perborisetal

Give them BlackBerry cake!

2011-08-15T07:17:00.000+01:00

Posh and Posher v An Alienated Underclass (Indeed)

While the selfish chattering classes have been obsessing about the pre-supposed status of a university education for their offspring, the forgotten underprivileged in society do not sit idly by ... they join a gang ... they riot.

Earlier this year Januaria penned this piece for Andrew Neil's BBC Blog

Privilege has always bought advancement, and will continue to do so.

The demise of the meritocracy may be the result of the failed policy of left-wing egalitarianism, which in educational output, has resulted in constantly lowering standards of competence.

This has and still does manifest itself in an over reliance on worthless paper qualifications, coupled with the political will of recent governments to encourage and enable a policy of ‘degrees for all’, without regard to inherent aptitude.

The proliferation of universities during the time of the previous government, with scant regard to providing for a practical and vocational skills-based workforce, is an unrealistic policy, both socially and economically.

The emphasis on Tony Blair’s vision of university places for 50% is naïve and of little use when many of the student population still do not possess competent levels of literacy and numeracy on leaving school.

We are churning out a stream of quasi-literate individuals, of whom the vast majority are unable to compete with a privately educated Oxbridge elite.

The solution is the redistribution of resources from overburdened higher education, towards effective practical and developmental education during school years, and major investment in vocational and skills training.

23rd Mar 2011, Januaria

Ref:
Posh and posher indeed

Andrew Neil | 11:18 UK time, Thursday, 17 March 2011

A new report from the much respected international think-tank of rich countries, the OECD, sheds light on some of the social mobility and education themes I touched on in my recent BBC2 documentary Posh & Posher.

FROM SLUTSPEAK TO CRINGEIFY IN ONE EASY LESSON

2011-05-12T01:07:00.000+01:00

The Slut-brigade are hanging their coats on a very shooglie peg.

In the name of Woman I reclaim 'Amazon', with all it's positive connotations.

'Slut' makes me cringeify ..... horrible, horrible.

I’M DEAD THEREFORE I WAS

2011-05-10T12:52:00.000+01:00

William of Ockham pared away

Until he had nothing left

He had thought until he wasn’t

His being quite bereft.

He went to pot, his beard grew long

His razor simply rusted;

To die, he employed his kitchen-knife;

Ockham’s Carver can be trusted.

Sin singleton

Conspiracy

2011-05-09T23:57:00.002+01:00

... overt, covert, unintentional, is a natural human trait

St. John Ogilvie by Peter Howson

2011-05-09T18:37:00.000+01:00

St. John Ogilvie by Peter Howson

The Broch Coo 'an ode to the victims of the Japanese Tsunami'

2011-03-16T00:19:00.041Z

I thocht I heard the Broch coo
It didnae frighten me
It sang a sang o' gentle pain
And dragged me out tae sea!

We floated out and crossed the bar
And turned towards the west
She bellowed gently in my ear
'Ye didnae bring yer vest!'

We floated on into the mirk
Until great Triton blew
We swirled, and dirled, and held
our wheest
Then paddled out of view

I woke, I slept, I raged, I wept

But all in vain twas 'ere

We sank beneath the steel grey wave

To end our days down there

Scroggie Januaria, March 2011

Illustration: Sunset Song, Jane Cartney, 2011
© Oraculumsulmareexcoeurd'Ecosse & Jane Cartney

And Thus It Came To Pass

2011-03-09T11:01:00.003Z

The Wisdom of the Scots

A propos the actions of the murderous Libyan regime in recent days, this came to mind: In 2009 scotsvernacular blogged in response to Andrew Neil's Daily Politics blog

Why are 'we' so keen on Gaddafi?

Andrew Neil | 11:29 UK time, Thursday, 24 September 2009

Just a quick thought of a blog today, after all the excitement of the Lib Dems in Bournemouth.

As I watched Colonel Gaddafi (the Libyan dictator formerly known as Mad Dog) harangue the UN general assembly yesterday, calling the Security Council terrorists and ripping up the UN Charter, it made me wonder why our government was so keen to have close and friendly relations with him.

Much diplomatic and commercial wooing has been going on -- we learned just how much during the al Megrahi affair -- allegedly so that Britain gets access to Libya's oil and gas reserves.

But don't we depend more than enough already on unsavoury and unstable regimes for our energy supplies?

Why would adding Colonel Gaddafi to our list of suppliers make us any more secure? Any who would not rather cut back a little on their energy consumption rather than see any of their money end up in this guy's coffers?

I look forward to your answers ....

354. At 3:39pm on 29 Sep 2009, scotsvernacular wrote:

It is time to stand up and exercise our moral and ethical clout. There is no place in decent society (and by inference world society) for the condoning of the antics displayed by Colonel Gaddafi (the Libyan dictator formerly known as Mad Dog), and which you describe so succinctly. [A propos Mad Dog, the word guttersnipe springs to mind.]

Must we continually demean ourselves in pandering to the antics of pathologically deviant despots? The answer must be a resounding NO!

You also say, 'Why would adding Colonel Gaddafi to our list of suppliers make us any more secure?'

I fear that the very opposite would result from this action: This would signal an open invitation for all pathological recidivist deviant depots or would-be despots, around the world and at home, to spring into action. The potential which may be unleashed is too horrific to contemplate!

We must heed the numerous warnings which history has taught us.

Perhaps it may be apposite timing to not only withdraw from the current scenario with Libya, but to break off all diplomatic links for the foreseeable future until Mad Dog is no longer a threat.

We must acknowledge that WE OWE IT TO HUMANITY, AND ESPECIALLY THE OPPRESSED CITIZENS OF LIBYA AND OTHER TYRANNICAL REGIMES, THAT WE ACT WITH COURAGE AND DECENCY TO ASSERT OUR MORAL AND ETHICAL CLOUT.

We do NOT need Libyan oil - we have trusted oil suppliers, and the technology in place to supply additional energy resources. And coupled with the will to halt our wasteful energy use, and the overt encouragement by the next government to change our ways (some simple straightforward moral guidance - not nannying - perhaps?) there is really no need to panic. The current scenario is based on pure and simple greed and selfishness.

Zarathustra's sibyl
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/dailypolitics/andrewneil/2009/09/why_are_we_so_keen_on_gaddafi.html?postid=86428273#comment_86428273

VAETTIR * by Barrie Singleton

2011-01-03T14:06:00.009Z

His eye, alone, perceives unmeasured loss

as manned ships bring man-rumour in their wake

of new beginnings and a nailed man-god

eclipsing Mother Earth for new-name’s sake.

The sanguine skies care naught what they portend:

menstrual or placental or fell-let;

henceforth shall blood of man an ocean fill

till he drown in its tide, and time forget.

The Vættir’s bones, of earth and ages wrought

absorb this fatal blow and yet endure.

Caught twixt two worlds and denizen of none

he waits till Hel should judge his heart quite pure.

From cove and strand young warriors sail forth

to lodestone-lure, they tip horizon’s sill.

The Vættir’s lupine wights one with those kin

in empathy anticipate a kill.

Ere long the boundless sea is bound with lanes

its archetypal freedoms compromised;

great ships of war and plunder navigate

each masthead-flag despising and despised.

Then rampant male goals and values rise

in unchecked Bacchanalian excess;

the Vættir weeps to see The Feminine

purged from the Earth to ultimate distress.

Shamanic guardianship the world around

cut down to break connection with the Earth;

unknown to new-robed guardians of truth

takes with it all we ever had of worth.

Thus magic dies, displaced by empty word

and Earth - defiled - endures calamity.

The Vættir, mid the trees, absorbed as one;

held evergreen, awaits eternity.

www.barriesingleton.co.uk

Painting & Concept Sketch by Ihsan Alnasrawi, Vaettir: The Last Nature Spirit

http://www.ihsan.co.uk/traditional/vaettir_the-last-nature-spirit.htm

* Vættir (Old Norse; singular Vættr) or wights, are nature spirits in the Norse religion

Alfons Jasinski RSW

2009-03-18T13:13:00.007Z

Alfons Jasinski RSW, Evening Skye Duirinish, acrylic on canvas board, 25.4 x 30.5 cm, 10 x 12 ins

Contemporary Scottish Colourist Alfons Jasinski RSW (born Falkirk 1945) demonstrates in this work a close affinity to the Fauvist work of Henri Matisse (1869-1954), produced in the early 1900s when Matisse moved to The French Riviera, to work, with Andre Derain, at Collioure and later at Nice

Copyright: Alfons Jasinski 2009

http://www.regentgallery.co.uk

An August Seat of Learning

2009-03-18T13:02:00.007Z

James Priddey, King's College, Aberdeen, artist's proof print, embossed Warwick Galleries, 21.5 x 30.3, estate of George Scroggie Esq MA

copyright

On Espying Sam Taylor-Wood, Escape Artist (Multicoloured), 2008, c-print

2009-03-17T20:31:00.005Z

The Narro-Orifice School

by The Ekphrastik Poet smartart

I’m a lady poet

I’ve a boyfriend and a bed

I break

Lines and scan erratically

It’s all

In what is said.

I catalogue my toilette

And how he looks

Out flat

And dirt in crevices

That re-appears

Just like that.

I write of food

That drips and dribbles

Bits of me

He strokes and nibbles

As befits a poetess;

Goddess living

The Tracy-dream

And Emin-ating mess.

17.3.09

Notes: Sam Taylor-Wood is one of the Emin School

Select Bibliography:

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=29652

A Presage of the End of Time

2009-03-16T12:59:00.003Z

We must listen, hear and halt the folly....time no longer infinite....

Beyond the shore lark and whooper swans is heard the cry of the whale, the winds of desolation resonating from the mists of eons, a vast chasm of voidness. An anguished cry presaging the end of time returning to windswept wasteland. Take guard archangeli 'The Time is Now'

Oraculum/a/O

further reading:
BEES, BIRDS AND MANKIND
Destroying nature by “electrosmog”
Ulrich Warnke
extracts:

But if bees and other insects
disappear, if birds are no longer
present in their traditional territories
and humans suffer from inexplicable
functional deficiencies, then each on
its own may appear puzzling at first.
The apparently unrelated and puzzling
phenomena actually have a common
trigger, however. ...

b. The involvement of government in
industry and the high percentage of
industry-financed research and
industry-beholden panels and
consultants, have spawned a
questionable system of environment
and consumer protection. ...

How to order:
Competence Initiative,
E-mail: bienenbroschuere@kompetenzinitiative.de
Bürgerwelle e. V., Dachverband der Bürger und Initiativen zum Schutz vor
Elektrosmog, Lindenweg 10, D-95643 Tirschenreuth;
Tel.: 09631-795736; Fax: 09631-795734;

Refer to www.broschuerenreihe.de for information on the series of papers on Effects of Mobile Radio and
Wireless Communication of the Competence Initiative for the Protection of Mankind, Environment and
Democracy

A Welcome Wind of Wisdom

2009-03-15T20:45:00.002Z

"I sense a wind from the east - a welcome wind of wisdom. The flaxen haired pixie-gnome stirs in his lair, ventures forth and sirens his call to an eager tribe. The voice of Pax rings clearly resonant - audible down the ages until the Victorians and into the depths of future-time ...." thus spake Zarathustra's sibyl

Degress For All Responsible for the Gross Levels of Incompetence in Government and Business

2008-11-18T12:36:00.005Z

In recent discussions on BBC Radio 4 on the topic of current higher education and Blair's vision that 50% would go through higher education, intellectual capacity was not mentioned.

Previously, degrees were synonemous with, and only for those with the highest intellect, and therefore those who went on with a degree into a profession or business were intellectually equipped to hold important responsible posts and to carry out their work to the highest standards. Given that a very small percentage of any population possesses a high intellect, we are now in a position where hordes with a modicum of intellect, who now have a degree have ended up in positions which at one time they would not have been considered for. This has clearly given rise to the unprecedented levels of incompetence and mismanagement in central and local government, and constantly lowering standards in business.

We have produced a generation with falsely high aspirations who lack the intellectual capacity to utilise their higher education effectively.

It is high time to learn the lesson of Blair's misguided policy and to revert to a system where more emphasis is placed on vocational skills' training and leave academic higher education to those who are intellectually most suited, and who will ultimately, if given the opportunity, be able to contribute effectively to getting us out of this mess.

We can not see the wood from the trees.

The So-Called Mozart Gene

2008-07-14T16:44:00.000+01:00

RE: Two Centuries of Musical Genius, Daily Telegraph Letters, 24.4.06

Sir,
Whilst I concur with M Jones in his appreciation and assessment of the composers he mentions, these are from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. How much time has he given to the music of the Renaissance, or the American Song Book, in which both, there resides genius.

Musical genius is a developing ability in the collective human mind, and as such is extant. It exists today, as it did in the time of Pergolesi. A closer study of his 'Stabat Mater' may provide the requisite stimuli. During the 20th century genre, one has only to delve into the songs of Richard Rodgers, Vladimir Dukelski (Vernon Duke), and Michel Legrand, or venture into the works of Faure or Durufle, as well as contemporary and past composers writing for television and film to discover genius. Any Hitchcock film score should hit the spot.

I believe there is a large body of 20th century work archived in this country, much from the former Eastern Bloc, perhaps housing the so-called Mozart gene, which is awaiting research, study and performance. ( And much will have been lost during and since WW2.) This costs! Would the Heritage Lottery Fund support this type of work, or pay an arranger to adapt and publish the work of, say, the greatest film composers, for today's musician to enjoy at home? I suspect not. We were fortunate indeed that the theme from 'Schindler's List' made it to the easy-to-play piano shelves. Are there versions for other instuments?

Patronage was at it's apogee throughout Europe, during the era M.Jones mentions; excellence was sought out, nurtured and encouraged, and valued in it's own time. Therefore the outpourings of the composers mentioned were relatively safe. In these days of mediocrity in all things and equality for all, real patronage, such as it exists now, is spread thin. Changes in society, and the social order, coupled with stifling by the state, do not foster the ideal conditions for genius to flower, nor for the lay-person to recognise it. It does exist and there is music of today, which can demonstrate this. But it is not valued, and is hidden behind the dense layer of commercial and IT artifice, which plagues our society and classrooms.

Sadly, there is no doubt that there will also be an individual or two in today's society whose musical genius has been trampled on by the hordes of average and below, encouraged by successive governments to swamp the higher education system from top to bottom. Genius goes underground but it is still with us. After all, genes adapt and evolve. The so-called individual Mozart gene (and incidentally, manifested in not only the field of music,), whilst one of the rarest, and the collective form even rarer, still exists, and it's latest mutation will be in our very midst without our collective awareness. We must wait for the next great age of patronage to come around to bring it once more into flower. Or perhaps it has already flowered in the dark. When it is discovered it may oust Mozart from his throne. An exciting prospect indeed!

24.4.06
(unpublished)

Knife Culture

2008-07-14T00:17:00.000+01:00

Is symptomatic of a collective self-perpetuating paranoia in youth, firstly fuelled in their short lives by world terrorist atrocities. Reporting of the associated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan also brings a constant reminder, with death being reported on a sometimes daily basis.

Secondly, fear and feeling unsafe amongst the collective youth, additionally occasioned by a steady stream of attacks and killings leads to the perceived need for self-protection, hence the self-perpetuating paranoia.

An immediate law is called for which requires all knife sales to be subject to a license, which must in turn be enforced.

It is the unassailable duty of government and police to protect all society. The first and most obvious solution is to root out the unscrupulous manufacturers, importers, and suppliers of knives, and to eradicate the supply by lawful means.

This will be aided by a clear message from government and police that selling or supplying knives to minors will be dealt with most severely and perpetrators will be subject to stringent penalties.

This message must also be targeted at the sub-culture of supply, i.e. owning, selling and exchange of knives amongst the youth and their immediate circle, who must be made aware that they are also subject to the law.

The associated problems of drink related knife crime must also be addressed. It is long overdue that there be a stringent overhaul of drinks licensing, and that advertising promotions at source need to be thoroughly reviewed. Clubs which attract large number of youths with cheap drinks' promotions must be made aware that unscrupulous marketing which in turn leads to anti-social drunkenness and violent crime will NOT be tolerated and the authorities in turn must revoke licenses and close premises which are seen to be instrumental in the problems on the streets. Supermarkets selling cheap alcohol by means of unscrupulous marketing offers must also be subject to license review.

It is very important to communicate the message to all, that government and police authorities take their duty of protection seriously, and in such a way as to gain more of the trust and confidence of society, and that the authorities are seen to act decisively, firmly and fairly.

8.7.08

Post Script 14/7
Weak, outdated sociology as a sop is unacceptable

Time To Change The Law

2008-07-14T00:05:00.001+01:00

RE: BBC Newsnight Report Into Binge Drinking 12/07

The problem is a symptom - symptomatic of the laissez-faire management [et ... latebra/perfugium] by successive governments in most or all spheres. In general terms, this has resulted in two generation with little concept of responsibility: morally, socially, personally, familialy.

The enablement of ruthless and morally reprehensible business practises in the leisure industry, and lax management of licensing laws are also causative - allowable by laissez-faire governance. [ET ambitus et corruptio-ambito] (localisch und zentral)

The solution may be to encourage a Healthy Rejuvenation of our town centres.

13.12.07