From tawdry tales to exes and more...
Hello, it feels like ages, so much has happened since I left 2 1/2 weeks ago! Wow, we've got two new leaders for the price of one - I'm not going to be cynical - instead I'm going to stay hopeful that Cameron and Clegg manage to work together on the huge problems we face.
We just missed the Heathrow closure when we flew in – eek - I love travelling but I needed to get home for a mini-conference that I'm leaving for today that concerns women's sexual health. A very important topic that's been in the press a lot recently - and something I want to comment on here very soon having commented in the Daily Mail on it last Tuesday while I was away.
I'm going to be doing my weekly agony slot on Dublin Newstalk radio at 10 AM - listen in on the net as the producer has told me we've got some great dilemmas that have come in.
If you're stressed/overwrought then check out my article in yesterday's Daily Express - the little quiz I devised might point you in the right direction.
There's been loads in the press I've got lots to say about: beginning with the very silly Lord Triesman getting in trouble because his big mouth and having to quit in leading our bid for the World Cup in 2018. Come on, if there was ever a case of an old codger trying to impress a pretty woman then this is it. I remember once being chatted up at a House of Commons ‘do’ by just such a man - who wanted nothing more than to impress a younger woman. And this is a man who was once a household name and married at the time. If you have half a brain you can see right through such a man’s bluster - it's all about showing off. Or as the woman in the Lord Triesman case has done - sell his indiscretions as a ‘Kiss and tell‘ - how tawdry from start to finish!
I've got a warning about the tight-rope balancing act when it comes to your ex! Seeing Liz Hurley in the press going on about Hugh Grant being her No 1 (er… excuse me but what about her husband being her No 1??) it made me think of people I've come across who'ave been overly friendly with exes only to jeopardise their current relationship.
Sometimes this can be innocent - and real friendship emerges from the wreckage of a broken relationship. And with tact and understanding a new partner accepts this situation and doesn't feel threatened by it.
But other times there's a distinct 'subtext with the ex' going on in the so-called friendship with an ex - and all sorts of ulterior motives mean exes want to keep in touch - unfinished business, emotional point-scoring, power over the present partner because they are made to feel vulnerable, having the ex at your beck and call because they harbour hopes of getting back together with you, etc.
Omg, I love how David Walliams has kept his 'posse of exes' very sweet! A completely different situation to Liz’s - and he's obviously a complete ladeez's man. He's one of those guilty pleasures I have to admit to - strangely fanciable!
TODAY’S THOUGHT: if you're friendly with your ex that's a great thing - but never use it to make your new partner feel vulnerable - or string along an ex who happens to be a handy fallback position for you when you feel lonely.
Right now I'm loving Faithless (a haunting track!) and Kelis - check out their new tunes!
Oh Jeez, I've always admired the mouthy Janet Street Porter but only when she's mouthing off about something she knows - like TV programming - but I don't admire her any more. That's because she got it so terribly, drastically wrong a couple days ago in an article she wrote about middle-class women and depression (yup, I'm going through the papers of the last couple weeks to see what I've missed). She has no idea what she's talking about so this time she should keep her mean-spirited, ill-informed thoughts to herself! She clearly wants to put mental health awareness and understanding back to the dark ages. This was a terribly destructive and ill-conceived article.
I have a story about a cheque that was stolen from the post after it was posted to me - and banked by a fraudster - to tell you about on Thursday - definitely a word of warning.
Enjoy the sunshine while it's here! Definitely over the weekend I'll post some of my holiday snaps and have lots to say about the Maldives where we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary (actually celebrating it a few months early) - unfortunately I have good, bad and ugly things to say. More on that at the weekend. And I'll definitely post a new "your e-mail of the week" by the weekend.