Category Archives: current affairs

beliefs, current affairs, nudism, ramblings

Kids and Nudity

I’m getting increasingly worried about society’s attitude towards children and nudity. Both allowing kids to see adults nude and adults to see children nude.

Neither is actually a problem, but society is making it into one.

There’s an interesting opinion piece by Laura over at Catharsis under the title Why NOT Being Naked In Front Of Your Kids Is Weird:

[A] single father, recently found himself under Child Protective Services investigation after some mothers of his 6-year-old son’s friends reported him for showering with his child.

These mothers apparently think because the dad showers with his son, he’s a pedophile. NOT because the kid reported his dad touched him inappropriately or because the kid reported his dad demanded to be touched inappropriately by his son.

Simply because the dad showered with his 6-year-old son. Period.

You know what I think about that? I think that’s bullshit. And I think anyone who takes an innocent act like being naked around a child to the level of pedophilia ought to be absolutely ashamed of themselves.

There are real cases of sexual abuse out there — cases of children being seriously harmed by the adults around them. THERE ARE REAL PREDATORY ABUSERS OUT THERE SCARRING CHILDREN PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. Simply because a parent is naked in front of his children does NOT make him an abuser, and threatening a parent’s custody of his child with no evidence of such activity is both negligent and irresponsible.

(Emphasis in the original.)

Which, of course, is absolutely right.

OK, so that’s in America. But we’re very little different in this country.

I am concerned at the vilification of artist Graham Ovenden for his portrayal of naked children. OK, Ovenden has recently been convicted of inappropriate conduct with some girls many, many years ago. I don’t know how much abuse, if any, really did occur; I wasn’t there at the time, I wasn’t at the trial and I haven’t seen the evidence only some of the press reports. But the very fact that an artist can be pilloried in the way he has, so long after the event, and when he appears to have taken care that children he was drawing/painting were chaperoned, is deeply worrying. The fact that the charges relate to events 30-40 years ago, and in large part it seems to be the girls’ word against Ovenden’s, smacks of trumped up complaints and something which probably should never have got to court. Although as I say I’ve not followed the details closely, so I may be wrong. But it has been enough to set my alarm bells ringing.

That’s not to condone paedophilia; far from it. As Laura says (above) there are predatory abusers out there; and it is right that where there is sufficient evidence they are brought to justice. But I worry that we are straying into witch-hunt territory, where merely making an allegation is enough for a conviction and that having to provide evidence and to prove a case “beyond reasonable doubt” has gone by the board. This is gutter-press, mob justice.

Merely painting, drawing or photographing a child naked, or showering with a child (yours or anyone else’s) does not constitute paedophilia. Just as a mixed, nude, adult sauna (the norm in Scandinavia!) does not ipso facto mean there is sexual abuse.

We are rapidly approaching the stage where it will be a criminal offence for anyone to see any child nude at any time: parents will not be allowed to bath their newborns; and doctors will not be able to examine child patients. Clearly this is a nonsense and would lead to a major deterioration in health.

As I have observed before nudity and sexuality need to be normalised, not marginalised and ciminalised. I have always maintained that if we had a healthier understanding and acceptance of desires, sexuality, nudity and our bodies it would have far reaching positive effects on our health and our attitudes. Bring children up to understand their bodies, their sexuality and to accept nudity as something normal and they will be more balanced as individuals; more able to discuss their inner feelings and worries; more at ease discussing their medical problems with their doctor. All of which has to be good, if only in terms of catching serious disease earlier and when it is more easily, and more cheaply, treated. But I believe it would also be of great benefit psychologically.

current affairs, history

RIP Mrs Thatcher

So Lady Thatcher has died. No real surprise as she had been in poor health (physically and mentally, I think) for some years.

No, I’m not going to write an obituary, there’ll be more than enough of those around over the coming hours and days. I just want to make a very brief observation.

Whether you liked Lady Thatcher or not (and I can see both why people would and wouldn’t like her) she certainly changed much of the landscape and culture of the country, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. I think when historians look back they could well find that the two most influential Prime Ministers during the second half of the 20th century were Mrs Thatcher and Harold Wilson (with Tony Blair some way behind in third).

RIP Margaret Thatcher.

current affairs

Art or Not?

This …

Graham Ovenden trial: I have a moral obligation to paint children

… has some quite frightening implications.

One can only hope to god that the guy is acquitted.

current affairs, links, science

Another Catch-up

More links to things which amused or interested me and which may do the same for you. This edition isn’t all science; we start off being rather more light-hearted …

Everyone seems to be flapping about some fungus which is attacking ash trees in the UK. Apparently some government minister is suggesting we should stop it spreading by washing our children. Whatever next?


Meanwhile in Egypt the Copts have used a boy child to to select their new Pope. I love the way they wear a combination of table runners and lampshades! Makes the new Cantuar look very tame. But what I didn’t know is that Egyptian Copts are internationally well known and influential; Boutros Boutros-Ghali (former UN Secretary-General) and Sir Magdi Yacoub (heart transplant surgeon) are among their number.

Not to be outdone, IanVisits looks at two churches in London’s East End and wonders what London would have been like if a Victorian mega-rail project had come off.

And talking of Victorians, a rare books dealer has stumbled upon what is thought to be an authentic Tenniel Alice in Wonderland chess board. And of course he’s trying to cash in.

Finally before the science stuff, nambawan pikinini bilong Misis Kwin (aka. Prince Charles) has been in Papua New Guinea brushing up on his Tok Pisin. The Guardian gave us a guide to this hoot of a language.

When he gets back home Prince Charles will soon be being tested by his doctor for dementia, as will we all. I can’t see why Brenda and Phil the Greek should be excluded though; I would have thought the latter is a cut and dried diagnosis.

Slime molds. They’re slimy, and brainless (yes, there’s a link there somewhere!), and it seems surprisingly intelligent. Though I guess the latter depends in the value of intelligent as well as the price of eggs.

But as far as I know, no-one has yet found slime molds growing in a navel. Rob Dunn and his team have spent two years finding all manner of other life though, including Carl Zimmer. And for their next trick … arm-pits!

While on noxious substances, Puff the Mutant Dragon writes interestingly (well to me anyway) about the chemistry behind wacky-baccy.


Be afraid! Be very afraid! There’s another new pest on the way. It seems Asian hornets, Vespa velutina, (not to be confused with the Asian or Japanese Giant Hornet, Vespa mandarinia, which is altogether bigger) have established themselves in France and are heading for the UK. They munch on honey bees (as if bee-keepers needed anything more to worry about) and they have a nasty sting!

Finally something cool for those interested in space junk. NASA has launched an app which will email or text you when the International Space Station is due to be passing over your head, so you know when to look up.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

current affairs, science

Are Scientists Now Able to do Their Jobs?

So yesterday six internationally respected scientists, plus a government official, were convicted by an Italian court of manslaughter for not issuing a warning of the magnitude 6.3 L’Aquila earthquake of 2009 which killed 309 people. They were each sentenced to 6 years in prison.


For what? Yes, that’s right: doing their job to the best of their ability.

On the basis of the best evidence available to them, these experts didn’t issue a warning about the imminence of the earthquake because that evidence didn’t indicate there would be one; because predicting earthquakes is (still) effectively impossible. It’s a decision which most of their colleagues around the world apparently support.

They made an honourable scientific decision based on the evidence. So how can they be culpable?

Now I’m no expert on earthquakes, but my friend Ziggy Lubkowski is a world leader in earthquake engineering. And he is even more quietly and coldly furious than am I. You can see what he says on his work weblog. I commend it; he says it much better than I can!

It would seem to me that the direct consequence of this is that no scientist should now express any opinion as to any the future happening. Or perhaps the only comments should be either “No comment” or “We don’t know”. Surely to do anything else leaves one exposed. That means scientists — which includes the guys who forecast our weather! — will no longer be able to fulfil their roles in society. It will stifle science, progress and more immediately public safety. Would I blame anyone for taking such such an approach? How can I?!

Surely any legal system which can allow such a prosecution to even get to court is deeply flawed. For everyone’s sake let’s just hope that this travesty of justice gets overturned on appeal.

current affairs

They've never had it so bad?

The headlines are saying

Thousands of people took part in a demonstration in London on Saturday to protest against the Government’s austerity measures

And it’s true they did march in their thousands. In London. I saw some of them in Piccadilly.

But I have news for them.

If they think this is austerity they’re in for a very big shock; so are we all. GOK what they’re going to think when the real austerity hits. Which, unless I’m very mistaken, it surely will.

As a country we’re still living way beyond the means of our crippled economy. And printing more money ain’t going to fix it.

Just go and ask the Greeks. Or the Third Reich.

current affairs, sexuality

Brazilians

No, not waxing, not even lyrical waxing! Nor another of Brizil’s other exports: parrots. Although “poly” certainly come into it …

Apparently a Public Notary in Brazil has agreed a civil union between a man and two women, which could (my guess) be the first officially endorsed polyamory relationship in the world.

The BBC News site, amongst others, ran the story yesterday.

Apparently the Public Notary, who goes by the wonderful name of Claudia do Nascimento Domingues, says that there is nothing in law to prevent this union and that the threesome should be entitled to family rights.

Needless to say the (mostly American) Christian press are having a field day.

More power to Senhora Domingues for breaking the mould, say I. We need more lateral thinking like this.

amusements, current affairs

Silly Fools Day

Yeah, I know it’s the silly season. Everyone is on holiday and the media is being run by caretaker journos who don’t know one end of a biro from the other. But really, you’d think it was All Fool’s Day!

In the last couple of days we’ve had not one but two, yes, two, patently stupid stories blown up out of all proportion.

Today there appeared this superb notice at Farringdon Station on the London Underground.


Yes, it got seriously reported this morning. Until it became apparent to even the least intelligent that it was a most excellent hoax. So how do we know it’s a hoax? Do all ladies wear trousers and socks? Does no-one wear shorts? A real H&S concern would have covered these, wouldn’t it; and probably closed the station? Whoever perpetrated it should be really pleased for they did an excellent job of conning the unwary.

I just hope that if the perpetrator was a London Underground employee his (or her) bosses see the funny side of the prank: they certainly should do.

But that was just an amusing diversion compared with my second case: a lion on the loose in Essex.

Now look, good burghers of Essex, we know you have the reputation for not being the sharpest knives around, but … A lion? In St Osyth? Really!?!?!?

I’m quite prepared to believe that there’s the odd puma, even leopard, jaguar or lynx, prowling around the English countryside. But lions and tigers — oh my, no! They are just too large, and too hungry, to hide for long.

Yeah precisely, it didn’t hide. There were newspaper photos. Yes they were all of a male lion. And what was reported? A lioness. Yes, those photos are known to be fakes, made up by the press, for the press because they had nothing else to go on.

Mind you, we can’t really blame you Essex girlies for taking it all seriously, when the local plod’s reaction is totally OTT. As usual Heresy Corner does the demolition job. The Essex Constabulary were found wanting in the intelligence stakes.

Still I suppose it’s more fun than the pranks of assorted government ministers, City bankers and press barons. Oh, hang on. Isn’t that where we came in?

So if anyone can genuinely find, with 30 days, killer mice within 5 miles of St Osyth or an unclaimed lioness on the loose at Farringdon Station, I’ll eat my hat — as long as it’s a chocolate hat, that is!