20 Tons of TNT

I fell upon this Flanders and Swann song. The Lyrics were written when the World population was half it is now. The words are so chilling and such a huge contrast to their usual Gnu type songs.

I have seen it estimated:
Somewhere between death and birth
There are now three thousand million
People living on this earth
And the stock-piled mass destruction
Of the Nuclear Powers-That-Be
Equals--for each man or woman--
Twenty tons of TNT.

Every man of every nation
(Twenty tons of TNT)
Shall receive this allocation
Twenty tons of TNT.
Texan, Bantu, Slav or Maori,
Argentine or Singhalee,
Every maiden brings this dowry
Twenty tons of TNT.

Not for thirty silver shilling
Twenty tons of TNT
Twenty thousand pounds a killing--
Twenty tons of TNT.
Twenty hundred years of teaching,
Give to each his legacy,
Plato, Buddha, Christ or Lenin,
Twenty tons of TNT

Father, Mother, Son and Daughter,
Twenty tons of TNT
Give us land and seed and water,
Twenty tons of TNT.
Children have no need of sharing;
At each new nativity
Come the ghostly Magi bearing
Twenty tons of TNT

Ends the tale that has no sequel
Twenty tons of TNT.
Now in death are all men equal
Twenty tons of TNT.
Teach me how to love my neighbour,
Do to him as he to me;
Share the fruits of all our labour
Twenty tons of TNT.

Michael Flanders

Drinking the last of the 20th Century. by Neil Stringfellow

Drinking the last of the 20th Century.


The dusty Library building was undergoing a face lift
It had been closed for many months,
Books have a musty smell and buildings need to comply
With the latest government regulations.
Still the pensioners and students
would come with bundles of books,
Tied together with string.
But with librarians on leave, and labouring workmen in there place
with plaster board and gloss paints,
books could not be returned.
Only a sign, chained to the big gates, greeted visitors with the words,
"This Library is temporarily closed due to refurbishment,
It will reopen in Spring 2000."

I filled up my cup with old wars and revolutions
I drank down the last of the 20th century,
I looked to the bottom of the cup
Looking for memory or desire;
No clues or tealeaf readers,
Only ideology leaving a taste to forget.
Would the library ever reopen?






Neil Stringfellow. November 21st, 2005.

Shimmering Strings by Eugene Montini

"

By a shimmering sea at sunset on my own and out of luck, longing suffocates my soul as the sun poisons what is left of my withered soul, a dull whip lash or even a gust of wind and night came like an immaculate bowl over flowing with stars and newness

Suddenly the voice of a violin thin and hungry floated on the black night’s air. Like a stray dogs' howling-It was my companion, it was someone else’s aloneness loose upon the sand

I sought this violin in the night I searched step by pitch black step, tide by tide, star by star. But it faded fell silent then suddenly surged like a flare in the brackish night, it was a pattern of incendiary sound spiral of musical contours and I went on searching for the dark violins life line the source submerged in silence

Finally there it was; a withered bow and its his hungry companion soaring over the lonely night on a solitary scale, a single theme that rung to the sky full of stars and wondering. And I played my violin half asleep held deep in the estuaries of my mind the strings giving birth to desolate cries, the wood worn smooth by the plunging of many fingers and I honoured the smoothness of a perfect instrument perfectly assembled. That hungry violin was like family to me like kin not just because of its sound not just because it raised its howling to the hungry stars; no because it had grown up learning how to befriend lost souls and sing songs to wondering strangers"

Eugene Montini 4 August 2010 A wonderful Kenyan friend

just making it up for laughs

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

I nearly wet my self looking at this site
Its the obverse of Wikipedia

I bet you some people take the nonsense in this site and think it to be true

Lots of love and hugs to you if you read this gubbins

Diogenes Teufelsdröckh

I like the people I work with and they work so very hard. I have given each a wee present as a way of saying thanks. I keep waking up in the wee small hours and end up listening to the World Service. I guess that's why I am here now wiring into this Blog. I like having a Blog it just stays here like a dog on my lap. I made my first real Youtube film of me playing the organ. Its just a Simple copy cut and paste job of me playing Holy Holy Holy. I am feeling sad maybe its just sentimentality creeping up on me or is there something lurking ready to pounce. Giles will be back from Dubai soon. Maybe that's it. I have missed his friendship. Its good to have friends. Books can be like a friend. I re read Sartor Resartus Thomas Carlyle its a funny and intriguing book about the imaginary philosopher Diogenes Teufelsdröckh.

Are you being served

I felt odd tonight. Heals were celebrating 200 years of being in existence. I won an award, Champagne, certificate and £100 in Heals Tokens. But it felt unreal. I appreciate the sentiment but the £100 deserves to be given to my colleagues. I will divide amongst them its them who have done the work. I feel strange and undeserving.

Torn in two

I wish that Stirling was not so far from my London home. My family grow older and its been a year since I saw them. Its good to be here but I like London. So Iam torn in two.