The race is on!
Why does the media keep referring to the Liberal Democrats as the Lib or Liberal party in the continuous debates regarding possible Lab-Lib or Con-Lib pacts... if for the purpose of brevity it should more legitimately be called the Democratic party as it was an amalgam of 2 parties & at the time the Social Democrats was the largest and it is that part of the Lib-Dems that was truly new & ground breaking ( a lot of its policies was adopted by the "New Labour") ...so The Media out-there show some respect & give credit where it's due...the Labour, Tory & Whigg parties are the Old Parties...the Liberal Democratic Party by definition is a new party (as are many more)...the times are a changing and there are many different opinions and with a multi party sytem they can all be heard...we should get away from the dogmatism of old party politics & be brave to face a future of real change and not just "a bit of spare change" espoused by the Con-party...with true "Democracy"...with proportional representation we can move forward with the true "Will of The People" without regrets and without looking back...so all those that mock PR just look (with eyes open) to countries where it works brilliantly...
This election gives the opportunity to get rid of all the terrible anomolies in a system that has reached "Buy-Sell-Date"...best regards pete mcclure.

This country's electoral sytem is about to go through the greatest change since Oliver Cromwell (and about time)...

I'm dreaming of a...

I'm dreaming of a Hung Parliament
Not like the ones we used to know;
May the M.P.'s listen
And The People glisten
In this Almighty show.

I'm dreaming of a Hung Parliament
So past wrongs may be put right;
And People be freed...from their plight
To a future...that's ever-bright.

I'm dreaming of a Hung Paliament
May Politicians be contrite:
And stop this never ending Fight...
Let Truth and dignity...Alight.

Politicians...Do you hear?

Do you hear what I hear?
The People are accalling
Ignored...they'll start abbrawling.

Listen to what they say
Without further delay:
They're holders of the Key
And decide who shall...Be.

Be honest and don't desguise
Your promises with lies:
For in Their hearts They know
When it's all...just for show.

Do you hear what I hear?
The People are accalling
Ignored...they'll start abbrawling.

These are very difficult times and with all the rhetoric it can all be rather confusing...so why not let your instincts be your guide...close your eyes and you will see nothing (which is usually black)...keep your eyes closed and you will soon perceive a colour...if that colour is green then vote for the Green Party...if that colour is orange then vote for the Liberal Democratic Party...if that colour is blue then vote Conservative...if that colour is red then vote Labour...if that colour is yellow then vote for the Multi Faith Party (M.F.P.) that believe in The One Supreme Being that designed the Universe...if you perceive any other colour then use your imagination and if all you perceive is black continuously then go and see a Shrink. So that's voting by colours...it makes voting so easy!

Ciao for now...pete mcclure.

Any art that is repeated/reproduced often enough can be Iconic for a while but there is also the danger that eventually it becomes Kitsch...if McDonalds used reproductions of Kandinsky's work on the back of its plastic chairs in all its branches around the world...would the art work retain its charm?...I thing not!
It would become Iconic Kitsch...it would also loose a lot of its charm if it was used to decorate ash-trays...the lesson to any aspiring artist is: do not bow down to commercial pressure...do art for the sake of ART.
Trechikov's "Green Oriental Woman" decorated nearly every home in Britain (in poster form) & made him famous but did it make him a great artist?...He decided early in his career that he would make a million pounds from one painting & he achieved this...consequently the Art Establishment does not regard him as being a Real Artist...had he not decided to get rich quick and just produce The Work this same painting could quite easilly have become Iconic like some of Gaugan's work & possibly as Iconic as "The Mona Lisa"...Trechikov is still alive and living in South Africa and had an exhibition in London last year and i am sure lots of people made loads money from it!
It is very sad that the Art Establishment fails to recognize REAL ART & just focuses the "blue chips" of the art market i.e. the Hirsts, Emins, Ofilis, Chapman Brothers to name a few...So once you win the Turner Prize you get a license to do anything and call it art...At least Marcel Duchamp gave up art after sueing a Gallery for loosing his urinal entitled "Fountain by Knupp"...he took up chess and became a Grand Master...he prooved a point & retired!
Best regards pete mcclure.

Further to comments on Art & Democracy...
This Election is a Golden opportunity to bring about the Reforms that most people are pining for i.e. Electoral Reform and P.R.
New Zealand adopted a P.R. system nearly 10 yrs ago modelled on the German system (that we & our allies gave to them at the end of WW2)...it is a rational system that has acted as model for most EU States and newly emerging democracies...N.Z. now has 8 Green MP's in a 110 seat Parliament...i am going to suggest that if all small parties that currently are unrepresented in the House of commons voted tactically for the LIbDems on the understanding that they will insist that PR be introduced if either of the "Big Parties" want to Govern with the help of the LibDem's...so that in future elections: 5% of the vote would garantee 5% seats in Paliament...this would give the Green Party alone well over 30 seats & would herald a new era of compromise as opposed to confrontation...we could then move forward in the 21st Century where the majority of the People were for the first time truly engaged in the workings of the nation...another bonus would be the exposure of truly great Art-Work from the People (emphasis on Work) as opposed to the elitest "Crappola" that currently dominates the Art Scene...God Willing.
Best regards pete mcclure.

PS: Please send a journalist to New Zealand and ask the average Kiwi if they are happy with their newly adopted electoral system...it would be gripping/informative and could even get an Oscar if it was filmed...even Uncle Sam might think of electoral reform in his own back yard instead of waging war at every opportunity for "The Sake of Democracy"...