this blog moved to
» www.koolwritings.com «

  1.  

    Soho’s Swan Song

    Soho! What was once a hunting cry, over the centuries became synonymous with the search for the entertaining, rougher, side of life, where one could let free their bohemian spirit- even if it was only for a weekend! A visit to London’s Soho used to be an adventure. Behind the bright neon lights of Piccadilly Circus was one square mile of hidden jungle, alienated from the law abiding, bland and boring world of respectable society. It’s small streets and dark alleyways filled with temptations of illicit sex and illegal gambling; where, if you were not careful, you could be fleeced of your weekly wage in the time it takes to give birth to a sucker!

    Besides the punters who were on the hunt for erotic pleasures, Soho was also the Shangri-La of youngsters in search of a different kind of thrills such as music, dance and fashion. Starting in 1948 with the Club Eleven, Soho became the breeding ground for many music styles over the years. The 2i’s Coffee Bar, which opened in 1958, was probably the first rock club in Europe. The 60’s came and Mod culture made legends out of clubs such as The Flamingo and The Scene. Who has not heard of Carnaby Street, the centre of Mod fashion in the sixties? Soho’s Wardour Street was the home of the legendary Marquee Club, where many famous bands were baptised with their first performance, including the Rolling Stones in 1962. It was in Denmark Street, where groups such as the Rolling Stones, Kinks and Sex Pistoles cut their first records.

    The streets of Soho are rich in the history and memories of those who created it. Karl Marx lived at 54 and 28 Dean Street; Mozart lived in Frith Street as a child, which is also where John Braid first demonstrated television! Casanova lived there during his stay in London. It’s main thoroughfare Shaftesbury Avenue is famous, world wide, for its theatres; as is Leicester Square for its film premiers. The Soho name has been imitated by other entertainment districts such as Soho, Hong Kong and Soho, New York. A little known fact is that the famous brand of cigarettes smoked by rugged cowboys is named after Great Marlborough Street, which was once the location of Philip Morris’ original London factory.

    Most of the Mods that tramped through Soho’s warren of streets and alleys in the 60’s were either unaware, or didn’t care that local gangsters, who carried colourful names such as_ Charley Soho_ and _Mick the Greek, _controlled the illicit trade that went on in the one square mile. The Mod’s world ran parallel to the racketeers, in fact the two never clashed. In the years that I frequented the West I had very little to do with the red lights; although I did drop some blues! The 60’s, I would dare to say, were Soho’s golden years, the clubs steamed with raw new music sounds, there seemed to be permanent movement on the streets,and fashion was showing its face to the mainstream, the United Kingdom was coming out of the shadow of World War 2 and opening its self to new ideas, and Soho was one of the guiding lights. In-between the strip clubs and the clip joints, gamblers and punters, Britain’s youth culture was making its voice heard; a cry which would go out and rock the world!

    Sadly the past is soon forgotten, and  today the streets of Soho dance to another tune, that of the builder and bulldozers. The flimsy, eroticlly clad woman on the street corner has been replaced by a skip.The legendary clubs are long gone. Slowly Soho’s bohemian heart is being ripped apart and being replaced by nerdy unexciting high-street brand names; the entertainment pulse of London is being _Starbucked! _Buildings that could have told us stories of a more adventurous past are being made in to expensive offices and apartments. The independent businesses, some who have been there for many decades, are being forced out by the high rents. It is an open fact that  the Westminster council are out to turn Soho into a pedestrianised bright and shiny modern shopping area, with restaurants owned by top _five star _chefs. Soho is losing its spirit and colour; tragically it is being domesticated and tamed so its wild sharp edges won’t cut the tourists that visit it. Should someone wish to look for _Lola_, they’ll find she has packed her bags and gone.

  2.  

    Caine’s Cardboard Arcade

    In a world where children are more into digital games and 3D cinema, this story of  Caine Monroy, a  9 year old boy, makes a welcome change.

    Using nothing but a child’s unhindered imagination and cardboard boxes, Caine created a fully working amusement arcade inside his father’s car spare parts shop in East Los Angeles. But it was when filmmaker Nirvan Mullick, by off chance, entered the store that this extraordinary story took off.

       

  3.  

    Dad, what are platform shoes?

     This clip, mostly filmed in the Kings Road Chelsea, brings back fashion memories of the 70’s! How many of you wore platforms, come on own up!! ;)
     

  4.  

    Walls, Fences and Boxes

    _“A separation barrier is a wall or fence constructed to limit the movement of people across a certain line or border, or to separate two populations.” _ The Great Wall of China, Hadrian’s Wall, the Berlin Wall and the US-Mexico border fence; over the centuries human beings have been building barriers, to keep each other either out of, or locked in, their sovereign territories.

    The fact that 24 countries have or are in the process of building fences, shows that this centuries old,  global custom is not about to disappear soon. Over the centuries one of the main purposes of border walls and fences has been to prevent those from politically, economically and socially weak states, entering countries with a stronger democratic, financial and humane environment. Walls or borders are always contested, inspiring radically different responses. Either you side with the walls and their safety by compromising your freedom, or you side with bringing the walls down with unknown consequences. The wall is either a welcome separation from whatever is beyond the barrier, or it is a scar on the landscape locking those who live around them out of spaces (a better life, educational and health benefits). Walls are also a visual presentation of a false choice or dilemma – it removes the middle ground: _you are either with us ( religion, ideology, race) or you are with “them” (the unknown, the unpredictable)_.

    However, barriers won’t stop people from wanting a better life; as the thousands that have died proves, they are willing to pay the highest price for the opportunity. Others who have successfully crossed the boundaries tend to quickly accept the economical benefits of their new found freedoms, but find it difficult to be accepted or inter-grate into new customs and thinking’s, therefore again building fences and walls, the areas within which are called ghettos.

    Which ever side of the fence you stand you are still faced with a _catch-22_  situation as to which box you belong? Which political party should I follow (if you are allowed to choose)? Which religion, if any, should I follow (if you have any choice in the matter)? These two boxes have caused more violent deaths over the centuries than any other; the fact that the two boxes have imbedded within them thousands of other boxes doesn’t help the process towards world peace and understanding at all.

    There are over 38’000 Christian denominations; two major Islamic schools of thinking; Judaism is divided into three major sects, and Buddhism into 38, not to mention the thousands of other spiritual beliefs; each one preaching (sometimes with the use of force and violence) that their box is the right one! Political ideologies such as Fascism and Communism did not refrain from the use of terror and mass murder to force the populace into square boxes so tightly sealed that freedom and democracy could not enter. Even today out of 193 countries in the world, at least 33 are being ruled right now by dictators!

    Creating boundaries and boxes seems to be a trait that all humans share, and there’s nothing wrong with it, we all need to mark what is ours. _It’s when we allow the walls, fences and boxes to destroy our right to say yes or no, our right to a point of view, our right to be free,  so that they become prisons and not borders. _

  5.  

    Inner Peace

     
    I_nner Peace: _

    _ _

    If you can start the day without caffeine,

    If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

    If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

    If you can eat the same food every  day and be grateful for it,

    If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to spend time with you,

    If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

    If you can conquer tension without medical help,

    If you can relax without alcohol,

    If you can sleep without the aid of drugs……
    __
     
    …Then You Are Probably
    The Family Dog!
     And you thought I was going to get all spiritual….
     

  6.  

    The Blank Page

    How many times have I, in total frustration, looked at a blank page wishing the magic would work and words would flow from my pencil to colour its white surface! I’m sure this artistic need has caused the majority of writers to fall into despondency more than once.

    I recently came across a poem by Canadian poet and writer David Pasieka that describes a writers dilemma the only way it should be, with flowing words!

    _The Blank Page_

    Staring at the blank page,
    The white canvas of dream.
    My words seem ineffective
    To covey the thoughts that rush
    Through trembling fingers.

    I have thought of times and tales,
    Of mystery that entices you further in,
    Into the mystery of a fervent, passionate heart.

    The blank page is a road not yet taken,
    An endless expanse of possibility and despair.
    Taunting and terrible, I follow its secret pathways,
    Into the memory that is yet to be, the story yet to be written.

    I fall into white, and pulp, and dust.
    My pen leaves its long-lasting calling card upon the face
    That was so pure and unspoiled only a moment before.

    The journey begins…

    So, if the next time your thoughts are as blank as the threatening white page that is staring up at you, don’t let your artistic spirit flounder; your imaginative creativity will win through in the end.

  7.  

    Stimulus Plans for Beginners →

  8.  

    Stimulus Plans for Beginners

    One of the most asked questions in the dull but important study of political economics is “How does a stimulus plan work?” Here are two humorous stories that should help answer that question.

    The Three Contractors

    Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the Houses of Parliament.
    One is from Surrey, another is from Kent, and the third is from Essex. All three go with a Parliament official to examine the fence.

    The Surrey contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. “Well,” he says, “I figure the job will run about £900: £400 for materials, £400 for my crew and £100 profit for me.”

    The Kent contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, “I can do this job for £700: £300 for materials, £300 for my crew and £100 profit for me.”

    The Essex contractor doesn’t measure or figure, but leans over to the Parliament official and whispers, “£2,700.” The official, incredulous, says, “You didn’t even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?”

    The Essex contractor whispers back, “£1000 for me, £1000 for you, and we hire the guy from Kent to fix the fence.” “Done!” replies the government official.
    And that,  is how the a stimulus plan will work if Politicians have a hand in the matter.

    Stimulus à la EU

    It is a slow day in a dusty little Italian town. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted.
Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit.


    On this particular day a rich tourist is driving through the town, stops at the local hotel and lays a €100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.

    The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the €100 note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.

    The butcher takes the €100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer.

    The pig farmer takes the €100 note and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel.

    The guy at the Farmers’ Co-op takes the €100 note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the bar.

    The publican slips the money along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him “services” on credit.

    The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the €100 note.

    The hotel proprietor then places the €100 note back on the counter so the rich traveller will not suspect anything. 
At that moment the traveller comes down the stairs, picks up the €100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money, and leaves town.
 No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.

    And that, is how the EU stimulus package works.

  9.  

    Led Zeppelin →

  10.  

    Alcohol, Drugs and Divas →