Changing face of Britishness

I remember when I was little, people used to joke the reason we British used to talk so much about the weather was because it was a safe subject - non offensive and we have a lot of weather. Subjects which were unsafe included Religion and Politics as they were seen as having the potential to offend. Fast forward 20-30 years and now religion and politics are seen as THE things to be talking about. What are your views? Are you an Atheist? Do you accept other peoples views or beliefs even if they clash with your own? What about your political views? Who are you going to vote for? ....... The questions and answers keep coming. Most of my work colleagues (see people in the uni I still work round, contacts and friends made from work etc.) and most of my friends and family know my views and oddly enough without even trying to screen people by these views they agree with me. We are mostly Atheist Liberals (Voting Lib Dem in the next election). It's odd how some of these people I've known for years, yet it's only now that it's safe to talk about the untalkable that these very British people have started to discuss and admit to the things we have in common.

May you live in interesting times - supposedly a Chinese curse - I think I like interesting if it means we stop being worried about offending and instead get to know people better.

I'm Severia, I'm Atheist and Liberal. Nice to meet you.

Doing what makes you happy.

I recently had to make on of those brave decisions which could have big consequences for my foreseeable future (no I'm not talking about making the choice of who to vote for, that choice was made a long time ago) I'm talking about leaving a job which I'd got as a way to free up some time for thesis writing as I would no longer be worried about where the rent was coming from, and instead able to use job hunting time as thesis writing time. To a lot of people this may seem a minor decision, or even a stupid one. I got the job to ease stress from financial areas, although as it was a stopgap job it still meant I'd be scraping by on the underside of skint. However, instead of easing the financial worries I felt panicked. The job was sold to me as something you could do as you needed, that there would always be the hours you wanted and that the bonus was obtainable making your meager hourly wage something not too bad. Instead, the reality hit within the first two days. The contract stated they did not guarantee hours. In fact on the second day once the training was over one of my start up cohort was asked to go home as they had someone turn up who was not supposed to be working yet was allowed to stay therefore meaning the newbie was unable to do the important transition to full worker at the end of the training until the next day. Add this to the fact the company only let on they had only got half the computer stations they needed for work to be at full capacity and I got really panicked. I spent the next two days in a state of panic and worry knowing that on the Monday I was going to be working (possibly - if no-one else nicked my space) for a company I had lost faith in. This meant my thesis writing time at the weekend was demolished. NOT GOOD. On the Sunday I had enough, I phoned up and handed in my resignation.

I'm not scared of stress, what I don't like is companies who omit vital facts, or who lie. Having the two separate trainers contradict each other in blatant policy difference ways was also a bad move.

Sometimes no job is a better than a job, and this was one of those times.
Be brave and do something today which will make you happy.

Spartacus : Blood and sand - (a naughty enjoyment)

On Charlie Brooker's 'You have been watching' this week many people caught their first glance at 'Spartacus: Blood and sand'; a raw and primal romp though roman civilisation made specifically to appeal to our naughty selves. Having watched the first series all the way through I can definitely say, if you allow prudishness to push you away from Spartacus, you will miss one of the best slowly developing train crash going to happen style of drama's available. It was wonderful and gripping. The slow build up of deception, back stabbing and the continuous growing feeling that however things work out, it would not be with a whimper, but with a glorious BANG was wonderfully written and managed to balance the sex, gore and nudity which so many others have highlighted as a reason not to watch. To me Spartacus was better than any rom-com (deemed socially respectable), just as guilty a pleasure, but with more substance both physical and dramatic. It was a great piece of drama and should win awards for the writers and actors, there have already been some nominations, but more should come.

On a side note, best wishes for a successful treatment and speedy recovery to Andy (Spartacus) Whitfield who has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.