OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR

This original poem was inspired by the film "Oh! What A Lovely War".

The war wasted men,
the trench souls
and minds
puppeteer'd from above
by moustachioed children.

Rapacious rats
crawled over dead
zombies of patriotism
and thoughtless death,
as they enriched the soil with blood.

And the glory of death is remembered.
The warmth of sacrifice cherished.

For the good of peace
death was refereed by God
who was on both sides,
helping poppies to grow;
orange spotted with black.

One for each man:
dried blood stains
on the face of a gas attack,
picked in bunches
and held in a virginal hand.

And the glory of death is remembered.
The warmth of sacrifice cherished.

Start reading about the film and stage play here ...

The original version of this poem was written by myself in the 80's, but my ageing hubris (in 2025) makes me think this version is more concise. Please forgive me if you disagree.

Version 2

The war wasted men,

the trench souls and minds

herded from above

by moustachioed children.

Rapacious rats

ate dead zombies of patriotism

and thoughtless death,

who enriched soil with their blood.

Yet the glory of death is remembered

and the warmth of sacrifice cherished.

For the good of no-one

death was ignored by God,

who merely helped poppies to grow,

orange, spotted with black.

For each man a Poppy,

reminders of dried blood

on the face of a gas attack,

picked in bunches to die again.

Yet the glory of death is remembered

and the warmth of sacrifice cherished.

WAR Warfare FIGHTING Armed Conflict WW1
Trench LAURENCEAUX England LAURENCEAU Lawrenceaux LAWRENCEAU Laureanceaux LAURANCEAU Lawranceaux LAWRANCEAU Loranceaux LORANCEAU Lorranceaux LORRANCEAU POETRY Prose POEMS Social Comments HUMOUR Humerous SMILE Smiling LAUGH Laughing LAFF Laffing CYNICAL Truism TRUISMS Welcome HULL Kingston-Upon-Hull Kingston Upon Hull KINGSTON-ON-HULL Kingston On Hull YORKSHIRE East Yorkshire HUMBERSIDE Yorkshire DEPRESSION ThisISUll FED-UP Pissed-Off LONELY Disgruntled DISSOLUSIONED Blue BLACK Thinking BLOG Blogger LYONEL

11/11/11 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, lest we forget?

The war wasted men,
the trench souls
and minds
puppeteered from above
by moustachioed children.

Rapacious rats
crawled over dead
zombies of patriotism
and thoughtless death,
as they enriched the soil with blood.

And the glory of death is remembered.
The warmth of sacrifice cherished.

For the good of peace
death was refereed by God
who was on both sides,
helping poppies to grow;
orange spotted with black.

One for each man:
dried blood stains
on the face of a gas attack,
picked in bunches
to be held in a virginal hand.

And the glory of death is remembered.
The warmth of sacrifice cherished.

 Version 2

The war wasted men,

the trench souls and minds

herded from above

by moustachioed children.

Rapacious rats

ate dead zombies of patriotism

and thoughtless death,

who enriched soil with their blood.

Yet the glory of death is remembered

and the warmth of sacrifice cherished.

For the good of no-one

death was ignored by God,

who merely helped poppies to grow,

orange, spotted with black.

For each man a Poppy,

reminders of dried blood

on the face of a gas attack,

picked in bunches to die again.

Yet the glory of death is remembered

and the warmth of sacrifice cherished.

La poem en Francais? :........

La guerre a gâché les hommes,
les â mes de tranchée
et les esprits
marionnettiste d'en haut
par des enfants moustachus.

Rats rapaces
rampé sur morts
zombies du patriotisme
et la mort sans réfléchir,
comme ils ont enrichi le sol avec du sang.

Et on se souvient de la gloire de la mort.
La chaleur du sacrifice chérie.

Pour le bien de la paix
la mort a été arbitrée par Dieu
qui était des deux côtés,
aider les coquelicots à se développer;
orange tacheté de noir.

Un pour chaque homme:
taches de sang séchées
face à une attaque au gaz,
cueilliens en grappes
et tenu dans une main virginale.

Et on se souvient de la gloire de la mort.
La chaleur du sacrifice chérie.

Remember: Mabel Wolff (nee Mabel Phillips)

Sometimes it is good to remember that "little" people(s) of the world often achieve great things, only to slip down the cracks of history, back into general obscurity. Here is a Welsh born woman, Mabel Phillips, whose uneventful early years started to change after marrying a German sailor, Max Wulff, in 1909.

Anti German sentiment following WW1 saw Mabel relocate to Germany after Max was deported, which for her and others must have been testing to say the least. Her loyalty to Max, her faith and their church was to become her "story" and the reason she is remembered.

Mabel's story is nothing in the scheme of things but the continued existence of "her" church to this day is her marker in the world. I wonder how many other markers exist of people long forgotten? I fear I have none, but live in hope of remembrance.

RIP Mabel (Phillips) Wulff's marker.

Who can you remember this day?

Why?

 

Why would you want to do this?

At the other end of moral questions, why would New York kill a Squirrel? Is it perhaps because of busy-body complaints/jealousy against someone making money off the back of a pet squirrel? Petty or what!

Why did the USA vote in TRUMP?

Why does the west keep funding Russia and its offensive in Ukraine by buying their oil and gas, we might know the true reason(s) but the hypocrisy of western words and their actions does seem blatant.

Copycats - sometimes better

There are songs that are truly great (sellers) and remain favourites because of sheer presence, lyricism, presentation and, to be honest, being released in a time conducive to being a hit in the first place.

To be a "hit", as opposed to being an also-ran, cover versions need at least 3 of the above criteria to be successful again, sometimes more than the original, but often not.

I will keep adding to this list as covers come to mind, suggesting why they succeeded (sometimes better than the original).

STEP ON YOU AGAIN by John Kongos

  Covered, transformed and bettered by The Happy Mondays

I'M FREE by The Rolling Stones

  Covered, transformed and bettered by The Soup Dragons

TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS by The Beatles

  Covered and transformed from psycho-pop to jazz-funk by 801

  There re at least 146 cover versions of TNK (some on YouTube)

HOLE IN MY SHOE by Traffic

  Covered humorously by Neil (real name Nigel Planer)

LIVING DOLL by Cliff Richard

  Covered and ruined humorously by Cliff Richard and The Young Ones

HURT by Nine Inch Nails

  Covered, transformed and bettered by  Johnny Cash

This next song has been copied by many artists, most better than the original.

EVERYBODY'S TALKIN' (AT ME) by Fred Neil (is a poor rendition)

  Best covered, transformed and bettered by Harry Nilsson

  Covered with country pickin' by Glen Campbell

  Covered with respect by Rick Watson

I LOVE ROCK 'N' ROLL by The Arrows

  Covered in attitude by Joan Jett and The Black Hearts

IT'S MY LIFE by Talk Talk, 

  Covered in Gwen Stefani by No Doubt (feat Gwen Stefani)

FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE by Peggy Seeger

  Covered, transformed and bettered by Roberta Flack

  (who sang it just as well live)

DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE by the Shirelles

  Covered and bettered by The Mamas And The Papas

THE IN CROWD by Dobie Gray

  Covered, transformed and bettered by Bryan Ferry

JEALOUS GUY by John Lennon

  Covered successfully by Bryan Ferry at the right time (Lennon's death)

WITHOUT YOU by Badfinger

  Covered and bettered by Harry Nilsson

NOTHING COMPARES TO YOU by Prince

  Covered and bettered by Sinead O'Connor

  Covered and transformed by Puddles Pity Party

    Puddles Pity Party site here

DIAMONDS AND RUST by Joan Baez (Song history here)

  Covered and transformed from folk to heavy metal by Judas Priest

  Transformed from their heavy metal back to folk by Judas Priest

GOD GAVE ROCK AND ROLL TO YOU by Argent

  Covered respectfully but overly bombasticly by Kiss

WAR PIGS by Black Sabbath (great video!) 

  Covered with a twist by CAKE

  Covered and transformed from rock to solo by Puddles Pity Party

  Covered and transformed from rock to choral by Rondellus

TAINTED LOVE by Gloria Jones

  Covered, transformed and bettered by Soft Cell

SATISFACTION by The Rolling Stones

  Covered and transformed from rock to soul by Otis Redding

  Covered and transformed from rock to indie by DEVO

  Covered and transformed from rock to very indie by The Ventures

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER by Bob Dylan (Song history here)

  Covered, transformed from folk to rock and bettered by Jimi Hendrix

  Covered and presented in a unique way by Bastion Rose

OH YOU PRETTY THINGS by David Bowie

  Covered (let's leave it at that) by Peter Noone (Ex Herman's Hermits)

This is a rare example of a record company having faith in the early part of an artists career.

SPACE ODDITY Original acoustic version by David Bowie (1st release)

  Covered, transformed and bettered (just) by Bowie (2nd release)

  Covered and bettered by David Bowie (3rd release - the hit)

  Covered and transformed by Bowie's former bassist Gail Ann Dorsey

THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD by David Bowie

  Covered and bettered by Lulu

  Covered respectfully by Nirvana

  Covered (remixed) many times by Bowie (to make better?) - one here

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM FRIENDS by The Beatles (history here)

  Covered, bettered? and transformed from pop to rock by Joe Cocker

  N.B. Joe Cocker did loads of covers

AMERICAN WOMAN by The Guess Who

  Covered, transformed and bettered? by Lenny Kravitz

This next song has been copied by many artists, none better than the original.

BREADFAN by Budgie (underrated yet influential 70s Welsh band)

  Covered and only made more popular by Metallica

  Covered well, with respect for the killer riff by Florence Black

  Covered with original's passion by "unknowns" Galactic Lemonz

  Covered badly (weird syncopation) by Alunah

  

LIGHT MY FIRE by The Doors

  Covered and transformed by solo guitar by Jose Feliciano

  Covered and transformed by Will Young (1st version)

  Covered and transformed by Will Young (2nd version - the hit)

  

THE ONLY WAY IS UP by Otis Clay (original soul hit)

  Covered, bettered and transformed to pop by Yazz

  Covered (let's leave it that) by Stornoway

ANYONE WHO HAD A HEART by Dionne Warwick (US hit)

  Covered identically but at the right time in the UK by Cilla Black

  Covered and bettered by lush orchestration by Rebecca Ferguson

  Covered poorly by actress Sheridan Smith for TV homage

SHE by Charles Aznavour 

  Covered respectfully by Elvis Costello

Want some more varied music?

Finally, something for the weekend? NBN1,  NBN2,  NBN3, 

Hi Hong Kong and Singapore

I see many readers from Hong Kong and Singapore but are you real people and why do you find my pathetic little site so interesting all of a sudden? Are you spying on me?

Good luck

I want this policy in the UK

Word of the day - FRISSON

The word today is Frisson (Free-sohn)

This is a bit of a departure for us today as this is actually a French word, not from my native English.

Frisson is a noun and from my research means the following:

- A brief moment of intense arousal (pleasure/fear/peace/awe)

- A sudden feeling of excitement (or fear) giving pleasure or satisfaction

- A temporary rush of emotion(s) triggered by internal or external trigger(s)

French for shiver apparently

It is not known how many languages this French word has been absorbed into.

Frisson is a wonderful word encompassing many "feelings" 

Frisson is a pysical response to an emotional ocurrence (and vice-versa)

Frisson is described by the English phrase "A shiver down my back".

Frisson may also be described as "Made my hair stand on end"

A frisson may result from fear, happiness, contentment, awe or expectation

If you need more start here, here, here or here.

There is an index of words of the day.

If you are brave or foolish enough to dig into the different types of words in English, try this.

She almost got away with it (murder!)

Here is the story of a murderer; a young woman who killed both of her parents at the same time and for over 4 years no-one had a clue. In fact it took her immediate and voluntary confession, at the time her front door was smashed down by the police, before anyone could really comprehend what they had exposed. For four years she had lived alone in the house of her (dead) parents, with them secreted and entombed in upper-floor rooms. She almost got away with murder!

Being an aspiring painter with few acquaintances, she had formerly lived with her parents, but to free herself from a well of debts she took money from them whilst they were alive and then after their murders.

In one day she poisoned her father and battered her mother with a hammer until dead, then (rather craftily) did nothing. I suppose her thought was "no body, no crime", so she simply hung on to her parents and all evidence of their deaths. They went upstairs and the blooded hammer went under the stairs. Job done!

Covid-19 restrictions helped her explain their initial "disappearance" through to 2022, then up to September 2023 she explained to neighbours and former acquaintances that they had "retired to the Clacton area". She even had an unrelated visit by the police, who she invited into the house, but they didn't "smell" a thing wrong.

What she didn't foresee was a GP at her parent's medical practice referring them to a council "safeguarding" team, who eventually  called in the police; and her game was over.

Neighbours and the few people who interacted with Virginia McCullough described her as being "a quite pleasant fantasist", "funny and irreverent, with a dark sense of humour", though a 36 year sentence for double murder will no doubt knock that out of her. My irreverent sense of humour suggests the price of her paintings has just gone up!

Virginia McCullogh - Let me tell you officer, they are upstairs!

Read a press article here and another regarding the prosecution of an intrusive blogger.

Word of the day - LASCIVIOUS

The word today is Lascivious

Lascivious is an adjective and from my research means the following:

- Expressing a strong desire for sexual activity

- To be lustful, possibly in a predatory sense

- To be insatiable with regard to lustful desire(s)

Not good to be Lascivious!

England pronounces Lascivious like Lass-Iv-E-Uss

By acting lasciviously you are exhibiting lasciviousness

By acting lasciviously you are being lascivious

If someone says you are lascivious they think you sex-mad and creepy

Lasciviousness  is not what you want to be accused of!

Lasciviousness applies to any person, akin to predatory nymphomania

Lascivious and Libidinous of get mixed-up

If you need more start here or here.

There is an index of words of the day.

If you are brave or foolish enough to dig into the different types of words in English, try this.

Word of the day - INSIDIOUS

The word today is Insidious

Insidious is an adjective and from my research means the following:

- Working or spreading harmfully in subtle and stealthy ways.

- Steadfastly working to entrap or introduce treachery to others.

- To be unremitting in a beguiling yet harmful enterprise.

- Secretly and gradually cause harm(s) .

Insidious means an ongoing corruption is in play!

To be insidious you or they are unrelenting and deviously malignant

Acting insidiously, your insidious aim will reveal its insidiousness

If someone says you are insidious they think you are a bad influence

Insidiousness is not what you want to be accused of!

If you need more start here or here.

There is an index of words of the day.

If you are brave or foolish enough to dig into the different types of words in English, try this.

Phil Shiner - what a shit you are

Crooked ex-lawyer Phil Shiner

Phil Shiner is the sort of person I despise, because of what he has been found guilty of.

Hiding behind a façade of supposed respectability as a British lawyer, heading up the firm Public Interest Lawyers (who were NOT found guilty), his greed and self-serving actions undermined the very forces who would actually fight to their death to protect his cushy life in the UK. 

By fishing for business in the WOKE world of total righteousness', he engaged local "agents" to cold-call in Iraq in order to drum-up false claims against UK forces and thereby secure him paid work. 

If you ever meet him, don't forget to remind him that he's a parasitic slime-ball.

He initially denied his dubious practice but the truth finally came out and here is his story.

Meaningful songs #30 - BADFINGER

This  is the thirtieth in an occasional series of songs from my collection, with the intent of introducing music to younger readers that they may gain appreciation of music from the classic years, 1957-1990. 

I have lived long enough to hear the "popular" music industry become ever-more formulaic, lazy, uninspiring and cynical; delivering "units" and "artistes" as interesting and memorable as polished mud.

Meaningful songs that eloquently convey a story, sentiment, or social comment and make it to national consciousness are rare these days. If you agree this song is meaningful, please introduce it to someone young; they might enjoy becoming "musical archaeologists".

Todays song, titled "Baby Blue", released in 1972, is by a group called Badfinger.

Badfinger - a Welsh band literally killed by their industry

Hear the song here

Baby Blue is a sentimental and rueful reflection by a man feeling regret about a separation of his own making. It is his plea for understanding with hope of reconciliation. Separation happens, it's sometimes not nice and some chaps never get over it.

BABY BLUE

    

Guess I got

What I deserved

Kept you waiting there

Too long my love

All that time

Without a word

Didn't know you'd think

That I'd forget

Or I'd regret

The special love

I had for you

My Baby Blue

All the days

Became so long

Did you really think

I'd do you wrong

Dixie

When I let you go

Thought you'd realise

That I would know

I would show

The special love

I had for you

My Baby Blue

What can I do?

What can I say?

Accept I'd want you

By my side

How can I show you?

Show me the way

Don't you know

The time's I've tried?

Guess that's all

I have to say

Except the feeling

Just grows stronger

Every day

Just one thing

Before I go

Take good care baby

Let me know

Let it grow

The special love

You had for me

My Dixie dear

Return to the first article in this series or hear the first song in this series.

Read the next article in this series or hear the next song in the series.

For the index of all songs in this blog click here

My fondness for this song has a reason.

Pogrom Time and Palestinian protest

The end of Gaza and its people

South Africa has the temerity to speak the words many fear to say, that "Israel is committing a retribution genocide in Gaza"; it cites Israel and calls their Gaza cleansing a genocide, as does Nicaragua who have started a UN case against Germany for supplying weapons to Israel.

The international distain for Israel continues to rise in many forms and Israel became subject to scrutiny and comment by the USA who opened diplomatic channels to bring their unruly child to heel. Benjamin Netanyahu wants his way, so US president Biden put sanctions upon individual Israelis (as one would shoot a few crows to frighten the flock), specifically on the West Bank in order to dampen their love of baiting Palestinians there. All forms of restraint have failed however and a year on this is what we have, as "Trump" wades in with his usual headline grabbing rhetoric.

My feelings about the current Gaza-Israel conflict, viewed through my lens of what I understand of history may be wrong and naive, as I do not understand global struggles for power and influence, but they most often result in suppression, subjugation and killing of many unwilling non-participants, including the taking of land or properties "abandoned" or bombed-out in a conflict. Jewish (un)settlers certainly seem to be eyeing such properties, and "land grabs" of former Palestinian land(s) continue apace, even in the comparatively peaceful West Bank Palestinian lands, where lawlessness and eviction are becoming the new norm. It's no wonder many people hate the Israeli state and what it endorses.

The wheel of history is turning in Gaza with vengeance uppermost in the mind of the Israeli state and this is political, religious and war-mongering "manna from heaven" for Iran, Lebanon based Hezbollah and Yemen. Israel is doing what it has always railed against, by re-inventing sticks they've experienced in their past: Ghettos and genocides.

To tell 1.1 million inhabitants of Gaza to merely go "somewhere", so that Israel's government can start an new offensive (against who? - just buildings?) that will merely flatten the whole of Gaza, seems so wilful, so selfish, so vindictive, so jingoistic, so over-the-top, that the "non-nutcases" of Gaza must be truly thinking this is the end of what is their already over-prescribed/proscribed existence. To then repeatedly bomb the innocents who did as Israel asked, must surely be against any rules of war and is generating more open hatred of Jews than at any time in recent history, probably because accusers think "Jews" are or represent the Israeli state, which is not true.

Hamas will retreat with the general population and return to the rubble later, to fight on from their "bridgehead" presumably; alternatively, Israel will be judged to have walked into the pre-set trap of Gaza, becoming ripe for condemnation and challenged into a regional proxy war. After all, it's no secret that many neighbours would like to see the back of them.

We, the British, pushed our nose (ships) in where it's not needed and the then prime minister Rishi Sunak's sick "good luck Israel" visit, to what become a site of genocide, about which he is now appalled, was being provocative in a way the USA mastered many times since their "honourable" retreat from Vietnam; how many countries have they destabilised in their ascendancy and what good does it do the UK to be in that club?

Here's what the BBC were reporting in the early times, and what subsequent reports revealed; hopefully with less bias than myself.

Pogrom?

Update 12/11/2023: The genocide going on in Gaza is deplorable and Israelis are certainly doing themselves no good for their "fair-minded" but continually whinging reputation; but then again who is squeaky clean these days? Protestors in London (all 300,000 if the press are to be believed) certainly weren't on this day. Do they really believe that protesting (to who?) in London (and America) will change the mind of Israel to annihilate the people of Gaza; what do they expect to achieve and why were they attacking the police (who can admittedly be a collective bunch of dickheads at times) during their ineffectual protest(s), as neither the UK or its police invaded Gaza.

If you Palestinian supporters want to protest about Gaza, why not get your comfortable UK arses over there to help your brethren instead of abusing the liberties you have in the UK. You may be "right-on" and have plenty of post-protest memories to live off for now, but don't attack innocent Police officers,  (with fireworks and sledgehammers') just because you know they will not shoot you or beat your brains out (though many could and would if allowed, I'm sure). 

For anyone to protest on armistice day, for publicity only, was a most disrespectful and cynical affront to those gone before. Perhaps someone will protest at a remembrance service for your family one day. 

Update 25/11/2023: At last some common sense!

Update 25/11/2023: I think only the brave or the foolish attempt a critical discourse about the actions of the Israeli state.

Update 12/12/2023: I'm gonna say it now and I don't want to, but the remorseless clearance of Gaza, by the Israeli state is akin to a Nazi state mentality. The Israeli state, not individual Jewish people of the world, is behaving like a Nazi state because it can; and will do so for as long as it wishes, because "no-one" is allowed to call it out. Israel truly is losing its way!

Update 02/01/2024: South Africa Cites Israel in a similar way, as does Brazil.

Update 19/12/2023: Finally! International communities are warning Israel that its "killing rage" is unsustainable, that Israel has gone beyond self-defence and that far too many civilians are being killed, in what is looking like an unfolding genocide. Ease up Israel or you'll lose your moral high ground.

Update 23/12/2023: Listen Israel, this is mommy speaking. The errant offspring of the USA is being given guidance by it's seniors today, setting the scene for a familial tussle between the old man of USA and the upstart "son" of Israel. Whatever happens between them, Israel's righteousness will prevail.

Update 01/01/2024: Gaza is destined to be flattened with this announcement (and conflict will spread?)

Update 02/01/2024: South Africa Cites Israel and has the temerity to call-out Israel's Gaza cleansing a genocide.

Update 03/01/2024: Hostilities, tensions and a full-blown regional war will follow shortly if Israel (and it's allies) don't start controlling themselves soon. It's as if such a war is wanted by Israel, or at least Benjamin Netanyahu and his cohort.

Update 05/01/2024: At least someone is talking "after war", but Israel seem to be wanting the old status-quo still, and the (bitterness deepens).

Update 06/01/2024: At last, some are looking at a day after plan.

Update 16/01/2024: Israel carry on regardless and start to flatten South Gaza and the people there.

Update 18/01/2024: The whole of the middle east will tear itself apart in a regional war, with Iran looking to gain the most; this if my prediction and where I cease to comment further on this mess, orchestrated by Iran, but why? Everyone is getting sucked in: Jordan attacks Syria, Pakistan counter-attacks Iran, the USA go after Yemen to "protect trade routes", will it ever end and will the Israelis, the focus of so much hatred, ever stop being the catalyst of their own demise?

Update 19/01/2024: The stirring of Iran at this time must be worrisome to all in the region and Iran's sudden strikes shows just how volatile the whole region has become.

Update 27/01/2024: South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), that's cites Israel of a genocide in Gaza has concluded round 1 of the ongoing trial, in favour of South Africa (deservedly) and Israel may be rained in by this ruling if they obey it.

Update 30/01/2024: UK Prime minister Rishi Sunak's visit to what became a site of genocide, to wish Israel good luck at the start of this, looks a bit foolish now, for his "imported" foreign secretary Lord David Cameron (Former Prime Minister who precipitated Brexit) announced Britain is ready to recognise a Palestinian State. Talk about a U-turn?

Update 15/04/2024: So, who are the principal arms suppliers to Israel?

Update 30/04/2024: Pro-Palestinian protesters in the USA say they are not anti-Jewish (as they probably dare not), but wish to elevate knowledge of the plight of Palestinians in the middle-east, but I say rioting and campus take-overs there will be ineffective, destructive and detrimental to any "non-Jewish" perspective of Palestinians in general, for such people may turn their back on a problem not seen as theirs. Hamas enacts the will of Iran (who want Israel off the map so they can totally influence that area of the world) and most Palestinians are, more than likely, not Hamas.

Update 04/07/2024: Finally! It is being voiced, publicly and openly by many true Palestinians in Gaza, that Hamas are merely opportunistic interlopers' whose agenda may not be the betterment of life for Gazans, but to have a "base" from which to "have a go" at Israel, the arch-enemy of many in that region of the world. Members of Hamas should maybe return to the puppeteer called Iran.

Update 21/05/2025: The genocide in Gaza continues. All hospitals have been disabled, the cities bombed and shelled to dust, Hamas condemned by their Palestinian "hosts", voiced, publicly and openly by many true Palestinians in Gaza. Netanyahu probably hopes that history will see him as a saviour, but I think not; perhaps you too?

Final Update 22/05/2025: I've said enough about this, though if you have read to here, thank you. History will judge Israel (hopefully not Jews) for this and pray they do not precipitate war in the whole region, as seems likely with their recent attack on Iran and this report; but as my dad once said to me, "If you can neither control or influence a situation, keep your gob shut".  So I am, even if the meddlesome Mr. Trump will not.

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