Reasons and Riots...

I thought I'd attempt to put together a list of some of the contributing factors and causes behind the London riots. This is not in any particular order and just from a laymans perspective:
- a sociopathic mentality towards society
- an excitement in criminal activity
- increased desensitivity to violence
- lack of connection with immediate communities
- isolation from mainstream society and the benefits of economic success
- ever increasing wealth gap as a direct result of reckless capitalism
- the death of a man from an african-carribean community with a history of tension involving the metropolitan police in nothing short of mysterious circumstances, seemingly unprovoked, followed by some incompetence and delay with handling the release of information regarding the incident (again)
- summer holidays
- a decline in parenting standards in the united kingdom
- a decline in educational standards in the united kingdom
- increases in gang-related violence leading to fractures within communities
- increased level of distrust and tension with the police
- backdrop of huge global and national economic crisis
- influential nature of gang/crime culture and the fact that it's now intertwined with certain elements of popular culture such as music, film, etc
- social networking
- race
- gulf between those in power (at the top) and those with virtually none(at the bottom)
- feelings of helplessness and ostracization
- political corruption
- drugs
- cheese
- a void in basic values and any sense of human solidarity

That's probably just a small fraction of everything...interested to know an experts lowdown.

Over a year...

...since my last post on this blog, not good. But at least I'm doing something now. Today is the much anticipated (for many, not me!) Royal wedding. I've felt my usual kind of annoyed nonchalance at the whole thing but am feeling less angry about it than I would have thought or certainly would have been if this was five years ago.

Ultimately, why would I want to say or do anything that messes with anyone else's happiness? Sure I've made a few jokes and said some nasty things, but much less than I would have done in the past so that's progress for me and I actually feel kind of bad for having negativity towards it.

Having grown up with leftist, anti-royalist sentiments in my life didn't make me sympathetic or enthusiastic about the royal family, and while I still don't feel either of those two things towards them, I don't wish them or their many many supporters any harm or ill-will. Wow, either I'm getting older and nicer or just more Buddhist. The latter I think...