Loss of a Legend

I'm really hoping this is a hoax (it's happened before) but suspect it's the real deal. Pete Steele the frontman of incredible band Type O Negative died last night from a heart attach aged only 48.

I have long loved this band for its unique, clever, heavy, sombre and often funny music and have had a 'thing' for Pete ever since I was old enough to know what a 'thing' was. He was talented, sexy, huge (no really he was a big fella) and despite his miserable sounding attitude a very funny guy.

The rock scene will miss him so much. He was so original and took the rock/goth genre and made it cool again with more than a hint of self deprecating gloomy fun.

Goodbye Pete you were truly unique.

I'm off to find a bar.

Justice for all? (Warning contains ranting)

Well isn't that a turn up for the books. Yet another huge story of child rape and cover ups from the Vatican. I REALLY hope Richard Dawkins and Chistopher Hitchens get their way and arrest the creature known as the Pope and bring him and his cohorts to the trial they so deserve.

I have heard a lot of people whining on about how Dawkins and Hitchens are just using this recent turn of events as a way of bashing religion but seriously get the big picture here people. There are kids being raped and scarred for life by sadistic and perverted men who use their authority to get away with it and in turn get their crimes covered up so as not to 'embarrass' their institution. The current Pope helped to cover up these atrocious acts and has even asked for leniency for the poor old men who performed them. What about the poor young children defiled and injured by these same poor old men? Its easy to accuse Dawkins etc of using this story as a lever for their views but what it actually shows is that maybe, just maybe their views are correct and this is proof that religion especially the nasty dogmatic Catholic one is harmful. Has it occurred to anyone that these men may actually care about the children they are trying to support?

I fully support these men in their attempt to bring to justice men who have for no reason other than hysterical Bronze Age superstition have been allowed by the rest of the world to get away with such disgusting crimes. Anyone else in the modern West would have to stand trial for such atrocity but a Cardinal? The Pope? NO! They are immune to justice and why? Because we let them! If we just stopped and looked at ourselves we would realise that we are all guilty of letting this happen with the idiotic idea of 'respect' for religious figures where they somehow become above the law and even make the law itself. People earn respect they do not automatically get it for being in a position of authority especially if their authority is based on out dated, immoral and factually incorrect teachings.

Arrest the Pope and all those within the Catholic church who have hurt or covered up the hurt of children and send them to trial and prove we are the rational modern creatures we so want to believe we are.

No longer a statistic

Well I'm sure I am a statistic in many ways but one less now! I am once gain a member of that rare and elusive in-group known as the employed!

Huzzah, Hooray and other H words!

It's part time, 2.5 days a week which pays the bills (just, I am lucky to be co-habiting) without making me too tired or ill to function adequately. This of course means that I am once again able to blog with impunity as I have access to a decent(ish) PC at work and of course a life to blog about!

We will be seeing a good friend on Saturday evening for a (now sadly rare) evening of much wine and chatting which should throw up some good topics for blogussion. He is one of my own, a free thinker and non-religious secularist with whom I have had countless enjoyable discussions and debates with. It's gets even better because my partner will also be there and he is not entirely convinced by our fervent (non) beliefs and often becomes Devil's advocate (pardon the phrase!) to our talks. I expect drunkenness, possibly some friendly shouting and a generally good time!

There is one weird side to this however. He is my partners best friend from childhood and has pretty much been the confirmed bachelor or the group forever until recently. Suddenly he has a partner, has moved in (quite a way away too) and is having a child and my partner seems to have entered a strange period of mourning for his all too absent friend. I have joked for years that they will run off together one day and consummate their (again pardon the colloquialism) bromance because my partner seems to crave his company so much. Before his newly acquired happy state he was a weekly fixture on our sofa, glass of cheap red in hand and fork in the other while we ate, drank and talked until the early hours. Its been several weeks since the last visit and my partner is in a kind of haze of excited preparation which can only be described in terms of the anticipation of an upcoming date. Don't misunderstand, neither of them are homosexual (or at least I have seen no sign of it!) but I am almost jealous of the regard held for this (admittedly wonderful) friend. Maybe someday he will love me that much!

Anyway talking of love and other such filth, the wedding plans are forging ahead with a speed to take away the breath and mental stability of any would be bride. The venue, registrar and reception are planned, booked and tweaked to taste and the dress is ready for imminent order. I have to admit its all rather terrifying as there is only 3 months until the fateful day when I will be no longer one of the spinster types so terrifying to women of my age. I am one of the last of my friends to marry or have kids (or both) so its an anticlimax for most of them I'm sure.

We have had the usual arguments about changing my name. I am one of 4 girls and the unmarried 3 of us are the last in my immediate family with our surname and since it's an old name and one I am proud of I am loathe to give it up especially for an outdated and misogynistic tradition which bears no relevance at all. Of course my partner wants me to take his name although I don't see why it matters as he has plenty of his tribe to carry it on but I suspect its simply a male need to own or at least appear to own something completely. Its mostly for my potential children that I want to keep my name because it is my only tangible way to pass on their history and continue the name. I am happy to do that rather posh and a bit snobby sounding thing of double barrelling but he still seems rather against the idea. I don't expect him to do so as well but I would love my children to carry on my name after all its my only legacy.

Crikey that's all rather deep and depressing isn't it? Sorry for that normal ranting service will resume in due course once I have some new sparks to light the old righteous anger.

I will be back anon.