World Cup. Singing silly songs at major sporting events. Time for a new one.

It is another world cup year and it is time for a new national anthem. Here is my suggestion.

"God save our gracious Queen..." - the opening line to the national anthem. As a non-royalist and an atheist, singing these words at sporting events such as the World Cup, Commonwealth Games or Olympics with passion and pride is next to impossible. I am proud to be English, proud to be British. We have a great country, a great set of countries that should represent fairness and equality, providing a beacon to emerging nations around the world, a modern and advanced society. Our national anthem should represent this nation and be uplifting and inspiring, with lyrics that fill people with pride and awe, not divide the nation along religious/royalist/nationalistic lines by banging on about gods, a ruling monarch and an historical warring past.

The idea of singing about national pride at sporting events seems a little silly in the first place but, if we are going to do so, then we should at least be singing something that all involved can feel connected to. There are even other verses to the English national anthem that seem more appropriate than the one we currently use. ( Same Tune ) Check out the lyrics for the 4th verse:

Pancake Day. Leftover. Nature.Celebrated.

Pancake Day Some people call it #ShroveTuesday. Another hijacked, residual 'celebration'. Originally a pagan activity, it became part of the Christian spring celebration before loosing all religious meaning to become the bland, over-commercialised, greedy, modern leftover that we have today.

The word SHROVE comes from the old, English word 'shrive', which means to obtain absolution for "sins" by confessing. Thereby being "shriven" before the start of 'Lent'. Pancakes were 'traditionally' eaten on this day to use up perishable goods like eggs and milk before the 40-day fasting of 'Lent'. 'Lent' being invented to give religious control over the uneducated masses.

Before this Christian 'tradition' was invented and tacked on to their 'Oestre/ Easter' hijacking, it is thought that the event might have originated from a pagan observation, when eating warm, round, flour & water flatbreads - symbolising the sun - was a way of celebrating the arrival of spring and the new growing season. Full moon, Spring Equinox - same as Easter. Things happen, change & evolve over time and we have many residual celebrations in modern calendars.

A Rational Thought.

Like you, I am a human being. A member of a species that has evolved over millions of years to the point where we control our environment and resources. An intelligent, rational, sociable creature that has the ability to be compassionate and caring. Instead however, we have allowed our species to become ill-informed, miseducated, anti-social beings, lacking understanding and divided by our levels of ignorance. Happy to exploit each other and our world to attain levels of greed far beyond sustainable limits. We look at the world through rose-coloured glasses, given to us by a system that wants to control and abuse rather than advance and nurture. We have it wrong. We have it ALL WRONG. From the moment we are born we are bombarded

'2018' #HappyNewYear. The Solar reality.

So, here we are again. Another solar year is done.

Why is it that this solar year is called '2018'? The answer is that it is an arbitrary number, it actually has very little meaning. The very idea of '2018' is a human, religious creation, forced on us by power struggles, religious bigots, greed and wars. It is merely an expression

#WinterSolstice The REAL reason for the Season.

So here it is. The #WinterSolstice '2017'.

'Thor's Day', December 21st. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, today is Winter Solstice. The time of year when daylight is at its shortest. From this point on, the days will start to become longer, a consequence of the sun appearing higher overhead in the sky. It is literally 'the coming of the light'. This is why our ancestors held this time of year as an important marker in their calendar. They had made it to the darkest point in the season and could look forward to increased daylight from now on. It would have meant a new start, a new growing season and the prospect of new food. Celebrated by fire, lights, decorated trees, the giving of offerings/gifts and feasting on livestock.

This has been hijacked, bastardised and used by politically religious power-mongers to spread their

Thanksgiving. Nature celebrated. #USA #Thanksgiving #Winter #WinterSolstice

The fourth Thursday of November in the USA is 'Thanksgiving', their fixed celebration of seasons, harvest and plenty. Based on ancient, pagan, seasonal celebrations, now, high-jacked for religious / political gains, it wasn't always a fixed date. For millennia, early peoples would have been aware that the summer growing season was over and their journey in to winter was beginning and food stores would have to last

The plastic tat & religious nonsense that we call 'christmas'.

It is that time of year again. The sickly, manipulative adverts have begun. People are gearing themselves up to spend too much money on a bunch of made up, zombie nonsense. Eating, drinking and buying too much plastic tat that makes them feel like they are part of something. Walking mindlessly through the shopping and eating 'traditions' like something undead.

I am talking, of course, about 'Christmas' and 'New Year'. At the risk of being called 'a humbug' or a 'party-pooper,' it really is the worst time of year. The depths of a Northern Hemisphere winter spoilt by overly commercialised, overly religious festivals that nobody thinks about and that should have limited place in a modern society. Think about it. Creationism, prophecies, virgin births, angels, wise men, magical moving stars, stables, donkeys, trees, turkeys, crackers, reindeer, chimneys and gifts. Really? What a load of absolute hokum. Nothing more than a mixed up, patchwork quilt of Pagan,

Remember, 5th November. Burning Popes, Light & Autumn Equinox. Whizz. Boom.

Bonfire Night. Burning Popes, religions, cats and traditions.

Another crazed, religiously inspired, leftover celebration. Guy Fawkes was a Catholic man who wanted to over-throw a King. The King was a Protestant who knew the importance of instilling religious fear in his servants . As the King survived an attempt on his life in the 1605 plot, it was thought that the Protestant version of 'god' was good and puritanical ministers in government effectively made it a day of compulsory worship. There is even the possibility that the whole 'plot' was an exercise in spin, designed to inflame anti-Catholic feelings. ( here ) In 1606, to avoid being hung, drawn and publicly disemboweled for his 'crime', Guy Fawkes jumped from

Seasonal Change #Halloween #Samhain #DayOfTheDead #NewMoon #DarkNights

So here we are again. Halloween. Treats, costumes, lanterns, spiders, bats, blood, horror, death, ghosts.

It has its origins in the ancient, pagan, pre-Christian, Celtic festival known as Samhain ("sah-win"). The Feast of the Dead. A time when humans had much less knowledge of the world around them. Later, hijacked and assimilated by the religious ceremony of All Hallows Eve & All Saints Day. A day for the dead. Look it up. It is a celebration of the end of the harvest season, a recognition of the lengthening nights, worsening weather and the harsh winter season running up to the winter solstice ( Dec 21st aka Christmas. Here ). It represents the point in the calendar when livestock were moved to lower level farmland from the higher, summer feeding grounds and when animals were slaughtered for the winter larders.  In the northern hemisphere, the reduced daylight, winter temperatures and sparse food supply meant that our ancient, pagan ancestors felt the icy grip of winter tightening and closer to their (made up) spirit world, disease and death. The coming of the Light. Humans have always feared the things that they hadn't worked out.

Diwali - another celebration of place in the solar system.

Diwali. Another part of the global acknowledgment of our place in the solar system. You can tack on any religious nonsense you want to the event but it is essentially a seasonal shift marker. The fictional battle between 'good' and 'evil'. The victory of light over darkness. A new moon after the autumn equinox. The darkest night. Fire, lights, gifts, good wishes, celebrations of life and yearning for springtime and harvest. Our Northern Hemishere ancestors would have been acutely aware of exactly what advancing darkness and longer nights meant to their everyday lives and their geographical position. Preparing for longer, colder nights and celebrating with festivals such as Bonfire Night, Halloween, American 'Thanksgiving' festive lights and Samhain, all of which are connected to the seasonal changes, harvest and winter

Equinox - The Solar reality of seasons. Bring on the plastic festivals.

September 22nd 2017 is the Autumn Equinox for those of us in the Northern hemisphere. When length of light hours & dark hours draw towards #Equilux. The sun appears to pass the equator on it's journey in to the southern hemisphere at it's height. It means shorter hours of daylight as we head towards the winter solstice in December. For the next few weeks of the solar year, we will lose appx 4mins of daylight per day (in UK). Our ancestors would have been acutely aware of exactly what this event meant to their everyday lives. Prepare for longer, colder nights and look out for human celebrations such as Diwali, Halloween, American 'Thanksgiving' and Samhain, all of which are connected to the seasonal changes, harvest and winter moons.

Faith Schools. Putting the religious moron in to oxymoron.

I live in Britain. We, as a nation, should be leading the way in all areas of modern life. We should be demonstrating to other nations of the world how to move forward in to an increasingly fact-based world. We should be leaving behind outdated rules, traditions, thoughts and processes. We should be pushing the boundaries of modern science and technologies and debunking myths wherever they exist within our society. We should be modern.
It is for this reason that we need to get rid of 'Faith Schools' from the education system, not just the state schools but across the board. Schooling should be about education and knowledge, truth and evidential sciences. It should not be about brainwashing vulnerable children and forcing them to believe clearly wrong, ancient myths and religions. It is nothing short of

"Kippers for breakfast, Aunt Helga? Is it St Swithin's Day already?" #StSwithinsDay

15th July.
"Kippers for breakfast, Aunt Helga? Is it St Swithin's Day already? Tis replied Aunt Helga" (TheSimpsons)

St Swithun's /St Swithin's Day. Myth & superstition say that if it rains on St Swithin's Day, it will rain for 40 days & nights. Obviously nonsense. We now have the Science of Meteorology, weather apps and long range forecasts that make this kind of 'prophecy talk' archaic and laughable. Another modern day tradition based on outdated myths & the ramblings of our poorly educated, religiously brainwashed, technologically backward ancestors.

Swithun was Bishop of Winchester and it is claimed that he did many 'miracles' ,mostly once he was dead. (Very convenient) He didn't do anything noteworthy during his lifetime and didn't actually do any 'miracles' because actual 'miracles' are not a real thing. Especially 'miracles' with eggs. He was dismembered and spread around churches by and for intellectually challenged individuals and cults. Myths & superstition have no place in modern society. Aunt Helga wouldn't be pleased.

'St Swithun's day if thou dost rain, For forty days it will remain

St Swithun's day if thou be fair, For forty days 'twill rain nae mare'.

Or, ye could check the forecast.

#Wimbledon2017 Best of 5 Sets for Women. Equal pay. Equal effort.

With #Wimbledon2017 just around the corner, I find myself asking the same question that I have asked for many years. I am wondering why the women get away with only playing 'Best of 3 Sets'. The Men's pathway to the Final is littered with long, gruelling 'Best of 5 Sets' matches, so why the inequality? Why aren't there loud voices calling for the 'Play Gap' to be closed?

Surely, in times where equality is pushed with such fervour (rightly so), it is only right that the women get the same prize money for the

The Zenith. The Sun. Our place in the Solar System. 21st June 2017.

June 21st 2017.

The Summer Solstice.

In the Northern Hemisphere, June 21st 2017 is the #SummerSolstice. It is the point in our celestial year when the sun appears to reach its highest point in the sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, it represents the winter solstice when the path of the sun in the sky is at its lowest. For many thousands of years our ancestors would have celebrated this time of year and

Manifesto. Politics. Hot air with no right to recall. Pledge. Promise. Lie.

Low voter turn-out, disillusioned voters and lack of respect for politicians of all varieties - a problem that effects the UK and many other democratic nations. 'Manifesto', 'pledge' and 'election promise' are just words that politicians spray around with no desire to see them become reality. Empty words repeated so many times they have no meaning.

Make each party  MANIFESTO legally binding before an election. A manifesto that they are legally obliged to enforce within SIX MONTHS of being voted in. These manifesto pledges will be spread over a number of political areas ( 4 year tax levels, health care spending, environment, foreign aid etc ) and they would be legally binding. If they fail to follow up on these pledges, it automatically triggers an immediate election and

May Day. Maia. Yet another celebration of Spring, nature & our place in the Solar System.

May Day. A solar reality. This year May Day, a holiday in the UK and a celebration for many around the world, has fallen on May 1st. Nowadays, celebrated on the first Moon-day (Monday) of the month of Maia (May), it is an ancient celebration of Spring, Summer, nature and our place in the Solar System. Nothing more. 'Maia' was a Roman goddess of fertility. An ancestral, pagan nod to the continued rising path of the Sun in the sky and the birth & rebirth that it brings about within nature. Nothing to do with fictional gods or made up social constructions like months, calendars, labour days or 'hijacked by religion' nonsense such as Easter, it is simply an acknowledgement of the human animal's place in nature.

St Georgios? St George. Who the what the hell now? Irrelevant.

St George's Day. Let's face it, the day needs revamping. A celebration of Spring that has become a sorry excuse for a national celebration. It usually passes with a quiet whimper and a bit of flag waving, failing to be embraced by the vast majority of the English nation. Here is why.

We have a poorly educated, Roman soldier, allegedly born in what would be modern Turkey, who was possibly persecuted and executed for his religious beliefs in a made-up emerging cult nearly 1800 years ago. He also slayed a dragon that didn't exist ( most likely a graphical representation of victory in battle ) and then magically re-appeared to lead troops in to battle, approximately 1000 years after his death. Mumbo-Jumbo. Nonsense. Myth.

This military, religious icon was thrust upon us through war and tyranny. His myth is celebrated throughout many countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Russia, Syria and Romania. As a figurehead of 'Englishness' he has very little going for him. He never even set foot in the  green and pleasant land.

A small group of people 'celebrate' his holy-englishness by draping themselves in red and white flags, drinking ales and singing religious/football songs in pubs before vomiting in a bin and being thrown out for fighting. It is lame

We need to move away from the idea that it is 'the 21st Century'.

We need to move away from the outdated idea that 'this is the 21st century'. '2019 A.D' Why is it that this solar year is called '2019'? The answer is that it is an arbitrary number, it actually has very little meaning. The very idea of '2019' is a human creation, forced on us by power struggles, religious bigots and wars. It is merely an expression

Spring - bring on the chocolate, rabbit eggs, fertility symbollocks.

So here we are again. It is that time of year, "Easter". AKA the Spring Equinox. You could say 'Ishtar' or 'Eostre' or 'Ostara' if you prefer. It's all the same. A bastardisation of a yearly solar event that has importance for all our lives. A moment of solar transition from one season to another. Yet another public holiday based on a religious myth that has nothing to do with it's actual origins. 'Easter' is a laughably movable celebration within the Christian church that is held between 21 March and 25 April. It falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the northern hemisphere spring equinox - how amazingly pagan that all seems to be. Just think about it. Spring equinox, a new growing season, rebirth and the return of the sun (light) to the northern hemisphere, rabbits for reproduction, eggs for fertility, and lots of chocolate because it is tasty and encourages spending - it is all just 'symbollocks'. Even the name 'Easter' is taken from a Germanic Pagan goddess and is related to the fact that sunlight returns ( the dawn ). As humans, we are