Those best laid plans

Me in my wetsuit in the sunshine!

Saturday, 5th July was the 5k pier to pier swim in Brighton. My best laid plans were to rest from swimming from Monday onwards in preparation for this big event. I got up as usual on Monday morning and almost caved in on my plans. I had so much residual energy and an obsession with ploughing up and down the pool, I almost couldn't so without my fix. 

I have been antsy all week. I purposely cut off my outlet for burning my energy reserves. At times I have been unbearable to live with. That is my opinion of me! Then on Thursday I got an email from the race organisers that the swim had been postponed to 27th September due to unfavourable conditions. I have wasted a week of not swimming and for nothing. 

Other parts of my plan to go to Brighton remained as I had already bought my train ticket and Brighton is a good place to visit even so - especially as Sammi is there. In fact, despite the stormy seas and stiff breeze, the weekend was wonderful. I got to have a bit of a swim and did loads of touristy things with Anne. The weather was reminiscent of my childhood holidays walking along the sea front battling high winds. So all in all, not a waste of time and I'll just have to keep up the training until September 27th when the race has been rescheduled for.  

Anne and I on the beach

I have also taken time out from watching Wimbledon highlights to watch Gaza: Doctors Under Attack on All4. This documentary has been banned on BBC because it shows what Israel is doing to Palestinians in Gaza. The horror wrought on those trapped on this small strip doesn't surprise me. Israel has been using disproportionate force against its neighbours since it was first established and this is well-documented.  It is still doing this and it has the complicity of America, Britain and much of the West. We are providing those bombs and bullets that kill Palestinians.

The fact that we all consider the behaviour of the IDF even remotely acceptable is what really galls. Our coverage in the UK is still biased towards Israel. Palestinians are called rats and this excuses Israel their cruelty by saying that Hamas are under every bomb they drop and the recipients of every bullet. I know Bob Vylan was wrong to chant "Death" but our outrage of one person's voice angers me when compared to the fifty odd thousand deaths of Palestinians that have passed without regret or guilt. Is this part of our plans that Palestinians should all be killed. I know this is not the solution to the Middle East problem. And for the record. IDF are illegally occupying parts of Syria. The IDF commit war crimes daily and this is acceptable. Apparently!

Over the weekend there were a number of arrests in London. People wearing badges supporting Palesine and opposing the genocide fell foul of the Terrorist Act of 2000. What is happening is genocide and I believe those Palestinians supporting Hamas have been driven to it because of the mass killings. Those people holding banners calling out the genocide were telling the truth. What would happen if we all wore the same badges or expressed the same opinions as those arrested? Our country is becoming Orwellian and this saddens me. Maybe doublespeak has been part of th great plan all along!