Weapons Of Mass Destruction….. Brochy Tales….. Call Me Madam….Hypothermic Animals….
by Bernie Bell - 10:19 on 26 December 2022
Weapons of Mass Destruction…..
On Friday the 23rd of December Maxi Jazz, singer with the band ‘Faithless’ died. The words of his band-mates describe his contribution….
https://twitter.com/faithless?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Words of wisdom from Maxi Jazz…..
Mass Destruction
Whether long range weapon or suicide bomber
Wicked mind is a weapon of mass destruction
Whether you're soar away sun or BBC One
Misinformation is a weapon of mass destruction
You could a Caucasian or a poor Asian
Racism is a weapon of mass destruction
Whether inflation or globalization
Fear is a weapon of mass destruction
Whether Halliburton or Enron or anyone
Greed is a weapon of mass destruction
We need to find courage, overcome
Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction
Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction
Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDqJUrc5jCc
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Brochy Tales…..
https://www.thebrochproject.co.uk/blog/on-brochs-and-stories?
From the Caithness Broch Project Christmas Newsletter…..
https://www.thebrochproject.co.uk/blog?
A good read for over the hols.
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Call Me Madam….
I read this….. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-64067016
“Mrs Noyce once claimed in an interview that demand for her services was particularly high during the Edinburgh Festival, and at its zenith each year when the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland was in session at the Mound.”
…….and thought it was a bit of a hoot.
This reminded me of the story of Cynthia Payne which was made into a very entertaining, and understanding, film called ‘Personal Services’….. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Services
At about the same time, I saw a film called ‘Working Girls’… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Girls_(1986_film) , which has a very different angle on the life of ’sex workers’.
It’s a contentious issue ….. I’ll tell a tale - just telling a tale - not saying that this is the situation for all, or even the majority of, sex workers….
Years ago I worked for the National Association for the Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders, and so got to know a woman who had worked as a prostitute.
Here’s her story…I won’t use her name - I don’t think she’d mind, but I think it’s best not to.
She and 5 other women had a brothel. They looked out for each other, made sure it was a safe environment to work in. She had liked the life - told me that she got taken out to shows and for meals. Then, she would bring her client back to the house to get on with the real business of the encounter. She said that she wouldn’t do ‘kinky’, and when I asked what she meant, she said – and I quote. “I can’t tell you that Bernie - nice girl like you .” I don’t know what idea she had of my level of innocence – I’d only meant to ask where did she draw the line!
Anyway – the house got ‘busted’ and she and her co-workers went to Court. As part of the terms of her sentence, she moved from London to the town where I was living and was placed with NACRO to learn office skills. She complained heartily that what she earned for a week there, she could get in one night in her old job. She genuinely had been content with her choice of work - and it was a choice.
When this kind of work becomes questionable, is when it’s forced on someone either through their circumstances or by force – being bullied into doing it.
Eventually, she got fed up with learning office skills (!) and left. I don’t know what became of her - I hope she got back with her ‘accomplices’ and set up a similar set-up again, as it had worked well for them. They were safe and were earning a good living in a way which suited them.
OK – buying or selling sex could be said to be basically a wrong thing to do - but - and I’m going to say it – plenty of people ‘prostitute’ themselves in other ways. What we do with our bodies is up to us – or it should be - it’s when force or coercion is used in any way that the situation becomes wrong. Plenty of physical contact is made in the workplace which is not wanted, but tolerated due to fear.
I never suffered sexual harassment at work – I think they had a good idea what would happen if they tried it.
When my friend taught me self-defence, his first lesson was “Don’t get scared – get angry.” Indeed.
Working with ‘Madam X’ taught me a lot. When telling the tale I have a tendency to begin with "I used to work with a prostitute”, then I amend that to having worked for NACRO - just to make the situation clear!
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Hypothermic animals…
What to do if you find an hypothermic animal….
Mostly, presumably, the same applies to humans – basically similar beasties.
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Here’s one I made earlier…. https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/11/29/some-reasons-for-visiting-the-national-museum-of-scotland-edinburgh/
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