http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_value_tax

http://www.landvaluetax.org/

http://libdemsalter.org.uk/

http://brightgreenscotland.org/index.php/2010/04/why-we-should-be-talking-about-land-value-tax/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/26/land-value-tax-labour-party

http://www.labourland.org/lvt/

http://www.newstatesman.com/200409200007

Dérive ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9rive

Flânerie ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%A2neur

Psychogeography ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography

Remixing reality: Alan Moore Gets Psychogeographical

"We define ourselves by our surroundings and our situations. If you are brought up in a neighborhood that resembles a rat trap, pretty soon you are going to come to the conclusion that you are probably a rat. If on the other hand you have got to the tool of psychogeography — or poetry, to give it a less trendy and more accessible name — then you can look at the ordinary world around you with the eye of a poet. Finding events which rhyme with other events, what little coincidences or connections can be drawn to these places and people. You can put them into an arrangement that says something new about them."

"If you have that kind of insight into the tawdry and debased streets in which most of us spend our lives, then instead of walking down a rat trap you are walking through cataclysmic history, from your personal memories to the local legends. Then the rat trap becomes a fable, a mythological landscape."

"just as living in rat trap will give you the impression you live in a rat trap, then l suspect that living in a mythological landscape might after a while give you the subliminal impression that you are at least a mythological figure. A heroic character in your own narrative."

"I think it would be better if we felt like that rather than victims of our environment. That would empower us, and put some genuine energy back into the streets in which we live."

http://m.wired.com/underwire/2010/08/alan-moore/all/1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Moore

plus... "WHY PSYCHOGEOGRAPHY" by London Psychogeographical Association

http://www.infopool.org.uk/Why.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias

Confirmation bias (also called confirmatory bias or myside bias) is a tendency for people to favor information that confirms their preconceptions or hypotheses regardless of whether the information is true.

As a result, people gather evidence and recall information from memory selectively, and interpret it in a biased way.

Also worth checking out....

http://litemind.com/thinking-traps/

Top 10 Thinking Traps Exposed — How to Foolproof Your Mind, Part I

http://www.archdaily.com/71810/ecocities-graphic-interventions-for-a-greener-future/

Ecocities: Graphic interventions for a greener future.

an architectural photographer based in London. "My main motivation is to produce a positive outlook."

...... I mean THE TWO RUSSELLS ..... have been chewing the cud this past 10 days, re BANKS, CUTS AND THE LEFT.

Over at the Community Politics discussion group.

Come and LURK,

or better still DIVE ON IN TO THE DISCUSSION ......

http://www.hackney-environment-network.org.uk/mod/groups/topicposts.php?topic=2350&group_guid=11

As Hackney celebrates yet more Green Flag Awards for parks trees in those very parks continue to die from damage and neglect.   As with so many bureaucratic, league table type systems Green Flag Awards have become a misleading indicator of 'success'.  True parks in Hackney have improved in many respects; new toilets, signs, benches, path surfacing, litter bins, etc.  The fact that these things have happened is in part due to Green Flag, or at least elected Councillors desire for such awards.  However, as so often these days, the success hides many problems.  Indeed since Hackney has so many Green Flag parks most Councillors and officers live in blissful ignorance of these problems.

As a tree enthusiast the chestnuts dying from mower damage and newly planted trees dying from neglect make me very sad and angry.  Victorian trees over 100 years old deserve much better than to be mowed and damaged during grass cutting or construction.  That they then die from disease 10 or 20 years later is a tragic subtlety lost on most, including apparently Green Flag judges. It is also a disgrace for which park managers and councillors should be ashamed.

Then take the little tree in this photo. A dead tree planted in Clissold Park. This tree died because no one bothered to water it after it was planted. A basic and simple task that when ignored is guaranteed to result in the wasted time, energy and money of planting the tree in the first place. Rocket science it ain't. But what is really shocking is that this tree was in Hackney's prestige Green Flag Clissold Park. Worse it was planted as a memorial for someone. Neglecting a memorial tree in your best park really shows all is not well.

But this little tree did not die alone. This tree was a replacement for another tree that also died. It too died because no one watered it. Shocked? Well what if I told you that tree was itself the 2^nd, i.e. itself a replacement for an original tree that died, also of neglect. A dead tree that replaced a dead tree, that replaced a dead tree. And there are right now dead and dying trees in many, if not most of Hackneys major parks.

So yes we have lots of Green Flag parks. We also have lots of dead and dying trees. Old trees dying from damage and disregard, young trees dying for want of some water. Fortunately we also have dedicated tree carers who plant, protect and water trees in parks. Only we water what we plant. Sometimes we try and save those the Council neglects but we can't do it all on our own.

HEN representatives Anna O'Brien and I attended a meeting of the Community Empowerment Network (CEN) last Weds (21 July).  The CEN pulls together a wide variety of people in Hackney working for charities and the voluntary sector. It is an amazing diversity of committed organisations and individuals working to alleviate many of the worst consequences of our selfish, individualist society. Unfortunately Weds meeting was dominated by the cuts already hitting vital services like the Womens' Network combating domestic violence and Off-Centre working with troubled and disturbed children. The shocking reality of the bankers greed was brought home with caring people having to contemplate how to manage cuts to their already meagre budgets. The incompetent rich walk away with their bonuses whilst the vulnerable and dispossessed pay for their crimes.

I've opened a discussion on the politics of cuts see in the Community Politics Group on this site.

Stormont School, Hackney Downs:

re their hopes and plans to temporarily decant the school while it is rebuilt

Back Story: Stormont School on Hackney Downs is hoping to completely rebuild next year, 2011. They need to temporarily create classrooms for the students for a period stretching to perhaps 2 years.

In 2 meetings I've attended with Stormont School to date, as a representative of the Hackney Downs User Group, I have made it plain that there would very likely be strong opposition if the school was to attempt to decant onto any open common land;

but it may be worth their while looking into the possibilities of creating temporary classrooms in the (mostly) disused bowling green on the Downs.

And I underlined the importance of being certain that if this were to happen, it must not create any precedent that can be exploited at a later date.

So....... Yesterday, Wednesday 7th July 2010, Myself and a number of Park User Group members were expecting to attend a meeting in the school at 7pm, set up via Park Development. But I discovered, by chance that afternoon, that Stormont School seemed to not know anything about a 7pm meeting.

And I made this discovery because, late in the afternoon yesterday, I happened to re-read information that Building Schools for the Future had emailed me, Tues 6th just the day before, about there (also) being some daytime meetings in the school yesterday.

"There are parent’s consultation meetings at the school this Wednesday from 1.30pm – 3.30pm and 5pm – 6pm. The ward councillors are going to attend the evening session."

I'd paid it scant attention first time as I was expecting to already be atttending the 7pm - 8pm.  And naturally I assumed that the reference to "ward councillors are going to attend the evening session" actually meant the evening session.

So it was on a whim I decided it'll perhaps be a good idea for me to pop along to the school at 5.30, in an hour's time, and check out TWO different meetings in that same day. And it was as soon as I arrived at the school that I learnt that the 7pm evening meet was apparently never heard of. Thankfully we were able to contact in good time those I knew had confirmed with Parks Development  that they were coming at 7pm.

I guess these things happen. It's early days.

On the plus side, there is now a strong chance that at least one person from Stormont will join our User Group Monthly Tree Watering session on Hackney Downs, 4th Sunday of each month, the next being on Sunday July 25th, and perhaps one local councillor will water with us too. And Stormont will perhaps open up for refreshments for us after we've watered on that Sunday. Hope to see you, and maybe your families and friends too.

http://www.learningtrust.co.uk/schools/special_schools/school_info.aspx?ID=76

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackney_Downs

In my own mind I view HELICOPTER PARENT syndrome as being a classic manifestation of a certain dominant Left Wing flavour of Power mixed with "good intentions". Which can all too often end up discouraging true human diversity.

The Great Outdoors.

http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

Lenore Skenazy caused a storm by encouraging parents to leave their kids in parks. She was branded "America’s Worst Mom" after she wrote in the New York Post about letting her nine-year-old son ride the NY subway alone.

...The Land is written by and for people who believe that the roots of justice, freedom, social security & democracy lie not so much in access to money, or to the ballot box, as in access to land and its resources....

http://www.thelandmagazine.org.uk/