Recently, I’ve started giving James O’Brien’s show on LBC an occasional listen. I know I shouldn’t – it’s just another cosy nook in the liberal, left-wing echo chamber, really, let’s be honest. And I sometimes find myself wincing at his approach – he does like to verbally pummel his callers, even the ones who agree… Continue reading The empathy deficit
Category: bit of a rant
When fear is the easy option
I’m quite excitable by nature – it doesn’t take much to give me one of those mini-rushes of everyday joy*. The mere sight of Brighton’s white buildings against blue skies. Meeting dogs – any dogs – on the street or at the beach. Plump-cheeked toddlers. Pretty skirts and dresses. Pretty skirts and dresses that have… Continue reading When fear is the easy option
Awareness is not enough
If like me, you spend most of your waking hours refreshing Twitter, on the look-out for cute puppy gifs, excellent puns and headlines to get outraged about, you’ll know that this week is Mental Health Awareness Week. And I don’t want to get all Piers “Sentient Ham” Morgan on you, but I’m fresh out of… Continue reading Awareness is not enough
Hypocrisy in bloom
When I started writing this post in my head earlier this week, I thought I was turning into one of those people – you know, the type who always has to have the controversial opinion, the kind of person who’d manage to play Devil’s Advocate in a discussion about kittens, or cake, if they could.… Continue reading Hypocrisy in bloom
If ignorance were a crime
Ched Evans makes me wish ignorance was a crime. He makes me wish we could prosecute for stupidity, and for callous entitlement. I’m not usually one to hold a grudge, but if a sheer lack of decency were punishable by law, we could lock men like Evans up and lob the keys into the nearest… Continue reading If ignorance were a crime
What does patriotism feel like?
According to Theresa May’s closing speech at this week’s Conservative Party Conference, “if you’re a citizen of the world, you’re a citizen of nowhere”. She’s not beating around the bush, is she? This is apparently who we are now. After our summer identity crisis, we’ve finally decided what to be. And between the suggestion that… Continue reading What does patriotism feel like?
In the ink crowd
For reasons I’m yet to fathom, the last couple of weeks have seen a flurry of articles about the ‘politics’ of tattoos. Maybe it’s because someone famous only for being on The Apprentice said she personally didn’t like them. Maybe it’s because ripping into anyone under 30 is the right-wing element of the media’s favourite… Continue reading In the ink crowd
