Feminism 101

It has become so very obvious in the last 3 days of twitter hassle I have received that the idea of feminism is stuck in the 1950's and the sole territory of masculine women, for want of a nicer way to put it. Well I have news for the next over testosterone's male who wants to pick a fight with a "liberal left who should return to the kitchen and stop whining", yes that's one reply I got. Feminism is not just a title for women, of any inclination, but is open to all sexuality.

To be a feminist, is to return the balance to equal respect for both sexes, it means as much for a man to be a nurse or a nanny as it does for a woman to be a navy cadet or a doctor. My late grandad was a feminist and proud of it. He worked hard all his life  in engineering, and he allowed his wife to continue work after the war as she choose. When she was robbed of her life in 1960 (yes folks pre sexual revolution) he didn't rush out to get another wife, no he raised his two teenage children alone. He found he had skills in needlework and the like that even later in life put me to shame. When he retired he took over the child care of this grand daughter, taught himself how to cook family meals that suddenly had to be fully vegetarian, due to my allergic reaction to meat proteins. He did the family budget and shop, and there was always a hot evening meal at 5.45 everyday. He became the ultimate house man, able to repair a violin, a skirt or refuse a gadget. Yet still maintain his masculinity and his own hobbies. In fact he was proud of these new skills and went on to hand make a rug as therapy after an injury. Had he been alive and fit today he would have happily marched with me to reclaim our rights. He never stopped being gentleman, doors were always held open, women were to be respected .

It actually seems that the generation of males who were alive during the wars were naturally feminists as they saw just what women could and would do in real hardship. It's the generation born post war that seem to be the problem, the baby boomers who had really little hardship other than their own egos, they are the source of the problem. It was these men that were the cause of the conflict in the 60's and 70's when the idea of feminist hit the headlines first. Subsequently we have become a world of divide. If it's OK to pay a lead male actor 30 million for a film, but the films leading lady only gets 10 million it's bound to filter down to the office administrator or even the cleaner. To compound this we have one maybe two generations brought up in this atmosphere, and so the behaviours become inbred.

I'm not saying all men are like this, but the pack mentality leads it to become the social norm. When it should be same pay regardless of gender. I truly thought we were moving away from this when paternity pay and parental leave came into force, but in fact it has made it worse, as now women are being penalised for wanting to take a carer break to raise a child. And what's worse is the government enforce  this by demanding children go into pre school earlier and earlier, and then the cost of preschool and day care go sky high, forcing the parents to work longer hours. The chain reaction is the breakdown of families, the downward spiral of social values and the resentment of one or other parent.

Some men would have you believe this was a direct result of feminism and the fact women wanted out of the kitchen. But if that was the case why make it so hard for them financially to stay at home. No it's a way of controlling women in a subversive manner, making the victims seem to be the cause. Funny how these same governments screamed for women to do those jobs when all the men were at war, or trained women to be spies as they had a higher success rate, or needed women of ethnic minority to do the maths to put man into space. Bit of a double standards, run of fear of the male race, unfortunately often also white and with healthy to repulsive bank balances. It's these fragile egos that are forcing the return of aggressive feminism.

So after a couple of decades we are back to fighting for our basic rights, this time pay and health care, in same fashion of the 60's generation to work and the early fighter to gain us the vote. Personally I feel sick my great grandmothers fought to gain me the vote, my grandmothers proved women were men's equals, my own mother fought to get me an education that was more than home ec and nannying, now I am having to fight for the health and future of all women. In a hundred years, despite women prime ministers and presidents in some countries we have learnt nothing but the fight is still going. So when you call me another  bloody feminist, my reply is yes fourth generation that I know of and from both male and female sides. Being a feminist we should encourage our future to be either sex, it's not a gender label but a moral one.

Good riddance 2016 God help us 2017

If like me 2016 has left you shredded like myself you may be still shell shocked from the last few days. It's not just the endless deluge of iconic figures exiting stage right, but it also seems to be happening on an infinitely more personal level. I personally started and finished the year bring a family member.

Sure there have been rough years in the past 1993 sticks out in my mind, but none with so many of such variable ages. Sure post 75 is acceptable, abet still painful, and 90+ is a good innings. The ones that kill are the 20 -65s when people are still in their prime. The likes of Alan Rickman, George Michael and Carrie Fisher were as said in buffer, still cookie dough, not fully baked yet. They had so much more to give.

Over the years I have had to bury those my age and younger and it never gets easy, in fact the older you get the harder it hits. It's also a case of the older you get the more you become aware of history and it's patterns returning. Needless to say 2017 isn't the great light at the end of a tunnel of doom and gloom, instead it's developing into a murky foggy reminiscentof the smog of the 50s. A bit brighter but you can't see more than three inches in front of your nose.

This isn't my rant of Trump being the antichrist, although I have a strong dislike of the man, it's a case of him becoming leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world being the final straw on social stability for all, world wide. We already have North Korea with a brat in charge, Lord above knows what is going on in the àrab nations, as I doubt even they know, unrest in some parts of Africa, Europe well let me know when that mess is sorted because I can't see it happening soon and now America.

People have taken to streets worldwide over women's rights, and had I not been still knee high in plaster I would have been right their with them. But the problem is even more extensive than women. Sure the deprivationof health funding to certain charities if they advertise abortion is beyond belief, but even that has a ripple effect, meaning the spread of HIV, and STDS could increase to epidemic numbers in other minority groups as their sexual health care is also removed. Scary fact when you think ripple effect.

But it's also situations world wide, nuclear weapons are back on the political a gender, educational restrictions by excessive charges, thus making it a case of the wealthy club only, state funded medical care near broken, transport systems unable to functions thus costing people their jobs. This isn't just America or even England, this is worldwide. Spain, Italy and Greece all practically bankrupt, Turkey in civil unrest, Syria, or rather what's left of Syria in total disarray, and I could go on.

The world as I know it is in a worst state than after two world wars. People turning on each other to defend one or other political party, when in reality they are all failing us. You can't run a united country when both sides are so divided on the options, there needs to be a 3rd choice for these situations, a none of the above option. Only then will those in the positions of power start to listen.

What is even more scary in my eyes, is  through out history, when there are highly emotional political situations, the arts usually pick up the slack to maintain some morale. However there seems to have been a very obvious move to limit the liberal arts for all, theaters over priced, films constricted by studio demànds of blockbuster returns etc.  So there is little release for society to relax. Sure we have TV, Netflix etc, but that keeps us contained in our houses. Just think about it for a moment. Local theaters underfunded thanks to government cut backs, yet they can afford to bomb a country hundreds of miles away? Why?

I know what I think, but I believe it's a conclusion every one  needs to work out for themselves. So while I get grief from some anonymous idiot on twitter for a post about equality for all, ask yourself why are government is so fearful of an educated, healthy happy society, and prefers to keep us living in torment and fear. Why so many are really struggling and a few could bail out the health care budget with their yearly returns.

No it isn't just one man causing the trouble, but a collective handful we supposedly voted for and all their little friends . Yet we are still left mourning some of the most vocal talent of a generation (or two) who were taken when  their voices of reason are needed the most.

So while you ponder what is really in store for us all I'll leave you with a quote from the late Carrie Fisher, who about sums it up.

"Sometimes to get to heaven, you have to walk slowly backwards from hell"

What makes us Brits so good at being bad?

Due to various reasons I am currently a fixture upon the family sofa catching up on some missed film viewing. So far I have overdosed on marvel, star trek reboot and a few other worthy causes. But what has become blantantly obvious, is if you want a good guy, there are plenty of eye candy candidates, who seem to be recycled in multiple films. But if you want  a decent bad guy, get a brit.


This is an age old tradition in big Hollywood blockbusters, notable mentions must go to the late greats, Christopher Lee and now Alan Rickman. Both were capable of playing both side of the coin, but they will always been memorised for roles where they stole the s re en being bad. Now a days this custom seems to have past the baton to Benedict Cumberbatch in Star Trek and Tom Hiddlestone in the MCU who totally steals it as Loki. It's not as if America is short of its own  capable actors with this duplicity, Tommy Lee Jones, Williem Defoe and James Franco jump to mind as me than adequate, yet the studios seem to love to box us Brits into these roles. Why? Is it due to our ability to bring a shakespearin quality to a comic figure, or just our accents, we will never know.

Don't get me wrong I am not begrudging the quality of our actors or resenting them work, just the predictable pattern of Hollywood casting. I always remember the film critic Barry Norman summarising the remake of the fugitive, and how it would have been 10 times more dramatic had Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones swapped roles, thus making the audience actually doubt the leads motive. The same question would be made if they swapped the casting of say Loki and Iron Man in the MCU or god for bid, cast the likes of Chris Pine, the entire Hemsworth family or Chris Evans in a complete different role. These are all good actors who are being limited by the studios need for eye candy as a good guy.

Sure films are meant to be escapism, and in this day and age we need the fantasy as much as ever, but come on folks, we have a brain. We don't need to be treated like audiences of old, where John Wayne was always the cowboy with a heart, and Cary Grant would sweep us of our feet. Where all the women need rescuing by an godlike like creature, by putting the Brit back in his gaol. We are far more refined in our tastes, we need a puzzle to be caught up in, stereo type to be challenged, and maybe cheer when the good guy turns bad and the bad guy wins the girl.

Yes a lot of the problem comes from the business that the studios need to make money from what can be hugely expensive investments, but it also comes from the sidelines, the media hype of magazines and Internet feeding the audience glossy images of perfect men with their tops off and women who look like they never have a bad hair day. This always adds to the monetary value of turnover. But it devalues the skill of the jobs of acting and directing, by assuming that the audience wouldn't buy into the fact that these people could still charm and entertain if the roles were reversed. I mean think back to the first ever star wars film, the most charming character was Han solo, who right to the end of the film could have gone either way. The role made Harrison Ford's career, and thrust him into heartthrob status, yet he was far from the textbook hero, more rogue. The same quality that has totally revived Robert Downing Junior's career playing Tony Stark /Iron Man.

So maybe the studio system needs to embrace this, and mix up the casting a bit, give us less Hollywood hero vs British bad guy and just give us more dubious rogues.

Deep breath and pause

I suspect I may not be the only person in the world who really hasn't seen their bed or sleep for the last 48 hours. The only difference between them and myself is in most other cases they  have no choice, where as I do. To be truthful I had to take myself away from all media for 4 hours earlier and enjoy the beauty of the countryside to reset my brain.

I for one, can not believe the actions of others resulting in violence in both Turkey and France in the last two days. The reality than some people put such little value on human life for some extreme belief. I don't know what others think but I am currently torn between constant tears and unbridled rage. 

We are living in a world that is in a perpetual cycle of rage, extreme views and pure venom, but in reality we are destroying ourselves at an alarming rate. Crying out saying it is in the name of some faith or another is nothing more than an infected lie. No faith calls for such actions. And yes I do know the difference between the faiths of Christianity and Islam, because I actually bothered to go out and ask my local mosque to assist me understand, and in return they shared their time and beliefs freely, giving me copy of their holy book in both Arabic and English, so I could make my own educated conclusion. Due to their actions, and what I learnt, I plan to study the Hebrew text in the same way. Why? You may ask, well I believe tolerance is achieved by understanding and to understand you have to learn to see the other point of view.

All that has happened recently, well in the last 18 months especially, has been bed from intolerance, and I for one refuse to add my fuel to any fire with out being as educated and understanding as possible. What, however I have learnt so far, is none of the actions of any of the parties involved seem to match any religion I have read about. This unrest is political extremism, cloaked under a banner of lies to give it justification.

I am actually seething at it even being labeled terrorism now, because even terrorists usually have a fundamental belief that fuels their actions. But what I am seeing is random and ruthless killing, not caring who they kill to get media attention. Because in Nice last night and Paris, and Brussels, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, gay, straight, bi and trans alike were killed the same. No one was given a chance to state their faith or sexuality. This means it is not religious terrorism but mass random murder.

So regardless of faith, belief, sexuality and nationality, we the public to make stand and start sending a clear and blunt message to these violent  bullies and our governments alike, that this is not the world we want to live in, we want a world of equality and justice for all. If we don't starting to join together for this simple common goal we are all in danger of living in this turmoil of violence until some one hits that button that will wipe most if not all of us off the planet.

It's time to take a deep breath, pause and think. We are close to if not already in, the 3rd world war in less than 150 years. A war that if it's allowed to continue will destroy or least permanently damage this world. Is it worth it, based on the fact most of us are allowing it to happen due to our own ignorance and intolerance. I know that's not the legacy I want to leave behind.

Voting to return the humanity

This week is the nearest I wish to get to hell. On an international scale it has been filled with pointless murder. Whether it is a single pop singer, a dedicated MP, a club full of party goers or a single teen at the vigil of that massacre, or a even a head policeman in bed with his wife, this week has seen it all. And that not counting the poor people drowning in the Mediterranean trying to escape being murdered, the unnecessary violence and injury at the Euro football and so on.

To be honest I have nearly broken my poor phone for its constant stream of depressing human behaviour, but fortunately I am too ashamed of human violence to even release mine in such a futile manner. We dare to call ourselves a civilised world, well I am struggling to find any civility,humanity or compassion this week. All I see is mindless violence being masked behind labels such as religion or politics. Well excuse my french, but that's bollocking, there is no excuse,it is nothing but mindless hatred. It's not a phobia or even fear it's hate pure and simply. In fact it is all based on hate fuelled by either jealousy or worse lies.

I can't stand intolerance of any kind, so none of these murderers, and that's what they are,, are getting an ounce of my sympathy. If you dislike a sexuality, religion or politics, so what ! Do what the rest of normal humans do, suck it up and move on.

Some of my longest standing friends and I disagree over politics and religion, we don't plan ways to kill each other, depending on our moods we either debate it out, or just other days don't even think about it.  Maybe because most of our friendships were based at a time we had no understanding of such matters, we seem to be able to focus on other matters in life. But then that raises the question, hatred by default must be not necessarily created but instead fuelled by our nurturing. Not just in the family home, but by our eduction, political influences, media stream even the places we work. Just look at the behaviour at the Euro football, would these people be acting this way but for the banner they are meeting in. I very much doubt it, it is a group mindset that is fuelled by man encouraging man that this is acceptable behaviour.

Well I got new for you all IT'S NEVER ACCEPTABLE! It wasn't in the 70's when I grew up with the active threat of the IRA blowing us up. It wasn't acceptable in 60's when man was defined by the colour of his skin, where he could travel or live and it definitely isn't now. I don't want to be remembered as part of the generation that lived through the nearest thing to world war 3 I want to think about and allowed it to be fuelled by complacently. Sod it I would rather die, being shot it a club with fellow human unfazed by they sexuality or being  attacked because I actually stood up and said what I believed in, than wimper in the corner to save my own neck.

I know it's easy to say but it's the only way forward. The only way these murders will every make sense is to not allowed these people to die in vain. People need to stand together  and demand that this hatred and intolerance be a unacceptable to our society, our world even as other crimes we have fought for over the years. Don't hide behind any label but accept the one we all should live by, HUMANITY.

In or Out do we really have a choice

Before you switch off I am not going to use this to attempt influence a person's decision to cast their vote. It is more a question. How are we meant to make a choice when all the voting public has been given in information is nothing more than playground mud slinging.

The problem is it is no longer this referendum, but all elections, including the latest mayoral election in London. But it's even further effective the same thing is going on in the USA and their election. Where the mud slinging has been reduced to racial stereotyping and scoring points over their views on gun control, based on the painful massacre in Orlando.

So I ask the question not nationally but internationally, how can we justify our so called democracy when our election's are based on often guess work, or betting on the less evil. How come we can choice a party but in some cases not it's leader?  How can election be deemed as a fair voice of the people when at times only a 1/3 of its population bother to even vote, and yet the result we all have to live with for years at a time. More interesting how come citizens but not residents can vote. People who are in the system, pay tax and social security, have indefinite leave to remain, but choice to keep their roots, they have no say in the country they live and work in?

To be truthful the whole thing stinks of corruption and can barely be called democracy. Any election that allows people to shout at it other in barges across the Thames, or in another  country completely stereo type a person by their religion, and then call for a blanket ban on that religion, (especially when their so called land of the free is based on mass imigration).  Sorry but it sounds to me like democracy is becoming  as unworkable and as idealistic as true Marxism.

So while I am not going to tell you who to vote for,that's the whole point, it is meant to be YOUR choice, I am going to pass on a few points of wisdom I was given at high school about the voting process.

1. YOU HAVE A VOTE,  so use it. If unable to vote in person there is postal voting, on voting by proxy. People of different demographic groups have had to fight hard over the years to get us the right to vote. We owe them that at least.

2 GET INFORMED. If you do see the answers to the questions that effect you , ask them to the relevant parties you are interested in. If they won't bother to answer you then do you really want that person or party representing you?

3 USE YOUR VOICE. Remember no matter what party the person who is elected for your area is, they still have to act for their area. If you need their assistance, even if you didn't vote for them, they are still obligated to act for you. If you're in doubt of their ability or ethical behaviour, question it.

At the end of the day we aren't getting the results with democracy, because we are becoming complacent about it. If you don't stand up and use your vote, you really have no right to criticise when it all goes wrong. We have got much of a choice at the moment, in a time when the world needs all the help it can get, but the only way we can change it is to start to use the system properly, and start making it work for the people and not the other way round.

My favourite reads

Having seen the last tread in top ten reads of various people in the public eye I thought I would share my favourites, some familiar some less so, and maybe people can share their choice reads in return. These are in no particular order and I am not restricting myself to ten as I am mixing up fiction, biography, poetry etc.


1. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

One of many classics on my list. I don't know what drew me to this originally but it has become one of the few true love stories, that needs a social reality to add to its magic.

2. Alice in wonderland/ through the looking glass - Lewis Carroll I grew up on the poetry in these books, and as an adult became more aware of its complex themes. To the point I rarely go anywhere without a copy of this book.

3. Metaphysical poetry - various  my introduction to complex poetry, being given this to read at 16 years old was one the biggest eye openers in my life.

4. Postcards from the edge - Carrie Fisher. The quickest wit I have ever read, its self depreciation at its best under the guise of fiction.

5. Nobody gets out of here alive - Jerry Hopkins, Danny Sugerman. I stumbled over this book in my late teens, when my own mortality was at risk, and something in this book clicked. As good a biography of Jim Morris on as I can find.

6. Different Seasons - Stephen King. This was the first king novel or novellas rather,I read and being broken into 4 stories makes it relevant to read what ever the mood. It has been made into three maybe four different yet successfully films for very good reason, every story has a depth unusual for such a short story.

7. The Stand - Stephen King. My other favourite novel by this author (although I have another two I am particularly fond of). This is your typical good verses evil novel, written in a world we can all relate to.

8. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte. I never thought I'd truly understand this novel, until I spent a week on the moors, doing nothing but reading writing and filming. Suddenly the depths of this book became clear, beyond the romantic and into the study of nature.

9. Twelfth Night - Shakespeare. Humour aplenty, and a great introduction to the bards work. It was the second play I read of his and my favourite for so many reasons, with Taming of the Shrew coming a close second.

10. Actors Anonymous - James Franco. Rapidly becoming a stable in my choice authors this novel takes the  glitz of Hollywood and strips it bare to show the reality in its maggot ride beauty.

11. Don Juan - Lord Byron. Little can be said about this, that hasn't be said before, but there is a verse for every man in this book.

12. North and South - John James. This is a 3 novel story about the American civil war from the points of two friends one of which is southerner the other a northerner. Romantic history at its best.

13. Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse. one man's spiritual journey, becomes a journey for you the reader.

14.The Matthew Swift series - Kathy Griffin. If it is possible to write a harry potter series for adults then this is it. Set in London it's reality makes the fantasy more acceptable.

15. Chronicles of Narnia - C S Lewis. I never could understand the fussy over The Hobbit when I had already read these. I just love the imagery and the hidden or not not so hidden sub messages.

This is my selection it's by no means complete but it's a good start.