Do It Yourself

It has been a wild few days….by which I mean tame (perspective is everything) but wild when living without an oven that works (pampered – moi? Oh yes).

For some months, I have been having problems with my lovely big treat, posh Bose docking station in that it wouldn’t work.

On whimpering, the lovely people at Bose sent out a new cable: it still wouldn’t work.

And so, the whole docking station was packed off back to Belgium (useful warranty – yay). While in a training course at work, a voicemail message was left by Bose to say the docking station was perfectly fine – perhaps the fault was with the iPod – the advice was to replace it.

So, what with having more than one iPod kicking about the place….

I tried it again.

It STILL wouldn’t work.

Grrrr.

Two different iPods….neither would work.

Different plug sockets….neither would work.

‘What the smeg?’ Thought I, let’s change the fuse (not done something so technical before).

It works.

So, a spate of wild, heady DIY has followed – the glass lamp in the sitting room that wouldn’t work despite a new bulb? I changed the fuse.

It wouldn’t work.

Grrr.

Remembered there is an ‘on’ switch on the cable – switched the switch – it works!

And then – true inspiration – the OVEN.  Broken since I foolishly cleaned it two weeks ago.

Get ready: I changed the fuse.  This was doubly technical: I reached the plug by tipping the oven away from the wall and jamming a small pan in the gap between the oven and the wall allowing enough space for my arm to snake down….

You know what? The oven works. Get me!

I need to get out more.

Tell Me Why

MP expenses, phone hacking by the press (first into the tedium of celebrities/Royal voicemail, then less inanely into messages left for victims of serious crime), allegations of corruption in the Met Police and, most recently, riots in England (or ‘disturbances’ depending on your perspective) have swept us into a ‘what next’ extravaganza of news.

The blame game is in full swing – politicians throw words such as ‘criminality’ and ‘broken society’ about fixating on the underclass in England while also taking time to blame the police for not responding quickly or assertively enough. The last time the Met were ‘assertive’ recriminations poured down (kettling, the death of Ian Tomlinson). How short memories in Whitehall can be.

Cameron: “A culture that glorifies violence.”
London is set to host DSEi, the world’s biggest arms fair in the world, in five weeks time.

The fall-out from the riots – the ‘this is something, let’s do it’ reaction – is gathering pace. Variously, this involves the Police identifying and taking action against the rioters, communities cleaning up their streets, housing providers commencing eviction proceedings against rioters and lot’s of accusations and pontificating providing the media with no end of stories to dazzle us with.

If activity can usefully be directed anywhere, it should be into answering the question of why? Young people have been bored, frustrated, misunderstood and on holiday from schools for years without feeling the need to play chase with the Police, burn things down, break into people’s homes and businesses and generally trash the place. Parenting ability varies across families and is far from a class issue. Politicians have taken holidays before. Services have been cut, the economy spirals and jobs (interesting jobs) have been hard to find. What has changed?

‎”…was it not Mr Clegg himself who warned during the last election that there would be social unrest if the Tories went ahead with their planned programme of cuts?” – Alistair Campbell

What if the recent disturbances in London, Bristol, Bedfordshire, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester etc are but a practice session? Next spring, cuts in spending will really come to bite on services – people will see their incomes reduce, the cost of living rise, benefits disappear and find their jobs and then their homes at risk. With the Olympics in sight, spring will be the perfect high-profile time to protest against the artless austerity principles the Coalition government so loves.

Will the Coalition and politicians from all spectrums make the effort to really understand the country they have been elected to represent?

Let Children be Children: Let Parents be Parents

Today, the news announced that David Cameron is awaiting the findings of a review he commissioned into the ‘commercialism of childhood.’  The headline facts include some curious findings – ‘real’ parental controls on the internet (those little imps know how to lie about their age – who would have thought?….), a ‘clampdown’ on inappropriate TV programme content shown before 9pm (violence, sex – that will ruin Soap land), a ban on ‘adult’ kids clothes (bye-bye insane mini-me performances) and age restrictions on music videos.

The irony in all this is that the state seems to be interfering in people’s lives by telling them how to bring-up their kids.  Introducing a single website through which parents can complain about inappropriate material is inane.  Instead, why not keep support such as Sure Start to help parents who are finding parenting challenging?

The point re music videos and overly sexual advertising campaigns is sound.  Male music artists adorn their music videos with scantily clad females gyrating around the place while female music artists do the same.  Why?  Is music aimed solely at the male population as soft porn?  Is it not about sound (oh, and image – someone slap Lady Gaga).

While we are on this soft porn theme, could someone explain…adult-esque clothes are being bought for kids. Why? There are, no doubt, many reasons.  Amongst them:

• The kids want them (so eager to grow up and start paying tax)
• The parents think it is ‘cute’ and buy the stuff for them
• Associated other adult friends think it is ‘cute’ and buy the stuff
• Are the parents not able to influence how their little darlings dress?

The government would be wiser to offer support and advice to all those with children – from universal services (leaflets, libraries, GPs) through to more intensive interventions.  Education and prevention makes for a better investment than prisons and sentencing reform.  Common sense, please, not legislation.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jun/03/cameron-backed-report-commercialisation-childhood

That Wedding and the Progressive Myth

‎”Now would be a good time to release bad news. If only everyone who had bad news to get out of the way hadn’t released it on Friday.” – Dave Gorman

The timing of the wedding of Catherine Middleton, famous commoner, and Prince William, famous royal, turned out to be rather cunning.  The news was full of it and then dropped the story for the real news of local elections, the referendum on AV and then – perfection! – the removal (assassination, killing?) of Osama Bin Laden, terrorism’s pin-up and all round baddie.  Saying that, While Wills is back at work, Kate is settling into her new role by being chased around Waitrose by the paparazzi while she shops (how very distracting for her).

‎In amongst all the coverage, one phrase resonated; that of “tolerant skepticism” – surely the perfect description of the modern British personality.  We really aren’t easy to rile up about much of anything and remain content with our politely waving strategically inspired non-interview giving Queen and the morass of royalty that remains.  We are certainly not troubled by fears for the succession.

For Kate Middleton, I presume the plus points for her in marrying Wills ran roughly thus: (a) love (cynics!), (b) privilege and position. The cons are surely (a) the press, (b) the public and (c) the Windsor’s.  On balance, is love and privilege enough?  Sure we will find out as the media will follow their story with cloying attention on our behalf.  How thoughtful.

So, what is it behind the enduring appeal of the monarchy?  For a country so proud of it’s democracy, we seem to pay little attention to how very undemocratic and unfair the country actually is (first past the post, unequal political boundaries, ridiculous working hours in the Houses of Parliament, the cliques of the party political machine, a male right to succession within the monarchy, rules to keep those cheeky Catholics out etc).

Mark Steel on the claim that kings and queens are good for UK tourism – picture visitors to the Eiffel Tower: “It’s not a bad view, but the lack of a monarch spoils it somehow.”

At a stab, the main arguments in favour of monarchy in this country stand as (a) avoidance of the need for a President and (b) tourist revenue through historical pomp, circumstance and amazing property/possessions.  These are not exactly good, strong arguments.

With the dramatic defeat of AV in the referendum (doomed from the start as a compromise move that none of the political parties believed in – give us a shot at proportional representation, please), it seems that Britain is a country of small ‘c’ conservative thinking: I’d prefer tolerant skepticism any day.

If the wedding had only been like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kav0FEhtLug

The best photo from the wedding: http://twitpic.com/4r3mes

 

 

 

 

Be a Slut and Hollaback

“You know, I think we’re beating around the bush here,” Michael Sanguinetti began, blandly enough, as he addressed the 10 students who turned up for the pep talk. Then he said: “I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this – however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/06/slutwalking-policeman-talk-clothing

Slutwalking has gone viral. Aside from the plain stupid police officers’ perspective that women dressed in a certain way invite attack, rape and all kinds of vitimisation the humour of this new and growing campaign inspires.

Can it ever be right to blame the victim? Sexual assault (verbal, physical) is hardly something anyone invites. At what point will society take this seriously? Reported abuse between young people is increasing. To think that a fourteen year old girl is keeping silent about the verbal abuse she suffers from her same aged boyfriend is shocking. The idea that anyone deserves such treatment defines logic and reinforces the severity of the problem.

Casual sexism, as I have blogged before, is somehow okay, especially when exacted against the female of the species. It is tolerated from the builders mentality “hello darlin’!” on the streets to unwanted touching and more. From my own perspective, I have yet to decide on the best comeback when some man, a stranger, a creep, passes comment on my body as I meander along (‘nice tits’, ‘sexy’ ‘fuckable’ being a recent sample). It took me a while to understand that motorists bipping their horns at me as I walk along the road – quite what the point is escapes me (“me man. See woman.” BEEP!).

Hollaback, another protest movement, encourages those who experience street harassment to share their stories. Again witty, it has a serious purpose to expose what women have quietly tolerated for years. It’s time to stop tolerating this out-dated thinking. Wear what want, walk with confidence and embrace all the opportunities in your life as an equal and respected member of the community (woman or man, gay or straight, young or not so young).

www.slutwalktoronto.com

http://www.ihollaback.org/

A debate: Feminism v. Humanism

Where are we if women are still little but a commodity to be simplified for male amusement? In a cosmopolitan, theoretically equal society; more perplexing is the complicity of some women in the limited view enforced upon them.

And so we have Victoria Coren participating in a bizarre Twitter exchange with Michael Winner over his views on her breasts (a proud moment for those women close to him), Charlie Sheen continuing his campaign against women and himself (cunningly making his sitcom ‘Two and a Half Men’ deeply unfunny by association as art mirrors life without the violence), football pundits bantering, lawyers for Julian Assange branding the Swedish Chief Prosecutor a ‘malicious radical feminist’ (a desperate line of argument – makes one wonder) and the continuing obsession now televised with Henry VIII, capricious Tudor King of England (and various other places depending on your perspective) and serial wife-killer.

Is it naïve to think that women beautify themselves to please themselves?  While we currently appear to be trapped in the ‘look like a stripper’ fashion theme, there is some tongue-in-cheek wit to be had with Jordan as a national role model for women.  Plaudits are due to her for making a fortune and establishing her own personal brand based upon her ability to take off her clothing and pose provocatively.  In this she can get away with a reality-TV life, publish books written by other people under her name and turn herself into a (non)-fiction character for the benefit of the tabloids and magazines.

In all this, what is really of interest is the term ‘radical feminist’ – when in doubt, undermine a concept by making it frightening.  A ‘radical feminist’ sounds both exciting (“storm the Houses of Parliament!”) and patronising all at the same time.  Reflecting back, considerable progress has been in a short period of time since the 1960s bringing about legislation and support for those women (and men) affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence and inequality.  These should, by now, be recognized as basic human rights applicable to both women and men.

My question is have we not moved on?  Long have I opined that it does men good to have daughters – they are then forced to reconsider how they view women.  Being a ‘bit of a lad’ in one’s youth is all part of the deal but apply that thinking to your daughter and it becomes less light-hearted.  It is past time for some enlightened thinking.  The term ‘humanist’ should represent shared interests and specific inequalities between the genders – despite biological differences; women and men remain part of the same species and share the shame needs and aspirations in life.  Tiresome stereotypes get in the way and are unfunny.

To quote Victoria Coren: “I think free speech is all and humour is the best defence. But I do wish some people found it easier to understand what’s funny and what isn’t.”

A Room With a View: Honesty in Politics

Too often, politics is seen to be a sport played by the minority – driven by the party system, we rely on the media to provide impartial scrutiny and insight into what our politicians are doing.  With constituencies numbering many thousands, the average member of the public may not be be able to pick their local MP out of a line-up let alone claim to ‘know’ them.  Politics is played out on the national stage through our perceptions of a few individuals.

Is there space for honesty in politics – or, to be specific, in government?  The recent publicity generated by a somewhat informal photo shoot of Sally Bercow (the bed-sheet incident) surprisingly suggests that there is.

Sally Bercow got into bother for an interview she gave extolling the sexiness of her life with the Speaker of the House – a very public Valentine’s gift to her husband.  Sally Bercow has an impressive reputation for going about tactlessly speaking her mind.  Mr Bercow has stated plainly that his wife is entitled to her own opinions  – and to voicing them – as she is not his ‘chattel’.  Quite right.

The whole bed-sheet thing could be a case of excessive self-promotion or one of sharing too much but I had to admire Sally Bercow’s honesty about life in politics; the interview threw light on what counts in political circles, nothing less than power.

It is less reassuring for the public to know that those in politics are wasting time chatting one another up (marital status aside) and generally fluttering around like so many moths around a power flame.  This would explain a lot about parliament and – as a direct result – why the public have disengaged from the whole thing.  Debates are puerile to watch – barking, bullying and boring.  Neither entertaining nor productive, parliamentary debates are the forward facing part of the parliamentary machine and they do not inspire confidence.

As an aside, even a shuffle in the direction of proportional representation in the future of politics seems under threat as the vote no to AV campaign have aligned themselves with Nick Clegg and his woeful track record for keeping his promises since entering into a Coalition government.

Evening Standard:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23920176-our-bedroom-secrets-by-sally-bercow—becoming-speaker-has-turned-my-husband-into-a-sex-symbol.do