#spartacusreport is a rather important hashtag which has been doing the rounds this week, mainly because there’s an important discussion going on in the House of Lords about welfare reform, specifically replacing Disability Living Allowance (or DLA) with Personal Independence Payments (PIP). The basic gist – as I understand it – is that the government overspent on … well everything and is now attempting to deal with the financial crisis the only way it knows how. By penalising disabled people. We are, apparently, benefit scrounging scum, many of whom are claiming DLA and don’t really need it. This, they say, has to stop, hence the reform.
24 Dec 2011 | By Lesley
Apparently the Festive season is here. I’ll be honest, this is my least favourite time of year.
What I want for this festive period is actually quite simple. After all, I have my beloved Unis and my cats.
All I want for Christmas (and Yule) – to quote a song – is a diagnosis. I’m pretty certain I’ve got something on the autism spectrum but I’m also becoming convinced I’m also bipolar. These last few weeks have been hard and my appointment to talk to a psycho-something isn’t till the end of January.
It’s nice to have a date though.
So, I’m taking it one day at a time and go from there.
It’s frustrating though, people who know me won’t see any difference. I’ve gotten good at hiding this stuff but my close friends – you know who you are – have been there for me when I’m in a dark place and I’ve been visiting that place a lot more frequently of late. I’m so glad to have you. My family are slowly coming to terms with my depression but it’s more than just that and hopefully a diagnosis will validify my mental illness(es).
I’m not suicidal, thankfully. I have too much to live for – and my beloved menagerie but that doesn’t mean I find it any easier to cope. I hate fixating, worrying and then spending days being hyper, thinking the world is my oyster. Plus it’s about the only time I see my muse these days.
So here’s me, hanging on.
22 Nov 2011 | By Lesley
- This story is sci fi and set in my Ashterai universe.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been doing James Gunn’s online writing course and have just completed the second draft of my short story “Ghost World”. This is actually the first full draft the rest of the group will have read and I’m hoping it leaves them with a creepy feeling of dread … The story – as it stands now – is 6323 words long but I full expect to do another couple of drafts before it’s properly done.
01 Nov 2011 | By Lesley
Shannon and Dion playing Dead Rising ...
So it’s my birthday again. I’m taking it easy and working after a hectic week in London. My old friend Shannon came down for a couple of days and then we went down to the MCM Expo for the weekend.
We ended up running around London and climbing up and down all 92ft of the escalator at Holborn. I’m never going to do that again. EVER.
We went on the London Eye, had vast amounts of Japanese food and I got to play some games. Also Uni got loads of love.
I’ll be posting today on my plans for NaNoWriMo but now work calls!
07 Oct 2011 | By Lesley
Truly touching.
I went to the Apple Store in Chapelfield to inquire about the iPhone 4S – the short version: I want one – and as we walked in, I noticed this touching memorial. Even here in Norfolk people were laying flowers for Steve Jobs, who died on Wednesday, using Apple memorial page on a MacBook Air as a focal point.
Normally when famous people die, I don’t care but Apple’s products have changed my life in an amazing way so even I shed a tear at his passing. It was inevitable, of course, and I personally wonder if, seeing that Tim Cook had successfully navigated the press briefing and launched the next big thing, he decided he was done and finally let go. Regardless of his death, he’s going to be remembered long after most of us are dead as one of the fathers of modern computing and that’s a pretty damn good achievement.
You will be missed, Steve.
Category: Apple, Technology
Tags: Apple, Chapelfield Apple Store, iPhone, Iphone 4S, Norwich, Steve Jobs Leave a Comment
21 Sep 2011 | By Lesley
:)
So yeah … I’m just exploring the Cathedral at the moment with my level 4 Wizard – Saia. I’ll post impressions at some point but for now, it’s gorgeous, the voice acting is superb and I don’t care if you hate me.
Sorry.
16 Sep 2011 | By Lesley
Love me! Love me!
This angelic creature is my new kitten, he’s an eight week (or so) old half-Bengal moggy that I’m adopting from a friend who can’t keep it. He’s coming Monday and I’m so hoping he settles in nicely. He met Uni last week and it was uneventful but hilarious so that’s a good start!
How cute is he?
It’s been a tough couple of months for me, personally, and Winter is never my favourite time of year. But I’m working on activelly doing something about this, including going to the gym, on average, five or so times a week. As a result of that and Weighwaters, I’ve lost over a stone in weight and 1.1kg this week alone. I do stuff in the gym, I go to Zumba classes and even aquarobics and feel so much better for it. As a result I’ve been taking more control of life, doing my shopping online and sorting my house, putting up pictures and finally turning it into my I’m-not-moving-anytime-soon home. I’ve also been on Citalopram for a couple of weeks now and I’m hoping these will help make the winter (and life) bearable. I don’t like anti-depressants but I just can’t cope anymore without support, both from my doctor and my lovely, lovely friends.
Emma, Cait, Penny, Jonnie, Claire, Mike, Sophie, Rose, ‘Manda and Frank: I mean you guys.
Yes, depression sucks. But that said I’m taking it a day at a time, pushing myself to go out when I don’t want to or just socialise. I have days when my anxiety gets too much and I just want to curl up but these will pass. I hope. Yes, side effects are fun. Not.
The girls are slowly sinking into winter-snoozling mode. Ceri and Isis keep curling up on my bed – often evicting me in the process – while Unis is really warming to my youngest kitteh. I keep seeing Ceri rubbing herself against Uni’s front paws and the two of them nose-tap. It’s the sweetest thing. But it’s weird, it’s the days before a new arrive which makes me wonder if I’m over stepping myself. I’m not but the pair of them are being so loving this week. Unis is also starting to settle and grow out of her puppy-crazyness. She’s mellowing and this is no more noticeable than when we go to restaurants like Shiki or Carluccios. I tell her to sit, she lies right down … at least until the food turns up.
She is now officially the Moot Mascot, beloved of Norwich’s Pagan community, and she loves every second of it.
Actually, I do prefer to eat out these days, it’s an excuse to hit Norwich and actually get out for a couple of hours. It’s easier and tastier than cooking. I do favour Japanese and Italian food, plus Carluccios has a deli. Nom nom nom. I’ve started wondering the back streets of Norwich like Elm Hill and Pottergate which is quite unique. But at the same time, there are those staples in Chapelfield that I can’t not visit … like Hotel Chocolat. Seriously their Milk Chocolate for Cooking has made trying to lose weight bearable!
I’m also in the process of signing up for an online sci fi writing course run by James Gun which will be awesome and give me something to focus on during the Autumn lull. I hate Christmas and New Year as I find both a tad depressing but Immie is the shiny light which makes it awesome.
During my ‘shut-in’ periods where I can’t bear to step further than my front door, I’ve been playing a lot of Deus Ex: Human Revolution too and am really enjoying it. I prefer the sneaky, stealthy approach but it’s definitely much more fun now I’ve moved my TV to my other desk. Plus my living room is so much bigger. I’m also checking out Gears of War 3 (ta Microsoft!) and am waiting impatiently for November which heralds Skyrim and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations.
So yeah, that’s me. I’m going to try and blog more often but, well, I’ve just not been in the mood. Sorry.
27 Aug 2011 | By Lesley
This episode is River, River, River and I love it.
Ah, a new series of Doctor Who. My Saturday night is complete. I’ve watched this episode a dozen times and I still love it, mainly because you assume it’s going to be all about Hitler when it’s actually all about River Song.
Yes, I know, it’s called ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’. Adolf is in it, but for only three minutes. The rest of it is spent in a cupboard. This, in my mind at least, is genius. You expect it to be all about the Doctor dealing with the sensitive subject of WWII but in reality, it’s actually focused on him staying alive.
What I liked:
- River. This episode doesn’t start with River but it’s very much her genesis. I love River, I want her to be a full time companion and yet this way the series has of flitting in and out of her life is just perfect. This is her episode and I love her even more because of it. I particularly liked the ending as it tied up questions about River’s death in a lovely bow, almost as lovely as the one on her little blue book. The whole brainwashing thing came in a little late, she’s too nice to be evil but it was nice to see how she became the woman we know and love from earlier stories. Also, it’s nice to discover who really taught her how to fly the TARDIS. Yes, River is awesome, especially when she’s looking for a new wardrobe in 1930′s Berlin.
- Mels. The unseen best friend who inadvertently pushed Rory and Amy together. I confess, I actually would have preferred it if she was mentioned during season 5, it would have been more interesting that way. I liked her, she kicked arse. Shame she only appears for a few minutes. Also damn her penny drops catchphrase. I do wish we’d seen more of her but the gun, ‘temporal grace’ and the whole bad girl thing … oh she should have been in it for more than ten minutes.
- The Doctor. Seriously, dying and asking for someone whose life he hasn’t wrecked … but still nice nod to Donna, Rose and Martha. I didn’t like the Sonic Cane but any excuse to see Matt Smith in a top hat and tails … /drool. That said, it’s kind of sweet how he tries to help River adjust and sets her on the right path. Also, awesome entrance in the middle of a crop circle.
- Rory and Amy. Awww, as kids they are adorable. When Amy started talking about Mels being a ‘normal, legal person’ I just knew. I loved the opening corn field sequence. I also loved the whole Rory on a bike, in Nazi Germany.
- Hitler. Awesome actor, in it for five minutes. Perfect. This episode threw me because I assumed it would be all about him, the reality couldn’t have been further from the truth!
What I hated:
- The Tesselector: Yes, I’m sorry but the whole miniaturization, time traveling humans thing bugged me. Even if it did provide more answers on the Silence – which is apparently a religious order, not a species. But what is the Question? That said, the tessellation special effect was amazing. Right out of the X Men and twice as eye-catching. That said, there reasons for pursuing Hitler – and Melody Pond – are pretty crappy. Vigilantism does not for good stories make.
- The Sherlock moment: I know, it was awesome when Sherlock does it but in Who it just seemed badly done. Plus it went on way to long, the banana was the last straw. Eugh.
- The answers and more questions: We know the Doctor is going to die, we know River is going to kill him. Can we please have more by way of answers though.
- Little Amelia: The hologram just annoyed me. The whole 32 minutes thing just made me wish I could fast forward.
- The Judas poison. Seriously. What?
I wouldn’t have expected an episode like this to come after the mid-season finale and yet it fits in so beautifully that I’m so glad it did. I love Alex Kingston and it’s always great to spend more time with River. I can’t wait for the next few episodes! This is definitely going to be one of the Doctor’s more awesome season!
Disclosure: This episode was reviewed prior to transmission with the kind assistance of the BBC Previews department.
