The boys in blue

[nineveh_uk]

When I was a child, the mother of my best friend was something of a Marxist, the sort of woman who thinks sellers of the Socialist Worker a bunch of lightweights*. As this was in the 1980s, around the time of the miners’ strike, she held no high opinion of the police.

Following the news that being too fond of a bicycle is grounds for being put on the sex offenders register, the use of a taser on a man in a diabetic coma**,and an enquiry into police actions following just another domestic, one appreciates her points anew. Isn’t it nice to feel that the forces of law and order are protecting the public?

It is another beautiful and cold day today, and I have taken the winter coat out of the wardrobe. I have an induction at the gym at lunchtime; in the context of the “Women! Get more exercise! But not if you only want to do it to be thin!” of the past few days, I state that I shall be doing this in order to build up my stamina and specifically to improve my upper body strength for next year’s skiing holiday.*** I shall find every minute of if maddeningly dull, one of the downsides of strenuous repetitive activity being that it is hard to daydream in it without falling off the machine, and I don’t like listening to music on the go. I assume that in the sane waters of LJ I am not the only one who thinks that people who consider a good solution to women being unhealthily unfit is to require them to buy expensive pushchairs so they can jog with the baby are living on another planet?

* I rather resented as a teenager that no-one ever tried to sell me a copy of the Socialist Worker, but have now decided that this is not because I don’t look sufficiently socialist, but that I am immune to street sellers. Even the Chuggers thronging Cornmarket at lunchtime have never yet approached me.

**I wonder, do they have any statistics as to the frequency of men being non-responsive on top of empty buses due to their being (a) unconscious through illness (b) unconscious through inebriation or (c) non-responsive due to being a terrorist who for some reason wants to blow up an empty bus, but has fumbled his detonator?

***Unlike middle sister, who as a young child had to be socialised not to pull doors off their hinges, I do not have much native upper body strength.

ETA: Owl rescue story for the owl fans on my flist. Look out for the proposed law to make bestiality illegal as well. The Danish animal brothels will be pleased.

Comments

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

I assume that in the sane waters of LJ I am not the only one who thinks that people who consider a good solution to women being unhealthily unfit is to require them to buy expensive pushchairs so they can jog with the baby are living on another planet?

I think I may be on another galaxy from this, I am so far from understanding it. Then again, both jogging and babies get the response 'Are you insane, I spend a week of every month with pain in my tits already!'[1] out of me, so I'm not sure I'm the target audience.

I had to be socialised not to slam car doors, but I don't think I've ever pulled a door off its hinge. My brother Gavin once bent out several bicycle spokes with his bare hands when he was a small child and his wheelchair was left unattended near a bicycle, though.

[1] I have been to doctors with this; they say, variously, 'take ibuprofen', 'take evening primrose oil' and 'go back on the pill'. So far I've taken the first two sets of advice.

[white_hart]

I'm baffled by the third piece of advice, as being on the Pill has never stopped my tits hurting on a regular basis. OTOH, it does prevent babies becoming an issue.

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

I don't think it did when I was on the Pill either, come to think of it.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

My usual response to all of this is to think that unfortunately the people coming up with 'ideas' are either people who enjoyed games at school, or who think women who don't like or have time for sports will somehow like or have time for aerobics or lovely yummy all together running round the park.

I slammed car doors, too, but I've never experimented with bicycle spokes.

Does evening primrose oil work?

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

It definitely seems to help with the tit pains. It does no bloody thing about PMS.

Also, since I've been taking it my skin's cleared up no end.

Nothing short of policemen with tasers would get me doing group aerobics or running. I am quite happy bouncing around in front of a DVD for half an hour a day occasionally shouting at the irritatingly perky instructor. I don't want to have to deal with fucked-up female-social-group dynamics on top of that.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Helps skin? That's me convinced.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

I acknowledge that eventually I will need to start a proper exercise regimen, but until then, I maintain that walking at least a mile (two miles, counting the return journey) to get to the library from where I live is sufficient. This goes double on days when I meet with my supervisor, whose office is on the third floor of a building with no lift.

Admittedly, though, I have no upper body strength whatsoever. Unless you count carrying large amounts of books.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I used to have a two mile walk each way to work - not so much now, although I can't say I notice that I am less fit (and I try to avoid using the lift on my three minute commute). I have skied with very little preparation and been fine, but I want to move up a group, and I think I've going to get more out of it if I have a bit more by way of triceps in particular.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

You make a good point -- the last time I went on a skiing holiday, my arms were absolutely killing me by the end of the third day. It was lots of fun, though, all the same. Mainly because I acknowledge that I'm not very good at it. ;)

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine those prams either. I can't believe it's restful for the baby. Unless it's a Dark Conspiracy on the part of joggers to force even more non-jogging path-users off the path and into the mud than before...

And hooray! Heart-warming owl story! (but what Danish animal brothels? In fact, do I want to know this?)

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

THe pushchairs boggles me. I've seen (men) with them, and they are high, so they can be pushed, but it strikes me as a rather less good idea than Dad looking after the shop for 30 minutes when he comes in from work whilst Mum takes a brisk walk round the square.

Bestiality is legal in Denmark and Norway as long as it does not harm the animal, however entrepreneurs (perfectly SFW) (http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1458080.ece) seem to be more enterprising in Denmark. I do have some vague recollection of a Danish prosecution involving a duck.

Look, I'm sorry, but I have flypaper brain.

[aerama.livejournal.com]

A song I have by Marlene Dietrich, "See what the boys in the back room will have" (or whatever) has been running through my head since I saw your post title. No idea why.

So of course I had to read all those links, wincing in anticipation - the dubious question of using a bicycle aside (poor bicycle), whatever happened to privacy in one's own home? Then again, the States have all manner of weird ancient laws that don't allow even married folks to do fun things...

I say make all the people who declare others 'unheathily fit' BUY all the gym paraphenalia these supposedly unhealthily fit people may need. That'll shut them up.

I can recommend elliptical machines because you can prop up a largeish/flattish book on them. I do like them for themselves but the time spent goes much faster when one can zone out over a book. Or even a brain-candy magazine.

I also say exercise for whatever reason will make you happy. _I_ should exercise for health first and other things after, but am I happy about that? NO! I am really good at not-exercising. We do think about it though. A lot. And when we do go, it's really cool.
It's the gettin' there that bogs us down.

That owl! So pointy-tufted with dignity and harrumphness. I associate dolorous_ett with owls, too.

This does NOT mean I think she is pointy-tufted and harrumphed, however.

*grin*

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

The bicycle bit is disturbing. I think he was in a hostel, but fail to see how this is any different from cleaners unlocking the door on a couple in a honeymoon hotel. The purpose of the sex offender's register is to protect people (and possibly animals), not bicycles.

Elliptical machines are definitely the best. If I had a garage I would buy a secondhand one from the millions of Ebay, and stick it in there with a cheap radio.

[dolabellae.livejournal.com]

Focusing on the cute owl story, shamefully, to block out the depressing state of affairs shown in your news stories. I just felt I had to express my love for the sentence That's no way for a healthy horned owl to behave.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I love Aftenposten - it's English page does seem to have a rather high proportion of cute or bizarre animal stories.