What a load of rubbish.

Rubbish, rubbish, everywhere.

Back in the 1970s, if something was made from plastic, it was good quality and made from the same materials that space ships would be made from. That was exciting and we wanted lots of it! There were things made from expensive, high quality plastics that revolutionised the world. There was to be the single use plastics too, that changed the world in ways we couldn't have imagined. Imagine healthcare without single use plastic supplies and PPE. Imagine HIV/AIDS had we not had materials to make single use condoms so cheaply available. But there was also literal mountains of cheap, flimsy plastic toys, household goods and even parts for cars, airplanes and space craft, that rapidly found itself condemned to landfill.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) have stated that basically 100% of all plastics ever created are still in existence.

The fact is that much plastic can be recycled, but that process itself is one that uses large amounts of energy, creates dangerous gases and therefore may not be any better than the landfill option.

There's more to landfill than meets the eye. Having grown up around the first landfill sites within residential areas of the UK, seeing the effects on the people and the various responses and proposals, this is how I came to accept the solution of "zero waste" and decided it to be the most immediate, urgent and positive thing we can all work towards, in order to try and save something for our children and grandchildren'. 

How we lived 50 years ago.

Before we decided to cram the Earth with several layers of rubbish, fill the deserts and oceans with rubbish and even outer space, repurposing was actually a really big thing. Everything was just more expensive so nothing was wasted...not even packaging. Food, household goods, clothes..whatever... everything is so much more plentiful now. If something came in a plastic tub, that would NOT have been thrown away. I remember the wood effect Sainsbury's golden syrup tub that accompanied our family through several decades of bathtimes, washing parents, children's and the dogs hair. Many people will remember taking sandwiches to school in an ice cream tub like this one.

Pop bottles were made of glass and the top had a deposit of between 1/2p-5p, which kept the streets clear of used bottles and kept kids from pestering neighbours for odd jobs and parents for pocket money. Unless they were accidentally broken or used in some dastardly plot (H&S in the 70s, or rather the lack of it, is a whole other story for another day), they all went back to be reused. I somehow doubt kids today would be torn away from their iPhones to scavenge bottles and return them to the shop for sweets, comics and ciggies.

All of a sudden there was so much more rubbish. Throwaway culture had arrived. Disposable nappies. Throwing a nappy away after one use was unthinkable to us. Understandable though, with the demands on time of the dual income family, that the convenience of disposables would be popular. But when you consider 2.5 billion nappies go to landfill in the UK every year...eek!! In the far East, it's uncommon for children to wear nappies and I will confess to having used this technique with my own kids. In China it's common to see young children wearing clothes with a slit in the bottom area. Parents, or more frequently grandparents, hold them by the legs with their back against their own body and they do what they do, ideally into the drains. I would hold them either over a toilet or a drain, depending where we were and I see that this is a practice starting to catch on in the West now. With the economy as it is, no doubt that's a hefty saving on horrible plastic that gives your child a painful rash and is a huge part of the rubbish clogging up the Earth. It's surprising how smoothly toilet training goes using this technique too.

Our traveling rubbish.

The thing is, these plastics are estimated to take about 500-1,000 years before they begin to break down. Obviously that can only be an educated guess as nobody has been around long enough to find out. But it doesn't take a genius to figure out why we are rapidly running out of space to put this stuff. Not to mention the effects on the environment and those who have to live in it! I have an haunting and nightmarish image in my mind, that haunts me when I close my eyes at night. We will find ourselves digging graves for our loved ones and trying to grow food, but there's no soil. It's just heaps and heaps of plastic. 

I do some voluntary litter picking and the amount of plastic bottles always amazes me. Litter begets litter. Where it's lying around on the floor, others will have no second thoughts about dropping more. But what litterbugs don't seem to be able to grasp is how rubbish doesn't stay where it's dropped. National Geographic scientists found plastic coming from Russia, the United States, Europe, South America, Japan and China on Henderson island. That's an uninhabited, isolated atoll, halfway between Chile and New Zealand. Then there's all the rubbish we actively ship overseas, because it's economically more viable to ship it around the planet, than dealing with it here. If you've not seen the rubbish barges shipping the discarded evidence of privelige away, here's one just for you.

It makes its way into waterways and flows downstream, finding it's way to the sea. Eventually it gets picked up by rotating ocean currents called "gyres". In this way it can be transported to literally anywhere in the world. About 8-10 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each year, making up 80% of all marine pollution. Researchers estimate that by 2050, plastic will likely outweigh all fish in the sea.

Many people choose to ignore the scale of the problem. Obviously it's a huge threat to the global ecosystem as a whole. 17% of the species affected by the presence of plastic in the ocean are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. How long before the unavailability of these creatures affects the food web to a point where it directly threatens our existence? Breaking down into microplastics, it's already been detected in drinking water, salt, beer and the soil in which our food grows. They can cause a whole catalogue of disturbing health complaints and are known to be carcinogenic. 

What doesn't break down into microplastics, floats around until it forms vast garbage patches. The biggest is the great Pacific garbage patch, between Hawaii and California. It has an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometres. That's twice the size of Texas, or three times the size of France.

The great Pacific garbage patch

A number of charitable concerns are dedicated to cleaning up the ocean. It's a momentous task, for sure and will cost a pretty penny, even with non profits, charities and volunteers doing the bulk of the work. Instead of buying more weapons and missiles, how about saving the planet and our species with a bit of that budget?

Ghost Fishing  is one example of such an operation. The fishing industry inevitably leads to a build up of lost and abandoned nets, pots and lines. It continues to trap marine life, which in turn act as bait for bigger predators. Then there's the damage caused to fragile and vulnerable reefs and no doubt you can imagine the scenario when a ton of floating rubbish meandering around the world from sea to sea, encounters all this. They manage an army of volunteer divers, train more divers, collect crucial data and collect the "ghost gear", doing their bit for your future.

Ghost Fishing

This is all another reminder of just how out of control our pollution of the world has become. There truly is nowhere left to put more of this particular rubbish, that given its durability, we might as well regard as a material that never goes away. 

The Zero waste movement.

This is why the zero waste movement has arisen. 

People often ask what they should buy to help. This is the first and biggest mistake. The ideal is to reuse, repurpose and upcycle items we already own. Instead of throwing out items we don't need, want or use, we should pass them on to family, friends, neighbours and second hand/thrift shops. Online apps such as OLIO, FREECYCLE, SCRAP and REPURPOSE are a few of the growing number of ways to rescue food, household items, furniture, clothes and just about anything else.

Olio

Freecycle

Nobody is expected to change everything overnight, but if we all make a few simple, small changes, collectively, the benefits will be substantial. 

The villain of the zero waste movement is single use plastics, such as plastic food packaging. We need to be demanding supermarkets and food manufacturers phase out the use of this and seek alternatives. 

There will still be a certain amount of unavoidable such waste. Particularly medical waste, but such an amount can be recycled, whereas it's simply not financially viable to recycle the quantity we are currently producing. "Scoop shops" are a big part of a zero waster's life. Here you can take your own containers and buy food, cleaning products, liquids, pet food and all manner of increasingly varied goods without packaging. 

There are companies that deliver specially designed products direct to the customers doorstep. For example, SMOL are one of a new generation of companies supplying household cleaning products, including compostable cloths, vegan, cruelty free, plastic free laundry pods in recycled/recyclable packaging, laundry softener in bottles that the customer returns for refilling and cleaning sprays which are just effervescent tablets, that are dropped into spray bottles of warm water for use. 

Gradually governments are either introducing charges for plastic bags, or outlawing them entirely. This has been one of the most positive changes made at a national level.

Items like feminine hygiene products have evolved, rendering disposable paper products redundant. Many people are moving away from wasteful toilet paper and employing wipes (just small squares of material, coloured/patterned for each individual householder), that go into the washing machine after use. There's been a welcome return of the bidet to British bathrooms. Superior in terms of hygiene, gentle on our surroundings and jolly useful for so many purposes, you will thank yourself for giving it a try. Composting has become far easier with nifty receptacles suited to a smaller garden. 

The goal is to achieve "zero waste", where we no longer send rubbish to landfill. It's just a matter of finding alternatives that suit your lifestyle and replacing those which caused you to generate rubbish previously. Little by little, it's absolutely achievable.

 

Without a doubt, the biggest factor is the altered mindset. Instead of that throwaway culture, when offered that mobile upgrade, we have to ask ourselves whether the one we already have isn't quite adequate for our needs. As we stop filling the Earth, air and water with rubbish, we will also slow the rate at which we ravage the meagre remaining resources.  within our planet. If we are to survive as a species, this is an imperative. It's time we all took a step back and check our personal use of valuable resources. Now is the time to take advantage of the advances in technology, marketing and environmental awareness, so there will be a liveable place for future generations to live. 

Science denial at the top.

We have been held back from making vital changes to our buying habits, because rather than accept responsibility and take action instead of just spouting hot air and platitudes, the people we elected to protect our interests adopted the terrifying practice of science denial. All during a global pandemic, during which one of the most contagious diseases known to man ran rampant, reaping souls in the most remote corners of society. Such behaviour from a body with so much authority is almost inconceivable.

It's clear we can't depend on those in the hallways of power, to safeguard the future. So it's down to each one of us. Like people have done in acts of revolution throughout history, the public... the people who have only the power of their role as a consumer... will have to work together. We have to show the idiots who care only for war, that we can move mountains when we refuse to let them divide us and instead United for the purposes of the greater good. Bear in mind how their illegal invasion of Iraq left 400 tons of depleted uranium for the Iraqis to deal with. So as if the vast number of civilian deaths due to signature strikes (based on pure profiling), personal strikes (actually targeting a mobile device which are frequently swapped or just positioned with the intention of misleading) and double taps (coming back to hit anyone coming to assist, such as first responders and even at the funeral service of the initial strike), a generation of children (frequently traumatized or orphaned) are born with no brain, horrific deformities and Cancers. Don't forget the many US veterans who have died because of inhaling toxic fumes from burn pits. This is how the American government shows how it deals with protecting the environment. 

Early landfill experiences.

Back to those early days of landfill when I was young and hadn't yet come to realise just what we were living with. My friends family has bought a new build home, located on top of a landfill site that had not long ago been filled. The houses went up seemingly overnight and sold quickly. It was in quite a nice little town in Central England. I remember thinking how lucky they were to have this new house.

The thing is, the site wasn't flat. It was on a steady, but not overly steep hill, overlooked by an aquaduct on one side, the town centre (three streets of mixed shops) on another and a station on another. You can probably have a good guess at what was going to happen. Within about 9-12 months, the houses were on the move, sliding slowly down towards the bottom of the hill. They would have eventually, tumbled into a mess of bricks, fitted kitchens, bathrooms and broken dreams down there, but the construction company had the foresight to compensate their customers and demolish the houses. It's a pity they didn't have the foresight to figure out what happens as rubbish continues decomposing, especially on an incline. 

Meanwhile, my grandparents lived opposite a much bigger site, having a diameter of over a mile. It was surrounded by high fences so you couldn't see the activity in there, but as it turned out, you didn't need to. They had sectioned off the area and were filling one part before moving on to the next. You could see the stream of rubbish trucks going in and out day and night. With the exception of a couple of bottle banks at the local tip, there was no recycling as of yet. The many giant bulldozers could be heard endlessly shoving the mountains of festering waste from here to there and back again. Occasionally something exciting would be discovered, even a stray corpse from time to time. But the main way to gauge the progress of the site was from the constant swarms of huge flies and bluebottles. You might imagine the smell could become a problem for local residents, but there's no way anyone could have a window or door open at any time, for long enough to get a whiff. Not unless they wanted to share a house with clouds of buzzing diseases with wings and ultimately their larval offspring.

As so often is the case when you're young, it's hard to judge how long they lived like this. But I know it was several lengthy, hot, stifling summers. This must be when one of lifes enduring mysteries came to me. These insects have huge eyes that can see panoramically. For a creature that can see so much, they sure do fly into some apparent obstacles, notably the windows (hard enough to cause them to drop onto the window ledge/floor as if dead) and my open mouth. Although despite persistently guiding them to safety, the brainless things cannot find an open window when they're stuck in the house. My other grandparents who lived about a mile away were spared this particular delight. However, it's a busy road that serves the city centre, so lots of lives were affected. 

As each area was completed, tall, slender chimneys would appear, towering high above the fence, with a flame protruding from the tip, like a row of sentinel lit matches. This is to vent the gases produced during the deposition process, high into the sky (even then it was clear this was not something people should be inhaling.

But there's no way all the gas from these immense stacks of rubbish could be directed into these structures. A good amount of gas and liquid (stuff you can guarantee is anything but healthy) escapes into the surrounding earth and subsequently the local water table. We discovered the extent of this seepage when garages, garden sheds, outhouses and other outbuildings that weren't frequently ventilated started exploding. A mile away, my other grandmother was somewhat shaken when the house behind hers exploded, sending the roof shooting into the sky. Residents weren't compensated in any way for the plague of buzzing, winged dirtbags. I don't know if there was reparation for the victims of the exploding buildings. My grandparents would probably have been regarded as "adequately warned" which would have deterred any thought of liability back then. Compensation culture hadn't yet taken hold and the attitude was very much that "accidents" were exactly that..accidental. Children who had accidents (the token broken arm incurred when falling from a scaled tree, firework mishaps, being hot by a car while playing football or riding bikes in the road), were a result of carelessness or a child not listening to grown ups. We were always encouraged to take full responsibility for our actions and any unfortunate consequences. This is something I would definitely regard as a positive I'm terms of social and community alliances. 

Well, eventually the areas of bulldozer activity could be heard making its way towards the near end of the site. Behind the fences, ranks of chimneys stood to attention, venting the deadly gases. But gradually it was landscaped (of a fashion) and a large supermarket occupies one corner. People come from mike's around to this, one of Britain's first true superstores. The fences still stand. 

According to a news article from 2014, the site was an unusually deep one and the nature of the terrain means it will take many years for the volatile gases to dissipate. It had been pinpointed as an ideal site to house a solar farm, but the article (now 8 years old), said building there would be banned for at least another 20 years. It had originally been cleared for the purposes of landfill in 1972. I noticed it's frequently still described as a "landfill site" in local descriptions, which gives the idea that the activity might still be continuing somewhere on the huge no-go zone. It's ironically described as a "nature reserve" despite the fact that it requires a constant security presence to keep members of the public out and fire breaks have to be made. 

This gives Some idea of just how toxic these places are once filled with our rubbish. It's something to keep in mind when looking at that smartphone upgrade you don't really need.

Additional reading and sites of interest:

*https://earth.org/us-military-pollution/

*https://puratium.com/why-zero-waste-is-important/

🗣️Leave a comment. I read every one and will reply if requested to do so.

Smelly pets.

Do you love your pets but not so much their smells?

Many pet owners struggle with the associated smells, inherent to keeping an animal in your home. It's true enough that very few people will savour the whiff of dog or cat food, a litter tray or even the after effects of the occasional accident.

But when trying to combat this issue, it's important to recognise that air fresheners, essential oils and just the methods you use to deal with the smell, might not be as nice for your pet as it is for you.

Most air fresheners contain volatile organic compounds (VOC's), which are organic chemicals required for an air freshener to do what it does... dissipating into the air. They can cause:

*Eye, nose and throat irritation.

*Headaches, loss of coordination, lethargy and nausea.

*Damage to liver, kidneys and the CNS.

*Some can cause cancers in animals and some are suspected or known to cause cancers in humans.

There's frequently a belief that essential oils are better because they're "natural". Unfortunately, this is a misconception. They are also defined as volatile and cats, dogs and birds can all be very sensitive to the dangers of certain oils. The particles are airborne, so get inside their nose and airways, in the ears, eyes and stomach. All the above listed concerns are valid with essential oils too and skin irritations are a common reaction. Scented candles, incense and atomisers are equally as problematic. In fact, essential oils are associated with neurological problems like agitation, weakness, unsteadiness and tremors.

Carpet fresheners and products designed to freshen up soft furnishings are well known for causing terrible skin irritations, bald patches and worse.

It might be tempting to regularly bathe them, but our pets skin emits natural oils that are vital for helping them stay warm and to prevent water from penetrating to the deepest layers of the coat. So unless there's a seriously valid reason to do so (such as having fox poo or other excrement on them), it's preferable to avoid soaps/shampoos and use water alone. Breeds that are known for hunting have a tendency to roll in strong smelling substances they come across on their travels. This is to mask their own scent when hunting and is instinctive behaviour. It's also worth considering a bucket or even a hose pipe outside. This might sound harsh, but a shower tray or bath is slippy for an animal that stands on its toes and bathrooms echo. Not to mention, there's no apparent escape, so it's unsurprising that they're going to panic. At least outside, they can shake at will (without soaking you and your bathroom) and can escape immediately once the ordeal is over. Even during the winter months, with their fur coat and the help of those oils that keep them warm and dry, unlike us, a quick wash outside won't do any harm and will cause less stress than a terrifying bathroom trauma. Our pets scent is massively important to them. It's how other animals identify them and similar to how vital our names are to us. Imagine losing your name for a week and nobody could recognise you.

It's advised you avoid bathing more than once a month, if possible. It depends on the reason for bathing, your pets conscientiousness when it comes to self grooming and the weather. Only use products made for animals. Don't fall for the myth of baby shampoo being ok because it's mild. Newsflash!! It's actually not at all.

Try a different way of managing the shared airspace.

Un-neutered animals may smell unappealing, but it's really unfair to make them suffer when considering the number of pets needing homes, the responsible owner neuters their pets. It's an important health matter and prevents a womb literally rotting inside females, or erratic and aggressive behaviour (including violent fighting) in males. A common problem experienced by cat owners is "spraying" either by a Tom they own or an intruding rival. It's definitely a smell that you don't want to live with, but the solution is adequate cleaning. This isn't one that can just be "spritzed" over.

https://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/19932510.pdsas-pet-care-neutering-important-protecting-pets/

The thing that's really important to note when thinking about using a scented product of any kind in a home you share with a pet, is how potent they are for us. When we consider the super heightened sense of smell our animal friends enjoy, the smell alone can be so overwhelming that it will be unbearable for them. 

It really is best to just open the window whenever possible as the first and best option.

If you do still feel you want to use a product to sweeten the air in the home (afterall, that yummy food you fed them often smells less yummy as flatulence strikes), it's best to check with your vet first, to ensure it's a suitable option for you both. Certain breeds especially can be highly strung and are known for some eyewatering bottom burps!! Charcoal biscuits are cheap and widely available at supermarkets and pet food suppliers. It's long been the "go-to" for setting a dicky tummy.

A common complaint is the "wet dog" smell. Refraining from unnecessarily stripping away those natural oils in the coat, which help repel water when they do that whole body shake manoeuvre, will minimise the duration of this smell. 

Vets warn that negative effects may immediately be apparent, or within a few hours/days of use. They might withdraw from the area or cower. Other signals of potential issues are coughing, sneezing, discharge coming from the eyes/nose, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy or a loss of appetite.

Cats have an increase in feline asthma where air fresheners, cigarette smoke or just the aroma of cleaning products are present.

The litter box is an obvious target for action. Changing the product you use for absorption and your routine for cleaning it, can both make a big difference.

The residues from these airborne scents can build up in carpets and soft furnishings, so you might want to do a steam clean for a fresh start. People who have used these products for a longer period of time often become used to it over time and may be unable to realistically assess the strength of the product, in which case it's advised to ask a third party to step in. Beware of greenwashing. A label declaring a product as being "all natural" or "green" is a marketing tactic with no legal or regulatory status, so check beyond the description. 

Alternative solutions to try.

Remember that most people prefer "unscented". It's fine for a home to smell like... well, a home. Rather than a bunch of orchids, a spring fresh rainfall or a tropical rainforest.

Some safe alternatives are small jars/pots containing bicarbonate of soda, which are brilliant for absorbing smells.

Cleaning well is always going to improve matters and is something that is unavoidable if you have animals in your domicile. Food and water bowls, bedding, toys, litter trays, soft furnishings and carpets, any areas of wall that might be subject to spraying or rubbing of the coat, are all crucial areas to focus on when cleaning. Keep an eye open for stray scraps of food that may have been dropped somewhere and could be rotting.

Simmer pots, where ingredients such as apple cider, spices and dried fruits are simmered gently on the stove, are much nicer than most proprietary products available on the supermarket shelf.

Another useful tool in your quest for fresh air is found in house plants. But there are a number of common plants that can be toxic for our furry friends, so it's important to check which are ok and which are nokay.

https://www.bhg.com.au/air-purifying-plants-that-are-safe-for-pets

🗣️Leave a comment. I read every one and will reply if requested to do so.

The biggest threat to world peace.

 Which country presents the biggest threat to world peace?

Polling agencies asking this question around the world, overwhelmingly received one answer.... America.

Since the end of WW2, America has killed 30million people in a succession of invasions, leaving many more injured, orphaned and angry. Washington has conducted the most devastating terrorist campaign ever, murdering with drone strikes and outrageously savage missiles. Homes, land and communities have been destroyed, frequently based on little more than hearsay, from vindictive opponents. For decades their military posturing with the compulsive need for global policing, has achieved nothing but generating a host of new enemy nations. Diplomacy and peace efforts were abandoned, turning their back on international treaties

But 70% of American people have issues with the decisions of their elected representatives warmongering. Provocation of nuclear players, Russia and China, has seen the doomsday clock reach 100 minutes to midnight. That's extinction, apocalypse, THE END. Al Qaeda and Isis have been teaching supportive youngsters globally, to make car and pipe bombs, explosives and issued lists of targets. It's hardly a shock. What would you do, if you'd seen everyone you love evaporated, as they whoop and holler, cowboy style?? 

Had they placed intellectual linguist Chomsky in the Whitehouse, they may now be the greatest country in the world. But he has to be protected with security guards because many still confuse his honesty for treachery. For the indoctrinated, ignorant and those in power, there's no way but the way of "shock and awe". It's not hard to see how the oil rich Arab nations get special treatment. Unlike the slaughter in Vietnam, which only ended because concern was so great for the disharmony on the American streets, the military were needed at home. Some apologies and a plan for reparations, could save the people who no doubt, will pay for the sins of their leaders with their blood. 

American people aware

👆 This was the first time I'd seen compassion for the victims of American imperialism, from citizens. Powers there definitely don't like their people knowing the facts. Yet looking at a selection of news stories during this critical period, there's TV shows, cars, some mockery of the most dangerous president they have possibly ever had, Trump. It's hard to understand how he hasn't been charged for inciting violence. But at least now they can base decisions on science and legitimate facts, rather than the rantings of a maniac. 

37 countries in succession, have suffered at the hands of the CIA and their role as global thought police. Anyone who doesn't think as they do, is wrong and must die. Al Qaeda say: "To the American, murder is so routine, it's like having a cup of Joe in the morning. He can't do anything without it." When they're right, they're right. Just today, I spotted an article about the sentencing of a convicted murderer in the US. It was suggesting that his execution should be televised. They were all condemning him with everything they could muster. There's an unavoidable sense that this so-called Christian country, has no appreciation for the value of human life. Killing is killing. By executing the murderer, they're no better than him. Two wrongs don't make a right and revelling in anyone's misfortune is about what we've come to expect. Capitalism is based in an idea of achieving success at the cost of those around you. Is it so impossible that the entire world might not want to have Western ideologies thrust upon them? 

For one moment, try to imagine the place you call home is bombarded with a hail of missiles, your family are killed, you are forced to gather what you can of their remains and find a place free of land mines to bury them. The soldiers who arrived one day shouting and pointing their guns at the village elders promised to help, but just attracted the attention of fighters they had needed long ago for some war that you never understood. All you wanted was to survive this madness. The fighters say we must not forget who we are and be proud of our strong, brave martyrs. We must be good and loyal to God and we will be respected as we once were. But all your animals were dead, so selling your daughter was the only hope, that she would have enough to eat. Even when the American soldiers stop coming, death continues to rain down from the sky. Burning chunks of metal comes out of nowhere. The water in the well is poisoned. Your beautiful home, everything TV you ever knew and everyone you loved is gone. You can only wonder what you did to warrant such punishment.

The vast majority of us have no interest or desire, to be any part of the bloodthirsty plots cooked up by those who make the rules. Time after time, civilians pay the price for their inability to use their intelligence and come to peaceful resolutions. Tit for tat attacks can go on forever until nobody even remembers the reason the killing started. We are ALL more than pawns on a chess board or dogs to set on the enemy of our owner. 

It's been 70 years since the Korean war, which followed many border incursions by both Northern and Southern Korean forces. A myth abounds that the Soviet Union ordered North Korea to attack their Southern counterparts. It's reported that US dropped 650,000 tons of bombs, including 430,000 tons of napalm bombs at many locations throughout Korea. Younger people and those swayed by typical Government cover ups, excuses, lies, demonisation of its enemies and the ever present smokescreen preventing the spread of truths, might wonder why the Korean people might feel some animosity towards America. As if the horrific use of napalm as a weapon against the Korean people hadn't done enough damage, Vietnam was to suffer a continuation of this atrocity during another South/West conflict. The CIA fabricated a phoney attack on a US shop in the gulf of Tonkin to justify US involvement. An American assassination campaign terrorised the South Vietnamese people and the devastation wreaked upon Vietnam became one of the most abhorred acts of America's substantial list of abuses.

The CIA has a lengthy and insalubrious tradition of involving itself in the murkiest of conflicts. The depth of their disdain for the suffering of those left in its wake isn't easy for the strongest of stomachs to digest. Be warned!! 

The whole story

Untold millions have been distributed in support of whichever government, guerilla, paramilitary or  insurrectionist agenda takes their fancy. Assistance comes in many guises such as the use of a seemingly endless supply of military force, furnishing with weaponry, secret operations and interference to agitate and blur the the lines of truth, training in strategic military methods and techniques better known as torture and mis/disinformation.

The Constantine report

Take for example the longstanding insistence on poking and provoking various parties within the Iraq-Iran conflict. The US provided the Iraqis with billions of dollars in credits, awarding them equipment and even biological agents. Mainstream media has altered the path of truth. Clearing the way for a host of illegal and underhanded tactics, to garner public approval of what is in reality, little more than a massacre of the highest degree. On July 3rd 1988 the US navy ship, the Vincennes was operating within Iranian waters, providing support to Iraq. During a battle with Iranian gunboats it fired two missiles at an Iranian airbus on a routine civilian flight, killing all 290 civilian passengers onboard. This detail will come as a surprise to a great many people. In fact, it's widely believed that Iran was irate at the presence of the mighty US in international waters and issued threats that the US found intolerable. It's worth remembering that even after the 1983 Boland amendment was passed prohibiting the CIA, defence department and any other government agency, from providing further covert military assistance to Nicaraguan Contra rebels , the National Security Council (who were not explicitly covered by the law) continued to fund the geurilla Contras, using profits from arms sold to Iran.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, April Glaspie (US Ambassador to Iraq) had advised that that the US had no position on its dispute with Kuwait , giving the green light. To energise the American public in supporting an attack against Iraq, the daughter of the Kuwait ambassador to the US falsely testified before Congress with typical emotional dramatics, that Iraqi troops were pulling the plugs on incubators in Iraqi hospitals. A merciless frenzy of bloodshed and indiscriminate murder ensue. In April 1991, George Bush (possibly the greatest war criminal ever) dispatched the full force of American "shock and awe" upon Baghdad, promising vengeance for the attack on the twin towers in New York (when it was very obviously always all about oil), a tragedy known as "the highway of death" occurred. They led coalition forces in a horrific attack where they targeted a line of traffic, alleging it consisted of fleeing Iraqi troops who had been attacking and looting Kuwait. Between 1,400 and 2,000 vehicles were attacked. They first destroyed the first, then the last (so there was no escape) and then for more than 2 hours the retreating forces (in accordance with UN resolution 660), Kuwaiti hostages and civilian refugees, including women and children were slaughtered. The US attorney general declared it violated the third Geneva convention, constituting a war crime. 

400 tons of depleted uranium that had been used in the little known use of chemical weapons, were left there by the US. Countless women there have children with horrible deformities and Cancers. Some sick children have been orphaned during the invasion, leaving them with nobody. As has happened again and again, the very weapons supplied by US sponsorship in conflicts they have no business being involved in at all, were the same ones they found turned on their own troops.

Depleted uranium

 Back in the 1960s Afghanistan was a very different country to what we see today. In the 1960s, Afghanistan was actively undergoing a process of modernization and Westernization. People began dressing in western attire, men and women alike attended western-style universities, and cars crowded newly-paved roads. At the same time, Afghans preserved much of traditional Afghan culture.

In 1998, in an interview with the Parisian publication Le Novel Observateur, Zbigniew Brzezinski, adviser to President Carter, admitted that he had been responsible for instigating aid to the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan which caused the Soviets to invade. Billions of dollars and millions of lives were thrown away in the name of weakening the Soviet Union and Afghani heroin production was 6 times what it had been. Afghani spokesmen have declared that before the US invasion of their country, the Taliban had little support among the people and they were confident that national forces could defeat them. But once again, the heavy handed approach has left a trail of civilians dead, injured, disabled, with no home, their land destroyed and children mentally scarred from the horrors of war. The result is a generation who when asked to "avenge the death of your family", doesn't need asking twice. There's one crop that grows in almost any terrain, offering just enough for survival and that's opium poppies. The Taliban are OK with opium production providing it's headed for the western infidels. They tax it at every opportunity which is a vast source of income. The one legged farmer is trying to feed his grandchildren orphaned by the American missiles which have been followed by Pakistani strikes. He believes his harvest ends up being used in hospitals and only knows death comes from the sky and from the blanket of land mines littering the country. Women who have been brave enough to speak out express how important it is to have "a clear separation of church and state". Something many US citizens can relate to.

It's often said that the victors rewrite history but in this instance, as was to become a matter of standard practice, there never would be a "Victor". The idea that any one of the wars, conflicts, battles, struggles, campaigns, offensives, dissents or other efforts to impose it's position as the omnipotent world power many still believes it to be, concluded with a US victory, is highly debated. This is a damning statement about the way Washington plays with human lives like a child burning toy soldiers. Not only has it a psychopathic disregard for its untold dehumanising activities overseas, but it repeatedly expects American citizens to sacrifice their own lives, futures and mental health in the name of patriotism. The lack of provision for US military veterans is no secret. Those who don't come home in a wooden box face unprecedented incidence of PTSD and other psychological difficulties. The parroted platitudes of the public are of little comfort to the men and women physically and mentally scarred, with no real world skills that find themselves fighting homelessness. "Thankyou for your service" just doesn't cut it. The fact is that they were indoctrinated from day one with propoganda and censorship . The "red scare" instilled an urgency in fighting communism wherever it may be hiding, irrespective of the cost to individuals, grieving families and broken communities. School children across the country are required to recite the pledge of allegiance for fear that any student might slip through the net and discover the truth about their nations shame. Who would fight their unjust incursions then?? Government think tanks have been carefully utilising their quid pro quo with corporate and media influencers, to ensure only the right candidates receive the right version of historical events in universities. Increasingly the words "Why weren't we taught this at school?" is being said by outraged Americans, left ashamed and horrified by revelations. 

You'll be familiar with the belief that American forces won the day for allied forces in WWII. Not only was it Russian troops that liberated Auschwitz, but it was the Americans who gave the Nazi war machine the ideology, impetus and financial support that propelled the eugenics movement, from a pseudoscience to an enduring racist dogma that persists to this day. Hitler quoted the American Eugenicists in his manifesto, Mein Kampf and the Rockefeller Foundation provided the donations that enabled white supremacist ideology to flourish and grow.

America's gift to humanity

For months, allegations of Russian "hacking" and cyber espionage, aimed at subversion and meddling in US and international elections, dominated headlines and justified political manoeuvres. When Wikileaks published some 9,000 documents revealing CIA methods and capabilities, it exposed the US as the world's greatest "rogue state" and "cyber criminal". Funded by hundreds of billions of tax dollars, spying on world leaders, organising kidnappings, assassinations and overturning elections at a whim, distrust reverberated around the world as government agencies recognised the subterfuge. Wikileaks published details of war crimes committed by the agencies claiming to be protecting their country and its inhabitants. The American mainstream media, also known as the propoganda wing of Washington, dutifully smeared those who dared to hold them accountable. 

Julian Assange had lived in hiding for years, followed by detainment in high security Belmarsh prison, despite unsurprising ill health, for the crime of telling the truth. US prosecutors conveniently omitted certain less flattering revelations by Wikileaks. Notable by its omission was the "shameful" collateral murder footage, showing and Apache helicopter mowing down 11 civilians and 2 Reuters journalists in Baghdad. British home secretary, Priti Patel, famous for her repeated transgressions against the ministerial code of conduct, has backed his extradition. This is a woman who would not be on British soil had her own policies been in place when her parents fled tyrant Idi Amin as some of the first refugees to find asylum in the UK. She has recently established an agreement that will see plane loads of asylum seekers shipped to Rwanda. Assange and Wikileaks is yet to publish a single untruth. I recall ridiculous defensive remarks by people who had quite evidently no idea of what the Wikileaks documents included. 

Priti Patel

Spare a thought for the silent casualty of all this war.. the environment. A 2019 report found the US military to be "one of the largest climate polluters in history, consuming more liquid fuels and emitting more CO2e than most countries". The eye watering amount of oil bought by the air force, army, navy and marines (and the subsequent carbon -dioxide emissions), explain the desperate attempts to control the oil rich Arab nations in the middle East. Then there's the issue of land pollution. Most notable was the 1946-1958 testing of 67 nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands and the Navajo Indian reservation. Equated to 1,000 times greater than the Hiroshima bomb, 75 years later residents of those places (which were evacuated due to radiation levels) included radiation poisoning, leukemia, birth defects and thyroid and other Cancers. Indigenous peoples have felt the consequences of toxic gases and fluids polluting waterways. Uranium mining and aboveground weapons testing has been occurring for about 50 years . Domestic and US military bases rank among some of the most polluted in the world. Chiefly due to the astonishing amount of toxic chemicals, such as perchlorate and other components to jet fuel, found to contaminate drinking water, aquifers and soil surrounding the base. Efforts to implement promised change have been minimal. Washington's negligence and disregard for human life (not to mention the impact on wildlife) is evident from the sequence of spillages and dumping of waste that has been contaminating ground water with harmful chemicals far exceeding safety standards , seriously affecting the lives and health of military personnel and civilians for years. Refugees fleeing the ravages of the military force and economic sanctions has only been met with more aggression and disdain for what they call "collateral damage". These are human beings, who are some of the most vulnerable and likely to be disproportionately affected by the climate emergency. There are three immediate measures suggested that should be implemented to address the issue. 1) Reducing the Pentagon's budget 2) Holding the government accountable for its numerous human rights violations through negligence. 3) Redirecting funding. Instead of spending on procuring and distributing fuel and wars, consider using that money to address the very serious threat to the public that is presented by climate change.

How many more lives need to be lost?? "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result". There is another approach. In fact, legally speaking, the use of force is only permitted when other methods have been exhausted. Once upon a time diplomacy, peace talks and negotiation were considered to be the gold standard. Some apologies and proposals for reparations could go a long way to safeguarding the American public. While they're at it, maybe they could apologize to the American people whose lives have been touched by their incessant warmongering.  Instead of spending countless trillions on weaponry, perhaps they could offer some hope and assistance to the people living in abject poverty back home. A good start might be in accepting some accountability and offering a little honesty to the people who pay their for all those tons of ammo. When your sons and daughters must die to be a "patriot", someone should tell them it's time they took point. 

Another way

It's refreshing and reassuring to see more American people taking a stand against Washington and it's disgraceful activities. The most vocal of these are veterans of American military forays, who appreciate the value of every single one of the millions killed. They know what it is to feel they were tricked, into worsening the plight of the people they thought they would be helping. Unlike those in Congress, they have witnessed the suffering delivered upon everyday people, paying the price for America's insistence on capitulation. They very rightly feel used and refuse to remain silent. There are no winners in war, no glory and no problems are resolved. They call them "freedom fighters" because what they campaign for is TRUE freedom. The most frequently espoused justification for the global massacres, is delivering the gift of democracy. This, from a nation where its 20 million felons are excluded from the "democratic" elections. Although, it should be noted, that eligibility varies from state to state and reform to repeal restrictions passes, but is frequently repealed. People who have served the sentence handed down to them by the judicial system, have paid their debt to society, which should give rise to the question, "what is the real reason felons are denied the vote?" Back in the dark days of the Jim Crow South, a number of laws were created to restrict voting rights of black people. It's no great secret that a disproportionate amount of US felons are of Afro-American and Hispanic descent. They are likely to be from the poorest and most deprived areas, with the fewest opportunities for access to housing, education and healthcare. Having little affection for the wealthy, predominantly white candidates, their vote would be of no use to their overlords. A number of the parties selected for US support overseas, especially those in the African nations, supported the minority, wealthy, white ruling elite. The extent to which America has a problem with institutional racism, is for the American people to establish. The true democracy permits every adult that will be affected by the decisions and rulings of their governing body, a voice in deciding who that should be. When the worst criminals are those in the highest positions, is when the true degree of freedom is revealed. 

My faith in humanity is lifted.

Additional reading/sites of interest:

• https://youtu.be/JJF0TB6nJhI
• https://youtu.be/-BIA4dgAJ9A
• https://youtu.be/6nG_4e39gL4
• https://youtu.be/7Bz5g80twBM
• https://youtu.be/u0kR-2HAsMM
• https://youtu.be/7bsYOQltflA
• https://popularresistance.org/horrors-wrought-on-the-world-since-911/
• https://earth.org/us-military-pollution/
• https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/the-us-should-apologize-to-the-marshall-islands-for-nuclear-tests/
• https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/hunt-bin-laden-and-legacy-us-wars
• https://www.globaltruthproject.com/single-post/Importance-of-Truth-in-Our-Life-and-How-to-Learn-It
• https://www.mediavsreality.com/mediavsreality2/2019/9/2/the-brutal-truth-about-the-mainstream-media

🗣️Leave a comment. I read every one and will reply if requested to do so.

Illusory truth effect.

 There's a phenomenon called the "Illusory truth effect". It's the tendency to believe false information to be correct following repeated exposure to it.

Most notably used in election campaigns, advertising, news media and political propoganda, we can see this in other areas of life.

When a controlling person repeatedly attacks the self esteem of someone they have a relationship with, they will soon start to believe that falsehood. Children especially but adults too, when repeatedly told they are stupid or unattractive will take on those ideas as their own. 

We have all witnessed the effect of mass medical misinformation and how that takes hold and spreads like wildfire, despite it being clearly disproven.

But there's a positive use for this concept, if we know how. Its powers can be harnessed and used to a positive effect. Now I bet that's got you wondering.

On a number of occasions, I have, for the purposes of my health among other reasons, convinced myself to believe something that I know to be untrue, by repeatedly telling myself and those around me that I believe the lie.

For example, I wanted to quit eating chocolate (I was eating far more than is healthy in anyone's world). So I told myself every time I saw it, was offered it, saw it in a book, magazine or anywhere, that "I don't like chocolate". I told anyone who would listen "I don't like chocolate". Pretty soon, I was really believing my own lie!! 

The problem arises when you actually try it again and realise you were as wrong as is possible. Which suggests it's more of a delusion than a "lie". But it's worked for a number of things. 

There's the possibility this could be some psychotic or narcissistic personality trait, or possibly just the sign of a compulsive liar. But I promise, I am using this power only for good.

🗣️ Leave a comment. I read every one and will reply if requested to do so.

The amazing feta cheese tin

 I spotted a discussion about feta cheese, which reminded me, I promised to write a book about this seemingly little known phenomenon.

Years ago, before upcycling and repurposing, I lived in this remote little Greek village. There wasn't much to call entertainment, but one thing that always provided amazement and surprise was the many versatile uses for an old feta cheese tin. 

It comes in these big square tins and I can't remember ever seeing one thrown away.. they seem to go on forever.

I've seen street cleaning done with a broom and a feta tin on a stick, builders fill a tin with plaster and get his grandma to carry it up ladders to be applied, farmers with them strapped to the back of a motorbike to collect stray goats, used to make a grate for a fireplace, beach parasols have their pole planted in a tin of concrete to stop them blowing away, as bins next to the toilet that can't manage a poop let alone anything else so you chuck everything in there, for restaurants to collect waste for the pigs, involved in a multitude of children's games along with a stick/boiled egg/rock/what looks like someone's homework, as some kind of cockroach trap/competition to see if you can guess how many are in it, for the totally soul destroying job of picking olives/ emptying ashtrays in the bars/ collecting water from the tap in the square (because it's only on in homes for a few hours a day)/ dispensing church bread (we label it "choke you to death bread"....you get the idea.

Additional reading/sites of interest:

• https://www.inspiredbygreece.com/feta-tin-village/
• https://ideabygs.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-evolution-of-feta-cheese-tin-in.html?m=1

 🗣️Leave a comment. I read every one and will reply if requested to do so.

Going underground

 The mysterious world         under your feet.

   The subterranean world is a whole other secret place that few people are privy to. You never quite know what could be unearthed. People walk around everyday for years, never realising the hidden secrets in a place where time has stood still.. frozen in time. With no accrued dust or materials degrading (the result of water ingress/exposure to sunlight), it frequently appears as though the occupants of these uncanny scenes have momentarily stepped out of the room, then failed to return.

   I reckon it's a great option for those of us looking for some peace and privacy.

   Takes a little getting used to because sounds travel in a certain way. Once you get used to it, nobody can creep up on you and if someone didn't want to be found, it would be just the place. Anyone trying to find them but not used to it, would be totally lost because it's hard to know exactly where a sound is coming from or how near it is. Also, it's easy to lose a sense of direction. 

   Best to take a map and a compass if you go exploring. Many places are closed off, but there's usually an outlet somewhere and you can get in that way.

An excellent book.

   Some years ago, I lived in Bilston (near Wolverhampton) where there was a particular pub, that is widely reported as being h h H Haunted!👻 Woo!! Once upon a time, it had marked the halfway point, along that lengthy and treacherous journey heading southwards, transporting detainees betwixt the Northerly Scottish borders and Ye Olde London Town, where England's highest court of law, The Old Bailey was (and still is) situated. These individuals would have been facing severe punishment, potentially the dreaded hangman's noose.

The Old White Rose Tavern

   Prisoners being transported to the city would be locked in the cellar/ dungeon beneath this tavern/inn/hostelry overnight, alongside the horses. Meanwhile upstairs, those tasked with delivering them to the capital enjoying some famous Black Country hospitality. 

 Popular belief acknowledges that the place is haunted. The Mysterious Britain website (23/12/18) relates this story:

The Olde White Rose is a 16th century building with extensive cellars. It was in the cellar system early one morning that landlord John Denston clearly witnessed an apparition. At the end of a long disused cellar was a drop which was convenient for lifting empty barrels up to ground level.

Early one morning in 1998 John clearly saw a figure exit the drop and stand at the end of the cellar. He was wearing old fashioned and quite scruffy clothes. After standing stock still for a few moments staring at his upturned palms the swarthy and unkempt looking man disappeared into a side tunnel. By this time John realised it was an apparition he had seen as the side tunnel actually went nowhere. It was securely bricked up at the end.

 

Idid my share of haunting that bar and their excellent veggie carvery. 

There's tons of subway that's either disused or never got used. Old sewers and a mass of not-so-secret secret subterranean weapons bases. Tons of bomb shelters from various times and various shapes and sizes are all still there. When Catholicism was rejected but Catholics had their own ideas about it, wealthier people would have a priest come to perform mass at their home. "priest holes" are all over those old houses...places to shove your forbidden clergy, but some actually have escape tunnels too. 

There's loads I haven't had a chance to look at. There must be other people into exploring this hidden world with knowledge of ways in. We don't get earth quakes so they're pretty safe. 

If we could establish an alternative underground community, maybe we could evolve into "mole people". 

I don't fancy those sewers still in use though. It's not the potential of rats, ninja turtles, alligators or even monster poos. It's the dreaded fatburg!!!!

https://youtu.be/C0F8qWFL0_M

  Useful links:

🔗https://www.loveexploring.com/galleries/68772/underground-britain-things-to-do-beneath-the-surface

🔗https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20201005-the-uks-rumoured-subterranean-network

🔗https://listverse.com/2023/05/27/10-truly-unsettling-underground-places-in-the-uk/

 

🗣️ Leave a comment. I read every one and will reply if requested to do so.