Happy Friday!

I don’t know about anyone else but I’m happy to see the back of this week and this month! My plan for the day is to find people I can talk to about last night’s ‘theatre’ Corialanus, which was awesome.

Anyway, here are this weeks links!

1) 16 Reasons why Gin is the Best. It’s not a very good list but World Gin Day gets a mention (well done Monkey!)

2) XKCD nails it on Climate Change…

3)  A handy guide to gay people for Putin and co.

4) Review of the National’s production of King Lear, with Simon Russell Beale as Lear. We’re seeing this in March and I’m pretty excited about it!

5) Porn and sex education. Yep. It terrifies me, how many parents are leaving their children to bring themselves up in areas concerning sex, porn and technology. It’s not easy to think about the children we know having sex but they are and if we’re honest we were too. I’m not advocating talking to children about it all the time but about having honest communication with children about all sorts of things from how babies are made all the way to being honest about what you’re ready for. My dad’s version went something like:

“don’t do anything you don’t want to do, use contraception and come and see me if someone is forcing you to do anything you don’t want to do and I’ll batter them”

Simple and effective, if a bit violent! Ma was a bit more nuanced but the message was the same, nothing your not ready for but nothing you should feel ashamed of, I’m always here. It’s a more complicated world now so the need for these conversations is more important.

6) £1 houses. This is a fabulous idea and will help stop the brain drain to London, we’ve been hearing so much about this week! It’ll never happen in London, but I can dream.

7) While housing is on my mind. Over-40’s forced back into flat sharing. there but for the grace of God..

8) Renting in London costs double the UK average. Yep. I know that other regions in the UK are suffering too but London needs different solutions to it’s housing crisis and it probably starts with electing a mayor who has a clue.