Greetings everyone. Well here on the Vibes and Pressure blog we are seeing many changes in and around our world, which will affect our personal, political and economical lives. In the UK, a new coalition government is the order, with some saying it’s a match made in heaven, others saying it’s a match made in Thatcherism…. Hell in other words. It says a lot about the Labour party that a union between their sworn enemies (the Tories) and their sometimes allies (LibDems) is a better alternative than the party whose mandate has always been about the people. No one I’ve spoken to seems very enamoured by this union, but most seemed sure they wanted a change. I’m not too sure if the right choice has been made. Personally, I felt more bickering and uncertainty with government, would’ve been better for the country. That way, a new election would have to be called and people would have to make a more definite choice. Maybe we should all vote Green next time, and give a real shock to the system, because it’s the same usual suspects, preaching the same usual nonsense, and doing the same usual crap!

Then there’s the trouble in Greece. Civil unrest due to a feeble economy that is being propped up by other European nations, themselves in great debt. Constant demonstrations on the streets of Athens, with people’s anger being violently directed toward the government and the financial institutions. Europe itself doesn’t look too healthy on the whole. The Germans are in debt, the French aren’t great financially, and the Spanish could be even worse. The UK has a bigger deficit than Greece but apparently the UK is in a better position to manage its debt. Nonetheless the new government will be making some ‘generous’ cuts, mainly from schemes and projects intended for society. It feels like there could be civil unrest in quite a few places across Europe over the next few years, with mounting debts and society having to pay the price for inadequate, inept or nepotistic leadrship.

Coalition government seems to be the order of the day. My home country, Trinidad & Tobago, has just elected a coalition government and in the process it’s first female Prime Minister. Whether there will be real change is another matter. What is certain is that the level of cronyism and schism within the former ruling party was getting out of hand. Add to that an upward trend in poverty and crime in a country that is by far the richest in the Caribbean with regard to GDP, and you have to ask ‘What de hell was really going on?’. Hopefully a woman’s touch might get some of these things right.
Speaking of a woman’s touch, what about Mother Nature, eh? She’s been in the headlines these last few months, firstly inflicting a lot of damage and pain upon Haiti, and recently her erupting volcano in Iceland, spraying ash through international airspace that left many people stranded and also left many airlines upset at having to cut their losses. Mother is trying to tell us something. Are we listening?

Been listening to Erykah Badu’s new album, New Amerykah: The Return of the Ankh. Brilliant! I haven’t stopped listening to it since I bought it last month. For me she is the female artist of her generation, the embodiment of soul. Look out for tracks ‘Get Munny’ and ‘Window Seat’, whose controversial video, filmed close to the site where JFK was shot, has given the album the best publicity it could’ve ever had!! Other than Erykah, I’ve rekindled a liking for Brazilian reggae band Natiruts, formerly known as Nativus. Check out songs ‘Beija Flor’ and ‘Deixa O Menino Jogar’. Brilliant music, and some serious lyrics too! You can find the lyrics and translations online, if you feel like singing along or just to know what they’re saying.
So that’s it from me for now. I’ll leave you with a quote from the Honourable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr – "I submit to you that if a man hasn't found something he would die for, he isn't fit to live…"

Love, Light & Peace

John Blood