Guilty Of Being White

I just read an article on MSN news, it was about the University of Kent having every student complete a mandatory module on ‘white privilege’, use of pronouns and microaggressions.

This really annoyed me and I commented, something I rarely do any more, anywhere! The following comment is what I wrote, a lot of words are *d out because MSN don’t allow certain words.

“As the Minor Threat song goes “Guilty of being w***e”.

This kind of thing will only provide oxygen to the far-r***t and push more poor and working class young people towards them. Then organisations like these and others will wonder how and why such extreme groups are on the rise.

I’ve lived on a Council estate all my life and had second-hand clothes until the age of 13. I’ve had second-hand beds, chairs and an old games console (Commodore 64). At Christmas my Mam had to go to a charity to get us presents. And guess what? It wasn’t ok to the kids and some of the adults where I lived.

My Dad was out of the work through most of the 1980s, because of the massive layoffs, so we had very little. I grew up hearing them talk about “bailiffs” and told not to open the door if anyone like that knocked. This was because my parents had to make the choice between eating or paying the rent etc. So I used to worry about having someone come into our house and take our stuff at a very young age.

I read an article that showed w***e poor/working class males are less likely to go on to further education than their BAME cohorts [Here’s the link to that story]. Where’s the outrage about that? Where’s the drive to encourage them to go on to further education? There aren’t any, and if there are, they’re very rare and I haven’t heard of them. No one cares, I assume because of “w***e p********e. Those poor/working class lads have got it made, living on sink estates with, drugs, crime and violence. I know that happens, because I live here.

Instead of help to lift everyone up, we’re being lectured on our perceived entitled skins and how good we have it. It’s not good, it’s alienating, divisive, life-shortening, education limiting, physical and mental health damaging and generally just as bad as other people living in the inner-city (where the largest group of disadvantaged w***e males and females live).

But hey, you’re w****e, check your privilege, you got it made!

Guess what? It wasn’t posted because “This comment was deleted as it didn’t meet our community guidelines“. I don’t know why, it could be a number of things, including the use of the words “male” and “female”.

I’ve been warning for a long time that not only the limiting of free speech on topics such as this, but the constant discussion of race, identity and how all white people should feel guilty about the past, a past they had no say in, is only going to swell the ranks of the far-right! Read about that here, here, and here.

Although some of what’s going on in the above links can be blamed on other things, such as a reaction to Islamic fundamentalism, this constant attack on white people is not helping.

How long must white people self-flagilate until we can be deemed a ‘worthy’ ethnic group and come out of the naughty corner? I’m well aware of what European powers did all over the world for 100s of years, I’m well aware it made European nations rich. But how am I to blame for it, and why should I feel guilty of something that someone else done who happened to have the same skin colour as me? If the argument is the UK benefited from colonial invasions and resources, and that I somehow benefited from it, um no! I didn’t, my family weren’t rich by any stretch of the imagination, and in fact lived in slums up until the 1960s. The vast majority of the UK during the times of Empire, were only just marginally better off than those in the Colonies. There were white slaves in the UK, too.

I’m not denying history, I’m not denying the human misery that was the slave trade, what I am denying is that I am responsible for it, I am not “the most violent and oppressive force of nature on Earth” as one Transgender Black woman said. My life has not been one of privilege, not any more than anyone else in my age group and from where I grew up. Nor have I used my supposed privilege to step on anyone else’s rights.

I’m not ‘racist’, in fact I think the whole concept is rubbish, as we’re all one race, the human race. And if physical attributes make different races, then the blue-eyed, blonde-haired white people are a different race from the green-eyed, brown-haired white people. The division of humans based on attributes is ludicrous! What’s going on now, with a constant emphasis on race, colour and gender, is not what Martin Luther King had in mind when he said “People should not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character”. But that is all we have now, everyone has the right to feel proud of their ethnicity and skin colour, unless you’re white, or of their gender, unless you’re a straight male (because you’re part of the “Patriarchy”.

This culture is not going to make us stronger as a nation or as a world, it’s just going to keep dividing us and begin making enemies where there doesn’t need to be any.

So if you want to keep alienating your natural allies and make them enemies, then so be it, that way we will all lose in the end.

UC Diary/Vent/General Shiz

Well it’s been well over 12 weeks and the Adalimumab has done diddly-squat. In fact things have become much worse.

I was averaging 8 toilet visits a day with blood, mucus, tiredness, urgency, cramps sweating etc. It then went up to 10 on average but being as as high as 15 times a day. Because of this I had to go back on to Prednisolone to reduce the inflammation and enable me to go to the hospital for a blood test to see if there’s scope to increase my dose of Adalimumab. I couldn’t make the first 3 appointments because the UC was so bad, but made the 4th, that was over 2 weeks ago and I’m still waiting for the results. In the meantime I’m coming down off the Predisolone, although it has helped a bit, now that I’m coming off it symptoms are getting worse again.

Not only that, the combination of bad UC (it being active and having to cut down meal sizes) most this year and the Prednisolone, has made me lose weight. I was 22st in April, I’m not just over 19st, I lost nearly a stone in the last week or so (I can stand to lose some weight anyway). The Pred has made my steroid-induced diabetes (yes, Pred gave me it last time) go out of control, regardless of what and how little I eat. My eyesight is blurred again, I’m thirsty and weeing a lot. Add to that the constant feeling of tiredness, complete lack of concentration and the crushing boredom of sitting still and you’ve got yourself a great time!

I even tried to do some windows paint colouring of pictures I drew a while ago, just to pass the time, and I just can’t concentrate at all, nor do I have the patience anymore. Just sitting at the desk made my insides sore and made me feel sick. I can’t read for long either, whenever I do I get a pressure behind my eyes. It’s even been difficult to listen to music for some reason. It’s like life is insistent on sucking the fucking fun out of everything! Even typing this is fucking difficult. I think the headache stuff may be the high blood sugars. I would just come off the steroids but you can’t ‘just come off ‘ them because you get withdrawal symptoms.

So yeh, I’m waiting for blood results, if the test comes back saying there’s scope to increase my current dose I’ll stay on the Adalimumab. If not, it’s on to something else. Seeing ass my Azathioprine, Salofalk, Adalimumabe and a course of steroids are barely making a difference, I don’t think an upped dose will do much. In fact I think my body has got used to the Aza and Salofalk now anyway, I’ll probably end up coming off them.

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In other news, the SNP are still sticking to their mission of “FREEEEDOOOOOOOM” from the evil English Empire, sorry, I mean Westminster. There is no solid economic, political or cultural case for Scottish independence. In fact independence would likely damage the economy and it would not recover for possibly a decade (of course the English would be blamed for this).

That’s not to say Scotland wouldn’t recover and make a go of it eventually, it’s going to be painful getting there, but they could succeed in the end. Though that’s what the SNP consistently avoid talking about. Same with the currency issue, they can use the pound if they wish, but they will not be in control of it. For instance, Panama has the U.S. dollar as its currency, but has zero control over momentary policy. You can bet if Scotland does go independent the SNP will use the control the Bank of England has as scapegoat/deflection for why the Scottish economy is failing.

They couldn’t join the EU straight away either, they would have to deal with their share of the UK debt before joining the EU, which would come at the expense of deep cuts to Scotland’s public services. This is something else the SNP choose to not talk about, although they say it’s not their debt as it was borrowed by Westminster on their behalf and if they had control they would not be in so much debt. The fact is the Holyrood was given control over tax, spending and welfare back in 2015, and since then they’ve either refused to implement policy or handed the powers back (like with Welfare). This from an administration who said they could get a separate country up-and-running in 18 months. They’re just as shambolic and useless as the shower of bastards in Westminster.

However, if the UK can vote to leave the EU and take an economic hit that will hurt, then so Scotland can leave the UK and take an economic hit, as long as they know how hard it will be. It will be a lot harder for Scotland to leave the UK, though. Leaving the EU with your own currency and central bank etc puts you in a better position to recover from the hit of political and financial decoupling from a block such as the EU. Scotland is lacking in these departments.

I also still don’t see the point of going from one union (UK) to another (EU) where things are only going to become more centralised and their voices drown out.

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I support Black Lives Matter, but this is just disgusting! Not all BLM supporters are like this, but intimidating people to put their hands up and join you? Enforced solidarity? This is intimidation and borderline facisim, some of the things they’re protesting against. Though I’m not surprised, the left over the last 20 years has been bullying, deplatforming and shouting people down so much that they’re toxic as fuck and have become what they fought against. Not only has it damaged the BLM movement, that video will create more Trump supporters than anything else that Tangerine halfwit could ever come up. Well done! A spectacular own goal.

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Morons who refuse to wear masks! You’re selfishness and stupidity is staggering! It makes me angry and sad. Just because you think you’re not at risk, doesn’t mean you can put others at risk. I was driven home by a taxi driver from the hospital who said “It’s a matter of choice”. What? It’s a matter of life or death for me, and I’m talking about his mask he should be wearing, not mine! This after I told him I was on 3 hefty doses of immunosurpressent drugs. Fucking idiot! Next time I’m asking for a driver with a mask. Certain masks aren’t 100% effective but it limits the chances of spreading it. If there’s a large 2nd wave of Covid-19 this Winter then there’s going to be a lot of mentions at the Darwin Awards, because even young, healthy people get the virus and die. An even if it doesn’t kill them it’s going to damage their bodies long after it’s gone.

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Anyway that’s enough. I just had to vent and do something that wasn’t sitting still being bored, even though it’s taken me ages and pissed me off. I think I may have to avoid politics again in the future because it’s made me feel worse. I’m sorry for not replying to comments and visiting blogs, I’ll get around to everyone eventually, writing this has taken it out of me. Take care all and hopefully back sooner rather than later.

UC Diary: Update and Adalimumab

WARNING:

I’m writing about my experience with the drug ‘Adalimumab‘ to treat Ulcerative Colitis and the illness itself. Your experience will differ as people react differently. So please don’t dismiss the drug based on my own or anyone else’s experience.

My Ulcerative Colitis has been getting steadily worse for nearly 2 years now, I’ve tried everything I can to get it under control, diet and exercise being the… well… only ones I have been able to try.

The diet seemed to work – sort of – for nearly a month, but then suddenly the UC went bad again, which has been happening since I developed it in 2005, it’s never fully gone away, it just sort of gets less worse.

It’s difficult to explain how my UC affects me, I can write a list of symptoms, but this doesn’t cover the nature of my UC. It’s just so damn random, for instance, when I say it just gets ‘less worse’, I can have zero symptoms for a few days to a week (normal), but then it’ll get worse again, with no warning.

It doesn’t just stop there, I can have symptoms but not go to the toilet at all for days. An example of this is I could have urgency (wanting to use the toilet) so I go, but nothing comes out. However, I still get the cramps, tiredness, feeling sick and sweating etc. And I’m like that all day. The amount of wasted days I’ve had, when I’ve wanted to do something or go out, and because I feel like I may go at any time, I stay in. There’s a chance I develop symptoms and that I may soil myself, but there’s also a chance I couldn’t. What do you do?

Yes there’s outside toilets, the thing is, if I do go I could be in there for over an hour! All the while, feeling ill and having all the symptoms (or not, but still be in there for a while with the urgency). Then I have to think about getting home asap, the amount of times I’ve rushed home because I’m at serious risk of soiling myself!

There’s also another interesting thing my UC does, I don’t know if anyone else’s does this but let me know if you do, when I’m having cramps and I’m getting urgency as soon as I move the cramps and urgency get worse! I have to literally sit still, for hours, every day, because movement will make me go to the toilet again and I won’t stop going just because there’s no poop left to come out. Oh no, then I produce water and carry on producing blood (if that’s happening that day).

So, just imagine, you’re going out today, you have a lot planned, but you feel like you need a poo, but nothing happens. You do this several times with nothing happening. Do you take the risk and go out? Remember at this point you just feel like you need to go, there’s no other symptoms yet. And you could be like that, all day! Then on other days you don’t just have the need to poo (which you will do several times) you have cramps and everything else on top of it. So you’re sat there, having been to the toilet several times, with an arse that feels like you wiped it with a hedgehog, and your insides threatening to go again the more you move.

There’s another weird thing, just imagine the above again, but then suddenly remember you have to clean the house, build that fence or get annoyed at something. The stress trigger! That can also cause you to go to the toilet and make the UC worse. So you’re sitting still, but, you have a stray thought and then that sends you to toilet once again. So sitting still doesn’t always save you from repeated toilet visits.

The only thing I’ve found that soothes the cramps is a warm shower (hot water bottles and heat blankets don’t work), but that doesn’t always work as at times you have to get out and use the toilet. Other times it works, but as soon as you get out the cramps come back.

Then there’s the tiredness, it’s like it saps your energy. I’m going to stop, but you get the idea. Oh, I just remembered, I’ve removed different foods and even abstained from milk for years and even cheese, it did nothing.

Anyway, given that my UC is obviously active (specialist said otherwise, she was wrong), my IBD nurse (note: my IBD nurse is not the specialist) suggested new medications called Biolgics. I resisted for over a year as some of the side-affects, namely irreversible degenerative nerve damage, put me off. There was also the fact I would be on my old immunosuppressant medication while taking the new one, this is so I have coverage while I wait for the new medication to kick in. However, this would leave my immune system reduced even further – in a pandemic. In the end I acquiesced as my UC got worse and I was forced to think about my quality of life.

The first I was offered was Infliximab. This was all agreed and I was due to start this early this year (2020). However given that I’d need to go into hospital and have it administered via an intravenous drip while there was a pandemic going on, I declined it. So in the end I settled on Adalimumab, which would only require a nurse to come out once and show me how it to use it. It consists of a 40mg measured dose administered via an injection pen. The first time in April I initially had 4 injections of 40mg (160mg) as a starting dose, then 2 40mg doses two weeks after that, then another 2 40mg does 2 weeks later. After that I have 1 40mg every 2 weeks (with scope to increase).

So far, 12 weeks later (the latest when I’m supposed to see the first signs of improvement) things have not improved, in fact they’ve become worse. I still have a month left, that’s when I should see definite improvements, if indeed I do, so I have to wait. However so far there’s been no improvements and personally I’m not hopeful there will be.

On a side note, side-affects have been few. I feel tired when I take the medication, but that’s common. I did start getting aching in my knees and left elbow, though I’m not sure the medication caused this as Adalimumab is used to treat inflammation of the joints too.

I’m going to stop now, I’ve gone on enough. I’ll reply to any previous comments and new ones when I can, it depends how I am, but I will reply!

Bog Roll IS The Cure!!!!!

Assuming you’ve not been punched unconscious in your Supermarket of choice over toilet roll, then you’ll notice masses of halfwits panic buying all manner of products, though mostly toilet roll. Funnily enough it’s the same people who were saying “I’m not worried about the Coronavirus” running out to eye-gouge anyone and everyone to buy a full pallet of toilet roll. Though now they’ll be all smug and saying…

Because toilet roll is somehow the most important thing! Even before people were panic buying food and hand wash, they were fighting over toilet roll! Does it have some kind of properties I’m not aware of?

Does these people know you can just have a shower with an old rag to clean yourself? Sounds gross, but when I first developed Ulcerative Colitis I ran out of the ole bog roll once or twice, and ended up having to use an old rag while showering. I just bleached it afterwards in boiling water for use next time (if needed). Needs must, it’s not the end of the world.

The stupidity of humanity really annoys me, now more than usual as the stockpiling of toilet roll, food and other items will obviously lead to fewer of those items for others. Especially the elderly, ill and housebound (that are most at risk) who can’t get out and so rely on supermarket deliveries (I noticed online when I ordered all the slots were taken up 5 days in advance, to put it into perspective it’s only usually 2). I have UC so I can’t get out as much as it is, but with the Coronavirus now I’m going to have to stay in for my own safety. I take medication that reduces my immune response, which means I get ill easily and it can last for weeks, with the Coronavirus I don’t know how bad it will affect me, that’s not even mentioning the other two illnesses I have.

And there’s many others in the same boat who are far worse than me, who are stuck in and will need those shopping deliveries and provisions, the ones these people are panic buying.

No one is saying don’t get a bit extra, I’ve been doing that since February, so has my family, but we did it in a way that didn’t take products out of other people’s baskets. As I was writing this I just received a shopping update, 10 items are out of stock… Stuff like bread, eggs and washing up liquid…

You people are cult of Andrex fucktards! The vast majority of you will just feel sick, it’s the elderly and ill that will suffer. The supermarkets will still be open as will the pharmacies, the world will not end!

I’m going to stop, this was meant to be a bit light-hearted, but I’ve wound myself up now, so I’m going to stop. Talking of being wound up I won’t be replying to the comments on my last blog. The topic just depresses me, so I’ll revisit it at a better time. So apologies to Daffy and Prenin for not replying.

All the best to everyone and take care of each other!

EDIT: I went off one earlier, not everyone’s an idiot, they’re just worried. But I stand by what I said, panic buying is not helpful.

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I have no Country. I have no culture. I have no national identity. I have no history. It’s based on, or soaked in, the blood, pain and forced labour of others.

I (and my “people”) have – over the past two thousand years – invaded, plundered, raped, murdered, destroyed, colonised and subjugated the Countries and Peoples of Scotland,
Wales and Ireland as well as vast swaths of Africa, North America, Asia, Europe and many islands around the world.

I am the most destructive force on Earth – according to some – and I should be thoroughly ashamed of myself and my obvious intrinsic bigotry, advantage and sense of superiority.

And I did all this without the aid of a time machine, money or even leaving my shitty Council Estate.

– Dead. Anarchist. Phil.

“Conservatives Promise Reform of ‘Abused’ Judicial Review” And it Worries Me

There’s another general election on December 12th and the Conservative party are planning another reform of ‘Judicial Review‘ – the third time as a matter of fact. In their last three manifestos the Conservatives have promised reform as they say Judicial Review has been abused to interfere in politics.

For those who don’t know (or haven’t read the above link) a Judicial Review is “... a type of court proceeding in which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body.” So basically holding the Government and other public bodies to account.

A  recent example of this was a judicial  review brought forward by Gina Miller against the Government’s Prorogation of Parliament, which she and others viewed as unlawful because it blocked MP’s from scrutinising the Conservative Government’s Brexit plans. Subsequently the UK high court agreed with Miller and Scotland’s Supreme Civil Court and found the Prorogation justiciable and unlawful. You can see other examples of judicial review in action here and here.

It would be intellectually dishonest of me to not mention there was more to the prorogation of Parliament other than the Boris Johnson-led executive trying to unlawfully evade Parliamentary scrutiny of his withdrawl bill.

While I disagree with the prorogation personally I see why it happened, it was a reaction to another undemocratic act – a collective one. That act was the majority of UK MP’s not respecting the vote of the UK electorate to leave the European Union in 2016. Many of those MPs have their own reasons for arguing against leaving, some say the electorate were mislead, lied to and didn’t know what they were voting for. I could argue against this but that’s a different blog and not want I want to talk about here. The fact is the majority voted to leave and were ignored, which is just as undemocratic to me as avoiding parliamentary scrutiny using unlawful prorogation.

Which brings me to section in the Conservative manifesto that concerns me… On page 48 they state:

“After Brexit we also need to look at the broader aspects of our constitution: the relationship between the Government, Parliament and the courts; the functioning of the Royal Prerogative; the role of the House of Lords; and access to justice for ordinary people. The ability of our security services to defend us against terrorism and organised crime is critical. We will update the Human Rights Act and administrative law to
ensure that there is a proper balance between the rights of individuals, our vital national security and effective government. We will ensure that judicial review is available to protect the rights of the individuals against an overbearing state, while ensuring that
it is not abused to conduct politics by another means or to create needless
delays. In our first year we will set up a Constitution, Democracy & Rights Commission that will examine these issues in depth, and come up with proposals to restore trust in our institutions and in how our democracy operates.“

There’s a few things in there we could unpick, but this piece worried me:

“… while ensuring that it is not abused to conduct politics by another means or to create needless delays.”

It’s all quite vague and ambiguous, most likely on purpose so candidates can make it mean what they want and because the Conservative party is quite divided right now.

Though to me, from what I’m reading, it seems they want to remove scrutiny and thus accountability. They have seen how they’ve been blocked in the past and do not want it to happen again. This isn’t accountability, it’s centralisation of power and the removal of the executive (PM and cabinet) from scrutiny.

The UK tripartite system of politics works when the Judiciary, Executive and Parliament are all independent and exercising restraint on each other. Removing the Executive from that unbalances the system and our democracy, giving the PM and Ministers free rule to do what they want.

The vast majority of judicial reviews that have been conducted have found that public bodies have over stepped their bounds, there has been no abuse of the system, just the perceived abuse Boris Johnson and his cabinet see. Or maybe they don’t see it, maybe they just see an opportunity? If they really cared about “… access to justice for ordinary people” then they’d reduced the £100,000 fee we currently have pay to start one.

Obviously we’re far from a dictatorship, but the precedent it sets is a very bad one. Once we start down that slippery slope it’s a long way back. The idea of doing something undemocratic in the name of Democracy is counterintuitive. However, call me a cynic if you like, I don’t think it’s about democracy or accountability, it’s about power and money.

Hypnic Jerking!

Well I should be asleep but I keep dropping off and then jolting awake again. Apparently it’s called Hypnagogic Jerking, if someone had asked me what that meant before I looked it up I’d swear it was something dirty.

Anyone can get it, though people who are sleep deprived, who drink stimulants, have distorted sleep patterns or exercise more closely to bed time are more likely to have it.

I think mine is through a distorted sleep pattern, I’ve felt ill the last 3 days, and on Monday afternoon I went for a kip because I was so tired and had a headache. I ended up pretty much sleeping from 5pm Monday through to 4am Tuesday – and I’ve been awake since.

The cramps and gurgling in my side aren’t helping things either, the UC decided to smack me hard in the chops today. I felt tired and ill all day, but I had a dentist appointment – which I’d already cancelled once before last month due to the UC – so I didn’t eat or drink much on Monday or early Tuesday (My appointment was for 1:30). Still went to the toilet 2 or 3 times before I left. Although not eating or drinking much won’t stop the UC from doing it’s thing, it can minimise the chances of having to visit a toilet or having an accident. I made it there and back without any issues anyway, took my ‘Just in case bag’ too! After I got back I ended up going again 2 more times.

An IBD is like a private British rail company… so inconvenient and unreliable that you may as well stay home! I just thought of that because a train not long went past… You can judge me for that one if you like btw…

Anyway, I’ve waffled enough… I’m going to toddle off and watch a few episodes of Legion series 3. It’s based in the Marvel Universe and revolves around a powerful mutant who has the power of absorbing other mutants minds and powers. There’s a lot more to it than that, like the whole series is viewed through his (Legion/David’s) distorted view of reality, with a lot of weird and strange things that make you “WTF?” a lot. Case in point, The Vermillion…

I’ve been a Marvel fan since X-Men in the early 90s, but it doesn’t mean I like every marvel TV series as some of them are just typical American action hero-y. While Legion is far more complicated, psychological, moral and philosophical, as well as straight-up crazy!

In My Shoes: 24hrs with Crohn’s and Colitis

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have Inflammatory Bowel Disease? Yeah, you probably haven’t, but now you can experience it yourself, welll, sort of…

Crohn’s and Colitis UK have developed an app with the help of Pharmaceutical company Takeda UK, to give people a view into what it’s like to have an IBD for 24hrs.

You can view the full run down here.

I know it’s step in the right direction, to give people an idea what it’s like and to create awareness, but I don’t think getting texts alerts telling you how tired you are, when you have to to go to the toilet and then take pictures of that toilet is going to cut it.

For one, most people will not have the time to do it, only one family member has done it so far with another saying…

Well she didn’t exactly say that but it was pretty close! Unless you’re experiencing all the actual physical discomfort, the inconvenience, the social isolation and fear of, or the actual soiling of yourself, then it’s hard to understand and know what it’s really like.

I mean, when I go out I nearly always have to go out with a backpack full of stuff. It’s what I call my ‘Just In Case Bag’. Here’s what it usually contains…

Can’t Wait Card: I always remember this first and foremost! You’re supposed to be able to show it in shops and other public places to use their facilities. I’ve never had to use it but this woman’s daughter did and she was refused. Just know that this isn’t always the case!

Toilet roll: Because public toilet provisions are usually missing and/or dreadful. Also family and friends may not be good enough or plenty enough.

Wet Wipes: I know they’re bad, but when you have an IBD they’re what stands between you and a painfully sore bum.

Multi Surface Wipes: If you’ve ever used a public toilet then you’ll know why! At times I don’t even have the chance to use these. Luckily for me I don’t go out much.

Body Spray: Just to feel clean. Women carry perfume, why can’t I carry that? Stop judging me!

Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser: I use this after I’ve washed my hands in a public toilet, mostly because walking out of the toilets you have to open doors and you don’t know if someone’s not washed their hands as they leave. Stop. Judging. Me.

Bottle of Water: When you have an IBD you need to keep hydrated.

Spare trousers, boxers and socks: You never know if or when you’ll need them!

Imagine walking around with that on you most of the time! I’d like to see them put that in the app! “You have just finished in the public toilet. Wash your hands 3 times and apply half a bottle of hand sanitiser”. I took it to a gig once, which is extremely rare and which I starved myself to get to, and had to hold it with me at all times. I could’ve put it in the cloak room but I would’ve had trouble getting it out in time.

And finally, on a side note I saw this in an article, what does this sign even mean? Only accessible to people with a rocket wheelchair?

The ‘Small’ Things In Life

As I mentioned in my last blog I like the natural world and the little critters that are in it. From a young age I’ve always been fascinated with the little critters and loved seeing them.

Growing up in massive Northern English sprawling concrete estate, with not much green space, I delighted in little critters or other natural world occurrences. I remember seeing Aphids on a Dock plant with black Ants milking them for ‘due’ and marvelling at them! I also remember waking up to Starlings singing, they lived at the top of the Maisonettes in the rotten fascia boards, I don’t hear that much anymore around where I live, though I do hear a lot more song birds since the maisonettes were bulldozed away and new modern housing was built with gardens.

However I’m going of course a bit, this was meant to be about the little critters! When I’ve been fortunate enough to get out and about gardening and just generally enjoying the outdoors I took some pictures! I just want to share these because they make me happy, it’s as simple as that! Seeing these, birds and a nice green space just makes me happy, and so I’m going to share, just cos I can!

First off, a Bumble-Bee! Picture’s not that great, but Bumble’s always make me smile! One was flying outside window the other day, and I live pretty high up!

A Millipede! Yeh I know, too many legs… but not everything can be cute! These are so interesting in their own right! They were some of the first creatures on land 443MYA – and they’re still here! Albeit they’re not as big as a Human these days.

A great big stonking Wasp! I think this was a Queen I disturbed a bit early while tidying the garden up for Spring. She wasn’t happy!

A Masonry Bee! This little Gal was busy living up to her name by flying in and out of gaps in the Masonry laying her eggs for next year. If you find them in your wall, don’t worry, they’re not hostile and don’t swarm.

Another Bumble-Bee… just cos! It was pollinating my Raspberry plant!

Another Bumble! I know… But I’m not sure what type this was. Had a red back but white tail? Anyway, I felt it looked good amongst the Buttercups and Clovers.

I think this was some kind of Damselfly. Couldn’t be sure as it kept moving the closer I got. I can only assume it didn’t want to be mugged, given where it was!

A Giant House spider, the kind that get trapped in your bath in September! He was a big mofo, though I’ve seen bigger!

Keeping with eight legs, although this isn’t a Spider but is closely related to them, it’s a ‘Harvestman’, which is actually an Opilione.

Coming back to Bees once again, I think the one above is a Bumble-Bee, but I was never able to identify which type. It was all black and looked like a huge fly till I noticed the pollen sacks on its legs. If you know what type it is then let me know.

One last Bee… I swear! This is obviously a Honey Bee, which I see less and less of these days. I caught this one having a rest on a headstone on a particularly muggy day at the Cemetery.

A Green Bottle! A bit boring and more of a pest, but I thought it looked more ‘garden friendly’ sitting on a flower, rather than that something else they enjoy so much.

I know I said one last bee, but this is the final one! Red-Tailed bumble!

A Hover Fly. Not got a clue which type, but thought it was worthy of a picture.

I think this is a ‘Leaf Cutter Bee’, resting of course! I know I said no more, but he needed to be included because of his obvious cuteness and general awesomeness!

A Red Admiral Butterfly (I think it is anyway). It wouldn’t sit still for me to take a picture, but they seem more than willing to sit still and let Cats catch them.

Another Butterfly, can’t tell what type, because like the other it wouldn’t sit still!

If Moths are your Cryptonite then don’t read on… the last few are months!

A Day Moth (possibly ‘Burnet’?), being slightly up-staged by a Red Cardinal Beetle!

I just thought this looked nice with the glass and backdrop! It was probably dead 15 mins after this pic was taken, it was roasting that day and was stuck in a stairwell.

Another Moth, also stuck on the stair-well, but a bit more brighter this time. I think this was a day Moth too, though not sure what type.

This one’s a bit blurred, but you can still make out the colours and features. It’s a Shield Bug I found on my kitchen wall. I think this one is the native Common Green Shield Bug (correct me if I’m wrong). The markings on it’s back look like a face with fangs.

I love the colours on this garden spider. I was clearing a corner out last year and this guy came tumbling out of the leaves.

Gardenwatch

If you’re anything like me you’ll enjoy some green space and the critters that come with it – especially if you live in an urban jungle.

Though what critters are actually out there, and what are they living in/on – and where? It’s known that the gardens of the UK collectively are the size of Suffolk when combined, but not what inhibits them and what resources are out there and what is taking advantage of them, especially as more countryside and natural habitat is being lost to human development.

This is why the BBC, The British Trust for Ornithology and the Open University are running their biggest ‘Citizen Science‘ project ever – Gardenwatch!

They’re basically asking you to take a few minutes to fill in the online form to tell them about what animals and plants are in this vast resource. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a garden, you could have a communal garden, a balcony, hanging baskets or be in a local park. What matters is that you record what you can and post, it’s as simple as that.

There are 4 missions (the following text is from the BBC website and I don’t claim to have written it or own it):

The Gardenwatch Missions

Mission 1: Beyond the Backdoor

We want to know what’s going on in your gardens. What are you doing for wildlife and what’s this bringing to your space? The first mission is to work out what gardens across the UK actually look like. So we need to know what’s in your garden! It doesn’t matter if it’s paved, if it’s a balcony, if you’ve got fake grass, if you’re struggling to keep it under control – we want to know what you’ve got!

Mission 2: Worm Detective

What’s lurking under your lawns – it’s time for the minibeasts to shine. We need you to get down and dirty, face to face with the critters that creep and crawl beneath our feet. Whether it’s wriggling worms, slimy snails or boisterous beetles, these animals are crucial food for our birds and mammals – do you see how these missions are starting to tie together? We need you to do some digging to see just how important your gardens are for these species.

 

Mission 3: Bird Detective

What birds are in your garden and how many, and what they’re up to while they’re there – are they feeding, singing or just catching some sun? Are certain species there all the time or do you just catch the occasional glimpse? What you provide for birds in your garden may be influencing their behaviour, so we want to know if you’ve got food, water and nest boxes out. Many of our bird species are in serious trouble and we want to work out how best we can help them…

Mission 4: Mammal Detective

Who are your furry neighbours? In other words, which of our amazing British mammals stop by your outdoor space? It’s a tricky challenge, as many of them are pretty elusive and often nocturnal. So how about a nice, early start to see what comes through just before sunrise? You might be surprised by what you see – bats flitting through the twilight, foxes skulking along the garden edges, hedgehogs rummaging in vegetation. If you don’t fancy an early start, we’d love you to look out for other tracks and signs – we’ve even got some tips on making an animal track trap! Whatever approach you choose, we need your input for our fourth and final mission. And don’t worry if you’ve missed any of the other three – there’s still time.

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I’ve only managed to do the first one, though I’m hoping I’ll be able to do the others before the project finishes. So, do what you can, when you can. And enjoy yourself while you’re out there!