Leaving London (with a 24 hour ban)

“We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!”

Today was our last 24 hours in London. So what did we do? I started the day by posting yesterday’s post, which featured a photo collage from a market in Lisbon. Said collage included a family album, Disney Princesses, juxtaposed with some racy bits. The racy bits exposed some female nipples.

Apparently Facebook and Instagram have specific community standards when comes to nipples, (not male nipples, male nipples are fine,) but female nipples can only be exposed when breast feeding, free birth moments, health and acts of protest. No exceptions for art or female positivity.

As such, I was banned from posting or commenting on both platforms for 24 hours.

No great loss, as I spent the day walking through parks with my wife, enjoying London.

In the evening, we went to the National Theatre and a production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, about the Salem Witch Trials.

It was a great production with excellent set design, including a waterfall curtain. There were many students attending this production. As we were leaving,I heard someone saying “this was exhilarating, I want to see it all over again right now.”

I turned and it was a 15 year old boy. It is exhilarating to see great theatre, and especially to see so many young people in the audience.

And the subject matter was somewhat ironic, given my 24 hour ban for showing female nipples on social media.

These artificial intelligence bots are out of control. Their ability to control expression and communication is frightening.

Think of all the crap that is posted daily, so much of which can be described as hateful, moronic, juvenile. At any rate, there is so much worse than mere nipples. It is like seeing witches. in the past few days, we have a far right party winning in Italy.

But back to the positives, as they outweigh the negatives, and always will. We have thoroughly enjoyed this vacation. I have learned so much. As we were going to sleep, we watched a hilarious British game/chat show. They mentioned the Proclaimers, and how they didn’t really walk 500 miles. More like 15 miles.

We didn’t walk 500 miles during our time in Europe, although my feet, knees and hips would argue.

We did walk over 205,000 steps though, which is just under 100 miles.

Tomorrow we fly home.