Home is Where the Heart is...

Our dear John Clare

I feel so close to you as I sit here in All Saints Church, looking to your poem for inspiration

But the words, they don't come easily

They are in my heart, in my head

Stuck deep inside, not willing to flow freely

I look to you, my dear John for help and guidance

I wonder if you ever felt these feelings, thought these same thoughts

I realise that you must have done

It drove you mad didn't it?

Is that why you walked from London all the way home, I wonder if that would help me?

And this is your home, it is where you belong

And it is mine too

I do not want to go anywhere else, there is no place better for me

As I look back over your life and mine, I can see it clearly

We both have much to celebrate

We have a home, somewhere people will care about us

And what's more, it is somewhere we both found our writing flow again

Because as I look back, I now see that I have my flow back again too

I have found something to say

And all in the nick of time

Just One Kiss....

I knew when I saw you that you were the one.
Right from the start we had so much fun.
Your smile in the morning was just like a ray of sun.
So bright and fresh, and always full of fun!
At first we stepped out only once or twice.
But each time we did it was always so nice.
You opened up doors, and smiled as I passed by.
I knew back then that this love would last.
I’ve not known you long, but I know in my heart we are made for each other; no way will we part.
And each time I see you, in my heart I just know that my love will grow and grow.
How do I know this, I am sure you must think. Well, I shall tell you myself in this very ink.
The reason I know I’m in love is just this.
You stole my heart with just one kiss!

But....

I don’t know why I want you so, but I do.
I don’t know why I want to be with you so, but I do.
I don’t know why I want to kiss you so, but I do.
I don’t know why I love you so, but I do.
They say I don’t love you, but I know that I do.
They say I shouldn’t want you, but I do.
They say you are wrong for me, but I know you’re not.
They say you are a bad man, but I know you’re not.
I know deep inside that I want you.
I know that you are the right man for me, but you do not.
My life would be much better if you knew, but you do not.
My life would be complete with you, but it is not.

Facebook Ruined My Life.... (and I need it)

The world’s biggest legal crack and whore den! You might laugh, but only because it is true!! Yes, you might think I tell you this in jest; but allow me to explain if you will.


I never wanted to use facebook, it never interested me. I had real live friends, I could text them if I wished; even meet them should I feel so inclined. I had pc games, none of which cost me a dime!!!


I knew where my friends were and what they were doing, because I was normally with them. If I wanted to talk to my folks, I would go downstairs. I did not need to connect with friends from school, they never wanted to stay in touch anyways ~ that or they were bullies.


If I had wanted to raise animals I would get a pet, if I want grow crops I would become a farmer. If I wanted to own a city I would become a multimillionaire… what? Wait, I do want to become one of them!!! All these games do for you is make you become obsessive, you have to play them or the animal will die and your crops will wither up and die too… what the heck am I talking about, they are not real anyways!!


And then there are those apps that can only be described as crap… those that tell your fortune, or what your name means. Which are only genetically generated anyway! The ones that can tell you what colour you are just by answering a few questions, or whom you will marry; or when you will have a baby… always wondered what answer they would give if a man took it.


What is with all that stuff, I mean really? Some people must seriously have nothing better to do… and yes I am including myself in that statement. And this goes back to my earlier point, facebook is my pimp! And it is yours and most of your friends’ too!! Unless of course, you are one of the smart ones who steers clear of it. But trust me, if you are not careful it will get you too… facebook has sucked me in and I cannot get out again; send help if you can!


And do you know what makes all this worse? “THEY” have created this legal den of vice and we are all powerless to stop it, if we do not get our daily (sometimes hourly) fix of facebook; then our day is ruined. Like I said, I did not want facebook; but now I cannot live without it. I have to tend to my farm(s) and city(s) and checkout whatGranmaSuzy says will happen to me, I have to make sure my crops do not die and my animals are fed… I mean only just recently I went away for the weekend and thought I had killed Pinggy the Penguin… (And talking of killing off animals ~ can we take a moment for my ex pet on spp ranch? Thank you kindly)


And if that was not bad enough, “THEY” then go and decide to change everything around… they say it is to “fix the technical problems” but I know the truth, it is just to pee me off. They move the chat bar, then the notifications; and then the notes… they even moved the flipping inbox ~ I mean, the inbox for pity’s sake! My friend had to post a status asking someone to e-mail just so she could find it, and I will not even begin to tell you what I had to go through just to stalk that guy I fancy!


I am like many people on there, I fear change; it scares me… and you should not scare me ~ I poop easily! What is wrong with leaving things as they are and just fixing the bugs? It is like supermarkets isn’t it? They change things around every six months in the hope we will buy more stuff, I just end up getting annoyed; walking out and buying my stuff online! We like our same routines and what have you… it is comforting to us! Like a pair of comfy pj’s or an old tee shirt full of holes; it is our “blankiee” and we like it “just as it is” thank you very much!


So here I sit waiting to harvest my crops, animals and houses. I am waiting on my city to grow, waiting for my zombies to get hungry for brains; and my zoo to expand. I am waiting for my friends to come “online” and for Granma Suzy to tell me what I should do today, all while stalking (sorry, checking up on) that guy I fancy! Maybe I should just switch off my pc and go meet my friend for coffee in the real world… but I shall just check on my farm first though!

Time Will Tell...

I have held back from commenting on the recent local elections purely because I was hoping that with time, things will seem clearer and that way I can be objective; they do say time heals and all that...

First off, I never saw the results coming. I thought it might be bad, but certainly not that bad. I am not going to comment as to why I think it happened, I am sure everyone has talked it to death. What I will say, is that politically it hurts me deeply to see people I care about and had grown to know; lose their seats.  Even those in “opposition” would not (and did not) expect this result, and even the harshest of critics would be hard pushed to be glad at many a good hard working councillor losing their seats.

Even though I was more than happy to help my party this election, I clearly found things difficult to deal with when it came to what I believed and who I am as a person. It has already been gone over more than once, so I shall save you all going over it again.

Everyone knows I am friends with pretty much anyone, and you all know I am happy to talk to most people. And maybe this has been my downfall, I certainly get that impression. I can understand it, certainly see people’s points. But I cannot see how (or why for that matter) I cannot be me AND do what I wish politically... is that not the point of freedom of speech? Is that not the point of being able to choose for myself my own path in life ~ politically and otherwise?

Are we that shallow and petty that we are only willing to be friends with those like us? Is that what all politicians do? If you do not have the same view as me, fine; I accept that. If I do not have the same view as you, please accept that. And there is no reason why we cannot talk about our beliefs politically or otherwise, we can even agree to disagree; it does not make us any less important than anyone else.

I am of course talking in a general sense, nothing is aimed at anyone. But I have to admit I have done that in the past, even I am not infallible; even I can get it wrong sometimes! I would like to apologise wholeheartedly to those I may have offended by things I may have said in the past, with everything that was going on; I allowed myself to act before thinking things through. I allowed “it” to get to and tear me in different directions, it certainly was not me; nor will it ever be me.

I guess what I am trying to say is, why can I not be me and believe what I do politically, why does it all have to be the same? I do believe in many of the core basic values and beliefs that many Liberals believe in, the fact that others believe in being free, open and fair works for me. Life should be about wanting the best for our fellow human beings, not about making people all the same; not everyone is the same... is it wrong to want liberty, equality and to believe in community? Is it wrong to want to be free from poverty? Or to make people aware of the facts so they can be free?

And when it comes to following those core principals, I believe that Liberals fit what I believe in. And similarly I can only expect the same from others, and hope that my follow Liberals will believe in the same. I would like to think all Liberals follow those beliefs, I hope they would all want the same; feel the same and treat others in the same way. I know there will be people that say “Liberals (especially in Northampton) do not believe that.” I cannot (and will not) answer for any others, they will be able to answer for themselves. But I am not like others, I am not someone who will say something that is not true ~ maybe I say things too quickly without thinking, but I hope I do think more before I speak ~ I take pride in the fact I am that genuine. That I have no hidden agenda or ulterior motive.

I know many Liberals that lost their seats cared a great deal about the town and those they represented, and I also know many will not believe that. Seeing things politically from all sides, and being on the outside of it all; it certainly does seem a case of you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t... maybe the old saying is true, you can please some of the people some of the time; but not all of the people all of the time?

So what now?

Well, for the Liberals; I do not know. I imagine they are trying to see what went wrong and where they go from here, I imagine it will be the same with the other “independents” and those smaller partiers in Northampton.

Good luck to the Labour party who now have a huge task ahead of them, trying to be an opposition to a blue “stronghold” when the biggest gob (and I say that with affection) is gone; I hope they are up to the task.

Good luck also to the Tories, who need to be aware that they will have a million and one Liberals watching their every move with a keen eye... I hope for my town’s sake that they are successful, I shall be watching you too!

For me? I miss my party first off, but only I can take the blame for that mess. I honestly do not know where my politics lie, I am not sure I ever will to be honest. I guess that is the trouble with having political friends, regardless of if they mean to or not; they (whichever party they belong to ~ or were in) cannot help but be swayed by their own beliefs. A Liberal friend I miss terribly often said, “If you can’t stand the heat in politics...” and she is right. But this is not something I want to give up, I want to help; want to be part of helping things to change...

But maybe, until I can find my own path I need to take a backseat. I have a room I need to clean, more ironing I need to tackle, papers I need to read and sort out; not to mention writing assignments I have to attend to... gosh life does seem to creep up on you doesn’t it?

In closing, I would like to wish ALL those Liberals I met along the way. All of you (regardless of if you know/believe it or not) have had an affect on my life, I count myself lucky to have known all of you... yes even Mr. Woods!

Thank you for reading, and this is Nicky STILL a Liberal Democrat; signing off and saying see you on the backbenches.

Is It Safe To Come Out Now???

Well, now that it is all over and the dust has all but settled; I thought I would begin writing stuff again… plus seeing as they are now only four of my follow Lib Dems in office, I don’t think I shall be getting in too much bother ~ though I could be wrong… I have been before!



Going into the election I knew that being a Lib Dem would not be easy, I knew that many people disliked what they (I still feel weird saying us) have done to the town etc. and I also realised that they had a good chance of losing control of the borough council. For the record, I never saw that result coming either… nor did I ever think Tony Clarke would lose either.


Regardless, I was happy to help “my party.” I wasn’t joining a party to be popular, I still believe in the “pre~amble” they have on their membership cards… however; I do worry that many of the others in the party did not believed the same. It sometimes felt that being a councillor/working for the public, was more about towing the party line than what their core principles are. It sometimes seemed to be a case of “this is far too important to play fair” or “we must win at all costs.”


Not that there is anything wrong with wanting to win or doing as you are told.


I understand the need for rules and that we should, on the whole; follow them.


But, and this has always been one of my “bugbears” as it were; if your boss (in whatever sense of the word) told you to jump off a cliff ~ are you really going to do it without as much as an; “why?” Which all leads me to question, what on earth has happened to make many of us like this?


Someone in the party would constantly tell me that they “needed” to win, and all I could think was; why? Is it really that important to win? When did it change from “because I want to serve my fellow Northamptonians,” to “because I need the money?”


Life and people are far more important than money will ever be, I don’t want my ward councillor telling me I should vote for them; I want to vote for them because they work hard and will do their best for my area… if you are doing it right, I don’t need to be told about it.


I personally believe there are a few main reasons why the Lib Dems lost control of the Borough; one of them is of course because of the nation scene. Supports of both the Tories and Lib Dems seem to be uncomfortable with the coalition, and you cannot blame them really can you? Is it a case of Clegg selling out for a place of power in the government, or simply a case of him seeing the potential? I personally have never liked this coalition, if I had wanted to be close to a Tory; I would have still been one!


Had it been me leading the party, I would have stepped back. Keeping my promises and integrity while allowing the Tories to (if it goes like it) make a balls up of it all… after all, there will be another election along in four~ish years; and that isn’t that long when it comes to politics!


I feel that another reason is that they were adamant that the town centre should come first when it came to planning etc. and I cannot say I completely disagree. Picture the scene if you will… (And this is a tangent, but it works)


In four years’ time, the Saints and Cobblers have an Asda and Ikea on their plots of land. They have developed their grounds etc. and everyone that matters is happy… the parking is a nightmare in St. James and Duston Road, but that doesn’t matter. Tesco’s moves in up by the Saints too, because they always get in upon the act; and Sainsbury’s makes a fuss and has its extension too. Throw in some other shops etc. and you have your very own “Weston Favell” type centre up in St. James/Duston/Upton area…


Now, you get people like my parents and others who don’t like going to the town centre; who now have everything need (or would go to Milton Keynes for) right there on their doorstep… where do you think people will go? I know without even having to ask where my folks will go, trust me I can save every council the consultant fee by telling you; it will be to the out of town shopping centre! I mean, why go town (which is slowly and painfully dying) when you have it all five minutes away? When petrol/diesel is the price it is, and the buses are a nightmare too, why would anyone bother or care about the town centre?


So what happens to the Market that is never going to be the same simply because people shop differently nowadays? What happens when the stores that have been in the town for like ever, finally get up and go elsewhere? When will the council start to worry? When places like Sainsbury’s, Church’s China, Debenhams, House of Fraser, or Church’s Shoes? What will be the wakeup call for them I wonder? What happens when we lose the towns venues like the theatres? Will that shock you all into doing something? When the town is a ghost town, what then?


Before you chastise me for spouting political brainwash garbage, I am basing this on firstly my own views but also those of the forgotten few; the silent majority that most politicians forget. People like my parents, who have not voted for ages because they think “you lot” are all the same. Normal people who have far more important things to worry about than which council does what or who runs it, it is these people most of you forget. Because while being a loud mouth (and I say that with affection as it is aimed at some people I know) is all well and good, and does get you so far; but not everyone wants to be that ~ or can be like that for that matter!


Before the election, the local paper (Chron & Echo) held a big debate and got people of the town to ask the candidates what they would do when they were elected. Towards the end of the night, a young lad got up and asked what each would do to inspire him and people like him to not only vote but also take an interest. And in truth that about sums it all up really, most people don’t want to hear that such and such a person left his car in his parking spot; they have more important things to worry about.


They won’t care if such and such a candidate is standing against his former party who kicked him out in such a rough way, the majority of people don’t bother with local politics and rarely care (especially now) about the national scene either… simply put, people are too busy with their lives to bother or care. Yes they want things to be better; yes they want to pay less council tax etc. but in truth they have their lives to get on with!!


But those same people have a voice and a vote, many of whom may have voted; many of whom may have seen you “all to be the same” and sent back a vote of “no confidence" in those that rule us. I guess my point (yes, I think I have one) is that it isn’t the ones with the biggest voice you need to worry about, it is those silent majority that need to be convinced or shown that you are not all the same. Even though I am interested in politics and even though I should know better; sometimes I think you are all the same…


They say the best government is that in opposition, and in some respects this is true; they always tell us voters they will do what the government is not doing... trouble is that every time an opposition says that and gets elected, none seem to hold true to their words!!! And maybe this is my point about everyone being the same, being proved right? Everyone says they will do their best for the voters; they will listen and stick to their promises, which is great… but in four years’ time when they have failed they either blame someone else, be that a previous council/government or just tell us things will get better and they will do it right the next time.


So I really do wish this new administration well, I hope they will not be the same. I hope that they keep their promises; I hope that both the Saints and the Cobblers get what they want. I hope that Fitzy and the Market survives, I hope that MY town does not die… but should the Tories fail to deliver, would the last person to leave Northampton please turn off the lights?


(Rant over, for now…)

Roll up, Roll up! Come Forward if You Seek The Truth….

Do you want to know the truth?



Can you handle the truth?


Is your ass writing checks your body can’t cash? (Always wanted to say that)


Do you want to know the meaning of life?



I know it; you know… the meaning of life that is…





Trouble is I have been banned (by two groups of people I volunteer for ~ go figure) from saying what I think and feel, so I guess I cannot share this all important; life changing information with any of you.





But worry not my friends (and enemies, cause like; you never know who’s reading) all is not lost. No no no; I can assure you all that, should you have that special something inside of you ~ you too will know the meaning of life!



All you have to do is the following…



Close your eyes and clear your mind; I shall wait for those of you that may take a long time with this… right, now as your eyes are close and your mind is clear; I want you all to think nice calming thoughts…






That’s it, now as you are doing this you should be getting the answer in your brain. You’ll see the scene and picture clearly, it will be so simple that it will actually make you smile… but the truth is this information WILL change your life for the better; trust me folks, you’ll want to know this secret…



And there you go folks, you have the answer; but only if you have an open mind…



See you guys over there at the “other side!”

Just So You ALL Know...

DISCLAIMER:

Nothing in this blog ~ or for that matter anything I write, type or say ~ is linked in anyway shape or form to any of the following…


St. John Ambulance.
The Liberal Democrats.

The Labour Party.

The Conservative Party.

The Green Party.

The Independent Group.

UKIP.

The Save Our Services Party.

The Monster Raving Loony Party.

Northampton Borough Council.

Northamptonshire County Council.


Or any other person; living, dead, man, woman, child or alien!


My thoughts, words, views, deeds and everything in between are purely that of my own…


And if you still do not like them, well sorry and all ~ but that is not my problem anymore!!!

Political Wrestling.... (work with me on this!)

Having been set this challenge to link politics and wrestling, the most obvious line was not forthcoming; just how on earth you can link sports entertainment and current affairs is beyond me... (Other than they both seem to have a little too much drama at times!)

But then after I watched some WWE wrestling on YouTube last night, I began to think about it more and more. Maybe they are not so different after all, and I know that many of you will be sat there thinking about this and wondering; what the heck am I on about...  so let me explain :-

When you think about it, every MP is chasing after a dream; that they will reach the top and do the best they can for their constituents. Just as all wrestlers spend their whole lives working damned hard to be the best, and to make their fans proud.

We elect every MP because we think/feel they will be the best for the job, in wrestling us fans make those we love (or love to hate) popular for much the same reason.

When we get fed up of their actions, we turn our backs/stop supporting our MP’s. When we stop liking a wrestler, we stop cheering for them; turn our backs on them.

But one of the biggest likenesses I have found is the most surprising, it happens in both politics and wrestling ~ and in much the same way!

I had watched WWE wrestling for a while, (probably ten years) before giving up sky about three or so years ago. I do not claim to be an expert on any of it; I just used to watch for some amazing athletic performances and the storylines. But one thing became clear to me, I loved a “face” ~ what they also call baby faces..., it basically means a good guy!

One such wrestler is, John Cena. Kids and women love him; guys over the age of about eighteen do not. They think he sucks and cannot wrestler, and maybe that is true. But he always carries himself well, and sends out a good message to the young fans out there.

Which brings me to my point, the hatred this wrestler has evoked is amazing. From the “Cena Sucks” chants that fly around the arena’s, to the puerile videos on YouTube; some fans cannot wait to vent their fury upon a wrestling character!

He is not the only one that has received this type of treatment either; Michael Cole has been demonised too. Both have had their fair share of videos posted about how they suck, both have had the “you can’t wrestler” or “you suck” videos; but both have been turned into demonic baby eating monsters.

And here is why I think wrestling and politics are alike in this way, simply; if your face does not fit you are pilloried and hung out to dry by fans and voters alike.

I end with an example from politics, one of our local councillors; Tony Woods. Made a mistake by leaving his car, in his parking space; in a car park very few people can use. I believe that, for the most part he was simply too busy to sort matters. I also believe that, when matters became “political” he showed a stubborn nature and attitude. I believe that while it was “wrong” to leave the car their, in the grander scheme of things; it was not that bigger deal.

In my life I have far more important things to worry about, I am sure that the majority of people do also. Do I really care that the man is not the same as everyone else? Do I really care that he parked his car in his parking space? Why should I care about anything, other than if he is doing his job?

Just the same as John Cena, do I care that he cannot wrestle as well as say; Kurt Angle or Chris Beniot? Do I care that fans think he sucks or is gay because young fans like him?  Do I care that people do not like him being a “face” or because he is popular? He does his job of entertaining us fans very well, which all you can ask really isn’t it?

A Day in the Life of Me.... (well, a few hours)

Walking into my favourite café, I find my usual drink waiting for me before sitting down. As I take a seat I think about how strange it might seem to some people, but I like having a usual and it being there when I walk in. I also like the feeling of being part of a regular crowd, and that people seem to care about you.

The café itself has enough room (just) for five tables and a counter, the space behind the counter is also limited; which seems only add to the authenticity of the place. Manuel is the owner of this Italian styled cafe, he is a Swiss Italian; which lends a true feel to the place. Every day you can hear him pepper his conversations with strong Italian, mixing well with the multicultural customers that come in every day. The floor has blue tiles, the walls are peach coloured sandstone effect; and the ceiling is plain white with sunken spotlights.

It is hard to describe what you would see when you walk in, maybe a true taste of Italy? A picture of Napoli adorns the left wall as you entre, next to that is two small full-face Venetian masks. Next to that are three pictures with scenes from films, between them and the counter is a mini life sized statue of “David” in white.

On the right wall as you walk in are five pictures, also with scenes from films too. A small television screen is on the wall between that and the counter; it normally plays Italian Cityscapes or pictures of food. There is a gap between the counter and right wall, and usually has a table and chair so close to blocking it.

Above the counter runs a “film strip” scene with people drinking coffee, talking of coffee… one deep intake of breath and you cannot fail to smell freshly roasted coffee beans!  And you only need to try the cappuccino once to know it is easily the best in Northampton,  just ask all the people who sometimes queue to get into the café to be served. That reminds me, coffee time! Excuse me for a while, my latte is waiting…

Above the counter, right in the middle is the price list. And below this is what can only be described as the knick knack shelf, way too many things to mention each one by one; I am sure every one of them has their own story behind it. The food is now what is tempting me, maybe I should have eaten before I started to do this?

Anyways, the reason I love coming here? Other than the lovely coffee and food, the regular customers from Michael and Joe, to the “Prof” (BG ~ my councillor friend) and “him!”

This place is quite simple the perfect playground to write, think, relax and make new friends; this place has it all for people like you and me and well everyone!