Happy Friday! This week I have opinions….it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Have a good weekend..

1) Enough of the dry politics of numbers, we need a vision

2) If America is so fond of Prince Charles, they should keep him. I think they’d feel differently if they had to pay for him!

3) How Harlequin became the most famous name in romance. (via Smart Bitches)I didn’t realise how much of that was tangled up in Mills and Boon.

Harlequin was unashamed about going where its customers were—and its customers were women, often housewives. They knew they were selling to women, and they chased women’s dollars without embarrassment or apology. And let’s face it, being associated with women is often the shortest route to being dismissed in the broader culture as fundamentally unserious.

4) Since when did obedience become the epitome of good parenting? Some days, I read something and it feels like I live on a different planet to the author, ’cause it doesn’t seem to me that we live in a society that prizes obedience in children. The comments on this are fascinating though. This one is pretty much what I think

I think there is a difference between blind obedience and a respect for others – a child does not naturally become considerate or sensitive to the rights or needs of others. A teenager or young adult who has not had the grounding of being taught – sometimes on a “because you are not the centre of the universe/ others also want what you want/ learn to share/ I am your parent and can better judge than you what is good/ bad for you” -basis – how to be a part of society of equals cannot reasonably be expected to exhibit behaviour that enables them to get on with others, have successful relationships or show consideration or altruism when appropriate. An outcome of this kind of behaviour is certainly not an inability to question unreasonable instructions or challenge others on rational or ethical basis. But there is such a thing as a spoilt child and a child to whom “no” is a rarity is often the child of lazy parents who want to be their child’s friend, not parent.

and this pretty much the attitude I was brought up with

We have general rules:

1. If I ask you to do something, it’s because it’s important. I’ll explain if there’s time, if there isn’t time, you can ask for an explanation later. But for now, obey.
2. If I explain and you think I’m being unjust, you can put your case and I’ll listen – when there’s time. But if I say you need to obey now, then obey now.
3. If after explanations and discussion I agree that you’re right, we change the rule. If we still disagree then, I’m afraid, tough luck – you’re doing it my way.
4. And unless the facts on which the decision in rule 3 was reached have changed materially, then I don’t want any more backchat or non-compliance.

Rule 4 is necessary, otherwise our house would resemble a court of appeal that was in session 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. It can be fecking exhausting, but I think it strikes a balance between obedience, justice and the need – desire – to allow their characters to develop without repression.

5) Dress like your mum did. Like Jess Cartner-Morley, I was born in 1973, and I refuse to dress like my mother did in the 70’s. No, no, no, you can’t make me. Which is probably why fashion is not my friend…

6) Teaching human evolution in Kentucky. I know there are people in the UK who don’t believe in evolution (I’ve never met any) but it’s a small minority but roughly half of all Americans reject the theory. That’s batshit insane…

7) Why we execute people is the question not how. This is in response to Utah deciding that people can be shot by firing squad if they can’t be killed by lethal injection. I’m pleased to see that support for the death penalty is (finally) a minority opinion in the UK.

8) Last minute attempt to unseat the Speaker is defeated. When members of your own party stand up in Parliament and says that you’ve behaved dishonourably, it’s really bad. William Hague’s last act in the House, shouldn’t have been this..