Including Manic Monday and ReadWritePoem.
Have you had a go yet?
Welcome to my Monday Magazine post.
Barack Obama is coming to see me soon – well, not me personally, but Britain. He’s also journeying to Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, Germany, France … And if I could give him a message, what would I say?
‘Hi, Barack
‘You might be President soon, and there’s something you should know. I used to blame Amercia for problems such as Iraq. When I started blogging, I met many Americans and realized something. It wasn’t the American’s fault but their President.
‘Can the President change the world? No. Situations, yes, but not people. People are similar everywhere. They know when things are right. So if ever you do something that makes non-Americans hate you, remember, it maybe means Americans hate you, too.’
Okay, message over. What else can I rant about. Oh, yes …
Financial chaos is coming.
It is increasingly likely that the British government is about to rewrite the fiscal rules. At present, they are not allowed to borrow more than 40% of the national wealth, but already it is verging on 39%.
Think about this. After over a decade of massive growth, borrowing is still this high. What kind of mis-management is this? Further, what a situation to be in as we go into a possible recession. Saving for a rainy day was obviously not on the agenda.
Of course, when times are hard you first think about cutting back on public services (not in their ideology), before raising taxes (we’re already taxed to the hilt), so at the worst possible time, the only answer is increased borrowing.
So, this is the outcome of a Prime Minister who built his reputation on economic prudence. And they say ‘spin’ is dead.
An essay tomorrow. Next Magazine Post, Wednesday.
© Anthony North, July 2008
THE ANGEL
Angel, out there, can’t you see?
It’s always here for you and me;
Naked in its need to feel,
personal glory has no appeal
Angel, tell me, what do you do?
Are you here to help us become new?
Are you our guardian for all time?
Come from somewhere totally Divine?
Human, out there, can’t you understand?
I’m proof that life is not so bland;
I’m wonder, miracle, a creator’s tool,
to help you, guide you,
stop you being a fool
(c) Anthony North, July 2008
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LICK – Fiction
Mr Jobsworth was a thin, wiry social worker with attitude. He knocked on the door and entered as soon as it was opened. Depositing himself on a chair, he observed the single parent concerned. And he couldn’t help but notice her long black skirt, strange pointy hat and myriad books of spells about the place.
‘What?!!’ she said.
‘We’ve had complaints about your 16 year old son.’
‘What you done now?!!!’ she shouted to another room.
The boy came into view, sporting blood red eyes, extended canine teeth and covered in hair.
Mr Jobsworth gulped. ‘It appears he goes around licking people.’
‘So?’ replied the lady. ‘What do you expect? He has a vegetarian diet.’
‘But he can’t go around doing that,’ he said.
‘Better that than eating them, I’d have thought.’
Mr Jobsworth – a vegetarian of many years – saw the logic in that. ‘But how did this happen?’ he asked.
She blushed. Then looked downhearted. ‘Oh. It was a spell that went sort of wrong.’ She cheered up. ‘But at least, he’s harmless – with his vegetarian diet.’
‘Have you ever thought of muzzling him?’
The boy growled – began to pace up and down on all fours.
‘Don’t be silly. I can’t do that. Human rights, and everything.’
Mr Jobsworth doubted if that would apply in its entirety. He looked at the boy once more. The boy looked at him, lunged forward, momentarily, and snapped.
‘Well I think we ought to take him into care – for public safety, and all that.’
Which was too much for the boy, who lunged once more and bit Mr Jobsworth’s head off. Which wasn’t really that unexpected for his mother. After all, as she said, he DID have a vegetarian diet.
© Anthony North, July 2008
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