Autumn approaching

End of August, and autumn is on its way.  It's been an unsatisfactory summer weather wise I think.  No prolonged periods of sunshine to enjoy, and some cool temperatures.  What I always enjoy though is the easier commute, longer evenings, and the feeling of being off school even when you're not.

The run up to Christmas can be a drag.  But I always feel quite excited because of migratory birds.  And this year, I'm going to plant some flower seeds to overwinter, & I might even have a greenhouse which will add some new pottering possibilities.

Work seems to be entering a very irritating and frustrating stage.  I suspect that the budget cuts will make it increasingly so.  People become more defensive of their little areas, and rather than pulling together set out to fight for their own corner.  And I feel less and less proud of working in a university, the more it becomes an economic factory etc.  Read a good article about this today, can't find it now, but from these guys http://plutopress.wordpress.com/tag/des-freedman/

And I hope I'll get a dog before Christmas.  I wonder if it will be like a child, and give my life a purpose?

Cassandra

Blimey, well how was I to know that writing a blog about most people being good, and how we get too much focus on negatives in the media would lead to looting, riots, and demonstrations of the worse side of people?

I feel angry at the wanton destruction & lack of care for others that quite a few of the looters have shown.  But I know that to resist the temptation when everyone around you is grabbing stuff that seems to be going free would take a lot of willpower. 

It concerns me that the reactions to the behaviours have focused on retribution.  Haven't we learnt that locking up doesn't solve someone's lack of prospects.  And that our conspicuous consumerism, inequalities and general sleaze of many in authority are also not going to lead to a healthy balanced future.

Anyway, there have been some good articles & blogs I've read, which give me hope.


http://pme200.blogspot.com/2011/08/scum.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/09/uk-riots-psychology-of-looting 

Camila from Kids Company in Indie

Human nature

Lots of things been happening, and lots of times thoughts of blog posts have floated in & out of my consciousness.  At some point I might write a bit about marriage guidance counselling, the use of fear as a motivational force & other stuff.
But today I've been thinking about the human need for bad news, and for hearing about bad people.  I don't read the tabloids much, but from people who do I hear that single mums, asylum seekers, benefit scroungers etc are the scourge of modern society.   Some people I know have countless stories of feckless individuals, and to be honest the crime thrillers I read or watch on tv are full of evil, depraved inhuman people.  And yet clearly these people are a very small minority.  So why do we give them so much of our thought?  Is it fear;  relief that we haven't turned out like that; a fascination with a more thrilling if unpleasant side to life?
I don't like the idea of a feelgood media, & find things like that Esther Rantzen hearts of gold programme utterly turgid but I wish that there was a bit more focus on celebrating the fact that most of us are decent, hardworking, and not entirely perfect but doing our best.