Making up the news

I saw this reported on BBC over the weekend, and thought at the time - that's the kind of story you would not believe. Turns out you shouldn't believe it after all.

When someone (the Guardian) bothered to trace it back to origin it turns out it's come from a high profile pro-life campaigner, and it looks to be just another insidious way their agenda is fed into the public conscience.

A little tear

Hilary Clinton apparently attributes her most recent upturn in the polls to... crying.

I'm sorry, did you say crying, in an electoral race, against all male opponents?
How on earth can this have given her an advantage? Being British, I know full well that crying is a sign of weakness (stiff upper lip and all that - really crying is totally OK, you' know when not in a race to lead a country and actually campaigning. in fact I am somewhat of a crier, I cried 4 times while watching crappy/wonderful Disney-type movie Snow Dogs the other week*).

Surely the American populous is not looking to elect someone tearful under stress? Who cries (in public!) when she thinks she isn't going to get her own way?

Oh the double standards! Imagine if Barack Obama cried because he didn't think he was going to win. He certainly wouldn't be reminding us about it and pointing it out as a turning point for his campaign.

* There was a border collie, and a whole team of huskies. The border collie wasn't allowed to pull the dog sled, despite bringing a harness out for herself to use (aw!). Then, in an unexpected twist, she was promoted from lap dog to lead dog of the sled! For a life saving expedition into a dangerous storm! *Cue tears* This is was Christmas is all about.

I even cry at frickin RSPCA and Dogs Trust adverts.

Things are hotting up in the kitchen

I've been trying to write a veggie cookery zine for at least 6 months. I take a long time to finish zines - that Subtext ever comes out even near to the planned publishing time is close to a miracle!

Anyway, someone on my college course (learning to make clothes) mentioned she was planning to 'go veggie' and I said I would finish off my zine so she can have a copy since it's got recipes in it.

Well, today I spent most of my (work) day doing just that. And Lazy Veggies: good food for lazy cooks is born!

If you'd like a copy email me travellingpunk at gmail dot com and I'll send you the pdf - cos I'm a gadget wizard who does zines on the twinkly beeping machine.

* For info, I am also working on anarcho-politico zine 'this land' and random nonsense zine'. For about a year.

Heels aren't good for the feet

The sky is blue, Tuesday follows Monday, the chemical symbol for water is H2O.

These are all things we know.

Except I didn't know exactly what high heels did to feet that made them bad for you - apart from making you unbalanced and in crappy ones, in general pain.

This kind of quashes any ideas I might have had about getting some heels. I have been kind of digging the idea of being super tall recently (I'm 5'10'' in flats, but it's not quite tall enough to touch the sky).

Found via BoingBoing

Babies in spoons

A new publication for transpeople, their families and friends, and NHS staff who care for them was released by the NHS today called Transgender experiences, Information and support. After a quick read I think it comes across pretty well.

Apart from the babies in spoons, what the hell is that about (page 5)

There's another leaflet to accompany it, a guide to hormone therapy for trans people.

Rats, or another* downside to online shopping

In my eager desperation to get new trews from an online shop I opted for delivery to work: I have to be here all day anyway (joy!), and it means I get said trews a day early.

Unfortunately for me I didn't notice the ever so fine print that says the delivery time you're asked to enter is only a guide and they can/do deliver up to 8pm.

What exactly will happen to my trews if the person delivering brings them at 8pm when work is closed up for the weekend? I know one thing - it'll mean I won't have them for my evening soirees over the 'festive period'... Not that I'm going to any you understand.

*If you're interested, the first downside to internet shopping is buying without trying on, nothing ever fits right. The third downside to internet shopping is arranging for returns - the whole rigmarole of going to the post office (made worse if your post office was closed and you don't have one nearby) and forking out for it.

What I was going to do

I was going to write to you today about clothes, my ill fitting jeans and sporty new trainers that I plan to 'go running' in or 'play badminton' while wearing.

Except that was hella boring.

In fact, today is pretty boring. I'm in work between Christmas and New Year (for the first time ever - sob!). There are only 2 other people in the office with me (normally 20+) and I have no work to do so I have been surfing Etsy for things to buy. I spent £60 I do not have on stuff I hardly need yesterday and am trying to resist doing the same again today out of boredom.

To keep me from spending for something to frickin do my afternoon plans include;
1) solve a game of Spider solitaire with two suits! It's exciting because I've never done it before! Or maybe it's exciting because I have a totally skewed idea of what exciting is since I have been talking to myself all morning.
2) play Spider solitaire a second time
3) maybe have a game of minesweepers

In other news - new dog new dog!
My parents got a new dog last week, he is completely daft, really bouncy (yesterday he tried to fetch his toy by climbing over the back of the sofa) and cute as frankenpup. 19months old, called Bob.

Cockknobs

I forgot to write the editors letter for Subtext AGAIN. I am about 2 years over the deadline.
Tomorrow.
I'll do it tomorrow, promise.

Eternally inappropriate

I work with a chap who's eternally inappropriate. He seems to have no ideas that what he says is just, well, not quite on.

For example, today we were in a meeting discussing options for raising some money by asking companies to match fund a project. I know the managers of both of the specific companies being considered. This apparently made me blush.
I am one of those blushing people. It's a curse.

Anyway, in response to said blush Mr Eternally Inappropriate said,
"Why are you blushing? Are you having an affair with someone who works there?"

!!

As it so happens I am in a l/t relationship with someone who works there, but that is not the issue.

This'll sort what ails ya

My partner has been suffering with some kind of panic disorder, leaving him feeling spaced out, unsure of what is real and struggling to cope at work and in social situations.

When we finally persuaded him to see a doctor about it, and after blood tests and a couple of consutations in which he spoke about his anxiety, the doctor prescribed him a book!

He's ordered it from the library, apparently he can keep it for 8 weeks.
I love that.

In other news, I've lost my voice.