Tree up

It's late I'm listening to the cricket from the other side of the world. Shame about the score at the moment. The Christmas tree is finally up! Bit later than most years but I took a few days off recovery more than rest surrounding myself with comfort food and watching series 16 of Doctor Who, Tom Baker in full flow and we say farewell to Sarah Jane, for the moment, yeah my kind of favourite things. Saw the Alan Bennett at 90 documentary which mused on ageing and barely dented his amazing career still very astute observations as ever, definitely worth a look of you have iPlayer access.

One week on

Every time I picked up intending to update I've just fallen asleep. It was one long tiring stressful week where my dopamine levels fell through the floor and I considered buying a big box and sellotaping myself away until March. Thankfully the worst is all over though some marks remain like the latest storm where I'm left wondering was that tree down the road at a nearly 45 degree angle last week. 

Its Blogmas

You thought I'd forgot. Here to brighten your day in this dark and chilly winter month.  

Cat Costume

Halloween time, its foggy which adds a sort of seasonal atmosphere there were lots of children about accompanied by adults in varying degrees of getting in the spirit of things from the bored looking father to the woman in a cat consume.  I've dressed as Hillary Cass accompanied by the screams of all gender variant persons, along with everyone else with common sense. So anyway onwards to November 1 and every retailer that has my mail will be telling me about black Friday and non stop Whamageddon.

Swindon Pride 2024

A few weeks ago I went to Swindon and Wiltshire pride a grey gloomy start but as you can see the sun did eventually come out. It was great to see so many come out and the new location in the Railway Village rather that at the top of the hill in Old Town worked very well.

00s Feminism

So Katy Perrys latest single has gotten a critical mauling and it's hard not to agree. It feels so 2008 but today feels very two thousand and late. It is a very 00s corporate endorsed message which people were told was "feminism" of hey girls your empowered doing mens jobs, as long as your wearing a skimpy outfit and not (to use that horribly common 00s phrase) a munter. Also don't you dare to deviate from the gender binary. 

Overload

Holly Vallance was in the news a few weeks ago and gave kind of gave some right wing talking points Holly's known for for singing for singing over a Turkish pop tune 20 years ago also had another three singles, 2 making the top ten and one of them got to number two hanging around in the chart for 16 weeks and I can't hum a note of it. So anyway she bowed the billionaire and kind of quoted that Churchill thing about. 

"If you're not a liberal at twenty, you have no heart, and if you're not a conservative at forty, you have no brain." This quote is often cited to illustrate the idea that people tend to become more conservative as they grow older. Although like a lot of things Churchill supposedly said he probably never said it at all. If you've been unlucky enough to be able to find the off switch while quote from quote that's been on is something the Nigel Rees has called "Churchillian drift". There are several things like this like the quote about famous quote about America said at all or the one still being ugly in the morning was actually said by someone else at the table. 

The trend of people becoming more conservative as they age is a common observation, but it's not universally true for everyone.  Research suggests that certain life experiences, such as having children or accumulating wealth, can contribute to a shift towards more conservative views. However, individual circumstances, personal values, and societal factors also play significant roles in shaping political beliefs over time. It is worryingly easy for man young people especially men, to drift into some kind of incel alt-right rabbit hole and polling support among under 30's for Trump are regularly around 40%.

Anyway here's some quality 2000'2 pop from Sugababes (version 1.0)

Transgender Day of Visibility

31st of March is Transgender Day of Visibility, a day to celebrate and visibility matters whether that's a character in Doctor Who or just someone being themselves. 

Salisbury

Took the bus down to Salisbury past soggy fields and the towns and villages between Wiltshire's largest settlement and only city. Naturally took in the magnificent cathedral, th after a long bys trip we turned down the chance to the Magna Carta in favor of a coffee and sandwich. The market is also worth a weave through. 

MMXXIV

A happy new year to all. 

No great resolutions other than I must sort out my jewelry box,  be kind to those who deserve it.