Fluffy bunny-dom was never my thing, but I seem to have given people the impression that I make Marcus Brigstocke look like a happy, cheerful person, so I will try very hard NOT to appear furious in today's post.
But WHAT THE HELL am I meant to say about Scooch? I mean, come on?? This utterly talentless troop of jokers win our ESC selection with an act that's already been tried, a song so mindless that a two year old could have written it, and to cap it all the BBC cock up the broadcast. You couldn't make it up.
As for the Budget, I never feel I have a lot to say. Our joint earnings put us well into the higher earner bracket and I tend to think that we will never really be affected by any Budget. Is that right? Theoretically, no, but its not going to change - because no party can win an election on the votes of the poor.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Sexual Orientation Regulations passed in Parliament
Excellent news - the Sexual orientation regulations have been passed and become law in April.
As you can imagine, the conservative Christians are absolutely apoplectic about it. They simply don't get that things have moved on and that their ludicrous beliefs and prejudices no longer mean much to the vast majority of people. It was amusing to note that the issue was hardly covered on the news at all once the decision had been made - to listen to that lot you would think the world had ended.
Naturally, Vatican plc are still whingeing on about keeping their adoption agencies open and how they may have to close. Well, they have a simple choice. They stop discriminating. Or they close. No problem there. They wouldn't be missed, anyway - plenty of other agencies could take on their role.
The other piece of interesting church related news is that the American Episcopal Church has told Williams the Spineless to get stuffed and that they wonlt be playing his little game. Its about time someone in the church actually displayed a bit of principle - now, where are the so-called liberal Bishops in the UK, who should be speaking out in favour of the US stance and making it clear that they stand with them, not with Nigeria and puppy-dog Williams the Coward.
Changing Attitude seem to have gone very quiet, too - perhaps because they recognise their strategy has failed and they too are going to have to make some hard choices.
As you can imagine, the conservative Christians are absolutely apoplectic about it. They simply don't get that things have moved on and that their ludicrous beliefs and prejudices no longer mean much to the vast majority of people. It was amusing to note that the issue was hardly covered on the news at all once the decision had been made - to listen to that lot you would think the world had ended.
Naturally, Vatican plc are still whingeing on about keeping their adoption agencies open and how they may have to close. Well, they have a simple choice. They stop discriminating. Or they close. No problem there. They wouldn't be missed, anyway - plenty of other agencies could take on their role.
The other piece of interesting church related news is that the American Episcopal Church has told Williams the Spineless to get stuffed and that they wonlt be playing his little game. Its about time someone in the church actually displayed a bit of principle - now, where are the so-called liberal Bishops in the UK, who should be speaking out in favour of the US stance and making it clear that they stand with them, not with Nigeria and puppy-dog Williams the Coward.
Changing Attitude seem to have gone very quiet, too - perhaps because they recognise their strategy has failed and they too are going to have to make some hard choices.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Ist anniversary
We celebrated our first official anniversary the weekend before last - returning to the boutique hotel where we had the ceremony for a meal. We were offered free champagne and it was a lovely evening. Its good that we are now recognised. A lot of people have askewd me if it feels any different now its official. i suppose the answer is, not really, as we were always committed to each other in any case, but its good to know that we aren't second class citizens any longer. As I recall US comedian Scott Capurro say - closets are for clothes.
The Goods and Services regulations have been announced and are broadly as expected. The religious homophobes will be allowed to discriminate within their temples of prejudice, but as i don;t frequent them any longer, that's not a problem.
Funny how these things work out.I think there's a typical pattern
1. Government announces gay rights legal reforms to bring equality for gay and lesbian people
2. Conservative Christian groups oppose changes, usually saying that they 'do not support discrimination' in the case of the more wishy-washy of them. Various outlandish suggestions are made as to the outcomes of this legislation
3. Government passes the legal changes
4. The world carries on, and none of the outcomes follow through
5. Everyone else gets on with life and conservative Christians continue to fulminate. Only their words appear ever more hollow and hysterical because few care about their obsessions.
I'm sure this will be the same.
The ESC is still to choose just two songs, one of which is the UK> When thats chosen I will probably put together a review of the contest again.
Seems as if the political parties are falling over themselves to be greener than thou. But isn't it the classic NIMBY issue? Just about any suggestion which actually involves any sacrifice - road pricing, for example - will be met with a cry of protest. Being green costs, and I'm not convinced that people really want to pay.
I'm really going to make an effort to blog more often.I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't talk about work - nothing more boring than blogs which moan about their workplace - but I realise this has meant a scanty number of posts since I've never got into a pattern of regular blogging. Today ; we went over to Harrogate to see a friend of David's and his wife who are soon to be spending two years on the Falkland Islands. Certainly not doing things by halves. I'm sure it will be an adventure, but I'm not sure I could handle the isolation or lack of privacy.
The Goods and Services regulations have been announced and are broadly as expected. The religious homophobes will be allowed to discriminate within their temples of prejudice, but as i don;t frequent them any longer, that's not a problem.
Funny how these things work out.I think there's a typical pattern
1. Government announces gay rights legal reforms to bring equality for gay and lesbian people
2. Conservative Christian groups oppose changes, usually saying that they 'do not support discrimination' in the case of the more wishy-washy of them. Various outlandish suggestions are made as to the outcomes of this legislation
3. Government passes the legal changes
4. The world carries on, and none of the outcomes follow through
5. Everyone else gets on with life and conservative Christians continue to fulminate. Only their words appear ever more hollow and hysterical because few care about their obsessions.
I'm sure this will be the same.
The ESC is still to choose just two songs, one of which is the UK> When thats chosen I will probably put together a review of the contest again.
Seems as if the political parties are falling over themselves to be greener than thou. But isn't it the classic NIMBY issue? Just about any suggestion which actually involves any sacrifice - road pricing, for example - will be met with a cry of protest. Being green costs, and I'm not convinced that people really want to pay.
I'm really going to make an effort to blog more often.I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't talk about work - nothing more boring than blogs which moan about their workplace - but I realise this has meant a scanty number of posts since I've never got into a pattern of regular blogging. Today ; we went over to Harrogate to see a friend of David's and his wife who are soon to be spending two years on the Falkland Islands. Certainly not doing things by halves. I'm sure it will be an adventure, but I'm not sure I could handle the isolation or lack of privacy.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Its that season again....
Eurovision season, of course!
I am preparing to write full reviews of all the songs in time, but so far this year, it is proving to be a little strange. There have been some good songs selected over the past few days, but there are also some absolute horrors. Most of all Israel's entry. Supposedly a satire, but how can Israel of all countries satirise nuclear weaponry??
As for the UK, we have six songs to choose from, three are good, two OK- and one diabolical.
I am preparing to write full reviews of all the songs in time, but so far this year, it is proving to be a little strange. There have been some good songs selected over the past few days, but there are also some absolute horrors. Most of all Israel's entry. Supposedly a satire, but how can Israel of all countries satirise nuclear weaponry??
As for the UK, we have six songs to choose from, three are good, two OK- and one diabolical.
The latest from the Church
I hate to say 'I told you so'
But I did.
It has been obvious to me that the Church is deeply and thoroughly homophobic. It is no good trying to make excuses or trying to pretend that things are any different.
What we now have is a simple choice. Either you can support gay and lesbian equality. Or you can leave the church. But trying to do both together is simply giving succour to an organisation which has had chances to change but has resolutely resisted such change.
The other question which i think requires attention is, quite simply, does Christianity really add up? Or has its good points been fatally and permanently outweighed by its prejudices?
But I did.
It has been obvious to me that the Church is deeply and thoroughly homophobic. It is no good trying to make excuses or trying to pretend that things are any different.
What we now have is a simple choice. Either you can support gay and lesbian equality. Or you can leave the church. But trying to do both together is simply giving succour to an organisation which has had chances to change but has resolutely resisted such change.
The other question which i think requires attention is, quite simply, does Christianity really add up? Or has its good points been fatally and permanently outweighed by its prejudices?
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