3229 - They don't know what to do with their lives

I must admit I don't feel quite tip top
I should hopefully sleep quite well tonight
May have overdone it slightly, yep
Too much work and walking yesterday, quite
Knackered and slightly ill now. But despite
That, a drink or two, time to celebrate
Relaxing for a few hours now, a flight
Of fingers on my guitar, then acquaint
Myself with Big Brother, I was too late
Last night to see which housemate got the chop
Channel 5 doing its usual job to slight
The British working classes without jobs
Where are the jobs nowadays we create
For the less gifted, less rich? None in sight

2842 - Making puns for Nigel

A longish day at work, popped out at lunch
To help Louis get credit at the bank
Tried the Post Office as well, but it's crunch
Time for youngsters as jobs are few, a thank-
less task it is searching for openings
And in the meantime credit's hard to get
As for me now, I must get to thinking
Of funny stuff - it's comedy tonight
Last time I raided my joke book. Might yet
Do that tonight, but I've also an urge
To do something topical concerning
Our 'friend' Farage and UKIP. Need to kit
Myself out in a tie, though, and to scrunch
My mitts round a pint, hope mind's not a blank

2446 - Money is the root of all art

I hope they don't raise interest rates next year
That's what the news is saying they might do
The mortgage rising again makes us scared
Interest-only in my case - I have to
At some point find more funds, somehow accrue
Wealth to pay off the capital, or my
Flat will pass from my ownership to you
Maybe, but there are so many like I
Who struggle with money as years go by
But if nothing much can be done, why care?
Certainly don't get stressed, but slowly brew
A quality product that's only my
Invention and skill, something they can't share
In, because it's me and you, old and new

2370 - Swinging Staffordshire

I'll tell you a great day out - it's Stafford
Directly in front of the train station
Is a marvellous park on a green sward
Staffordshire knot, and statues, oh what fun
A swinging place, literally, makes you want
To hang yourself. Next, go on to the shops
It's so bad there's no KFC, Subway
They all 'hang' out at McDonalds - there's lots
For kids to do there, but commerce has stopped
The shops are all closing down, can't afford
To stay. Poundland is almost overrun
However. Just take care never to pop
There again anytime soon, give your word
Though the sun shone, it was a saddish sun

Sat 2 March

2325 - Does anyone know the way to Blockbuster?

Cold spell, well it's winter, what d'you expect
Hard times for the high street, shops closing down
Comet, Jessops, HMV, and the next
Is Blockbuster (my card can now be thrown)
Not been there for years, online sales have grown
So much, Lovefilm's where I rent from, and I
Don't have to go out in the cold, look round
Their shelves, or see popcorn in huge bags - why
Does watching a film mean scoffing that? Buy
Something healthy! They won't let you select
It in cinemas. They'd let us balloon
Around our middles! Balloon comedy
Tonight, at Comedy Balloon, inspect
The work of newbie comedians in town

2317 - Waterloo - then and now

Winding down after press-ups and guitar
TV prog on the Regency period
A time of interest to me, that's for sure
With fat Prince George, Beau Brummel, all the blood
Of Waterloo, and Boney's now captured
Paraded on a ship just off Devon
The art of Turner develops; abroad
Go the Brits on their tours, there's Lord Byron
Then I watched Max Keiser - China / Japan
Conflict looms, saith the prophet, yes, there's war
On the way, US troops to be stationed
In Africa to fight the Chinese Hun
Til then, currency wars pitch the dollar
Against the renminbi, two paper swords

2171 - Virgin on the ridiculous

They're arguing about who runs the trains
Virgin on the ridiculous, they're gone
First have won the new contract, they have gained
The dear-won confidence of government
For the West Coast mainline down to London
First promise their passengers improvements
Like more seats and some new destinations
But I think they're a bunch of fucking shunts
Watch for price increases, not those announced
Already for January, but more pain
In the pocket as First try to hold on
To making a profit, not easy since
There's a recession, inflation remains
An issue. But I'm laughing at Branson

2146 - Black and white riot

It's the last quiet weekend day for a while
Or possibly even ever, who knows?
I've been listening to Mahler. Next week I'll
Listen to Symphony no 9, grows
On you, but Symphony no 3 does
Not, so far. Also reading lots, a book
About the 60s / early 70s
'There's A Riot Going On!' - further look
At that turbulent time. Memories seem stuck
In that era sometimes, when juveniles
Were the all-powerful Boomers. Fashions froze
After then, that time's heroes had their luck
While later generations just seem pale
But tough times are back. Before great art - wars...

2116 - Promising the earth

I'm listening to the voice of Sinatra
His first album, of that name, all romance
It dates from the forties, d'you remember
When escapism was the thing, slow dance
As well as the jitterbug, ants-in-pants
Fast dancing styles, the jive and hep cat stuff
Zoot suits would outrage stiff-necked dads and aunts
Problems would go in one atomic puff
They'd smoke and kiss, kiss and smoke - such true love
Old Frankie with, at best, receding hair
Hat at a jaunty angle, s'got big plans
Like them all, babies fall down from above
The stork's on overtime after that war
We'd soon see the great boom time for humans

2011 - Arab spring, Swiss autumn

The Arab Spring starts in Tunisia
Bouazizi self-immolates, this turns
Into a nationwide issue and the
Longtime President flees. Egypt soon learns
And ousts Mubarak. Libya also yearns
To end Gaddafi's forty-year crackdown
(He's killed in October), rebellions
In Yemen, Bahrain, Syria. Slowdown
In economy drags on, loans abound
Japanese tsunami, Fukuoka
William and Kate's wedding, and Norwegians
Shot and blown up by madman. He is found!
Osama drama in Pakistan! Car
Used for trips, then junked. Swiss trip - lakes, mountains

2009 - The towed-away hired car blues

Sonnet blog, poetry, home recording
Music, even some live singing, Bantry
Gig and west of Ireland tour, me driving
A hired car from Knock to Cork (no Blarney)
And later, round south west France, Spain, and the
Douro Valley to Porto. And Paris
In May, a Belleville gig. And Janet D...
Iceland's financial fall, a French plane hits
The Atlantic, swine flu, Iran protests
Dodgy Ahmadinejad win, shooting
Of Neda, Michael Jackson drugs OD
Al-Megrahi released by the Scottish
The EU Lisbon Treaty is coming
Into being, EU Pres - Van Rompuy

NB: My French hired car did get towed away in Vigo, Spain after I'd parked it in a bay reserved for vans and lorries! I paid a lot, shall we say, to get it back!

2008 - Financial and other black holes

Petroleum hundred dollars per barrel
Stock market falls after US subprime
Crisis. Aussie PM Kevin Rudd tells
Them sorry for child-stealing. Bank crash time
Northern Rock and Lehman Brothers. Debt climbs
In Greece and Ireland. Fidel resigns, Raul
Takes over the family firm. They decline
The Lisbon Treaty in Ireland - they will
Get it right the second time. Meanwhile, Bill
Gates steps down. The Beijing Games go so well
CERN in Geneva, concerns of malign
After-effects, could create a black hole
Out with young Vicky from Oldham, oh well
Split, saw P in Paris, Barack did fine

Written Sun 4 March

1931 - Things were falling apart

In 1931 a republic
Replaced Alfonso's monarchy in Spain
His price for supporting dictatorship
Anti-church, pro-autonomy, Catalans
Were free, but soon the army would regain
Unity under Franco. Ataturk
Transforming Turkey as financial pain
Spreads from the States to Europe, does its work
In Austria, damning Germans to the murk
Of poverty and racism. The sick
Mind of Hitler almost flows down the drain
With niece Geli's suicide. And a stark
Warning from China, invaded by trick
Japanese dynamite on railway line

1929 - Another one bites the dust

The Wall Street Crash of 1929
May or may not have caused the Depression
But it caused panic and banks lost big time
Which meant there was no money left in them
So many went bust. And just about then
The Dust Bowl covered the Mid-West, causing
The Grapes of Wrath. Chicago's Al Capone
And friends wiped out some rivals, by luring
Them into a room and machine-gunning
Them, then leaving dressed as cops, but Al's time
Was nearing an end, like Prohibition
St Valentine's Day was not so loving
That year, but at least the Pope could show signs
Of hope, in his new state, the Vatican

1926 - Unlucky strike

1926, and the General Strike
Lasted for a few crucial days in May
Led by the miners. Churchill didn't like
Their disruption of transport, felt okay
With using force of arms, but Baldwin stayed
Moderate, and it cooled down, miners losing
The fight for reasonable hours and fair pay
Post-war exports slump virtually dictating
Poor conditions, but sympathy resting
With the poor workers long after, just like
Their eighties counterparts. In China, they
Were in turmoil, three governments competing
For power. The Kuomintang alliance broke
With the Communists, and so it would stay

1921 - Vanishing borders

The eurozone's melting like Arctic ice
Maybe that's because of iron German rule
And French collaboration - that's not nice
We learn about democracy in school
But where's the process, the vote? They can't fool
Even their own populations, who shout
Their opposition, demonstrate, and call
For occupation of Brussels, Frankfurt
In tents they shiver, maybe long-haired louts
Or maybe our future, outside the vice
Of centralisation of capital
Billionaires controlling shadow markets
These are the new dictators, force applies
Once more like in the thirties, harsh and cruel

1913 - Lucky or unlucky strike?

I'm on strike today along with Unite,
Unison, NUT, and my union
The PCS, and others, in a fight
To protect contracted work conditions
That includes the lure of decent pensions
Which was used to recruit us way back when
We began our jobs. The media often
Allow the public service workers none
Of the unstinting approval given
To those in private jobs, as though we might
Dispense with schools, hospitals, museums
Or institute mass privatisation
Cuts become easier, all done for profit
(With socio-economic destruction)

1892 - Only the Berlusconi

A round-up of the news that's big today
There's always plenty of good news stories
In Europe, finances are all astray
And the big story now is Italy's
Seven per cent bond yield. Berlusconi's
On his way out, apparently. Football
Controversy over whether poppies
Can be worn or cannot be worn at all
Have UKBA been too reasonable
Even slack in their checks? Theresa May
Is under fire as immigration is
A hot topic. Celebrity Jungle
Is about to begin again, hooray
And that's my sonnet news analysis

1856 - Opium of the Chinese people

Hey China, get hip, tune in and turn on
We'll sell you drugs to help pay for our tea
OK, there was more to it, but Britain
Did not mess about in those days when we
Ruled the waves and the markets forcefully
Using the gun to conquer Asian lands
Or in China's case, enforce some treaty
Free trade for our merchants among demands
Open your ports to the west! Also France,
The US and Russia sent forces and
Technology beat sheer numbers quickly
After Pearl River, Britain could expand
Its small Hong Kong base to include Kowloon
Russia gained land and Vladivostok's sea

1851 - Europa faux-pas

Everyone should be in the eurozone
A common currency for different states
It's turned out to be such financial fun
So simple without the old exchange rates
Although I must admit to calculate
Which cent coin is which when held in the hand
Ain't easy, nor is it to inculcate
Prudence by the Greeks and Italians
They spend, they don't save, unlike the Germans
Yet the Germans must now spend to save one
And all other members, must stimulate
The European body, moribund
Though it seems right now, propped up by big loans
Like a dependent's fix of opiates