i love juice

“YOU’RE NOT DOING THIS MATE, WE ARE NOT DOING THIS!”

The day started out pretty normal, the same alarm, the same train and the same Starbucks but the rest of the day seemed to come on very fast and very surprising. I usually as a rule get in to work and check me emails first thing but as today was an open evening I had quite a lot to do and so I got started on the many jobs before the sessions started. It wasn’t until late morning that the first bit of good news came through, my job had been advertised which meant I would be able to apply (I had been working on a temp basis and the job had been made up for me personally to stay). Nice one, the bit of security I had been waiting for, I just hope I don’t mess the application up and we will be cruising. The rest of the day was rather busy with great feedback from an Observation I had earlier in the week and the usual winding up of the students to help make the day go faster.
It was about 4:00pm when the guys mentioned they would be going to the pub before the open evening began, this would ease the boredom for those who had to stay and fill the gap between students going home and visitors arriving. Now I have a rule when going the pub that you never leave on an even number, therefore you can have one pint but it must be one otherwise it will have to be three. We stayed for the three, well what I can say I had a good day and the conversation was good. So when the time came and Tenbellies was calling, my friend the Painter and I headed off to the train. The cool air and clear sky started to bring the Ale on but as we chatted on about the day and past week we hit traffic and walked over the bridge.
The Painter who is a big guy and pushing a bike was on the inside as we walked along the bridge and was the first to come in contact with a rather pissed chavy looking fella, as he bumped into he painter quite aggressively and unsteady we both thought the same thing and carried on walking not to provoke any kind of response but as we hit the crossing things took a very different turn. Feeling the aggression in the troubled fella we both turned and found that he had now started to climb over the side of the bridge ready to jump. Things here on in moved very quickly but started with myself running and grabbing the guy before he lost contact with the bridge. As my hot breath hit the cold air I shouted “YOUR NOT DOING THIS MATE, WE ARE NOT DOING THIS!” In a micro second it was not about him but us, his decision involved me now and I was pretty determined in not going for a swim in the icy water. The guy lunged forward and I started to go but within those moment the painter caught hold and it was final that this guy was going to stay very dry and very alive.
I’m not sure why this fella wanted to end it all or weather it was the drink but the look in his eye showed no remorse or regret just determination and distress. I didn’t feel sorry for this guy and I really didn’t care if he threw himself off the bridge it was just the fact that his sin, his shameless act and his trouble had been seen by my eyes and at that point his decision to kill himself was no longer his decision to make. When the police arrived and took him away the painter and I both tried to work through what had just happened and all I could feel was a kind of anger, shock and bewilderment. I’m pretty much still trying to understand this but I also have a feeling that I never will and that’s probably the best way.

I read a rather disturbing article this morning while on the way to work, this article stuck in my mind throughout the day as I tried to see the sense in it I kept coming to the same conclusion that it was completely insane.

The gist for those that scan articles is that basically, mother with two very young children is a smack head; grand parents take the children so to be with family while mother goes to rehab. Social Services take children off grandparents because they are too old, grand parents fight for custody but find legal bills too much and have to agree to adoption. Children get adopted by two Gay men even though children show dislike to men but Social Services disregard this and the four other couples that apply and the children go to gay couple. Grandparents show outrage and get slammed by Social Services for being homophobic and threaten to never let them see their grandchildren ever again. Phew that’s about it.

Firstly, it would be completely wrong in taking these children away from their family at such a young age and to have two loving Grandparents willing to take them on it would be stupid to cut ties with their family. There has to be some hope that their mother would get better and make up for the mistakes she has made, surely the Social Service could help the family stay to together rather than split it up.

Secondly, threatening the Grandparents with the action of never letting them see their Grandchildren again because of their disagreement with them being looked after by two Gay men is not only ridiculous and surely illegal in some way. Gay Parent Adoption is still fairly new and therefore I’m sure people still disagree with it, and doesn’t it make sense that there is need for stable structured family for these children. I.e. a mother and a father?

Finally, the fact that the children show discomfort around males is just complete lunacy placing these little children with two grown men. Surely someone in the Social Services can see this and needs to state the obvious as I’m sure it would be classed as child abuse. The Social Services should be working hard to look after those in need especially with past cases of child neglect that they are so blatantly responsible for. Torturing two young children by taking them away from there family and placing them in a home of two strange men for the sake of Political Correctness is crazy.

I feel so blessed in knowing that the Secretary of Education is none other than Ed Balls, to have such a wise and in tune academic fills me with complete security in knowing that not only the children of our future will be given the best in education, he also poses as a role model for educationalist like ones self. In his latest comments he has come up with the supreme knowledge and wise words that the rise in Teenage Pregnancies may have something to do with the rise in Binge Drinking.

Hmmmmm, right ok I can see how you may have got to that Mr Balls.

TIT!!

Maybe it has a lot more to do with your lovie dovie party breaking up the morals of society and introducing sex education in Primary school. Or could it be that Chantell (13) and her mother Tracy (28) from the council estate know that they can get a shit load off the social if they get up the duff; it’s easier than school or getting a job.

In a week of stating the obvious it was announced that we are officially in Recession, after easily 8 months of media bombardment of the economic downfall not just in the UK but around the world some clown who is probably being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds by the tax payer has made the official declaration that its here. Well blow me down I wouldn’t have guessed, I mean when was the final box ticked that indicated this was happening and do they wait till that very moment when the banks are empty and their own houses are taken from beneath them. Bummer Brown seems to think its all ok and we will be fine, “go out and spend” he continues to say while sticking he head in the sand or up some fellas arse what ever takes his fancy. The Boy Cameron says the country is on its way to bankruptcy what with plans to pay out a further £200 billion to save the fat cats, I wonder where this money comes from. £50 billion last year, VAT cuts and high unemployment I kind of think that things are not going to be ok and that maybe we need to have some one who is a little less delusional about our current situation.

On a different subject I was extremely surprise with the BBC in refusing to air the appeal and rightly so. The BBC should look to all its viewers and stand completely intermediate and not take sides. I’m surprised by the BBC in doing this but as even more start to shout and condemn them, will they buckle? There was no surprise however to see the Archbishop of Canterbury criticising them, what does he stand for again?

The big story of the day is without doubt this little gem, yep its out in the open now and I wonder how it will affect show. “Some say” that it was like telling children there is no Santa. Personally those people need to get a life it’s just a shame people have to ruin things.

Oh and I suppose this can’t go without a mention. The house is recognisable to many people who hold it as a classic comedy, I woke up with a “bastard behind the eyes” this morning and come to the decision that drinking on a school night is wrong.

Oh yeah and I’m sure Saddam is sat with his 72 virgins having the last laugh today.

I learned a few things about myself today as I sat in a classroom full of colleagues listening to an Ex Prison guard lecture about mental health, NO I’m not nuts. I learned that I was completely chilled and under a lot less stress now that I am in my new job, life is good right now and telling myself this every now and again is important for me and Tenbellies. The rest of the session was a little more serious and complex as I try to understand issues like Self Harm and dealing with children who suffer from depression and suicide. I have an understanding that children can become depressed and in a society that is crumbling like a cheap biscuit dipped in very poor builder’s tea, what do we expect and with this we have mental health issues that can lead to suicide. Our very selfish world makes for very lonely and isolated people. The hardest thing for me today was to accept Self Harm as a method of dealing with problems, and there is without doubt that through my life and the many issues that have tested me emotionally I have never thought to harm myself in any way to help me to deal with it.
There are many forms of Self Harm but I would like to concentrate on the act of cutting, and over the past 10 years or so its become more acceptable for children and adults to do this and that we are not to prevent but to ensure that it been done correctly and safely until the individual finds another way of dealing with their pain or problem. But the fact that society has made this acceptable and normal makes me think that more children do this without the true understanding but as a statement of identity and act of individualism. Part of my job is to ensure that children are safe, but from who? Society has in one way or another got a hand in the abuse of every child that chooses to deal with their problems but cutting themselves, the break down in communication and support from families is a result in the lack of ability for children to talk about and deal with their problems rationally. The family house hold is slowly disappearing and as parents become younger and the point of having a family that being mum, dad and children all under one roof is slowly evaporating. We stick our children in front of TV’s, computers, nannies, sports, clubs etc with a false knowledge that it is the right thing to do and with exception of a few there is the thinking that as long as their out of your hair you can reclaim some of your life back. But in the process you lose touch with your child and begin to know less about the person they are growing into and the abandonment they feel as they go through the most difficult time of their life. Having children should not be the result of a ten minute knee trembler but in the knowledge that you can give that person the best life possible filled with love and selflessness and in no circumstance inflict pain onto them physically and mentally, never give them a reason to resent you for having them. Its you responsibility not just to that child but the future of your grandchildren and great grandchildren, society because somewhere that has been lost and now we are finding the cracks and the only way to deal with it is to accept it as being normal.

Finally …I read a great post over on News Bleat it’s worth a read, good job Black Sheep.

Bum Boy Brown really needs to put his back bench gob shites in order, after this outrageous comment by a narrow minded left winger.

Hmmm ok let’s see, Graham Stringer is 58 and it seems the education system in his day was perfect well here are a few names of people around his age who also had Dyslexia. John Lennon, Steve Redgrave, Richard Branson and there are many more. And does he think that its only in this country that there are people with Dyslexia? because i really dont think he could be that stupid to criticise every countries education system, or could he?
During the time when Stringer was a boy Dyslexia was unaccepted and you were called stupid or retarded, maybe he would like us to go back to that approach and beat literacy into the kids, because today’s methods of helping children to overcome their difficulties and aspire into great things is clearly not working. After all he would know best as his degree in Chemistry qualifies him to make such comments.
Again what a Twta!

Its strange how people react to change or how people get stuck in their ways, I work with many different people with many different views and perception on all things. Working with the younger generation and seeing how their minds work is a beautiful thing even when said generation are a bunch of soap dodgers in great need of a bath and a decent meal. Oh the life of a student. My picture today is the work of a student I teach from time to time, the idea of intervening with a used space. After many other attempts he chose to use the staff car park blocking each space with a tree stump, he then videoed the response and reactions of staff turning up to work only to find they cant park their beloved car. This may seem all very childish and more of prank than art, but you see human emotions best when it’s not expected. I was surprised to see so much anger and frustration of having to move a stump or experiencing something completely out of the norm. It true that people in cars are angry people where as all the people that walked passed chuckled. Now I’m no tree hugger but I think it was 1-0 to the trees today.

I really didn’t want to start getting hung up on the activities in Gaza at the moment but I suppose its every where right now. I saw this on the train to work today, photos of protestors in London at the weekend waving placards in the air. This to me says it all and as the saying goes, a picture says a thousand words.

So it’s cold and there is ice, good god people any one would thing that the UK is only use to desert conditions. The fact that the media want to make a big deal out of some sub degree temperatures, batten down the hatches, check your neighbours, don’t drive unless you really need to and stock up on dried goods. We start the New Year on and economic crisis and if this wasn’t enough we make a big deal out of a few bloody icicles.
My only grumble, do the councils not grit the path ways (sidewalk) anymore??!! Nearly come cropper this morning right on my ass!!

Today was the first day back at work and the usual sign that the festive period is over, and as I stood on the icy platform this morning there was no regret or reluctance to get back to it. Nope it was more like excitement for what the New Year may bring in my new job, but then I’m one of the lucky ones returning today as many won’t be. The day before, driving through the park I took this picture of all the used Christmas trees, the picture dose no justice as the pile was huge and when we pulled over (with a reluctant Tenbellies) the smell was fantastic. I thought what a great idea that people would come and dispose of their tree so that they could be used in the park. Maybe this was one of the 100 000 green jobs Bum Boy Brown was think of making up over the next few years to help with massively rising unemployment, hmmm too little to late monkey thinks.

It seems it didn’t take long before the Stars come out of the seedy coke filled holes and start preaching to the world on how we should love each other and get along, hold hands and not fight. Unfortunately it was the second rate stars of the UK and not the Hollywood homos that usually take over the airwaves. How it makes me cringe to see Annie Lennox go on about the children of Palestine and their families during the bombing of Gaza. But surely when you see this you understand that it does have a lot more to do with the religion and the killing of innocent people for their selfish want of paradise. But hey i suppose Galloway could re-educate the people.
My View, we should leave well alone and let Israel do what they need to do and for us to keep out of it. Enough with the “save the world” and lets concentrate on saving our country from downfall. Maybe our TV/Music stars should look closer to home and help with the massive job losses and the hundreds of families losing their homes this year. There is child neglect in the UK and children being killed on our streets is now the fabric of national life, surely it’s not selfish to put things right here first.

Happy New Year one and all, a visit back to the sticks last night saw myself and Tenbellies bring in the new year in true Leekenzian style, lots of drinking and very very bad dancing. A good time was had by all.

So what do we have to look forward to in 2009, well the first black US President, the closure of Quantamino Bay, Hammas getting its ass kicked, Economic Downturn, troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan and even more job loses. So keep your chin up guys and gals it will be New Years Eve all over again before you know it.