Gender issues

I am a little weary of hearing that women get a raw deal, of glass ceilings and of sexual inequality. In my humble opinion, women get a pretty good deal these days and in so many ways are advantaged rather than the reverse.
There was a time when this was not the case, women had to struggle to gain what they have today and in doing so, have brought about huge changes in society, which while being of benefit to women in general have not necessarily improved the society in which we live.
Our education system changed even before the advent of the National Curriculum, in order to shift the balance in favour of girls. There was a time when boys were higher achievers in many subjects in schools. This was recognised and strategies employed that disadvantaged boys and enhanced the achievements of girls. Now, more or less across the board, girls achieve greater academic levels than boys. This of course follows through into the fields of further and higher education with more girls gaining qualifications than boys, with all of the consequences that follow. Has anyone noticed how many police chiefs, doctors, solicitors and heads of educational establishments are women?
The media offers strong positive role models for girls, some more desirable models than others, but nevertheless, a disproportionate amount of presenters, newsreaders and so on are women. In TV drama, women are more often than not presented as strong characters with men presented as being weak and inferior or just downright stupid. The consequences of this will be far reaching and downright dangerous. It seems that the only role models for boys are sportsmen and bland members of boy bands.
Women in the west are so very fortunate. Only this week in Saudi Arabia, after having been given voting rights, a woman has been sentence to public lashing for daring to drive a car. A large proportion of the world population are repressed, subjugated and have plenty to complain about. Maybe those women who shout so loud about equality should count their blessings.

Indian summer

Strictly speaking the current wave of warm weather is not an "Indian Summer". Indian summers are usually periods of warm weather that follow heavy frosts and as yet we have had nothing like a single figure temperature. I am being pedantic I know, and enjoying the sunny spell just like everyone else that is not a farmer.
Autumn is a lovely time of year and for some people that I know, it is their favourite season. The colours of leaves, the hedgerow fruits, the smells and the misty mornings all have their charms, but for me, all of these are the harbingers of winter to come. The shorter days, the dying plants and the migrating birds and insects are a sadness and i am reminded that spring is a long way away.
The economic life of the EEC has been quite short, and it seems to have reached a state of development where the super wealthy have harvested the fruits and filled their larders to bursting and migrated to their winter homes in the sun, while the rest remain. The frosts are biting hard and the damage done may be irrepairable. There is little left to sustain the community in its current form, and the prospects for a financial Indian Summer do not seem very likely. Winter will be very long, very cold and very expensive.

Oscar

Points of view

It seems that I go through phases where I have plenty to say and others when think, what is the point? I know that I have a tendency to rant and that others find it tiresome; some even being bold enough to tell me so. Most people that I know, see the world, all of it, in shades of grey, whilst I have a tendency to see some aspects in black and white.
For me, sometimes, trying to see both sides of an argument is like being a liberal democrat. By sitting on the fence, you are neither one thing or the other, diluting and diluting everything down to some mediocre regression to the mean. While keeping the peace it rarely solves anything; though polarised viewpoints may not either.
When two people take on views that are totally opposed to each other, it does not mean that the reality of the argument lies somewhere in between. It is quite possible that one of those arguments is actually right and the other wrong; so accommodation of an opposing point of view may well be a distortion of the truth. For example, there are, I believe, some people who think that the Earth is flat. Now i believe, on the basis of a great deal of evidence that the Earth is more or less spherical. To meet somewhere in the middle of this would mean that the Earth is a hemisphere with a flat side and a rounded side. Ok that is a compromise and a ridiculous solution that appeases no-one and so i will continue to argue my case and so will the flat earth devotee. Many arguments are as polarised as this one and rather than fight in one corner, so many people will do their utmost to appease both parties in the hope of keeping the peace. It doesn't work.
Agreed there are arguments where an appreciation of shades of grey are clearly desirable, and where entrenched viewpoints are counterproductive. The situation in Israel and the relations with Palestine being a good example. Both sides are deeply entrenched in political and religious dogma and neither side is prepared to give way. In That situation middle ground must be found and agreed upon, and that seems so unlikely.
By making stands and arguing a case, i am considered by some to be bigotted, and perhaps i am; another failing to add to my list, but I will continue to voice my opinion even if no-one else wants to listen.

Canary Islands

Since I lost put finger to key, I have been on holiday in Lanzarote. A haven for ex pats, lots of English bars, but despite that, a wonderful place. I am not fond of travelling, especially by air, and the flights were predictably uncomfortable, noisy and not very pleasant. I have to say t this point that I was not at all looking forward to the trip, the thought of spending a week in Chavland in the sun did not appeal, but things turned out well in the end.

The Island is not as i expected it, and although there are the shaven headed, tattooed Lobsteroids present, they are thin on the ground and easily avoided. The local people are so very hospitable and pleasant, the food wonderful and the climate perfect.

Putting airplanes aside, I would go again.