NORWICH NORTH BY-ELECTION

SOCIALIST CALLS FOR A VOTE FOR RUPERT READ!

What some of you won't know is that I stood for Parliament in the 2001 General Election as the Waveney candidate for the Socialist Alliance...

I still support Dr. Ian Gibson as one of the most principled MPs in the House of Commons that we've ever had. He was always on the 'right side' for me - part of the labour movement and anti-war, alongside being an active constituency MP. Gibson knew instinctively he should be at a picket line supporting workers in struggle in this Mad, Mad Anarchy of Capitalism, which embraces poverty and warfare like lungs. He was and is a Socialist.

How sad that the young Labour candidate put up for this by-election is Gibson's opposite and tonight he lost any chance of my vote, calling in a Recession for increases in Defence spending (a Tory policy). Though there are good independents standing in the Norwich North By Election, Rupert Read of the Green Party has been a consistently principled representative - anti-war, pro-the-environment, champion of social housing and more. He gets my vote.

However, saving the planet, ending poverty and war requires the building of a new Socialist organisation with, within, for and run by the working class. Sadly, Socialism isn't part of this election. Among workers, like the posties who will be striking for services, jobs and conditions this Friday 'Socialism' isn't a word but an action. I can't imagine any of the candidates in the Norwich North by-election understand this but I know Dr Gibson does.

And if you want to understand the ebb and flow of human struggle to create an equal society do read Percy Byshe Shelley. Don't read Percy B in the past tense but the future......

EFFECTIVE PAINT

Some paint is effective......

BARRY TEETH ON TOUR

Poet Barry Teeth is on tour...
Tuesday (TODAY) Barry Teeth will be undergoing an interview with radio station KLFM. On Thursday evening (JULY 16) at 7 pm Barry will be performing a warm-up gig at The Woolpack pub, King's Lynn (no under-18s). And on Friday 23 July he will be appearing live to the world atop the fourth plinth in Tralgar Square, London, England. Good on you Baz!

FRAMING THE UNDERGROWTH

I'm increasingly interested in Landscape. Near my Art Factory Studio, South Norwich, this place sign lost its function as a sign but has become a frame for the underlying undergrowth of the hedge, the blossom forced to become part of the 'frame' rather than the 'picture.' This is like a metaphor for the work I am trying to pursue.

Poundland - Eat Your Heart Out!

Around Norwich, my favourite stall is Pete's. He is obviously involved in house clearances and/or unsold auction lots. Once he's sorted out the valuables, Pete loads up boxes for car boots. From these boxes punters can buy a single item for 20p (no, not a rare blank one!) or fill a bag for £1! And I love to fill a bag. Look, all this for a quid. Eat your heart out Poundland!

Earlham Road Culture

There's a small run down shopping centre on Earlham Road, Norwich, this tired Modernist sculpture at its centre. Looks sad and old. No wonder postmodernism looks possible...

Tony Blair, Tow Bar Protector

A tow bar cover - or has his self-importance suddenly exploded?

Maximize Vehicle for Car Booting

Here's a lesson in economy (that other economy): utilise your car for selling, any which way.

PYO Raspberries

You can't beat PYO, within walking distance of the city.

The Joys of 'Fresh'

Yum.

Self Portrait

EBAY-ING

I am busy selling and buying on EBAY. Go there and tap 'Mallin' in and you'll see what I'm selling.

I am learning a lot through the process - not just 'selling' but history too....

Independent For Norwich North?

The anti-war civil liberties campaigner Craig Murray is standing as an independent candidate in the July 23rd Norwich North By Election, caused by Dr. Ian Gibson's resignation (having been pushed from the cliff).

Find out more about Craig Murray's campain here http://www.putanhonestman.org/

Spare 20 pence, please

I mean, spare a 20 pence piece. The Royal Mint, as you probably know, produced 20p pieces without a date on them and are recalling the blanks for a £50 reward for each one. So, we've all been scrabbling through new change for the reward. Well, there seem to be bigger rewards for sellers are offering these single 20p blanks for thousands of pounds on EBay!

Worse, EBay sellers have been offering ordinary 20p pieces for sale and they're being bought for hundreds of pounds! Each seller offers a disclaimer - "these are dated 20p's" - but such is the media hype the gullible are taken in. Often on EBay a poor drawing is signed by Picasso - no, not that Picasso - the one who spells his name Piccaso - and there are buyers...

It's a mad world my masters! 20p won't buy you anything but the coin could line your nest for an age!

Hot Washing 4 The Olympics?

Lying has become a matter of language. Instead of calling for "the truth," politicians call for "greater transparency," which can mean anything you want it to be but usually means today: done without obviously lying.

When politicians recently published their redacted expenses details, the blacked out elements of those details were, in the view of the politicians, to protect third parties' data protection. However, as full publication in the Telegraph illuminated, such redaction was a means of with holding information from the public - a means of lying.

Hot Washing is probably a very old practice which maybe made very new soon. All will depend on the level of transparency. Today our PM announded that "nought percent growth" is growth, not stagnation or nothing in the bowl. He cannot afford (politically, not economically) to tell the truth for he and Mr Mandelson have already written the story of growth, which must be adhered to in words if not in reality.

Hot Washing has been taking place in Westminster. No, there hasn't been a hosing down of politicians. Rather, the borough of Westminster has used hot washing to clean the streets. Nothing wrong with that, is there? But when they speak of cleaning, it is another cleansing they maybe after, for hot washing is spraying the streets so that the homeless cannot sleep on wet pavements, in wet clothes, with wet meagre possessions. Hot washing may not yet be an accepted practice of removing the homeless from city streets but it is a growing fear among homeless rough sleepers.

Now, who would you believe: homeless drunks and drug addicts? Or our politicians? Mmm, I now can't believe a word our politcians tell us...

The fear that hangs over London's rough sleepers is the 2012 Olympics. Prior to Olympics in other countries there have been terrible human rights abuses of the homeless and the poor in removing them from the gaze of spectators. Could this happen in England?