Paper dolls

Now I know why there are so many blogs out there in cyberspace - it's because people start them with good intentions and then never add any more posts!

I was browsing Amazon - as you do - and came across a category that I did not even know still existed - paper dolls to cut out and then dress with cut out paper clothes. I remember them from my childhood. I preferred them to 'proper' dolls. Now you can get film stars - Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly - Maria Callas, Bill Clinton, John F Kennedy, Robert Reagan etc etc. As well as historical costumes and costumes from films. There is far more variety than there was in the 1950s. I was almost tempted to buy one but there were nearly 500 to choose from and I couldn't make up my mind which one.

I've just finished reading 'Sepulchre' by Kate Mosse. I think it was better than 'Labyrinth'. Definitely not a book you want to read on your own in an old house. It covered some of the usual ground - Holy bBood and Holy Grail territory. The 1891 part of the story was set near where the Abbe Sauniere was flourishing at the time -Rrennes le Chateau - and even brought the man himself in as a minor character.
I thought the modern day story was more convincing. Meredith - an American -is writing a biography of Debussy and visiting places he lived during his life time. She is also going to take time out to trace her own family history. Coincidence - she stays in a hotel which was once the home of one of her ancestors. The book as a whole was gripping as such stories often are, and Meredith does not get her happy ending without a few murders along the way. A mysterious and pwerful Tarot pack is involved in both stories.

I was just reading about bullying on the news sites. It was something I really was not aware of when I was at school. People didn't speak to you for a few days and then it was on to someone else - big deal - what goes round comes round. Name calling is not bullying - why do people think it is? If someone sends you nasty text messages - complain about it! People can be banned from having a mobile phone. If someone puts nasty things about you on the internet - don't read them! Victims can take action themselves - and no reaction from the victim means the bully goes elsewhere. Stand up to them and bullying ceases to be fun. In some cases bullying only works because everyone is so worried about what others think of them. If you aren't worried what people think then you can't be bullied. The same rules apply in adult life.

I have been bullied at work and it was only because I didn't make enough fuss about it that it worked. As soon as I started complaining loudly and publicly about it the bullies slunk into the shadows. It made me feel better too. If you're bullied as an adult don't worry about being reasonable - complain, stamp your feet, have a tantrum, burst into tears. If your manager doesn't do anything go higher up the chain - someone won't want the bad publicity you can give them. Don't be a victim - oppose the bullies. People only bully because it stops them feeling insecure.
Make sure you don't use bullying tactics yourself. If you're a manager think about how people are reacting to instructions you give. Be firm and fair - don't pick on one person. If someone isn't pulling their weight help them improve.

Lecture over! We wouldn't need laws if everyone was considerate and courteous.