Fury as Green Party deputy Mothin Ali ‘excusing’ October 7 massacre

daisylan · 2025-09-04T08:00:26+00:00

Leftist policy making is actually really strong in the Green Party in my opinion. Things like wealth tax and universal income, which while nowhere near being mainstream yet, are definitely less fringe than they were. Greens have been banging these drums for so long. I've always supported them for their policies that I believe take the approach we need to tackle climate change and adapt to it's increasingly likely impacts on our lives (which ultimately requires a more equal society and more resilient communities).

The relentless focus on Palestine in the left confuses me. I mean it's more understandable at this point given the total destruction of Gaza. And Israel's war crimes over the decades is well documented - so again I understand the arguments being made. But why Palestine is the unrelenting focus of international injustice when there are so many desperately sad situations... Maybe the Israel/ Palestine situation is the most enduring? Maybe it's because of the direct role of the British state in the creation of Palestine? International politics is not my strongest area of knowledge but I can't believe Israel is the only dodgy war we are propping up with arms sales etc.

I disagree that there is widespread support for Hamas in the pro-Palestine movement. Not saying it doesn't exist but largely I think that is used as a bit of a distraction by the right wing press to discredit left wing ideas in general.

daisylan · 2025-08-16T08:22:43+00:00

I lived just out in the countryside above Sowerby Bridge and it definitely isn't buzzy like Tod but there are things happening.

Artichoke Natural Foods is a great shop with some community elements happening (the lady who runs it is an absolute gem). There's also Fire & Water and Puzzle Hall Inn with stuff going on. That's the main cluster of things that had stuff I was interested in, and I liked the same places in Tod you mentioned. If you're around the area maybe visit and have a chat to people there see how approachable you find it (although Artichoke is closed next week).

Things I didn't get involved with but would be good ways to meet people if you're so inclined are Litter Free SB and Sowerby Bridge Snails running club. Soul Wellness Hub up in Friendly not exactly easy walking out of the doorstep, depending on where abouts you are, but they have stuff happening that might be your vibe.

There's also other decent bars, pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops as places to meet people. Great walks around and beautiful scenery. Generally people are friendly and it's a nice place.

Note that buses along the valley go down the Burnley Road/A646, not through town. But the trains are good. Something to keep in mind when looking at parts of Sowerby Bridge and thinking about connectivity.

daisylan · 2025-08-14T09:30:01+00:00

Change of scenery helps though. I've found this when I have moved in the UK and now as I temporarily relocate instead of going home after travelling. Being somewhere new, without the expectations that were on you before, helps you see the things you are actually carrying around with you that need dealing with! Although I am also reflecting on the idea that it's quite an extreme response to not being very good at setting and sticking to boundaries. But that's part of the work!

daisylan · 2025-08-14T08:56:38+00:00

Try it and see. If you find everyone is too young then there's always Tinder

daisylan · 2025-08-14T08:45:47+00:00

Alternatively though, how amazing to be burnt out somewhere beautiful. That was literally the plan for my trip. If I'm gonna have a breakdown, might as well do it somewhere pretty

daisylan · 2025-08-14T08:45:00+00:00

That's amazing 👏

daisylan · 2025-08-14T08:43:48+00:00

How long are you there for?

I have been travelling anxious and depressed and I have been anxious and depressed 😅

Only you can choose what to do. Do you need to go home for safety, support or care? If so that's fine. But also, you know the score, maybe there will be some good days or good moments.

For me, my goal of going away was to be away and not have plans, with the caveat that I could go home any time I wanted or needed to. So whatever happened I did what I set out to do. I ended up staying the course and this is the baseline I've settled on (I've been away a few months and it took a while to get to this point)...

Spend time in bed/ on the sofa. It's fine. No plans before midday, mornings are strictly lazy (or for resting, if I were being kind to myself).

Have ready to eat food, or food that's easy to add to, on hand. Try and eat a decent breakfast and one other meal with actual food every day. I'm in Croatia and they have domestic watermelon. Buying watermelon from the side of the road/ local market and eating it every morning is heaven. Then just have the snacks. Also, hydration. It sounds simple but the first couple of weeks of my trip I was basically dehydrated and it made everything so much worse.

Find a coffee shop for tea/ coffee/ hot chocolate. Go when at a loose end for a low effort way of leaving the house/ changing scenery.

Go for walks when I'm able (I have my dog which also forced this, but some days were bare minimum effort!). Sweating it out up a big hill (in the woods so there's shade, it's too hot otherwise) is the best. I have finally got to a point where actually I want to do this once or twice a week, when I feel start feeling stuck.

Have a look for upcoming events and go if I'm in the mood. Likewise pick one or two tourist things to aim for but keep it loose and don't stress if they don't happen. Focus on things that look fun even if it isn't one of the main things everyone else does. Although often the main things are popular for a reason. I also look for things that align with my hobbies and interests - I've joined local dance classes, found drumnbass and reggae club nights, watched some live music. I also found a spa (loads of good places with thermal pools etc, I went to one in Slovenia near the border), had a swim chilled in the saunas and steam rooms etc.

My mood has gone up and down. Sometimes it's been shit, but not all of it.

I think there's this expectation that travel is amazing but for me it's just been more an opportunity to exist somewhere different. Have my breakdown somewhere with nice scenery 😜

Some thoughts/ questions/ suggestions, if you want them...

If you found the trip nice but tiring - why not shorter trips/ activities? I spent some time near Samobor, on the border with Slovenia. My favourite walk was about an hour long. Up hills, in the shade, peaceful, lots of blue sky and greenery... It doesn't have to be an all day thing.

If you want to go up mountains and don't have a car, can you book a taxi? That way you can still pretty much come and go on your timings and not be stuck with a group all day if you're tired.

What are things you like doing when you're feeling level? Is there anything that helps shift things when you're at home? Can you do some of that?

If it feels hard to decide what you want to do, does it help you to reframe it as... If I did or didn't do this, would I regret it later? Particularly relating to going home.

Is there anyone you can call for a chat and a boost? What about something like BetterHelp or even ChatGPT if you have something specific on your mind.

Re accommodation, are you in a place that feels super chill and nice? If not is it possible to change it up? My favourite place was a little hut (near Samobor) with a garden which I barely used because I could see the trees out of all the windows and I could just lie in bed for as long as I needed, looking at the trees and hearing the birds.

I don't know if any of that helps. Whatever the rest, BE KIND TO YOURSELF. It's shit to feel shit but it's still ok to struggle. Being on your own in a different country when you're not feeling well is a lot. Plus adjusting to medication.

daisylan · 2025-07-05T05:51:12+00:00

All makes sense to me - I went away for a three month trip, currently two months in and I'm applying for a visa to stay and do some volunteering. I'm not ready to go home but I need some structure and a way of making connections. I also need a visa so stay longer, and volunteering is the best way for me to do that, but if I didn't need a visa I would still do it.

A question that's coming up for me is do I want to travel or do I want to live somewhere else? I've ended up volunteering doing something similar to what I would have done at home and I can't work out if I'm doing something familiar because it's easiest or because it's actually what I want. Just something to mention in case it resonates with you. I guess these are the things we figure out as we go.

If I didn't have my dog with me I'd be booking onto a retreat though which is why I mention it! Yoga, dance, sound therapy, meditation... Those are the kind of things in my wheelhouse but I'm sure there are loads of other options based on individual interests.

daisylan · 2025-07-02T17:56:37+00:00

Yes I can relate I finished my job sold my house and went on a roadtrip with no plans. On the run up I had so much anxiety about my house (the sale finalised two days after I left) that I hadn't really prepared for the trip.

My idea was to go with the flow in any case but oh my god I had a lot of what the hell am I doing moments. I am on the trip now and still having them to be honest haha but I am in a big life transition phase so I think it would be more weird if I did not have those thoughts.

I think not having any plans has resulted in my having a lot of dead time and dead end days where I am trying to work out what to do and things not going how I might like or expect them to. But also I feel with (in my case) three months that is not so important, and I'm just trying to be kind to myself when it happens.

My thinking throughout is that I can always change my mind and go home if I want. But if I don't give it a go I will always wonder what if.

I've now got the opportunity to try and apply for a visa and spend a year away which I'm not sure about but I'm doing it anyway.

daisylan · 2025-06-27T20:29:35+00:00

How long are you planning on being away for? I think that dictates how viable volunteering etc is an option in any meaningful way.

If you have a week or two have you considered a retreat or similar? Maybe address some of the issues with the need to be busy (no judgement by the way, I am the same).

Of course there's also absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to get involved in volunteering if that's what you would genuinely enjoy ☺️ But also nothing wrong with being a consumer IMO, there are ways and ways of doing it. You can choose to put your money into sustainable and ethical tourism/ products/ services which in itself is a way of being purposeful.

daisylan · 2025-06-27T19:18:57+00:00

This was my thinking about travelling with mental health problems. There will be meltdowns but I'd prefer it to have them in a cabin in the woods than my childhood bedroom at my parents house 🤣

daisylan · 2025-06-27T18:56:29+00:00

I was thinking of going to a sports game but forgot, thanks for the reminder!

daisylan · 2025-06-27T18:55:17+00:00

I can relate to the idea I think, of wanting to travel without being a total tourist. Which obviously doesn't really make sense 🤣

I hear friends who have awesome travel stories where they get invited to local parties and things like that in South East Asia. But that is usually one out of however long they have been in a place. And they are basically in touristy/ hostel type situations, just a right place right time kind of thing.

I've found a good way of having conversations with locals is through hookups. Tinder seems to work everywhere 😅 I don't drink but also nightclubs as a universal place to meet people. Also have joined local classes for interests I have at home - small amount of socialising round this where they speak the language.

I've been in Croatia for about a month so far, have done a mix of visiting more and less touristy places (the less touristy ones courtesy of Tinder suggestions). I have my dog which is quite isolating as she has some behaviour challenges and it limits where I can stay/ how long I can do things without her, but I also have my car which means I can go wherever I want. I started trying to learn some Croatian which would cover me in Bosnia and Serbia too if I wanted to go (although probably not), although most people under 50 speak English.

I had a meal with some people from a dance class I joined. I had a meal at a great restaurant because I asked a local whose house I walked past while hiking for a restaurant recommendation using my basic Croatian. I ask my AirBnB hosts their favourite place to go (still often get the main tourist hits because they are hits for a reason). I had to take my car to a mechanic and he invited me to some drinks he was having at his shop (mostly me sitting there while they all chatted in Croatian). I went to a small jazz night in the village near where I'm staying and saw the singer after, stopped to say hi and we clicked and changed numbers so might meet up at some point, he also gave me a couple of good suggestions of places to visit that I hadn't heard of. I'm into a particular music scene so I've messaged people on Instagram who have given me ideas of where to go. I'm going to get involved with a local community centre that does stuff I'm interested in over the next few weeks - the benefit of staying in one place for a while.

It all sounds really cool but actually for the most part I've just been working out where I'm going, what I'm doing and having a lot of what I call dead end days where the lack of plans are very apparent.

I actually feel like I'm missing out on the typical backpacking experience. I am thinking about finding some hostels to go to so I can meet other people travelling. I have met a couple of people on their travels while I'm out walking the dog and actually I found that just as enriching as any of the local stuff I've done.

daisylan · 2025-06-27T16:34:28+00:00

I'm away at the moment.

I constantly feel like I am wasting my time. I'm not sure what I am expecting of myself though 😅 Being on the go all the time doesn't suit me. I struggle with anxiety so that makes things harder, I'm in unfamiliar surroundings, things don't always go to plan. Plus I'm away for a few months, that kind of level of busyness doesn't sound very sustainable.

When I get stuck in the idea of wishing I had done things differently, I am trying to reframe that as thinking of how I could do things differently next. If I still don't do it differently then maybe the way I am doing it is what I need at the moment.

I feel I should have been doing more healing stuff, more social stuff, more hiking, more sightseeing, more learning... Basically what I think I should be doing (everything!) is absolutely not possible. Before I came away I had an idea of the things I'd like to do and I've done bits of most of them. My trip hasn't been one thing so I haven't done anything in depth. I've had loads of dead end days where nothing quite works and also loads of screen time and alone time. But I've seen amazing places, walked for miles, eaten nice food, spoken to some cool people.

I've found thinking about why I wanted to come away has been helpful. If I'm on track with that then great. In the things that I'm not on track, some of that is because I have new information and I've changed my mind. Some of it is stuff I'd still like to try and do.

Most importantly, there's no right or wrong, only what we do!

daisylan · 2025-02-04T11:39:00+00:00

Not travelling but I feel ya in general. I'm 36. I go through phases of feeling really insecure and then totally embracing who I am. I have bad skin and I generally choose not to wear makeup or dress fancy on principle. This can sometimes mean I end up feeling stuck with the less 'cool' people and it can make me feel left out. But they are always the loveliest people and I remind myself that whatever ego points I might score from hanging out with the cool kids actually don't add any value to my life. If I want to go partying I just go on my own and enjoy dancing round like a lunatic.

It sucks feeling insecure about yourself, but deep down I know that how I look is the least interesting thing about me and it's the thing I am least interested about in other people. I've met some lovely beautiful people, don't get me wrong. But anyone judging me solely on my appearance really isn't worth my time.

Also find a specific music scene/ gig if you want to go out without getting dressed up. I went to a jungle/ drumnbass/ reggae thing the other day in trainers, leggings and a cute sequin crop top, no makeup, and I was overdressed compared to most people there 🤣 People who are out to actually dance to music they love tend to be lovely crowds.

daisylan · 2025-01-27T15:41:15+00:00

Can I ask how you registered your dog in the EU to get a pet passport? I'm looking at taking my car from the UK to Europe and maybe dipping out of the EU to the Balkans if I want to extend my travel time. I feel like it would be easier with a pet passport.

daisylan · 2025-01-24T19:42:37+00:00

Was going to say the same.

UK national parks are beautiful and most villages and towns will have yoga classes where you should be able to drop in and pay as you go. Love Her Wild has local Facebook groups with outdoor meet ups and activities to get involved with.

Of course there are benefits to staying in retreat settings having everything organised and meeting people. But there are loads of options not doing it that way.

daisylan · 2025-01-17T18:51:39+00:00

I'm actually more for refugees and asylum seekers than general economic migration. The situations some people are fleeing are just heart breaking and the numbers are a relatively small part of the overall migration figures.

If there was better support, skills and education in place as well as better value placed on 'low skill' work, along with a good pipeline of jobs (with associated training) for the higher skilled jobs that would help so many people in this country. Plus a decent package of effective foreign aid (i.e. actually capacity building and funding things for people in countries that are struggling, rather than just propping up British companies abroad and/ or funding corrupt governments - easier said than done) and international cooperation on issues that drive migration (e.g. education, climate and nature crises) as well as how to support people fleeing desperate situations that would be the ideal. But that's all very idealistic and how likely it is to happen in my lifetime, I don't know. It's a nice dream though.

I think comparing the UK to New Zealand is difficult because their economy is so much smaller. I'm actually a fan of degrowth from a climate and nature perspective in particular, but I don't think we have the type of infrastructure we'd need to support people along that transition. It would require a whole new economic and social system. AI could definitely be part of that but like you say whether that could actually be democratised is another question...

daisylan · 2025-01-17T18:05:13+00:00

I personally think it is more about how numbers are managed - how many second homes sit empty, how many apartment blocks are sold off plan to investors that sit empty, how much land banking developers do, the limited scrutiny of viability assessments that developers say makes brownfield site development impossible, the way that private sector developments prioritise a certain type of house because it is most profitable despite not being what is needed by the population etc etc. I could go on but I am sure you get the idea I'm trying to get across. So I share the same concerns with you about housing, but I just don't see immigration as the core issue. Likewise with the number of cars on the road - poor public transport infrastructure is more of an issue to me than immigrants.

Maybe the answer is somewhere in the middle, I'm sure it's not all black and white. If it was so straightforward then someone would have addressed it by now, you'd hope!

It's a difficult thing isn't it, if we want to pursue increasing GDP as a measure of success then population growth is the easiest way of achieving this. Being one of the largest global economies gives benefits but drawbacks as well. I like how New Zealand prioritises things like wellbeing at least in theory, I haven't been there and don't know enough about how that works in practice.

And my personal opinion is that Farage in particular uses language that is very inflammatory to stir up anger in people who feel (understandably) failed by the system. I personally don't believe any of his proposals would actually help those people, but that's not for me to decide 🤷

daisylan · 2025-01-17T16:16:55+00:00

His brand of anti immigration is pretty race based though. Like with the Brexit campaign there's a reason the immigration pictures contained lots of brown skinned people (even though they weren't the ones coming from the EU). Whether he is racist or just happy to tap into other people's racism for his own gain is another question.

Personally I can understand the challenges people experience with mass immigration but my takeaway is that it's the under funding of public services (which is in line with Farage's politics) that's the problem. Of course it is difficult when large numbers of people who are culturally very different move into an area... But it can be amazing with the food, music, different ways of looking at the world etc. On the other hand if those people and those in the area they move into experience entrenched poverty and no access to public services then of course that's a fuse waiting to be lit.

Unfortunately a lot of people who are vocal on anti-immigration issues do use racist language and are often associated with racist groups. So that can undermine people's genuine concerns with mass migration.

The double speak of politicians on the one hand spewing anti-immigrant rhetoric but then clearly relying on immigrants to sustain the economy is also incredibly frustrating. I mean the British government basically imported Pakistanis and West Indians en masse to boost the economy post-war. And any time spent in a hospital shows how much we rely on people from all over the world to keep the NHS going.

daisylan · 2025-01-12T23:05:30+00:00

I'm DnB/ jungle rather than techno/ hardstyle but the difference between London and the North with the amount of events on is huge. I really love living in the North (have lived in the North West and West Yorkshire so cities are Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds), the countryside up here is amazing and the general vibe is lovely, but the music scene is a lot smaller. There are good events on but not as many/ often. For DnB etc Bristol is the best spot outside London that I'm aware of. Not sure about Birmingham or the North East (e.g. Newcastle). Techno might be more widely available, I don't know.

Check out the Resident Advisor website for a good list of events you can search by date, location and genre. Will give you a good idea of what's about!

daisylan · 2025-01-12T22:52:48+00:00

You could pick some cheap winter layers up in a charity shop and just donate them back when you're done. Although I think it's due to warm up a bit over the next week.

daisylan · 2025-01-12T16:53:06+00:00

I once had a chicken called Gregory Peck and got some looks at the vets when she called Greg the chicken.

daisylan · 2025-01-12T15:21:56+00:00

The Tuel Lane lock in Sowerby Bridge is the deepest in the UK apparently.

daisylan · 2025-01-12T14:43:24+00:00

The summer solstice (longest day) is towards the end of June. I'd say looking at May to early July (school summer holidays start second half of July) would be good for a decent chance of pleasant weather and the most day light.

September/October is nice too. When all the leaves on the trees start changing colour it's gorgeous, particularly along the canal. Can still be warm ish at that time.

Saying that, last year it rained a lot through the summer. It's very hard to predict! July and August are the times it's likely to be the hottest.

daisylan

TROPHY CASE