Tag: writing

A double-decker bus in Godagama - Sri Lanka - a British Colony

Sri Lanka: Census Shows Overall Literacy Reaches 97.4%! (12.4.2026)

This creates begging and a sense of “lacking” (there is no money to purchase the necessities of life). Within the traditional modes of existing – money – a) does not exist and b) therefore does not dictate well-being or existence. On the other hand, tradition never changes or is permitted to alter – as such deviation from established norms present a “danger” to the well-being of those who live under its sway. Buddhist monastic life was developed within an ancient agrarian system – but not a modern or capitalistic version. It was a reaction to the Brahmanic caste system. The Buddha lived in a North Indian Republic which elected its secular officials. Followers of Brahma definitely existed – but at that time Brahmin priests had not yet usurped the kings and warriors (Kshatriya) who then administered society (the Buddha was of the Kshatriya caste – before he rejected Brahmanism) and his father the elected leader, etc. Later, the Brahmins would manoeuvre themselves above the warriors and kings – creating a revolutionary repositioning within the caste system (this is where matters stand in India). Sri Lanka, of course, is a Buddhist country with only a small Hindu population – although I did witness Buddhist monks carrying-out various (vegetarian) rituals for local Hindus living in areas around Colombo. This might be because Hindus today view the Buddha as an avatar of the god Vishnu.

Continue reading

Jungle People Adopt Cuban Doctor!

Guatemala: Q’eqchí [Mayan] Jungle People Adopt Cuban Doctor – Yunior Proenza González! (11.4.2026)

Sometimes she has had to walk four hours to get to a consultation, and in that time she has told the trees that what strikes her most about those lands is that many women have no limits to give birth, that they depend on the decision of the husband and that the children arrive without rest. He has succeeded in introducing family planning, convincing mothers of the importance of vaccines and five-year implants, and thus improving the quality of life of these women and their children.

In her sessions as a teacher, she teaches nurses to look patiently. He talks to them about vaccination, prevention, care, habits and hygiene like someone who sows invisible seeds in a land that has learned to resist without complaint.

That was why one day the children began to wait for him as one expects a returning relative, the mothers learned to trust his hands and the elderly to greet him with respect.

Now, as evening falls, the rivers have begun to worry about the moment when Dr. Yunior will leave these lands.

Continue reading

Photo © Louise Impey

UK: Gypsy News – the Battle of Friendless Lane! (9.4.2026)

. Another issue stemmed around the difference between ethnic Gypsies and those people from the settled community who simply declared themselves a “Traveller”. This was followed by an influx of Irish Gypsies and Gypsies from Europe, and so on. A few years ago, when I was in regular contact with the Gypsy Council, and had just publish an article about Gypsies who served in the Soviet Red Army – I was attacked by an Irish youth from a nearby Traveller community that had took-over a park. I say “attacked” – but as a trained martial artist and a law abiding citizen, I simply “moved out the way” of this short kids punches – which made his friends laugh and pull him away. Obviously, I did not grass, but I suspect the entire encounter is on the Sainsbury car-park CCTV. It is a sad state of affairs all round. Some of these people are violent and obnoxious because of the things that have been done to them in the past – this must be understood – but the prejudice aimed at Travellers is breath-taking! No other disadvantaged group wants anything to do with them. You will not see BLM or Palestine Solidarity turning-up to protest their treatment or demand their rights. Physical violence does not bother me – it is an occupational hazard – but for many others the shock of it far too much to take, and around it goes.

Continue reading

How Ogham Was Aligned with the Greci-Roman Alphabet.

Eire: Speaking [and Writing] the Irish Tongue! (6.4.2026)

She was also taught English at school by brutal school-masters. The children were beaten until they learned the English words – and this was by Irish teachers. As far as I am aware, Irish is a spoken language that was first written down in Ogham (lines pressed into the edges of clay tablets before firing – or engraved along the edges of standing stones – and known as the tree alphabet). Later, the sounds of Irish were transliterated into the received Greco-Roman alphabet – but this development was a contrivance – so that the invading English could understand what the Irish were saying. It would seem that the modern Irish learn to speak their language as normal – but now write it down using a foreign alphabet (English). Not only is this the case, but it would seem that a “French-like” accent (termed a “fada”) is used in modern Irish literature – such as over an “á” and other letters. Adding this mark – or taking it away – alters the sound of words and therefore the meaning of words. I suppose it amounts to “context” – but regarding literature (that is – the written word of modern Irish). As I cannot speak, read, or write “Irish” – I’m busking at the moment. My claim to fame is that my paternal grandmother (Gladys Kilmurray) could speak Irish – and that when her family members came to the UK to attend her funeral – they spoke Gaelic to one another and English to us. They seemed surprised that we could not speak Irish – but Nana was always reluctant to speak it in England due to the racism she used to receive for being “Irish”. Now, the racists would have believe the Irish have been “White” all along.

Continue reading

Ancient Seafaring Scaffolding from the Time of Henry VIII!

Brixham: “What’s this Scaffolding? It’s a Feature”! (29.3.2029)

Of course, as The Beatles once reminded us “Nothing is Real!” – in the hyper-extension of capitalism that is “the holiday”. It is a time of no work (unless you are on a working holiday – we’ve all been there – labour in exchange for ten-minutes on a beach), no struggle, and comfortable living – but this week or two takes around 50-weeks of hard graft just to raise the deposit. When I was in Spain, I once witnessed an Englishman arrive with his case at our holiday resort – returning after just two or three weeks after his last visit. His previous sojourn had been “magical” in his own words and he had gone home, re-mortgaged the house, and rebooked in exactly the same Benidorm hotel! The problem was that no one else he had stayed with had rebooked – and none of the staff could remember who he was!

Continue reading

Bronx Anti-War Free Distribution - New York

New York: Bronx Anti-War Free Food Distribution & Fund-Raising! (25.3.2026)

The grass-roots US appears to be strewn with left-wing groups like this that strive to assist the ordinary through the efforts of ordinary people – by-passing the official institutions that either ignore or directly oppress the masses. It is through the various social media apps not directly caught-up in the mainstream – that these groups announce their existence and reach-out beyond the boundaries of their communities. Of course, these groups are often a mixture of anarchists, Socialists (of various kinds) and Communists – forming “United Fronts – usually on a permanent basis (despite ideological differences). As the US System does not tolerate any form of People’s Movement – quite often it is a matter of time before that State raids the headquarters of these groups – films it – and places the footage on social media for all to see – together with a debilitating commentary designed to denigrate the members, etc. It is an Establishment play-book in the US that is deployed time and time again. In the end it comes down not to necessarily agreeing with this group or that group – but simply “knowing” such groups exist and share knowledge of what they do – and attempt to do.

Continue reading

1 2 3 4 … 21