Which Wife of Henry VIII Are You?

Which of Henry VIII's wives are you?

Katherine Parr, apparently.

Katherine Parr spent nearly her whole life married to crotchety old men: Henry was the THIRD old fart she was forced to marry. Is it any wonder she turned to books and religion to occupy her time?

Katherine wasn't just smart, she was a tiny bit uppity, too: she almost got herself thrown in jail for arguing with His Royal Fatness about some theological issues.

After Henry croaked, Katherine dropped the prim and proper act and married Thomas Seymour, a dashing pirate-y kind of guy who was dumb as a post.

Which goes to show you that even bookworms know how to get it on.

I'm baaaackkkk....

..and I had a wonderful weekend mostly eating, sleeping, and sniggering at my two favourite ever pub names.

The Gamecock
The Craven Heifer

I know, I'm 12.....

Backsun...

...off to nearly the Lake District for the weekend - back midweek. I was going to write out the note Pooh leaves in 'Winnie the Pooh' in which he tells Piglet he'll be backsun, but I'm very tired and conscious of having to remember socks - as on our first trip to this particular cottage I forgot socks and had to wear The Doctors. One memorable morning we had four dirty pairs, one clean pair and three wet pairs. The Doctor put the clean pair on me - and he needed to dry a pair for him.

So I suggested the microwave.

Have you ever seen a sock combust?

I wasn't overly popular. Still The Doc told the story in his speech at our wedding - and in such a way that it made me look good.

Bless him.

Why oh why oh why...

are the England cricket team going to Zimbabwe ? Am I missing something here? Surely we shouldn't be implicitly supporting a leader who is doing so much damage to the population? Particularly when we like to do it ourselves.....

How Much Are You Worth?

Found this via Mal's blog. Apparently - I'm worth $2,027,725.94! How much are you worth?

I have no idea how....

Coffee?

...I don't drink a lot of coffee - maybe once or twice a week. Partly because coffee makes me a bit hyper - which is the last thing I need - and partly because I get hyper just choosing where to drink it. I'm a latte woman, and for the infrequency of drinking it it isn't worth getting the stuff to make it at home.

Here in Birdyville the coffee options are, well exactly the same as where you live, I'd imagine. Wherever that is in the world. We have Starbucks - great access, lots of friendly staff, and apparently making efforts to stop screwing up the world - but on the other hand, and this is big, its homogenous and driving all the other little coffee houses out. Costa Coffee I quite like now - even though customer service in the only branch I can get into is diabolical. I used to hate them because fair trade was another 10p - which just seemed ridiculous when the cheapest drink was £2. Just make them all a bit more expensive! So they did. I want to like Cafe Nero - smaller chain, a bit interesting and yummy food. But although I can get in to our branch, the counter height is actually above my head, which combined with the noise makes it impossible. The only independent choice I can get into here is in a church, and run by the church. I thought this was ok, even a Good Thing - even though I'm not a church goer - as I thought that money raised by a local church was a likely to be beneficial to the local community. 'Cept of course, it could be argued that the Christian church is the biggest multinational of all - with a lot of its parts not being a Good Thing.

The Doctor and I went to London to meet my sisters at the weekend - and people were really nice which I never expect in London. People are generally nice in Edinburgh, and often nice here, but I don't have good experiences in London so yesterday was a nice surprise. Even nicer was finding Progreso - a branch of a fair trade coffee shop started or part of Oxfam. Latte's a bit strong, but the organic fair trade caramel shortcake was to die for. I don't really know what the answer is - I used to try to use mainly local produce although I've been convinced - I think - that international trade is needed. It makes me uncomfortable that my latte, which I see as a pure indulgence, is produced from someone's suffering.

Six degrees of blogging...

... I came across Daddy, Pappa and Me via The Republic of T the other day - and not only is it an endearing read - the story of a gay couple and their adopting of their child, but they wrote this fantastic game;

1. write a link to where you read about the game
2. go back to your blog, click on any random link on your blogroll, perferably one you haven't read in a while.
3. then click on a link on their blogroll, one you haven't read before.
4. then do this 4 more times, clicking on a link on the next blog's blogroll
4a (if the next blog doesn't have a blog roll, go back and try again).
5. Then post the new link you found (no matter what you found :)
6. and trackback (if it exists) to the blog you read about this game on

Well I check all my blogroll fairly regularly - but here goes.... I'm going to start with Smitten, who takes me to Maura - who's blog you can change the colour of? How cool is that? I'm using a strategy where the next blog starts with the last letter of the blog I'm on - so that takes me to a.thousandwords.nu which is the first site I've ever seen with a .nu suffix - and has some amazing photos which I don't have time to look at properly before heading onto Apparently Nothing - no links starting with a 'u' - plus I get to hum the 80's hit 'Apparently Nothing' - and I will not be able to sleep as I can't remember who sang it, dammit.

From there I go to Hopelessly Devoted - to keep with the song theme. There are lots of amazing photos here - and not a lot of links. For my last link - I choose Flying Shark - more beautiful piccies although I wish I knew where they were taken. Although perhaps I'm not meant to and that's the point. I really like her A to Z page.

more on talking..

... Rhea and Deirdre have made some excellent comments on my post on language - thanks guys - and I felt I really wanted to talk more about some of these issues a bit more. So please humour me.

Rhea was saying " Mostly, if you use common sense and courtesy you will surely avoid offending people. In fact, I would be as bold as to say (correct me if I'm wrong) if I happened to refer to you as "disabled" as opposed to "a wheelchair user" but I otherwise treated you with courtesy and respect, you wouldn't be too offended? :o) (or shall I duck now?)"

Now Rhea is a friend from pre blogging days - and as such she'd have to try quite hard to offend me. I think that the issue really is in not thinking about it at all and not making any effort to be kind/thoughtful in the choice of language. I guess its all about context - if she was saying to Mr Rhea about meeting up with us something like 'Oh we can't meet there as Birdy is disabled' - no offence at all. 'Wheelchair user' is likely to make more sense if the issue is of access. If she was writing something for work - she'd ask me about the wording I'd imagine.

Deirdre made several other points - "If every one of us were constantly labelled with our disabilities for even one whole day, maybe the use of such terms would quickly fall out of favour" and "Or have I misread this whole thing? Does it help to have a disability described (& thus perhaps better understood) by others?"

I think she's right about both, actually. I use a big funky electric wheelchair all the time, and so there's no way of avoiding looking like a disabled person. You don't have to worry about telling anyone, as if they are uncomfortable you know straight away. I have mixed views, depending on the context about trying to make someone who seems uncomfortable comfortable with the situation. I think to being different if you have an excuse - i.e. if you are a disabled person is more acceptable than simply being different.

When I talk about disabled people I mean people who experience discrimination due to a perceived impairment - like Deirdre says, many of us have difficulties in one area or another - and if we were all referred to principally by our difficulties - whether with shyness, anxiety or something obvious like me it might well fall out of favour. We seem to be determined to define others by our differences rather than our commonality. I think this could explain a lot.

Deirdre also says - " Also, did you realise you don't have a disability in the blog world? As long as you can write & read, everyone's on an even footing out here in the ether... or whatever this stuff is... " which hadn't occurred to me - I love it when you guys make me think! That must be why I find the internet so liberating. Of course, frustratingly the internet is mostly not accessible to visually impaired people....

Thanks guys - I really appreciate you challenging me like this!

Things I have learnt today...

...even though I've only been up for about two hours....

..everything is better when you've had some sleep...

..Rachels organic raspberry yogurt isn't as nice as the rhubarb one, although it is nice...

.. gesturing at heaps of books, jewellery and CD's and saying that you are 'troubled by piles' is only funny if the person you are saying it to, doesn't actually have haemmorhoids..

Whoops.

November is the cruellest month..

..I'd love to know what other's writing processes are in the construction of their blog posts. I always just write as a stream of consciousness - and think my best posts are ones where I don't think about them for too long - and just go for it. Today was a bit of a struggle - but I determinedly posted as I want to keep the discipline going. Every November something horrible happens to The Doctor and I - and we're still reeling a bit from this year. One of The Doc's close friends has been suddenly very ill and as a consequence has had to have a very serious op. He's on the mend now, thank goodness, but its been horrendous and there will be consequences. Plus I have had a relief assistant who has had difficulties giving me the help I've needed so I've had to ask the agency to replace her before one of us gets hurt. I know its the sensible thing to do - and she's taken it very well despite my worrying. Still, at least this year I've not landed myself in hospital and no-one has died. I wish there was a way of stopping this happening - its not even though I thought about it in advance of this horrible week.

Bear with me - normal service will be resumed shortly!

Just to say..

I found this excellent article (scroll down a bit if you're short of time) about language and disability - a regular topic of discussion in my work. I'm not a fan of political correctness for the sake of it, and anyone using the phrase 'differently abled' within fifty feet of me, let alone about me should beware.

I do think though that changing language is a sign of changing understanding of issues. When I started my current job as an equalities trainer I felt very strongly that I shouldn't talk about language, because if I explained things properly then those participating (who are almost always voluntary participants and as a consequence in general enthusiastic and tuned in) would 'get it' automatically. I was soon disabused of this theory when I would still be questioned about language and phrasing during the sessions. I also found that in discussing language other helpful issues came out - such as in many situations lots of people from so called minority groups might have difficulty, or that in describing people as people with visual impairment rather than blind people can be helpful as it works as a reminder that very few people are actually completely unable to see, and most have some sight which is useful in the right environment.

I really do believe language matters. I don't think its something to worry about immensely - and it does vary between countries (even English speaking countries) and it will develop over time. When someone says that it shouldn't matter, I think that means they don't care. It isn't hard to find out what appropriate language might be - and taking a little care makes all the difference.

For what its worth - my general advice is - find out how someone wants to be described if you want to talk about an individual (wheelchair user, please) use the words disability and people in a general sentence - I prefer disabled people personally, but mostly avoid things beginning with 'the' or including 'handicapped' which is offensive to many.

Ta dah!

OK, think I've done it now - sorted out the blog that is - with everything showing as it should do in IE and firefox. Feedback welcome!

Plus I got tracked back. I really feel like I've arrived now.

No no no no no....

Now I never claimed to be an intellectual, but I do read a lot of books, particularly fairly trashy US crime fiction and I cannot believe how awful Trace by Patricia Cornwell was. Just dreadful - really pretentious writing - not enough plot - and this ongoing kind of paranoia in the story which must be reflected in the authors beliefs.

If you liked her early books - then leave this well alone. Remember her happy, for all our sakes...

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Under construction...

...OK, cos I want my blog to look real pretty I'm having a sort out. Please bear with me....

Stumped...

... sorry IE viewers I can't quite fathom out what the problem is. Was it fixed for a while?

May have to try a new template. But I love this one!

Look...

It's not just me - that nice man at the Guardian agrees with me...

Puddings..

... I'm sure you've noticed, I am a big lover of food. All sorts of food really, including but not exclusively sweet stuff.

One of the few things The Doctor and I disagree on is what constitutes a good pudding. There are areas of overlap - creme brulee, for example. Its not that we don't like the same things, more that we don't afford them the same ranking in our top fives. For example, I like apple pie - but I wouldn't put it in the top five, not even if I added cloves and cinnamon and raisins. He thinks that profiteroles are a bit dull. He'd eat them and enjoy them, but not put them in his top five. I think profiteroles are top five quality, although not quite as good as rhubarb crumble, which is evidence of some sort of divine influence in the universe. Perhaps desert is the key difference between genders?

Noooo....

Cyber-Satan has hung up his mousemat. Obviously I'm pleased he's a happy chappy, as suggested by his farewell post. But for me, at least, he'll leave a hole.

Unkymoods...

... I do like my little unkymoods person on my right side list - but I wish there were degrees of all the emotions. Because although I'm better - I'm still fairly tired...

Two questions...

As I'm finally feeling a bit better - I've tackled my emails... A friend who's doing a Master's in International Development asked me these questions....

1) What does the word 'development' mean to you from a personal point of view, in terms of your own personal development?

I think it means to improve and enhance. I always think for me its about moving forwards - not necessarily rejecting the past but just continuing on a journey. I think that continuing development is how to be happy, that staying still isn't really possible or desirable. I don't necessarily think of this as improvement - more as a new phase.

2) What does the word 'development' mean to you in terms of your country or in international terms or in terms of some country you know?

Whenever I think of development in this context I always think of improvement - perhaps as I'm critical of most governments. I don't in either case consider development a rejection of history more a way of using the experiences of the past to enhance future endeavours. I always think of development in terms of co-operative venture rather than as an imposition.

Now these are my first thoughts - but these are good questions.

Hmmm...

.... I do quite like Blogger, actually but I wish there was a way of having other pages, such as a cast page linked to it without having to have my own domain.

I realised last night that my last post only mentioned my sisters cute points. They do have lots and lots of cute points, I must say. But it didn't mention how they used their superpowers for evil. Which they did.

When they were about 18 months old, they learnt to climb out of their high chairs, carry one between the two of them, and then use it to wreak evil. Like locking their mother out of the house. Or eating my packed lunch before I left for school. In my biped but unsteady days they also used to creep up behind me and whack me in my knee pits...

It occurred to me also that I may be doing The Doctor a disservice by calling him The Doctor. He's at pains to point out that although he is a scientist, and a possessor of a PhD he is not and will never be a clinician. Much more in the Dr Who vein.

When we first met he wowed the socks off me by telling me he was doing a zoology PhD. How was I to know this covered intestinal parasites in fish?

That twin thing...

.... My sisters are twins - hence known as The Evil Twins. Mostly. I can't quite believe they are 25 - I'm enough older than them that I really clearly remember them being born. Evil Twins. Mostly. I can't quite believe they are 25 - I'm enough older than them that I really clearly remember them being born. Plus I remember clearly years of them saying 'Blimey - 25 is old - when we're 25 you'll be SO OLD'.

31.

I never particularly wanted to be a twin - but I'm jealous of their superpowers. I'm still working on mine. When they were very tiny they had their own made up language. When they were five they had chickenpox between them - twin 1 got poorly, and twin 2 got spots. Seriously. And then today I heard that they had each sent birthday cards to each other saying that they looked as good as they did when they were 15.

Which isn't even true.

I finished The Doctors scarf. I think I like knitting.

Darn it...

... been to the docs, and officially I'm ill. I have a virus....

Anyone got any videos I can borrow?

It might just be me...

... but I have to say, I did find it vaguely incongrous and amusing that on seperate occassions in a 8 hour period the same person castigated me for not having seen 'Fight Club' or 'The Lion King'.

For the record I'd lean more towards 'Fight Club' - but haven't seen it. I might do, I guess. I don't really like violent films though - and isn't 'Fight Club' just about boys being boys?

Has anyone...

... seen my brain? I definitely had it a week or two ago.

Sometimes, it seems, I just feel ill. It seems to be directly related to episodes of my whizzing about like a blue posteriored insect, and usually means I have an upset stomach, get very cold, woozy headed and ache a lot.

While we are talking about aching, a pox on all the doc's I've seen over the years to whom I've mentioned acheyness (yes its a word) who have suggested that 'people like me' don't experience pain. What they mean is that it might not be associated with the disease affecting my muscles. It mightn't. But phrases like that don't make an uncomfortably achey woman happy.

So I felt dreadful most of last week - tried to do normal sorts of things on two days, felt ill again and then had my flu jab. Which even on the best of days is not a highlight of my year.

I really hate being ill, particularly non-specific achy kind of ill, particularly when you realise too late you should have slowed up completely for a while rather than try to go back to work. I also end up watching too much TV. I actually like watching TV, and probably watch a fair bit (while pursuing some sort of crafty activity) but I never watch it aimlessly, I always want to watch whatever is on. But when I am ill, particularly when my arms are uncomfortable, and consequently crafty stuff is out the window, I end up watching any old rubbish, and browsing websites which are the online equivalent of 'Trisha'.

I don't watch 'Trisha', obviously. No matter how ill I get.

And then I get woolly headed some more, and start to fret and feel agitated at the state of the world.

Anyway. I still feel dreadful. I do have some ideas for less self-indulgent posts (although I suspect posting in an online diary made available to the world and their non gender specific life partner isn't exactly self indulgence free) - so please bear with me.

I'm usually a pretty positive, happy sort of camper. When I was online dating, or searching for The Doctor, as I like to put it, there were only five things I was open about not liking (after civil war, poverty, capital punishment and so on)

In no particular order;

Celery
The colour orange
Jim Carrey (except in The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Eddie Murphy (except in Bowfinger)
Liquorice

So apart from those things, I'm a nice person really.

Ooh...

...this might help!

Thanks Daisy - found on your site.

Too much...

.. what with the idiot getting back in 'over there' and my body giving up on me (cold, and so achey) I'm a bit short of good ideas. Suggestions welcome and I'm sure I'll get my groove back in a few days...

Pick an issue, any issue...

...in last week's Big Issue, George Monbiot suggested that the way to create permanent change in society was for all concerned to pick an issue and focus on that.

Its quite a different approach to that which I've always aimed for - which is basically doing a bit towards all my principles. I do find they are occassionally conflicting - in particular in the area of economics which I find unutterably confusing.

I don't actually know which of my concerns is actually of most concern. By day obviously I work on disability. Probably my biggest concern is war - I'm an out and out pacifist. And of course the direct consequence of war is poverty - so that too. And obviously - I could go on and on. Plus they all feed into each other and I don't know how you'd focus on one issue only.

I'm trying to put together a post on economic injustice and I'm struggling. But to me that's a good example of how many issues combine to disastrous effect. So which issue to start with - and is this the right thing to do?

Its started...

...and I'm a bit scared Vote USA 2004

WDM: Vote for Trade Justice 2004

... Ethical Kenyan PA told me about this -WDM: Vote for Trade Justice 2004 which strikes me as a darn fine idea.

Just wanted to let you know.