De-blog

Well, here I am, sitting at my computer and for the first time in months I have absolutely nothing to do; at least, there are no work-related tasks requiring my immediate attention. It really is that most wonderful time of the year. So Jesus then, or the general gist of the story I have learned over the years: Casting aside all supernatural aspects for one moment (which is not to say that these things did not happen), we have the story of a young woman who found that she was pregnant outside of 'wedlock'. Her public acknowledgement of this (with or without visits from angels) is impressive and suggests a possible explanation for why Jesus was born a revolutionary / Messiah, depending on your belief system. However, in retrospect it is no giant leap of the imagination to recall all the indications of childhood that led to the assassination of a man who spoke out against the dominant, toxic culture. Had Karl Marx (has anyone else noticed he looked like Santa Claus?) been as su...

According to a message in my Facebook inbox, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month . I'm not quite sure what this means, other than that I am expected to contribute to this raising of awareness by updating my status to reflect the location of my handbag thusly: "I like it [insert location of handbag here]". Last year's event saw women posting just the colour of their bra as a status update, the general idea being to arouse curiosity amongst one's Facebook friends, who then ask what it's all about. I may be wrong, but I think the instruction was to tell female friends to follow suit, but keep the whole thing secret from the men-folk. Evidently men have no need to be aware of breast cancer: according to Cancer Research UK, they make up less than 1% of new cases in the UK [1] , perhaps a sufficiently small minority to be largely ignored in terms of risk of developing breast cancer. Yet the same data set reveals that in 2007 there were more than 45,000 new ca...

Created 8th November 2009 If the title of this posting reads as a list that lacks a certain creative edge, it's deliberately so. The three issues are hardly related, but have developed their own connections in my mind over the past few days, taking on the usual narrative life of their own that pre-empts a far too occasional blog rant. An alternative entitled "Don't Watch This At Home" battled its way to the fore once or twice, but the constructive emotional impetus was insufficient. By this I attempt to draw the reader's attention to my acceptance that the postings one can read here are often driven by negative emotional states - depression, anger, frustration, confusion, disappointment and so on - but with the intention of honing in on the positive energies that such emotions can affect. Thus, the subject matter of puppy mills and Cesar Milan's recently screened episode of The Dog Whisperer highlighting the despicable conditions that dogs endure in the...

Created 23rd June 2009 There are times, even at my increasingly ripe age, that it is not the lessons we learn via discovery that are the greatest, but those that are bestowed as statements of tried and tested fact by others. Their confidence in the rightness of what they advise is sufficient to warrant treating it as such without further redress to dipping one's toe in the water. Thus I present, for my own reflection mostly but also in gratitude for some of these have been life-changing, on some of the wisest words given to me. "Get a drainer" This may well be the most life-changing words ever spoken to me. How can I describe Stella Devine? Intelligent, assured, dignified, honest, cantankerous, awkward, rude - these last three were her own. A retired probation officer, successful single woman, who I had the privilege of assisting in maintaining her lifelong independence. One day I was lamenting the toil that is drying the dishes and, in the way that only Stella h...

Created 27th December 2007 The last episode of 'To The Manor Bowen' was aired yesterday on Living TV, a channel that has been top of my favourites for a couple of years now. My viewing diet is menial and consists almost entirely of Living TV exclusives, including CSI Miami, CSI, Criminal Minds, Boston Legal and occasionally Most Haunted . This will be of no surprise to the channel's programming executives, for I'm certain I am a perfect fit to their audience demography. I've always liked Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen, undoubtedly the most successful celebrity designer of the 1990s and first half of this decade, when Makeover TV was the viewer's choice before it abdicated to dreadful 'reality' programmes and opportunities for everyone to take a bite at the apple of fame. DIY, interior design and gardening hasn't gone away, but no-one wants to watch it 'as it happens' these days. It can't be easy to uphold one's lifestyle in the face o...