RBS 6 Nations

It is that time of year again.  It is when I feel as though I have finally come out of hibernation and can carry on with my life.  The end of January.  I love this time of year.  It is when you notice the days getting longer; the weather starts to pick up, albeit a little bit and it just seems as though Mother Nature wakes up and things happen.  Like most people, nature is also happy to see the end of the most mundane month of the year come to an end. 

This phase has special significance for me for many reasons but, for me, it is very exciting as we are, FINALLY(!), within touching distance of the six nations rugby championships.  This is a time when all eyes will be on the elite of Northern Hemisphere rugby to provide us with entertainment for 6 weeks.  It looks to be the most open tournament in a long time as well!

The first game will be Wales versus England.  This will be in the Millenium stadium on 04/02/11 (Friday) for a 7.45PM kick off and it will be a good start to the 6 nations.  They are two teams who have a history of producing a copious amount of good games.  Though Wales I think will be up against it.  The home advantage will prove to be Wales’ biggest asset on the day.  Usually England start poorly and build ahead of steam but, I must say (and begrudgingly too) that they look good. 

The next day (Saturday) will offer Italy versus Ireland (Rome) in the early afternoon 2.30PM and France take on Scotland (Paris) at 5.00PM. 

Following week 12/2/11 England versus Italy (London) at 2.30PM followed by Scotland versus Wales (Edinburgh) at 5.00PM.  The next day (Sunday) gives us the spectacle which, in my opinion, is usually the game of the 6 Nations every year.  Ireland versus France (Dublin).  This could decide the title this year. 

Saturday 26th February - Italy v Wales - 2.30PM followed by another big, big game which can also decide the title - England v France – 5PM.  Sunday 27th February - Scotland v Ireland (Edinburgh) – 3PM.  This could become a grudge match as Scotland put up a heroic fight to win last year in Croke Park.  This weekend will be full of potentially classic games. 

Following another gap weekend, Saturday 12th March sees and all European tie Italy v France - 2.30PM.  This, despite being in Rome could still be a one sided affair.  The game on Saturday 12th March - Wales v Ireland - 5pm could also be a very entertaining encounter as each of these teams are both very good upfront and also play a very expansive game of rugby.  Here it is - Sunday 13th March - England v Scotland – 3PM.  It may very well be the first time Scotland win against England in London in a long, long time.  It would be good to see. 


Finally, super Saturday.  The last and most exciting day of the 6 nations – a triple whammy of games.  This is day exceptionally good if it is more than a one horse race. 
Saturday 19th March - Scotland v Italy - 2.30PM (Edinburgh)
Saturday 19th March - Ireland v England – 5PM (Dublin)
Saturday 19th March - France v Wales - 7.45PM (Paris)

My opinions of this tournament being very open if based on the fact that not one team have ALL their first choice players, particularly with woeful Wales.  They are in serious trouble as they have lost forwards and backs and I count in excess of 5 players, including, prop, Adam Jones, winger, Shane Williams and centre, Gavin Henson.  There are others which I cannot remember at the moment.  Scotland has some players coming back from injury like Johnny Beattie and other are ruled out; Graeme Morrison and Chris Cusiter.  England, France, Ireland and Italy are also missing a few due to injuries due to club duty.  It will be interesting to see how the tournament transpires. 

I think that there is more than one team that can win it this year.  England have a good blend of experienced players with young, explosive players but, they do play a very boring brand of rugby.  They exhibit very few dim sparks of entertainment in most of their games.  They have two games at home one against Scotland which will be difficult and the other against France which could tip the balance in England’s favour.  England do run hot and cold though.  They had a good autumn test series but were defeated by a very lacklustre South Africa and a New Zealand team that were not pumping on all cylinders.  I think they will be good contenders for the title this year as they have come a long way under Martin Johnson’s regime.  The win against Australia was a classic win for England.  Ireland, who also have big games in Croke park, France and England, stand a tremendous chance of coming into this tournament as favourites.  Ireland took a very much deserved grand slam championship when they took on England and France at Croke park.  France are almost always tournament favourites.  They always play with flare and set new fashion in rugby which even the mighty all blacks try to emulate.  Although they have a very desirable variety of rugby, they have very tough games on the road and this could cause them to lose decisive games.  I do, however, often find that the French are very fortunate so I would not be surprised if they do pull off some shocking victories. 

My dark horses have to be Scotland this year.  If they start with the same conviction and intensity they ended with in last year’s championships and also with the same play as they produced in the autumn tests then they will do very well. 

I will say this, there will not be a grand slam winning team this year and if I had to choose a winning team at this point – I will have to say it will be either France or Ireland. 
I hope you all are as excited as I am!

Much love,

Jackson L.

So to thee we bid farewell.

Well there is a lot of speculation recently over the sexist remarks made by certain football pundits.  From my understanding this was all off the record but, they left the microphones on and others heard what was said.

The main culprit was a man named Andy Gray whom, for the last 15 or so years, worked as a football commentator/pundit for Sky Sports giving his personal ‘informative’ views and observations on Barclays Premiership football matches.  He is a Glaswegian man who was a former football player himself and he made the mistake of saying:

“What the fuck does a woman know about the offside rule?!”

This in effect killed his career and he will forever be known as the sexist guy that said this rather than be remembered for some of the ridiculous quips he has uttered during his years commentating.  He has now indeed been sacked for further allegations of sexism.  I for one think – good riddance to bad rubbish.  My facebook was littered with these total retards saying “football will never be the same again” or “Sky has really fucked this up now!” and the best one yet, “He was the voice of English football” (a Scottish man, by the way….a SCOTTISH man….).  He was a total knob who persistently spoke shit ALL. THE. TIME.  So I am very happy he is leaving and will hopefully be replaced by someone with informative opinions on football, also, with a less annoying face.  He will not be missed by me.  If anything, it will make me enjoy football more.  My football renaissance has been a recent affair but I always thought that Andy Gray was even less competent than I was! Bold statement you say?  Well I say shut up! Bitch!

Having said that, I do feel it was a very harsh sacking.  I know what was said was very sexist and a man in his position, a nationwide well known commentator, should not say such things but, lets face it, we were all thinking it.  Not only were we all thinking it, it is just something that goes with the culture of proper football.  Any sport really.  Especially a team sport where you go watch with a bunch of mates.  You just act like a bunch of delinquents because you are with the ‘lads’!  This is what football comes with.  It is more than just a sport to watch for a lot of men.  It is a social call, once or twice in a week, for men to get together and leave their WAGs behind to just do something manly.  It is an opportunity to just hang out with mates and not worry about the missus for a few hours. 

In addition to this, call me a traditionalist, but I don’t believe that women belong in that level of professional sport.  It has always been a job for a man. It is just, in my opinion, a pathetic attempt at women trying to worm their way in to a mania that is predominantly male orientated.  It’s just a little wide of the mark.  Don’t get me wrong, I have played a lot of rugby in my time and also seen female referees, played one or two games with a female referee controlling the game and did so very well, I might add! But, still, it was just weird.  I have played games where male referees make mistakes that can change the dynamics of a game and it’s been bittersweet.  They are only human and unfortunately, even the best of refs make wrong decisions – look at Blackpool v Man U the other day.  That was a definite penalty.  It could have altered the game completely! Being 3-0 down would have been very hard to come back from, if of course the penalty was converted to a goal.  So, my point is, it is not the issue that men think women are more likely to make some mistakes in their decision making as even professional referees make big mistakes, even on a world stage – Graham Poll – AHEM!  Studies have shown that men are generally happier when they do not need to take orders or let women make ALL the decisive calls in their life.  So if they are looking to get away from their women for a Sunday league game and turn up to find a woman referee?  It will get a little disconcerting, no? 

This also brings me nicely onto my next point.  I have seen several adverts on TV now that are clearly made by women with slight sexist undertones.  One of which was a drug which helped women ease their period pain during their cycle and made the inference that the male companion was a pain.  Hmm….. Also, there was a tissue advert a few years ago for klennex ‘man sized tissues’.  Sat around a table were 4 women, presumably spending all their spouses’ hard earned cash as it was during the day (GET A JOB!) and they all had a cold.  Aww… One asked “Why are they called ‘man sized tissues’?” and the rest began listing the qualities ending with “thick”.  What kind of insinuation is that?  If we look through history and look to see the world’s smartest people we will find that Stephen Hawking is one of the world’s if not, THEE world’s smartest person.  Before him?  Well, I think there was a guy called Albert Einstein?  I’m not sure, because I’m so thick, of course, but I don’t think they are women.  Just saying.  Also, I must now take the opportunity to remind myself to breath because I can’t do too many tasks at the same time! Furthermore, Sheila’s wheels!  Yeah, if there was a version of that for males called Dave’s insurance deals on wheels, there would be a fucking HUGE up roar!  Much like if there was a MOWOs like the MOBOs.  Just like black people can be inherently racist, women are needlessly sexist and expect us not to be sexist back.  Well that’s not going to happen!  Women, it was not personal but, men generally know football better than women.  It is not sexist, it is fact.  Just like women are better at multi-tasking than men it is not sexist!  If there was a recruitment drive for doctors to work in a new hospital and there was an aptitude and a competence test to take, you are, or you should, hire the best there is for the job.  Not hire based on gender.  By that token, leave football to the men.

Imagine a women getting offended about being told she doesn’t know the offside rule!  It was a harsh sacking. I think the guy is a dick and I still thought it was harsh.  Some people just need to get a sense of humour. 

Anyways, I’m glad he’s not there anymore!

Much love,

Jackson L. 

Best friends are the best.

I have realised that there are a whole bunch of people I know (unfortunately) are now leaving X and moving down to London too.  Alas, there are just some people you will never escape.  Some memories will always be there to constantly remind you of how shitty things have been.  I am very lucky that London is a big city because these people really know how to make my blood boil.  It’s funny.  I honestly thought that I really did not give a shit about certain people.  My ‘friendship’ with them has lain in the past for a long time now and that is where it shall remain.  When I found out that this particular individual was moving to London I actually felt my breathing get heavier and my heart beat faster.  I actually felt as if I was about to fight someone.  I really never thought I could get that pissed off at something I thought was deep in my past now.  It is daunting to think what may happen if I lacked that little bit of self-control I do have if I was to bump into said individual in London.  My feeling at the point of just finding out I would have probably gone out of my way to kick six shades of shit out the guy.  I would have honestly kept beating on him until my arms got so tired they could no longer lift themselves.  “They are not worth it!” I keep telling myself.  It doesn’t seem to work though. 

Thankfully, as I mentioned, I have that little bit of self-control.  But, more than that, I have good friends.  Friends, who regrettably, have not made the move to the big smoke.  Friends who may not make the move at all, to my anguish!  However, in times of personal hardship people always look to anyone for support, comfort and encouragement, especially good friends.  I know I did.  I can’t help but think that if it wasn’t for my best friend, who we will call Brian Fox, I really don’t think I could have dealt with half the situations I found myself in, most recently when a so called group of friends decided to betray me.  It was, for me devastating.  The best advice I received about that situation was from him. 

Brian Fox:  You need to prove yourself to nobody.  You don’t need to prove yourself to your parents let alone these guys.  Who do they think they are?! 

He was, as per usual, right.  Nobody should feel the need to prove themselves to anybody.  It is something that you should do only for yourself.  This starts with having the notion of being able to take that step without seeing where your foot is going to land.  This is called faith.  Faith is something EVERYBODY should have in themselves.  I only realised recently that if it wasn’t for the years I have hung around with Brian Fox that I would not have so much faith in my self and I would not have such a high benchmark to have faith in others.  He has shared many an astute observation with me.  This situation was no different.  

Brian Fox:  The best revenge is to just ignore them and live well. 

I now fully understand the expression ‘success is the best revenge’.  I also now fully understand how valuable a friend Brian Fox is.  He has wisdom beyond his years and he is always in the know of the best action to take in any given situation. 

I would swap all the douches that have moved down from X with Brian Fox.  He belongs here more than anyone I know.  It’s funny because he was the only other person who felt the same way I did in X and it was so strange to see how similar our thought process was.  We knew we thought along the same tracks but we didn’t know we were on the same train singing from the same page of the same book…probably wearing the same clothes too. 

If Brian Fox ever reads this, I want him to know there are countless things that have changed my thinking because of the things he’s said and done.  I also want to admit that there are times when I am at such a loss that I think to myself ‘how will Brian Fox react to this?’ The most astonishing thing is that Brian Fox is thee most headstrong person I have ever known.  It seems to me like he is a maverick who opens up to nobody.  He lets nothing affect him and he just gets on with it.  An individualist.  A lot of the time I actually think he is carrying the mental strength for more than just himself.  I know he did it for me before.  Do I wish he’d open up to me more?  Well sure! Am I going to force him?  Not at all.  I know where he is when I need him and he sure knows where to find me when he needs me. 

Brian Fox, BF, I wish you were here.  BF you are my BFF.  My blood brother.

Much love,

Jackson L.

Wrong end of the stick.

I hate it when you think that you are talking to just one other person but, there are about 5 or 6 other people you have regular contact with on a daily basis.  It just sucks so many balls when you are having good banter with someone else and it seems like the rest of the world gets the wrong end of the stick!

During the week I was conversing with a lovely lady, who we shall call Miss Blue.  She and I chat very regularly and it is usually rather flirtatious and comical.  Everyone else in the office has either spoken to us individually about each other asking stuff like:

You guys would make a great couple!

And other puerile shit like that. 

Anyway, our conversion at some point went like this:

Miss Blue: What are you up to this weekend??

Me: Not too much, just catching up with some friends.  I have a bit of work to do but apart from that not too much.  How about you?

Miss Blue:  Nothing much.  Just having my girlfriends over and watching some films. 

Me: What kind of films?  Eh?!

Miss Blue: Oh, you know the usual…..

Me: Yeah, PORN!!  ANIMAL PORN!

Miss Blue:  Hahahha – you know me too well. 

Me: Nah, you’re just predictable. 

Miss Blue: Ugh! How dare you!!  Anyway, you free on Sunday?  Fancy a drink?

Me: Well I do have to go to the gym........

Putting her hand on my arm –

Miss Blue: When are you going to ask me out?! (Said in jest)

Me: Well, you’re just not my type.  (Also said in gag)

Miss Blue: WHAT?!  Smart, attractive women are not your type??!

Me: (cool as a cucumber….however cool they may be) No. Single women aren’t my type.  (Trying to be a bad ass)

Miss Blue: *Laughs hysterically*

Me: Cheers.  I’m here all night.

Well then, to say that I am public enemy number one in the office now is just an understatement.  People think I am actually the destroyer of happy relationships now.  It is just painful.  Even Miss Blue is going around convincing that people I am not a total cunt.  I mean – essentially being a bad ass is slightly cuntish.  But I am a textbook cunt in my colleagues’ opinions and, truth be told, I kind of like it. 

Much love,

Jackson L.

The Star signs thing.....(Zodiac changes)

I take it by now…as I am usually the last to find anything out, that you have heard about the change in the signs of the Zodiac?  It is funny.  I never really gave a shit about the whole Zodiac thing.  Whenever I was board on some form of public transport I would search for the pages containing the puerile nonsense and observe with my tongue firmly in my cheek.  I would then chuckle at how mundanely vague the entry for my day/week would be:

‘In your life things are going to happen causing stuff to unfold.’ Etc. 

However, I must say now that I have looked into the dates of each star sign and realized that my Zodiac sign has indeed changed, I feel robbed.  I am so used to saying I was a …..and reading the corresponding load of shit to compliment it.  Now I have to change my ways and say and read different.  It just feels very strange.  It’s almost like I was born earlier. 

Despite all this, I am going to carry on with my life as I have now, after writing the above, just realized I do not actually care to give a fuck.  But, what I do find funny is that when the Astrologers are so hell bent trivializing the actual scientific research carried out to prove that the star signs were, after all, a load of shit.  Scientific research stipulates that due to a wobble in the Earth’s axis over the last 2000+ years, the stars are viewed differently from Earth as they were when the Zodiac was drawn up.  This is what causes the undeniable shift in the dates.  Of course for the astrologers, they need to save their multi million dollar franchise of taking the utter piss out of people so they indeed come out and say Leos are still Leos and Tauruses are still a Taurus.  Their argument is that the dynamics of astrology remains the same forever and the bigoted scientists cannot understand the spirituality behind it.  This, for me, is just the weakest attempt at a plausible argument and an even weaker attempt at reverse psychology which will appeal to the masses, unfortunately.  Everyone with half a brain knows that the universe is ever expanding.  This means that certain structures within our universe will get further and further away which will, surely, alter the dynamics of astrology, no?  Not to mention the fact that stars are considered a living entity.  They have to ability to be born and die.  So with that in mind…..do I really need to paint more of this picture?

Someone, please, do enlighten me as I am only trying to think logically. 

The people I will be making fun of most will be those who whole heartedly followed it and believed pretty much EVERYTHING it had to offer.  I will also laugh at you as well and continue to ridicule you to beyond the point of ‘too far’. 

People who were like ‘Yeah man, I am like, totally not compatible and cannot get along with this person because he is like, you know….a Virgo and I am a total Cancer.  I am Cancer personified, man! You know what I mean?!” And I’m standing there thinking, yeah.  You totally are a cancer, a bottom feeder in a pile of shit that makes no REAL difference to anybodies life.  Furthermore, look at that French football manager who would only play his star studded team, who actually had the potential of being a real force in the 2010 world cup, based on compatibility of star signs.  What a fucking retard.  Do people who write these astrology things realize just how much of an impact they are having on these people’s lives?  I really don’t think they do.  It is mind numbingly painful to think that some people can actually be so dumb!

The people who did annoy me the most though, were those who tried desperately to be something they just weren’t.  People who I actually know…I personally know people who did this and I seriously considered my affiliation to them.  They would try to adapt their personality traits to their star sign.  I know what you’re thinking – “how much dicketry is actually in the world??” I know.  I find myself asking the same question day in.  I knew people who would claim they were laid back because they are Libran or very stubborn because they are Scorpios.  No.  I am stubborn.  My father is stubborn and neither of us are Scorpios.  My mother was an alleged Scorpio pre- Zodiac change and she was the least stubborn person in my family.  My brother, a Libra, was the polar extreme of laid back and obscenely stubborn.  So stubborn, in fact, that even lepers feel my pain.  You are what you are because of how you react to certain situations.  People can’t help the traits they have, although one can strive to make oneself a better person.  It is 100% NOT determined by when you were born causing you to befall a certain sign in the Zodiac. 

I was once asked by a friend who was trying to understand the energy between myself and an acquaintance and she was at her wits end.  She asked what my sign was and asked “Do you think it is because you are a ….. and he is a …….? “

To which I replied

“No.  I think it’s because I am a ….. and he is a TOTAL BELL END!”

Much love,

Jackson L.

Respect for the elderly

I was on the tube home the other evening after a very good night spent with a close friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in a long time.  As I sat there in the tube thinking, ‘What a tip top, banterous night that was!’ as it included a nice little meal in Pasta Brown’s in Covent Gardens and then a lovely desert at Snog, the frozen yoghurt place and a trip to the cinema to FINALLY see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, an elderly couple stepped onto the tube.  It was surprisingly busy for an 11pm train but, it was a Thursday evening and apparently everyone goes out on a Thursday in London as it is the new Friday! I also think it had something to do with the theatre shows too. 

Anyway, there was nowhere for these poor old people to sit.  I usually without hesitation get up and give my seat, if of course I do indeed have a seat to give, away.  But, this time I thought, I will carry out a little social experiment.  I thought to myself I will not give up my seat just yet and see if anybody offers theirs.  Luckily the train did not move from Holborn for a minute or so and I was sat there looking at all these people with no class, politeness and respect for the elderly.  It was sickening.  I stood up and offered my seat to the sweetest old lady who was very obliged.  Her husband also offered his gratitude, despite him having to stay standing.  The looks I received from the remaining, still seated passengers, was just deafening.  To say I received daggers would be an understatement.  I think it was because I was subtly emphasising how dick headed they all were without even saying anything.  However, it had the desired effect.  Eventually as the train started moving, people got up and offered the man their seat.  Yes, more than one person got up to offer their seat! It was ridiculous. 

Have people no class or decorum left? It is pitiful to have witnessed that.  I did this little social experiment as I had the feeling that this would happen but I just wanted to confirm it to myself.  Its things like this that make me lose more and more faith in humanity.  I know I may be being a little dramatic about this particular happening but there are some things that people should and should not do JUST because it is the decent thing to do.  When we were younger we were all taught certain things like lying are morally incorrect and causing harm to others is as well.  Insisting an elderly lady takes your seat when she is forced to stand on public transport is just something that has to be second nature to us all.  The fact that we need to be reminded that priority seating goes to the elderly, disabled, and pregnant or those with a toddler is just shameful. 

Speaking of shameful, I was reading the metro on the tube this morning and I saw that there was a picture of a boy struggling to keep his head above water in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  There was a caption underneath it which described him struggling to escape his predicament of DROWNING(!) and they just take a picture of it.  Don’t help him….that would be too productive!

Seriously! What the hell is going on?!

Much love,

Jackson L.

Wake up, Mr. West, Mr. West, Mr. Fresh

I think Kanye West’s latest album is the dog’s bollocks! It is the shit!! It just oozes class, simplicity and after ever song and after every time I hear that album for another time I am awe struck and left stupefied as I have no idea how he was able to do better than what he has already done!

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Yeezy is an epic collection of song after song genius.  Lyrically, musically and even vocally it is just a fantastic album and it just seems so different to his previous work.  It exudes simple melodies with hard hitting, deep, powerful lyrics.  Some excellent collaborations in some of the songs as well including; Jay Z, Rhianna, Nicki Minaj, Kid Cudi, Raekwon, Bon Iver, Rick Ross, Pusha T, Prynce CY Hi, Swiss Beatz, The RZA and John Legend.

The song list for this album is:-

Dark Fantasy

Gorgeous

Power

All of the Lights Interlude

All of the Lights

Monster

So Appalled

Devil in a New Dress

Runaway

Hell of a Life

Blame Game

Lost in the World

Who Will Survive in America

(You can listen to all of these on youtube).

The whole of the album really appeals to commerce, in particular, the first half of the album.  Dark fantasy is just a great introduction to the album and it really could not be any better.  Gorgeous has a beautifully simple guitar riff but the song is just fantastic.  I can really relate to this song most on the album and it is probably my favourite.  Everything in this song just fits well like a jigsaw.  Power is just lyrical brilliance.  The music to go with it, tribal, and a great beat too.  What a song! All of the Lights is going to be the flagship hit of this album and it will be HUGE! Monster has thee meanest beat I have heard in a long time.  The lyrics are just hard hitting aggression.  Devil in a New Dress has deep, deep meaning and it is a potent song.  I like its effortless flow and it is just something you can listen to and chill and think ‘Yeah…’

The rest of the album, for me, is when Kanye West’s true emotions and feelings come to life.  Especially in Runaway and Blame Game, which are personal favourites of mine also.  Even the way West sings the Runaway radiates his sentiment and it gives me a tingling sensation as it just expresses my own desires to just leave all my troubles behind and runaway.  Blame Game is just one of the best songs on the whole album.  I’m not even going to try and describe how good it is. 

I am glad Kanye West has come back with an album as good as any….I would probably go as far as saying his best!  I have always liked Kanye West.  No matter what people say about him or no matter what he has done, he has opened my mind to a lot of different things and altered my attitude to a lot of things.  He believes himself to be ‘a soldier of culture’ and he well and truly is.  This can be seen in his art, his fashion, his persona and even the timeless fashion items which he has brought to life. 

Not only is he one of the best things to happen to music in a very long time….not only is his album one of the best I have heard in the last decade, but he never seems to have a problem in calling it like he sees it.  Although many people think Kanye West is a douche or whatever other silly cliché you may have for him, people neglect the fact that they were most definitely thinking what he is saying!  There is just one minor difference and that is – he has the balls to say it!!!

‘Ye, keep makin’ that keep makin’ that plat’num ‘n’ gold for me.’

Much love,

Jackson L.

GAYlee....

Well then….I believe, unfortunately that the new series of ‘Glee’ is upon us here in the UK and I can’t be more pissed about it even if I tried! It is literally thee worst show ever.


From what I understand, it is a show about a group of misfits in a high school in the US of A. The very fact that they are trying to sell these individuals as misfits in the show is just plain dumb! They are not misfits they are actually normal people. They are not ugly, socially inept, nerdy, geeky etc. Instead they are portraying that the gay community, girls who do not put out…i.e. sluts, and big black girls and the disabled are misfits. Last time I checked these were still normal people! The fact that they are conveying that these people are just abnormal is retarded. I have a few friends who befall all these categories and they are some of the coolest, most popular people I know. Retards!


So our band of merry misfits form a ‘Glee club’ where they cover many songs in A cappella form and these songs include the likes of Journey – Don’t stop believing, Neil Diamond's - Sweet Caroline.  So to add insult to injury, not only do they have a shitty TV programme that all these total wankers who call themselves ‘Gleeks’ (which by the way spells 'CUNTS' when you read it backwards) watch, they cover songs, not make up songs of their own and perform them, but cover songs that are good, timeless pieces that just get ruined and they release it into the charts. How inconceivably torrid is that?!


I don’t think people realise how shit this show actually is. I would like to meet the creators of Glee and show them what they are doing to normal, good, upstanding citizens of this fine world we inhabit...you can see many people trying to emulate the bullshit they see on TV on youtube. I would like to show them how stupid they are making people look and then I would like to smack them. Smack them square in the eye. And maybe kick them right in the bollocks….which is what their show is. Bollocks.


Much love,

Jackson L.

Peace and Love.

Firstly, happy new year! May all your desires become reality.  There, short and sweet.  None of this 4 page texts that I received on new years day wishing that even my pets had a great year! I don’t even have pets!  Anyway, I would like to apologise for my lack of commitment to this blog.  I have recently been away back to visit my parents and friends in X.  It was a really very good trip.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Despite my dislike for the place, I was left feeling slightly somber when I left to come back home.  Though I think that had more to do with having to detach myself from my friends and family again for another few months. 

Anyways, while I was away I found that I had to really set the record straight, a lot, about the same issues.  I thought this was more tragically mundane than constantly saying to random people ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Happy New Year’.  For example on Christmas eve, I went out with my Rugby boys in the west end and in my town and, with no word of a lie, saw about 400 people that I knew.  I must have said those phrases around 2000 times that night alone.  I didn’t mind.  I am generally a well mannered individual as I find that manners do not cost, however, the repetition is obscenely irritating.  I love socializing but it really made it cumbersome and exasperating.  I digress. 

The issues in which I had to constantly found myself having to defend against, and still do, has been due to the fluctuation of these activities occurring around the globe in the last few weeks.  These were the two terrorist attacks that happened in Stockholm, Sweden at the beginning of December (11/12/2010) and one in the Bajaur region, Pakistan just before the turn of the new year, more precisely on Christmas day ((25/12/2010) ….as if I needed to tell you that!). 

The first incident was both a car bombing and a suicide bomber.  This left one innocent person dead and injured a further two in the process.  It was thought that these were carried out because of Sweden’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan and the on-going controversy surrounding the cartoons of the blessed prophet Mohammed Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH).   The incident which came to pass in Pakistan was carried out by a female radical who decided to cause havoc by blowing herself up in a UN food centre in the Bajaur region.  Her intentions were unknown but she took the lives of 46 innocent people (men, women and children) and injured over 100 people, the elderly included. 

Just as a side note: As if Pakistan had not seen enough misery this last year with the floods and earth quakes.  Not to mention the death toll that came with that.  There is still a clean up project which is costing in the realms of hundreds of millions of pounds. 

As a Muslim individual living in the UK I find it very frustrating trying to live without the stigma that comes with being a Muslim and without having to constantly justify our ways to those who do not understand it or worse yet, refuse to understand it and, for some reason, feel irrationally threatened by it.  It is only exacerbated by these people who commit these atrocities in the name of religion or in the name of Allah/God. 

Although it may not seem this way, and it may seem as if it is way off the truth Islam is a religion of peace.  An example of this is in the Quran.  A quote which sticks out for me is ‘Whoever kills another one without justifiable cause, surely he is killing all of humanity. And whoever saves the life of another one, surely he saves the lives of all of humanity.’

A justifiable cause is in defense. 

This can only mean that those who end the lives of the innocent are to face punishment for it in the afterlife.  This goes without saying, and therefore, those who do all these acts in the name of their ‘religion’ are facing Allah’s harshest judgment.  Ironic, isn’t it?  It is safe to say that the violence which occurs is not of Islamic faith and belief.  It will not give them eternal bliss in the afterlife with more virgins than you can count! 

So a typical conversation with people would be:

FRIEND: I do believe that Islam is a very aggressive, vulgar and unfriendly religion and I feel uncomfortable around Muslims. 

ME: I resent that.  I am a Muslim and you seem comfortable around me.  Apart from these stupid people who attack the helpless ‘in the name of Allah’ what other evidence of Islam being aggressive do you have?  Because I can tell you now that these are not the actions of a true Muslim. 

FRIEND: No you are different.

ME: ……I think you will find the vast, VAST majority of Muslims are like me (list mutual friends). 

FRIEND: Hmm…well even in history.  Your religion and your prophet spread Islam by the sword. 

ME: Well I can see your point to certain extend there.  But, there are some things that may not be common knowledge which I will get to in a moment.  I just want to raise this as a point first.  When we were under threat by the Nazis did we go to war?

FRIEND: Yes.

ME: Ok and I am sure there are many other threats in history such as the threat of Communism spreading in the likes of Vietnam which caused war to breakout as well. 

FRIEND: Ok, so what’s your point?

ME: My point is that when there is something that threatens what you believe in, to the point of termination, of course you are going to take to arms to defend it.  Right?  You would be stupid not to. 

FRIEND: But, I have heard that it is not all in defense. 

ME: Well I am telling you it is.  It was decreed by our prophet PBUH that in a war conflict we should cause no harm to the elderly, the women, the children, the walls of any building in any city, even plants and animals.  We are to defend ourselves only. 

Also, when our prophet or ANY Muslim army back then was sent to spread the word of Islam they would not do it by threatening an entire established city by marching an army to their gates.  They would send emissaries.  If they would agree to house Muslims then they would.  They would also work together to make the city as prosperous as possible.  For example, there was a small village in Iran who used to be fire worshippers.  The prophet PBUH himself went to them and asked to convert their settlement to a Muslim settlement.  He reassured them that no harm would come their way.  He asked only that they would pay taxes.  He of course explained the background of Islam and he explained to them that they need not worry about the Muslims pressurizing them to become Muslim. 

FRIEND: They had to pay taxes for following a different faith? That’s a little unfair, no?

ME: Well no.  It isn’t considering we all have to pay taxes.  In Islam we have to contribute 2.5% of all our savings every year. 

FRIEND: Oh.  So what was the catch then?

ME: To settle the Muslims.  And eventually, the more and more the fire worshippers learned the ways of Islam, some, not all, began to follow this faith. 

I know this will not necessarily convince you but all this is true.  We do not look for conflict.  We do not look to waste the lives of the innocent, our own or anybody. 

FRIEND: If I didn’t know you I would feel much more threatened by Muslims. 

ME: After all that has happened I do not blame you or anybody else. 

It is very paradoxical that those religious fanatics who take it upon themselves to ‘defend’ the name of Allah/God.  They should, or more appropriately MUST know that God does not need a bunch of morons to defend his name.  Especially in the ways they so relentlessly intend on doing!

The likes of Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, Abu Hamza etc, have brought it upon Islam.  Islamophobia is something which is on the rise due to these people hate mongering and I do not blame those who fear Muslims. 

Even though Islam is viewed by many who follow it a perfected way of life – it does not mean everybody who follows it is perfect.  However, to not have a pious public figure head that one looks to, an ambassador to truly represent the true values of Islam is just shameful.

 

I guess religion has a lot to answer for. 

Much love,

Jackson L.