Big Kids' Sports Day.

England. Always different, always the same.

Labour’s self-imposed, arbitrary and “binding” “fiscal rules” are the same as the Tories' Austerity policies. Political choices. The same choices. So much for change. Original link to the article from 11 years ago:

My polling station was empty when I went to vote around 1:30 pm. My nearly ten year old looked at the TWELVE names on the ballot. “Don’t vote Labour, Dad”. He looked some more. “There’s Joe!” he said. “VOTE FOR JOE!”

ELECTION FEVER

My inbox is full of people asking for my opinion and personal experience of this UK general election campaign and who to vote for. (Un)fortunately, as I sat down to type the words from my fingertips, my four year old decided he needed to express his thoughts instead. It’s obviously not to scale (he’s only four!), but you can clearly see the Labour supermajority in red, and the Tory wipeout in blue.

New e-scooter and cycle hire infrastructure in Southall Green. [Edit] Not the ideal location.

I used to be funny.

Bushmen came to cut the communal grass and fill my compost bin with the cuttings. #Winning

THE CUCKOO'S NEST

Ealing Genocide Supporters Club (aka Ealing Labour Party) held their Southall Branch meeting yesterday at the Dominion Centre in Southall. Under the guise of a “Your Town, Your Voice” community get together, our local elected repellents gathered on masse in all their finery. I couldn’t help myself as they posed for a group photo all gurning inanely as the photographer encouraged them to “say cheese!”. “Say genocide!” I offered. “Genocide supporters!

“…when you look at it on a personal level, if Nelson was your friend or your neighbour, you would absolutely agree that he should be given the immediate right to settle.” You. Absolute. Bastards. If anyone knows of a crowdfunder to support this man’s legal challenge, I would like to contribute to it. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-69016539

• drandrewv2@freeradical.zone, https://freeradical.zone/@drandrewv2/112449885402615520

One of the reasons we never visit the place where I grew up. “I just have to share?”?

Natalie Elphicke said Labour can’t be trusted and doesn’t listen. She said the victim of her husband’s sexual assault was a liar even after he was convicted. Does she really share Labour values? Starmer: “I’m delighted to welcome Natalie Elphicke to my changed Labour Party!”

I’m so glad I ate my salad before reading about the Eunuch Maker.

FEAR AND LOATHING

I spent the best part of nine months in America in 1989-90 on an international student exchange programme. It was an experience I’ll never forget, mostly good, and certainly an eye opener. There was a bit of a last minute faff getting my visa (I had misunderstood the requirements) and by the time I got to Gatwick Airport I was shitting bricks, having never flown or been abroad before. Lockerbie was also still fresh in the memory.

“Zionism is rooted in trauma and fear. It’s about survival and love for the Jewish people. But like any other ethnic nationalism, Zionism establishes a hierarchy: It’s about prioritizing our safety and well-being, even at the expense of others. It relies on an alternate historical narrative that justifies the occupation and rationalizes the status quo. And it cannot produce a just peace on its own.” Via Zionism cannot produce a just peace.

OFFICE ABANDONED - SUN STOPPED WORK Today’s office.

• davidmarsden, https://davidmarsden.info/2024/05/08/todays-office.html

M.S. Panesar hit wicket b Panesar 0 Tbf, he lasted longer than I thought he would.

Today’s office.

TWO LITTLE DUCKS

Along with thirty-odd other parents, I saw my nine year old off on his big adventure this morning, a school trip away to Wales for three nights. Everyone was super excited and nervous, and so were the kids. The teachers accompanying them were super-organised. We’d had several in-person meetings prior, as well as countless Dojo messages and crumpled lists stuffed into school backpacks telling what to pack and what not to bring.

WHAT MARXISM TEACHES US

What Marxism teaches us is simply to approach questions of society from a material basis: how does human life persist? Through production of the goods and services needed to live. How are these things produced under capitalist society? Through exploitation of the labor of the working class, that is, by requiring one class of people to sell their labor as a commodity to another class to produce values. What is the result of this system?

STOP THE PLANES

My wife was born in Uganda. She’s Black, like our kids. She came to the UK when she was five. She’s just told me she feels like she should put herself on a plane to Rwanda. Then she said she realised she came here legally, she has indefinite leave to remain, and she’s a British citizen. I asked her what was it that made her feel like she should deport herself.

☕🤦‍♂️

A local shop owner asked why big kid wasn’t at school. When I told him it was closed because it was being used as a polling station we got talking about the elections. He asked me who I voted for, and then he told me he thinks “it’s going to be another hung parliament”.

Unusually productive morning. taught big kid how to convert fractions into decimals and percentages and vice versa voted for Mayor of London, constituency London Assembly Member and London-wide member bought some fruit and brown baps collected big kid’s prescriptions and recycled his expired epipens got six freshly baked garlic naans from my local naan shop got some decent exercise

My local polling station was deserted when I went to vote around 11am.