The Tories, without shame, claim they’re the pro-women party because of the fact of their two female prime ministers. Right…
They’veknown for yearsthat their policies have a vastly disproportionateeffect on women – and that has never stopped or moderated their actions. They’ve evenrefused to publish impact assessments on the extent of the damage. In spite of the willingness of media mouthpieces to talk about the issue with deadpan face, it is, beyond doubt, pure posturing and snake-oil.
Jeremy Corbyn started his leadership of the Labour party by appointing the first-ever majority-female Shadow Cabinet and has continued to strengthen the position of women on the Labour front benches – and his party’s victory on Friday shows even more clearly that Labour is the real party that promotes and cares about women.
Stalking is not, of course, only suffered by women – but it isprimarilywomen who are…
Trosa kommuns politiker, som är satta att leda utvecklingen har under många år lyckats leva på gamla meriter. På senare år har dock verkligheten hunnit ikapp dem.
De kan inte längre stoltsera med topplaceringar på diverse rankinglistor, som numera är så populära för kommunpolitiker att lyfta fram som framgångskvitton.
Jag ritade för några år sedan en teckning som anspelar på kommunens stadsvapen och spådde just att kommunens män (för det är mest gråsprängda äldre män som bestämmer) kanske en dag flyger för nära solen, precis som Ikaros.
Rankingplaceringarna har nått lägre nivåer än tidigare de senaste åren och kommunens män gör inte särskilt mycket åt det utan skyller mest på orsaker som de själva inte tycks kunna råda över. Således lär man ju heller inte kunna förbättra situationen eftersom man saknar insikt om sin medverkan till att en förskjutning nedåt har skett på listorna.
I received a copy of Robert Harris’ latest work, Conclave, as a Christmas present from my sister. I included mention of Robert Harris in the post I created to mark myfifth anniversary as a blogger, the title of which was borrowed from the second volume of his trilogy about Marcus Tullius Cicero. I also mentioned the possibility of reviewing Imperatorm the third volume in the Cicero trilogy, in a couple of other posts but did not actually do so (it is a splendid finale to the trilogy btw).
A BOOK ABOUT CHOOSING A NEW POPE?
The whole of Conclave is devoted to telling the story of the election of a new pope. The scene is set with the announcement of the death of the old pope. To be elected a two-thirds majority, and it often takes several votes for a front runner to emerge. This being a novel, there are of course some extra twists. Four people in total are front runners at various stages of the process but do not win. Two of these people have their chances spoilt when details of past transgressions are revealed to the assembled cardinals, a third makes a speech which effectively rules him out and the fourth is hoping someone else gets elected. At the end a newly appointed cardinal who had gained one vote in the first ballot is elected at the eighth ballot (while I do not know of anyone in real life winning after getting only one vote in the first ballot, Cardinal Wojtila got very few votes in the first ballot of the second Conclave of 1978).
The winner then has to accept the office and choose a papal name. In this case he goes for Innocent, a papal name that has been used 13 times before but not in the last three centuries. There is of course a vast range of possible papal names – very few of those previously used would be unacceptable, while a choice of a previously unused name could also work. There are two papal names I do not see being claimed any time soon however: Pius XIII because of the character of Pius XII, and Peter II because of the sheer hubris involved in choosing that name (although Steve Berry in The Third Secret has someone choose the name Peter II, and yes that person does then come to a sticky end).
Although all the action takes place within the confines of the world’s smallest independent country, the book never flags or lacks interest. An excellent novel and one I heartily recommend.
The front cover.A map of the are within which the action takes place.
What have we become in the UK – a nation of bullies?
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Text version:
So to some of you you know my predicament of being homeless. But yesterday morning I woke up feeling wet socks and clothes thought I might of left a bottle open or something. I then get told by the security of Debenhams I have 10 minutes which was fine. But as he walked away he said enjoy your water bed. So I bite back as it being boxing day. So I then begin to pack up my bedding to then discover that the secunity guard from the inside of debenhams had flooded all my bedding. And ruined clothing food dog bedding public donations brought by the kind members of public. So a few of us went into speak to management didn’t do anything apparently it’s acceptable to bullying the…
Mainly photographs – a drone that my nephew was given for Christmas and some pictures from a walk I took in the winter sun today. Read, enjoy and please share!
INTRODUCTION
I am having a quiet day today, having spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the company of various family members. Earlier today there was blue sky and bright sun over King’s Lynn, so I went for a walk.
THE STAR GIFT OF YESTERDAY
Although most of the presents given out yesterday seemed to go down very well there was no doubt as to which was the best received – a drone that was given to my nephew. Here are some photos from yesterday…
My cousin and his Swedish girlfriend came bearing gifts – this crispbread is exceedingly good.A piece of stained glass at my aunt’s house.The side view of my parents new burner.Front on picture of the same.The remaining pictures all feature this drone…
A WINTER WALK
I walked along the riverbank as far as Hardings Pits and then back into town by way of the parkland…
The Custom HouseTwo pictures of the bright but very low sun reflecting off the river.
West Lynn Church.Moorhens in and around the NarThe South GateThe Red Mount Chapel from a distance.
From the Australian Governments “Australian Antarctic Division” by way of whyevolutionistrue comes a truly wonderful video featuring footage from underneath the sea ice of East Antarctica…
The Australian Governments “Australian Antarctic Division: has produced a wonderful 8½-minute film of video taken by a submersible camera under the sea ice of East Antarctica. It’s full of colorful life down there, and I bet a lot of these species haven’t yet been described and named. The action ends at 4:58 and then there’s explanation.
How many groups can you identify? Did you see any fish?
aspiblog 