When I visited Shropshire, I heard of the death of Barry Evans.

I first met Barry in 1981/2.

We were both angry, young men from different towns and our reputations preceded us.
Because we shared a group of friends, we learned how to be polite while not relaxing a moment in each others presence.

During the 90's, Barry and I learned to 'hug'.
Him from Raves;
me from the personal growth work.

Back then, we had a mutual liking of ecstatic moments.
Talking shit round a bonfire till the dawn or the police came.
We bonded.

In 2006, I got a call at work from my partner. Barry had turned up at our house, in West Molesey, wanting to see me.
He wanted to know about my 'personal growth' and for the next two days we shared the intimate details of our pasts, noting the patterns of behavior that made us who we are.

Two years later, he was helping me leave a town (and life) that was chaotic and dangerous.
He never asked me questions and he never judged me.
I loved him for that.

Barry. You were a true man. Through your struggles and battles (mostly with yourself) you always did and said what you thought right.

I salute you.

Coming to work this morning, I was horrified to see a company van with Eglaze written on the side, jump a set of traffic lights.

Why ?

Tis illegal and dangerous.

Also stupid.

I hope the boss at Eglaze reads this and has a word with his drivers.

Then again,it may have been the boss !

Stop jumping red lights.

Leave Pete Docherty alone.

Jesus, I am so bloody bored with the Police and Media campaign against him.

He is not mugging old ladies on the street corner for money.

He works so he can pay for his drugs.

He is NOT a 'rolemodel'; nor has he ever wanted to be.

(and he is still shagging Kate Moss)

Concentrate on the real issues.

And, as I am on the subject of roads, it should be policy to keep the roads clear.

A burning lorry on the Motorway ?
Bulldoze it to the side.

Two cars bump into each other.
OOoohh. Dont move the cars. Wait for the police.

Bollox to that.
Take some photo's, if you must.
Move away so the traffic can continue then exchange details.
But keep the traffic moving.

Or better still, how about someone taking responsibilty for their actions and sorting it there and then ?
Rather than follow the insurance companies policy. 'Dont admit fault - even if you are at fault' !!??

If it is a bad accident and people are injured, then sure, we all wait and pray that everyone's ok.
(Take a deep breath)
If someone has died, then sorry. But they are dead.
Clear the road.

We lose billions of pounds through congestion and delays on our road.
Most of us years off our lives through the stress of sitting in traffic jams.

You may not like it.
But we need to KEEP THE ROADS CLEAR.

Lets do it.

I went away at the weekend.

Travelled form London to Shropshire to visit my eldest daughter and grandchildren.

I got soaked. As anyone living in the UK knows, it rained (again).

Riding a Yamaha Virago 750, with no fairing, I managed the journey in 4 hours and arrived dripping in Telford.

A big Thank you to Rags.
With his dry socks and 3 cups of tea, I squelched the remaining 20 miles.

So, to my beef.

Bloody roadworks from Junctions 6 to 10.

Well, I say roadworks. No one was working. I didnt see one single road worker.
What's the fucking point ?

If the road needs maintenance then employ the people, even if it requires 5000 workers.
Better that, than 3 years of misery.

Every year, some newspaper or other, decides to do an article on the poor quality of care in our Care(!) homes.

They go on about abuse, lack of personal care, etc.

"Its not good enough", they rant.

Quite right, too.

What changes ?

Nothing.

Why ?

Because the people who are paid by Councils to monitor the Homes receive backhanders from the Owners to turn a blind eye.

How do I know ?

Because I worked in the Care field for 10 years.

Many good Nurses and Carers have been taken to Court and the BMA, their lives and careers ruined by greedy people who lie to protect their profits.

The Towns of Ludlow and Shrewsbury come to my mind.

There are dozens of others.

Name and Shame.

It is the biggest and probably the best search engine on the web.

Google is also collecting data and information about OUR online activities.
Even simple Searches are being recorded for 18 months.

By signing up to Google toolbar, G Mail, or any of their products, YOU/WE give our permission for Google to use our data as they see fit.

Team Google with hooky Governments, such as China, Russia, USA, UK et al and we could be in deep trouble.

Interestingly, CNet have just published the time that the major companies retain the data for.

Google and Microsoft.....18 months.

AOL and Yahoo.....13 months.

Ask.Com.....several HOURS.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10 years since the death of Princess Diana.

I remember watching the news come through on TV.
Like most people, I was shocked.

Shocked enough to look at my own life and decide that things had to change.

On the one hand, my life looked rosy.
I was living with my partner and 3 year old daughter.
Working in the care field which I loved.

But, my partner couldnt control her temper and would lash out at me.
We were in Counselling and she broke her agreement not to use violence.

I left her.

The death of Princess Di was my kick up the ass to change.

Those who know me or have read my blogs know what has happened since.
Would I do the same again, if I had my time over ?

Oh yes.
I am worth more than being someone's punchbag.

On my way home, last night, I was forced to brake sharply to avoid crashing into a Sainsbury's delivery van, which had driven through a Red Light

The driver pulled over in the next street, so I asked him how dangerous he thought his actions were.

He didnt look at me, but replied that he 'was going to fast to stop'.

I lost my temper, swore at him and drove off.

What I should have asked was what if it had been a small child crossing the road ??

Hot hot hot.

Its melting in london.
The temperature must be as high as my anger.
Why ?

Another sleepless night, mostly spent listening to my flatmate bouncing around in his bedrooom, drunken.
And realising that the human race has very little time left on this planet.

I became plugged in by the hospital, yesterday.
The results of my parners scan showed NOTHING.
After weeks of pain and being able to feel a golf ball sized mass under her ribcage, we are back to square one.

We can send people to the Moon.
Fire missiles hundreds of miles, to explode accurately on its target.
(though the information is wrong and the target is usually some poor bastards home, resulting in his family being smeared over the wall)
Create WMD that can split our planet in two.

Yet, we can not diagnose what is going on in our own bodies.

Man has the potential to create a Paradise on Earth.

Yet, after thousands of years of evolving and learning, what have we achieved ?

Most of the World's population live in Poverty.
We have poisoned the land and the oceans, even the very air we breathe.
Our food is tainted.
The children suffer.

Shit, most of us can not even string a sentence together without getting the facts wrong.
Or Lying.

Man has been on the planet for thousands of years.

Not for much longer, I expect.

Today, is my partners Birthday.

Happy Birthday, Abbie.

33 (again) !?

Love and light be with you always.

A Bill is to be put before the Australian Government next week, that would enable the Police and Security forces to search the homes and computers of its citizens.

Without the 'suspect' even knowing !

George Bush's illegal war in Iraq has not only caused great unrest in the Middle east. But has also led to Draconian Laws being passed in the USA, Britain and now, it seems likely, Australia.

The blood-stained Governments say these Laws are needed to combat the War on Terror.
Yet, it will be the ordinary people who will suffer most when these Laws are used against them/us.

Big Brother is here.

And these Laws are passed to ensure Big Brother STAYS.