Musings of a Witch!

My thoughts to everyone who’s calling for a boycott of BP...

2010-06-29T22:07:00.000+01:00

Obviously, with an engineering process of the scale involved in the BP drilling rig, there are going to be numerous component companies who all have a part and there have been accusations and counteraccusations between some of the companies involved in this, but ignoring that and classing the whole of this action as being BP, is this really just BP’s fault? Is there anything to say concretely that BP did something wrong here or is, as seems more likely, this is the result of several factors which unfortunately happened to combine? Causes I’ve seen listed include:

‘A methane bubble causing the initial explosion; the failure of Transocean's blowout preventer; BP, Halliburton and Transocean allegedly ignoring safety warnings in the hours before the explosion; inadequate cementing of the rig...’

Are these unique to this instance or could they in fact have happened to any of the similar operations in the area but it just happened to be the BP rig that blew? Yes, the inadequate concreting, the failure of the blowout preventer are all potentially attributable but how long had the rig been operating without problem until that pocket of methane caused the explosion? Could that only have happened on this rig or could we have seen a similar explosion on a rig owned by another company had the methane pocket occurred there?

Safety inspections of all 30 deepwater drilling rigs and 47 deepwater production platforms were ordered following the BP explosion, so this isn’t just one rig in isolation but part of a much wider industry, and therefore we have to ask if the science of drilling the seabed in this way totally tested and foolproof, or is there always the potential for something to go wrong (with the catastrophic outcome that we are seeing today)? Can the whole process really be guaranteed to be safe or is there always going to be a margin of potential error especially when the ‘force of nature’ is thrown into the equation? Can every company involved really foresee every eventuality and every defect in the manufactured parts they are using? Is that a reasonable expectation or do we have to accept that sometimes unexpected circumstances will occur that could not be predicted and therefore not prevented? Did BP do enough to prevent this oil leak or did they do the same as every other deep sea oil drilling company and were just ‘unfortunate’?

Such operations always come with potential risks and we are now seeing just how devastating that risk can be, so why was it allowed? The answer to that is obvious; for oil for people to use and preferably oil that was obtained locally with less reliance on imports and oil which could then be sold to raise revenue for the oil companies and their shareholders and, more importantly, governments. While revenue is being generated it’s easy to turn a blind eye to and ignore a potential threat- potential meaning we may get lucky and it never occur. Is that just BPs fault?

“The New York Times reports that "a half-dozen current and former agency scientists" for the Minerals Management Service (MMS) claim they were "regularly pressured by agency officials to change the findings of their internal studies if they predicted that an accident was likely to occur or if wildlife might be harmed." The article states that the MMS has allowed hundreds of drilling projects without obtaining legally required permits...” (source)

BP drilled but they were allowed to, as were other companies. Should one company be the scapegoat for that when it goes wrong or is there more collective blame inherent in the system? Governments were quick to take the revenue raised from the oil (in taxation) but I don’t see them running to the front of the queue to share in the responsibility now and yes, they are definitely responsible to whatever degree in this; at the very least it was government agencies giving out permissions and turning a blind eye to impending disaster.

It’s not like oil production isn’t known to involve the potential for considerable environmental risks so why are people so shocked now? Accidents happen; drilling for oil is potentially dangerous both for the human crews involved and also the environment should something go wrong, yet it is allowed to go ahead and what is the ultimate reason for that? Yes, I’ve mentioned the financial rewards, etc. but there would be no financial reward unless the oil was a valuable commodity that can be traded on world markets; something useless makes no profit and why is oil so valuable? Because we all need it for our cars and not only do we need it, but we also want it as cheaply as possible which means oil production companies might cut corners to save on costs and make just skimp on safety checks, take chances and drilling might be allowed in areas that are not entirely safe in order to satisfy OUR need.

Given that, isn’t it humanity to blame for this oil spill and not just BP? I’m not arguing that BP shouldn’t bear some of the costs for the clear up as there is clearly negligence on their behalf but calls to boycott the company seem to be going too far. Humanity wants the public scapegoat (cynical me wonders if the same calls would be going out if it were a US company involved?) rather than wanting to look at the real factors behind it. We either have to boycott the use of oil or accept that unfortunately, environmental disasters like this will occur again if our insatiable demand for the stuff is to be met.

So please call for the boycott of BP of you do not use oil, if you do not drive, etc. otherwise accept this is the fault of all of us and that we all have a part to play in this disaster. BP can be destroyed but another oil company will step into its place and another disaster is bound to occur at some date in the future. Boycotting the company will achieve very little in the end; very little except to allow the public to find something to blame and thus assuage their conscience at seeing sea birds coated in oil while letting them get into their cars and drive to work tomorrow without thinking where the true responsibility lies.

Leaden Hearts, Leaden Skies

2010-05-31T16:09:00.002+01:00

How things have changed... I feel like I’m a stranger in a strange land these days and this is my musings on this; I’m trying to work out what is upsetting me about England today, what I can do about it and where I go from here.

I remember the crisp bright spring mornings with their promise of summer to come, the lazy heat of seemingly endless summers and the golden glow of autumn with its hint of decay gradually overcoming the last vestiges of warmth until winter dominated with its snow and frosts; an unending chain of seasons into which fit the festivals and celebrations of our lives; the excitement and fuss of Christmas, the fun of Easter and all of that chocolate, patronal saints' days celebrated on the local village green, May Day morris dancing, summer fetes and carnivals.... And now we seem to have nothing; Christian festivals are outlawed as offensive, forget the local saint’s day, we can’t even have the national saint of Saint George any more as we might upset someone with its past histories, and anyway being English is now something that’s wrong, to be frowned upon....Calls for the English Cross to be replaced with an oak tree... Even the seasons have gone; never ending shades of grey and overcast clouds dominate the skies reflecting the greyness in the hearts and minds of the people sheltering underneath them... Leaden hearts, leaden skies:

It’s Saturday morning and I go to cook our traditional English brunch. I realise I’ve run out of cooking oil, so I pop to the new supermarket where I buy something I assume is veg oil based on the shape of the bottle and the colour of the liquid as I can’t understand the label. There’s no one to ask as the staff can read the labels that I can’t and even if we could communicate, their draped scarves make them unapproachable at the tills; dress that screams don’t talk to me because I’m different to you, keep your distance and I’ll keep mine.

Later, I need petrol. Polish signs now greet me at the garage doors but at least the women on the till is the women from next door so we can speak to each other and pass a few minutes ,while she says it’s nice to actually talk to someone in English. Apparently I’m the first customer to do so that shift and she can’t even talk to the rest of the staff because they are the ones who put up the new signs; thankfully the new boss is bi-lingual so she can sort out any concerns and at least it’s a job and money after the old one went.

I sigh and leave; that’s just about all of the local shops ‘gone.’ I gave up with the local community shopping area a while ago. We used to have a library, butchers, bakery, off-licence, etc. Everything covered on a small scale but now they’ve either been replaced or there’s the language divide. Ring things up on the till, turn round the display and hold out a hand for the amount and grunt in expectation of financial reward. Our money is good enough but not our language; would a please or a thank you really be too much to expect? The butcher is still there but now of the dreadful halal variety which kind of puts me off the bakery next door (what if they buy the meat from next door for their pies and sausage rolls?). Still there’s the Polish shop, the Afro-Caribbean drop in centre and food shop along with a hair dressers, an Indian supermarket, sari shop and one day I will pop into the old library and find out what a ‘Multi-Cultural Drop-in Info Centre’ actually is instead of just guessing from the racks of leaflets you can see from the window with their spidery scripts and unknown words... All good for somebody I guess, but no place for me as I don’t wear saris and have English flyaway hair. Sigh! And anyway, that’s without running the gauntlet of the marauding youths. I don’t know which is worse, the chav youngsters rocking their bikes to and fro towards you, feeling the stare from their faces hidden in hooded depths as you clutch your purse and move closer to the shop walls or the gangs of Asian youths, either patrolling the entrance or sat in the car park with stereos pulsating, whose stares you can see as they look at you in disgust for being an unaccompanied women with legs on show. Why do people bemoan the death of local shop and act surprised when Tesco takes so much? I’m thankful for the supermarkets with their bright lights, security guards and staff who speak English because at least I can shop there with understanding and no hassle even if they are faceless, profiteering and not part of the community.

I weed the front garden; when we moved here it was a nice way of spending an afternoon. A ‘hello’ here, an ‘I haven’t seen you for a while’ there, etc. Meet and greet the neighbours and those on a Sunday, let’s be nosey, stroll.... now I listen as chatter floats around, wondering what they are saying while guessing the language used by the passersby. No more hellos, a nod at the most as they walk down our street and into the council flats down the road; built as sheltered accommodation for the elderly they now house the foreigners clamouring for care. I retreat into the house to hear English spoken by someone and wonder if they do the same to hear their mother tongue? I can reach for the TV, they can do so too with their PolSat dishes lining their outside walls. Still, if they get homesick they can return home but if I get homesick for my England, where do I run?

Each school morning I’m there with the two other English mums in the street as we bundle our kids into our cars to do the school run. There’s a primary school a couple of minutes walk away but it got over run with Muslims so we have to drive past the train of sari clad mums who can walk to school while we have to pay for fuel. It would be so nice to walk with our kids but unfortunately the local school is now in the bottom three for SATs results in the area and we don’t want them going to a school where some lessons were actually conducted in Urdu with translators for the English kids so driving out of area it is.

Even so, there’s no Christmas assembly at my children’s school. We grudgingly accept it; it’s multi-culturalism and you can’t offend especially as the burka clad mother (we hope it is the mother and not some knife wielding lunatic under that shroud who’s seizing the chance to sneak unquestioned into our midst and harm our children in his manic stabbing spree) now stands on the playground as the closing bell rings. Yet, the following year, colourful invites are sent out inviting us to join our children in the diwali celebration! Apparently the five Hindu pupils deserve their celebration while the 95%+ English families don’t deserve the chance to see their darling cherubs masquerade as sheep and shepherds and angels with very slipping halos and torn wings.... Question it and complain and the racist card is levelled and your child sent home for the day! My son now thinks celebrating diwali is the norm while I’ve lived here all my life and never have celebrated it once; mother v. son as he asks what we’re doing to mark the day of lights; although he gets his lights as I explode in a fit of rage and anger. Why is my culture being destroyed in my own family, my own home, my own town, my own country... Christmas is now winterfest while eid and diwali are the norm; Carolling and nativity scenes out, clay candle pots and ramadan in? Why can’t I celebrate my festivals, my beliefs, my culture yet I’m constantly told I have to respect those of every culture but ours? When can we have the same respect and be able to gladly proclaim ‘Merry Christmas’ instead of muttering the dire ‘seasonings greetings’ or even blander ‘happy holidays’.

I listened to the endless row of the sikh wedding party that went on in the neighbours’ garden without cease for days. Internal organs thumping to the never ending beat of the drums, migraine throbbing to the same rhythm while the screams of my over-tired children added to the pain; children who were exhausted, like their mother, from five days of no sleep because the dance went on all day and all night... No chance to rest, to eat or even be able to live our daily life and listen to our music or watch our TVs as their music drowned it all out... Having to leave home and seek shelter with my parents for blessed sleep.... All because the police could do nothing as to complain would have led to charges of racism and possible social unrest; plus, didn’t I know it wasn’t safe for them to go into the garden as they’d been and had a look, following the raft of complaints, and most of the male guests were carrying knives? One family holding a party yet the whole neighbourhood had to endure it in the name of political correctness? What about our political rights? The minority becomes the majority through threat of potential violence. Maybe we should be violent and threaten to get what we want, but no, that’s not English is it?

I drive through England and remember when spires once rose heavenward to proclaim the glory of God whereas now they compete with the minarets and towers on the mega-Mosques, the lurid day-glo orange of the sikh flag poles and I feel alienated. I don’t even recognise the skyline anymore. Look down at the streets and it’s worse; shop signs and even roads signs in Arabic script, shops full of clothes I wouldn’t be seen dead in, food stuffs I don’t recognise, madrasahs with their barricades on the street corners ... no white faces... whole areas changed into a foreign landscape that I recognise from news footage but which bears no resemblance of the landscape of my youth.

I look out of the window and see a ‘woman’ walking past wearing a burka. It scares my kids (baddies in children’s TV programs wear black and have their faces covered; plus we tell our kids to be wary of people hiding their faces as it’s a sign of being up to ‘no good’) and it’s insulting to me as a women. I’m proud of the heritage of women in this country that have gone before me; all of those nameless mothers through the centuries that have cared, toiled, been pregnant & given birth to produce the society that we have today; the women who carried the violet, white and green and suffered for the Suffragette movement; those women who saw their beloved men folk killed and maimed in the World Wars while toiling in the munitions factories, etc. themselves who gave so selflessly and who therefore lead to women gaining the vote and the equal rights of which I am so proud today. How did it become acceptable to spit in the face of that with people donning an item of clothing which screams, I am inferior as a woman, I am a mere belonging who is not free enough to feel the sun on my face or the wind in my hair... What happened to equal rights and equality in Britain? Women equal to men? Isn’t it something we cherished so why it now being eroded?

I go to the doctors and chose from the 8 languages on the automatic touch screen to confirm my arrival. I sit and watch as the Chinese family with their interpreter fill in new patient forms; a Polish mother barks at her kids while speaking on a mobile, clearly asking the person on the other end how to fill in the same form. The family next to me is Asian and the five children stop and smile at my two. I smile at the mother and that’s where contact ends for everyone; the yawning chasm of language divide isolating everyone in the room. Sitting and thinking and watching in silence resentment starts to build. How can they afford big families and I had to stop at two as that’s what we felt we could afford; my much longed for third child consigned to the realm of dreams? Bet they’re claiming benefits, bet they don’t pay taxes...My tax to pay for their kids? Less tax would have funded another child. Is that how it is? Really? Resentment seethes and can’t be clarified; they live in their microcosm while I live in mine and all of it supposed to be England but we can’t reconcile anything as there is no common ground.

Thoughts continue to race, looking around...Two English families in there, three foreign with their hoards of kids; is this why the Health Service is so over-stretched? I think about my Grandmother’s appalling treatment in hospital the year before... if these people would fuck off back to where they came from, maybe there would have been the money to treat her properly? My mind backtracks; I remember going to see Gran that clear Sunday afternoon to find pools of liquid under her bed. My bemusement at what could have caused it turning to anger as I realised it was urine dripping off her sodden, and upon looking under the covers, faeces lined bed. A twenty minute search to find someone to wash her and change her... Remembering the dignified old lady in the bed opposite ringing the bell to be taken to the toilet and 1.5 hours later suffering the indignity of wetting herself as nobody came; all in front of a room of visiting strangers who were there to suffer her anguish and feel helpless in this faceless ‘super-hospital’ that seemed so proud of its boast of being a mile long, yet had no staff especially at weekends-corridors more important than care and concern... Mind racing to the other old souls who would great your arrival with delight and hold out their water beakers for you to fill as they had been parched since their breakfast drink hours before. The fact my Gran, immobile and out of it, only had one meal a day as she was incapable of feeding herself while so ill and there was nobody there to help her, so she only had the meal we served her as that was the one that coincided with visiting times; the cooked meal that she refused once better, preferring a ham sandwich as she recognised that whereas she could not identify the politically correct, multi-cultural halal friendly slop that was dished up since she had spent her 86 years eating traditional English meat and two veg. Yeah, foreign food, for foreign people, never mind the English. It all fits! Totally fits.

And instantly I’m angry and resentful even if these people aren’t to blame; somebody’s responsible for the current mess and it was so different before they came so it’s natural to assume it’s because of them. We can’t trust the politicians with their expense fiddling and spin for the truth and try to raise the issue anyway, and the race card appears. Is it any wonder that people are disaffected and veering to the far right; why the outcry when the BNP get elected in, can’t people see without proper discourse that’s the way we’re going as when ordinary people are pushed out and ignored, they will turn to the people who hear their pleas no matter the cost? But more importantly where do I go? And my kids... where do they go? I’m scared for them in the England of today, especially my daughter. Islam is on the rise, sharia law already legal for muslims living here so what happens if that spreads and is applied to non-muslims, will laws be passed making the burka obligatory for all, my poor daughter a second class citizen in her own country?... Leaden skies, leaden hearts; I feel there is no hope.

Edit: I've just posted some photos to go with this; I took a few while I was out today and added them to FB Accompanying photos

I wish....

2010-02-14T12:39:00.002Z

For more hours in the day or two of me and then I might get everything I need to/want to do actually done! lol

I wish people would stop taking me forgranted/treating me like an idiot!!! (The guilty on this know who they are :P)

I wish I could turn the clock back by a year and go through everything that happened last year again but with the benefit of hindsight!!! Then maybe I wouldn't be where I am right now.

It's so white as SNOW

2010-01-13T11:10:00.002Z

Anyone else fed up of the white stuff? Wish we could have a massive snowfall, be trapped in for a couple of days and get it over and done with rather than this silly inch falling every few days, which then lands on the ice sheet beneath and causes total havoc, but which isn't enough to shut things like schools, so we have to struggle in it. Am fed up of skidding around in the car on ungritted roads and sliding down the hill to my kids' school (flat bit of school path by car park gritted; slopes up & down the path as it drops to form the underpass under the road, not gritted of course and every day I walk down there in fear of falling and making a TOTAL ass of myself- as opposed to the general ass of chaos and rush that I usually generate!!!). Oh, and I'm having to wear sensible boots and I NEED to wear my beloved stilettos again as ugly shoes aren't good for my soul! lol

Sigh

2010-01-03T19:10:00.002Z

I'm drinking alcohol free wine! Guess that kinda says it all and sums up the last couple of days! Not that I drank too much at anytime.... lol

What a difference a day makes!

2010-01-01T20:19:00.002Z

Things suddenly seem a lot better than they did yesterday! Why does a New Year have that effect- after all it's just another day, the next day and little more than a new date? Or am I still hungover from the champagne I consumed last night and therefore am seeing things differently to how they really are?! lol

OK back to Twitter to do something about my drunken posts of last night! BTW I have more champagne in the fridge for tonight- well you still celebrate on the first day of the year as well, don't you?- so be warned about drunken tweeting and www.thechilisource.com/forum postings although since last night I seem to have an extra New Year's resolution... thou shalt not post while drunk! Good one, huh? lol

This last year....

2009-12-30T23:41:00.002Z

Where has it gone? I know I don't sleep much but did I manage to snooze and miss it? Did I blink for an extra long nanosecond and not notice it zoom by or did I sneeze as it disappeared into the slipstream of time gone past?!

Whatever! Am glad it's gone tbh! Not been a good year for me in so many ways with so much going wrong, deaths of close ones affecting me and several of my friends, ill health creeping in for a load of us in varying forms and just the general garbage of the world as a whole. Only really good thing I'll hopefully keep as a memory of this year is my RHCP forum - thanks to everyone who has joined, supported me, etc! Friends are the one thing that make life bearable throughout everything! And although it looks like I'm sadly leaving this year with one important friendship ended, hopefully the rest of you will be there and 2010 will be a great year for all of us!

Warning...lol

2009-12-29T19:53:00.002Z

I had a new keyboard for Christmas (how rock n' roll is that?! :D Kids wrecked my last one through dripping strawberry jam-off freshly buttered toast-onto the keys...) and there's this huge red tag attached to the cable: 'HEALTH WARNING! DO NOT REMOVE! See base of keyboard for details.
Being bored, I just turned over said keyboard and nothing about the inherent dangers of the internet, about serpents lurking in cyber space, fungus previously unknown to mankind fermenting under the keys (although the crisp I just retrieved tastes yummy!) or monsters under mouse mats but there's this massive spiel of the dangers to my wrist! Like typing is the most strenuous activity poor wrists can endure * rolls eyes* and the worst thing any one can expect from hours online? I think I should write an alternate list! lol OK, people do suffer due of my appalling typing skills but puhlease!!! Think the only danger from my keyboard is when I smack it over the head of the next cyber fool who comes my way! And I thought the elves returned to the North Pole once Santa had finished his present delivery but it seems elfn'safety is here to stay!

PS To anyone reading, it's the last few hours of the calendar competition on www.thechilisource.com/forum and to remind people that the comp. to win the 'Me and My Friends' book will be starting shortly!

2009-12-26T22:17:00.002Z

An earthquake sigh.....

So John Frusciante has left the RHCP

2009-12-17T10:38:00.002Z

John has made an entry on his blog saying he has left the band...

Sigh! It's finally official after all of these weeks of speculation. I don't think anyone is that shocked but it's still sad. Hopefully all of the rumours will now stop and both John and the band can concentrate fully on their music which we all look forward to hearing in the NEAR (hint! lol) future! Love to everyone in the band and a big cuddle to all of their fans today!

If you want to talk about this or find some sympathy pop over to The Chili Source...

www.thechilisource.com/forum

Deadly chocolate...

2009-12-17T00:42:00.002Z

I've just eaten two whole cherry liquor chocolates (and very yummy they were too!) and then I looked at the box.. nearly 200 calories each? FFS! Why is everything that is nice to eat or drink so fattening? Why can't I have a taste addiction to celery or fresh air? Things would be so much easier (and I don't just mean easy to get into my jeans!) then.... :D

Where does time go...

2009-12-02T20:44:00.002Z

I can't believe that so much time has gone! I've been so busy with setting up my new Red Hot Chili Pepper forum that I don't seem to have had much time for anything else! And I'm only here now to post the exciting news that Flea will be in London really soon and to ask for a babysitter so I can go and meet him! lol

More details on the forum:
http://thechilisource.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=309

2009-11-14T12:29:00.000Z

Skwither.... love the new spelling of my name!!!

My Inner Princess...

2009-10-21T14:26:00.000+01:00

wants to be pampered! lol!!!

The Wonders of the Internet

2009-10-19T14:31:00.001+01:00

I'm addicted to my Internet connection (no surprise to anyone who knows me I'm sure! lol) and there is no doubt that it has revolutionised modern life but since being freed of one online addiction lol I can't believe how much I have actually accomplished today- although at some point that did involved signed up for a new forum.... here we go again?!!!

Feet....

2009-10-11T11:36:00.002+01:00

Bad design flaw or what? I mean they ache and blister when you stand on them all day and after all standing on them is what they were intended for... *shakes head* lol!

Oh, and why is everything nice in life bad for you?!! Chocolate and cakes should have no calorie content, cabbage should have 100 calories per leaf, wine should be minus calories... I'm really beginning to think I should rule the world! *grins*

So...

2009-10-04T10:37:00.003+01:00

So last night I had a wild night * rolls eyes* and drank a whole bottle of red wine in the process..

a, why does red wine give you such awful hangovers
b, I thought sex was supposed to cure hangovers...

2009-10-03T18:35:00.002+01:00

Something sad has happened over the last couple of days and I'm really upset by that but at the same time, I'm also feeling really happy as I can move on - being so happy and upset at the same time is such a weird feeling!

I can see clearly now...

2009-10-03T11:20:00.002+01:00

... that this is not a place for playing solitaire or is it a case of an unhappy girl playing it lost in a prison of her own device (The Doors or those of you not familiar with their songs but who know Tear by the RHCP)? But either way, I use it to make decisions e.g. "Should I do this? Yes if the game works out, no if it doesn't," sort of thing and I've started thinking that that might not be the best way of making decisions! I suppose, I have back up as I usually check (repeatedly) about 20 horoscopes a day and do an online oracle and tarot reading too....

PS My life is pretty messed up at times; does anyone have any ideas as to why? lol

Forget Coffee & TV

2009-10-03T11:03:00.002+01:00

It's computers and cereals all the way! Nothing like checking the over-night (to me) Twitter additions, Facebook updates and forum posts over a bowl of oat crunchies- although forget the forgetting coffee comment, I need a bucket of that too to enable me to read said posts! One day I will get a full night's sleep! lol

People looking like...

2009-10-03T10:43:00.003+01:00

You know there's that saying about people marrying someone that looks like them or their father/mother (again I think that's just a continuation of the looking like them thing) but I think it goes beyond that. I've noticed on the forum (most of you know where that is lol) that I post on that people often have avatars that look like themselves e.g. the Dutch dude with his shades looking so much like Beck that I double checked with him that it wasn't his own photo before I made a lookalike thread!

BTW if anyone says I look like an evil eyed vampire with talon fingers and wild hair.... they would be entirely right!

(I know I've let this slip, but I really need to write again and I'm going to use this as my vehicle to do so- so beware mon amigos!!! haha)

??!?!?!?!!?

2009-09-06T10:56:00.001+01:00

safaejklgfuipwetr7936r73gfczdbkr64893ybvgd,bvn,xdghfui4y68tydjkbvnzcb ncnelur8234yr5yvcnhkl

That about says it all....

I am amazing!

2009-08-20T13:05:00.002+01:00

Sorry about the gap- totally mad time with window refits and plaster falling off walls as a result, child in hospital, dolphin watching in Scotland & currently a total kitchen re-fit... And I didn't know what to write but I've just had a phone call...

Mother: Hi, I'm in trouble. I've broken the TV and your Dad will be angry when he can't watch his favourite program tonight.
Me: You rent the TV so phone them up and they'll come and sort it.
Mother: That's the issue; I can't find their phone number.
Me: I can't really come down because of the kitchen re-fit- units are being delivered sometime this afternoon and I can't really drive 80 miles to see if I can sort it out (I know she's probably forgotten to plug it in or something!).
Mother: I know but I'm still really worried.
Me: Umm... and I can see our spare TV from the kitchen but I don't know where I packed the lead; I can pick you a cheap TV up and bring it down on Sunday when I come down.
Mother: No, it's OK and it's really tonight that's going to be the issue.
Me: OK, I'll try to find the company's details online. Do you have a name, etc.
Mother: Yes the man who comes for the money is called Trevor.
Me: Any more details like surname?
Mother: No he's called Trevor. I need to go and I'm so worried...

So I decided to search online; a search for Trevor + TV rental + their town unsurprisingly came up with nothing! lol So I searched for just TV rental companies; was scanning the list and noticed one a couple of streets away from my parents' house so I phoned them first; asked if there was someone there called Trevor and there was ... and it was the right company!!! I'm so impressed with myself that I could locate a TV rental man called Trevor in just one phone call....! *grins*

Ark's Needed?!!

2009-07-29T19:10:00.001+01:00

Rain, rain go away... come again another century please because I've had enough of the wet stuff falling from grey leaden skies in the last few days to last me a lifetime! Are we ever going to have summer?

Early Morning Shower!

2009-07-18T10:04:00.003+01:00

My shower was a little earlier than planned this morning; at about 3.20a.m. to be precise and all courtesy of a small daughter who crept unnoticed into my bed this morning clutching a bottle of water. At some point she let go of said water bottle and it rolled across to me and started dripping on me.... I was annoyed at the time but then I realised that not only would it save me showering time this morning but it had effectively washed the bedsheets too and I'm all for time saving things (more spam time for me!).

Knickers!

2009-07-16T14:50:00.003+01:00

I have a problem with my underwear today because the elastic has gone in my knickers!!! Everytime I move, they fall down- thank goodness I was wearing jeans or walking around today might have been embarassing! Just had to share- am off to change to a pair that will hopefully stay put!

End of an Era....

2009-07-16T14:04:00.005+01:00

I've just eaten a picnic (as supplied by Greggs the bakers- all the English people will know them! ) in the churchyard in Wellington in the pouring rain and I didn't have a coat with me although I was sat with a ladybird (a very large child sized one- kids' raincoats are so cute!) under a drooping tree whose branches kept getting tangled in my hair & cheese sandwich! I was sort of dry but my feet were sticking out under the tree and they got wet! Oh, and with doggie (toy one before you have me up for cruelty!) poked in my handbag to keep it dry!

Rhiannon and I often pop into Wellington once a week to grab lunch and since the weather's been better we go and sit in the large churchyard to eat it, but today is the last time it's ever going to be just the two of us .... normally wouldn't be that mad but it was the last chance so we thought we'd do it anyway and I guess the rain will actually make it stand out as a memory! The kids finish school tomorrow and as Rhi starts school in September, they'll be no more lunchtimes with just the two of us hence the end of an era!

Happy Families!

2009-07-15T10:22:00.003+01:00

I just had to share.... this is me and my two kids as drawn by my 4 year old daughter! * Grins*

Squitherworld

2009-07-14T18:51:00.003+01:00

I'm interested in trying to create an online fictional story world when people can contribute to the story, add poems, pictures, etc. and I now have the chance on my forum. Here's part of the opening post:

A new day dawned and the sun arose in its usual place in the sky; a sense of renewal and hope in a totally changed world. Light spread its fingers across the battered landscape, tentatively touching and revealing all that had lain in darkness; a gentle touch and caress suddenly contrasting with the devastation that it gradually revealed. Shattered buildings, charred stumps of what were once trees, rivers of blood and boiling streams.... for this was a world destroyed the day before by a cruel and unexpected blast....

Purple 214 shuddered and a mechanical groan like noise issued from its body. It shuddered again and tried to move but the robot was only able to open its two optical sensors. In the dimness it could make out random shapes which just confused it; why were there beams of concrete, shards of glass? Where was the building? Slowly memory returned as its circuits fired into action. Yesterday, yesterday...

To read the rest and contribute please visit my forum!
http://www.squitherwitch.net/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=14

Maybe One Day?

2009-07-13T13:23:00.003+01:00

Is it good to keep hoping or do you think you should give up and accept that something is never going to happen? Umm.....

Men- Part 3

2009-07-10T14:51:00.003+01:00

These men posts are in slightly the wrong order but who cares...?!?! lol

Umm...The whole test tube sperm thing; apparently we still need men even though they could soon be biologically obsolete because we need them to go to Mars. Space travel is the best justification for the gender?! LMAO! (And female logic is screwed? lol! Men are so funny!).

Anyway, back to the male argument, we need men to go to Mars as women are incapable of doing on their own (Sure! You've obviously never seen a mother whip up a rocket using a washing up liquid bottle and some sellotape!). Well, here's the female response:

a, Why do we need to go to Mars anyway? Yes, it would be interesting and we have nothing against space travel but let's sort out this world (all that money for space exploration could provide clean water for everyone in the world, etc.) first and get humankind sorted before we zoom off and mess up another planet!
b, We can already experience Mars- just unwrap that chocolate bar baby! Lol
c, Aren't men from Mars? So why the hell would we want to go there? Venus sounds like a far more civilised place! *Grin*

Men- Part 2

2009-07-10T14:15:00.002+01:00

My daughter helped build a robot at pre-school and upon completion she asked if it was a boy or a girl robot and decided to add the missing piece when she was told it was a boy... I don't know whether to be proud of her knowledge or worried that she did that! But I think we do need a chat about sizes.... *rolls eyes*

Men- Part 1

2009-07-10T14:03:00.002+01:00

Apparently men are the superior sex (or so they've been telling us for years * rolls eyes*) and it turns out that they are! Superior at scoring home goals (no wonder they like football so much!) who invents something that has the potential to make themselves obsolete? Idiots?!! Yeah, much more appropriate term for the average man!!! lol Test tube sperm.... brilliant invention!!! Haha!

Serious Question...

2009-07-08T15:59:00.002+01:00

I'm currently defrosting the freezer- yes, my life IS that rock n' roll!- and I've just tipped a load of ice from it into the sink and then I turned on the cold tap to rinse something off.... why does cold water defrost ice? Warm water I can understand but you'd think cold would add to the temperature of the ice and help it remain frozen... ummm! (Science was never my strong point! lol)

Silly Snakes!

2009-07-07T14:16:00.001+01:00

Just had to say that I've spent the morning making snakes using balloons, newspaper and glue! Oh, to be a child again! lol

Plastic Unfantastic!

2009-07-06T12:51:00.002+01:00

I've had problems all weekend with a tooth; I haven't been able to drink anything hot because of the pain.... have been to the dentist just and it turns out that I had a piece of plastic lodged between two teeth and that's what has caused all of the problems! Great result because I thought I'd need a filling or something but how did I get a piece of plastic in between my teeth?!! I eat tin cans all of the time but I never eat plastic knowingly... lol

Maggots!

2009-07-03T16:05:00.004+01:00

I'm not sure whether I'm referring to the disgusting things I've just had to clean out of my wheelie bin or I'm being polite about the members of the local council who thought it was a great idea to get rid of weekly rubbish collections and hence the appearance of foul smells, swarms of flies and the aforementioned maggots due to two week old rubbish festering in this heat in my wheelie bin....

The Perils of Sunshine

2009-07-02T14:00:00.002+01:00

Is being lobster red an attractive colour to be? Add in splodges of pink (various shades) and a load of freckles and it sounds pretty awful doesn't it? As I don't tan and only ever end up with variations of shade in the aforementioned lobster hue, I'd rather remain pure white.... much more suited to a creature of the night like me anyway- so ideas how I can manage this on a postcard please! Just remember I do have to leave the house from time to time so staying indoors is a bit impractical.

Forget spells.....

2009-07-01T21:05:00.003+01:00

This heat is more deadly right now than any spell that could be conjured up! I'm melting...literally! Any tips on keeping cool in this dreadful English humidity before I dissolve like a jelly (jello) in a jug of hot water?!

MJ/O2 Arena, London

2009-07-01T19:03:00.002+01:00

So the gigs are obviously cancelled but a lot of money has already been spent on advertising, etc. so a major problem! Solution: Offer people with tickets a special commemorative ticket instead of a full refund! Genius! Concert promoters, etc. get to keep a load of money to cover debts in exchange for something that costs a couple of quid and stupid Jacko fans get duped into having a worthless piece of crap instead of their money back. Inspired.... yawn.! Toe nail clippings anyone?*

I went shopping today and I saw the first of the 'let's cash in' on MJ's death publications in the newsagents*rolls eyes* The guy isn't in his grave yet and people are trying to make a quick buck out of his death- forget telling jokes, now that is tasteless! Shout for those nail clippings....!

Oh and Jacko's number one in the charts! Woot- more money for the record companies and his debt collectors! 'Obtain' the songs and make a donation to charity in his memory instead- a far better memorial don't you think than further millions feeding fat cat executives? Limited number of clippings now left btw.

* In case you missed my ads on MSN and Twitter, I was actually MJ's toe nail cutter and I have a limited supply of toe nail clippers available for $50 each (sorry price had to increase from the original $15... no reason really except I could make loads more money this way! :) )

The (Wo)Man in the Mirror.....

2009-06-29T11:22:00.004+01:00

The local radio station featured a sound-bite by Jamie Foxx this morning; he presented some American music awards yesterday and made a tribute to Michael Jackson which included a couple of, 'He's blaaackkkk..' comments. Umm... Mr. Foxx... MJ might have started off black but he he didn't end up that way. In fact, he became more white, Snow White perhaps?, than black.....

Wine

2009-06-28T18:22:00.001+01:00

Wine is such a wondeful substance! (Need I really say more?)

My Forum is Up & Running!

2009-06-28T11:44:00.003+01:00

I can't believe I haven't added this here yet! I've stuck links just about everywhere else imaginable! lol

My forum is a general discussion one with writing and paranormal sections plus a place to spam lol :D So please join us!

http://www.squitherwitch.net/index.php

Michael Jackson's death

2009-06-28T11:32:00.002+01:00

It’s been ages since I updated this- families, argh! Lol

Ok I’m going to rant now! Why is it that the moment somebody famous dies, the press goes into frenzy and the more famous the person is, the closer to saint hood that person automatically becomes? Take Mr. Michael Jackson... for years the press has vilified him for his looks, his alleged paedophile activities at Neverland and the fact that he was just generally weird but now newsprint and web column spaces worldwide are full of those same press agencies glorifying him for being the saviour of mankind (OK, I’m exaggerating he was the shining light of the music industry * rolls eyes*).... hypocritical or what?

Actually, maybe the saviour of mankind thing isn’t that farfetched (my eyes are rolling a lot today!). I’ve been told (in response to a similar post to this elsewhere) that the WHOLE world is in mourning because he was such a talented man... my poor mum, bless has no idea! She asked me last night who this person they are making all the fuss about is... seriously, I’m sure she isn’t alone! Yes, Thriller was a massive hit and was one of those definitive albums but how long ago was it? A few hits since then.... try and name some Jacko hits and you probably won’t get to 10. Everything has been blown up out of all proportion; I’ve even read that he was an ambassador to black people and improved their standing world wide- erm... that’s strange considering he was so proud of being black that he died white.... A saint who owed millions and lived a lavish existence beyond even his wildest dreams... strange route to holiness methinks but who am I to guess; maybe having a theme park and owning the odd elephant or two is the way to God?
And if that isn’t Bad (pun intended!) enough, you then get the general public jumping on the grief bandwagon.... people rushing out the scour the shops for sold out albums & then paying inflated prices on Ebay ... why? If you don’t already own his stuff, you obviously don’t like his material so why does the fact he’s dead, suddenly change it? Oh sorry I forget, the climate of heartfelt woe means you have to be a sheep and jump on the sorrow bandwagon and play MJ on iTunes so you can display the fact to your MSN contact world through your suddenly visible play list display.

And the so called fans! Axl Rose of late Guns N Roses fame (:P) used to wear a t-shirt saying ‘Kill your idol’ -somebody’s really missing an opportunity for a re-issue here (sorry, I forgot their too busy re-issuing all of Jacko’s stuff and they need to do that pronto to make the biggest killing)! Jacko’s tragic death; sorry stupid fans who cared more about getting/seeing a piece of him than they did his health since it was plain to see the man (and I used that term loosely in the absence of something more appropriate) wasn’t well enough to do that amount of shows under any circumstances. And if it turns out he did die from the effects of drugs he was taking to be able to practice for those shows..... sweet irony; not! And while I’m on about the fans; why are they buying tasteless crap and leaving it on street corners, etc? Didn’t Jackson sing Earthsong about the destruction of the world and the rape of the world’s resources?!! Glad to see his message got through (another irony that one of the positive things he did do has been totally ignored).

I’ve been told off for telling tasteless Jackson jokes (probably by people who would have laughed at jokes about him a week ago -What’s the difference between Jacko and Mr. Potato Head? Jacko has more noses) by people who are no doubt reading every inch of press on this including the stories by the nanny (I pumped his stomach), the person who made the 911 call (signing autographs and going on a press tour as we speak) and his toe nail clipper (story going to print a.s.a.p. Oh, and nail clippings are available for $150 each- Ok I made that one up but it’s where this thing is heading). So jokes are tasteless but people making a quick buck and grabbing their 15 minutes of shame is totally acceptable?

Yes, it’s really sad that somebody had died and died at a young age but this OTT hypocrisy is so unnecessary. Yes, mark his passing and have tributes but show some respect and stop this circus which will only fuel millions of dollars of revenue for Jackson’s revenue of hangers on and his debt collectors- if you want to do something for his death, go and donate the money to charity where it will have a positive effect.

Spellings....

2009-05-09T21:30:00.004+01:00

Today I inadvertently found the spell for happiness! It's 2.5 hours of sleep, loads of caffeine in the form of lattes, talking the kids to a play barn so they can race around and work off all of their energy and then come back and paint the doors in the house so you can breathe in loads of paint fumes! Bliss.... oh and I did loads of spellings while at the playbarn- finished off some poems and wrote a couple more and then had fun after painting, typing them up and posting them over the 'net. :)

And now...

2009-04-26T15:24:00.002+01:00

The mass killer in me has just re-surfaced! Chopping and slicing things into small bits and disposing of the left overs and then roasting and cooking the good bits only then to start the mashing... Yummm!!! Yeah.. time to cook the Sunday dinner again; joy of joys!

Seriously, who on eath invented the idea that Sunday afternoons should be taken up with chopping, roasting, cooking, mashing.... every type of foodstuff known to mankind just in the name of Sunday dinner? Why didn't someone come up with the idea that ordering a pizza or making sandwiches would be a good traditional lunch?! *rolls eyes*

The journey begins!

2009-04-26T11:49:00.001+01:00

And so I make my fist blog entry! This should be enough excitement for anybody and I'll add more nonsense when I get chance! I just wanted to get this going!