More better sooner repeater

As usual at this time of year, I worry about the number of entries to the short story competition. We need more. As to the quality, I'm finding that some fail due to what I would call general clumsiness. Sentences that should flow and follow may have been over-edited and become herky-jerky. Instead of them being a series of stepping stones there may be unfathomable chasms between each and the next. However, I still see a few interesting stories.

Steve

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Friday evening walk

Donnington Road

Willesden Sports Centre

Willesden Stadium

Lenin's Tomb: "Israeli psychopath"

"Hamid Abu Daqqa was playing football in his Real Madrid shirt when he was shot through the stomach by IDF troops several weeks ago. This was significant for the Palestinians and the wider Middle East, but not for anyone else. Not a single UK broadcaster knows his name. But do they know Muhammad al-Hums, Ranan Arafat, Omar Mashharawi, Isam Abu al-Miza, Hiba Mashharawi Turk, Mahmoud Abu Sawawin, Marwan Abu al-Qumsan, Walid Abadla, Hanin Tafish, Faris Basyouni, or Muhammad Iyad Sadallah? These are but a small sample of the children, pregnant women and elderly Palestinians killed in recent days by Israel. Not a single UK broadcaster knows a single one of these names.

Anyone with an internet connection can hear live feed of the airjets, drones and helicopter fighters strafing the Gaza sky. If you want the sonic experience of airborne death, it's available to you."  

The beginning of Lenin's Tomb commentary "Israeli psychopath" by Richard Seymour

World market and library fair

Library books on display in the concourse

The world market is a regular Saturday event

Cupcakes from the world market in Willesden library centre.
(Somebody's already had one of the Smarties!)

Poverty in Brent

From Brent Citizens' Advice Bureau on Twitter: "We have given out 34 food vouchers this week, including to a pregnant woman and a family with young children."

The Gathering: Dear Mr Kenny

"Dear Mr Kenny, I will not hesitate to invite friends to Ireland when it once again becomes a country I can be proud of. A country that lets a woman die because of archaic religious beliefs is not one I want to show off. Legislate for X."

People ask, 'how can this happen in the 21st century?' (Irish Times)

Belfast tour

Titanica by Rowan Gillespie (Titanic Quarter)

Titanic memorial, City Hall, erected 2012

Poster wall, Falls Road,
new mural to be unveiled 8/10/2012

Sinn Féin HQ West Belfast, with Bobby Sands mural

Section of the Peace Wall, West Belfast

IRSP murals

Front of The Crown Bar

Europa Hotel, viewed from the Crown Bar restaurant

Welcome to the Shankill Road

"It's All Good" graffiti, Shankill Road

Welcome to Sandy Row

George Best mural

UVF mural 1

UVF mural 2

Orange hall

Orange hall silhouette

Tribute to equal rights campaigners

International Day of Peace mural, "Imagine"

Harry Lemon

President Obama's final rally, Iowa

"Let's finish what we started."

Parakeets in Willesden

Rowdon Avenue

A flock of parakeets in a silver birch

These parakeets are newcomers this year. I heard and spotted one about a week ago on two separate occasions as it flew and across the rooftops. Now there's a flock of at least six or more. Pairs of them were flying around in circles, level at tree top height, squawking and back onto the tree. They have a raucous, cackling cry, which I never heard before and is not at all melodious. A magnificent sight when they are flying!

Steve

All Souls College Oxford sells Mark Twain library for flats

"To the Warden and Fellows of All Souls College, Oxford." A most heart-rending appeal in a truly horrific situation, unique in its specific brutality and ignominy. Also a carefully reasoned and inarguable case.

http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Open-Letter-to-All-Souls-College-from-FKRL-2Nov2012upload.pdf

Jimmy Saveloy joins Herald

We're delighted to welcome Jimmy Saveloy to our team of news bloggers. He will be focussing in closely on the Big Society, the voluntary sector and charities, especially residential institutions. Plus he has some ideas for fundraising events.

Not really.