A poem has been percolating in my head, so I've decided to be brave and publish it here on my blog. Here goes (girding my loins) -
There is a solemnity in waking.
Before dream sloughs itself,
In the waking sleep,
A tempestuous peace refracts the early morning.
And then
A consciousness
Facing a dark day blank
Shivering with knowledge unknown
Who will I be today?
Friday, 9 October 2009
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Equality yet
Recently, I've been studying some of the women involved in what has come to be known as the first wave of feminism, which occurred during the 19th and early 20th century. The rights they fought for on behalf of women have given me the opportunities I have today. They have been directly responsible for my personal freedoms as a woman; amongst other things, the right to own property, the right to have a profession and earn and retain my own wages, the right to an education equal to that of men, the right to vote. I could go on.
These things have enriched my life and I am in the enviable position of being able to take these things for granted. Yet, even in this era of enhanced rights, women are still objectified. I've blogged around a similar topic before, but the recent events with Caster Semenya have shown another side to this.
Those first wave feminists set out to prove that femininity is no barrier to what women can achieve. But, the recent Semenya story seems to show that we feel it's fine to condemn women for not being feminine enough. How long will it take us to understand that these preconceived notions of how feminine a woman should be simply hold us back? There should be no benchmark on womanliness, we must embrace our individuality. I firmly believe, we are human first and women second.
Those notions of femininity are a learned behaviour, socially constructed and anachronistic. Until we see this, I fear we can never completely gain the equality we deserve.
These things have enriched my life and I am in the enviable position of being able to take these things for granted. Yet, even in this era of enhanced rights, women are still objectified. I've blogged around a similar topic before, but the recent events with Caster Semenya have shown another side to this.
Those first wave feminists set out to prove that femininity is no barrier to what women can achieve. But, the recent Semenya story seems to show that we feel it's fine to condemn women for not being feminine enough. How long will it take us to understand that these preconceived notions of how feminine a woman should be simply hold us back? There should be no benchmark on womanliness, we must embrace our individuality. I firmly believe, we are human first and women second.
Those notions of femininity are a learned behaviour, socially constructed and anachronistic. Until we see this, I fear we can never completely gain the equality we deserve.
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Split Personality - time for a completely new blog
It seems to me I have a propensity towards a split personality when it comes to my online world. I have places I go where I do work-related stuff and places I go to do personal stuff - and those two very rarely meet. For example, I use Facebook to hook up with my family and friends - these are people I know 'in reality', friends I actually know in person - and then I use Twitter for conversations based around my work, and those are people I may or may not have actually met.
When I first realised I was doing this, I thought it probably meant I was old-fashioned and outmoded. It's taken me some time, and numerous informal conversations with other people, to decide that I'm not outmoded and, in fact, many of us do exactly the same thing - we keep different parts of our lives separate, and not just online either. I was involved in an interesting conversation at a conference a few weeks ago with a fellow from another university who said he'd spent time observing his teenage son's online activity. His son, at any one time, might have three or four methods of communication open - he'd be using a gaming console and chatting with his online opponents, he'd have his mobile phone for texting close friends, he'd have email and chat windows open on his computer for other friends. And, all of these things, he would simply switch between depending on who he was speaking to and the task he wanted to achieve.
That definitely made me feel a lot better, I can't be outmoded if I use different tools because, if that teenager is anything to go by, younger people than me do it as well.
All this is apropos to the fact that I've decided to have more than one blog - one for personal stuff, where I can blog about all sorts of different things, and one for stuff that's somehow related to the work I do. Plus, having two also means I get to try out more than one blog platform.
This blog is my personal one. So, if you're reading this and wondering why it's all poncy/unstructured/touchy-feely somethings and nothings, then have a look at my work-related blog instead.
When I first realised I was doing this, I thought it probably meant I was old-fashioned and outmoded. It's taken me some time, and numerous informal conversations with other people, to decide that I'm not outmoded and, in fact, many of us do exactly the same thing - we keep different parts of our lives separate, and not just online either. I was involved in an interesting conversation at a conference a few weeks ago with a fellow from another university who said he'd spent time observing his teenage son's online activity. His son, at any one time, might have three or four methods of communication open - he'd be using a gaming console and chatting with his online opponents, he'd have his mobile phone for texting close friends, he'd have email and chat windows open on his computer for other friends. And, all of these things, he would simply switch between depending on who he was speaking to and the task he wanted to achieve.
That definitely made me feel a lot better, I can't be outmoded if I use different tools because, if that teenager is anything to go by, younger people than me do it as well.
All this is apropos to the fact that I've decided to have more than one blog - one for personal stuff, where I can blog about all sorts of different things, and one for stuff that's somehow related to the work I do. Plus, having two also means I get to try out more than one blog platform.
This blog is my personal one. So, if you're reading this and wondering why it's all poncy/unstructured/touchy-feely somethings and nothings, then have a look at my work-related blog instead.
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Why I love the Hay Festival
I've just come back from a weekend at the Hay Festival. I first went when I was in my teens and I've loved it ever since. Sometimes, when my husband and I tell people we're going, we see a familiar glazed look come into their eyes (actually, this year, my husband told a colleague of his who looked positively lit up with excitement - until he realised it was a literary festival not a music event!) and then we have to struggle to explain to them what we see in it. So, what exactly do I love about it?I love the crowd and the ambience of the place. It feels as though I can soak up literature as I soak up the sun. On a hot and sunny weekend, like this one has been, it's great to sit on the Hay garden and people-watch.
Over there, a group of 20-something lads laughing and chugging beer out of plastic glasses, just as they would at a music event. You get closer and hear them discussing Simon Schama's lecture on the way Americans are growing up in terms of how they are learning to understand their political history and their current place in it.
A little further over, a man in his 40s is stretched full length on the grass taking a nap under his fedora hat. When you check out the open programme on his lap, you realise he's waiting to see Sarah Waters talk about her latest novel, which this time round is a "haunted house story" with not even a "token lesbian" in it.
Around the other side, there's a couple of women in their 30s, designer shades on, sipping Pimms and champagne. Sidle nearer to them and you'll hear them discussing the AC Grayling lecture and the importance of freedom and civil liberties, over and above everything, including the security of the nation.
What an interesting crowd Hay attracts; a multicoloured mix, not defined by age, gender, race, religion, or sexuality, and united by a love of all kinds of literature. Hay is a contemplative place, it offers culture in a relaxed fashion. It's a place I have gone to be inspired by a lecture or just to lie and read on the garden. Or, to put it in the words of a fellow festival-goer I overhead today, "I have gone there and thought thoughts".
Lovers of literature - these are my people and I love them!
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
h1n1
All this news recently about Swine Flu, I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me exactly what the Mexicans have done to deserve this particular punishment by God. I don't think I'll have to wait too long, someone is bound to be pissed off at Mexico for something. I'm sure the religious community will be happy to wax lyrical on the reasons for why Mexico merit this particular form of holy discipline.
Of course, it could just be that the patently obvious scientific logic behind the way viruses evolve to survive has simply stumped the creationist community. One never knows...
Of course, it could just be that the patently obvious scientific logic behind the way viruses evolve to survive has simply stumped the creationist community. One never knows...
Monday, 20 April 2009
BBC to Consult Humanists on Religion
The BBC has announced that humanists will be consulted on religious broadcasting. This follows on from similar positive actions, such as the addition of Humanism to the GCSE Religious Studies syllabus.
These are important statements about the country as it is today. We are finally seeing recognition of the fact that there are many humanists, atheists and agnostics in modern Britain,
"Surveys indicate that at least a third of the population of Britain are agnostic or atheist, and about 36% of the population also share the positive moral values of humanism and the British Humanist Association. "
Clearly, we are not a minority!
We have the right for our voices to be heard, just as much as any religious group does. So, thanks to the BBC for another step in the right direction towards giving us all the freedom to talk about, debate and discuss religious differences. And it's also fantastic that our kids will be able to do so in an informed way!
These are important statements about the country as it is today. We are finally seeing recognition of the fact that there are many humanists, atheists and agnostics in modern Britain,
"Surveys indicate that at least a third of the population of Britain are agnostic or atheist, and about 36% of the population also share the positive moral values of humanism and the British Humanist Association. "
Clearly, we are not a minority!
We have the right for our voices to be heard, just as much as any religious group does. So, thanks to the BBC for another step in the right direction towards giving us all the freedom to talk about, debate and discuss religious differences. And it's also fantastic that our kids will be able to do so in an informed way!
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Ada Lovelace Day
A few weeks ago I signed a pledge to publish a blog post today about a woman in technology who I admire. I’ve never signed a pledge before, but I felt this one was important because I believe women need to hear about good female role models. I’ve had a great deal of difficulty with this, only because it was so difficult picking just one. After considerable deliberation, I opted for a very contemporary figure who has accomplished some remarkable things in her career.
My blog post is about one of the most influential women in television. Until recently, she was the BBC Controller of Fiction, responsible for all drama across the four BBC channels. In that role, she had an annual budget worth half a billion. In 2008, MediaGuardian listed her at number 10 of the 100 most powerful people in UK media. Her name is Jane Tranter. As of January this year, she became executive vice-president of programming and production for BBC Worldwide. And she only just turned 46!
Jane Tranter started her TV career in 1985, she soon started working as an assistant floor manager on Eastenders and as a script writer for a series of Casualty. She did a spell working for Carlton, but rejoined the BBC in 1997, first as executive producer in films and single dramas, then soon after, Head of Drama Serials.
In 2000, after only 15 years in television, she became BBC Controller of Fiction. Her talent and vision saw her bringing back drama that excelled to the BBC. She is the woman who commissioned the rebirth of Dr Who, and she did this despite market research which said people didn’t want Dr Who back on their screens. That sort of conviction takes real courage. And it wasn’t just Dr Who she commissioned; other enormously successful dramas include Spooks, Bleak House, Life on Mars and Cranford (all of which I loved), amongst many others.
At the beginning of this year, she moved to BBC Worldwide. She has definitely not lost any of her ambition in doing so. She has already put forward an idea for a programme, involving at least 12 countries, which will launch simultaneously in all those countries and be both global and national. Wow!
What impresses me almost more than anything else is that, whilst she is a woman who has had immense success in her career, she hasn’t let it turn her head. In fact, if you listen to her talk, she is a very personable, humorous, animated person. She is also happy to make her views plain on the perceptions of women in high profile positions. In an interview with Sophie Balhetchet, she said,
“There is something still, somewhere within our culture, if a woman is in a position of any significance at all, instead of becoming powerful or successful, she becomes a power-crazed bitch. Instead of having a good work ethic, she becomes relentlessly, vaultingly ambitious. Instead of it being about diversity, it’s about a takeover of women and I do think it’s odd, I have to say”.
Well done, Jane Tranter, you’re a role model us women can be really proud of!
My blog post is about one of the most influential women in television. Until recently, she was the BBC Controller of Fiction, responsible for all drama across the four BBC channels. In that role, she had an annual budget worth half a billion. In 2008, MediaGuardian listed her at number 10 of the 100 most powerful people in UK media. Her name is Jane Tranter. As of January this year, she became executive vice-president of programming and production for BBC Worldwide. And she only just turned 46!
Jane Tranter started her TV career in 1985, she soon started working as an assistant floor manager on Eastenders and as a script writer for a series of Casualty. She did a spell working for Carlton, but rejoined the BBC in 1997, first as executive producer in films and single dramas, then soon after, Head of Drama Serials.
In 2000, after only 15 years in television, she became BBC Controller of Fiction. Her talent and vision saw her bringing back drama that excelled to the BBC. She is the woman who commissioned the rebirth of Dr Who, and she did this despite market research which said people didn’t want Dr Who back on their screens. That sort of conviction takes real courage. And it wasn’t just Dr Who she commissioned; other enormously successful dramas include Spooks, Bleak House, Life on Mars and Cranford (all of which I loved), amongst many others.
At the beginning of this year, she moved to BBC Worldwide. She has definitely not lost any of her ambition in doing so. She has already put forward an idea for a programme, involving at least 12 countries, which will launch simultaneously in all those countries and be both global and national. Wow!
What impresses me almost more than anything else is that, whilst she is a woman who has had immense success in her career, she hasn’t let it turn her head. In fact, if you listen to her talk, she is a very personable, humorous, animated person. She is also happy to make her views plain on the perceptions of women in high profile positions. In an interview with Sophie Balhetchet, she said,
“There is something still, somewhere within our culture, if a woman is in a position of any significance at all, instead of becoming powerful or successful, she becomes a power-crazed bitch. Instead of having a good work ethic, she becomes relentlessly, vaultingly ambitious. Instead of it being about diversity, it’s about a takeover of women and I do think it’s odd, I have to say”.
Well done, Jane Tranter, you’re a role model us women can be really proud of!
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