2008 - What a Year!

Its bin a while for me, December being the busiest for me at my work, and the winter Holidays, which I'm pleased were unusually peaceful and restful in a personal sense. It's depressing that there is little evidence of any peace and goodwill coming from Gaza, the Congo or Afghanistan at the moment.
The year began quietly for me, but was interrupted by a serious illness, I was hospitalised for 9 days and off work for more than a month, a frightening and painful episode! It did give me lots of time to think about what in life is most worthwhile and what things I wanted to devote more time to.
More reading, study and political activity and more time with my partner and dog, was what I decided I wanted to concentrate on. I have started down this path already and intend to continue as we move into 2009.
I have done a lot of reading, in terms of fiction, I read Little Dorrit, more enjoyable than this years BBC adaptation as well as some classic science fiction from the almost forgotten great, Olaf Stapledon. Being a political animal I have also read books from authors like Joel Kovel; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Kovel, Murry Bookchin;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Bookchin and the "Ghetto Fights" by Marek Edelman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marek_Edelman. I've just started what I have intended to read for years; Green Alternatives to Globalisation: A Manifesto by the late Mike Woodin and Caroline Lucas.
Sometime early in 2009 I plan to change what I'm doing for money, budget better and help as much as I can the Green Parties election effort for Bristol City Council and the Euro elections.
The biggest chalenge for Greens is not to win over disapointed Lib Dem's and Labour supporters, of whom there are no doubt quite a few in Bristol, but to engage with those who don't see the point in voting at all, and who can blame them when the real power seems to lie with the same old faces in the council chamber and unelected Merchant Venturers.
I also hope to visit blogosphere more often and try to avoid online "willy waving" instead trying to me constructive in what I argue.