Sunday, 7th August, 2005

Pride and Prejudice

Northern Ireland's gays march on (via the BBC)

Sometimes, I'm very very proud to be Irish. But then things happen that jolt me out of my little Gaelic Fantasy™ to remind me that I'm actually from the North and there's little to be proud of, really.

I suppose it's partly inevitable — for about 300 years Northern Ireland (or Norn'iron as we like to call it ) has been so absorbed in a petty quarrel between its two dominant communities, that any other form of cultural climate change has gone by the wayside.

Because all attention has been focused on the Protestant vs Catholic conflict, homophobia, racism, sexism et al has been overlooked.

Sometimes, I just want to take a hand the size of the Lough Neagh, and slap the entire Province in one foul swoop. It makes me ashamed to the core that I've got anything to do with a bunch of people so wound up in an unrealistic religious fervour that they're going to embarrass themselves so publicly.

I mean, this is 2005 right? Not still 1690.

That a group of people would try and use the Parades Commission — a commission set up to try and help ease the tension during the Protestant marching season — to ban Belfast Pride, well, that just makes me angry. It's like when people try and use the Human Rights Act to persecute people.

In another story, Gay Pride protesters claim abuse:

Stop the Parades Coalition spokesman James Dowson said they were called "bigots and religious fundamentalist murderers" by some marchers.*

Yeah, OK, reality check time. This is Norn'iron — I don't think you can call that abuse, it's just a statement of fact.

Let's play a Googlewhacking game shall we?

Religious fundamentalist bigots

I'm really really proud of everyone who marched yesterday I don't think I would have been able to. Belfast is a city locked in some kind of Victorian image of itself, and it needs to catch itself on a bit.

(* OK, "murderers" is out of order. But "bigots and religious fundamentalist"? "[Stop The Protest] was, he said, 'pigeon-holed as hateful and homophobic' but, in the view of Christians like himself, 'the far greater hate would be shown by staying at home and doing nothing"'". Oh, it makes me mad that someone could be so naive and stupid not to see their own ridiculousness)

Lancaster Butterfly House

(via flickr.com/people/si08han)

Obligatory K750i Butterfly Picture

(via flickr.com/people/si08han)

This is my new friend

(via flickr.com/people/si08han)

He is called William

Big Roach

(via flickr.com/people/si08han)

My Camera-phone rocks!

I should explain Kath's family have been visiting, so we took them up to Williamson's Park and went into the Butterfly House. I've only been in there once before — when I was taking pictures for the Council — and I'd forgotten just how cool it is. There were really big blue gorgeous butterflies flying around everywhere, but they wouldn't sit still long enough for me to take a picture.

We also had a peek at the mini-beasts and the birds (of which, I was rather disturbed to notice a lot were outside of the netting )

No-one ever comes to visit Lancaster. But if yous ever do, then I recommend it. It's just a little bit fab

Gingko Tree

(via flickr.com/people/si08han)

Gingkos are a very durable tree. Proof of that durability was found in Japan in 1945 after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Human life was lost, buildings were obliterated, and plants were scorched and killed... except some gingkos survived. Several gingko trees around the epicenter of the blast on a temple-site survived and resprouted without any visible genetic deformation. Amazingly, two of these surviving trees still grow in Hiroshima today and are considered "bearers of hope".

[http://www.treesforyou.org/Selection/Articles/gingko_trees.htm]

I thought, that considering what day was yesterday, posting a picture of my Gingko tree would be fitting.

Jenna, why is it that so many people seem to come up this way, and not let me know so I can make them a coffee? Eh? Eh?

Joanna, what age-group were you teaching? I started off university life as a Primary School teacher. Can you imagine how that might have turned out?

11.27pm

Crap. I've lost my tits.

I know I had them yesterday, but for the life of me I can't remember where I put them.

They're probably down the back of the sofa

Weirdly, they were down the back of the sofa. I have no idea how they got there.

No matter. Now i can dance...

Spammage

Dear Ms Williams Evil Robotic Spambot,

Firstly, my name is not "People", it's Siobhan. Secondly, fuck off.