A quick sketch

Born in the late 50's on the outskirts of SE London. Mum was a legal secretary, Dad worked on the production line at Ford's and at a local garage. I left school at 15 (hated it), did a few office jobs, then passed the entrance test at the local psych hospital when I was 18 and qualified as a nurse at 21.  I later spent some time as a full-time degree student (sociology and policy studies), but I've mostly raised three children and worked as a psych nurse in various hospitals.

I've campaigned for Schapelle for a few years now, a young woman wrongly imprisoned in Bali for nearly ten years, as a result of Australian Government corruption.  Here's the doco, here's an article about how I became involved and here's my blog about it (and here's the Facebook page).

Politically, I guess I'm on the "Left," but I've very little time for political parties, as in the end they all play the tune of the banksters and large corporations, who wield the real power. Politicians of any stripe are just an ever-changing carnival of hucksters and narcissists, some a bit brighter and presentable than others.

One of my favourite quotes is from Michael C. Ruppert “As long as you don’t change the way money works, you change nothing.” You'll find it in this interview with him, with more background. That concept is also echoed in this great animation by Paul Grignon, and in the work of FEASTA.

Essentially, the World's money system demands never ending growth (it's called "Fractional reserve banking"), and it's the root of exploitation, environmental degradation, runaway Global warming, resource depletion and never-ending war for diminishing energy reserves - but don't expect Green Party politicians to mention it, or The Guardian to make it an issue. The corporate "Left" is owned by powerful vested interested, quote . . .

"The Guardian is, as we have often noted, at the liberal end of the corporate media 'spectrum'. It portrays itself as a compassionate forum for journalism willing to hold power to account, and it makes great play of its journalistic freedom under the auspices of Scott Trust Limited (replacing the Scott Trust in 2008). The paper, therefore, might not at first sight appear to be a corporate institution. But the paper is owned by the Guardian Media Group which is run by a high-powered Board comprising elite, well-connected people from the worlds of banking, insurance, advertising, multinational consumer goods companies, telecommunications, information technology giants, venture investment firms, media, marketing services, the World Economic Forum, and other sectors of big business, finance and industry. This is not a Board staffed by radically nonconformist environmental, human rights and peace campaigners, trade unionists, NHS campaigners, housing collectives; nor anyone else who might threaten the status quo." From this article via Media Lens

. . . and Green politicians aren't keen to mention the elephant in the living room either, their privileged and well paid electoral gig would come crashing down if they made those kind of noises.

I find great hope and positivity in the work of the grass roots Transition Movement and spiritually I'm drawn towards Paganism, which regards the physical World as sacred.  Starhawk is one of my favourite authors, and Dreaming the Dark one of my favourite books.

I'm also a feminist, which to me means the personal is political and never trivial . . . and women's history and experience counts.

I think that's about all for now . . .