June 2009 Archives
At the beginning of the week, I went to see Mark Thomas' show in Aberdeen, with my brother. The premise of the show is that the audience suggests and then votes on ideas that will then be enacted by Mark. A lot of them centre around social justice, though some are a bit absurd. The winner in Aberdeen was that whenever there's a barney kicks off in the House of Commons, the Benny Hill theme is to be played.
Naturally, I had my form filled in and covered a good three weeks before the show, so I'd forgotten about the idea that he mentioned on stage; that civil partnerships should be scrapped in favour of marriage. In other words, those who are legally partnered are either all married or all civilly partnered. Church and state are two very different things, despite what the Christian Party might choose to delude themselves into believing. So I'm toying with the notion of telling people (who ask) that Ken and I are civilly partnered. I suppose it's a form of protest (a very quiet form, unless I can find more people to go along with it) against one for of inequality. There are, of course, others I wish to combat. I'll come up with ideas yet...
In the meantime, from the wiki page about the Christian Party: highlights of their 2007 manifesto.
Naturally, I had my form filled in and covered a good three weeks before the show, so I'd forgotten about the idea that he mentioned on stage; that civil partnerships should be scrapped in favour of marriage. In other words, those who are legally partnered are either all married or all civilly partnered. Church and state are two very different things, despite what the Christian Party might choose to delude themselves into believing. So I'm toying with the notion of telling people (who ask) that Ken and I are civilly partnered. I suppose it's a form of protest (a very quiet form, unless I can find more people to go along with it) against one for of inequality. There are, of course, others I wish to combat. I'll come up with ideas yet...
In the meantime, from the wiki page about the Christian Party: highlights of their 2007 manifesto.
- a proposed referendum on the reinstitution of the death penalty for severe crimes, where two or three witnesses were present at the crime scene and forensic science confirms involvement.
- legislation to ban abortion
- initiatives to bring personal responsibility to bear upon "self-inflicted disease" (such as alcoholism).
- curfews for under 11 year olds, with mandatory intervention of child protection agencies in relation to any child 10 years or younger that is found unaccompanied on the street after 9:00pm.
- greater observance of a weekly day of rest (Sunday).
- re-instatement of Section 2A (also known as Section 28), a law to guard against the promotion of homosexuality
- public health campaigns to discourage homosexuality alongside excessive drinking and the use of addictive substances, whilst maintaining "God loves and we should love" such individuals.
- a re-establishment of the principle of the innocent party in a divorce being acknowledged in any divorce settlement.
- discouragement of the practice of addressing women as Ms.
- opposition of the practice of altering birth certificates to reflect gender confirmation surgery.
- promotion of Biblical alternatives to the current criminal justice system, including emphasis on the role of witnesses over forensic evidence.
- In Wales the party wants to change the Welsh flag, because it views the red dragon as a satanic symbol, they would replace it with the cross of Saint David
Life's changing again. I've just started a new job! Woot! Oxfam have just employed me as store manager for one of their shops. I still get a bit freaked out when I think of myself as a store manager, especially considering the destruction of my self-confidence professionally by the store manager I tried to work with in Lush. But I'm the right person for the job, and there's no reason why I would fail so, yeah. Store Manager Depresso. Squee!!
Besides this, I've set up a new blog, which may yet turn into a group blog, depending on whether people want to or not. Because I have myself at least one obsessive internet stalker that I can't be bothered dealing with, I'm not sharing the URL publicly here, or on twitter. If you'd like to continue to read the political things I write when I get riled up by the news or something, drop me a private line and I might tell you it then. Unless you're the obsessive internet stalker*. Then you're attempts at communication will be shared with my friends, laughed at and then forgotten about. There are better things to do with your life than wonder what one quiet Scots woman is up to at any given moment. My life isn't that interesting, believe me, which why I only post once a week or so. If I'm not at work, I'm playing WoW with Ken. That's really about it, not counting bathroom visits, the occasional bit of housework I do for an elderly friend, the few pages of books I read before falling asleep and the housework. Which reminds me, I really must get a wash on and do the dishes...
The first part of the visa application has been received, so we're on to the 2nd part, the bit where they do their investigations. My criminal record, such as it is, has probably never been scrutinized so much as it has been in the last year or so. By the time the DHS is done, I'll be up to 4 enhanced disclosures in about 14 months. Thankfully, I'm not paying for them all!
If you're wondering about the books I'm trying to read, as mentioned: McLibel by John Vidal; Affluenza by Oliver James; Don't Cry for Me Aberystwyth by Malcolm Pryce. Recommended music: Journal for Plague Lovers by the Manic Street Preachers and certainly not the band playing in the pub garden just now. Currently, two Beatles are turning in their graves... The joys of small town Gala days!
*I'm not making this up; I post maybe once a week, once a fortnight. This person looks at my blog about 3 times a day. The cluster map shows a large red dot indicating who they are...
Besides this, I've set up a new blog, which may yet turn into a group blog, depending on whether people want to or not. Because I have myself at least one obsessive internet stalker that I can't be bothered dealing with, I'm not sharing the URL publicly here, or on twitter. If you'd like to continue to read the political things I write when I get riled up by the news or something, drop me a private line and I might tell you it then. Unless you're the obsessive internet stalker*. Then you're attempts at communication will be shared with my friends, laughed at and then forgotten about. There are better things to do with your life than wonder what one quiet Scots woman is up to at any given moment. My life isn't that interesting, believe me, which why I only post once a week or so. If I'm not at work, I'm playing WoW with Ken. That's really about it, not counting bathroom visits, the occasional bit of housework I do for an elderly friend, the few pages of books I read before falling asleep and the housework. Which reminds me, I really must get a wash on and do the dishes...
The first part of the visa application has been received, so we're on to the 2nd part, the bit where they do their investigations. My criminal record, such as it is, has probably never been scrutinized so much as it has been in the last year or so. By the time the DHS is done, I'll be up to 4 enhanced disclosures in about 14 months. Thankfully, I'm not paying for them all!
If you're wondering about the books I'm trying to read, as mentioned: McLibel by John Vidal; Affluenza by Oliver James; Don't Cry for Me Aberystwyth by Malcolm Pryce. Recommended music: Journal for Plague Lovers by the Manic Street Preachers and certainly not the band playing in the pub garden just now. Currently, two Beatles are turning in their graves... The joys of small town Gala days!
*I'm not making this up; I post maybe once a week, once a fortnight. This person looks at my blog about 3 times a day. The cluster map shows a large red dot indicating who they are...
What the California Milk Board don't tell you is that you can get all the calcium and protein you need without some random guy bringing it to you and without all the needless suffering of all those thousands of cows.
Soya milk!
And it's cheaper than cows' milk, 60p a litre vs 83p for 2 pints.
So, I just voted in the EU elections. Apparently, this is the biggest ever election known to humanity, amongst other things.
Besides the main 4 parties (the SNP, the Lib Dems, Labour and the Tories), the others on the ballot included the BNP, something called the Jury Team and a shower who call themselves the Christian Party. Flicking through the BBC list of parties, it's funny how many mention immigration as being both 'uncontrolled' and 'mass', when really, it's neither of those things. It's not like the UK neighbours a country that's at war with itself...
It will certainly be interesting when the results are announced, given general public disatisfaction with the main parties over their misuse of taxpayers' money in the expenses saga leading to the prevailing idea that the smaller parties will reap the benefits today. Though, worryingly, the BNP seem to think that they'll get more votes, when really, they should be packed off to an uninhabited island (or possibly the North Pole?) and left there until they see the serious errors in their thinking.
If you're wondering, I voted Scottish Greens.
Besides the main 4 parties (the SNP, the Lib Dems, Labour and the Tories), the others on the ballot included the BNP, something called the Jury Team and a shower who call themselves the Christian Party. Flicking through the BBC list of parties, it's funny how many mention immigration as being both 'uncontrolled' and 'mass', when really, it's neither of those things. It's not like the UK neighbours a country that's at war with itself...
It will certainly be interesting when the results are announced, given general public disatisfaction with the main parties over their misuse of taxpayers' money in the expenses saga leading to the prevailing idea that the smaller parties will reap the benefits today. Though, worryingly, the BNP seem to think that they'll get more votes, when really, they should be packed off to an uninhabited island (or possibly the North Pole?) and left there until they see the serious errors in their thinking.
If you're wondering, I voted Scottish Greens.
