Our insatiable desire...
... to be outdoors, that is, meant that once again we were at FM today - the place of the squelchy mud. Bright sunshine mixed with bitter winds, but a lovely walk. We never make it past any playground and really that is the whole of going there - so stayed a good while in the playground next to the trees, which is my favourite as it is such a beautiful view and its not as exposed as the other. I don't think there is anything more beautiful than a walk in the open. Beats our former walks of spotting the burned out car around here at any rate...
As usual Boss became pitted in nanoseconds and I really think the weather-proofing of this sub-zero-temperature snow-suit has been altogether lost - I have never seen mud like it (and that's saying something) - even the velcro was encased in dirt. He jumped in *every* puddle. Several times each. My urge to stop him was silenced by another voice in my head which said "Ooh - perfect waldorf moment" which was a mantra which ran thin after the first three soakings...
Then he managed to fall AGAIN into the biggest dog-crappiest pool of mud there. He loved it.
Then I hurt my shin on the slide as I thought I'd try to copy Boss by sliding down on my tummy - Boss looked at me like I was obviously brain-dead... "Mummy... you have lift your legs up - please, it *really* isn't that complicated..." then we just climbed and slid down the slide and played knights and hid in our castle and then, hello, we saw an old bloke with a camera aiming it at us! And his wife was standing next to him smiling like we were somekind of zoo attraction - ooh look honey - a woman with a jilbab around her neck sliding down the slide after her boy - take a picture! Except I frowned - and he smiled as if to say "its alright - we're friendly", but I frowned again and stood up and told Boss to stand behind me waiting to see if he'd go. But no, he walked a little away to get a better camera angle! For goodness sake - what is this? So we kind of ducked out of view and he looked a little embarrassed and walked off. Got me a bit peeved - do people have the right to take your photo without your permission? I don't want people having images of me in their possession - who owns copyright over my face? Do we have laws against this? I'm just wondering... its one things getting somebody in the picture as you are taking photos of something else, but to actually point a camera at someone else?? Rude isn't it??
Anyway, then we played some more and only left when I felt uncomfortable with a hoodie and a pitbull terrier making their way towards us. But they kept on the path, but by this point my security had been a little shaken - felt a bit vunerable - so we trudged back to the defrocking ceremony in front of the car. I feel like a cop whenever we get back to the car these days, "OK son, you know what to do - assume the position" and we spend a fair amount of time degunging...
My legs still hurts. Last time it hurt like this I was fourteen and someone had just whacked a hockey ball in my shin. Another very good reason not to send kids to school. Hockey.
Ordered a "personal alarm" from ebay last night. Dunno if it will be any good. I just hope Boss doesn't get hold of it - he could do quite a bit of damage with 150 decibels. Was trying to find something similar for attacking dogs but the only thing I could find was £40...
Anyhow. I'm feeling decidely not like a HEer at all. I suppose that's a good thing. Was talking to someone the other day who made it quite clear that her kids would *not* be playing and "doing nothing" til they were seven, and whilst I admire her drive and organisation I no longer feel the need to emulate that.
Arms ache from all the climbing too....
posted by Unknown @ 6:28 pm
7 comments
Diary
7 Comments:
Trust me...you'll love the memories when that's what they are...sore shin an' all..
Personal alarms?...oh yeah the camera man and the hoody...yeah I see. What a world.
Ya Allah.
whilst I admire her drive and organisation I no longer feel the need to emulate that.
ditto, alhamdulillah.
Hi,
As far as I know people do have the right to take your photo if you're in a public place. But, in my book, it is rude not to ask!
When Leo was a toddler we took him on a 'stop the war' demo in his buggy. He was fast asleep when a photographer came up to us, totally ignored me and shoved the lens in Leo's sleeping face.
The photographer was quite at a loss to understand why I was upset about this. He obviously saw a 'good shot' when what I saw was a sleeping two year old who, if woken, I would have to carry wailing for the rest of the day.
I used to have one of those alarms - a 'screamer' - very loud. Needless to say that when I actually was 'queer bashed' in the street I didn't have it with me. But I think they are good for making you feel more confident.
assalamu alaikum,
in the USA you're supposed to ask permish, b/c it isn't allowed for someone to use or publish your image w/o your consent. sometimes it happens tho.
me being paranoid today, I'd say keep an eye on your sons when you're out- you don't know WHY that guy was filming y'all.
peace
TwennyTwo
If the photographer is stood on publically accessable land, then no permission is needed for anything. That is how the photographers get away with celebrities, etc. - they are a long way away, but use seriously powerful zoom lenses.
Some photographers are better than others. Some are downright rude because sometimes it is the only way they can get the shot that pays their wages ... that is another reason I got out of that game, I care too much. Most film crews usually get release forms to cover themselves, but usually the press don't as by the time the picture is published there is little that can be done about it. Rock and a hard place. I also seemed to get all the football jobs; on rainy days I'd get muddier than Boss; he probably enjoys mud a lot more than I ever did!
If the bloke had any form of common sense, he would have approached you and had a quick chat, if only to apologise for spooking you; but polite and considerate behaviour is well out of reach of most people these days. A pro would have operated the camera before you even knew they had one.
I would be grateful to learn the issue of statues in the home and things like the models you made of the whales or the toy knights. One reason I failed to grasp many religions is all the line drawing that goes on and how one person argues this way, and another argues that. The discussion I read from one of your many, many informative links, did not seem to reach a conclusion for me, on the subject of likenesses and statues of the living in the home.
The personal alarm is always a good idea. I might sound a cautionary note of striking a balance between always having it with you, but not getting paranoid over having it so that you would never go out if you haven't got one. Also, test it now and then once a month to ensure it works fine.
Good to read that you're improving in leaps and bounds at this point in your blog.
On a note of a previous post, the police can never win (I used to be a firearms range officer some years ago, and I'm currently looking to join the Police as a volunteer officer; unpaid) The first officers on a scene will likely have only stab vests - they will not stop a bullet. (they aren't very good at stopping knives, either, but that is another story) A firearm will at best be a revolver, only 6 shots; at worse (and more likely) a 9mm or similar, 14 rounds; able to kill multiple people coming through the door and still kill anyone else. Standard police will only be issued with CS spray (doesn't affect everyone) and a batton. Up against someone with a firearm they might as well have nothing and be naked. The best chance is for the police to divert the firearm persons attention until better trained, better protected and better armed people get on the scene.
CS also doesn't work on dogs. Pepper spray does, and is more effective against people, but needs to be aimed directly in the animal/persons face. Asking the police to lay down their lives given what they have, is very different to a trained soldier who has the equipment, training and backup to defend themselves.
Got to admit that Dinner's case is stunning, what he says about that entrance is bang on correct; and I don't know that much about the 2005 incident you blogged about, but an hour surely would be expected to be more than enough time for armed officers to arive.
Standard officers can not be armed or wear bullet proof armour; they would be too heavy to chase anyone; and I made a point on another persons blog who wanted the police to be armed as standard; I asked them to think beyond the bullet; how they would feel after killing someone. Police are human, and the majority of them would not be able to handle the emotional distress of murder. That would mean less police in service as many would leave - the responsibility of a firearm is a big one. A criminal, of course, doesn't care less. I do not think that the British police will ever be armed; tazers possibly, but live amunition would be disasterous.
I think the European and other countries only get away with it because the population is now scared of the police; not something I would wish for our country. Some officers (by no means all) are arogant enough with a warrant card let alone a firearm.
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