The west is training and supplying the opposition in Syria, as no doubt it does in just about every uprising against a regime the west wants out. Grow up for heaven's sake, it's all so transparent. I have every sympathy with the Syrian people who want a peaceful reform of their country. It will take time, and a vision of what their country needs to represent people fairly.

Heaven knows, I don't think western politics is fair at all. The British Government aren't being very nice to us in the Channel Islands either. They just think we are a load of tax dodging scum because we are an offshore center. A very well regulated and helpful one I think.

Well we have just lost a court battle with them over something called Low Value Consignment Relief. This meant that we built up a considerable fullfillment industry supplying goods under the £15 threshold for VAT. Mainly from music and other leisure related items. The reason LVCR was there in the first place was that the UK Government couldn't be bothered to deal with items under £18, then they reduced that to £15, now they have decided to tke away the LVCR altogether.

We are in the position of having up to 2000 people here put out of work, and there are only about 97 thousand of us. This is going to cause us unimaginable problems.

The UK Government think they are losing millions of pounds in revenue. I honestly don't think it's going to make a huge impact on high street retail sales in the UK, however the companies that do the fulfillment from here will have to consider where they move to if they find Jersey is no longer the best place to operate from.

We just don't know what will happen in about a weeks time when I assume the 20% UK VAT is added to the purchase price. Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope that customers of Jersey online businesses may stay loyal and continue to use us. I assume they would not be able to buy their purchase cheaper?
The cheek of it also, is that we will have to collect the VAT for the British government, and they will not be paying any of the costs of doing this.

Our Government thinks that the initial impact to our economy if this sector is virtually wiped out ovenight is an extra 10 million pounds in unemployment benefits per year. That is a heck of a lot of money to find for a small island. We simply can't absorb those sort of job losses. 

This whole thing could/will hit us very hard. Imagine us as a 100 thousand size Town in the UK, and the local factory closing and putting 2000 people out of work. We are all sitting here biting our nails to see if the orders still come in to keep those people in work.

I think I agree about the stamp duty though. Yes its a lot of money, but if you can afford to buy a very expensive property, you must be able to afford the tax as well. Yes I understand there are ways that a company registered offshore can buy property in the UK and not pay for the stamp duty. We all have to pay stamp duty here on buying  a property.

I think if people earn the money that puts them in that super wealthy bracket, paying a higher rate of tax is not always productive. I think there is obviously going to be more effort put into avoiding tax through offshore means if the tax rate is 50%, I think even 45% is high!

We all pay 20%, which is why wealthy people come here. In my opinion, wealthy people create jobs and wealth for other people in the community. That's if they feel better about spending their hard earned cash. I think most people I know that are wealthy worked very hard to be able to retire. Frankly I don't think I would ever want to be 'wealthy', I would worry too much.

Our problem is a shortage of affordable housing, and high cost of living. We have to support a county size hospital, and all social services out of our various tax revenues. We all have a tighter belt on at the moment! The reason we are short of housing, is because we are an island, and the building cos

I watched RT this morning for some news. Also Max Kaiser for his manic view on the world. Just because he can be a bit manic doesn't mean the alternative narrative he puts forward very entertainingly isn't a valuable contribution to understanding our times.

Our world has changed so quickly, and there is so much technology that we are saturated with the quest to keep up with it. Well I am not I suppose because all I have is an old laptop, which while it still works is going nowhere. I suppose I am a techno-simpleton. To be honest I just can't be bothered to learn how to use more than I need.

I admire the young man Max interviewed this morning. A refreshing view of what this world could look like without corporate ownership of our lives, and our inspirations. Some things money can't buy, like the desire of creativity. It's as though we are going to have another revolution rather like the impressionists who were not welcome to exhibit in Paris, so they held their own exhibition and cut out the middle man there.

I would like to think that if anyone does read my stuff here, they might like to donate to my pet charity, which is Shelter Box. I like this charity because it does respond to humanitarian need very quickly. Look them up if you have a moment. As we are dog owners, and get out dogs from the rescue, (Thats dog pound I think in the US), we sponser them locally. We don't put dogs (or any animals) down here, even if they can't be homed.

Max was talking about the techno world verses the petro-world this morning. He described it as survivalists verses techno-communicators. Rather Jules Verne sort of thinking I suppose. I think it would be a good idea to just look after each other better, hear each other better, and see what realy needs to be done to resolve conflicts rather than create them. I have Syria in mind but there are so many places where continuing conflict does suit political ideology and agenda.

I did tidy up the house this morning! So the reduction in that medication has just got to the point of balancing itself. Time for lunch, and I might do some painting this afternoon.

I did scare myself yesterday evening. I managed to put a skewer through my finger, and I mean righ through the fleshy part... careless or what. I did go weak at the knees. There wasn't much blood, but at least I know I am human! I am going to have to buy a supply of plasters to keep it clean. I am surprised it doesn't hurt.

It hasn't been very sunny weather the last couple of days. I was still sleeping too much, I suppose to be honest I still didn't feel brilliant. Today has been a real Jersey Sunny Day, and spent the afternoon digging about in the Garden. We have both been out there. My Husband pruning, and cutting back hedges, and I got that third raised bed finished.

I am going to put the pictures of my scruffy raised beds on the mad gardening blog page. I think they look more like a fly tip at the moment, but if the seeds I put in actually grow perhaps they won't look so bad.

There is a hopefulness about growing things. An expectancy of success tinged with a sort of anxiety that I haven't got a clue what I am doing. Most of my seeds were out of date or going to be within a few months so I just chucked the lot in. I just thought if they do come up I can thin them out.

I am going to grow all the salad stuff in growbags. That was realy easy last year. Also It was easy to do the succession bit by starting a new growbag about every three to four weeks. I just grow all the salads on a cut and come basis. I put the last years growbags on top of the ground I cleared for the raised beds and planted into them. I suppose I should stop chuntering on about my gardening efforts here and put up the picture I just took of the fly tip on the mad gardening blog.

Got a lovely small pork joint in on slow roast, I will crackle up the crackling once it's cooked through. I just can't help thinking about other people who are suffering war and famine in the back of my mind, when we have such a life of solitude and peace.

I don't feel so bad today. I just haven't wanted to do much of anything. We did go for a wonderful walk on Wednesday for about an hour, through the pathways and tracks between the fields that network across our island. Definately off the beaten track. The dog loved it, so did I even though I felt pretty rough.

I had a good meeting with my psychiatrist and CPN yesterday afternoon. I am back to 3 monthly checks for now. Also a reduction in olanzapine to 5mg twice a day. Hopefully I won't sleep so long in the morning and want to nap in the afternoon!

The thing is although the drugs work very well if you embrace them and rely on them to work, some of them put weight on and change your metabolism. Olanzapine is one of them and I have put on a stone over the time I have been taking it. It has also affected how energetic I feel. I realy hate any sort of gym/excercise, although I did say I would try Zumba (under pressure) yesterday.

I suppose Depakote does the same. Good thing I don't worry too much about looking thin! I think getting that stone back off would be a good thing though, so I guess I must cut back on portion size, and do some more physical stuff that metabolises some of my extra padding... yeah right!

I am going to plant some seeds today, and I think dig up that space for my third raised bed. I want some poppys, larkspur, candytuft, and night stock in my border. I might put some of the seeds in that corner bit I put to flowers a week or so back. Gird up thy loins girl and make yourself do it and stop talking about it!

I am going to put some carrot seed, Chard, Thyme, Chives into one of the raised beds. Perhaps its a bit early, but it is quite mild and the packets say plant from March/April onwards. I like small carrots, so I am growing the carrots to be used whole as those expensive baby ones. Spring onions, and some red onions as well. I can never understand why red onions are more expensive in the supermarket they grow just the same. They can be thinned out for salad onions as they grow, just like spring onions.

Well thats me. I watched the news, still no change in the world of warmongering and selling the news on the back of it. I was impressed with the French holding a long demonstration in linked hands over the use of Neuclear energy. Jersey actually buys most of it's energy from France, and this is power from Neuclear energy. We have the Flammanville reactors only twelve miles away across the sea which can be seen on a fine day.

Alderney are pioneering some underwater Turbines, which looks a very promising enterprise. There is no reason why Jersey and Gurnesey couldnt get this kind of energy. It's not like wind power that is erratic, you know when the tide is going in and out. There is such huge tidal flows in the whole area around us that It has to be one of the real options for producing clean energy. So long as it doesn't damage the wildlife I think it would be a vision for the future.

It's a bit of a hotch pot with various old planks and some breeze block we had lying around. Still if it does the job. I have one raised bed kit left, there must have only been two. I will attempt making the next one over the week.

It was too bright and warm to be inside this afternoon, so when I finally woke up at 11.45 am from the sleep of the dead, I got on to the plot about 1pm. I think with three of these things in total at least we can grow herbs, and other things that are expensive to buy in the supermarket.

I do like that superscrimpers program on TV at the moment, I think it is on tonight so will be looking out for it. One of the tips they gave a month or so back was to use the netting from things like lemons and oranges for pan scourers. This is the best tip so far! It realy does work fantastically well for getting burned on deposits off anything. We had a pot roast last night which my Husband did, The pot was awful, and we left it soaking overnight.

I had a go at it with the Astonish pan and oven cleaner in the blue pot, and a lemon bag It finaly came off after about 20 minutes.

Believe me this was good. Both the pot, and the stainless steel tray it was cooked on looked as though it had been under a rocket launch pad. The inside of the pot was really burned on. I wonder what temperature my beloved had the oven on... Incinerate perhaps? The oven now needs cleaning, strangely it just looks like the door. I wonder if the thermostat has gone wrong. We just had it looked at recently when the heating element went. Must keep an eye on it. I suppose this cooker has lasted about ten years so far and we do cook a lot.

The evening is realy mellow for early March, the birds sing so sweetly as the dusk falls and that tinge of pink in a pale turquise sky dusts itself over us. This time last year we were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. A bit late as we had saved up to go on a cruise to Norway to see the northern lights. Strangely we met a fellow traveller yesterday quite by chance, (as chance does) A moment to remember such a luxurious and wonderful holiday. It is hard to imagine sometimes how a year passes so quickly in one way, and yet so slowly and agonisingly in others.

I haven't been looking closely at the news, at least I am not being obsessive about it. So much strife in so many countries. Perhaps just being unaware of the misery that other people do suffer spares us of the sense of dread. Are we each powerless to do something to change the way the world does business with itself? Certainly people who do hold immense power do have the real ability to effect change. I wonder why not.

I suppose it's all part of being Bi-Polar and having a screw loose, but I just don't understand other people, or the things they do. The only person I understand is my Husband realy, which is why He is my best friend as well. He is a realy Good Man. He loves me just as I am, and doesn't expect me to be anything but self evident... apart from telling me that dress I made a week or so ago looked like a maternity dress!

Then the next day he said it wasn't so bad, he was getting used to it. Does that mean He would love me wearing a sack, or is the dress realy not that bad in his estimation! I must ask Him... Ok He hedged... He said that He would love me no matter what I was wearing, and that He had also changed his mind about the dress and that He now thought it was lovely! That'll do for me!

I have to get myself out! One of the courses is an informal painting group and the other is a sketching and drawing group. I decided that going back to basics with a drawing class was a good idea, and then the other group for some social interaction, as it says a fun informal group.

It is surprising how expensive these courses are. There is a discount for senior citizens, and for people on benefits. I can't imagine how someone on benefits would be able to pay for a course anyway even at a discount.

I decided this was a good investment for my moral, and for hopefully being a bit more socialised. These courses start in late April for about 10 weeks. I am hoping that they will also inspire me to start painting more. I seem to have ground to a halt on the painting and general creative front. I didn't think not working would be so difficult. It is awful if you realy need a job for the money. I am just in a position where I don't need more money, but I have to make what I have go a long way.

These courses will have to be my 'luxuries' money for the next three months. I had better get as much as I can out of doing them. Make them realy good value, and get myself inspired to do lots of other things with my time.

It is a fantastic early spring day here, blue sky and a real warmth in the sun. I need to get out in the garden and see how much effort I can muster to dig another raised bed. I didn't do it yesterday. In fact I slept most of yesterday.

For some reason my right ankle that has a titanium plate in it hurt like I had twisted it badly. It was a bit swollen as well. This generally goes off after a bit. I broke my ankle really badly over 10 years ago, it had to be scraped up together and sealed with a plate. It took 6 months of physio to walk without a limp, and two years for it to get back all the feeling. I am very fortunate that it is as good as this, so the odd twinge is hardly a problem. The surgeon said the plate would have to stay in my ankle unless the screws came loose, at which point they would probably take it out. This is not a good operation to do unless it is essential.

I always expect to send the airport security off when I am checked, its odd to think of a bit of metal still in my ankle. I hardly think of it until a day like yesterday.

There is going to be a documentary on the American bases all over the world on RT today. I may watch it. I didn't realise how many of them there were. It used to be that the Americans hid their world domination quasi empire tactics under the umbrella of peace keeping. It just seems to me they stir up wars and revolutions so that we believe in this myth. It seems the American people themselves believe it as well.

The same goes for most of the western nations I suppose, certainly those who produce arms as part of their income from sales of weapons. War is a big business. It is also funded by taxpayers, and to a degree by other countries wanting superior weapons to wage war with their neighbours. It is just insane.

I couldn't see any way out for Greece either but a managed default. So they have a default by default downgrade. I wonder if they had to make a new classification of downgrade for them, like being buried up to their eyeballs in debt, and not able to do anything about it. I just don't understand how things can get so bad for a nation that was supposed to fulfil the criterea for joining the EU and Euro. Tis will be worth watching the Kaiser report for anyway.

It is sunny out and I am trying to get the enthusiasm together to build another raised bed in the wilderness. I have become a complete slob since giving up work. It is hard to get motivated to do big tasks. The thing is once I get started it seems to come together. It's the starting to build, repair or trying out something that is difficult. Perhaps the initial job doesn't have to be amazing and perfect, it can be improved as time goes by. I suppose the Greeks have the same problem, 'where to start'.

So I decided to start making my garden look better. I have weeded a bit I started growing in last year. How is it that weeds grow so well when the things you actually want to grow don't. I am such a novice. Anyway this patch has a terminal case of bindweed and I don't want to get it in any of the rest of the garden. It also goes into full shade at about lunchtime, so I need to find things that like some shade. I am near giving up on this area and just throwing in a lot of wild flower seeds for the butterflies.

I suppose if ever there was a curse on the ground other than radiation, it would be bindweed. I suppose this is not politically correct. There are times I think the Bible talks about our present situation. Its about the choices we make I suppose. I don't think using neuclear technology is safe. Rather like the Titanic, we build our towers of technology and expect them to be bomb proof, and have all the fail-safes needed for every eventuality. Then the one we never even concieved of turns up in such magnitude we are powerless to stop the damning concequences of our own pride.

I can't imagine the horrors and hardships the Japanese are suffering. Its too huge for me to imagine worrying about health, living accomodation in infected areas, and the possibility that there will not be adequate health care provision. Perhaps we need to plan now to have a neuclear free world within 30 years. At least investing in alternatives may bring on a real change in our sense of a safe world.

I need to find out what to do with bindweed to kill it. And how to get all those garden weeds composted down and useful. Its a long way off from a bio digester in the back yard, but that's where I would like them to be going. I might have a look at that on the internet again.

I suppose I ought to keep my gardening exploits on the mad gardening blog part, so I will describe what I did today on that page.

I have my eye on some bright orange fabric that goes with a small remnant of flimsy flowery chiffon. I am tempted to get this cut out and see If I can modify the previous dress to specifications. I need to go and buy some thread for it though.

I realise how insular I am. I just don't want to go out, still it would give me an opportunity to have a browse in the charity shop for a belt. I suppose I have always been fairly self contained. My Husband is very gregarious, easy to talk to and he has oodles of friends. I sometimes wonder if I have a friendliness gene missing. Perhaps I just don't seem friendly because I don't talk much. I also don't like talking about other people, and as most conversation seems to be about what other people do I kind of clam up.

Well I think I will give my upstairs, and sewing room a clean, and then go to town. I need to give myself a boot sometimes to leave my private little lair. It's a very blustery day, but not raining. I will check if I have a zip to match that fabric, because if I make the same dress tighter, I will need a zip under the arm.

I checked out what news there was on the RT website. It is pretty obvious that the mercenaries that have infiltrated the opposition factions in Syria are there to destabilise the Assad regime. Not that I suppose either side are squeaky clean. However it all sounds very much like the same tactics used in Libya. I try to stay current with news at least.

I like sewing. It's a good thing because this dress was one of those you never wish you started!

It's an Anna Sui, Vogue pattern 1104. Ideally it would be made up in chiffon. This is why the dress is a bit more bulky looking than the one shown on the pattern.

Mostly I like the dress, and it is a great length on me, if it makes me look fatter, then it makes my legs look good!

I am not too happy that the front neckline frill seems to hang lower one side than the other. As all this is cut on the cross like a snail shape to get it to do this, I will wait untill I have washed it to see if the other side drops as well. If not I will fix it.

I don't realy like the sash belt, but without it, as my Husband kindly pointed out it looks like a Maternity dress! Don't you just love it when they are so honest.

He also said there was something wrong with the hem, and that it wasn't straight, well bless him for noticing! This flounced up bit was very annoyingly fiddly for an average competancy sewer. Also the layer of ruffles that sits under the outer one are not long enough to be seen, there is only about a centimeter difference in the length, so it just made the dress look bulky rather than a flurry of different colour ruffles.

However I do like how the neckline sits. I like the little strappy ties on the shoulders and I do in fact like the ruffles on the bottom, although I would only do one contrasting layer, and definately in chiffon. I would leave off the neck ruffle as it is here, and just put a simple ruffle the same as the hem on the neckline, and not bother with the front opening, as it's easy to get the dress on and off without it. I also wouldn't shape the hem up. I would leave it straight. I would also take out a lot of the volume of the dress, and not wear the belt. So There!

However it is very comfortable on, and with a pair of high heels makes me feel very girly, which is what I wanted to feel. My Husband said today that the dress didn't look so bad and that it was growing on him.
I think it's just that I have never worn anything with ruffly bits on it.

I think it needs a wider elasticated belt, and pick out one of the colours to do it in. I will have a look in the charity shops, as sometimes the right sort of thing shows up. Anyway it looks Summery, which was what I wanted it to be.

So this has taken me all week to make, many enjoyable hours and a sense of having something constructive to do. I am almost tempted to cut out the next version of this dress as the above explanation describes, and just fit it a bit more. The dressmakers dummy I bought has made this so much easier. I have realy enjoyed myself. Lifted my spirits thinking of warm summery evenings, and drinking a glass of wine dressed up in the garden, with a few friends and a BBQ!