The Chaos Of Trouble

And so its April, a time of local election campaigns and where money is suddenly found to do improvements and turn street light back on, providing local council leaders with regular photo opportunities in the local media especially the Swindon Advertiser. Though looking at their dwindling circulation and thinning advertising you wonder how long they'll be around for.

Talking of newspapers The Sunday Times Style Magazine had an article about the pressure women faced to be stick thin and blemish free. Citing the unrealistic portrayals in the media as not helping it went on to mention the work of The Geena Davis Institute whose work to gender stereotypes and the portrayal of female characters in the media, sounds totally worthy of my support.

Unfortunately the section rather undermined this message by on the following page placing an advert for moisturiser featuring two models thoroughly photo-shopped and a feature several pages on headlined how to get on in the office, just had a lot of pretty clothes you could buy instead of something really useful to advance in your career.

As you are probably aware the Home Office has opened up a period of consultation into civil marriage consultation, all the detail's and questions are on the website and if you haven't already I'd encourage you to take a few minutes to respond by the deadline. You can guess my opinions on the matter and my hope that it will resolve the ridiculous position with transsexuals and the spouses post transition.

I stumbled over the fact the Ben & Jerry's ice cream brand have come out in support. It's remarkable that they have managed the feat of maintaining credibility despite being part of the hyper-global-mega-Unilever corp. Some brands can't be controversial while others like Benetton, being the text book example, can. Then there's alliteratively named turf accountants who I wont mention. Enough has been said about the two ads one invited negative stereotypes and mockery of trans people, the other involved the word chav which is generally used by smug Jet types to mock poor people and its use I hope will continue its increasing unacceptability.

And that's it, no exciting adventures just an exchange of witty bonhomie from some teenage girls, a few more grey hairs and to get round to having the chat all over again with my new gp, having moved out of Dr Hairybum's catchment.

So here's Kermit being David Byrne.