indian police plan to release lions in the badlands to reduce lawlessness.
could work in hastings.
more amusement from the british forces archives; the army kept watch lists of lesbians following the war right up until the early 90s.
two letters in response to the guardian's report give rather more info on gay life in the forces.
70 year old edward smith explains one of the forces more novel approaches to the problem of homosex in the ranks, putting all the queers in one camp, RAF ruislip.
"Lest younger readers should think all was doom and gloom in the RAF camps of the mid-1950s, I can tell them this was not so for at least one - RAF Ruislip on the outskirts of London. To say it was the prototype for Carry on Camping II would do it less than justice, since, as part of a policy by the higher authorities in the RAF to "clear out the homosexuals", many of this community were stationed there.
It was argued that, rather than allowing youths suspected of being homosexual (ie being "camp" for men and "butch" for women) to corrupt other airmen/airwomen, it would be wiser to have them all together. Ruislip had the added bonuses of being both near to central London and adjacent to an US airbase.
As a now 70-year-old, I am able to say that if not the happiest days of my life, those years were among the most interesting and informative I have experienced; they also gave me friends who I am still fortunate enough to have. I look back with affection to those outwardly sexually repressive, but inwardly wildly gay 1950s.
Edward Smith
Brighton, E Sussex"
edward smith sounds splendid, i hope he writes his memoirs.
"Oh, and apropos of nothing: Shaunti Feldhahn (shauntifeldhahn.com), "a conservative Christian author and speaker, and married mother of two," recently wrote an op-ed touting conversion therapy for homosexuals. I speak for all gay people everywhere when I say that I'm sick to fucking death of listening to straight fundies yapping about how easy it is for other people to change their sexual orientations. Think it's easy, Shaunti? Then prove it, bitch, by putting your twat where your mouth is. After you convert your skanky ass from hetero to homo, I will convert my skanky ass from homo to hetero. Give me a call when you're a carpet-munchin', vag-fistin' bull-dyke—and bring the video, because I'm going to want proof—and I will give up ass-munchin', butt-fucking faggotry. Until then, shut your stupid fucking mouth."
savage love
mr savage has also recently been the guest blogger for andrew sullivan while he's away.
the ministry of reshelving is reshelving copies of 1984 from fiction to more suitable catagories, like current events. ministry on flikr
now this is an excellent idea, introduce african wildlife into north america. presumably to provide yet more reasons to own a semi-automatic. central london should try the same thing, as cars have no natural preditors....until they are small enough.
everything i loathe about the new statesman neatly summised in one title.
"Luckily, our new male Brazilian au pair has decided not to take his family's advice to return home after the Stockwell shooting"