This genuinely makes me feel sad.

The BBC's Have Your Say pages is heavily posted-to by some really rather right-wing and angry conservatives. This is common knowledge.

However, as nimby-heavy as I know the posting community there is, it still makes me sad to read the responses. I realise that because I'm young, healthy, active, and fairly lucky at the moment (life appears to be going well) - optimism rules the day - but really, sitting around moaning about things isn't going to make it feel any better.

The latest addition is this: What does it mean to be British?

Oh God, has it fuelled the fingers of all those angry souls and got them tapping away at their battered keyboards.

As only a half-Brit (and half-Swede) I am an immigrant to this fair isle (born in Sweden, lived there until age 7). I'm VERY patriotic and misty-eyed over Sweden but equally really quite proud of the UK.

There are days when I'm walking through a wood, or driving cross-country, or sat down watching people mill about in town (not when I'm milling about myself mind, for then I'm usually on a mission and EVERYONE is in my way, hiss-spit-what-a-bunch-of-bastards-etc.) when I just think to myself "Mmm. This is nice."

It's a complicated, busy, built-up but also green and lush nation; full of good, bad, and indifferent folk who even out to 'decent enough' in the main.

One post about half-way down the front of the 'Readers Recommended'-ordered list just stood out for me:

This tiny little rain-soaked island is my home. It can't be such a bad place because people from all over the world are keen to come here and make it their home, too.
I hope they feel welcome.

Pringle

So do I.

Ah-hah, I've found it!

My religion!

Well, lack of, maybe.

All I've found is just an official name for what I think anyway.

I'm still sort of agnostic - as I don't really believe in anything enough to pray or adjust my way of life for - but I do kind of think it'd be interesting if there was a supreme being. Be she male, female, neither, whatever. I also like the idea that he or she would be a bit stressed out, like a mother trying to juggle a career with some very obnoxious and messy scrap-happy children (given how much we seem to like fighting each other).

I used to have this book about Noah's Ark, and I can't remember if it was Noah or God (or both) who was a really grumpy sod. Termites kept boring holes into the hull, the big cats kept wanting to eat their usual prey, the rabbits... well. But I like that idea. A grumpy, stressed-out, irritated God who wishes we'd all just shut up and give him some peace for a bit.

Anyway, that's by the by.

For some reason today I looked up Humanism.

The Wikipedia article on it contained this:

Optimism

Humanism features an optimistic attitude about the capacity of people, but it does not involve believing that human nature is purely good or that all people can live up to the Humanist ideals without help. If anything, there is the recognition that living up to one's potential is hard work and requires the assistance of others. The ultimate goal is human flourishing; making life better for all humans, and as the most conscious species, also promoting concern for the welfare of other sentient beings. The focus is on doing good and living well in the here and now, and leaving the world better for those who come after.

I like that.

I am an Agnostic Humanist.

My facebook profile even says so, it must be true.

Olympic Tug-of-War!

Damn! Bring it back!


Also bicycle polo!

Terribly spiffing, don't you think?

Just been reading this BBC article about the 1908 last-minute-London Olympics.

I am man, feel my lead.

So I went through the entire dance class as a lead last night.

Usually I have had a go at the beginners class as a lead - and then the imbalance swings (heh) back to an abundance (I've always wondered what a dancing bun looks like) of men, so I start following again instead of leading.

BUT we were more lady-heavy than usual so a lead I remained - I even dared to have a go at the intermediate class at the end - and don't think I did too badly! But there's lots more to concentrate on as a lead. It's not... /harder/ as such... But there's a lot more brain-memory involved, compared to the muscle-memory and sensitivity required by the follows.

It was very weird the first few times I had a go at it, as I kept falling back into lady-feet. The rhythms are all practically the same but in most cases, perfectly reversed... and seeing as I've spent months and months to get my legs to fall into the right patterns as a follow - to start doing exactly the opposite while also concentrating on giving another lady the right lead is a bit of a mind£%&*.

Somehow last night though finally I've found that switch that turns on the manfeet. Whoop! Now just to start working on that database in my head which I need to fill with things I can do when leading - which will have to accept queries such as:

• "Uh-oh, I've done five basics now; give me something, anything!"
• "Argh, cack-handed! How do I get out of this one?"
• "She's coming towards me at speed, heeeeelllppppp..."

Maybe I shall have to start actually paying attention and taking notes. Jeeez.

In case anyone's wondering - why do I want to lead? Isn't that what the men do?

1. I want to know for myself if there really is any difference in difficulty between following and leading
2. I want to be able to dance when there's too few men to go around and a load of women waiting to pounce/be asked up
3. I want to understand and be able to help out when a move is not working - either because as a lead I'll know what's expected of me, or I'll know what I would do if I was leading
4. I'd love to lead a big burly bloke like Cliff fur pure amusement (he already does a mean twist-walk)! But he'll need some teaching in order to follow... you can't push a guy like that around...

This may be a little blasphemous...

But I'm afraid this picture just reminds me too much of the Life of Brian...

"The Crowd (in unison): Yes! We're all individuals!!

From yesterday's Day In Pictures (picture 4)