Compare and contrast

It's a nice day today, weather-wise, so far (yes, we do get user-friendly days here, even in this predominantly grey and damp part of the world), and I was, rather vacantly, looking out of my sitting room window earlier on. My attention was drawn to one of the local cats, an animal I've seen regularly ever since I moved here. The cat was doing what domestic cats do best in similar situations, luxuriating in a patch of warm sunshine, before languorously washing itself. What a life, I couldn't but help reflecting, all wants and needs requited, food, shelter, affection, comfort. As opposed to my lifestyle, yes, I have got food and shelter, but apart from that, my circumstances aren't that great - no friends or acquaintances, apart from my daughter, who lives 250-odd miles away, indifferent health, even on a good day, a bad knee that makes even walking upstairs to the bathroom painful, and the coup de grace, my aphasia after my stroke, which hampers me so frustratingly in terms of speaking and writing, robbing me of what was one of my few strengths. I know this post probably sounds like self-pity, and maybe it is, but quality of life is a worthwhile aspiration, an aspiration I'm sorely lacking at the moment.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B

A bigot's charter

The current iteration of the Conservative Party has been a race to the bottom for years now, most notably during Boris Johnson's tenure, but with a General Election looming in a few months time, there's space for plenty of barrel scraping, seemingly. The next target is school sex education, from what I've been seeing today, the subject will be gutted, particularly in primary schools, but older pupils won't be immune, either - all 'children' are going to be banned from being taught about gender identity. It's not a 'Don't Say Gay' scenario - yet - but it's a patent grab for the Tories in terms of winning the bigot vote, the right wingnuts, especially the religious right, will love it. And if some young people get killed, by their own hands, or through bullying or even outright murder, well sobeit. Frankly, that wouldn't be a bug, but a feature for those scumbags. 

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B