A letter from John O’Farrell candidate Eastleigh by-election

DIDN’T HE DO WELL AND HE HAS, NO DOUBT, GOT FURTHER COMEDY MATERIAL TO SHARE.

However he says he will not stand for election in 2015.

I think I can be more effective with the freedoms that not being a traditional politician provides.News for john o’farrell eastleigh

John used to be a member of Battersea Labour party and joined the Battersea Singers when we did gigs at conference when he would read an excerpt from Things can only get better.

Whilst Alf Dubs was our  MP John worked in his office and was a Labour activist in Battersea. O’Farrell described in his book (Things can only get better) the events leading up to Dubs’ shock defeat by the Tories at the 1987 election.

The excerpt John read was his election as Queenstown Ward Secretarty. He had been very flattered to have been asked to be Vice Chair. He said ‘Looking back I didn’t realise my self-confidence had been that low’….’It is not possible to go to a Labour party Annual general medeting and not agree to take on a job for the rest of the year’…..’When Battersea Labour Party had a new banner made I remember feeling faintly smug that the skyline dfeoicted landmarks tht were all in my little ward:the Power Station, the peace Pagoda and Dog’s Home. I even thought the trees must be from Battersea park!….When I became secretary of Queenstown we were the proud owners of two Labour Councillors, a Labour MP, a Labour GLC Councillor and a Labour ILEA Councillor. By the time I resigned four years later the the Tories had won these seats or abolished them.’

BATTERSEA LABOUR PARTY BANNER

 

 

 

In the Guardian today 1st March John wrote: I did warn the Labour party that I generally lose elections. I wrote a whole book about it; losing elections is my unique selling point. But still there seemed to be some enthusiasm around the idea of me being the Labour candidate for the most important byelection since Birgitte Nyborg won Borgen South.

I also got this email from him which was nice.

Dear Jeanne,

Before I get into an analysis of the result in Eastleigh let me say thank you.  Your support has made this campaign a joyful experience for me from start to finish.  Through freezing cold weather and rain hundreds of activists joined me on the doorstep, where we spoke to over 20,000 voters.

Not bad for such a short campaign – so thank you to all of you for your hard work, generosity and commitment, and your support.

Now to the result.  I came fourth, but I wasn’t the biggest loser last night.  That honour isn’t held by the candidate from the ‘Elvis Loves Pets Party’ either.

This was one of David Cameron’s top target seats – a key part of the Tory plan to get an overall majority at the next election – so they threw the kitchen sink at it.  And they didn’t just lose, they came third behind UKIP.

For our part this was always going to be a tough seat – we’ve never won Eastleigh before, receiving only 9.6% of the vote in 2010.  Our share of the vote did increase, but ultimately it seems voters had one aim in mind: telling David Cameron’s Tories where to go.

But still, we’re making progress.  Winning Corby back in November showed this.  Success in 2015 for Labour will achieved by applying the energy, organisation and lessons learned from tough seats like Eastleigh in our 106 winnable ‘battleground seats’ (Eastleigh would come in at 258 on that list).

When I think about how much we built in just over 20 days, I feel confident about what we can do in the future, and how many people we can talk to over the next two years.

So, to members like you – who rang voters, travelled to Eastleigh, donated to the campaign, knocked on doors and the rest – thank you, and keep going.

John O’Farrell

CHRISTENED misuse in the Guardian – again

I am still picking up these misuses of the word CHRISTEN in the Guardian.

This is what their advice states: christened, christening only when referring to a Christian baptism: don’t talk about a boat being christened or a football club christening a new stadium; named is fine

Here are some older ones

1)  The next one on 4th August  appeared in Monkey Business by Catherine Shoard which mentions an ‘orphaned chimp christened Caesar’.

2)  26th September in G2 by Imogen Fox about animal print cocktail jeans tells us that ‘a cabal of fashion experts has deliciously christened cocktail jeans’

3)  Another on 4th November commited by Marina Hyde  “Do you remember Alex James’s festival, which Lost in Showbiz christened Worstival”

Email to David Marsh the style editor of the Guardian/Obeserver 16-02 2013

Here is another CHRISTENED from the weekend magazine article Rock Chic on Pixie Geldof ” she and her sister Peaches where christened the Boomtown  Brats”

Honestly, I do not read the Guardian just to find them – they jump out at me.

Room 101 Plastic flowers greenery

I hate plastic flowers/greenery anywhere and would consign them to room 101.

      

I do hate the artificial box balls that people on our road have in their window boxes.

I think that crematoria should ban plastic flowers/greenery. Some Councils have banned them in their crematoria.

Derby City Council.

Silk Flowers, vases, wind chimes, candles, toys or ornaments are not allowed in any part of the grounds. These will be removed and disposed of without prior notice by us.

Grimsby Crematorium

Unfortunately some items that have been placed at the crematorium including CD holders, cards pinned in trees, wine glasses, empty cans of beer, candles, cuddly toys, wind chimes and balloons are not appropriate.

‘The majority of people want the crematorium and memorial gardens to be a quiet and appropriate place to remember their loved ones. Fresh plants and flowers are acceptable on the crematorium grounds.

‘All other items will be removed as they can often pose a health and safety risk and conflict with the majority of the crematorium users.’

THE DAILY MAIL The rules have outraged mourners who claim people should be allowed to grieve in their own way and point out many cannot afford to place fresh flowers on a plot every week.

Cemeteries and Crematoria Rules

Kerbs, railings and fences of any kind are not permitted. Plastic flowers are liable to damage and disappearance during windy weather.

 

MORTLAKE CREMATORIUM

The Board does however respectfully request that no items of a permanent nature be left, for example, photographs, vases, artificial flowers and wind-chimes.

MORTLAKE – isn’t it a great name for a crematorium. It is very busy and popular as it is by the river.

 

Here is a wreath at Charlie Richardson’s funeral at Honor Oak.

240DC’ is said to be a chilling reference to Charlie’s preferred torture method: electricity

 

Flowers/wreaths at his grave.

Of course, I think that there is an unhealthy attachment to graves and cemeteries. They are not the place to remember your loved ones. The increase in them in the last few years is still perceived as the Diana memorial effect.

This attachement to a grave, the feeling that they ought to tend to it and visit regularly does not help people with their bereavement. People can do their own shrines at home and should accept that cemeteries and crematorium are public property and that they have NOT  bought a bit of real estate for their own use.  It is NOT an allotment alternative either although they are very expensive.

Humanist celebrants demand parity with religious to be wedding registrars as amendement to Same-Sex Marriage Bill

It is great that the same-sex marriage bill is on its way. However, I now find that that the institution of marriage that is so approved of by Tories is  SUSPECT and that we will now have to campaign to have all  marriages replaced by civil partnerships!! That’s another story – in Irish Sin sceal eile.

Here is a letter I have sent to Jane Ellison our MP about the the amendments put down by the British Humanist Association through Stephen Williams MP to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill which had its second reading in the Commons on Tuesday. The amendments as written are not only to allow Humanist Celebrants to conduct same sex marriages but to legalise Humanist marriages across the board. We are delighted that they have been accepted by the Clerk in this form. The BHA is happy to say that they will be meeting the government minister responsible for marriage law Helen Grant to make our case.

Dear Jane,

As you know I am a humanist wedding celebrant accredited by the British Humanist Association (BHA) and I have been conducting weddings, gay and heterosexual, for the past 16 years. (Incidentally, since the law changed allowing marriage registration in registered venues the costs shot  up and I would advise couples to avoid such venues as we can hold our ceremonies anywhere, anytime!)

The BHA is currently arguing that humanists celebrants should be allowed to perform legal same-sex marriages as part of the Same-Sex Marriage Bill and more widely, that humanist marriages for opposite sex couples should also be made legal. Stephen Williams MP has tabled an amendment to the Bill to achieve this.

That this is only fair, since humanist celebrants have been conducting same sex weddings for decades, so why should our religious counterparts now get the power to do it legally but not us?

In Scotland, as part of its implementation of same sex marriages, the Scottish government is legalising same sex humanist marriages so why not in England and Wales? Since humanist marriages were legalised in Scotland they have rocketed in number and last year overtook Catholic marriages in number. They are clearly wanted by couples.

The BHA will shortly be meeting with Helen Grant, as the responsible minister, and I would be grateful if you would send your support for our position on to Helen Grant and also support any future amendments to the bill in favour of legalising humanist marriages.

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was pleased with the response from Jane and forwarded on to Andrew Copson.

Dear Ms Rathbone

Thank you for your email to Jane about same-sex humanist marriages.

Jane appreciates your interest in this issue. You may be aware that Jane has been placed on the Committee scrutinising the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. She is, therefore, well-placed to raise your concerns on this matter directly with Ministers at Committee, and has asked me to let you know that she will do so at the appropriate opportunity.

I hope that this is helpful.

Kind regards

 

Jack Giddings

Caseworker to Jane Ellison MP

Battersea, Balham & Wandsworth

The terrible Ten Commandments.

Young Robert, who is an Irish student blogger,  says it all so well  on the 10 Commandments and his better alternative A Better 10 Commandments. I thought I would share it with you all.

The rules of Christianity are based upon the Ten Commandments. It is from here that religious law and morality is drawn. Many Christians call for laws to be based on the 10 Commandments. However, as major guiding principles, they are atrocious. Half of them are pointless and the other half are either too obvious to be mentioned or not crucial moral guiders. They are just as flawed as for what they do not talk about, being silent on racism, sexism, slavery, tyranny, the list goes on. It is hard to find a more flawed moral code than the 10 commandments.

(There is some debate over what actually are the 10 Commandments. In the Bible they aren’t number so it’s not clear where one commandment ends and the next begins. There is a slight difference between Catholic and Protestant versions, with Catholics combining the first two into one and splitting the last one into two. The 10 Commandments as traditionally known as fond in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, but there is an alternative 10 in Exodus 34. However the alternatives are daft and nonsensical so it’s no surprise they are ignored.)

1.       Thou shalt not have other Gods before me

This is effectively religious suppression. Were we to base our laws on the First Commandment, then no religions but Christianity would be allowed. This is the logic of the Taliban. Instead of promoting diversity, the 1^st Commandment is sectarian and narrow minded. Ever hear of freedom of conscience? This is the complete opposite of our most cherished freedom, freedom of thought. Instead of telling us to think for ourselves, we are commanded that we must worship whether we like it or not. This is why no constitution can ever be based upon the Ten Commandments, it violates our number one human right, freedom of thought.

(Finally isn’t it extremely vain and petty that God’s first rule for mankind is all about himself?)

2.       Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth, Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

What is the point of this? This is the most ridiculous commandment possible. Instead of teaching humanity important lessons for future generations that will make the world a better a place, he is focusing on this drivel. What is a graven image and what’s wrong with it? Do you not think this commandment would have been better used to condemn racism or slavery, or anything that causes harm to humanity instead of this nonsense? It is also the longest and most detailed commandment, which seems a waste of space, considering how little detail is given for murder and stealing, you know the commandments that actually matter.

Graven image is often interpreted to mean statues, though there is debate and it could mean pictures too. Seeing as the Catholic Church is full of religious statues and many Catholics have holy pictures, aren’t they violating this commandment? Which according to God, is on the same level as murder (if not more important as it is listed first).

But this commandment outlaws all statues that resemble anything on Earth, so Christians should not permit any statues, or even photos. The worst part is the absurd punishment. Apparently God is a “Jealous God” so not only will we be punished, but so will our descendants to the third and fourth generation! What sort of atrocious law punishes people for crimes that not only did they not commit but occurred before they were even born? How they will be punished is not explained or why, or even what harm is done. Again this is Taliban style fanaticism and narrow mindedness.

3.       Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain

This commandment isn’t entirely clear, is it simply cursing God that’s prohibited, or it saying things like “God damn!” or exclaiming “Jesus!”? Also why is this important? These are supposed to be moral codes for all humanity for all eternity, why are you wasting time on this nonsense?

Many people treat these commandments are absurd nonsense, but they have a sinister side. This commandment prohibits free speech. It declares you cannot criticise God, as though he a celestial dictator of whom no complaint is allowed. The freedom of speech is measured by the freedom to criticise, if we cannot criticise, then we cannot speak freely. The 3^rd commandment is a clear violation of our human rights. This is particularly relevant in Ireland where in 2009 the government introduced blasphemy laws for reasons that were known only to themselves.

4.       Keep holy the Sabbath day

Why? It is not clear how the Sabbath should be kept holy, are you not allowed to do anything (like fundamentalists believe) or is it just work that is prohibited? Seeing as this rule is being widely violated nowadays, will everyone who works on Sunday be punished in the afterlife? Perhaps on the same level as thieves? What day is the Sabbath, Saturday or Sunday?

Again this is a pointless restriction on our lives. God is like a cruel master who enjoys making our lives difficult, not because it helps him, but because he can. The Bible records the story of a man who collected sticks on the Sabbath. He was stoned to death for violating the 4^th Commandment. Every religion has its own Taliban, not just Islam.

5.       Honour thy father and mother

This is hardly an offensive rule, but does it really deserve to be included in the top 10 rules for humanity? Don’t children honour their parents anyway; is it really necessary to make it a commandment? What about in the cases of abusive parents? In case you were wondering the penalty for not obeying this law is death (would it be anything else?). Is it just me, or is executing children for not obeying their parents (in other words acting childish) the most revolting thing you’ve heard today? (Apart from the other commandments)

6.       Thou shalt not kill

The first genuinely good commandment. We can all agree that killing is wrong and should be prohibited. The only question is why all those other nonsense commandments were ahead of this one on the list. Why are they even on the same level as killing someone? It is also a law that could hardly be considered divinely inspired as pretty much every society has been able to figure out by themselves that murder is wrong.

Unfortunately, there is no detail about this commandment. Despite spending several chapters describing the tent the commandments are to be held in, only a single line is spent on this important rule. God apparently didn’t think the most important rules for humanity deserved much time or elaboration. Thus there is debate over whether it is killing or murder that is prohibited. Is killing in self-defence justified? What about war? Manslaughter? These are important issues, but more space is given to describing prohibitions of graven images.

7.       Thou shalt not commit adultery

What’s wrong with adultery? Sure it hurts the partner who is being cheated on, but what if the relationship is in serious trouble and the person has a good reason? Why is it anyone else’s business? What right do priests have to go nosing into other people’s sex lives? The punishment of death is widely disproportionate and something only the Taliban would enforce.

8.       Thou shalt not steal

This is another good rule. We can all agree that stealing is wrong, it’s so obvious a point that people had figured it out by themselves before the 10 Commandments. Unfortunately, no details are given so it isn’t clear what happens to people who are forced to steal. The starving for example. Or imagine I have been kidnapped but I can escape by stealing the kidnapper’s car. Am I allowed to do this or is this prohibited?

9.       Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour

This is arguably the best commandment. Not only does it prohibit lying, but it gives details. It is not just lying that is condemned by specifically lying that hurts other people. After all, we all tell white lies, but it is false accusations and perjury that are prohibited. This is the level of sophistication and common sense that is lacking in the other commandments.

10.   Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbour’s.

Several problems with this one. First of all greed and envy are inevitable and unavoidable, prohibiting them is like prohibiting farts. It’s going to happen whether you like it or not. Many argue that greed is actually a good thing and should be encouraged not banned. It is argued that greed is the driving force of capitalism and the main reason we do anything. Some say if we did not envy successful  people, we would have no motivation to improve our lives.

Secondly, it prohibits envying any of your neighbour’s property, including their wife. This is blatant sexism which views women as property like an ox. They belong to men and have no say of their own. It also describes servants as belonging to the master, which indicts they are slaves (they is a lot of debate on this, but I feel it reasonable to view this as including slavery). So God sees slavery decides not to condemn but only condemn envy of your neighbour’s slaves. And we call this God loving and just?

Thirdly, it punishes thought crime. Unlike the other commandments which focus on actions, this one deals with thoughts. It is an attempt at mind control. It isn’t enough to condemn teft and adultery, thinking about them must also be condemned. Totalitarian dictators tried to control every aspect of their subjects lives, but they never got inside their minds. Their thoughts were the one place where they could be free. However, religion tries to control even that.

———————————————————————————————-

So there is the Ten Commandments, a bunch of irrelevant, immoral, vague and simplistic rules that have done more harm than good. It is hard for anyone to look at them and believe that an all-powerful creator of the universe designed them, even I could come up with better rules and I’m a 21 year old student. In fact, I might just do that . . . .

So, could I but I couldn’t be arsed and ten wouldn’t be enough.

Silver Action Tate Modern event on older women activists

I went to Silver Action on Sunday 3rd February 2013 at TATE MODERN. I was disappointed at the lack of publicity and being unable to hear the women speak. It seemed ironic that we could’nt hear the older women speak and it seemed like a deliberate attempt to exemplify how older women voices are not heard as the theme was about women’s activism when we were younger and not about our actions NOW!!

I read about it in the Guardian and noticed that my friend Ann Rossiter was mentioned. Ann is a dedicated and dogged campaigner especially in the long campaign for abortion/women’s fertility rights for Irish women in the, north, south and east and west of Ireland. Ann was at a table of seven women which included Valerie Wise who is NOT  yet sixty but who became chair of the GLC Women’s committe and represented Battersea south.

Tate Modern’s women’s liberation army | Art and design | The …

Sitting at card tables in groups of four, the women will discuss what first spurred them to become politically active, and what still drives them now. Audiences, moving around the tables, will be able to listen in or read transcripts of the conversations, blogged and tweeted as they speak, and projected on to the walls. In another area, dubbed the “kitchen table”, eight of Britain’s most prominent feminist thinkers – including Irish abortion campaigner Ann Rossiter, and Gillian Hanna, actor and co-founder of feminist theatre company The Monstrous Regiment – will discuss their thoughts about women’s activism, its legacy and its future.

Hundreds of women over the age of sixty converged on The Tanks at Tate Modern to participate in Suzanne Lacy’s new participatory artwork, Silver Action, a live and unscripted performance of staged conversations. Women from across the UK who took part in significant activist movements and protests from the 1950s to 80s have been invited to share their personal stories in a series of workshops, culminating in this day-long public performance.

Diverse groups of women will discuss their experiences and the impact and results of their actions and live documentation of the conversations – film, social media and text – will be projected on to the walls of The Tanks and out into the digital world through the Twitter tag #silveraction.

Silver Action explores current themes in social and political discourse and the role of personal commitment in influencing the public agenda through the activist histories of British women, many of whom are now in, or entering, old age and facing new challenges. It champions the inclusion and social relevance of older women and offers new ways of looking at the ageing experience and the role of women in social transformation.

Here is the email I sent to TATE Members

I want to complain about the lack of publicity to members about the Silver Action event on Sunday 3rd.  Had I known about it I would have wanted to participate. Perhaps you need to do a follow up one for your women members who were activists either in conjucnction with the event or separately.
I do not no yet what I think of it because, like most people there, I could scarcely hear any of the speakers. Some of us remarked how older women’s voices are not heard and this exemplified it!

Age of Creativity | Suzanne Lacy – Silver Action – Participatory …

GREENHAM COMMON PROTEST

SUZANNE LACEY : ‘Equally important is the impact of the project on the women participants: how questions are raised and the conversation is nurtured within public life. We start with Silver Action on 3 February, and we continue to build this conversation Southbank Centre’s Women of the World Conference and with the Sussex University and British Library’s Sisterhood and After: The Women’s Liberation Oral History Project. Stay tuned for more.

Here is a revealing tweetmiriam drysdale ‏@miriamclare @RuthHecht we , the oldies, weren’t allowed to tweet at the event. That was done by the young girls at each table! Lol #silveraction

DESPITE ALL I DID ENJOY THE DAY AND I HOPE THERE WILL BE PLENTY MORE ON OLDER WOMEN ACTIVISTS.

The world fits neatly into a chicken.

I loved this image tweeted by Paul Blanchard.  It proves to me that the origins of the world are female and it really doesn’t matter whether chicken or egg came first.

 

 

My room 101 item NET CURTAINS

I thought it was time I started my own ROOM IOI. This will require some googling research. It is quite fascinating when you pick on a topic and find that it belongs in its own microworld.

First up NET CURTAINS. I hate them or, at least, dislike them – them and the privet hedge, it’s close relative

This is from m Mr  Net Curtains History of Net Curtains

The History Of Net Curtains – How Fred Flintstone Covered His Window

Privacy was as important in the 1700s as it is now. So was class. Back then, the only way for people to know what was going on somewhere was to take a good like inside through their windows. Somewhere along the line, people realised that windows needed covers, and rags just wouldn’t do. The answer to their dilemma? Net Curtains. These intricately woven laces are different from the usual curtains because they act as mirror glasses. Nobody could steal a glance into your world while you would have been sitting right at the window, enjoying the scene outside. Net Curtains also optimised the amount of sunlight entering the rooms and blocked UV rays. Clever mechanism and breathtakingly beautiful design. It isn’t any wonder that this embellishment has grown in popularity ever since.

One telling difference between the kind of Net Curtains Fred Flintstone might have had and the kind that most people have now is that during earlier days, Net Curtains used to be made out of wool, cotton or silk. Today, most Net Curtains are made out of polyester. This synthetic material retains the exquisite look of silk but costs much lesser. Thanks to technological advancement, you don’t have to pay a fortune to enjoy beauty. This is not to say that you will have difficulty in finding silk or cotton curtains in these times. Net Curtains, then and now, have always been in vogue. Whether you live in a palatial mansion or a modest apartment, Net Curtains are sure to give your windows the looks they deserve.

If carefully chosen and arranged; Net Curtains can give your room that touch of elegance. In the early days, regal designs and conservative perspectives were desired. Today, while still giving your windows an English appearance, modern blueprints have been incorporated into the styling of curtains. Some like it old fashioned and some prefer deceptively lucid compositions. What can we say, curtains are versatile objects! Essentially, there are three kinds of Net Curtains – The Voile, Jardiniere and Cafe curtains.

Voile curtains are great if you have large windows and you need full length covers. These have rich patterns that are elaborately weaved. You can choose to have them embroidered but normally Voile curtains are plain and can be easily suited to your walls and carpets for this very reason. Voiles are made of wool and they’re semi transparent. They’re available in a multitude of colours and patterns.

Jardinieres are full length curtains too but they have an arch at the end. This allows you to look outside but not much of what’s on your side can be seen. This means you can still enjoy your privacy while allowing the morning sun to shine into your room. Jardinieres are lovely curtains to look at and anyone will appreciate the beautiful ambiance it provides to your room.

 

 

 

 

Cafe curtains are cheaper and they only cover the lower half of your window. They’re great for kitchens and if you use the right kind of poles, they can look particularly stunning. People often mix and match cafe curtains on the top and the bottom half of the windows so a stream of light enters the room through the middle. If you want to experiment with styles and shades, cafe curtains will match your needs perfectly.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever they say and curtains are one of the most beautiful aspects of home interiors. Bare windows make an otherwise good looking environment look dull. Years and years of sure growth alone bear testimony to the fact that Net Curtains are an integral part of home decor and so it will be for years to come.

 

 

 

 

Jardinieres are full length curtains too but they have an arch at the end. This allows you to look outside but not much of what’s on your side can be seen. This means you can still enjoy your privacy while allowing the morning sun to shine into your room. Jardinieres are lovely curtains to look at and anyone will appreciate the beautiful ambiance it provides to your room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to Express Nets website:  The History of Net Curtains

During the Industrial Revolution the UK was one of the main producers of fabrics and net curtains in the world but in recent years fabric production has moved to the Far East and some parts of Europe due to the cost of the UK labour market.

It is sad to say but it is very unlikely that the UK will ever regain its place as a major exporter of fabric and textiles.

Why Net Curtains?

Net curtains are used to soften the look of a room and give it a warm comforting feeling. They are also very useful for keeping out prying eyes and keeping our belongings out of site. It is believed that crime rates rise and fall with the popularity of Net Curtains.

THEY WOULD SAY THAT, WOULDN’T THEY?

This is from The Independent By Charles Nevin Minor British Institutions: Net curtains – This Britain – UK – The …

Minor British Institutions: Net curtains

You will not be surprised to learn that the net curtain is a British, or, specifically, English device, as it allows examination of the outside world without permitting introspection.

The net spread with the rising urban middle classes, who began to worry that their betters might sneer at their interiors and their inferiors might steal from them.

Originally made of lace, the introduction of light polyester nets increased opportunities for hidden observing, and the net assumed its role as a cipher for suburbia and its supposed narrowness and nosiness. Now it is rarely met without its default adjective, “twitching”, emphasising that it’s seen mostly as a means of prying rather than protecting.

Its more organised consequence, Neighbourhood Watch, hasn’t attracted the same opprobrium. The upper classes prefer shutters. Continentals, who largely operate an open-curtain policy, are puzzled by all this obscurantism. But then they, palpably, are not British.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guardian uses CHRISTENED instead of named, yet again

My bete noir of  misusing the word CHRISTENED occured, yet again, in THE GUARDIAN, despite their own style guide.

• christened, christening

  only when referring to a Christian baptism: don’t talk about a boat being christened or a football club christening a new stadium; named is fine

Today 28th January 2013 Andy Beckett’s piece  trangressed this once again.

A user’s guide to artspeak

Why do so many galleries use such pompous, overblown prose to describe their exhibits? Well, there’s now a name for it: International Art English. And you have to speak it to get on. Andy Beckett enters the world of waffle

Surely no one sensible takes this jargon seriously?David Levine and Alix Rule do. “Art English is something that everyone in the art world bitches about all the time,” says Levine, a 42-year-old American artist based in New York and Berlin. “But we all use it.”…

They christened it International Art English, or IAE, and concluded that its purest form was the gallery press release

I will be attending our local Wandsworth SACRE meeting tonight. It is thankless and weird being a Humanist on the Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education. It is a ridiculous situation whereby RE is not included in the National curriculum but the syllabus  is decided locally – hence the committee where I am in the company of religious supernaturalists.

Quirky art

I thought I would tidy up some photos and scan them and keep them here! Some photos I have taken and not identified them.  I still don’t know how to deal with the technicalities of uploading and and giving them captions so you have to do your own matching.

TAKEN IN KINGSTON

A last supper with Mary Magdalene in a museum in Mexico.

My coat on a statue in front of the Festival Hall.