tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863315275465489572024-03-12T21:32:07.103-07:00The Rainbow BankA new forum for the exchange of Global ideas,by free thinking people,with a love of Humanity.To discuss issues in an open and honest way,that reflects life around the planet.I have taken a concious decision not to include pictures,since my site is about dialogue.The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-43981828620749251642010-01-30T03:49:00.000-08:002010-01-30T04:26:59.264-08:00Letter to AmericaAn open letter to all right minded Americans who feel that we are in a period of uncertainty as to the future of the English Speaking Peoples.<div><br /></div><div>Ever since Eisenhower, America has been pushing Britain to form closer ties with mainland Europe, a position that some 70% of the population of this island do not want or agree with.</div><div><br /></div><div>This has finally lead to us being manipulated into a thing called The Lisbon Treaty, which effectively hands over the vast majority of our sovereignty to Brussels, the Capital of an artificially created state called Belgium.</div><div><br /></div><div>The European Union is dominated by a Franco-German alliance, which has no love for the English Speaking World.</div><div><br /></div><div>Originally America's idea was that Britain would prop up the new democracies of Europe, during the cold war.</div><div><br /></div><div>Successive American Presidents have continued to support the idea of Britain at the heart of Europe, the thinking being that in post Soviet times we would be a platform for the free market and a place where American business could base itself, to do business in the EU.</div><div><br /></div><div>President Obama wants to take this idea a stage further so that he can deal with one head of state as regards foreign relations.</div><div><br /></div><div>That head of state will likely be French or German, neither of which have a liking for the Anglo-Saxon view of the World.</div><div><br /></div><div>At present two English Speaking nations have permanent seats on the UN Security Council, namely Britain and America.</div><div><br /></div><div>It doesn't take much to realise that this situation could change in a way that is detrimental to the US.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rather than joining the EU, Winston Churchill had a vision for a global economic bloc consisting of The Commonwealth, Britain and the US.</div><div><br /></div><div>Churchill was a visionary who was often right and more often than not ignored until our country was in dire peril.</div><div><br /></div><div>Winston Churchill new the American people very well, after all his own mother was one.</div><div><br /></div><div>I believe as power shifts away from our world view it is not too late to re-energise the old alliances.</div><div><br /></div><div>America needs British help in parts of the world where it's influence is not strong and vice versa.</div><div><br /></div><div>China will become an increasing threat to the prosperity we have enjoyed and we in the West continue to help them secure more and more of our market share and with their vast dollar reserves they can outbid any Western company for mineral resources.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every week you can read in the press about cyber attacks emanating from China, trying to hack into Western high technology companies and defence contractors.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rather than support Chinese development, it would be more prudent to support India, the World's largest democracy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Much of the new technologies being developed require rare metals and rare earths, in this regard China is a major producer and speculation is growing that they will ban exports of these materials, to Western countries.</div><div><br /></div><div>We have virtually handed over our low tech manufacturing to this country, are we to allow them to monopolise our future?</div><div><br /></div><div>Americans know that Europe invariably procrastinates in it's support for the US, whereas Britain is stalwart as an ally, even when at times we disagree with you.</div><div><br /></div><div>A weakened Britain is not in America's interest.</div><div><br /></div><div>Please encourage your President to support British Sovereignty and the growth of the English Speaking World.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-22626664935618251672010-01-26T07:47:00.000-08:002010-01-26T07:59:09.552-08:00A Tribute to Charlie SimpsonWherever you live in the World, you cannot have missed the heart rending stories coming out of Haiti, since the devastating earthquake hit that poor country.<div><br /></div><div>Over 100,000 deaths and many thousands of people homeless and hungry.</div><div><br /></div><div>The sheer lack of infrastructure, makes the task of helping the population that much harder.</div><div><br /></div><div>Literally thousands of children have been orphaned and the tragedy continues, with the ever present fear of disease.</div><div><br /></div><div>Many people have given generously of their time, expertise and money.</div><div><br /></div><div>One lad in Fulham, West London, was so upset by what he saw on the television, he decided to do something about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Charlie Simpson set up a webpage saying he would do a five mile sponsored cycle ride around his local park, hoping to raise £500 for UNICEF.</div><div><br /></div><div>The response was staggering, to date Charlie has raised £150,000!</div><div><br /></div><div>He is seven years old.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-59937649320852791202010-01-25T07:54:00.000-08:002010-01-26T07:14:47.908-08:00AkhenatenNo doubt you are all familiar with the Pharaoh Akhenaten, who ruled during the Eighteenth Dynasty.<div><br /></div><div>Archaeology only knew this king as a myth, until excavations undertaken by Flinders Petrie, the great British Archaeologist in the nineteenth century at Amama, uncovered evidence of his existence.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are more familiar with his exotic wife, Nefertiti, an enigmatic and beautiful woman.</div><div><br /></div><div>The reason Akhenaten was obliterated from the list of kings, was because he espoused a new religion.</div><div><br /></div><div>Akhenaten created monotheism under the guise of Aten, a supreme God, with no imagery!</div><div><br /></div><div>This caused outrage amongst the Priesthood in Memphis, a body of men who controlled the spiritual wellbeing of Egyptians and controlled the wealth of the country.</div><div><br /></div><div>Traditionally Memphis accepted that the Pharaoh was a God and that they managed spirituality in this World.</div><div><br /></div><div>Akhenaten said that he was not a God, but simply his messenger on Earth.</div><div><br /></div><div>Clearly this was not acceptable to the priesthood and they worked hard to remove him, but did not dare to have him killed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Certain modern writers have suggested that Akhenaten was Moses, arguing that the Exodus was led by this man.</div><div><br /></div><div>Prior to Akhenaten ,monotheism did not exist and the timing would be right, to suggest he created it.</div><div><br /></div><div>We know from the Bible that polytheism was prevalent before Moses.</div><div><br /></div><div>The disappearance of Akhenaten at the time Moses appeared, might suggest that this theory was correct.</div><div><br /></div><div>I leave it to you to wonder.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-42932728993640931582010-01-23T08:12:00.000-08:002010-01-24T05:36:05.947-08:00TriumphIn the nineteen sixties, the British motorcycle industry was utterly decimated by four Japanese companies.Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda and Yamaha.<div><br /></div><div>They offered the customer a cost effective machine, that was well engineered and reliable.</div><div><br /></div><div>The great names of British motorcycling disappeared one by one.</div><div><br /></div><div>BSA, Norton, Greaves, Ariel, HRD , Triumph and many many more.</div><div><br /></div><div>Growing up in Stevenage, I particularly remember HRD, which manufactured the Vincent Black Shadow, the worlds first 1000cc motorcycle.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was an HRD machine that broke the 200 mph barrier on Utah salt flats, ridden by a Stevenage lad called George Brown.</div><div><br /></div><div>In later life George had a motorcycle shop in the town and the bike concerned, called 'nero' was proudly displayed in the shop window.</div><div><br /></div><div>As we know the industry in Britain died, old fashioned bespoke engineering was replaced by high quality Japanese mass production.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then in the late 1980's, along came an Englishman, called John Bloor, who bought the rights to the Triumph name.</div><div><br /></div><div>John had and continues to make a fortune from house building.</div><div><br /></div><div>He hired ex Triumph engineers and sent them to Japan, to learn how to build high quality machines, in a cost effective way.</div><div><br /></div><div>His view was that Britain produced amazing engineers, but failed in the production process.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a result his design team came back with the knowledge to create advanced motorcycles, that would be able to compete with the Japanese.</div><div><br /></div><div>Little by little the new Triumph company started to encroach on Japanese market share.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today their market share in Britain has continued to increase and they have recently overtaken Kawasaki.</div><div><br /></div><div>The company now sells in excess of 50,000 machines worldwide, most of which go to North America and surprisingly Japan.</div><div><br /></div><div>The iconic brand is going from strength to strength!</div><div><br /></div><div>Triumph produces the largest and most powerful motorcycle in the World, far outstripping any machine produced by Harley Davidson.</div><div><br /></div><div>If one remembers the classic movie, Hells Angels, starring Marlon Brando, you will know Triumph Motorcycles.</div><div><br /></div><div>This iconic product has learnt from the Japanese and is now probably the finest example of motorcycle engineering in the World.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are looking for a machine over 500cc, then look no further. It will perform and you have the added benefit of gravitas!</div><div><br /></div><div>Today Triumph Motorcycles are comparable with Japanese machines, in terms of quality, but exceed them in innovation.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-79304277207280641002010-01-22T07:12:00.000-08:002010-01-22T08:09:12.514-08:00Our Tolerance TestedWe hear much about the abuse of Western power and the exploitation of Muslim communities around the World.<div><br /></div><div>Whilst one must accept that an accord should be arranged between the Palestinians and the Israelis and indeed this is in the interest of us all, it should also be remembered that Islam is the new kid on the block.</div><div><br /></div><div>Currently Islam plays the victim and justifies it's violence as the only way of expressing it's view.</div><div><br /></div><div>Forget the propaganda expressed by Mullahs and Imams, which is excessively emotive.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the course of it's history, Islam has butchered, millions of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists.Many of the survivors were either forcibly converted or were treated as second class citizens.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the Islamic World today, Christians are still persecuted, look at Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran, Iraq and Egypt.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every day you here of Christians being attacked and their churches destroyed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saudia Arabia professes to be a friend of the West, but does not permit churches to be built and spends billions of dollars promoting Islam in Europe and America.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Palestinian Christian community has all but left Palestine because of persecution.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saudia Arabia promotes an extreme form of Islam, funding all sorts of projects in what appears a benign way, that suggests the faith is humane and considerate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just look at how they treat women, Christians, Jews and other faiths.</div><div><br /></div><div>How many countries have a religious police, which is nothing more than the state security that existed in places like the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany!</div><div><br /></div><div>Today, in Western Europe and America, Islamic extremists are growing in popularity amongst the ignorant poor.</div><div><br /></div><div>This religion works well in areas where literacy and intelligence are lacking.</div><div><br /></div><div>Both in Europe and America we have created, so called Human Rights legislation, which is being abused by lawyers to protect communities who wish to destroy Christianity in the West.</div><div><br /></div><div>Consider this........will Muslim countries produce the same legislation to protect Christian communities.</div><div><br /></div><div>What concerns me is this...America supports Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Nigeria and the Gulf States, but does nothing to protect the Christian communities.</div><div><br /></div><div>I ask you this. Saudia Arabia, do not promote your faith, unless you allow the promotion of Christianity in your country!</div><div><br /></div><div>We live in dangerous times and if we are not careful, our culture will be destroyed!</div><div><br /></div><div>So our people are told to keep their mouths shut, because otherwise they are bigoted and you have to accept other peoples views.</div><div><br /></div><div>In England now, if you express an opinion about Muslims, the chances are that you will be arrested.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just what Islam wants! </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-43092781316109569562010-01-21T06:45:00.000-08:002010-01-21T07:08:01.485-08:00The Advancement of CivilisationIn 1836, in the County of Yorkshire, was born a man by the name of Thomas Crapper.<div><br /></div><div>At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed as a plumber to a firm in London.</div><div><br /></div><div>Having learnt his craft, he set up a company in Robert Street, Chelsea, to provide and install, bathroom fittings.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whilst Thomas did not invent the flushing toilet, this accolade went to a chap called John Harrington, in 1596, he did however gain notoriety in the World of toilets!</div><div><br /></div><div>Chelsea, fashionable then as now, provided him with customers for his stylish lavatories.</div><div><br /></div><div>His major breakthrough came in the 1880's when the Prince of Wales, commissioned him to install plumbing and thirty lavatories at Sandringham, in Norfolk. Now the Queens private residence in England.</div><div><br /></div><div>For this he was rewarded with the first of a number of Royal Warrants.</div><div><br /></div><div>' Toilets By Appointment to Her Majesty!'.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thomas Crapper remains part of English folklore, relating to toilet humour and thus he will be forever remembered when we wish to go for a crap!</div><div><br /></div><div>So the next time you visit the Throne Room, spare a thought for Thomas, he created for us a place of peace and tranquillity!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-84253417807830211862010-01-19T06:20:00.000-08:002010-01-19T07:16:22.957-08:00NorthumberlandToday, I thought I would post an item on the county where I live.<div><br /></div><div>Northumberland is one of England's largest counties and borders that peninsular to the North of England, commonly referred to as Scotland.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is one of the least populated areas of England, with a total population of around 300,000 hardy souls.</div><div><br /></div><div>Inhabited since pre-historic times, it has experienced a long and often violent history, involving Celts,Romans, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Danes, Normans and of course the Scots.</div><div><br /></div><div>It first appears in recorded history because of the construction of Hadrians Wall, most of which runs through the Southern part of the county. This is a seventy nine mile wall built during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, as the Northern most frontier of the Roman Empire.</div><div><br /></div><div>The soldiers who constructed it, came from what is now Syria and to protect themselves from the Northumbrian winter, they would roll naked in stinging nettles, to numb their bodies from the cold.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even today, if you visit the sites of Fort Houseteads or Vindolanda, you can experience this bleak terrain, which no doubt was not a Centurians favourite posting.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the fall of the Roman Empire, this part of the country experienced raiding parties from Scotland and influxes of Anglo-Saxons.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just off the Northeast coast you will come across Holy Island or Lindisfarne in Old English, which was an early centre of Christianity, it's monks being famous for their learning throughout Europe. Another Christian centre in the county at this time was Hexham Abbey, built in the sixth century.</div><div><br /></div><div>Both of these sites were destroyed on more than one occasion by Viking raiders, who would rip the illuminated manuscripts apart, that were produced by the monks and take only the silver mountings.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Kingdom of Northumbria was centred on a place called Bamburgh and indeed there is still a massive castle there, to this day.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the arrival of the Normans after 1066 an extensive programme of castle building got under way, both to defend the territory from invaders whether Scots or Viking, but also to allow the subjugation of the local populous.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today there are still large castles and ruins at Prudhoe, Newcastle, Morpeth, Alnwick, Warkworth, Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh, Chillingham and Berwick.</div><div><br /></div><div>From Elizabethan times to the Unification of England and Scotland under James I, Northumberland was a lawless territory, controlled by families referred to as the Border Reivers and their equivalents in Scotland.</div><div><br /></div><div>Murder and robbery either side of the border was the main occupation of these families and you can still find fortified homes dotted across the region, commonly called Pele Towers, where family and livestock could hole up during an attack.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, Northumberland and Newcastle became a centre of activity, initially through coal, lead and silver mining.</div><div><br /></div><div>Huge industries developed on the banks of the River Tyne, and at one point three quarters of the world's shipping was built on the river.</div><div><br /></div><div>George Stephenson and his son Robert were both born in the County and established their railway engineering businesses in Newcastle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today, with the exception of the Southeast corner of the county, people tend to earn their living in one form or another, from the land, although there is a significant rise in tourist related jobs, which is not surprising considering the wealth of history.</div><div><br /></div><div>We have miles upon miles of unspoilt coastland, sandy beaches, rugged hills, wildlife and beautiful towns and villages built in the local stone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Northumbrians are canny folk who will always make you feel welcome.</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps I should get a job with the tourist board myself!</div><div><br /></div><div>Seriously, if you want to know a little more you can drop by http://www.visitnorthumberland.com</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-77562122988206414242010-01-18T10:26:00.000-08:002010-01-18T10:47:57.925-08:00Internet DadMy regular readers will know that I am a father and indeed a grandfather.<div><br /></div><div>Being part of the Global Community and spending time reviewing other peoples blogs and websites, I have run across a distressing element within the internetosphere!</div><div><br /></div><div>What I mean by this, is the large number of young people who appear to be somewhat lost.</div><div><br /></div><div>They are unsure of themselves and often appear to have experienced unpleasantness in their home environments.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have not been so presumptuous as to enquire the nature of their problems, but it is evident to me that they suffer considerable insecurity.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a parent of fairly well adjusted kids, it concerns me that there are so many youngsters out there who appear to have not experienced genuine love, affection and guidance.</div><div><br /></div><div>They come from all over the World, they are lonely, unsure of themselves and use the internet as a medium to cry out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hey! I'm not a social worker, but I do have first hand experience of bringing up children and supporting them when they have problems that they struggle to deal with.</div><div><br /></div><div>Age has some benefits in this regard, since we have probably gone through some of the issues that these youngsters find difficult to deal with.</div><div><br /></div><div>My own kids went through tough times and on occasion this involved authority, but I always made sure I was there for them.</div><div><br /></div><div>The feeling I am getting from these young people is that they feel alone and that should not be allowed to happen.</div><div><br /></div><div>Youth is a rite of passage and can be tough.</div><div><br /></div><div>If I can help just one kid through this process, then I am happy to do it.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-31880172128627144762010-01-18T08:35:00.000-08:002010-01-18T09:40:02.559-08:00What is to be done?Every time you pick up a newspaper or switch on the television, you are confronted with some form of bad news.<div><br /></div><div>Currently and rightly so, the news is full of the appalling tragedy taking place in that luckless country, Haiti.</div><div><br /></div><div>President Obama, before the current disaster, had put this country near the top of his list of places that needed some serious support.</div><div><br /></div><div>History has dealt the Haitians a bad hand, going back to their original declaration of independence from France.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was achieved through a pretty violent rebellion by the African slaves, before the European powers had got to the point of considering the abolition of slavery.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a result this little country found itself without friends for the better part of it's first 100 years of existence.</div><div><br /></div><div>In it's history, it has suffered no less than 32 coups, with each successive administration ripping the heart out of the population.</div><div><br /></div><div>It may not be politically correct to suggest that the poor people of this land, need maybe fifty years of outside management, a polite way of saying some form of Western rule.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know I will be shot down in flames for suggesting it, but the corruption that has prevailed, since independence has spoilt any chance that the 98% of the population, who live on $2 a day, can hope to aspire to a better life.</div><div><br /></div><div>However there is a modern example of how deprived communities can be given security and a chance to rebuild their lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sierra Leone, a former British Colony, collapsed into civil war chaos in the 1990's.</div><div><br /></div><div>The butchery and bloodshed in that country was beyond belief, with gangs of children running around with Kalashnikovs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Society had completely collapsed and no-one was safe.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the request of an embattled government, Britain sent in the Royal Marines and within a relatively short period of time, law and order was re-established.</div><div><br /></div><div>The local population welcomed these soldiers and a very small UK presence exists in the country today.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a result of this action, investment is now poring into the country, creating employment and financial security for the people.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is this neo-colonialism by a white European power? I don't think so, nor do the people of Sierra Leone.</div><div><br /></div><div>They know that Britain will support their own self determination and indeed this is in Britain's interest.</div><div><br /></div><div>I believe that Sierra Leone, may be a model for Haiti, if the people of that country are prepared to accept some element of outside control, until such time as institutions have been established, that are resilient enough to withstand corrupt individuals.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Haitians may have to face some very hard choices and initially find their institutions controlled by foreigners, but if it can be demonstrated to them that a fair society is being created, then they would be foolish to resist it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Up to now they have been exploited by a gangster elite, who use extreme violence and pocket the aid provided by the UN,US and EU.</div><div><br /></div><div>It might be ruthless to say,but these entities need to engage with the populace and not the so called politicians and say, you want help? Then we are in charge until such time as proper institutions are in place to ensure your secure future.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am quite sure that the majority decent people of Haiti, would welcome safety, security and a chance to build a life for themselves and their children.</div><div><br /></div><div>For far too long this little country has been allowed to go it's own way, to the detriment of it's people.</div><div><br /></div><div>Political correctness is damaging to the poorest of nations.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sierra Leone has proved that the people of that country want safety and they do not care if those that provide it are white.</div><div><br /></div><div>We have a duty to protect the poor and it doesn't matter what colour we are!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-15609314160321642412010-01-16T07:28:00.000-08:002010-01-17T05:03:15.651-08:00Monoatomic GoldI am an avid explorer of the internet, as no doubt many of you are as well, I have run across absolutely loads of websites relating to a substance called Monoatomic Gold.<div><br /></div><div>Initially these sites sound incredibly interesting, but me, being me,I like to check things out.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found that without exception all these sites were what you might call ' New Age '.</div><div><br /></div><div>So in the course of my investigations, I discovered that the origin of these promoters ,of what they refer to as ORME, is a chap called David Hudson.</div><div><br /></div><div>Going back to the seventies , David Hudson from Arizona, started to analyse the poor soil on his farm, using various chemical processes, with the initial intention of improving the porosity of his land, he discovered that there were elements in his soil that warranted investigation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Without being excessively boring, he discovered that his soil contained many of what are referred to by science,as ' Exotic Elements '.</div><div><br /></div><div>By this he means metals of the Platinum Family.</div><div><br /></div><div>After many years of investigation, using his own money, he came up with a substance called Monoatomic Gold.</div><div><br /></div><div>In simple terms, you take 24 carat gold and heat it to the temperature of the Sun and end up with a white powder, which is about 56% of the weight of conventional gold.</div><div><br /></div><div>What we are dealing with here is Alchemy!</div><div><br /></div><div>Hudson stated that after a blinding flash, all that was left of the gold, was a white powder, which defied analysis.</div><div><br /></div><div>Indeed in the crucible that it was produced in, when weighed, it effectively did not exist.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now step back a moment: According to Hudson, this substance had lost weight, as had the crucible.</div><div><br /></div><div>David Hudson's assessments of this reaction defied probability.</div><div><br /></div><div>He says that solid metal heated beyond boiling point, will result in a pure white powder, that is not analysable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Woo! I think. Sounds amazing!</div><div><br /></div><div>Definitely interesting! Has Hudson found something here?</div><div><br /></div><div>As you can imagine conventional science tends to be sceptical of anything that relates to alchemy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Personally I am excited by what he has found. But then!</div><div><br /></div><div>David Hudson starts telling the world that this white powder will interact with body systems and cure all diseases by rectifying DNA.</div><div><br /></div><div>He also states that Monoatomic Gold will enhance our awareness of who we are.</div><div><br /></div><div>At this point I become a little sceptical.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are now in a situation where New Age companies are selling this white powder as a solution to medical problems.</div><div><br /></div><div>Based on what?</div><div><br /></div><div>Personally, my investigations have shown that neither the FDA , or the British Foods Standards Agency have analysed this product.</div><div><br /></div><div>I would love to think that this product works, but sadly I think we are again living in a world where gullible people are going to suffer.</div><div><br /></div><div>I leave it to you, to consider the answer! </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-47495587244824996962010-01-11T07:36:00.000-08:002010-01-11T08:00:26.946-08:00The BlackbirdAs long as you are not a shy retiring soul, The BlackbirdMemoirs are worth a visit.<div><br /></div><div>Christina is an abrasive soul who doesn't take prisoners and her posts are often offensive to those of a delicate disposition.</div><div><br /></div><div>However as an Englishman who has grown up in our native pub environment, she is a lass after my own heart and would be massively popular in England.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her withering criticisms and social observations are some of the funniest writings I have come across.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whilst crude at times, she is lucid and original in her thinking.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her creative mind is astounding, just consider her idea of sitting in a mall and passing loud comment on the people who walk by.</div><div><br /></div><div>This in itself is dangerous in a country where you have a right to carry arms and on top of this she lives in the South and she is Black!</div><div><br /></div><div>This kind of natural talent is made for television and certainly I could see her running a TV show in the UK.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am truly fond of this girl, she has something interesting to say and can express it through humour.</div><div><br /></div><div>In my view Channel 4 in England, should hire her.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's people like Christina who make a difference.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-75844845511720430802010-01-09T11:51:00.000-08:002010-01-09T12:17:30.952-08:00World MusicI have always had an open mind to music.<div><br /></div><div>I guess that growing up in the sixties where you were exposed to new forms of music, whether it be blues, rock, folk or classical, must have had something to do with it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today, I will listen to anything, provided it has spirit.</div><div> </div><div>For example tonight I am listening to a compilation called Buddha-Bar, music from all over the World that is played in a bar in Paris.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is incredible music, Brazilian, Spanish, French, Arab and Indian.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the West we miss out on the richness of other cultures.</div><div><br /></div><div>Take some time out to listen to this wonderful musical heritage, it will blow you away!</div><div><br /></div><div>We live in a wonderful World, with some incredible cultures, enjoy the amazing diversity of music that is available to us.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are all human and we all have something to offer to this beautiful planet!</div><div><br /></div><div>Isn't it great to be a human being!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-14075880923240126452010-01-09T09:39:00.000-08:002010-01-09T09:59:14.437-08:00Alanis MorissetteThis Canadian bird can sing!<div><br /></div><div>The power of her songs are self evident, she doesn't just sing, she tells a story in every verse she creates.</div><div><br /></div><div>This woman sings about love, she sings about sex, in a way that is truly erotic.</div><div><br /></div><div>The power of her voice and the passion with which she sings, is quite extraordinary.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are not many artists who express themselves in this way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Read her lyrics and you will understand where this girl comes from.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is not some kind of feminism, she talks from the heart, about relationships and how they affect people.</div><div><br /></div><div>She is highly intelligent and understands relationships between men and women.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope you enjoy!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-48152842397139689322010-01-09T07:44:00.000-08:002010-01-09T08:06:30.537-08:00My KidsI am honoured to have two beautiful kids, who I am happy to say are my best friends.<div><br /></div><div>Barry is 27 years old, with a little boy called Brooklyn who will be three this month and Justine is 22 years old and will have a baby in the summer.</div><div><br /></div><div>They both think that their dad is an old fart who is living in the past, but no matter, we are very close.</div><div><br /></div><div>For those of you who have young children, the good news is that you get closer to them when they get past their teens.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can remember difficult times when they were going through that decade, but a dad fights for his bairns however stupid they might have been in the growing stage.</div><div><br /></div><div>They would argue with me and resist my forthright comments on their behaviour, but they always knew that I was there for them, when they got into scrapes, which believe me they did!</div><div><br /></div><div>As a result I have two beautiful children who are full of love and kindness for those around them.</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess the lesson I have learned from bringing up kids is that we have no experience before the event, our own parents lived in a different time, so we had to judge our actions by instinct.</div><div><br /></div><div>This will apply to those of you with young children, you just have to play it by ear and use your own gut feeling as to how you deal with the problems that will no doubt arise.</div><div><br /></div><div>The only advice I can offer you is that you stand by them, even when they are complete tits!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-47761793898476439612010-01-08T07:58:00.000-08:002010-01-08T08:32:22.214-08:00The ToonIn todays Daily Mail, I picked up on a heart warming article by David Ginola ( pronounced Daveed), who played for the Toon (Newcastle United Football Club), in the 1990's.<div><br /></div><div>David, a Frenchman, was a striker when Kevin Keegan was manager of the club at the height of it's time in the Premiership.</div><div><br /></div><div>I remember being at St James's Park (home of the toon), when we had a home game against Manchester United, a team that was virtually unbeatable.</div><div><br /></div><div>That day I witnessed the greatest game of football I have ever seen!</div><div><br /></div><div>We beat them five nil!</div><div><br /></div><div>The best goal of the match was scored by David, from forty yards out, he hit a shot that the ManU goalkeeper did not even see!</div><div><br /></div><div>We are talking about the best goalkeeper in the Premiership at the time.</div><div><br /></div><div>That day ManU were trounced and the ToonArmy went wild.</div><div><br /></div><div>David in todays paper has announced that he is leaving his home town of St Tropez, to move back to Britain.</div><div><br /></div><div>He says that his kids, who grew up here, want to come home.</div><div><br /></div><div>As an Englishman I feel a little humble, that a Frenchman would prefer to live here, rather than in the slums of St Tropez!</div><div><br /></div><div>He says many good things about our little island and perhaps this cantankerous old fart should desist from criticising Gordon's paradise.</div><div><br /></div><div>You probably know me well enough that I will not do that, because I love this little island and it's strange people.</div><div><br /></div><div>For a Frenchman to extol it's virtues chastises me somewhat!</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps I should focus on Albions strengths rather than issues that are negative.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-6172305450243743592010-01-07T09:10:00.000-08:002010-01-07T09:32:19.869-08:00And Another Thing!My regular readers will know that I can be somewhat tetchy and seriously pissed off with government interference in day to day life.<div><br /></div><div>I am a life long cigarette smoker, I know don't tell me how dangerous my habit is, I know it!,but it is my choice in a free society.</div><div><br /></div><div>Most western countries have instituted laws to prevent people smoking in public buildings and in Britain this includes pubs and working mens clubs.</div><div><br /></div><div>If Winston Churchill was still alive, it would never happen in the UK.</div><div><br /></div><div>The NHS estimates that it costs them £2.8 billion to deal with ailments that are smoking related,whilst the current tax take from smokers is of the order of £9 billion.</div><div><br /></div><div>If Winston was alive he would simply say that this was not an issue for politicians, but simply a decision that should be made by pub landlords. Some would want smoking in their bars and others wouldn't.</div><div><br /></div><div>This would satisfy the needs of the community, without the current fascist dictat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tell me does your own country interfere in your life in this way?</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-57249532422468412922010-01-07T08:37:00.000-08:002010-01-07T09:08:02.115-08:00SnowWell people we have snow, with more forecast over the next two weeks.<div><br /></div><div>We don't often get this stuff in Britain, so when it happens, it ends up being a national disaster!</div><div><br /></div><div>In Alnwick we currently have about 26 centimetres in the town, that's ten inches to you civilised people.</div><div><br /></div><div>The children love it, no school! Far too dangerous for teachers to go to work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back in 1963, when I was a bairn and the snow was seriously deep, we still went to school, but now in PC Britain education takes second place to the needs of public servants. </div><div><br /></div><div>As a result parents must take time off work to look after their little horrors, compounding the economic results of a little snow.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now obviously certain professions and trades cannot work during these conditions, and I refer mainly to people in the construction industry.</div><div><br /></div><div>How is it that schools are shut, when most of the kids live within walking distance?</div><div><br /></div><div>We have even had two local banks closed because of a bit of snow!</div><div><br /></div><div>It was forecast long before it happened and these organisations should have made provisions to ensure their institutions remained open.</div><div><br /></div><div>Post-snow we can expect excuses for failure to deliver services and no doubt increased costs to the community as a result of the weather; a cover for financial incompetence!</div><div><br /></div><div>However all will be well, Gordon Brown will just print some more money and the problem will go away.Not!</div><div><br /></div><div>We are living in the madhouse, the Maquis de Sade would be proud!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-52610125466489356652010-01-05T10:50:00.000-08:002010-01-05T11:46:57.676-08:00The Rise of the RightA conversation in my local pub recently encouraged me to investigate an organisation called The British National Party.<div><br /></div><div>This political organisation expresses somewhat extreme views, but does so in a subtle way, designed to attract the disaffected in Britain.</div><div><br /></div><div>What is alarming about them is the way they play on the fears of the working classes, just as the Nazis did in the 1920's.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the surface their arguments sound plausible, excessive immigration, the danger of Islam, poor policing and the lack of discipline in schools.</div><div><br /></div><div>Most people in the UK will find something to agree with on these issues, and most people would not consider themselves racists by having those thoughts.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is the clever approach that this organisation uses, playing on people's worries.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Nazis did exactly the same thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>My concern is that Britain is in a political vacuum, caused by a Labour Party that has spent the last decade trying to politicise elements of society, which traditionally never were.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now the civil service, police, health service and local authorities are more concerned with complying with politically motivated legislation, than ensuring the wellbeing of the communities they serve.</div><div><br /></div><div>This has resulted in a backlash by those very communities, who see they're ability to control their lives, being removed.</div><div><br /></div><div>The BNP have been clever in responding to this anger with simplistic statements about what they would do if they gained power.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tories, Labour and The Liberals are too frightened to address the issues this party tackles and as a result they will lose seats at the next election.</div><div><br /></div><div>The British people are not by definition extremists, but if the main parties fail to address issues that concern them, then they will suffer at the polls.</div><div><br /></div><div>If one analyses the full manifesto of the BNP, you will see that it cannot work.</div><div><br /></div><div>It talks of a repatriation programme of Muslims based on a commitment to non-interference in Muslim countries and British troops coming out of Afghanistan and Iraq.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the moment because of the present concern over Islam, their focus is in that direction, but one wonders what their view of other non-white immigrants would be.</div><div><br /></div><div>Labour has created a poor white dependent society, which they have always considered their core vote.</div><div><br /></div><div>This group are the one's who experience the results of an uncontrolled immigration policy and feel alienated.</div><div><br /></div><div>Poor whites are now flocking to the BNP in such numbers that this party may indeed win significant numbers of seats at the next election.</div><div><br /></div><div>If this happens they will continue to promote policies that emphasise fear in the electorate, and their following will start to include the middle classes.</div><div><br /></div><div>If this happens, the World will have it's first Facist Nuclear Power.</div><div><br /></div><div>For Britain to become a facist state, would be a disaster for the entire World, but it might happen!</div><div><br /></div><div>Excessive legislation and over 3000 new criminal offences created under Labour have brought the British people to the point of the unthinkable.</div><div><br /></div><div>If the BNP were to announce a radical programme to repeal these laws, they would win a significant majority.</div><div><br /></div><div>Scary but possible!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-42051056033418227962009-12-28T08:46:00.000-08:002009-12-28T09:15:24.975-08:00John EchohawkJohn Echohawk is a Native American lawyer who is the Executive Director of The Native American Rights Fund.<div><br /></div><div>Until recently I had never heard of this organisation.</div><div><br /></div><div>What John does is campaign for restitution for the Indian Tribes who over a hundred years plus have been abused by the Federal Government.</div><div><br /></div><div>When the tribes were ousted from their lands in the mid-nineteen hundreds, a trust was set up for them, to ensure they received income from any exploitation that took place on their new reservations.</div><div> </div><div>This did not take into consideration their forced removal from their traditional homelands, nevertheless on paper it looked quite good.</div><div><br /></div><div>So when miners, loggers, oil men, started to find exploitable resources on the reservations, it was not surprising to think that the tribes would benefit.</div><div><br /></div><div>It seems that in most cases the companies honoured their legal requirements and made payments to the funds set up by the Federal Government.</div><div><br /></div><div>Where it all goes pear shaped is when the funds arrive in accounts controlled by the Government.</div><div><br /></div><div>A mixture of corruption and incompetence over at least 100 years has meant that the tribes have been abused by the system.</div><div><br /></div><div>The sums concerned are literally staggering!</div><div><br /></div><div>We are talking Billions of Dollars.</div><div><br /></div><div>Successive attempts have been made to ensure justice for these people and they have got nowhere.</div><div><br /></div><div>John has even attempted a class action and because of the power of central government he is getting delay after delay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Senators and Congressmen say that this is going to cost the American tax payer a fortune, well so be it!</div><div><br /></div><div>One must ask the question as to where all the money has gone in the first place.</div><div><br /></div><div>What is left to the Native American people if they can't achieve restitution?</div><div><br /></div><div>The simple answer to that, is the Nationalisation of Government assets on their land.</div><div><br /></div><div>Most of these assets are highly sensitive military installations.</div><div><br /></div><div>Please visit the North American Rights Fund and make a donation.</div><div><br /></div><div>If freedom is to survive in the Western World we must start with those who have suffered under our two hundred years of exploitation.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-19041572535919302782009-12-23T08:40:00.000-08:002009-12-23T09:01:15.333-08:00FacebookWell the old fart has joined Facebook!<div><br /></div><div>I know what you are thinking, Simon we thought you had a brain!</div><div><br /></div><div>Well obviously not, but to be honest it is grand to communicate with my kids and their friends, even if I don't understand what they are talking about most of the time.</div><div><br /></div><div>It will be amusing for me when they visit this blog, where we discuss issues of a Global nature!</div><div><br /></div><div>I can see it now! Dad why are you so boring!</div><div><br /></div><div>No matter, the little tinkers will understand when they are a bit older.</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess the truth is that young people need to express happy feelings with their friends and should not be concerned with the worries of life, that will come soon enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the reasons I write this blog is to leave a legacy to my kids about my personal thoughts as a man of advancing years, who has made many mistakes in his life, but believes he can still offer a modicum of wisdom to his offspring.</div><div><br /></div><div>The greatest achievement a person can aspire to, is to love their children.</div><div><br /></div><div>All else in this World is incidental.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Christmas people!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-45653139734659070552009-12-22T05:30:00.000-08:002009-12-22T06:01:22.184-08:00Christmas in AlnwickWell it's finally starting to feel like Christmas in our little town and whilst the lights have been up for nearly a month now, the spirit has been a bit lacking.<div><br /></div><div>I suppose that's because of the on-going recession affecting Britain.</div><div><br /></div><div>But today for the first time, the local shops are busy and children are starting to get excited.</div><div><br /></div><div>In England, the shops are only shut on Christmas Day, but that never seems to prevent people from buying enough food to withstand a siege.</div><div><br /></div><div>This always, for some reason means you cannot get a loaf of bread before Christmas Day and will mean that the landfill sites will be full of the stuff come January.</div><div><br /></div><div>Christmas Day is always a quiet time for me, Manuela is back in Brasil, with her family, Justine will be in Scotland with Michael, and Barry, my son, is going to his mothers, although we are planning a couple of lunchtime pints at The George, before he goes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The landlady at my local pub opens for two hours at Christmas lunchtime, just for her regulars, so it would be churlish of me not to attend!</div><div><br /></div><div>Besides it's tradition to go and laugh at the new jumpers, the dads will have got for Christmas!</div><div><br /></div><div>Why is it families buy chaps jumpers that you can only look at whilst wearing welding goggles?</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll then go home to cook lunch for Dad and I.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dad will be wanting to watch the Queens Speech on the television, which he always enjoys, being a Royalist of the old school.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I shall join him to spend the afternoon watching mindless drivel suitably anaesthetized, with vintage port!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-25224557473301525572009-12-21T12:18:00.000-08:002009-12-21T12:40:40.139-08:00Child of the SixtiesThis is a subject that my kids find totally tedious.<div><br /></div><div>The nostalgia that surrounds the 1960's.</div><div><br /></div><div>OK it was a great time, music, fashion, opinion, design, cars were all revolutionary.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some months back I joined a hippy forum, just to see how it would develop and I was deeply disappointed.</div><div><br /></div><div>The members turned out to be folks who were living in the past when it came to all of the above, with the exception of radical thinking, where they seemed to me to be as conservative as the generation they rebelled against.</div><div><br /></div><div>I still pick up the posts and they sound like a bunch of old duffers who can't move on.</div><div><br /></div><div>They go on about the anti-social aspects of smoking and drinking but will tell you how many joints they smoked at the weekend.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think my kids are right, whilst I love the music from that time, it is foolish to live your life in the past, you just end up narrow minded and age that much faster.</div><div><br /></div><div>My generation now rules the World and have been systematically removing the freedoms they campaigned for!</div><div><br /></div><div>I think I'll go and live in Tristan da Cunha!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-7634047657622714632009-12-21T05:38:00.000-08:002009-12-21T06:46:33.517-08:00HistoryI think it was Henry Ford who said that history was 'bunk', I'm not certain, please correct me if I'm wrong.<div><br /></div><div>Wherever you live history has been, until relatively recently, that which is presented by your own media and the prevailing education system.</div><div><br /></div><div>Traditionally history was always written by the victors.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today however we have access to resources around the World, which are helping to give us a more balanced view of specific events.</div><div><br /></div><div>Two examples are the British Empire and also the history of Native Americans, there are many more, but for this post two will suffice.</div><div><br /></div><div>When Dad was at school a quarter of the globe was pink, you could travel over land from Alexandria to Cape Town and not step outside the Empire.</div><div><br /></div><div>School children were taught about the wonderful benefits of being part of the British Empire with it's paternal approach to civilising the natives!</div><div><br /></div><div>Everybody new their place and all was right in the World.</div><div><br /></div><div>For my father's generation this teaching has left them not knowing who they are and they are unable to comprehend the massive changes they have witnessed in the World.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is not their fault, they were fed an institutional form of history which was about population management.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Second World War changed everything, former colonies realised that their masters were not infallible and so self determination became the new mantra, supported by a now dominant America.</div><div><br /></div><div>For my generation, we were fed a variation of the above in the creation of what was termed the British Commonwealth of Nations, which still today comprises some 26 countries and has a certain amount of political clout in the World.</div><div><br /></div><div>The nineteen-sixties saw the first serious attempts to look at history from a different perspective and this was done through the media with film and books.</div><div><br /></div><div>Film allows you to look at an issue from a human level and thus permits people to reassess particular events.</div><div><br /></div><div>Books also played a part in this process.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the U.S. a film came out called Soldier Blue, that publicly admitted atrocities against Native Americans followed by a seminal book called Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.</div><div><br /></div><div>These incredible works opened the eyes of a generation to their origins and their culture and encouraged other writers and film makers from around the World to look at history anew.</div><div><br /></div><div>An Englishman, Sir Richard Attenborough directed the film Gandhi, which exposed some of the less savoury aspects of Empire.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the advent of the internet, we have got to a situation where we can see other peoples perspectives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today many writers of history record events, not at a national level, but rather at the human level and for me this is more powerful.</div><div><br /></div><div>My friend Meam Wye records Islamic history in just this way.</div><div><br /></div><div>When you write about individuals and their achievements, it does not matter where they come from.</div><div><br /></div><div>Their achievements are for the benefit of humankind, wherever they live.</div><div><br /></div><div>The result one hopes is that we can learn to live together in a way that permits varied opinion and dialogue.</div><div><br /></div><div>We must teach our leaders to understand that we do not want conflict and that they must find another way to resolve issues.</div><div><br /></div><div>History shows us that it is mothers who suffer, when their sons are sent to war.</div><div><br /></div><div>May be it is time for women to run the World.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-60510363203162711012009-12-18T10:58:00.000-08:002009-12-18T11:44:42.829-08:00The Vagueries of EnglishJust for the benefit of readers around the World, I will try to clarify some of the expressions that not only I use, but which you might come across when viewing British websites.<div><br /></div><div>My regulars will be aware that I live in the Northeast of England, so to make it easy I will say we are called Geordies. Some useful words and sayings follow:</div><div><br /></div><div>Whyay pet!:yes</div><div>Canny Dia:nice day</div><div>The Toon:Newcastle upon Tyne or Newcastle United Football Club</div><div>Wor Lass:My wife,my daughter or my sister.</div><div>Bairn:my kid</div><div>Ha Wey!:Fuck off!</div><div>Ar Divnt Na!:I don't know!</div><div>Ar man ye feckin blaked:I say old chap you are drunk!</div><div>Yea suthern bastad!I take it you are from down south!</div><div><br /></div><div>In other parts of the country you will experience a different set of expressions.</div><div><br /></div><div>In London you have cockney rhyming slang, which some of you might have come across watching Guy Ritchie films like Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch.</div><div><br /></div><div>Simple examples follow:</div><div><br /></div><div>Sky=sky rocket=pocket</div><div>Apples=apples and pears=stairs</div><div>Bristols=Bristol Cities=titties</div><div>Bottle and Glass=Arse</div><div>Mother's Ruin=Gin</div><div><br /></div><div>In other parts of the country accents are different:</div><div><br /></div><div>In Yorkshire the lads will say' Aye I sup some stuff!' Meaning I had a few beers!</div><div><br /></div><div>The West Country Lads will say arr ass roit good beer that is, arr! Meaning the beer is ok!</div><div><br /></div><div>Oi reckon the sheep round ere are ok. This could mean Welshmen or Norfolk lads who obviously are attracted to sheep, so be careful!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3386331527546548957.post-56436667183689580192009-12-18T07:35:00.000-08:002009-12-18T08:11:59.273-08:00Building an Herbaceous BorderShortly after taking up a position to run the garden at Wadhurst Castle in Sussex, I was tasked with the renovation of the south facing herbaceous borders, backed by the old kitchen garden wall.<div><br /></div><div>The border was about 50 metres long by 4 deep and hadn't seen any care since the 1950's.</div><div><br /></div><div>All that was worth salvaging was an old Magnolia and some ancient climbing roses.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since the land was pure clay,I wasn't concerned with the roses in the least, perfect ground for them. Just a severe prune and they could be brought back to life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Magnolias are a little different, they are very slow growing so pruning had to be judicious.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Lady of the House had an idea of what colour schemes she required and then pretty much left it to me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately I was given a reasonable budget to bring the site back to life.</div><div><br /></div><div>When dealing with clay, it is pointless to dig it, you are simply doing work that you can get nature to do for you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Having cleared the ground in the Autumn I laid down a bed of spent mushroom compost, to a depth of about four inches and then in the early Winter a six inch layer of well rotted horse manure. 22 ton which I barrowed to the site by hand, I was a fit bugger then!</div><div><br /></div><div>Simple after that, I just let the weather get at it and was ready for planting in the Spring.</div><div><br /></div><div>Come that time, I used a mix of perennials and annuals to ensure a strong first year showing, with the intention that year by year perennials would replace annuals, but still achieve the colour combinations that the Lady wanted.</div><div><br /></div><div>So if you love gardening, but are terrified of the potential work or the poor soil conditions, just think about nature.</div><div><br /></div><div>Plant for the conditions that exist in your area.</div><div><br /></div><div>Think about a colour scheme that you want and then find plants that will work in your local conditions, rather than seeing something at the local garden centre, which looks great, but may not work where you live.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know this is easy for me to say, since I'm a plantsman, but there are any amount of quality gardening books that will tell you where plants come from and what conditions they need to grow in.</div><div><br /></div><div>I would recommend publications by The Royal Horticultural Society as probably being the best.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just one final comment, don't be worried about shovelling horse shit! If it's well rotted it has virtually no smell!</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Christmas.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Simon/My%20Documents/Downloads/viraltweets.zip</div>The Rainbow Bankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228594810847319496noreply@blogger.com1