The Ceasefire Holds.

This morning I saw the news showing a group of children having great fun on swings and roundabouts. Nothing unusual in that you’d think until you looked around and saw the devastation of the city around them. They were playing surrounded by ruins of the homes they once lived in without walls and floors and with the debris of once normal lives flowing round them.
These are the children of Syria taking pleasure in the ceasefire between the Russian supported Government and the Rebels ( or Freedom fighters) supported by various others.

Children celebrating Eid al-Adha in Idlib Province, Syria. CreditMuhammed Najdat Kaddour

The picture above is one I hadn’t expected to see given that normally there might be Russian planes dropping bombs on this rebel held city. It’s a joy to see a degree of normality in the children’ lives from our point of view in a period anything but normal in their short lives. I have to hope that the ceasefire delicate though it is, continues and that somehow an agreement is worked out that brings an end to this conflict.

I’m sad that the Army has backed President Assad and kept him in power so long though I don’t know what the effect would have been had he left and allowed the Rebels to form a new Government. Given that the rebels are part Al Quaeda and part American vetted groups plus other factions I doubt concensus would have been found easily. What I do know is that these children deserve a life. They deserve homes and a future not decided by bombs. They deserve Hugs to show the World is with them and that the life they’ve currently known is not normal, that a better life lies ahead of them.

I hope the ceasefire lasts the full 7 days and then carries on, this fragile peace becoming something permanent to bring some stability to the region. The refugees will be anxious to return to their families and there are children who have never known peace who need to learn how to play without fear of warplanes flying overhead dropping bombs

Florida State University Receiver Travis Rudolph Made Incredible Gesture to Boy with Autism

Here it is, proof that kindness is alive and kicking still. A story that might pass us by were it not for the special circumstances surrounding the little boy.
Travis Rudolph’s mother can be very proud of her sporting son who hasn’t forgotten his heart and become too big for his football boots.

https://youtu.be/LEoxGJ79PMs

 

GOOD BLACK NEWS

(photo via facebook.com)

article by Extra Mustard via si.com

Florida State receiver Travis Rudolph brightened up the day of a boy with autism, so much so he made the boy’s mother cry.

Rudolph and some other Seminoles were visiting a middle school Tuesday afternoon when Rudolph noticed a boy eating his lunch alone. Rudolph decided he would give the boy company and join him for lunch with a couple slices of pizza. The boy’s mother, Leah Paske, found out about the gesture, and was incredibly moved.

Paske wrote a lengthy Facebook post describing the encounter, which she said brought her to tears:

Here is the full text of Paske’s post:

Several times lately I have tried to remember my time in middle school, did I like all my teachers, do I even remember them? Did I have many friends? Did I sit with anyone at lunch? Just how mean were kids…

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Musical Interlude

I woke at 1.18 am today and since I couldn’t get back to sleep I decided to hit Youtube and listen to James Taylor. He’s had amazing longevity since his breakthrough in 1970 with Fire and Rain. He was just 22 when that happened. He hasn’t stopped since then. Many of his songs have a real significance in the lyrics that resonate with his fans, and they are legion as James Taylor is one of the biggest selling artists of all time ….over 100 million.

Another set of artistes from the same era were Simon and Garfunkel. They wrote superb songs with lyrics that could bring tears to the eyes and make those tears flow once they started to sing. Lyrics are what define a generation and for me the generation I grew up in sang about love peace and friendship. That’s never changed for me. I added this particular James Taylor song and now this Simon and Garfunkel song just to let you all know how I feel and to remind you that though I can’t be around very much I will be here for you.

I’m sure you all know many songs with special lyrics that affect you. No doubt some of you are wondering why I haven’t used Motown songs since I’m such a fan but I’ve tried to go for two that say just what I want .

I send you Massive Hugs and ask you to pass them round, especially to any Muslim friends you have to let them know we realise they are not responsible for the actions of a few savages.

 

Politics Is Ugly: Can We Change It?

I reblog this not because Lisa and I share the same politics but we do share the same opinion of what politics should be. It should not be necessary to lie to the voters and to create situations whereby it’s OK to create xenophobia and hate. We need politicians who can treat he other side with some respect and some consideration.. But if they’re caught out in a deliberate lie we should have the power to sack them as you would be able to with any other employee. Politicians are our employees really since our taxes pay their salaries.
Lats create an environment where we can point to a politician and tel our children “There goes an honest man/woman”. Lats get rid of the hate the politicians are creating and give someone a Hug today.

The Last Krystallos

I don’t often, if ever, get political on my blog, but I am political.
I am a big fighter for human justice, fairness and compassion,
and the way the world is lead is important to me.

I don’t want this post to be about my political leanings. We all have them and in this world, at least where I live, we are free to air them. I realise not all parts of the world have this freedom, and I am very grateful that I live with political freedom. Our views, our opinions and our politics are our own and we are allowed them.

Politics is getting very ugly.

Some of you, who are much better historians than me, will point out that politics has always been ugly.That it’s always been full of lies, deceit, ambition, and corruption. You’re probably right. But with the advent of social media, we…

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Looking hatred in the eye, and beating it.

Here is a well thought out post reminding us there is still joy in life and not to allow fear to crush us.

Well, This Is What I Think

One of theeffects of events such as the hideous massacre of innocents in Orlando is the repeated assault on the mood and feelings of people who are only distantly connected to the actual event.

At times like this, it is all to easy for our imaginations, driven by empathy for those hurt, driven by our simple understanding of what they went through, driven by the awareness that that could have been us, to be completely overwhelmed by the horror.

The news is inescapable. Media coverage is wall-to-wall. It regularly beats in onall of us, even those who seek to shut it out by avoiding the endlessly repeated 24 hour newscasts. An intrusive internet headline here. A radio soundbite there. A comment from a co-worker. Acride coeur from someone standing next to you in a queue for coffee.

The global psychic effect of the accumulated evil in the…

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Eid Mubarak

To celebrate Eid.

barsetshirediaries

The time of Ramadan is over. Now it is time to break the fast.

To my Muslim friends and their families I wish Eid Mubarak.

May peace and happiness surround you.

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The Buthidar’s Dream.

When I originally started the Buthidars some years ago now, I was very into using Facebook. I was also very interested in all things Knights Templar, in particular The Order of St Lazarus. I had envisioned the Buthidars being set up as a non-religious group operating along the lines of one of the chivalrous orders with a hierarchy in each country from Grandmaster down.

Rather than the Cross of St Lazarus I wanted to show more a care for the world in general and not just for lepers.

Hands around the world.

I believed then, and still do, that with a Grandmaster in each country able to organise groups in each area who could then break it down into smaller, more local groups, each area could have like a ‘hit squad’ quickly able to respond to problems. With a variety of people within groups, not responsible to any religion there would be a good knowledge base to offer advice as well as maybe practical help to anyone in need from any social group.

On Facebook this started well and there were people from a variety of countries ready to start and from a variety of disciplines. There were people able to offer advice to those who felt they were being forced in to marriage as well as those able to offer help and advice to those with a short term mental illness to debt problems. The move from Facebook didn’t go well as at that time people weren’t willing to move to other social sites and I let things lapse badly. A great disappointment to me personally was wanting to have a day of Hugs Across The World which I hoped would bring people together and show them that others cared. I wrote to so many student unions Worldwide and got virtually no response. It brought me to a low point in my life.

I became ill. I paid for someone to come over from Africa so we could talk about raising funds for a school with accommodation attached for the children. I managed to get the funding promises together but Africa didn’t take the project forward. I also gave away a fortune to everyone who said they had need, and I admit this was to the detriment of my own family. I became more and more insular as time went on and the Buthidars went to a back burner.

I’m not in a good place at the moment and the insularity has so much appeal but I can’t help but think there is still need for the Buthidars in the World. Crossing all boundaries and supplying those hugs that the world still seems to need. I still hope that one day the world can learn to live at peace and we’ll be happy to offer an embrace to anyone regardless of where they’re from. I’m convinced it’s people like you who will bring the peace about, who will show others that we care and where possible we will help.

I’m hoping you have as much faith in yourselves as I have in you.

Hugs Galore.

David