Tuesday 29 July 2014

Boycotting Israeli Products: a Moral Imperative?















In response to Greg Manahan’s photo (above; © aforesaid) on facebook yesterday, I posted the following update:

Irish Tesco ONLY as far as I know - but it's a start. Perhaps Waitrose & Abel & Cole you two could also follow suit, please?

I boycott Israeli products in the same way that I have been boycotting Australian goods for the way they treat those who are not "one of them". Waitrose by economically supporting the Isreali state is culpable of supporting potential acts of genocide and at the very least war crimes. But then so is UK which is more than happy to sell arms or products that can be used against people to Israel. It is very difficult too to boycott because some products that say Israel are actually made/produced in occupied land and others in the defined State of Israel. Quakers have produced guidance as we wish to avoid purchasing products from these illegally occupied Palestinian/Syrian territories: http://www.quaker.org.uk/settlement-produce. We support the right of Israel to exist; but not Israeli war crimes and occupation.

I heard nothing from Waitrose about my concerns; so I thought I would peruse what facebookers had been writing on the supermarket's eponymous page. This from 27th July at 16.04:

Waitrose will always grow produce in Britain where possible - we will only source from overseas if we can't get the right quality in this country or if it is out of the British season.
Our sourcing decisions aren't politically motivated. Instead our priority is to make sure our food is fully traceable, and produced with the highest standards of worker and animal welfare and respect for the environment. We clearly label all produce so that customers can act on their own beliefs.
Any Israeli Waitrose produce comes from internationally recognised (pre-1967) borders. We know this because we have absolute traceability for all our food and we only source from known farms.

In response, I submitted the following comment

Good to know you are in line with Quaker guidance: http://www.quaker.org.uk/settlement-produce. However, I buy mainly organic and at times your produce comes from Israel when there is perfectly tasty produce available in Spain. I know because Abel & Cole or Riverford manage to source. There may be alternatives to purchasing from Israel and thus by-passing Israel. You could always try to seek out Jewish farmers elsewhere, so that you cannot be tarnished with the anti-semitic brush. %)

That was some eight hours ago, but again Waitrose have not as yet responded.

*

For years now the Israeli state has badly treated Arabs residing within its boundaries as well as committing heinous acts against Palestinians, this is despite many Jews both in Israel and within the wider diaspora vociferously objecting to this renegade state's behaviours. In the UK, the US, France, and so on, none of our countries can take a stand because they are similarly guilty of dreadful misdeeds, warmongering and profiteering on the backs of misery and death. It is for this reason that we as citizens must take the moral stand and hit states where it hurts - economically. I ask you to now boycott Israeli produce and services. Write to your MP, your MEP (as Europe gives Israel lots of economic benefits) and the main-stream media: let them all know how much you actually care.

Israel will only be at peace when it learns to love its neighbours.

My prayers!



Saturday 12 July 2014

manzana



 
limón verde 
ruborizandose 
levantando
la fruta 
tentativamente
que dijiste 
examen testicular 
acción
de la muñeca 
toque suave 
ninguna reacción
haciendo una mueca 
el siguiente 
se afloja 
relajando 
en la palma
vuelta hacia arriba 
una punta de los dedos rastrea
un sendero de cresta
por debajo de ti 
aliento cálido se desliza 
corre sensación 
horripilación 
inclinandose
para inhalar 
perfume almizclado 
cítricos, bayas, madera 
acariciando
todavía 
comprobando de la perfección 
con ganas de más 
el pulgar se desliza
por la partición 
en dos dividido 
ahora se entiende 
se ve 
propósito 
semillas derraman
cuántos progenie 
como dicen 
pero todo se perden
sintiéndose despojada 
sin vástago 
ningún nuevo brote 
ningún niño anhelado 
a los posibles no
deseo discontinuado 
folclore marchitado 
imperativo sexual 
sin sentido 
enviado por el cielo 
o la ley natural 
mutación 
árbol genealógico 
ADN 
sin embargo
queriendo 
más 




[Folclore sostiene que si uno corta una manzana, el número de semillas ¡indica el número de niños que tendrá!]

*

ADVERTENCIA: el siguiente vídeo incluye imágenes de un hombre que controla sus propios órganos genitales; no veas si la desnudez ofende!


Por desgracia, no he podido encontrar a un vídeo de auto-examen testicular en español. Con suerte, las imágenes hablan por sí solas. Sin embargo, encontré una fuente de información en español del sitio web de Movember.

Hombres: por favor revise sus testículos en forma regular; con el cáncer testicular lo antes se coge lo mejor será la perspectiva.

Obviamente, si se tiene cualquier inquietud que sea, hacer una cita para ver a su médico de cabecera o cualquier otro debidamente entrenado asesor médico.


Friday 11 July 2014

Matt Alber in Blighty Tour 2014


Regular readers of the blog will by now know that I am a big fan of Matt Alber, I love his gingeriness (redheadedness) (see Matt Alber: All My Ginger Fantasies In One Man), I love his music and I love his personality (see Matt Alber In Birmingham not Alabama!). Below is a previously unpublished, rather grainy, image of mine of Matt from his visit to Birmingham LGBT Centre last year with a sample of the wares he was vending - every purchase with a gratis handshake or hug.



The good news is that Matt is once again returning to Europe and specifically the UK.










The England tour dates are as follows:

Thursday 31st July at Latest Music Bar in Brighton;

Friday 1st August at POP in Manchester;

Saturday 9th August at Birdcage in Bristol;

Friday 15th August at Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London.

For more information, check out Matt Alber's official website, mattalber.com.


In the meantime take a look at the following snapshots from the making of Matt's latest video for the song "Handsome Man" - ginger heaven!!!


Tuesday 8 July 2014

apple



unripe lemon
flushing red
lifting the fruit
tentatively you said
testicular examination
wrist action
gentle twist
no wincing reaction
next one
loosens
relaxes into
an upturned palm
fingertip traces
a ridge trail
below you
warm breath glides
sensation races
horripilation
stooping to inhale
musky scent
citrus, berries, wood
caressing still
checking for perfection
wanting more
thumb slides
down the cleft
split in two
now understood
you see
intent
seed spill
how many
progeny
as they say
but all fail
feeling bereft
no scion
no new shoot
no long-coveted child
no would-be
dashed desire
blighted folklore
sexual imperative
wanton
heaven-sent
or natural law 
mutation
family tree
DNA
still wanting
more






[Folklore holds that if you slice an apple, the number of seeds is said to signify the number of children you will have!]

*

WARNING: the following video includes images of a man checking his own genitalia; do not watch if nudity offends!



Men: please check your testicles on a regular basis; the earlier testicular cancer is caught the better the prospects. The following is a video from the charity Orchid - Fighting Male Cancer:

"Orchid exists to save men's lives from testicular, prostate and penile cancers through pioneering research and promoting awareness"

They have a site called www.yourprivates.org.uk which provides much more information and links.

Obviously, if one has any concerns whatsoever, make an appointment to see your G.P. or other appropriately trained medical adviser.


Tuesday 1 July 2014

Blog Hits 150,000 Views!

WoW, incredible. Yesterday I reached 30,000 visits in a single month. Today, my blog hit (and has since superseded) a total of 150,000 in twenty-six months. I feel so humbled. All I can say is thank you one & all for reading, viewing images, commenting and sharing. You are all simply wonderful sweeties. %D