Thursday, March 17, 2005

ESC latest, Jamie's School Dinners, the Budget, and abortion

In that order.

ESC is provingf to be a rather curious mixture of styles this year - but overall, I don't rate the songs very highly. Latvia. Malta, Netherlands, Bulgaria and Slovenia are probablythe best selected so far. The UK's entry hasn't grown on me since selection - its well performed but too pseudo-ethnic for my tastes.

Not long to go now....

Jamie's School Dinners. I'm a keen cook, and I like to cook proper food from scratch. This programme has shown what can be done with a bit of will and determination. This evenings programme featured a commitment to change from Charles Clarke. Guess what? One week later, he moves job - to be replaced by the Spawn of Satan and Daughter of opus Dei, the dreaded Ruth Kelly, who offers a weak compromise befitting her level of morality, socialist principle and foresight. Evil cow. Not too long now and Bolton West voters MUST ditch her - even if it means a Tory MP in her place.

The Budget was OK: Sensible stuff in the main. I'm content with Labour on the economy. Its civil liberties, illegal wars, Tory Blur and Claire Curtis-Thomas which are the problems!

And one bit of good news - defeat for that interfering, snactimonious busybody , the 'Reverend' Joanna Jepson, you know, the one who tries to criminalise doctors because she hasn't come to terms with her own childhood facial disfigurement and thinks that she can then impose her own anti-abortion views on everyone else. The court case which she tried to bring against the doctors who authorised a late abortion in a case of cleft palate failed today - and quite right too. What the hell does this simpering, patronising fundamentalist pre-modern know about this case? Precisely nothing - thats what. She hasn't a clue as to the decision which was made and why - because the decision is quite rightly CONFIDENTIAL. You know, Jepson, the sort of thing people in your position are supposed to respect - not that she'd have a clue. A typical stooge of the anti-abortion movement, attempting to enforce her views on others. My message to her ;' believe what you want - and if you want to say it in your church, you're welcome. But thats where it should stay - because we are not a theocracy, and we have no intention of being dictated to by evangelical clergy attempting to work through their own personal hangups on the rest of us.

Get back to your parish, Jepson, and do us all a favour and keep your gob shut. And with any luick, now we have all seen what you are really like, anyone with an ounce of common sense will give you and your church an extremely wide berth. You are exactly the reason why more and more people want nothing more to do with the Church - and I can't blame them. Three more years and we may have a decent liberal church led by ECUSA and ACC...

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Should have remembered to say...

Be careful if you are in Athens, you may end up in a brothel.

To explain further...

I was buying a bottle of wine and emerged to find my partner in conversation with someone. We were on our way to the cathedral. We walked along chatting to this guy about the UK mainly, and then realised the cathedral was shut, He told us he worked in a bar locally and that he would give us his card; anyway, we ended up going into the bar ( very small and tatty) and he poured us two drinks, and then disappeared - then suddenly we were introduced to two 'ladies' from Albania, I'd say, and asked if we would like to buy them a drink. We ensured we beat a hasty retreat.

Quite apart from the fact that we wouldn't have been their ideal partners for a spot of nookie, I have a feeling we may have been stung for a huge bar bill and I can imagine heterosexual men being drawn in quite easily.

Our Eurovision selection yesterday evening. The song selected, by Javine, isn't to my taste, but at least Jordan aka Katie Price didn't win. Not a patch on some of the good songs selected so far though

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Athens, the Wringing Wet Williams, and more...

So, spent a very pleasant few days in Athens. Its a crazy and chaotic city, but has a lot of character.
Highlights. The Acropolis and the view , certainly. The two very authentic tavernas, off the tourist trail, we had lunch in. The two posh restaurants which were a delight!

Definitely a good place to visit. And managed to get 19 bottles of wine and one of ouzo back home....

Looks as if the Church has given itself three years to split ; at least, it better had, or I shall be leaving. ECUSA and Canada need to be standing firm and those of us who agree with them can coalesce around their approach - let the fundies get on with it. It may appeal to pre-modern societies which need their own enlightenment, but thankfully, not here.

No doubt Africa will begin its annual whinge about trade and poverty soon - nothing to do, of course, with their own corruption or inefficiency!

As for Rowan Williams - at one time I respected him, but I have reached the conclusion that he is a spineless , weak man, with no principles other than self-preservation and the maintainance of an organisation that deserves to be put out of its misery - only that way can something better emerge. Its quite difficult not to end up despising the Church and all it stands for. Frankly,its where I am now - but I shall stay around whilst change is still required.

My PhD viva set for April 22nd....