What is meant by "office people"? I certainly didnt go into publishing because I was scheming about increments to pay for anything - I did it because I really belived in the BioMed Central Ethos. HOWEVER I did choose to specialise in the commercial side rather than say editorial because the pay is better BUT it is sad but true that our editorial staff are more dispensable. I took the choice so that I could buy my own flat and put as much into my pension as possible tht is called taking responsibility for myself. I don't expect anyone else to hand me anything for free ever.
I kind of agree when you look at the soul-less, joyless square mile suits but perhaps that dreariness is the price one has to pay if you want a certain standard of living.
So that's the gospel according to sister jude - thou shalt suffer dreariness in pursuit of that 'certain standard of living'... and when you are finally bored with that become a nun and care for the poor and staving who drive Nissans and wear crap shoes.
1. If you are lucky like me and can find a job you love that is well paid then the dreariness isn't necessary.
2. I am not bored of my work and am actually going on to do something I like even more for 6 months teaching before following a specific call.
3. Technically I'll be an apostolic sister and not a nun and I will not be caring for the poor and needy as I am joining a preaching order not a missionary order and I'll probably end up in University Chaplainship or lecturing
4. It is the nuns who wear brandless trainers and drive slightly embarassing not the poor and needy. The real poor and needy of this world do not have cars
5. There is no gospel according to me. What I say is apocryphal!
Thanks John. I am going home now and I'm going to treat myself to some crispy duck pancakes so I don't have to cook and can listen to the election coverage (at carefully managed intervals) on the radio.
Superficially, PR would be ideal - the Lib Dems would effectively be in power ALL the time as no party could ever obtain 50% support. And if you live in Barnsley Central or some remote rural conservative outpost your vote would no longer be taken for granted.
But could people get elected on issues like the Kidderminster hospital, sleaze-busting or rigged short lists? Probably not as these were local issues where sitting MPs were ousted in a determined campaign by those who wanted a particular representation in Parliament - fair enough. Also if we're becoming a genuine three-party democracy with tactical voting that's healthy in my opinion, PR could give something even less representative as in Israel where either Labour or Likud often end up making undeserved concessions to the religious minority parties for their 5% support; to see a British prime minister courting the BNP for their support in a coalition is something I hope I never see.
Whilst reading incidently this most excellent book by a Dominican Friar called Herbert McCabe. I got it because the Easter Triduum sermons in it are excellent so thought I'd read the whole thing. Anyway, old Herbie was a bit of a Maverick and a total leftie! He ran into alsorts of trouble for criticising certain elements in the Church (and rumour has it for smoking dope and other mischeief but that's just gossip.) Well this guy thought Christianity and voting Conservative (this was back in the 80s) to be incompatible! I flicked through the chapters of the book and noticed Maggie Thatcher being mentioned several times . I'll let you know how badly he slates her tomorrow
I voted green, as did 3100 other people in Norwich South... I knew Clarke would get in, so voted exactly for what I wanted. It felt very nice.
We had an election party at our house with lots of Pimms and fervant debate, as everyone there had voted differently - though the majority were Labour.
I love election time - I think that comes from my dad sticking Labour stickers all over my school bag when I was about seven. This was a constant source of argument between my mum and dad, and I thought it made me very sophisticated and grown up. Ha!
I stayed up till about 4am and then had to go to bed because there are only so many Pringles you can eat when everyone else has left and even your boyfriend has gone to bed already, and you've eaten all the sliced cucumber from the bottom of the Pimms jug.
Jude,
You read books by maverick left-wing friars, you use websites run by maverick left-wing entrepreneurs, are you sure you're not struggling to come to terms with your inner Marxist?
Went along to the station several hundred yards away from my house (what a trek, huff, puff!) and voted green like Martin. I'm accused by mum of risking letting the tories in by being one of many who will vote for the minor parties as a protest. Can't win.
You know I think you might be right David! Several of my friends think I'm having some kind of political identity crisis and need the mental-social equivalent of a sex change op! Although I read and re-read the opening page of "The Class Struggle and Christian Love" and just don't understand why Herbie McCabe is saying they are not compatible. I'll type it out in full when I get time so you guys can enlighten me.
Hmm, complex argument. Communists are godless and obsessed with perfecting the means of production collectively for maximum material gain. Conservatives haven't got the prerogative when it comes to materialism.
As for wealth and the church - there's that ancient argument over the poverty of Christ (remember The Name of The Rose?). As for God himself, I haven't got through on the phone yet, but I'll let you know when I do.
I just know I feel deeply happy when I see beauty in nature and when the air is fresh and clean, and I think this is all there is to life - it's a one off - no afterlife, and that the deepest spiritual experience belongs to this world only - to the peculiar twist of evolution that is our unique consciousness...and that the best feeling of all is looking deeply into another person's eyes, and connecting with the fact of your mutual existence in this extraordinary universe. Take it now, because it all goes black and it's done in the end, click.
"What do you expect, Jude - so many writers have been put through the mill by small-minded "conservative" morons mounting moral crusades against perceived depravity (or, in America, because the books happen to feature too many black people or depict disobedience to parents). Thank goodness for sleazy rock videos and blasphemous operas, if only to deflect their pea brains on to more visible targets."
Oh yes, and indeed, all the politically correct humanitarian lefties are so magnificently tolerant and objective, aren't they. It brings tears to my eyes to think of their poor disadvantaged lives, their precious struggle against impossible odds, their sensitivity to their fellow man, their.....
Ok, so enough sarcasm. Let's just say that I've known just as many arrogant closed-minded know-it-all smug-arsed snot-sucking so-called 'liberals' as I have crusuading Christian nutcases. A pox on both their houses. In fact, they both live in the same house, they're just too stupid to recognize that they're the same person.
Polls are closed?! The only good tv of the election could be on. Who remembers the post election Spitting Image of Thatcher v. Kinnock in the Beer Garden?
[%sig%]
Yes... Spitting image was fab. 3 seats in...exit polls says Goldi-bollock is in again (quelle suprise) I've eaten my take away and want to go and play with my new MP3 player ... it's getting all boring now
Me and mrs S have recently joined the ranks of the working classes by taking up golf at our local cheapie course. Naturally, she thinks she thrashed me and I am far too modest to suggest that my counting is more accurate.
Anyway, upon our return, I was surprised to be met by two kids (16 and 14)urging us to vote for a) the lib-dems and if not b) anyone but Labour.
They are worried about tuition fees you see. As are all their mates, apparently.
We didn't disappoint them.
kjheritage. You scare me with your rhetoric. How can you be expected to be taken seriously when you rant so?
Almost .... I dozed but by 3 am ish it was pretty obvious.
The biggest shock of the night was Bethnal Green and Bow.
I was happiest about Putney and Hemel Hempstead (where St Mary's convent is) both regained by the blues from the reds.
All in all I am happy. One has to remember you can never fully agree with any one party. I vote blue because I am broadly speaking "capitalist". But there are Lib Dem policies I like such as proposing to scrap useless government departments like The ODPM. And I graduated the year Labour came to power and have been fairly affluent in my working life despite disagreeing with where my taxes are being spent and their levels. I also agree with some Labour policies - eg Gordon Brown giving control of the interest rate back to the Bank of England.
What do you guys think about the postal ballott fraud accusations?
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