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Tuesday, 5 April 2022

MY BASAL CELL CARCINOMA---VISION EXPRESS EDINBURGH

 


                                                                    



                                                BASAL CELL CARCINOMA


        I have just heard from the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion that the

          SKIN CANCER IN MY EYELID

      that was successfully removed by Dr. Jan Kerr on 26th January 2022 was a Basal Cell Carcinoma,

              Vision Express Edinburgh had previously advised me that I shouldn't see a physician about the growth, that I should subject it to hot steam for several weeks, and that they would then decide whether to give me antibiotics!! Fortunately I disregarded this totally unprofessional advice, I have since switched to  highly competent opticians in Stockbridge, who have fitted me with a much better set of three pairs of glasses, at a substantially cheaper price. The quality of the frames at Vision Express is quite basic and they have a penchant for throwing in extra charges as part of their hard sell techniques..

  


Monday, 4 April 2022

CAPITALISM: JOKES AND CARTOONS


   

                                                    

Two man are locked in a room. There is a cake in the middle of it. The first one thinks: "I now have two options:

1. I take half of the cake and the other half is for that other guy.
2. I kill that other guy and have the cake all by myself."

He goes for the second option and kills the other man. Then he starts eating the cake.

After he's halfway through, he says: "Phew, no. I'm full. Can't eat anymore."
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"Dad, what's capitalism?"

"Here, take this £5 note and go and get me a BLT with a large coca cola."

The boy left his house and took the only possible route, up a huge hill. He got to the counter and made the order.

"That'll be £7.34," said the assistant.

"I only have £5, mister," said the boy. The assistant shrugged his shoulders and the boy left.

The boy barged in through the front door and shouted, "Dad, I just went all that way for you and you didn't give me enough money."

The dad looked him in the eye and said, "Son, that's capitalism."

                                                                   



                                                                                 












DAME OPHELIA MOUNTSHAFT, a poem by Tom Leonard

 

                    DAME OPHELIA MOUNTSHAFT, COMPANION OF THE GARTER


                                                                  by Tom Leonard

                                                              Inspired by Jim Liddle



                                                                                    





                               She's ever so important

                               She mixes with the princelings,

                               queen mothers, and visiting Heads of State.

                               She charges five hundred guineas a time

                               For her speeches at soirees,

                               And always makes an eloquent joke.

                               Stands for trans rights.

                               Sits for portraits.

                               Claps for carers;

                               Goes out with her handbell in full matron's uniform

                               On haunted Broughton Street, as far as the Ox.

                               Sings 'We shall overcome' like Pete Seger.

                              She's descended from the marmaids of Saint Senera

                              Who thrive on the Isle of May

                              And when she swims down the Firth,

                              The manatees come out to prey,




Saturday, 2 April 2022

THE UNKNOWN WAR: The Liberation of Poland (1945)

 

                                                                             


                                   

                                           THE UNKNOWN WAR 1978 TV SERIES


                                                                          




                                                                             





                               EPISODE 16: THE LIBERATION OF POLAND (VIDEO)




                                                            





The city was gradually destroyed throughout World War II. By September 1939, ten percent of its buildings had already been destroyed. The devastation continued in 1941, when the city suffered Soviet bombings. In 1943, the destruction was brought to an unprecedented level with the liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto. In the aftermath of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the entire district of northern Warsaw was literally wiped from the surface of the earth.

The final stage of destruction came with the Warsaw Uprising, when large parts of the Old Town, the city centre and the Powiśle and Wola districts were destroyed. What was left was methodically looted and then razed to the ground by the German Vernichtungs- and Verbrenungskommando – even as late as mid-January 1945



THE MALI EMPIRE (13th to 17th Century AD)

 

Established by King Sundiata Keita, known as the “Lion King,” the Mali Empire brought wealth, culture, and Islamic faith to West Africa.


                                                                    




                                                     NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC.ORG


From the 13th to 17th century, West Africa was home to the great Mali Empire. Established by King Sundiata Keita, the kingdom united several smaller, Malinké Kingdoms near the Upper Niger River. Protected by a well-trained, imperial army and benefiting from being in the middle of trade routes, Mali expanded its territory, influence, and culture over the course of four centuries. An abundance of gold dust and salt deposits helped to expand the empire’s commercial assets. Mali included the city of Timbuktu, which became known as an important center of knowledge. Mali also developed into a hub for the Islamic faith before poor leadership led to the empire’s ultimate decline in power and influence.

                                               University of Sankore (founded about 1100 AD)



                                                              




                                                   Muslim Heritage



                                                         



                                               Sundiata Keita



                                                                         




                                          SUNDIATA WIKIPEDIA



                                              BRITANNICA. COM


Mali, trading empire that flourished in western Africa from the 13th to the 16th century. The Mali empire developed from the state of Kangaba, on the upper Niger River east of the Fouta Djallon, and is said to have been founded before 1000 CE. The Malinke inhabitants of Kangaba acted as middlemen in the gold trade during the later period of ancient Ghana. Their dislike of the Susu chief Sumanguru’s harsh but ineffective rule provoked the Malinke to revolt, and in 1230 Sundiata, the brother of Kangaba’s fugitive ruler, won a decisive victory against the Susu chief. (The name Mali absorbed the name Kangaba at about this time.)


                           



                                                                        

                                                             Mansa Musa

          The fame of Mansa Musa and his phenomenal wealth spread as he travelled on his hajj to Mecca. Afterward, he put himself and his kingdom, West Africa's Mali, on the map, literally.




                                                SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY


The Mali Empire consisted of outlying areas and small kingdoms. All these Kingdoms pledged allegiance to Mali by offering annual tributes in the form of rice, millet, lances and arrows [xii]. Mali prospered from taxes collected from its citizens, and all goods brought in and out of the Empire were heavily taxed while all gold nuggets belonged to the King. However, gold dust could be traded and at certain times gold dust was used as currency together with salt and cotton cloth [xiii]. Cowrie shells from the Indian Ocean were later used as currency in the internal trade of Western Sahara [xiv].

Mali, and especially the city of Timbuktu, was famous a centre of learning and spectacular architecture [xv] such as the Sankara Madrassa - a great centre of learning - and the University of Sankore which continued to produce a great many astronomers, scholars and engineers long after the end of the Empire of Mali. French colonial occupation is considered to have contributed to the University’s decline in its quality of education [xvi].

While Mali was a monarchy ruled by the Mansa or Master, much of the state power was in the hands of court officials [xvii]. This meant that the Empire could survive several periods of instability and a series of bad rulers. The Empire of Mali was also a multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic empire, and Islam was the dominant religion [xviii]


                                                       



                                                    WIKIPEDIA


                                                                     


The Great Mosque at Timbuktu

                                                           

                                                                 Constructed Map 



                                                            MANSA MUSA


                                                                            


                                                       "Richest person who ever lived"



                                                               WIKIPEDIA


                                  MALI'S ANCIENT DOCUMENTS CAPTURED ONLINE



                                                                        



                                                                             




Friday, 1 April 2022

CARERS FROM AFAR a poem by Tom Leonard

                                                                  CARERS FROM AFAR


                                                                        by Tom Leonard


                                                        

                                                                     



                                                     They nurture my old age


                                                             Out of the cradles


                                                               of civilisation


                                             They sooth my legs with zero-base


                                  As their homelands are still exploited and repressed


                                    They give me cereal, coffee, and toast


                                                For wake-up breakfast,


                                              And soup and tasty meals


                                             For my next to last supper,


                                           As the pains deflate my chest.


                                           They are the gods from Orion


                                                  Who Amon brought.


                                       They are the soul of the Universe,


                                             Who I have always sought.

Wherewith the Foe? A poem by Tom Leonard

                                        WHEREWITH THE FOE? by TOM LEONARD


                                                                      


                                                     

                        RECEIVE YOUR  REWARDS FROM HEAVEN ABOVE,

                        YE WHO TOIL HARD FOR ZILCH, 

                        YE CARING PEOPLE WHO

                        STRUGGLE TO EXIST,

                       YE INDUSTRIOUS IMMIGRANTS TO NEO-COLONIAL SCOTIA 

                       OUT OF AFRICA, CUBA  AND MADRID,

                       FROM VISTULANIA, MUMBAI , MALI, AND THE NILE,

                      WITH INDIGENOUS CULTURE FILLED.


                      JOIN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SOCIAL INJUSTICE,

                      AGAINST THE ARMS-MONGERS, AND AGAINST

                      AND CREEPING TOTALITARIAN BUREAUCRACY

                      ALL CITIZENS AND WORTHY BODIES THAT TRULY CARE!

                      DEFEND OTHERS, BUT NOT BY GLIB LIP SERVICE 

                       AND EFFUSIVE  ORCHESTRATED PRAYER  ALONE.

                      PROTEST IN HARMONIUS UNISON, AND

                      THEREBY REDEEM THY IMMORTAL SOULS,

                       LEST YOU WRITE YOUR EPITAPHS

                      BENEATH YOUR IVORY STEEPLES 

                      AND PRETENTIOUS CHURCH TOWERS

                      OUT OF TIMES THANKFULLY BY GONE. 

                      AND  AGAINST ALL BLIARS, RASPUTINS, AND THE LIKE,

                     PLAN CAREFULLY AND PEACEFULLY REBEL!                   

                       


                      MEANWHILE,  FEATHER YOUR NESTS, YE PIOUS GATE-KEEPERS, 

                       PROSELYTISE YOUR GOODNESS,

                       YE HOLY WILLIES,

                       WHILE YOUR BLIND EYES CONDONE

                       THE RAMPANT  ABUSE IN YOUR MIDST.

                        YE BELONG  HIGH  ON THE HILL 

                        WHERE SLAVERY IS STILL EXTOLLED,

                        WHERE THEY SAY THAT THE FOOD SERVERS WITH DOWNS

                        AND THE LEARNING DISABLED WITH INCAPACITIES

                        WERE BULLIED AND MISTREATED

                        IN THE SNOB-FILLED CRYPT,

                        WHERE THE CHILDREN WERE MINDWASHED

                         INTO WORSHIPPING THE PRIEST 

                         AT THE HISTORIC ALTAR

                        AND LEFT UNPROTECTED FROM THE GHOULS.

                        

                         

                                                                          


                         AND A CURSE ON THAT PLACE

                         ON THE TOP OF THE WALK.

                        WAY DOWN THE HILL, 

                        WHERE THE WHORE OF BABYLON.

                        INDULGED HIMSELF AFTER HIGH MASS.

                        LOCK THE DOORS, KEYHOLDER, 

                        SAINT BRIAN SO BOLD,

                        AND FUMIGATE THE PLACE

                        LEST THE HOLIES RESURRECT THE WAYS OF

                       THEIR ERRANT PRINCES, AND THAT SISTER OF NAZARETH,

                        FROM THE ROME OF THE EMERITUS REKINDLED

                       AND IN THE SMYLLUM ORPHANAGE CONTINUED.


                                                             


                      .

                        

                         THRIVE IN THE EXCLUSIVELY EXPENSIVE CLUBS,

                         YE PARASITIC PHARISEES, 

                         THAT FLOAT HIGH  IN THE SKY ABOVE PRINCES STREET

                        AND SPEW EUGENICS

                        ON THE BEGGARS IN THE GUTTER BELOW FROM THE GUTTER ABOVE.

                       GLOBAL CAPITALISM HAS GONE SPARE.


                      YE WHO BRING BLASPHEMY TO THE SPIRIT,

                      YE ABUSERS OF CHILDREN OF JESUS

                       AND ENSLAVERS OF THOSE WHO SCRAPE AND TOIL. 

                       THE MESSIAH'S  ALL-SEEING EYE PERCEIVES YOUR

                       UNFORGIVEABLE AND TEETH GNASHING SINS

                       AND WILL ASSIGN YOU TO ONE OF GOD'S BINS.

                       

                       TO THE VOICES FROM BELOW,

                       TO THE LESS FORTUNATE MAJORITY OF FAIR EMBRO,

                       THE MIDDLE CLASS IS THE FOE.

                       TO MANY,  I AM A FOE.

                        (AND ENTRAPPED AS SUCH IN MY FADING GILT CAGE)

                       "INVERTED SNOBBERY" CAN BE GENUINE DISGUST.                  

                       THE FOE IS  WITHIN AND AROUND US.

                       SOME THINK THEY'RE SANCTIFIED FROM SIN..

                       SOME THINK THEY'RE PRE-DESTINED FOR HEAVEN,

                       




                                                                   




                       ALL PRAISE TO THEE: MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, YESHUA

                      AND THE GRASS ROOTS ACTIVISTS OF YOUR AND ALL TIMES;

                       YOUR SYNOPTIC LITURGIES DEFIED THE ROMANS AND THE PHARISEES.

                       ALL HAIL TO JERUSALEM, ALL HAIL TO GOD'S CHOSEN TEMPLE.

                       BUT THEN THE FALSE APOSTLES, THE FALSE MESSIAH CONSTANTINE, 

                      AND THE FALSE CHRISTS AND RIGHT REVEREND DOCTORS 

                      TWISTED IT  ALL WRONG IN THEIR LOFTY LAIRS, 



                      MIDDLE CLASS MORALITY? 

                      THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE!

                      THE NICENE CREED MIND CONTROLS THE SUBSERVIENT

                     AND WHEN THE REBELLIOUS REVEREND

                     SAINT PETER SCOTUS OF IONAN FAME DECRIED

                     THAT PRESUMPTUOUS SPIEL,

                     HE PUT HIS CONGREGATION  

                     IN A SPIRITUAL THRALL.

                     

                    BUT THEN PETER THE ROCK WAS STRUCK DOWN, 

                    AND DIED BEFORE THE DEADLY VIRUS MOVED IN,

                   AND SOON, I FEAR, THE LAST SURVIVORS WILL BE

                   ATTENDING EVER HIGHER HIGH CHURCH, MASKLESS,

                   DANCING THE ROULETTE OF DEATH, 

                  TILL THEY FADE INTO ETERNITY..


                  THE EXISTENCE OF GOD IS PROVED

                  BY THE CREATURES HE CREATED

                  BY THE GENETICS AND GEOPHYSICS HE DEVISED.

                  IN HIS VERY IMAGE, THAT AWESOME ENTITY,

                  THE SLOW EVOLUTION OF ALL SENTIENT BEINGS DESIGNED.

                  STAY ON YOUR KIND SIDE, MOST WORTHY CREATOR

                  AND KEEP HUMANITY FROM THE DEPTHS OF OUR DARK SIDES,

                 AND FROM THE PRIMEVAL MONSTERS WITHIN US ALL.

                    


                                                    

                                                           
                                         John Duns Scotus (c.1265/66 – 8 November 1308)

                                                    "Proved" the existence of the Creator God