(aka Bike) Part 1054 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad
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“Have you done my wheel, Mummy?” Trish pestered as I was talking to Henry.
“More or less, don’t bash it again, or you’ll have to wait for a new wheel.”
“Okay, Mummy,” she grinned and I gave her a Paddington hard stare, but it was wasted on her. I restored the wheel to the bike, checked the brakes and gave it back to her.
Henry watched me and poked about in my tools and equipment. “You seem to know your way around a bike.”
“Sort of, why?” I asked him back.
“I used to find it very therapeutic to come home from a hard day and tinker with a bike or two.”
“Depends upon what’s wrong with it. Some jobs can be challenging and I prefer to be in an even mood to deal with them, nothing like dropping a pile of ball-bearings to improve a temper.”
He smirked, “Been there done that–I never did a job like that without having some spares, just in case I dropped them. Just poking round here, you have spare cables and bearings, brake pads–it’s like a professional bike tech’s workshop.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment–after I found the shops were closed whenever I needed a new part, I decided to keep a few in stock of the most likely ones to need replacing.”
“So I see–you have a very practical mind, Cathy. I like to see that in people I employ.”
“I see, so this where you crank up the pressure is it?”
“No, because I think that if you really thought about the UN job, you’d see it was made for you.”
“Before my children, maybe I’d have agreed with you, except I feel inexperienced for such a role–it should go to a respected expert in the field, someone who has an international reputation–like a professor–such as Esmond Herbert.”
“You realise he’s one of the panel who considered you should be approached.”
“No I didn’t–why did he do that?”
“He heard you talk at that evening thing you did there and he thought you were a good candidate.”
“Oh come off it, Henry, how could he decide that after one casual talk I did?”
“He has been watching your career more closely than you think–although he did have some confusion at one point, he thought you were two people.”
“With the amount of things I have to do, it might be easier if I were.”
“Look, Cathy, you need help about the house–someone to do the donkey work and for you to have what time you have spare as quality time with your family.”
“I’m too young and inexperienced to do this job–how do I deal with top politicians and captains of industry? They’ll treat me like a child.”
“If they do, I’m pretty sure you’ll make them regret it–otherwise use your charm and grace and they’ll all be eating out of your hand. Beautiful women can twist men around their little fingers.”
“Well maybe you should get Cheryl Cole to do it, then.”
“Don’t be silly–we want someone who knows all about ecology, about the mechanisms involved in conserving habitats and thus species.”
“You’ve been well briefed.”
“Well of course, I’m trying to persuade someone I know will tie me in knots if I’m not.”
“Henry, I wouldn’t do that to you–I respect you far too much, and besides, as my pa in law, I’m very fond of you.” I pecked him on the cheek–“Let’s go and get a cuppa.”
We sat in the kitchen drinking tea and chatting. “May I ask you something?”
“You can ask but I won’t guarantee an answer you’ll like.”
“What do you really think of the world?”
“It’s a lovely place that we’re rapidly destroying.”
“So what can we do about it?”
“Be less interested in greed, and be more conscious of the fact that if the wildlife goes, we’re probably not too far behind it in the extinction stakes.”
“Why should that worry us?”
“Apart from the fact that we’re destroying our children’s heritage, we’re also destroying the biosphere–it only becomes a matter of time before we destroy ourselves. Countless species are disappearing which we’ll never see or analyse and which might provide us with new resources or drugs if we had the time to conserve them. It’s probably too late already for many of them.”
“So you don’t think we’ll be able to clone them back into existence?”
“I don’t know, but it might be possible in a few hundred years, by which time we’ll have reduced the planet to miles and miles of monoculture rice and wheat or soya to feed the dozen billion parasites of which species we are members.”
“So how do we stop it happening?”
“It’s too late, we can’t.”
“It’s never too late, Cathy, there is always something one can do.”
“To achieve what, a solitary dormouse which can’t breed by itself; or some exotic bird in what was the tropical rainforest. It’s too late. We had our chance and decided we wanted petrochemicals and money or power.”
“Ouch.”
“It’s nothing personal, Henry, you’re generally a good man–it’s mankind, ever since they escaped from the slavery of the Garden of Eden, they’ve been multiplying and consuming resources. With too few natural predators, and too little disease, we’ve multiplied until we’ve become the problem.”
“Garden of Eden? I didn’t think you believed all that stuff?”
“I don’t, but it serves as an analogy which others can understand.”
“So you’d stop it if you could?”
“Stop what?”
“The destruction of the planet.”
“Weren’t you listening? It’s too late already.”
“I told you it’s never too late to do some good.”
“Well I think it is.”
“So that’s it then?”
“Yep.”
“So you don’t care about your children?”
“What’s it got to do with them?”
“Well from your devilish scenario of an end to the world, it’s bound to affect them.”
“It won’t happen for a generation or two, they’ll be okay–in the short term anyway.”
“Isn’t that hypocrisy?”
“What is?”
“Pretending you care.”
“I do care.”
“About yourself.”
“I thought that was your mantra, Henry.”
“At least I’m up front about it, Cathy dearest, whereas you preach, but don’t practise.”
“What do you mean, the mammal survey is going to help save what we can.”
“Oh whoopee doo, the mammal survey–so listing a few mangy foxes is going to save the world, is it?”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I felt myself getting very hot under the collar as my temper began to rise.
“Your survey is hardly going to save anything is it–the most it will do is show how woeful the position is.”
“Isn’t that a starting point? Without knowing what the position is, how can we convince governments to act? They won’t do anything until we can prove what is most effective in countering the problem.”
“You just told me it was all a waste of time.”
“It is, to a large extent.”
“That isn’t the same as a total waste is it?”
“What are you trying to prove, Henry?”
“That you can make a difference, that it isn’t too late.”
“Okay, explain to me how I do that, then?”
“You play upon the largest stage you can; you take your case to the highest courts to the most powerful governments; you use the organisations that can get you heard. You educate and influence; you keep researching and proving your case; and you keep shouting it to the world–eventually people will listen.”
“Will they? Who is going to listen to a transsexual–a freak, the tabloids will have a field day. Then my children will be at risk again–it’s no use.”
“So why did you make the dormouse film?”
“Because you asked me to.”
“No, you sold me the idea–I merely helped to fund it.”
“I wanted to share my love of small furry critters which happen to be the most loveable and inoffensive animals in the country. I knew I could do that.”
“Didn’t you risk being exposed?”
“Yeah, but I agreed it with Simon and Tom and the kids.”
“Did it happen?”
“No, you know it didn’t.”
“No, you charmed the whole country with a presentation that was as cute and sexy as your little furry charmers. Every man between the age of fifteen and ninety five wanted to sleep with you, every woman wanted to hold a dormouse and look as sexy as you did. Cathy, you charmed the country and subsequently, many other places. You could do this to the whole world if you tried.”
“What, by making another film?”
“Not necessarily, you could do it by using the world’s largest conservation organisation.”
“Who’s that, WWF?”
“One with more clout than them, one who gets the attention of world leaders and of governments, one which...”
“I can see where this is going, sorry, Henry. I can’t do it.”
“You could, what you’re saying is you won’t.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
“Fine, just don’t cry any more crocodile tears about extinctions–because you had a chance to do something and chose not to take it. Like I said earlier, you’re a hypocrite. I have to go, thanks for the tea.”
He looked reproachfully at me and walked to the door.
I sat at the table and burst into tears.
Comments
You go, Henry...
Nothing like simple truth to confuse people.
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
thats one tough Hill
Well Henry took her half way is she going to push on to the top and crest it. I think She will Otherwise I will be very disappointed with Cathy.
Goddess Bless you
Love Desiree
PS yes I know it is Fiction but She is part of the Family
SENDING SOME BLUE LIGHT LOVE TO CALM HER AND LET HER KNOW WE CARE
Goddess Bless you
Love Desiree
After this 'back and forth'
After this 'back and forth' between Cathy and Henry, Cathy can now say "my mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts". Somehow, I believe when all is said and done, Cathy will find herself working for the UN in this newest of positions. Maybe she can bring Trish along as her assistant, I mean Trish is what 6 going on 25? Jan
Hmmm maybe
All the Children should sit in It would definitely be a learning experience for all, not every meeting just every so often. After all they do have unique views that would be of interest.
Goddess Bless you
Love Desiree
Goddess Bless you
Love Desiree
Little Pitchers
I thought of that, too, while I was reading this. Wouldn't it be nice if the children could sit in various events and see how smart and good their mother is.
Obviously, she is being torn between her family and a world that is slowly being destroyed. What will she be able to sacrifice, if anything, to strike a balance?
Portia
Portia
meh
I wish I could cheer Henry on, but the fact remains that he was happy to let Cathy stay home, until there was money at stake for his bank.
He's putting Cathy through this just so he can make a few more bucks.
Species
I thought evolution was all about changing to meet changing environments. In that case we should EXPECT to see species disappearing. And new ones appearing. Are we not noticing the new ones enough?
Besides, humans are nature, too. Beavers make dams, termites kill trees, locusts clear-cut vegetation; humans aren't the only critter that can have a big impact.
And isn't it amazing that one hurricane, tsunami, earthquake, or volcano dwarfs anything humans can do? And in a much shorter time period?
One point...
is that we're likely seeing species disappear faster than they appear.
We're also affecting the environment on a much larger scale than even a Hurricane. Heck, if we're contributing to the rate of global warming (and this appears likely from all I've seen/read) we're contributing to increasing the strength of Hurricanes.
Anne
>> dwarfs anything humans can do
Not by half. Hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes are small potatoes in comparison with what human beings are capable of. Only tectonic shifts in the arrangements of the continents are comparable in scope.
We're in the midst of destroying the arboreal lodgepole pine forests of Canada, the safety and livelihoods of coastal dwellers all over the world, and melting the glaciers that supply half the people now living on the Earth their drinking and agricultural water.
One possible consequence of the melting of polar ice is the release of billions of tons of methane into the atmosphere, and the collapse of the currents which oxygenate the world's oceans. The last two times this happened, so-called oceanic anoxic events, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide levels rose in the oceans and the atmosphere to the extent that mass extinctions occurred on land as well as in the seas.
Anoxic oceans in which bacterial and algal slime collected for millions of years -- to look on the bright side -- were the source of almost all the oil in the ground today, so whatever creatures eventually replace us will have plenty of oil.
The only long-term solution, absent an unlikely surge of generosity and social responsibility, is to figure out a plausible method of murdering two thirds of the people on the planet, as conveniently as possible, if the children now being born are to see their own grandchildren survive.
Hijacking resources is the simplest method, but we should note that the richest one percent of human beings own roughly 40% of all the wealth and resources in the world and the percentage of the world they own is growing. Starving people is much more efficient, and far more oeconomical, than shooting them, and the same pattern of ownership exists in almost every country of any consequence.
Any one of us -- indeed most of us -- might well find ourselves amongst the starved, if we don't have to good luck to hobnob with the rich and famous.
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Bike pt 1054.
Maybe it's time for Doctor Who to pay a visit and remind Cathy of her future and reassure her of her family's future as well.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
OUCH...
That hurts. I understand - a little - what Cathy's likely feeling (Assuming she were a real person - and not a pigment of our collective imagination - conjured by our intrepid authoring team.).
The interesting bit is that Cathy's gone "public" about her past - on TV - with Simon. I'm a bit surprised that those around don't all know and not care.
But, back to the feelings. Over the past few months, I've come to know a few of the LGBT activists here in the US (through facebook)... As I've not transitioned yet, I'm in a position where most of them probably believe that I'm just a well meaning "ally"... And, the rest assume I'm Bi (Which is far from the truth) or something (yep)...
But, even if I'd transitioned, I'd find it difficult to be more public due to the impact on my family. It's hard!
Angharad, your having Cathy and Henry have this conversation reminded me of my position, and made me wonder if, perhaps, I'm also a hypocrite. It IS worth thinking about/through.
Thank you,
Anne
>> I'm a bit surprised that those around don't all know...
Many people pay little, if any, attention to the world of celebrities and people in the news. Of the latest headlines on People magazine site, which advertises itself as the number one source for breaking news:
I recognise not a single name, except for Jesse James, but I'd lay even money that this Jesse isn't the guy who robbed and murdered people in Missouri in the late 1800's, which is the only Jesse James I've ever heard of.
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
I still agree with Cathy
at this point. The UN has done precious little to really effect change imho. Mankind will do what they please, UN treaty or no as no doubt Cathy would point out in things like illegal whale hunting. The UN bully pulpit is a pretty hollow one these days. So when was the last time a comment even from the Secretary-General of the UN had any meaning to you folks? Huh?
Above all, the UN is about politics and preserving what there is of our poor earth - first of all have fewer children ( yeah I dare you, flame away with "well MY children will make a difference *rolls eyes*" - is really in our hands and a few pronouncement from an ecological group even if it is lead by Cathy is going to be a dormouse cry in the middle of a herd of elephants.
Kim
The UN is not a democracy...
It's a private club in which a handful of rich nations have all the real power, and the "little people" have a forum whereby they can occasionally shame the rich nations into acting with compassion. We note, however, that of the many countries which promised huge sums toward relief of the suffering citizens of Haiti, to take only one example, most -- including the USA -- have delivered exactly nothing. The US promised well over a billion dollars, but have presented several hearty handshakes instead, which is almost as good, isn't it? Only four countries have delivered anything, Brazil, Norway, Estonia and Australia.
Yay them. Boo the rest of us.
Talk, as politicians like to say, is cheap.
>> Whales...
I deeply sympathise with whales, and their plight, but ocean fisheries in almost every species of human value are collapsing, so many countries which depend on fishing to supply protein to their people are scraping the bottom of the barrel, which is where whales have the misfortune to reside.
They will be hunted to extinction, as sure as sunrise and sunset, without the application of force majeure from troupes of aliens, just as large sharks and tuna are being eliminated from the oceans of the world.
We're harvesting krill at the bottom of the oceanic food chain these days, feeding it to cattle, mostly, although a lot goes into protein supplements and pet foods. This is a symptom of global desperation.
Cathy has a point; it seems fairly likely that we're all going to die. But one has a duty to try to heal the world, even if we can only grasp the tiniest part of it.
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
I will disagree with you on
Though I will agree that the UN is not a democracy in any way.
Samirah M. Johnstone
Nothing to disagree about
Several US-based charities have funneled private donations to Haiti, as has the Clinton Foundation, Doctors without Borders, the Red Cross, and other international groups.
The more than five billion in aid promised by governments around the world, of which the US promised only twenty percent, despite the vast wealth and power the US controls, has largely been shuffled off to Wimpy-land, in which we will gladly pay next Tuesday for a hamburger today, except it's always "next Tuesday." From the aid they promised as a sovereign power, the US Government has paid exactly bupkiss.
The US and France owe Haiti trillions of dollars, as that's the present value of the enormous sums we forced Haiti to pay as reparations for "expropriating" the lost "property," that is, human slaves, from their white masters when they had the bad taste to demand their freedom. US businesses were heavily invested in Haiti, before the revolution.
Anyone want to take bets on how soon either nation disgorges the blood money we extorted with gunboats and threats of extermination?
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
But it is always nice to have the facts
• More than $1 billion came from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the State Department, and the Department of Defense.
• President Obama has promised another $1.15 billion, representing about 22 percent of the $5.27 billion pledged by nearly 40 countries and international institutions during the next two years.
a quarter of which has already been sent
There is also the Medical ships and other US Navy Ships that have been used for aid and to deliver SeaBees to rebuild many roads, Bridges, airports and Port services. My husband spent 3 months down there setting up new networks for commerce and government use as a US Government contractor. so that is far from Bupkiss. Also my Hubby said there were many British military there as well as several British IT experts he worked with. So they are getting help the biggest problem is the SCAM artists that set up fake charities and keep the donations. Still it is not enough but we keep giving. and send our love to them as well.
Goddess Bless you
Love Desiree
Goddess Bless you
Love Desiree
Curiouser and curiouser
http://www.examiner.com/x-31506-International-Headlines-Exam...
It all becomes clear, however, when one sees that the "US" contribution is mainly money channeled through USAID from foreign sources.
This doesn't seem to contradict my statement, nor what I've been able to gather about the actual situation. Thus far, the USA has "given" mostly private donations collected from people all around the world.
Through similar logic, I suppose I could say that I personally "gave" a hundred million dollars to Haiti, since I voted for Mr Obama in the last election.
We can easily see where US priorities lie, since while "we" pledged hundred million in aid, JP Morgan, a single US corporation, was making three and a third billion dollars in quarterly profits.
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
The UN's Main Problem
I think the main thing that needs changing for the UN to be able to do its job properly is that is is in the wrong place. If it was moved to Tuvalu or Kiribati, which are island nations in the South pacific, and that have no land over a couple of metres above present sea level, it would bring home to all the delegates there the urgency and importance of the Global Warming / Climate Change problem!
Besides that, it would save all the nations who are members a load of dosh as it costs far less living in either country than in New York NY. And as they are both just the early side of the International Date Line, decisions would be made earlier! Also, the USA would not have the automatic extra influence that they have because in the UN they are playing on their home ground as it were.
Briar
Briar
The Children Come First!
She should be doing things that are best for the children, but in this case, her working with the UN is best for the children and will set an example for them to follow. I had not thought I would come to that conclusion, but I think it is the higher road.
Khaduuj
Oh, I'm absolutely sure I'm in the minority on this one
Six Billion plus folks on the planet and she's the only one who can do the job? Well that's awfully sad.
She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Con grande amore e di affetto, Andrea Lena
Love, Andrea Lena
Maybe not the only one
But the one the EXPERTS feel has the best chance of making an impact.
Goddess Bless you
Love Desiree
Goddess Bless you
Love Desiree
Actually, she quite possibly is...
There has been a number of studies into the idea of "pivotal man" in history. It's not always the names that end up as headlines in history books, but a person who discovers/executes/makes a decision at just the right point to effect the outcome of major events.
So, yes, Cathy could very well be the only person who could "make the difference".
If Cathy...
...were to take on the UN job, need it be an all or noting scenario? Because that's what it feels like it's being presented as.
It seems to me that there is a compromise position, in that she could work a limited number of hours (say 20 on average) each week, while also employing someone to help with the household chores (sorry, Julie's not really cutting it there!) and the child minding. Plus, there's also Tom (who must be nearing retirement) and Stella (who seems to get away with doing sweet FA)...
In this installment, Henry has shown himself to be well-prepared and a skillful negotiator. He might have come off second-best vs. Trish, but I think that he underestimated her.
Thanks A+B, I found this a fairly tense episode of Bike, and it will be interesting to see where things go from here. It looks like Cathy has some soul-searching to do.
Part-time Situations
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sorry If I have a negative thang
against tree huggers. Here in oregon, our ecomomy was all but wiped out because of mis-information about spotted owls having to ONLY lIVE in OLD GROWTH TIMBER. that is pure BS, As I go on extended hiking all over the PAC NW I've seen those very owls in new growth as much as old growth. over a 1/3 of this state is protected water shed anyways. logging is limited only as a thinning process and it's extremely well monitored. Most logging done around here is quite well monitored with regular replanting.
Most mills & logging companies own alot of their own forrest land and take very good care of it, it's in their own financial interests to do so. Almost all of the larger outfits do so. and most logging done in the past 50 years have been off timber they planted them selves. It's very simular to a farmer that rotates fields every 2-5 years, so they dont kill off the fields. If they didnt they'd be outta buisness in 10 or so years.
granted there is some ecological issues that need addressed, but humans are really greedy, UNwilling to make changes in terms of consumables. Take oil/gas the combustion engine has been arond sice the late 1800's at least, but it's been barely inproved upon since it's invention. In the early to mid 80's, in the USA market we had 23 cars that had an EPA gas mileage of 45 or more MPG. Least 10 of those went over 50MPG
in 2010 we have I think 3 maybe 4 ... doesnt that tell ya something right there.
TO THE COMMENTER about UN representation, I believe over 1/2 of the ""
Secretary-General of the United Nations"" since it's been founded have from from a country other than the "G8". so your theory is shot down in spades. Granted the G8 prob. has more power than UN also.
Funny how the UK,USA,EU all talk bout how they've improved their EMMISSIONS and such. What they've actually done is move their smokestack industries to places like eastern europe, the Koreas, Mexico, and China. they now are the poluted places.......the side effect... tons of lost jobs with lots of UNqualified workers to fill anything else, an education where hi-school seniors cant pass basic math or other needs in an INFORMATION Society, so do we fix our education, NO...we goto places like India to get workers than can work in things like computer programming.
this is getting long-----I've been venting & need to get off my soapbox mostly cause I want to get back to the story Angharad's been providing us & I'm grateful that someone so talented has graciously put out here for us to enjoy.
Is it just me,
Or am I hearing a major shift in the consensus? Cathy has 5 kids, each of whom have been hurt and damaged in some way, no exceptions. They still need her, and she took that job first.
Since she doesn't want the job she has real power, and I'm not talking a little either. She can make demands that would not be possible otherwise.
Still interesting as always, keep them coming.
A tongue lashing
Atta boy , Henry, point out the hypocrisy of Cathy's position.
She preaches, but doesn't get on the correct world stage.
Jesse James is known for custom motorcycles.
Cefin