On Friday I had some errands to run and I took a few pictures of the destruction of some of the property that was left by the rioters. It was sad to see, walking along my high road and seeing windows smashed and shops boarded up. Yesterday I went to Westfield for some retail therapy. There was a heavy police prescence at the shopping centre, with barriers put up at the walkway between Shepherd’s Bush station and the shopping centre itself. With the govt. making cuts to the police force how much longer their prescence will remain on the streets I don’t know. Although it was somewhat reassuring, if a little unsettling to have to have this as part of my daily life. It reminded me of the time of the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings, travelling about on London Underground and seeing police with guns at entrances to tube stations.

On the OU forums we were discussing this week’s events and various councils’ decision to evict the tenants that were involved. This includes not only those directly implicated, but their families, which I feel is wrong. Although it is stated in the tenancy agreement which has been repeated in the media ad naseum that those who have been involved in crime and any type of anti-social behaviour, this was an unprecedented situation and I don’t think those that put the gist of the agreement together had something of this magnitude in mind. My argument is that I don’t think that councils evicting whole families from their properties is the answer. More like a knee-jerk reaction to an event which they feel the need to be seen to be doing something. A lot of families are single parent families, who don’t have the funds to purchase a house or rent privately. At some point they will still need to be re-housed, which in the long run will cost more money. Wandsworth Council in London is the first council to do this. Their plan is to rid themselves of the undesireables and have those evicted move to another borough. But in the long run rehousing families still need to be paid for by the govt., it’ll just be a different council. I’m not saying that the vermin who took part should get away scot-free. I reckon that as part of their sentence they should be made to use all their free time to rebuild that which they’ve destroyed, brick by brick, lick by lick. And then maybe they might take a little more pride in their community and think twice about destroying something they had a part in building. Evicting whole families is not the answer. And what of those parents who shopped their own children to the police when they had realised what they had done. Will they be evicted for doing the right (but hardest) thing?

I don’t know. I’m sure this’ll be something that’ll be talked about for a long time to come. One for the psychologists and social scientists to pore over in the coming years, that’s for sure.

Whilst up north I had seen the riots in Tottenham and thought it was a one-off. Come home yesterday afternoon and to my dismay riots have broken out all over London, including my home town of Croydon and nearby Clapham. Watching the furniture store in Central Croydon burn to a crisp last night made me want to weep. People are asking why is this happening? Nobody has the answer.

The catalyst was when 29yr old Mark Duggan was shot dead by police last Thursday, but this has obviously gone way beyond that now. It’s less to do with social justice and more to do with greed, cowardice and senseless violence.

This morning trams weren’t stopping at East Croydon because of the fire damage to the overhead cables. Clapham Junction has opened up again and trains are running as normal. Today I was on the first of a two day course in Central London. The tutor had to let us go early because of fears of it all kicking off again. When I got off the train I went to my local Tesco’s to find it and the rest of my high street boarded up; shutters have been pulled down, large food cages pushed against windows…just in case.

There’s a strong police prescence in the area here. I hear the buzzing of helicopters flying back and forth. My progeny say that it’s been like this all day. On my way home I saw police vans drafted in from Devon and Cornwall. I’m making sure my brood stay in for the next couple of days until they’re off to Scotland for their holiday on Thursday. This is one time I don’t mind them sitting glued in front of the telly or playing games on their computer. At this moment I’d rather that than them being outside.

The govt. proposes to cut numbers in the police force in order to save money. Might I suggest that with the Olympics coming up next year, this is not the time.

Although I wasn’t adversely affected by 9/11, I do remember watching the 2nd plane fly into the 2nd tower and watching the tower disintegrate. I visited the World Trade Centre back in 2000 and thought about all the offices, the restaurants and the shops on the ground floor.
When the news unfolded I remembered my mother and I had tried to call New York to make sure her brother and his family was okay and not being able to reach them because all communications were down. She was in an absolute state for days until we reached him and he assured her that all was okay.

The same thing happened here in reverse when the July 7th bombs went off. All of a sudden people kept calling me asking if I was okay and I asked what was going on. I wasn’t near a telly at the time and someone told me of the breaking news of what was going on in Central London. Then when I heard what happened it was a frantic afternoon of calling all my friends and family to make sure they were okay.

A couple of occassions I’m never likely to forget and I’m glad he’s dead.

I read this thought-provoking article on the BBC website over the weekend, describing our obsession with having a big booty. I guess since the afore-mentioned ladies made having a big shapely bottom more fashionable there isn’t much some people wouldn’t do to achieve the same results. But it seems our obsession has dated back centuries. As I understand it, it was when the African women first disembarked from the slave ships, and the Caucasian women noticed that their men couldn’t keep their eyes off of the African women’s behinds (remember, they hadn’t seen anything like it), that the bustle was invented. Years later and the obsession still continues. I remember watching a documentary a few years ago where women in South America (it may’ve been Brazil) would have a surgical procedure where they would have the fat sucked out of their sides (their waist) and injected into the buttocks. I think that was the first time I became aware of the yearning in some cultures for bigger bums.

On a slightly funnier note, I remember when I used to tease SJ mercilessly. She’s the only White woman I know who’s arse almost rivaled mine. Lord knew where she got it from, she’s as fair as anything so I know there were no Black descendents in her family. But she was proud of it, as I am of mine. And to think when I was a teenager I used to hate my arse because it was so big.

It’s a damn shame that a young woman had to pay for the desire for a bigger bottom with her life, simply because she thought it would make her famous. They’ve yet to catch the individual who carried out the procedure. I do hope she’s brought to justice soon.

As I understand it, there’s stuff going on today at Lambeth Palace, and the Westminster Abbey area. Tomorrow again in the Westminster area at the Cathedral itself, then Hyde Park in the evening. Roads will be cordoned off and bridges may be closed. Keep an eye on the BBC London website.

Happy travels gents.

But I do have to express my delight and relief that the pastor from Florida has shelved all plans to burn the Koran on today’s anniversary. It was never a good idea to do so and I don’t know what led him to think it was.
I watched the news this morning and again this afternoon. Because of his planned actions to burn the Koran, there was a small demonstration in Central London this afternoon with angry Muslims burning the American flag. And then there was the extreme right wing outfit, the English Defence League protesting against that. The protesters were just a few hundred all told. Imagine if Pastor Jones had carried through his threat. It was such an insensitive thing to think about doing, especially when watching the news and seeing the various memorial services here at home and in New York and Pennsylvania. Maybe he should’ve asked the opinions of the victims families first before his idea became public. See how they felt.

Nine years later and it still brings a lump to my throat seeing the scenes from 2001. Not something I’m bound to forget in my lifetime.

Pastor Jones has every right to express his opinions, but I’m glad that common sense prevailed in the end.

Now, having just watched the Ghana-Germany match tonight, Germany have beat Ghana 1-0 to meet England on Sunday afternoon. More breath-holding and sweaty palms to come.

She’s a sassy and highly intelligent woman who spars with another ex-MP, Michael Portillo on BBC political show This Week, every Thursday evening, with that host with the funny hair.

How refreshing seeing her amongst all the blokes, not that I don’t love you men, but, you know what I mean. I wish her the very best of luck.

One minute (around 6pm) certain parties were still having a chat, next thing I knew, David Cameron was zipping his way over to see the Queen to be formally instated. Didn’t the Brown family cut a lonely figure (or figures) walking away from No. 10?

And did anybody see the stand-off between Sky News’ Adam Boulton and Alistair Campbell? Testosterone-laden or what?

And going of on a slight tangent, I received an email from a gentleman who just had to write and tell me how much he enjoyed my ad on Punternet. Very topical he thought and loved the play on words.

I have my moments,lol.