International Women's Day

On March 8th we celebrated the 102nd International Women's day.  In my company offices around the world held activities to celebrate.  I must say Im glad to work in an organisation with such a solid  commitment to diversity.

Here is one of the banners put up in the canteen to promote the events.

But I was struck by the choice of image.   Hong Kong's largest and most magnificent erection!

It brought to mind university discussions about Freud and feminism, and I wondered what subconscious patriarchal attitudes were behind such crude phallic symbolism.

I felt sure that my feminist friends would have demanded a more appropriate image.  Perhaps the more maternal lines of Hong Kong's convention center?

Or even something more assertive?

But after investigating further I realize my understanding of semiotics was hopelessly shallow.

 Jacques Lacan, the parent of post-structuralism,  argues in The Significance of the Phallus that we must distinguish between  'being' and 'having' the phallus.    Men are positioned as men insofar as they are seen to have the phallus. Women, not having the phallus, are seen to "be" the phallus.  Being the symbolic phallus is the concept of ....   the divine gift of God.

So, newly educated about this distinction we can read the symbolism as empowering rather than patriarchal.  Perhaps: "you don't need to have a penis to be a 'big swinging dick'! ".      

Diet

The first 2 months of 2013 are already over so its a good time to review my New Year's resolutions.

My plan was to cut  my weight down to 85kg.   To achieve this I've followed the Daddy's diet of not drinking more than one bottle of wine in an evening.

So far I've cut my weight from from 102.4kg and 27.6% body-fat to 105.0kg and 27.6% body-fat.  That makes about +8kg since we arrived in Hong Kong.  Mainly because I'm not cycling to work 1hr every day. 

Clearly firmer action is required!

But who wants a 'six-pack' anyway....

...when you can have a 'keg'!


I recently had this conversation with Hannah:

Hannah:   "I don't like being a girl, I want to be a boy"
Daddy:   "Why would you want to be a boy?"
Hannah:  "I don't like having to wear tops when I go swimming"
Daddy:  "Ah.  Actually you don't need to wear a top if you don't want to.  You only really need to wear a top if you have breasts"

Hannah:  "But Daddy, why don't you wear a top then?"