Thursday, September 30, 2004

Hoorah!

Eliza is back blogging at Fembat Org :: Journal - her writing is both moving and insightful and thanks Lynn for letting us know. I've really missed her.

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Inside I'm furious....

I don't believe in censorship, but I do believe in boycotts, and I'm asking you all very nicely not to go and see 'Inside I'm Dancing'. It may show a realistic impression of independent living (although I doubt it, as the director/writer knows very little about disability) but neither of the two main disabled characters are actually played by disabled people. I wish I could find the statistics for adults with CP and MD (the impairments in question) but I simply cannot believe (as claimed by the director/producer/writer) that there were NO youngish men with the impairments in question who could have played the role. Or someone else with another similar disability. To me, with the numbers of disabled actors out of work, using non-disabled actors for these roles is criminal, and equivalent to white actors 'blacking up' to play roles which are for black people. I wish I knew who to write to to complain and welcome all ideas....

Sunday, September 26, 2004

Motorcycle Diaries...

Aftermuch rearranging, a fair bit of sitting collapsed in the lounge and refusing to go out, and a very very long first day back at work we finally got to see 'The Motorcycle Diaries'. I freely admit to not knowing an awful lot about Che Guevara and I was pleased to know a bit more. The cinematography was amazing, and two and a half hours of gazing at Gael Garcia Bernal is no great hardship. I had expected it to be more worthy, and less funny.

The Doctor is a perceptive chap, its one of my favourite things about him. His main observation about the film, once he'd commented on the climb inspiring nature of the scenery was that the film doesn't really focus that much on the social injustice Guevara observed on the trip. The disparity of wealth was certainly shown, and it certainly moved me, but it requires a leap of faith on the part of the viewer to see how Guevara got from an existing interest in human welfare to the all encompassing desire to change things which took over the rest of his life. The scenarios shown were ones which were familiar to me - tales of displacement, poverty and racisim - tales which are true all over the world at present. And it isn't clear why Guevara did what he did. Just seeing the fictionalised situations made me feel desperate about the lives some are forced to lead, but other than an urge to learn more about South America I don't feel inspired to give up my entire life and campaign for change. Would a radical espousal of western values and lifestyle help? What would I even start to write to my MP about?

So I'll contiue to do the best I can to do the right thing, even when it isn't the easiest thing. I'll make sure I watch the next film on Che Guevara (and encourage others to do so) I sometimes think the world has gone so far the wrong way there's no going back.

Saturday, September 25, 2004

Books etc...

Having loved 'The Last Family in England', told from the perspective of the family dog, (anthropomorphising animals be dashed, its a great book) I'm now reading 'The Collector Collector' - by Tibor Fischer the funniest author ever and told from the perspective of a piece of pottery. Yes really. I read 'The Thought Gang' also by a few years ago and loved every page. Definitely on my best ever list. It isn't, in my frankly ill researched opinion the best constructed book, but is the book I've quoted most from after 'The Curious Incident'. Very, very funny.

On my time off I also read 'The Innocents' - Ian McEwan. Not for the faint of stomach. Have decided to give up WW2 books for the next twelve months (from the end of October as we're doing ANOTHER WW2 book for book group), and instead take up novels about South America. All suggestions welcome!

Friday, September 24, 2004

Buses...

Where, pray has this week got to? I thought I'd only just posted, and I check today and its been six days! What happened there?

So I went to London on Tuesday, and I Travelled By Public Transport. Yes really. I had planned this trip specifically to learn how to use buses - I'd heard they were accessible (tho' not quite believed it) and decided to get my head round it. The day before, I logged onto this site (thank you Ken) and sorted out my route. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I arranged a wheelchair accessible trip without contacting a specialist travel organisation.

And it worked. The train company provided reamps on and off and the hardest part of the whole experience was finding the bus stop at Kings Cross. Admittedly, the wheelchair space being halfway down the bus meant a certain degree of assertion was required to be sure that the ramp was used at the right stop. For assertion - read hollering. Fortunately the whole bus joined in.

So after the excitement of the bus the British Museum and an amazing Indian restaurant called Mela were not quite as big a deal. And that was one cool mummy and I refuse now to go to any Indian restaurant not serving tandoori pineapple. Beyond yummy.

I'm not sure how well I can explain how exciting it is to use public transport. I use the bus here now and again (now and again because there is only one route here with wheelchair access), but there is still a thrill when I'm travelling with everyone else. I live fairly close to London, but heading down there always seemed like such a trial, not to mention so expensive when travelling by taxi. But now - I'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Sunday, September 19, 2004

Super Size Me..

.. is a great film. I really enjoyed it - I'm not sure I learnt a lot from it, but it was good to know my suspicions were founded. I am so not a fan of chain restaurants, which perhaps makes me a snob. Still a fan of burgers though - in particular the veggie burger from our local Greek takeaway is heavenly.

I happened across this site - the McD*$%^lds rebuttal site while poddling about online today. Interesting use of the word 'debate'....

Saturday, September 18, 2004

Oh good...

... idiot Tony has put Alan Milburn in charge of sorting out Incapacity Benefit. That'll make the world a better place.

Maybe there are too many people on Incapacity Benefit. Certainly there are too many disabled people who would like to be in the workforce but who currently aren't. About one million, in fact according to that article.

There are many reasons for that - for some, their impairment means they cannot work. But for many the reasons are a result of prejudice and cutting the budget for IB is not going to solve that. Putting into place good educational opportunities, accessible housing, timely healthcare and effective home support with practical tasks might. Which would then increase the revenue to the UK of that million disabled people who want to work but can't.

And would be cheaper than screwing up Iraq.

Friday, September 17, 2004

Belle du Jour...

...has hung up her suspenders and is blogging no more as her book is imminent. I know her blog has been criticised - if indeed it is a her - but her stopping does rather make me think her blog was more a means to an end rather than an act in itself - and for some reason that really bugs me.

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Knowing thyself...

So to kick off my (nearly) two weeks of annual leave I had the joy of a blood test. You'd imagine, probably that as the proud owner of a range of tempting medical problems I'd be used to this by now, but it will never be a prospect I relish.

So I pole up to the hospital clutching my form and arrive at phlebotomy. Its obvious to the most casually medically trained observer that I am not the easiest person to take blood from, being as I can't move, and I'm sure I can see the phlebotomists playing paper scissors stone in the background. Eventually I get called in. I smile encouragingly at the Nice Young Man and tell him that the best (avoiding the use of the loaded word 'only') way to get blood out of me is to plunge my hands into hot water and take the blood from the back of my hands. My positive smile fades when the Nice Young Man asks if he can see my elbows - the usual site for blood tests. I usually say yes to this, but this time I'd had enough. I said no, that I hadn't had blood taken from my elbows for several years, (more than five) and
that really it had to be the back of my hands.
A few minutes later, I had my hands in a sink full of hot water and then I go back to have my blood test. It works perfectly first time.
'Goodness', says the Nice Young Man. 'You really do know what you are talking about,'
Now naturally I was irritated by that. I have three serious well defined medical conditions (all very well managed) and clearly am no stranger to hospitals. Surely I'm going to know the best way to manage routine medical tasks? I left the hospital thinking in part that the Nice Young Man needs further training (and he was a Nice Young Man, very well meaning) but then wondering whether enough disabled people do take responsibility for their own medical needs? Do doctors - some doctors - over bearing manners mean that people lose faith in their own bodies to such a degree that they don't pass on information? I have to admit that there are times when my body drives me (and pleasingly, occasionally drives others ;) ) to distraction but surely you can't expect everyone you meet to instinctively know the best way of doing everything for you and sometimes you have to take responsibility? I don't know what the answer is, and its not as simple as blaming one over the other. Working together seems like a sensible option.

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Today is...

The Doctor's birthday! He's officially 30 this year despite being born in 1973 as this time last year we had to hare up to Scotland suddenly to see my very poorly granddad.

He's extraordinarily hard to buy for, so I bought him this. So far, he's most enthusiastic.

Sunday, September 12, 2004

Knitting

While progress is good, and the scarf will be completed, I sometimes think that untangling the wool is more fun than the actual knitting.

Oh, I'm bad..

Saturday, September 11, 2004

Fear and foxes..

Sometimes, pathetically, I don't do the right thing because I worry that the comeback will be a problem. I realise this makes me a wimp of the worst possible kind. I've had a few rants ready on emotive subjects like animal testing, rights to life and so on and resisted as I understand the volume of spam you can receive afterwards can be outrageous, and I worry that this can dilute the message. It occurred to me in the shower this morning that actually, the opposite is probably true.
So it seems that with a UK election now under discussion Big Tone is now back to thinking about fox hunting. Predictable in that it was the subject that encouraged lots of people to vote for him, and presumably he's going to ban it just to keep those people on board for the next election.
I'm definitely not a fan of fox hunting. I don't believe its a boon to the rural economy, I do think its cruel and that a country's actions do reflect on its moral views. However, how can he possibly justify thinking that this is the most important focus for the government's attention at present? Yes he should have fulfilled on his election promises, which I'm ashamed to say I can't remember, but surely at present any spare energy should be put into either putting Iraq back together now he and Georgie boy have had their fun, or sorting out any of the myriad social problems in the UK. It occurred to me that in Britain fox hunting is probably an election deal breaker - which having spent 10 minutes trying to think of a witty and erudite phrase - Simply Does My Head In.

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Week 2...

of our reading of Henry IVth part one and the funny bits have me quite tickled.

Read the part with the Sheriff - which should always be read with a Texas accent, I feel.

Too tired to be terribly witty and erudite, however did make fantastic butternut soup today - my top tip - add a little orange juice to the saute-ing onions and blend it for ages. Yummy!

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

I'm oh so tired.....

but I've actually had a lovely day. A whole day off planning my weeks off I have coming up. I was a bit of a wuss at first and objecting that The Doctor wasn't going to be off as well. But actually it will be lovely and relaxing and I can get on with hobby type stuff like knitting, blogging and making my Christmas cards.

I'm not normally into Christmas too early, or even Christmas for that matter, other than as a reason to get together with loved ones, and generally be glad to be alive. I like the excuse of being able to have a big craft project on. This year - I think I will be embroidering - or buying them in a very bad mood.

Monday, September 06, 2004

All better now..

The bright blue is gone. I'm quite chuffed with this layout.

Hiding from the telephone..

I like to think of myself as reasonably well socialised but I do really hate using the telephone - I think its because I worry about making an idiot of myself - a frequent pasttime - and not having any record of whatever I said.

I usually manage to do all my transactions online or face to face but have reached the point where I must grab the whatchamacallit by the whatsit and make two calls for work. To people who are eminently reasonable but just hard to meet up with/email for good reason.

Email is the one for me. You can write them when you feel like it, read them when you feel like it, there's no having to be polite when you really need the loo issue. You are never taken by surprise (or rarely, at least) and you can be sure you are saying what you want to. Plus if you are me you usually have your diary to hand when you need to. All in all a much more satisfactory arrangement. I met The Doctor online and we got to know each other solely via email - although did meet eventually (after a month). One of my sisters did wonder whether those indulging in online dating did meet at all... Much better than previous telephone based dating disasters.

I do like talking though - more to some than others. Its just that pesky telephone gets in the way.

Sunday, September 05, 2004

Gaaahhh!!

Bright blue NOT part of the carefully considered plan. Hopefully I can make it go away now!

Template updated..

.. and hopefully easier all round. Feedback welcome.

Also seem to have lost my footer which is annoying. Must have put it down somewhere, no doubt it will rematerialise as soon as I make a new one...

The Doctor has just bought a new black car. (New to us, rather than new new) May have to rename him Dr KnightRider he's so excited.

I T T I A

So I'm reading the Big Issue and come accross this new magazine from A John Bird I T T I A. ITTIA stands for I ThinK Therefore I Act - which is certainly a good principle. A lot of what the site says makes good sense - and I'm all for trying to get people to think. I'm not sure I would have chosen the phrase 'making thinking sexy' though - or accompanied it with a picture of a scantily clad woman. The site does contain some good info though - and I'm certainly planning on keeping an eye on it. But really - slightly naked women? Surely something more original, and less offensive to all concerned than that would have been better?

Saturday, September 04, 2004

Doing the wrong thing

I managed to make a bit of an idiot of myself when I went to see the Titan Arum on Friday. Now I often make a bit of an idiot of myself, so this is not in itself news. But I am still annoyed about this one.

As I wandered back through the gardens to the Batmobile, I noticed a family with beautiful children, running about generally looking cute and beautiful. One of them, a little girl, had achondroplasia, a genetic disability in which, among other things, arms and legs do not grow to the same scale as the head and torso, so the person ends up very short. And because this was such a cute happy little girl I looked at her a bit too long, because I was thinking I hope she always looks like that, and isn't put through pointless surgery to make her into a normal, as can be done.

Unfortunately her mother saw me staring, and justifiably glowered at me. I'm sure she couldn't imagine I was staring at her daughter for any reason other than voyeurism, just as I would never imagine anyone was staring at me for any other reason than crip inquisitivity (its a word)

Which is sad.

Friday, September 03, 2004

Normal service...

...will be resumed shortly. Redecoration is under way. I'll get everything ticketty-boo as soon as possible - including making the fonts a touch bigger.

Surreality continues...

as I've spent today in a glass house seeing an enormous stinking flower. Was very cool, actually, may be one of those once in a life time achievements. It was also closing by the time I got there - so less pungent than it might have been. Which was a relief. I know very very little about plants - although I have a house full of them as I think they look nice (and I love cut flowers). I think I'll feel like a proper grown up when I eventually get my head around them!

Thursday, September 02, 2004

Almost forgot...

I'm an occassional Waitrose shopper as bizarrely its my nearest accessible shop -a dreadful place to go for a pint of milk - too much temptation. Plus on balance I think they are reasonably ethical. However, I was most amazed last night to see they offered slicing tomatoes - at only 3 times the price of ordinary tomatoes.

Perhaps that's where I'd been going wrong all this time - trying to slice tomatoes not destined for that fate...

Strange goings on

So this week has been a slightly eccentric one so far, and its only Thursday. Many things have happened which have made me howl with mirth - including finding a skeleton in a library and being asked - sincerely - how a mule might be used to assist disabled students/visitors.

Apparently, according to The Doctor its quite common for undergraduate libraries to have a skeleton in them; and it isn't necessarily the remains of an over zealous post doc. They are used by undergraduate medical students. Booking out an arm from a library does still make me smile.

The mule, thankfully is a little tractor kind of things and as such an excellent way of avoiding the gravel abundant in some of the historical parts of this University. And not, thankfully a device rewarded by carrots.

And tonight I'm getting together with friends to read Henry IVth -which I have yet to read. Its all my fault - I suggested reading 'The Last Family in England' by Matt Haig to my book group - as the book is told from the perspective of the family dog - and it then turned out to be based on Henry IVth. I like Shakespeare - but I wouldn't say I understood it. All offers of help gratefully recieved...

Now fingers crossed this gets online - I have used the new fangled ''blog this'....
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