives me to tears of despair. The biggest passion in my life is the way that people treat people. My passion is aroused by Juliana’s post. I feel very sad right now.
Originally posted on Two Words: Notes and Observations:
I was startled by Tuesday’s story on the homepage of The Independent website that the UK Prime Minister David Cameron made an 11th hour election declaration affirming his unequivocal support for Israel. In particular, Mr Cameron draws an ‘important distinction’ between Israel’s right to ‘self defence’ and Hamas’s ‘indiscriminate’ firing of rockets into Israel from Gaza last summer.
A cynic might connect Mr Cameron’s timing with a perception that the Labour leader Ed Miliband has lost the so-called ‘Jewish vote’, and a desire to shore up that support for his own party. Regardless, coming just a week after a UN report confirmed that Israel knowingly targeted UNRWA schools sheltering civilians during the Gaza siege, and 12 days after DCI-Palestine released ‘Operation Protective Edge: A War Waged on Gaza’s Children‘, Mr Cameron’s dubious characterisation of the 51-day Gaza siege and the unwavering support for Israel that results from these…
View original 472 more words
May 5, 2015
Access to a Quality Education is a Fundamental Right
Watch this short animation.
The Green Party’s vision for quality education and no tuition fees.
We have world class universities, brilliant teachers and talented students.
But by putting a price tag on education, running schools as businesses and making them exam factories we are wasting children’s potential.
CLICK NUMBER 3 ON THE PLAYLIST (Top left of frame)
Of course, you may also view the rest of the menu of short animations to discover:
Green Party vision for taking back our health service
Green Party vision for making public transport public
Green Party vision for quality education, no tuition fees
Green Party vision for an economy that works for all
Green Party vision for fossil free, affordable energy
Green Party vision for decent homes for everyone
May 4, 2015
Review: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an hilarious take on the missing years of Jesus, known as Joshua bar Joseph in this account. The four gospels which mad it into the New Testament miss three decades of the Messiah’s life. Only two of them say much about his birth, one describes a brief episode when Jesus was about twelve where he spends some time in discussion with the elders in the synagogue, but they largely concentrate on the short years of his ministry leading up to his crucifiction and resurrection.
Lamb is an account which is written by Levi, known as Biff, who is Joshua’s best friend throughout his life.
There are so many funny stories within the whole, and it would just spoil it for you if I were to repeat them here. You really have to read the book to find out.
However, I just can’t resist telling you that Joshua takes his time to refine his magic to the level that he can perform the miracles of his latter years. For example, the first resurrection that he performs is very short-lived (excuse the pun), but the Roman soldier lives long enough to identify his real murderer and free Josh’s step-dad, Joseph.
The are lots quotes from books that you’ve never heard of if you have read the Bible, such as Amphibians, Dalmatians and Excretions.
The description of how Biff and Josh spend a whole week writing the speech that has become known as The Sermon on the Mount, is so very funny. Not for what was eventually included, but for those groups who were left out, such as the wankers and the dumbfucks.
Believe me, that is not the funniest part of the book. The adventures that the two of them have in the years between their childhood and the period described by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are great. Moore is very creative.
The only small criticism that I have of the book is that there were times when I felt that it was too long. However, I have to admit that when I finished the final page, I would have liked more.
#LazyLambs
May 3, 2015
Review: The Legend of the Bloodstone
The Legend of the Bloodstone by E.B. Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a really great, fast-paced story, which keeps you guessing about the final outcome right up until the last page. The only thing that kept me from awarding five stars to this book was the proliferation of elementary errors of both grammar and vocabulary. Perhaps I should mellow!
Maggie McMillan is working on her farm one day in 2012, tidying out the barn, when she accidentally travels back in time to 1622. How does that happen? She simultaneously cuts her hand and touches a bloodstone. Whenever these circumstances occur, the “victim” inevitably finds him or her self transported in time to some distant destination.
Maggie lands in front of a grizzly bear who is intent on taking her life. She is saved by a Powhatan warrior, Winkeohkwet, otherwise known as Winn. The tribes are well aware of time walkers, but Winn’s uncle has declared that all such time travellers should be killed. Maggie is thus in much danger.
It turns out that she is in equal, or even greater, danger from the immigrant English community.
Maggie remembers something of her history lessons from school regarding the early seventeenth century violence and relationships between the native tribes and the immigrants, but not all. She remembers enough to know of an impending massacre, but not enough to be able to “predict” the exact consequences.
She falls in love with Winn.
Where does it all lead? I can’t tell you without spoilers. You’ll just have to read the book for yourself.
I just want to give you a few examples of the errors, which take the shine off the story for me.
– Flung through time by someone unknown force
– chuckling at the site of them washing clothes together
– while pushing a bowel of food into the man’s hands
– also a smaller house to keep their gathered food and supplied.
– and ran her fingers over his taunt nipples to entice him further.
– and certainly not sufficient enough to risk an attempt with her captives. (Should’ve been “captors”)
I am really looking forward to the next installment: Return of the Pale Feather (expected publication June 2013). It looks like Maggie’s life is further complicated by the appearance of more time walkers.
What I would really like to find out, but doubt if I shall, is what happened to Benjamin when he returned to the twenty-first century, and how Marcus reacted when he was either confronted by the returning Benjamin or when he discovered the buried note which Maggie had written four centuries in the past. The story of Benjamin returning to the present day is particularly intriguing, as it would be very traumatic for him. He has lived most of his life in the seventeenth century, so the jump forward could be even more traumatic than the jump backwards in time.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes time travel stories, or native American history, or erotica. If you like all three, then you are already onto a big bonus!
I have always loved time travel stories and the intrigue that they bring. This one is authentic, both in the method of travel and in the natural dilemmas that shifting through time would throw up. Although I am far from being an expert, relying mainly on Hollywood for my sources (!), the native American history appears to have been well researched and seems realistic. I am fairly new to erotica, but the smattering of close encounters, especially between Winn and Maggie, are very sexy indeed.
So, I would urge you to read and enjoy The Legend of the Bloodstone and I hope that I don’t have too long to wait for Return of the Pale Feather.
