Cymru/Wales: Bipolar Nation

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Friday 22 December 2017

Christmas Spirit





Well the self proclaimed 'Grinch of Grangetown' is sat here like some overweight Ebeneezer Scrooge poring over 2017's Blog Posts. For the Shark Fisherman it has been an OK year although it has been a horrific one globally. As per usual, I've done nothing, kept my head down and managed to stay out of too much trouble. The highlight of my year without a doubt was a trip to Glasgow. I had never been before and I was well impressed. It made the same impression on me as Manchester did when I first encountered it in 2013. In fact I coined the phrase 'The Manchester of the North' for Glasgow which tickled me. I mentioned to my neighbour that I was surprised that there was not more mention of these two impressive cities and he said 'they do not have the elites, they are working class cities' and there and then it hit me between the eyes, in my third eye in fact, that not only are ordinary people deprived of social mobility, whole cities are as well.  Edinburgh and London are eulogised but not Glasgow and Manchester. In my dotage, I am yearning for places that are real, that have authenticity and Manchester and Glasgow have that in abundance. I am still blue moon lighting between Aberystwyth and Cardiff and as you may have noticed my disdain for Brexit Britain is not far from the surface. I remember queuing at Liverpool passport office for a large blue passport to go to the United States of America in 1985 so this blue/burgundy thing is not as old as the 1973 common market any road up. Sheesh I sound like Methusela! I would like to return to America but I'm not sure whether old Mc Donald would let me in with my colourful history and I ain't about to go bowing and scraping in no Embassy so I will just have to bide my time.  
I have not been giving gifts at Christmas for a few years now, maybe five, it's the obligatory nature of it that gets my goat and this year I haven't sent any cards even though I have received a few, it's the reciprocating for the sake of reciprocating that wangles my dangle. As per usual I have been spending too much time at my computer, like Damian Green, and am hoping just to 'do' more in 2018 whatever that doing will entail. 
I would like to wish my readers, supporters and groupies a happy winter solstice and hope that there wont be too much need for 'Thoughts & Prayers' in 2018. 
Nadolig Llawen & Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi gyd unless you voted for Brexit and in that case, I hope your next 馃挬 is a hedgehog.

Sunday 17 December 2017

Cosb a Chasineb

Cosb a Chasineb





Mae'r elfen hunan cofiannol i'r blog yma wedi dod yn fwy amlwg yn ddiweddar. Fel unigolyn sydd gyda digon o amser ar ei ddwylo i feddwl am y pethau yma mi ddaeth yn glir i mi yn ddiweddar fod fy hanes gwaith neu yrfaol wedi cynnwys elfen o gosb oherwydd hunan gasineb. Mi wn芒i esbonio. Gweithio am ddwy flynedd i Fudiad Ffermwyr Ifanc Cymru, byw yng Nghaerdydd, y pencadlys ar faes y sioe Llanelwedd ac yn teithio o gwmpas Cymru, tua 125,000 o filltiroedd mewn dwy flynedd a hanner. Bwyta brechdanau a sothach allan o garej ochor ffordd. Rhoi'r swydd yna i fyny yn 1998 ac wedyn symud 'bag a baggage' i Trallwng neu Meifod i fod yn fanwl gywir i fod yn swyddog celfyddydau i Voluntary Arts Wales. Parhau am bedwar mis tan Ebrill 1999, cyn dechrau blino a pheswch a chael diagnosis o Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma sef cancr y gwaed. Symud n么l 'bag a baggage' i Gaerdydd i gael triniaeth yn ysbyty Llandough ac wedyn ar 么l blwyddyn penderfynu symud 'bag a baggage' i Lundain i weithio mewn ysgol uwchradd yn Nhe Dwyrain Llundain. Dywedodd y Dirprwy Prifathro ar fy niwrnod cyntaf "This is not a place for the faint hearted" ac mi roedd o yn iawn hefyd. Ar 么l pedair blynedd yn y carchar addysg yma i blant mi ffeindiais i fy hunan yn y carchar yn Amsterdam i gael fy nghosbi am hunan gasineb. Roedd dewis y gwahanol fath o waith yma yn edrych dipyn bach fel siawns ond ar 么l dadansoddi'r peth teimlo na dewis gwaith dim jest i herio fi ond i fy nghosbi fi. Pam fasa rhywun yn dewis gyrfa i ladd ei hunan? Oherwydd doedd ganddo fo ddim ffydd o gwbl yn ei allu? Oherwydd ei fod o yn ystyried ei hunan yn fethiant ac yn gwneud gwaith doedd dim yn unig ddim o'i ddewis ond am ei frifo fo ymhellach. Dwi'n sgrifennu hyn fel un sydd ddim wedi gweithio ers 12 mlynedd bellach. Dwi di fod yn byw ar bwrs y wlad ag ar eich trethi chi. Wedi troi hanner cant dwi wrthi yn ceisio penderfynu beth allai gwneud er mwyn ennill tamaid ac mae'r dewisiadau ddim yn rhai fasa’n gwneud rhestr fawr o bell ffordd. Unwaith fod y diagnosis 'Iechyd Meddwl' wedi dod ger eich bron a ydych yn anwybyddu a diystyru neu ydych chi yn ei defnyddio fel rhyw fath o warchodfa. Efallai fasa fo'n hawdd i mi ddeud celwydd a chogio fy mod yn 'normal'. I mi, mae pobol 'normal' yn cael ei ddefnyddio fel bag dyrnio gan gymdeithas. Ag i bob un ohonoch chi, ddim ond hyn a hyn o ddyrni allech chi ddioddef. Mae'r rhai clyfar neu gyfrwys yn gallu gwneud lle bach cysurus iddyn nhw ei hunan ond mae hun wastad yn dod gyda rhyw gost lawr y lon. Y gwahaniaeth rhwng pobol 'normal' a rheina sydd yn dioddef o hunan gasineb a diffyg hunan barch ydy fod y diwethaf yn defnyddio ei hunan fel bag dyrnio. Maen nhw yn tri'n ei hunain mor wael er mwyn gwarchod ei hunan rhag unrhywbeth all y bywyd allanol taflu atynt. Mae Cymdeithas yn cosbi'r rheina sydd yn cas谩u eraill ond does 'na ddim cosb waeth na chas谩u eich hunan. 

Friday 15 December 2017

Dim Ots






Dwi di ddod i'r casgliad does gyda fi ddim ots pwy sydd yn darllen hwn bellach. Y ffaith ei fod o mewn rhyw fath o Gymraeg yn ddigon o beth i mi. Fyddai byth yn ennill yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol oherwydd mi rwyf yn gwrthwynebu gystadlu. Mi ddaeth y sylweddoliad am hyn pan roeddwn yn cymryd rhan mewn ras athletaidd yn yr ysgol. Fi ag un hogyn arall yn rhedeg rownd cylch mawr ag yr athro yn sefyll yna gyda'i stop wats a giang o'r ysgol yn sb茂o gyda ffug diddordeb. Hanner ffordd rownd cytunwyd i groesi'r llinell yr union un pryd. Erbyn y llinell gorffen dwi feddwl roedd y ddau ohonom yn cerdded. Doedd y dorf ddim yn gallu credu'r peth, yn sefyll yna yn gegrwth. Well os gawsom ni row gan yr athro, Jelly Belly Johnson oedd ei enw, y dyn mwyaf anaddas ei olwg i fod yn athro PE Roedd o'n un o rain os oedd yn gwyntio unrhyw fath o amharchusrwydd gan y disgyblion mi aeth o yn wyllt. Roeddwn ni yn teimlo reit falch fod ni wedi gwneud safiad yn erbyn y Duw cystadlu sydd yng nghlwm i'r natur ddynol. Ac ers y dydd hwnna does gen i ddim archwaeth o gwpl at gystadlu. Pwy ffwc sydd eisiau ddod yn gyntaf, neu yn ail, neu yn olaf? Well beidio cymryd rhan o gwbl yw fy marn i. Wrth gwrs mewn byd cyfalafol, cystadleuol mi gewch chi eich gadael ar 么l gyda'r agwedd yna, a dyna'n union sydd wedi digwydd. Y ffaith wnaeth y ras yma ddigwydd mewn yr un fath o ysgol a mynychwyd Osborne, Johnson a Cameron yn rhoi digon i gnoi cil arno. Doedd o ddim mor grand ag enwog cofiwch chi ond yr un oedd ei ethos. Y ffaith hefyd fod yr ysgol yma yng Nghymru a doedd yna ddim gwers o Gymraeg i gael a dim gwers hanes Cymru chwaith. Efallai dyna pam ar 么l cyrraedd canol oed amharchus mae o gymaint o gic i allu sgrifennu fy marn yn fy mam iaith. Os ydy sgrifennu'r blog yma wedi dysgu fi unrhyw beth amdanaf i fy hun, a dyna oedd y bwriad, mae o di dysgu fy mod i mor flin 芒 brwd dros yr un pethau roeddwn i yn fy arddegau. Doeddwn ni ddim yn perthyn yn yr hen le hyll yna a dwi wedi ffeindio fo'n andros o anodd i berthyn yn unman yng Nghymru ers hynny. Fel bod y cyfnod yma wedi gadael ei 么l.   

Thursday 14 December 2017

Bobol Fach Hunan Pwysig


Dwi'n fodlon cyfaddawdu. Mae'r Pysgotwr Siarcod yn gwyntio gwaed yn y m么r felli mi gaiff yr Arsembly ei 20-30 mwy o ffodyns ar yr un amod, fod y sefydliad yn symud  i'r Gogledd. Gyda S4C gone West yn lle i Gaernarfon, mae'n amser symud 'siop siarad' fyny i Gastell Caernarfon a gadael i Dafydd El rhoi to ar ei ben o fel mae yn rhoi to ar ben popeth arall. Diddorol i mi wna'r Toris a Phlaid Cymru sydd yn uchel ei chloch o blaid y cynllun yma a diddorol fod y person yn gyfrifol am y cynnig yn gyn aelod amlwg o Blaid Cymru, Laura McAllister. Fel pleidiau maent yn si诺r wedi sb茂o ar y Mapiau OS ac wedi meddwl yn fanwl o ran oblygiadau'r newidiadau yma. Felli grym trwy'r drws cefn fydd hwn i bob plaid oni bai am Lafur. Glyn Davies o Maldwyn yn deud "Byddai llawer yn trio dadwneud datganoli". Dwi ddim yn ceisio dadwneud o gyda fy ngeiriau bachog ond fy nghwestiwn i ydy "Sut mae hyn yn mynd i arwain at Annibyniaeth i Gymru?" Mwy o siwtiau hunan pwysig yn swagro o gwmpas y bae yn meddwl gwneud misdimanners ond dim digon ff么l neu hyderus i wneud hynny. Mae'r Cymry yn bobol fach hunan pwysig, unrhyw gyfle g芒nt nhw i ddangos ei hun o flaen y camer芒u maent yn ei chymryd ac mae £66,344 fel cyflog dechreuol 'not to be sneezed' at anaye. Tasa cae drysau ar y Senedd yn y Bae yn rhan o'r package a'r symudiad hir i fyny'r A470 at Doc Victoria fel 'pioneers y byd newydd' yn digwydd mi fydd y Siarc yma yn fodlon iddynt fod yn hunan pwysig yn yr iaith Gymraeg, tan fydd yr amser am Annibyniaeth lawn yn dod.  

Tuesday 12 December 2017

What? More?


I'm shewer that the shabby shambles in the Shenedd want me to use the Welsh NHS sometime soon as an expert patient because they are raising my blood pressure on a daily basis. They want to raise the number of Arsembly Members. I speak as one who campaigned in 1997 to see this first step on the road to full Independence established. 20 years on and you have an overblown County Council with each member on £65,344 per anus horribilis starting salary. I will compromise on my hard line towards them if they consider the following.

1) The establishment of  'The Shark Party of Wales' with myself as its leader. Going from £62.10 Weekly Carer's Allowance to £65,344 might be a bit of a culture shock but I am willing to take that risk.


2) That in the name of positive discrimination and to support the ethos of all something shortlists that a minimum number of Green Party of Wales members are appointed to the Assembly Chamber. Under the Present System and with Wales having a larger than average number of Climate Change deniers among its population, the Welsh Assembly Government needs experts in the field of renewable energy and environmental activism.


3) That in the name of positive discrimination and to support the ethos of all something shortlists that a minimum number of 16 and 17 year olds are elected to the Welsh Assembly Government. It's not good enough just to give them the vote, they need to be able to represent their age group as well.


4) That all Arsembly members agree to accept the average salary for Wales which is £19,216 a year. After all it is not they that do the actual work, they sit in committees, pass their opinions and judgements and it is other poor saps and civil servants who have to do the hard yards. 


I personally do ave lost all faith in this bureaucracy. I want Independence for Wales. A top heavy arsembly/shenedd will make this more unlikely. I for one say NO to building an extension on the extension. 



Sunday 10 December 2017

Cymru/Wales:Bipolar Nation




Cymru/Wales
Bipolar Nation
How dare you call the Land of my Fathers mentally ill you sexist pig?
Soch Soch hunny bunny
North/South
Gog/Hwntw
Labour/Plaid
A470
Caernarfon/Caerdydd
and I ain't translating that in case you crash.
Got yer stash?
Don't know which spoke to speak aye
Dwi ddim yn hapus Gladys
Visit Wales
the land of snails
cos there are no jobs
We're as high as the soccer euros
and as low as the six nations
some prefer the oval ball
some (like me) prefer to do fuck all
Housing Estates & Bargain Booze
Pint and a Fight and then a Snooze
We're extremely fucked, we really are
with unionists and separatists standing at the bar.
Like Northern Ireland without the religion
It was Lloyd George who carved up that pigeon
Paranoid and full of fear
The Welsh really do love their beer
Carmarthen gets S4C
Cardiff gets the Assembly they didn't vote for
You don't know whether to laugh or cry
For King and Country we'll live or die
Trouble is which king and which country
cos Cilmeri was ddoe
and yesterday all our troubles seemed so far away.
"It's Syr Gareth Edwards down in the corner"


Friday 8 December 2017

Avoiding



Excuse me, but I'm busy avoiding

Christmas
Shopping
Crowds
Present Buying
Sending Cards
Friends
Enemies
Work
Wine
Women
Song
a Bong
Intimacy
Social Interaction
Clubs
Pubs
Parties
Alcohol
Substances
Drug Dealers
Religious Fanatics
Right Wing Zealots
Zionists
Seagulls
Dangerous Dogs
Dangerous Dogs' Poo
Dangerous Dogs' Owners
Ben Fogle
Jeremy Clarkson
The DUP
The DWP
HMRC
BBC
Nigel Farage
The Exit Sign
that says Brexit
Every Conservative, they are to blame
and every Blairite cos they are the same
Builders
Double Glazing Sales Persons
Taxi Drivers
Bus Drivers
Politicians
Beggars
Bankers
Wankers
Street Vendors
Window Cleaners
Chavs
The Wealthy
Petrol Heads
School Children
Santa Claus
Television
The News
The Scummy Sun
Katie Hopkins
ISIL
Donald Trump
Jacob Rees Mogg
and his dog
Rugby Players
Ruth Davidson 
Arlene Foster
Gloucester
Serial Killers
Grave Diggers
Intellectuals
Snobs
Phone Callers
E Mailers
Texters
Police
The Military
 use of the word 'Principality'
The Royal Family
Retailers
Undertakers
Do Gooders
Mentalists like me
Anything that's free
cos there'll be a catch
Sharks
Crocodiles
Snakes
most reptiles
my dark shadow
blue passports

Excuse me, but I'm busy avoiding life

Shabby Shambles


I cannot be a well man if I have returned to writing in the English Language but I gorra pen a few words about the 'shabby shambles' we do ave, jutting out to sea like the arse end of a ship! Duw, there's lot of words beginning with 'SH' in Wenglish eg shabby, shambles, sharks, shadwell & 馃挬. The sham assembly or the 'Shenedd' if you were a Welsh Speaker imitating Sean Connery.  
Where to begin? well what about Page 18 of today's WM (Western Mail) with a huge photograph of BJ (Bethan Jenkins) the troubled AM for South Wales West since 2007, the chair of the Assembly's Culture,Welsh Language and Communications Committee. The irony of the piece is that she is moaning about the lack of communication within PC (Plaid Cymru) group in the Arsembly.
The Shenedd is not a happy place at the moment as you only have to go to Page 4 where another 'sh' Martin 'Shippo' Shipton is going great guns on the CJ & CS affair. (Carwyn Jones & Carl Sargeant) If you don't know the why's and wherefore's of that case then heaven help you butty innit! Over on the Letters Page (33) my ol' mate 'Gwyn Buster Meredith' of Brynmawr is taking a pop at 'Welsh Nationalists' Ych a fi. On page 26 of the Business (not Pleasure) pages we are confronted with an even huger picture of the foundations of the new HMRC/DWP building which again ironically is being built on the site of the old Western Mail premises. British building bricks built upon older ones. I have covered these whole shabby episodes in previous posts. If a Doctor from the much maligned Welsh NHS was to take the temperature of the Arsembly/Shenedd at the moment, she/he would have to decide whether to put the thermometer in the armpit or up the arsehole, because the mouthpiece is missing. 
The Welsh Government/Parliament/Senate/Coven call it what you will, is a sick institution presiding over a terminally ill country. Imagine the scene as the building closes down for the Christmas Holidays. The last person to leave the building is CJ (Carwyn Jones) in his big black long coat. The key as big as something that would open a Shakespearean dungeon. There in the dim light of a frozen Dock's night dragging on a cigarette between pursed lips is LA (Leighton Andrews) No words are exchanged between them, the look is enough as we have a pull away long shot to accompanying harmonica music. Somebody shouts "Thar she blows" as Andrew RT Davies' white and bloated body is brought ashore covered in harpoons. Terracotta soldiers march from bar to bar singing well rehearsed Christmas carols that do not detract from the party line. Everyone plays it by the book. Apparently we will see the emergence of a new Political Party in Wales in 2018. Let's just hope that the name they finally choose for that, doesn't begin with 'sh' as well.     

Tuesday 5 December 2017

Rants Iechyd y Meddwl/Mental Health Rants


 

'Rant' mae'r gair ei hun yn un crac ac un fl锚r. Mae yna ddicter yn y gair a dyna sut dwi yn edrych ar Iechyd y Meddwl. Dim Iechyd Meddwl ond iechyd y meddwl. Iechyd sydd yn perthyn i'r meddwl. Dwi'n dod o gyfnod y punks ble roedd y neges yn y gerddoriaeth ac yn y wisg. Capel ar y Sul a safety pins gweddill yr wythnos! As if! Na os dwi'n debyg i chi dwi'n hanu o deulu a thraddodiad parchus Cymraeg ond dydy iechyd y meddwl ddim yn barchus. Weithiau mae yn gallu gweiddi'r gair 'Cont' allan yn uchel ac yn atseiniol. Dwi ddim yn meddwl fod yna digon o le yn gymdeithas i fynegi rhwystredigaeth a dicter. Dyna un rheswm am gymaint o drais yn y cartref. Dydy o ddim yn esgus amdano fo o’n mae yn rheswm. Mae defnydd o gyffuriau cyfreithlon yn gallu gwneud o yn waeth. Alcohol 'the go to drug of choice' i bobol barchus Cymru yn achosi mwy o broblemau na chanabis a cocaine tybiwn ni. Ond o beth rydym ni yn ceisio ffoi? Oddiwrth beth rydym ni yn rhedeg? Y ffaith ein bod yn feidrol ac yn mynd i farw heb sylweddoli ein huchelgeisiau? Beth ydy'r cysgod mawr yma sydd yn cyhwfan drosom ni gyd ac i'r rhai anffortunus (neu ffortunus) mae yn troi mewn i afiechyd y meddwl. Dwi ddim yn teimlo fod yna digon o drugaredd a haelioni yn y byd. Mae rhaid i ni weld mwy o hyn yn ein bywydau bob dydd yn lle gweld erchyllterau'r byd ar y newyddion 24/7. Os ydych mewn sefyllfa argyfwng yn ein cymdeithas pwy sydd yn cael ei alw (yn dibynnu ar ble dych chi'n byw: y loteri cod post bondigrybwyll) gan amlaf yng Nghymru, yr Heddlu sydd yn cael ei galw. Dim am ddim maent yn cael ei galw 'Y Peace Force'. Mae blerwch afiechyd y meddwl yn amharu ar heddwch gymdeithas felli mae rhaid i alw am bobol sydd yn cadw'r heddwch ond ydy bob unigolyn dwedwch yn haeddu goddefgarwch a haelioni gymdeithas? Ond mewn system gyfalafol, gystadleuol ble mae'r amser i gael taw ymysg y storom. O'r ysgol i'r brifysgol i'r gwaith ta gyrfa i briodas i ymddeoliad i'r bedd. A dyna di bywyd? Well os hwnna ydy bywyd dwi wir yn synnu fod 'na ddim canran mwy uchel yn dioddef o afiechyd y meddwl. Roedd y punks yn gweld fod cyfaddawdu yn lladd pobol. Dyna waith y sefydliad chi'n gweld, i wneud yn si诺r mi rydych chi yn cyfaddawdu. Yn sicr, mae natur a geneteg gyda rhan i chwarae ond yr amgylchedd sydd yn bwysicach yn penderfynu os fydd afiechyd y meddwl yn amlygu. Mewn cymdeithas ble mae'r unigolyn yn cael ei werthfawrogi a'i barchu fel enaid holistaidd yn lle uned economaidd i wneud pres a thalu treth cawn weld llai o afiechyd y meddwl ond mae rhaid i ni fel unigolion newid y diwylliant. Mae rhaid i ni droi ein cefnau a'r diwylliant sydd wedi anfon gymaint o'n cyndeidiau yn s芒l ac i fedd cynnar. Mae rhaid i ni fynnu gwell.


Saturday 2 December 2017

It is time




It wont be about Kings, Princes and Sovereignty
there will be no banner waving pageantry
no marches or protest nor musicians
it will be in the silence in the forests of Mid Wales
that will chime
"It is time"
The 'everyman', the ordinary woman
will have had enough of Brexit decay
there wont be a great deal of difference day to day
but there will be a change of mindset.
They've been on about re-wilding for quite a time 
bringing back the wolves and the lynx
but you know it stinks.
It's a game, we're being played
because as soon as we think we are free
they'll hire a marksman and put him in a tree
and as we run and dance in Independence trance
the hired hand, the hit man releases the safety catch
but the bang does not come
because the Green Man has spread some fresh branches
that are choking, caressing and poking
doing everything that the establishment has done to us.
If you look up you will now see
that the sniper has become a part of that tree.
the dull and doltish
will respond to the sparkle
of Meghan Markle
but we the Green Men and Women of the Mid Wales trees
will be re-grouping, re-wilding and re-Welshing
not with a 'ch'
<<<<<<<<Welching>>>>>>>>
so that you can claim that we betrayed you
or rather betrayed ourselves by becoming one of your battalions
but with a spring in our step and a confidence in our speech
that proclaims "We will siarad Cymraeg even if it kills us"
and then there will be silence again
bar the breaking of the odd sprig of twig  
   


Fruity old fruit bats

  Hello my fruity old fruit bats! That is a term of endearment by the way. I thought I would treat you to a piece of prose rather than the b...

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Going Mad?: Understanding Mental Illness
Back To Sanity: Healing the Madness of Our Minds
Ham on Rye
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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
I Bought a Mountain
Hovel in the Hills: An Account of the Simple Life
Ring of Bright Water
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A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
The Seat of the Soul


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