I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)

Last week my son had his learning conference.  His teacher thinks that he is smart, but sadly he is not doing the work that he is capable of.  But the fact that his teacher recognises that is a good thing, he has in the past had a teacher who has given up on him.  So my wife and I have resolved to help him get into the habit of completing his work in time, and that means timed homework.  We know how capable he is, it is just about making him show others that he can reach his potential rather than coasting and resting on his laurels.

A huge obstacle that we face is his motivation.  It is easier to fail than to try.  And my son is very good at finding reasons to fail.  

And today was an example. Leaving school he and I were catching Pokémon and I caught a shiny Evee.  When in Madeira we had caught quite a few, well, he did.  I did not, but despite that he wants mine as it will complete his collection.  Needless to say, I want it, but it is a game and he is my son.  When he said that he would do anything I wanted, I gave him a task, to pass the questions we give him, scoring 100% every day for a week.  Needless to say, he felt it was too strict and since being at home with my wife, we have settled on him getting 85% for 14 consecutive days.  And I do think that he can do it.

PokémonGO & Cyndaquil community day

Today was busy we had a drive in the morning to get and deliver presents, breakfast and then a drive back.  My daughter had an appointment to meet some friends and my son and I were keen to play PokémonGO. It was another community day and while my son and I missed a lot of it, we did get to meet up with Matthew, a friend of his and his mother.  The kids had fun catching Pokémon and then had some fun in the playground.

After Matthew left with his mother to go to a birthday party, my son and I left Castle Park and went into town for lunch.  I had promised that after this, if he was good that we would go to Kaspa's and as he had been brilliant, he got to have the rest of his lunch there.

We met up with my daughter in the library where my son got a book out and walked back.  She had enjoyed the afternoon with two friends, though she will not tell me why she was kicked out of McDonalds.  The kids did snap a bit at each other, but overall have been great today. Anyway, we are watching Harry Potter & the order of the Phoenix and are soon to go to bed. 

No Vote No Voice

It is the Mid Term elections tomorrow.  One thing that I have been surprised by is the bias of several US shows.  I have always known that Faux News is biased, but to see examples of this on US shows was surprising.  I have seen shows in the UK that look at political matters such as The Last Leg, and while they speak out against issues like disability cuts, they never told viewers who to vote for. 

I admire Taylor Swift for speaking out about what she cares for coming up to the elections, I do think that she should have encouraged all voters to register and to vote.

What is sad to see here in the UK is how many people have not realised the power of voting. And a really sad issue relates to how many people have given up their voice in the Labour Party, leaving due to the direction that it has taken, now having no vote to change things.

To vote is to have a voice. That voice should be treasured. 

Pokémon GO and Gengar Day

I spent a great day out with my son today.  It was a day for PokémonGO and today he got to walk about Colchester catching them.  And he walked and walked and walked.  I would like to think that he had fun.  While my wife hates the game, it has had the effect of making him want to walk, something where I remember literally dragging him about.  When in town on the last day he got to spend time in the park and made friends.  Today we met up with one of mine instead.

He did get to meet them on Wednesday when we went out for Hallowe'en where he came back with loads of sweets (which I have not been stealing). My daughter went to visit a friend but did not come back, or worse, answer her phone which meant that I spent Wednesday night wandering about Great Horkesley trying to find out where she was (tracking her iPhone location on mine).

And today the kids have been getting on well.  I have not seen them do this in a while and it is really nice.

Anyway we are to to go to a wedding reception where my wife is trying to get me to learn how to Salsa!

Beer and Netflix

It has been an interesting time once again since my last post on about the family.  A few weekends ago, we got home to find that the lights were out.  A fuse had gone and through a process of deduction we worked out that the circuit to the boiler had gone.  In the morning on Sunday we had a look and quickly realised that this was nothing that we could deal with as it looked like our boiler had been leaking.  However, the boiler was not able to be repaired until the following day.  Or so we hoped.  We had to ask a friend to wait for the boiler engineer from our insurance cover, and when he did come (late) he did not have the parts that were needed and more importantly, did not inspire confidence.  However my wife was amazing and called the operator of the boiler and arranged for someone who knew about what was going on to come.  Friends helped out with the loan of some heaters in the meantime.  And this was just as well, because when the boiler was sorted out, it turned out that there was a problem with the gas supply to the house which meant another night in the cold.  As stressed as my wife was, she was amazing in sorting things out while I was at work.

My son was lucky over this time as he was away on a school trip for most of this time.  And on the topic of trips away, the kids have been away with my wife in Menorca over half term.  I missed them but did take the time to catch up on Breaking Bad.

Anyway, before I go to bed, a quick update on Chess and Arsenal.  I have taken part in the following tournaments.
3|0 3 check tournament
1st Klingon Open
336 hours to make up your mind (2)
Essex County Open 2016
1st Essex Open
33rd Chess.Com thematic tournament Gruenfeld 1401-1600

As for Arsenal, I did not expect the team to be as doing as well as it has been.  We have ridden out luck, and while I hope this continues, I am aware that it will not.

Drain the swamp

I am disgusted that a man who has either lied to lawmakers, or been very stupid about the meaning of terms, has been elected to the supreme court in the USA.  In his testimony about allegations of sexual assault, Brett Kavanaugh appears to have lied about some issues, "forgotten" others due to being drunk and also been unaware of the real meaning for phrases that he used.  

Why people doubt the testimony of someone who has not been shown to lie and believe someone who has is beyond me.  But I guess that is the how the swamp in the USA is to be drained of those with ethics and filled instead with predators.

The IHRA definition and Israel

It has been an interesting time for Labour.  The IHRA definition of antisemitism has finally been accepted.  There are fears however that this will prevent legitimate criticism of what is happening in Israel.  Sadly, not all the criticism is legitimate.  And while this may have helped a bit to try and close the sore that has been allowed to fester and remain open for so long, the actions of Labour in the party conference where Palestinian flags were allowed but EU flags were forbidden will not convince many that the party will call out injustice on both sides in the Holy Land, if it continues to occur, but rather will just castigate one side.

Let me first state that I feel that the oppression of Palestinian rights in the occupied territories by Hamas, Israel and Fatah is morally indefensible and I think that it is right to speak about this.  I also think that it is wrong to think that all the woes the the Palestinian people face are just due to Israel.

So let us look at what Israel has done that is good in the area.  LGBTQ rights exists in Israel that are not present in Gaza or the West Bank.  Women have more rights in Israel, and religious freedoms are protected there as well and people forget that Muslims living in Israel have more rights than those in the many nations surrounding Israel, including more rights than Hamas and Fatah allow Palestinians.  Both Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas while democratically elected, have exceeded the terms of office that they were elected to while Israel remains a democracy (though the current leader is one I despise).

But, there little excuse for Israel acting the way it does in the occupied states.  Some of the restrictions on the movement of Palestinians can be justified based on security but the theft of land in the West Bank for settlements is inexcusable. While Israel argues that this land is not used by Palestinians, that is untrue.  

The issue of the Right Of Return is a contentious one.  Allowing Jews with an ancestral right to return to Israel is right, but only if the same right is given to the Christians and Muslims who used to live in Palestine. Two examples of this are two villages, Iqrit and Kafr Bir'im. 

I have had discussions about this with people on both sides of this debate. Some have repeated a lie that Jews have no historical link what is now the Holy Land. Others have not been so rabidly insane/antisemitic but they have not been willing to say what should happen to Jews who now reside there.  And on the other side of the argument is the fact that there has never been a Palestinian state.  Some use this to justify the refusal to allow Palestinians a state.  But this does not mean that people should be evicted from land just because they are Christians or Muslims.

But to the picture that is present in this blog.  There is a claim that Israel is a racist state (as opposed to a nation that is trying to combat racism).  Up until this year, it was easy to point out that it is not, examples being how Israel has had a black Miss Israel,Yityish Aynaw, as well as the rights that Muslims and Christians have which Muslims do not have in other nations.  Up until this year that is.  

In summary, the situation in the Holy Land is not a binary one like I thought it was in the past. It is complex and is made worse by extremists on both sides.  I do want to know if those who support Israel fully support the oppression of Christians who are Palestinians and I do want to know what those who are against Israel think of the lack of LGBTQ rights in the Palestinian Territories.