Certainly, the bankers' fiasco hasn't helped
but they were busy under the long Labour term in
office too! And MPs' self-serving activities
are a recent revelation that coincided with the
other financial problems that have beset us,
providing more fuel for complaint and calumny
against those perceived to have power and
privilege over the rest of us.
True democracy is probably not possible in reality when human nature gets busy in "self-
interest" mode. It wasn't there when the
country was deceived about the real aims of
the political entity in Brussels and witnessed
its mandate to rule handed over to foreign
influence via a succession of "treaties" that
have directly affected our own workforce.
Edmund Burke: "The people never give up their
liberties but under some delusion."

Comment is about Tory Attitudes (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

thanks for commenting on 'grievous angel' Gray - yes, a sad loss to the music world and greatly undervalued in his influence on modern country and Americana - a true legend who was taken from us too soon :-(
Ian

Comment is about Gray Nicholls (poet profile)

Original item by Gray Nicholls

big fan of gram parsons. truely a grevious angel.

should have become more of a bigger star than he was, but some people are like that sadly. destined to become influencial cult figures.

excellent.

Comment is about Grievous Angel (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

i agree with you here, dave. my wife encounters this problem regularly with tory based people she encounters. it's part of their breeding she tells me.

not sure if i agree with her but the anger in your piece is spot on. excelent.

Comment is about Tory Attitudes (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

last line made me smile here. love a good twist in a poem

Comment is about I Compare Thee To A Roast Dinner (blog)

Original item by George Stanworth

been ill for a bit, so not had the energy to write anything political, lynne but this is top notch.

totally agree with you here.

excellent.

Comment is about Democracy is dead (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Thank you, Starfish. I'm not sure that benefit tourism is as big a problem as it is made out, to be honest. I think most immigrants want to work, although it could be argued that this makes less jobs for Brits. Thanks for comment :-)

Comment is about Democracy is dead (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

A badger chasing a cat - lucky you! The only ones I have seen have alas been at the side of the road.

Comment is about cbyrne (poet profile)

Original item by cbyrne

Very well said Lynn - the figures speak for themselves. It seems to me that maybe another reason for benefit cuts is to deter benefit tourism from the EU.

Comment is about Democracy is dead (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Hello MC,
Thanks for your thoughts.
There is a classic YouTube clip of someone pretending to be a police officer at the scene of the murder of a householder. The Telemarketer Poops himself while the "police officer" questions the Telemarketer about his relationship with the deceased.
(I really do tell them I don't want any more money).

Comment is about The Telemarketer (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

With over 2.5 million unemployed, and only around 400,000 jobs available at any one time, it is obviously not possible for everyone to find work whatever they do. Therefore to demonise all the unemployed is scandalous, in my book.
My idea of the end of democracy is a government that thinks it is above the law, and doesn't have to answer to the people, nor Parliament neither.

Comment is about Democracy is dead (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Bankers are the real culprits, rather than living beyond our means. They caused the crash, and continue to create money out of thin air as debt and charge interest on it. The problem with the Tories is that they have hardly got the deficit down, and have borrowed more in 3 and a half years than Labour did in 13. It's just that they are not telling us the truth, and the media is not telling us either.
If Labour want people to rely on them, why is unemployment lower under Labour, and higher under the Tories?
I would rather pay taxes to help those less fortunate than myself, rather than pay for MP's second homes, their power bills, free meals and bar costs.

Comment is about Tory Attitudes (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Another check on reality from the imagination of
a valued contributor!
My own delight is to occasionally pick up the
'phone (when I don't leave the machine to answer) -
and instantly go on the offensive in "Outraged of Tunbridge Wells" mode with this response:
"This is an ex-directory number! How did you
get this number? Who authorised your use of it..?"
By this time, the voice at the other end is
usually flustered and seeking a quick mental
exit. Too late - I slam down my phone!
Moral: Don't get mad (pretend mad is OK) - get even.

Comment is about The Telemarketer (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

My comments on things you have posted deserve
some "background".
My mother was widowed in 1949, leaving her with a
small army pension and a handful of children.
She somehow got by doing various jobs including
a school matron and working in a dress shop.
I left school aged barely 16 to travel 100 miles
to start apprentice work in the nation's capital
when the average weekly wage was a tenner and the
idea of "a thousand a year" was almost beyond
dreams. I worked until my retirement in a
risky shift-work environment - and now, in
retirement, I still pay tax...enough per month to
keep a person in food for a similar period by my reckoning! I am in favour of temporary help
via "benefits" for emergencies, the deserving old
& disabled but I have reservations about a system
that has allowed a culture of "entitlement" to
other folk's money to grow and prosper to the
extent that what was scrounging has become almost
sociably respectable and the idea that "God helps those who help themselves" has virtually vanished
from modern thinking. Pardon me if I want to
look very closely at anyone's claim for other
folk's money before giving it the "green light".
Include the young, the alien and the never-
employed in that assessment. I would, however,
approve a claim for a bike - for agreed use in travelling beyond the home comfort zone so many
never seem willing to leave!
Regards

Comment is about Lynn Dye (poet profile)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Aspects of democracy?
If you were to go into a pub containing unemployed
folk and ask if their benefits should be cut,
they'd say no.
If you were to go into a pub containing working
folk and ask if they would agree to rising tax
to accommodate those not working, they'd say no.

Comment is about Democracy is dead (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

I'm far from agreeing with all that the Tories
do, but "in principle" I understand that any
political party that seeks to get the finances
of a nation that has lived beyond its means for
years on to an even keel and run the gamut of
criticism from the insatiably disaffected, but
MORE importantly, the risk of electoral suicide,
has to have something going for it. When was
the Labour Party minded to take risk its future
in any comparable way? They WANT folk to have
to rely on them - easy and cheap popularity that
others pay for...not least those who pay tax on
shrinking pensions!
So...I listen even if I might vote Ukip for other reasons!!

Comment is about Tory Attitudes (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

yes mate decent work stay on it Peace

Comment is about Wez Jefferies (poet profile)

Original item by Wez Jefferies

The blog in your link is both interesting and depressing. Interesting in particular is your word 'shared' Greg. Its use seems to hint at a divvying-up of the awards among an elite group, consciously or otherwise. A pulling up of the ladder by those who scrambled through?

The blog shows an audit of competitions over several years, wondering if judges have had a propensity to choose winners from their own publisher, and at a poor showing in terms of ethnic and gender representation. If there were backscratching, consciously or otherwise, it would be a depressing reinforcing of a perceived divide between the poetry haves and have-nots: those who can get into the publishing 'game' and those who cannot.

If accurate, it is a reminder of the late Adrian Mitchell’s suggestion that ‘most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people’. To those in poetry publishing, too, it can seem their world is ignored by the open-mic poetry movement.

Of course this is but one of the reasons for the success of the whole open-mic poetry phenomenon wherein anyone can put a foot in the door of enjoying poetry without fear of rejection, of being winners or losers (slam poetry apart).

The live poetry scene is testament to the truth that poetry is about more than published work and poetry competitions. However, that should not mean, as it seems to for some, a rejection of published poetry (even though it can seem to be based on a rejection culture).

In conversations at open-mic events over the past 12 years I have wanted to urge writer-readers to buy and read more ‘published’ poetry. I believe that oral poetry benefits from knowledge of how poetry works on the page; and vice-versa. Poetry on the page can provide inspiration for our own writing; those ‘killer’ lines in particular, the ones that give us that frisson that takes us to the place where true poetry resides, whether it’s Blake’s ‘to see a world in a grain of sand’ or Gray’s ‘some mute inglorious Milton here may rest, some desert flower born to blush unseen and waste its sweetness on the desert air. Two of my favourites. Mind you, I am still drawn to such a killer line I heard in a live poetry set by manchester’s Alabaster de Plume: ‘Don’t ask me what the time is, the time is now’.

At our next Marsden Write Out Loud night we are bringing along our own favourite lines of poetry to share, which should yield lively debate, as it did when we had such a topic on the website discussion pages a little while ago.

http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/newsgroupsview.php?NewsGroupsID=27

http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/newsgroupview.php?NewsThreadsID=1474

Comment is about Sinéad Morrissey's Parallax collection wins TS Eliot Prize (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

I so agree with this, Dave. Well done :)

M.C. I, for one, don't think of all rich as being Tory. I have a very wealthy friend who still votes Labour - he says he hasn't lost his principles, and I also know some poor who vote Conservative, turkeys voting for Christmas come to mind! :)

Comment is about Tory Attitudes (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

I really enjoyed this Dave. Loved the imagery, and the originality of it.

Comment is about The Shop of Days (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

lovely!do keep blogging.xx

Comment is about Poem: Silent Words Are Useless (blog)

Original item by Joseph J. Breunig 3rd

Brings back memories of Easy Rider to me Ian. Gram Parsons, another forever young star (lucky bugger). In the immortal words of Neil Young-
"better to burn out than fade away" or something like that.

Nice piece anyway Ian.

regards, Graham

Comment is about Grievous Angel (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

thanks pat&stef i look forward to reading about your metal mistress soon

Comment is about Only For You (blog)

Original item by alan barlow

Very interesting idea, John, this 'voting business', surely designed to encourage real listening rather than the appearance thereof. See you there.

'gathered in a hug of understated performance' ... my word! I look forward to the actuality that supports this statement; it's a cliff-hanger.

Comment is about New host promises surprises at Write Out Loud Sale (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Interesting, but historically the "Tory Party"
was seen as embodying the land owning classes.
But those days - with the advent of societies
like the National Trust to step in and save
so much from crippling revenue demands - are
long gone...taxed out of existence. There's a
certain irony there.
Now it seems a Tory is anyone with perceived
privilege or too much money. Step forward the
Labour Party and their rich as Croesus luvvie
supporters and take a bow from behind those
carefully drawn curtains of wealth.

Comment is about Tory Attitudes (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Completely agree Dave. What dismays me even more than the present incumbents is the fact that so many of us are standing by and simply accepting our fate. Me? I'm building a gallows . . .

Comment is about Tory Attitudes (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Chris, I`ve tried again with (I hope) the number you gave.

But I`m a complete ignoramus at this internet stuff..(I think I didn`t do the capital C.)

I WAS A BIT PUZZLED BECAUSE THERE WAS STILL THE WRONG NUMBER IN BLUE ON THE (FAVOURITES?)
PANEL WHEN I DONE THE SECOND ONE

SORRY FOR THE HASSLE.

Comment is about Chris Co (poet profile)

Original item by Chris Co

You might call it atmospheric!

Comment is about baptised (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

The imagination is working well here. One for
those "if only" days!

Comment is about The Shop of Days (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

New birth is never free from pain
And so it is with fair Ukraine;
And when the struggle breaks the chain,
We'll see the country flower again.

Comment is about My Long-Suffering Ukraine (blog)

Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska

Hi Harry,

I've checked my email, but nothing has come through. Not sure if you have the correct one or not, but just in case here it is;

Coaster.coey@googlemail.com

Best of

Chris

Comment is about Harry O`N eill (poet profile)

Original item by Harry O`N eill

thanks so much Harry - it was great to meet the man behind the myth at last :-) I really enjoyed myself and it seemed to go down OK - just a bit more sparse than I was expecting. I presume Dave's been in touch about your glasses (?) thanks very much for the supportive comments (as always). BTW - I loved your piece about the volatile relationship with the female union member - very amusing - Ta

Comment is about Harry O`N eill (poet profile)

Original item by Harry O`N eill

Ian,
Congratulations on last night`s guest spot.
Enjoyed it hugely, and your delivery was excellent (and the poems)

I wish you many more of them.

Comment is about Ian Whiteley (poet profile)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

I agree with Harry Dave - I meant to mention this last night but got caught up in packing away - I really like the concept and you delivered it in a very laid back and interesting way that kept me interested until the clever twist at the end. Very impressive stuff sir

Comment is about The Shop of Days (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

beautiful and evocative Winston - absolutely love the opening stanza - and every word really does count - less is definitely more with this one - stunning stuff

Comment is about Preen (blog)

Original item by Winston Plowes

Dave,
When I heard this last night it made me think what a good hook the idea of a return counter for days would be for a round of satirical ones.

I particularly liked that:

`oversold, overpriced, and over too soon`

and

`If days were obtainable elsewhere`

It`s full of possibilities.

Comment is about The Shop of Days (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Chris,
You`ve made me a happy man. I`ve sent you an e mail about the glasses.

I`m sorry about leaving early, it was important
(I told Ian beforehand)

The heads getting better (slowly)...The brain went ages ago.

Thanks for your concern.

Comment is about Chris Co (poet profile)

Original item by Chris Co

Hello John

It's so nice to hear from you . Your reference to my insistence on three..'cames' was for a feeling of emptiness, I was endeavouring to find atmosphere,echo and repetition in addition to a smouldering ravishing beneath the greenwood. Oooh ...whoops.. just felt the urge, the temptation to utilise yet another .....oh well it 'Came' and went.

Meanwhile John, I have no doubt you will keep up your good works...and look forward madly to seeing you soon.

lots of love and best wishes .

Augusta xx

Comment is about John Coopey (poet profile)

Original item by John Coopey

Thank you, John!

Comment is about My Long-Suffering Ukraine (blog)

Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska

Very original, Dave. If you let me know where the store is I'd like to take back the last 40 years.

Comment is about The Shop of Days (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

May the issues of Ukraine be resolved peacefully, Larisa.

Comment is about My Long-Suffering Ukraine (blog)

Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska

thanks for commenting on 'baptised' Starfish - grateful for your thoughts as always :-)

Comment is about Starfish (poet profile)

Original item by Starfish

thanks for the kind comments regarding 'old school tie' Chris - glad you liked it :-)

Comment is about cbyrne (poet profile)

Original item by cbyrne

Last 2 verses are great! Thanks for sharing.

I hate wearing ties!

Comment is about The Old School Tie (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

Once saw a badger chase a cat - was one of my highlights of 2013!

Comment is about Starfish (poet profile)

Original item by Starfish

still getting over a chest infection otherwise would likely gone.

looks a good un. hope it goes well.

Comment is about New host promises surprises at Write Out Loud Sale (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

it is odd many diplomats carry the dream of becoming poets

Comment is about Diplomat reads poems to mark 20th anniversary of genocide (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

well one cannot trust a private founder, but it takes guts to try to keep afloat poetry publishing

Comment is about Publisher comes out fighting after losing funding (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Hi Cynthia,

Thank you again for you appreciation of my work - it is really touching and inspiring to me. I feel I am splitting my voice at the moment - been writing a lot of stuff to send to competitions, magazine publications etc. which I am trying to be brave enough to allow a more personal stance with the reader, but am also still keen to explore word sounds and the architecture of this in more abstract work too.

Will we see you at Sale WOL next Tuesday? I will be reading and it would be lovely to hear you again.

Take care,

Marianne x

Comment is about Cynthia Buell Thomas (poet profile)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas

yes the new front page looks bright and
youthful

Comment is about New year - and it's a new look for Write Out Loud (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman