“Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin they think of firelit homes, clean beds, and wives”

“Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin they think of firelit homes, clean beds, and wives”, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

"COUNTER-ATTACK
AND OTHER POEMS

BY SIEGFRIED SASSOON

With An Introduction By
Robert Nichols

TO ROBERT ROSS

THE GENERAL



"Good-morning; good-morning!" the General said
When we met him last week on our way to the line.
Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of 'em dead,
And we're cursing his staff for incompetent swine.
"He's a cheery old card," grunted Harry to Jack
As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.
       *       *       *       *       *
But he did for them both by his plan of attack.

For the rest of the work click here.

Police await Siemens workers demo - Thessaloniki 2008

Police await Siemens workers demo - Thessaloniki 2008, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

After the annual 28th October parade in Thessaloniki workers recently laid off from the local Siemens factory attempted to march in order to protest the closure. Τense scenes followed with the riot police until permission was given and approximately 100 people demonstrated outside the Macedonia Palace hotel where Greek president, Karolos Papoulias and other politicians were staying.

Somebody on minimum wage in Greece would have to work over four months to stay just one night in the presidential suite. However, the price does include an American style buffet and a wonderful view of the sea. A great comfort, no doubt to those 240 Siemens employees who lost their job this month.

28th October 2008

Military parade , originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Today Greece celebrated Oxi (no) day which heralded the country's entry into the Second World War.

"Death to Oceania"

"Death to Oceania", originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

"It was curious to think that the sky was the same for everybody, in Eurasia or Eastasia as well as here. And the people under the sky were also very much the same—everywhere, all over the world, hundreds or thousands of millions of people just like this, people ignorant of one another's existence, held apart by walls of hatred and lies, and yet almost exactly the same—people who had never learned to think but were storing up in their hearts and bellies and muscles the power that would one day overturn the world." —pg 181

1984 - George Orwell

28th October parade - Part 2

Every year Greece celebrates the Greek dictator, Ioannis Metaxas's decision to refuse the entry of Italian troops into Greek territory. It is marked here in Thessaloniki and other cities with a military parade. See here for more details on Wiki.

All photos by Teacher Dude

28th October parade - Part 1

, originally uploaded by minas_of_the_north.

Every year Greece celebrates the Greek dictator, Ioannis Metaxas's decision to refuse the entry of Italian troops into Greek territory. It is marked here in Thessaloniki and other cities with a military parade. See here for more details on Wiki.

I did take some pictures of my own but Minas's is far more evocative than anything I captured.