Thursday 31 January 2008

Lo Smee gen. Stares at the photo. Sea the see move. Feels like just dropped a stitch. Aint work right nor unsad. Can’t get to grips at all. Samma said the God Light pop agen this morning in deeps of the Far Off Sway. She would know of it just before any one else felt the warm wave spreading across the Volks Haven, touching the peoples of the Mandrel Reaches. Shes a Boracles communicator wiv gifts and knowing. M says she can’t get a fix on the thing. Shame because R works with out a rest all yezdaze trize ta mek it works best and ready fuh landings. Some would be cure. The virtual thingy un lily pad dream things is all suspend and normal will be restore anydaze now.Little S is lovey. Dressup for go out in it all. Rain or no rain shes be goin. Sad boy come in yesdaze. Shell is boy worker and wonder helps un stuff. Shell be girl worker anall. Helping B who is so sad and loss like bereaves. Has childer time spoil by broken father who abooz her when kid. Hurts her sen and need fixup. Ah! But she is sooooo bootiful like angel when smiles. She bootiful when sad too un rech out fuh love. Is all around her now. We is soooo safe and all is good in the quiet. I tells you how I finds the quiet later. Don’t cry as you reads it cos I is happy now. So much here ta helps her when is workin. Ah! Says M power up. Minds Wide Open room is open for bizinesses and is a start fuh us when first comes. I wuz loss n founded here. When loss wuz in a south place in some other bod dream but loik real un dread. Forgot what sunshoin on me felt loik. Forgot what talking loik. Miss everybody loves and feel bust. Is a terrible tale but cloud un silver lions , or summat, med me gift never knew afore. Gev peace un understand boot folks un true loves in a dread spell
Woz feels abit depressed is lighter now.
I as just return from sea. I loves to looks out cross the waves and mek me happy. Always meks me memory of travel and spectations for us adventures coming.
The fishing is poor. The avarice and lack of forward thinking of the trawler men is emptying the sea. Recently a government minister visited a fishing port and was horrified to find that two thirds of the average catch is lost and dumped. When the last fish is gone we won’t be able to eat money. Yes I am disappointed as a sea angler but that is not the big worry. While I would place the responsibility for this waste with the regulators and the government culture of pandering to big business, I accept that some of the fault lies with us. All too often we don’t look at the big picture in our drive to secure what we want for our selves. We don’t fight for what is decent and ethical as we once did and so the silent majority is increased and our rights and possibilities for a more equitable way of going forward is diminished. The day the over lords see our complete dissatisfaction with the process of electorate participation they will do all they can to exploit it. We might not be so slow to protest then but by then it might be too late.

A couple of days ago I was fishing in the mouth of an estuary that accommodates one of the biggest ports in Europe. Only a few years ago this was a good area for anglers. As the tide ran down from the large town, up river from the harbour, plastic bags were caught up in our lines. Judging by the junk floating by and out to sea, the few plastic bags I caught were just the tip of the refuse iceberg. I use the term because in the strong ebb tide as it first began to turn, the junk was under water and invisible. I guess the people who threw it in the river would take the view that if you can’t see it and it doesn’t take £20 out of your wages on pay day then it’s o.k. I suggest to the culprits that one day it will cost us all a great deal so when ever I see them offend I will continue to tell them so. I guess it is possible for the reader to see me as a nutty old geezer lecturing transgressors for their own wellbeing. When I am even older perhaps that will be part of my mission when I am not touring with the EBB in residential care homes that have been taken over by the residents. Out Demons Out.

In spite of government assurances that they are spending more and more on our health and welfare we all know this is either a blatant lie or the money might as well be burnt to keep a few folks warm for while. The decline in public services is an epidemic which is eating at the very foundations of our culture of care. I know of at least one county in the south east that has removed all specialist social services. If I was living in another nearby county and became deaf I would be eventually referred to a consultant after a long process involving myself or some one prepared to help me, when seven workers would be involved in the decision making. The consultant would facilitate a hearing test and, for the sake of argument, I would be assessed as needing two digital hearing aids. Wow stereo! I am already completely freaked about losing my hearing and I can only just hear my two hundred watt Marshall guitar amplifiers so this seems a positive conclusion. But I then wait two years for the appointment to have my hearing aids and when I am summoned to the hospital I find I will get one hearing aid, worse I will have to wait another two years for the other one. For some a digital hearing aid is very difficult technology to get to grips with so imagine what the mono experience of one unit would be like. Would I be able to choose a left or a right one? There are even worse scenarios. Why are we so silent? Will we wait until we are, our selves, in dire need before we protest about a system that obviously does not care? Basically if some one needs meals on wheel and a few minutes time from a carer each day that is o.k. That fits neatly into what the government will pay for. This is because the government believes people will be happier staying in their own homes than being in a care home. How ever the implementation of policy suggests it is all about cost cutting. There is not much point being in your own home if no one cares. What else is the wealth of a nation good for if it is not used to help the vulnerable and needy. It will become increasingly difficult to get help for your self or a family member, unless that person is a child in which I guess no one of us should object. It might even be worse than we think. I believe that in the event of a major national disaster public services would grind to a halt and crumble.

Some demented educationist was ranting on the radio the other day recommending shooting should be on the curriculum in schools. He suggested that along with boxing this would teach discipline and respect for guns. I know kids who would fill the gun class but bunk off most others. Bring back the old village stocks I say. Then we can chuck rotten stuff at the purveyors of such dangerous nonsense. We should have a few sets of stocks in Parliament square in Westminster, wheel out the sadly lacking from the House and let the people loose with bags of specially selected gunk for a small fee ( all contributions and proceeds to be declared and given to real and worthy causes). Kids would go free. Ah! I feel better already.

Sad to say it seems there is not much enthusiasm for the First Supper -Two Nights on the streets of London event. Perhaps I should have said Spring would be a good time ( snigger! )
I suppose a lot of you feel even older than me. Oh well! I know three or four people who will be there.

Just after writing the last blog which I suppose gave a few people, at least, a little insight as to the current state of my head, ( I like to share my better days as well as the night mares with you all ) the EBB had an offer to play a festival in the far, far north of Norway in August. I don’t usually talk about a gig that isn’t confirmed but this possibility is very exciting. You never know I might catch up with Tindu the Rain Man.

This morning I went to see my doctor. We spent a few minutes chatting about the state of the nation. She seemed to need to tell me about her stress and her dissatisfaction with the way red tape and paper exercises are threatening the real work with patients which is her “reason for being”, as she proudly described it. It didn’t cheer me up much and yet it was good to share common ground and to find a comrade.

So what is the good news? Well – SHAMELESS is back on TV and …

More good news -There is a trend in the London City Business community that is encouraging. Highly educated young people are asking their prospective employers for portfolios detailing the company links to other companies. In some instances successful candidates have turned down jobs with companies who are involved with other companies they deem unethical. Others have taken less money to work with companies they deem ethical. Hope for the future?

Thanks for all of your emails recently. I answer them as and when I can so don’t be disappointed if you don’t hear back straightaway. I will get back to you eventually. Steve and Art have been sorting out Steve’s recording space and setting up equipment in readiness for the pre production and recording of the new album that has the working title Ice on fire. We have got the whole place to ourselves for a week so that will give us the chance to get settled in to a routine. As you probably know by now Dave Cox is not with us any more. I wish him well.

I think that is all for now. Take care of each other. We are all we have and all we need.

Peace.

copyright e d g a r b r o u g h t o n 2008



14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello,litter is a huge problem.It really pisses me off.Travelling about even out here in the rurals there seems to be so much plastic everywhere.Are folks so disconnected that they just don't see it or get what they are doing when they chuck out their junk on this precious earth.Talk about no respect.The oceans are stuffed...and that is all around the world.Massive plastic pollution washing up everywhere ending up in the gullets of birds and mammals.A disgusting and pathetic state of affairs.That and the utter b*****ks of nuclear power just about f's me off more than anything.Actually, there's loads going on that pisses me off in the world!Ok,I admit it,peace lovin' buddist type f'ing hacked off with the world.Of course it's easy to just drop it all and be non attached.But if the world is suffering then so am I.We are part of the world and the world is part of us.There is no seperation.This is what we have forgotten and why we are in such deep shit.
Oh well,at least I can go and pick up some more of that litter...it's a start!
May we all be inspired to make a difference.
Blessings,Ade.

Anonymous said...

Wow what a sad post. You have encapsulated so much of what is wrong with US all at the moment. There has been such a decline in the desire in this country to make a difference to anyone outside our immediate circle, especially if it is at all inconvenient or might cost us some of the monies we are stashing away for our retirement. Even the small act of taking our rubbish home rather than polluting our waterways seems too much for most.

Public services are declining in reality but ticking more and more boxes. Performance Indicators appear to be exclusively based on sorting small issues and leaving those that require a united and real response to future generations. Are we really so selfish and mean that we are not prepared to even ensure that people have a roof, sustenance and some comfort in times of real hardship? Shame on us all.

Anonymous said...

Yeah might be sad what you wrote but its too bloody true. Don't give up on it we need this and more of it til people wake up and bloody do some tning. its not enough to eat organic food and watch ya carbon footprint you need to fight back and don't swallow the propaganda. This government is the colour of us. There aint any one better. We need to force them to listen.
Enough of me. take care Edgar.
Josh

Anonymous said...

I don't think the blog was sad, the problems of which you speak - that's sad, but the blog was uplifting from the point of view that someone is observing these problems and commenting on them. Now we all know we're not alone in our indignation.
Stay angry!

Anonymous said...

The sad thing is that it's all true no matter where you are....
Concert in northern Norway....maybe it is the polar festival in Tromsoe ?
Great news in any case !
Have a safe trip to Bergen and back you all, I'm really looking forward to watch the gig, and will with great pleasure introduce my girlfriend to the band + Torgeir and his friends.


Peace, tolerance and understanding makes it all better, have a glorious weekend all First Supperists !

Anonymous said...

Biblicly, the end of days is predicted - how sad to start a religion expecting to fail. I think this says much about 'we' human race. We are weak, we fail ourselves, as we fear failure.
I can't say I hold out much hope of the human race coming together as one happy family before we seal our own doom, but I do know I can decide play as little part in it as possible, and for the sake of the lttle ones that are here, let alone the future generations, I can make an effort to pass the word that we are indeed on the 'Eve of destruction' (as the song goes)and have to 'get together' or else. How everyone (well most) laughed at those mad old men marching up and down with placards 'The End of The World is Nigh'. I don't see them anymore - I wonder?
One thing's for sure, I aint never needed no religion to tell me how to be (though I've probably spent too much time trying to be something else). I need nothing but good caring people around me to tell me, as I'll tell them - 'Equalites' I shall call them 'And they shall follow everyone and everything, noone and nothing. And they shall get on with their flippin' lives and stop bothering each other with thier 'beliefs', an' anyone whosoever drops any kind of little shall have to eat their own poo - Ahyuk'!
'Come on people now
smile on your brother
everybody get together
and try to love one another right now' (JCY)
Peace and a Ninety Nine with 2 flakes

ramblinmad xx

P.S. Hi Rob

Anonymous said...

Yes, all very true and depressing, the rage engendered becomes more and more frustrating.
I've felt this ever since the massive anti war march in London a few years ago was utterly and cynically ignored, an act of political castration for which the 'labour' establishment should never be forgiven.
But what to do? I know not what and sadly sink at times into the sort of destructive fantasies I normally despise in others.
Still, as you report, there are glimmers of hope and positivism if one looks hard enough and I suppose we just have to hang on to such examples and encourage them whenever possible.
Sad no interest in 'first supper on the streets', I was up for it!
p.s.
friendly critique: using a private quasienglish 'nu-slang' is, in my opinion, an unnecessary gimmick which detracts from your writing and is an obstacle to communication. Will Self spoilt his recent 'Book of Dave' novel by resorting to the same sort of thing (and he's got a brain the size of a planet)
Not that I know owt about nowt mind!
best wishes x.

Anonymous said...

We have to be the change we wish to see....So the emphasis has to be on enlightening ourselves and each other and setting about embodying that change, and so creating a better world in our immediate vicinity.It will ripple out and have an effect....as it touches others.Of corse we all have freewill to go about our busy-ness as indeed we tend to do.But despite the sense of anger and frustration I can feel at the state of things I remain at heart an optimist and attempt to use that energy for good.There are lots of good things going on and we must put our attention there aswell and draw strength to keep on keeping on.With my eyes wide open, I'm still dreaming...!
Blessings to all!
Ade.

edgar broughton said...

Hi Timco
Thanks for the friendly critique. Always useful. I take your point but I make no apology for the occasional writing style you mention. I know people who speak like that and others who to the casual ear are incomprehensible. I write for them also, in the spirit of inclusivity. If some are unusually excluded by the effort to read it then it might be useful for them. I think that some times we take our "walkie talkie" status, as described by the late great Ian Dury , for granted. If the reading is harder work - so be it.
Peace
x

Anonymous said...

Every one is in such a rush and expects things to be always the same. I do but a change is some times usefully challenging.I like Robs "funny language". It reminds me of when I worked with people who had learning disabilities and varying degrees of deafness. The thing is it does make sense and gives the character huge individuality. Any way the English language didn't always sound like it does now.
Best
Angela

Anonymous said...

Besides it being a blog and the blogger can write what the ferg they like (see I avoided the word 'fuck' and have now meaninglessly pointed out that fact), I personally like it ( ok I have to spend a little time deciferring occasionally). It's much like when someone speaks with you in a dream (well, it is in mine). I certainly find it easier than some of James Joyce, and I can't think of another writers style that it mimics - so, right-on, keep it comin' - would hate to lose Smee-Gen!!! (it has become a name to me).
"Tra la la - twiddly dee dee"
"Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa sad song"
"Ob la Di Ob La Da, life goes on Bra" ( I used to think that was Brassiere!)

rumblinmod

Anonymous said...

Yow wunna troy livin in the Black Countray and wehrk aht the doyalikt theer. We'm lucky. We got seven identifiyerd accents, we ay got a problem wi any on 'em an they'm all bostin. Oh ar they am.
Keep aht the oss road.
Storyjohn

Anonymous said...

Today it's Super (Shrove) Tuesday where the American Presidential candidates continue their battle to batter their political rivals and hope to come out not looking like lemons as they hand out empty promises of a future of milk and honey.
How appropriate this process should be taking place on Shrove Tuesday, the traditional day for clearing out the cupboards of all that will go rotten in the next few weeks !
Don't get fooled again !

Anonymous said...

As Steve has mentioned our 'friends' across the pond I add that I find that all their political promises to save the good old US of A and the world against all real and perceived threats almost funny.... if the real outcome was not so dangerous for us all. Let us all look to our God or mentor and hope and pray that the next incumbent of the worlds most powerful position has integrity, brains and an understanding of others. I expect that this wish is wasting my and your time but you never know......
keith