Jo's cellar is flooded. Me and Sean are going for a tattoo each next Saturday. At a works do on Friday night I told another friend I had the hots for her
I'm currently reading The History of Love by Nicole Krauss because I was struggling to get into John Banville's The Sea. Not sure what the Banville problem is but I'm on page 43 and still haven't got the novel's rhythm. Most frustrating. On the other hand the Krauss caught me on the first page.
Yada yada yada.
Just come across this. Earlier last week Government Minister Jack Straw (one of the architects of Britain's disastrous involvement in Iraq) made a statement saying Muslim women should not wear the chador or full veil. He insists such women who attend his surgery remove their headwear.
I like this response from the Respect Party.
Straw should hide his face in shame
A woman's right to choose. Defend diversity.
Anti-war campaigners will be amongst those protesting outside Jack Straw's office in Blackburn tomorrow (Sat).
And Stop The War founder and, longtime womens rights campaigner, Lindsey German, believes Jack Straw's remarks will do nothing to serve the cause of community relations in Britain. "Nobody could see Mr Straw's face when he chose to "communicate" his views in a newspaper column or again on the Today programme, a radio programme, this morning," said Lindsey.
"He knew perfectly well that we did not see his eyes, ears, nose, mouth or indeed any part of his body to make his uncomfortable views plain. "To expect some Muslim women to make him feel more comfortable by disrobing is both a sleezy and racist attack.
"His own, less than sartorial, dress code does not appear the epitome of good manners to victims of the illegal war in Iraq to which he was so central.
"Britain would be alot better off if Jack Straw were to hide his face in shame!"
10 comments:
I don't wear a head cover but I believe if a woman chooses to dress that way it's her right.
I think people in prominent positions should realise that freedom of speech comes with responsibility. I was reading about women being abused, cursed and so on, after Mr. Straw's statement.
G,
After Straw's comments last week a 60 year old woman in Liverpool had her veil torn off whilst waiting for a bus. Nevertheless there have been demonstrations against the racism of Straw. 100 people lobbied his constituency surgery on Saturday in Blackburn to show their opposition. There was also leafleting in Blackburn town centre on Saturday and plenty of people, black and white signed the petitions expressing disgust. As usual with politicians you have to ask why now? Why has he waited until now to raise this issue? Well, the Deputy Prime Minister's position will be free when Blair finally goes. John Prescott, Blair's Dep PM says he will go at the same time as the PM. Straw is trying to line himself up and win the right wing vote within the Labour Party. Whipping up anti-muslim sentiment is his chosen method and to hell with the consequences for ordinary muslims. Honest, these people have no principles, they are an utter disgrace!
G,
There was an excellent cartoon in yesterday's Sunday Independant. A muslim woman in the full veil is sitting opposite Jack Straw in his weekly surgery and she's saying "Just for the record the look on my face is one of utter contempt."
What will you get the tattoo of, and where will it be? Is this your first or 31st?
inquiring minds want to know.
Hayden,
The tattoo is an abstract design that will go from the top of my right shoulder and down the centre of the arm where it will end in line with the tattoo on my left arm. It will be my second. My third is to be a ring on my third finger left hand, as the old song goes.
Haha, that cartoon is funny. I wish people would stop telling women how to dress...if it ain't the magasines, it's men. argh.
How will you remove the tattoo if you have to be in the prescence of someone who doesn't like them?
Is England only left wing, right wing? Is there a middle? Not too left, not too right?
G,
Ha ha, your tattoo joke is good. Be you Jack Straw wouldn't ask someone to remove a tattoo. There's a excellent article in today's Independent written by my mate Mark Steel where he attacks the sleeziness of Jack Straw for insisting women take their clothes off before he will speak to them. And also how odd that when Jack Straw was Foreign Secretary and selling billions of dollars of weaponry to the Saudi's he never there's no record of him asking Saudi women to remove the veil. Or indeed of insisting the Saudi government ban the veil. Strange that.
Re left wing/right wing. Like everywhere else Britain is a place of struggle. One thing is clear though, the Labour Government is exceptionally right wing. Which is one reason why there are so many demonstrations againtst it.
Can I be frivolous and ask what happened when you told your friend that you had the hots for her?
Lucy,
My mate is an old friend who I've known and fancied a bit for such a long time. However she's married and we lead separate lives etc etc etc. However on this 'do' for the place where I used to work she was there and we had a great time together, as usual. She kept asking me who I fancied (she's done this before), who I was attracted to, who I would sleep with (I'm single by the way). So we were getting more drunk and on the dance floor (one of those beloved Friday night 'cheesey disco's) when she asked me for the umpteenth time and I looked around and suddenly thought, actually the only one here whom I fancy is you. So, emboldened by drink I said it. Funnily she never asked me the question again though we did have more dances (as is our wont because we're generally fairly relaxed together) as the evening wore on.
My mate Clare ses that she was really asking if I fancied her all along.
The next day I asked Clare if my friend would remember especially as we were all so drunk and Clare replied "OH YES!"
Ah, Friday night frissons, dontcha just love em.
ps your name doesn't link to your blog which is a shame because I was going to have a look.
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