The Fallen, In Remembrance

We Will Never Forget


The world has just fallen silent to mark the centenary of Armistice. One hundred years has passed since World War 1. As always during the two minute silence that I always, always observe my mind bounces between prayer, reflection and gratitude, my eyes like diamonds holding tears that were I to give in to the sorrow that shrouds my soul on such occasions, I would have great difficulty in recovering. And this is coming from someone who has never set foot on a battlefield during times of war. I cannot even begin to try and imagine what veterans are feeling on Armistice day, so I wont pretend to try.

The world owes a debt to soldiers that can never be adequately repaid. The gratitude ought to hang from our every breath. Our freedoms earned by the blood and souls of those we call heroes, and are indeed heroes, even when the word is still not grand enough. We thank you, I thank you, a million times thank you. Not enough I know, you deserve much much more.


a short addendum
I wasn't going to do this but sadness gave way to anger and the article pulled me back. The thing that makes me most sad (and im not alone in this of course) is the fact that we expect the courageous to fight for us, to give the ultimate sacrifice and die for us, but we never learn and whether it is twenty years or two hundred years, our species are quick to war. We never tire of it. We pat ourselves on the back and throw around words like "civilised" but don't believe a word of it. Individually we might be but humans on the whole are just as savage as the first of our kind were when they walked the earth.
We can pretend otherwise but war is in our blood. To be man is to be with the sword and furies.

from "The Green Fields of France

Well the sorrow the suffering the glory the pain
The killing the dying was all done in vain
For young Willy Mc Bride it all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again.

A Tribute to Victims

With the shocking killing of Leeds teacher Ann Maguire, who was stabbed to death in her classroom and reports of another botched execution in America (step forward Oklahoma), this is a week which proves (as if needed) that murder is never far away. Naturally it rekindles the age old debate about what society should do with its murderers.
Regular readers of the Dai Jakes blog will know that in the past I have favoured capital punishment and in my heart I can see reason why I do, but alas my head is slowly turning toward the belief that a life sentence is more appropriate ('life' in bold because I mean a full life tariff as opposed to free in fifteen to twenty years). And while some suggest a memorial for Drummer Lee Rigby, I cannot imagine a more fitting tribute than making life in jail mandatory for all murderers. Nothing against stone memorials to honour victims, I just feel that tough and fair Justice is more useful and benefits society whole. A force to help crush the bloody hand of murder, making everyone safer.
Indeed the more I think about it, the better idea it sounds. In Britain we only have around 50 or 60 murderers serving life without parole, which is a very poor show. Murder is a most heinous, wicked crime, destroying not just victims but loved ones also and to have the majority of killers walk free after serving fifteen years, sticks in my throat a tad. More than a tad if I'm honest, it fairly makes my blood boil.
Capital punishment, whilst delivering justice to one particular thug, doesn't 'treat' the rest of them. And not everyone agrees with the death penalty. A mandatory life sentence for all however would (and while there are those who disagree with even full tariffs, their reasoning behind those beliefs are weak and anyway those types don't exist in particularly high numbers). Of course we could simply send the entire rotten bunch to the gallows but im afraid that in these 'enlightened' times of 21st century (and I am still searching for evidence of this enlightenment), that won't fly. Reality won't allow for mass executions, it takes a different kind of world for that to happen and however much people say they would hang all killers, I suspect the truth when it came to it would be different.
I think life without parole for all murderers is a wonderful idea, I absolutely believe in it 100% and think it a perfect tribute for murder victims and families. And like I say, would benefit society in general too. Marble memorials and flowery displays are all well and good but were I Jakes I, King of Great Britain (and I can dream hehe) I would create a more lasting tribute to victims of violent crime and set in law that if you commit murder in this country then the remainder of your 'mortal liberty' is forfeit. Down you shall go for life. Justice for the slain, and protection for the rest of us.

We deserve at least this, and victims certainly do.

Eagle Loving Eagle because of Hooked Beaks

Are we programmed for automatic love? For instance if a relative adds another baby to the clan, do you instantly love that child? and if so, why? I suspect many to be shocked that I would question this because afterall, we have been conditioned to love family for centuries and we think its natural but is it really? You are an eagle, as am I, therefore I must love you. It really is quite astounding that the majority of people have just accepted this as God given. Close family units I can understand but when family are more fleeting than meeting then I am at a loss to how folk can think that blood is thicker than water.
Who would love a relative they've not seen or spoken to in years more than a dear friend they see daily in the pub or at the rugby? And why? Just because they happen to share the same surname or eyebrows? Seems awfully silly to me. On God's teeth, I have more love for the buzzards and red kites that hover my land hunting for rabbit, than I ever will have for some second cousin living in Hampshire who ive not seen in twenty years to life. (I have no cousin in Hampshire but you catch my drift.) Perhaps not coming from a close family myself makes the 'automatic love' easier to question. (My family used to be quite close but death makes a mockery of it when it decides to throw its skeletal hand in and mix things up.) I will admit that whenever I used to find myself at family gatherings (rare as unicorn horns) the body language and 'uncomfortableness' was as clear as dawn to me. A 30ft Tyrannosaurus could have made a better job of disguising itself and I would suddenly realise WHY some families are better off without such affairs. Forgive me my dears but I can spot a pretend smile in a pocket full of clowns so spare me the plastic dramatics and pass me a scotch.
Funerals are best to expose this fraud. "Oh we must meet again under happier circumstances!" One great aunt will offer. And of course everyone will agree but it never materialises, ever. Its just talk. I suppose peoples intentions are good but when it comes to putting good intent into action then most think its too much trouble. If one gave it more than a fleeting thought, it could get quite depressing. So best leave it on the back burner with ideas of meeting again under better times.
So why oh why should I love my second cousin in Hampshire more than a dear friend? Because we share the same aunt or something? Its hogwash I tell you, puerile bullshit and I wont, cannot subscribe to it. It defies logic and my loyalties will always be toward the friend I see often rather than any family ive not seen since Noah built the Ark.

Blink (the Sunset Dead)

Yesterday I found myself strolling along one of the coastal roads which run alongside Panau's beautiful beaches, with the sun beating relentlessly on my back as the miles streched out ahead. Every step was weighed down with dread at the thought of covering any significant distance so I decided that some kind of vehicle would be best. As luck would have it (luck or cruel fate?) I spotted a motorbike heading towards me, its rider blisfully oblivious to my needs. The foliage and ferns that line the roads provided me with cover so I hid until the bike was close before suddenly leaping out in front of the startled biker. He came to a halt a few feet away from me and pressed a hand on his horn, no doubt furious at my stopping his journey.
I don't know where this man was headed late in the afternoon; home from work perhaps? Home to see his wife and children. Or maybe he was on his way for a spot of fishing on his Sea Runner boat? The crystal blue waters of Panau are perfect for fishing and sailing, and boats are very popular on the island. Or he could have been simply enjoying a spin on his motorbike, taking in the stunning views as the powerful Hamaya GSY650 motorbike did its thing.
Whatever it was this man was doing, it all came to a very definate STOP when he applied the brakes in order to stop before me. I could have knocked him off his machine of course. I am highly trained in the 'art' of violent force, and one swift blow to his solar plexes would have had the guy writhing on the road in agony, leaving me free to steal the Hamaya and make off into the distance and finally to my destination. I could have this easily but I didn't.
Instead I reached for my revolver (which is custom made to my specific needs), and raised it to the poor mans head. I caught a quick glimpse of something on his face but whether it was suprise or fear, it wasn't there for long because a gentle squeeze on the trigger brought his life to a bloody end. All this man was, all he was ever going to be, was now crumpled in a heap next to his bike. The people of Panau are inevitably poor, and this nameless man before me was now even poorer.


Come peacefully?

Now the gamer readers of this blog will recognise Panau as being the fictitional island from the game Just Cause 2, and this is correct. The above is something I did in the game last night. But why? Why did I shoot this bike loving character? Of course games are not real and there is no consequence outside of the game to any actions you do, be they good or bad but last nights 'murder' of an innocent civilian going about his buisness was an eye opener for me. Its not the first time ive killed someone in cold blood in a game but its the first time I have stopped and actually thought about it.
Had I tapped into a evil sinkhole in my psyche, latent in reality but raging in the gamesworld like Jeffrey Dahmer in a kill frenzy? In life (the real one) I am the gentlest of souls, though you would never think of it to look at me, and I know I am the opposite in videogames but the killings in those are usually kept to the story in whatever game im currently playing. For instance when im shooting people in Grand Theft Auto its down to some mob bosses orders, and the targets are usually criminals themselves. Ive never really enjoyed mowing down pedestrians (like you can do), which just makes my actions last night in Just Cause 2 all the more baffling. Of course I keep reminding myself, people in videogames are not people at all, just a bunch of sprites assembled to look like people and there is no harm done when we decide to go psycho.
But creators of these games are now taking a more adult approach and we are seeing consequences in-game should you choose to travel that evil route. Look at Fable 2, where characters will avoid you like the plague if you have committed foul deeds against your fellow man. Or Oblivion where should you wish to become a vampire, preying on innocent villagers, then taverns and shops will welcome you no longer. Now besides from opening different branches and endings to a story, I think being held accountable for crimes in videogames is a great thing. Heck if nothing else it shows younger players (whose parents still insist on getting 15+ rated titles for their children) that there is a penalty for pulling a trigger or swinging a blade. It will make them stop and think like I did. Perhaps instead of games getting blamed for violence, maybe they'll get praise for showing the negative results that bloodshed and mayhem usually bring?

Play To Bleed

It must be love

You know the old guitar cliche, 'played until my fingers bled'? This is what I do with videogames. If you would kindly glance upward at the photo you will see that this is no idle exaggeration. What games inspired such furious playtime? Jak & Daxter, Hyper Sports, Tekken 6, Far Cry 2, Green Beret and Batman Arkham City.
Where others talk, I actually do the walk. Im no stranger to blood in the pursuit of happiness. (Just ask my probably withered internal organs). If you want maximum thrills, you simply must be prepared to suffer slightly. (Or greatly depending on your mood). Blood is our Life and we shouldn't be afraid of it. It is the human swill.
And be advised this is not in anyway a reflection of poor joypad design because Sony, and to a lesser extent Microsoft, make fantastic console controllers and always have done. Its just ME, I always play to the extremes in whatever it is I do. Drink, sex, games, food, music, you name it, and i'll abuse it. I don't just do it, I pile on the chapters and bones and froth with it! Embrace it with as much gusto as a Great White shark tearing into a hapless juicy seal. This is me.