Well, we're back

Harry, with doting grandfather
Originally uploaded by perlmonger.

from a long weekend in Norwich inspecting kalunina's newborn moosebaby Harry John, seen here being doted on by his grandfather (as opposed to me; as a semi-detached grandparent, we've decided that I'm GrandPete).

He's a thoroughly charming child, and I spent entirely too little time communing with him. This will be addressed soon, but being separated by a five hour drive does cramp things somewhat: I want some topological adjustment that renders Bristol and Norwich closer on demand.

hidden agender

Yesterday was the first time I’ve been in the children’s clothing section of a conventional retail store (Norwich M&S FWIW) for mumble years. It was a profoundly depressing experience: have we learned nothing as a society? The rigidity of gender stereotyping actually seems to be worse than I remember.

OK, not everything in society is worse. Overall, acceptance of non-heteronormative sexuality seems more widespread (though ghod knows not widespread enough) but, still, the retrenchment of patriarchy proceeds apace. I can hope that it’s a rearguard action - reactionary in the literal sense - but I fear otherwise. That feminism is dismissed, rejected, mocked when its insights are so obviously needed isn’t a good sign.

Oh, and if you’ve got this far, go read Piers Cawley on the continuing and far too rarely challenged sexism in geekdom.