Feel like it's once again time to re-up this one, since apparently the Health Secretary's one of those 'but why so many AFAB trans people? Let's be Concerned about that without bothering to actually *talk to* any of the trans people in question': saranadosfiction.com/2024/08/20/a...

Since I'm finally writing a new piece. Let me reshare my last blog on the topic of co-authoring a book with my dead father and how on earth i got here. On losing somebody you love. #writing #grief Read “A Sword Would Be Easier“ by Robin Tynan on Medium

Clearly over did it with my doing things yesterday. Don't know if i triggered a migraine or if it was a bit of pro-drome mania. Either way today is starkly different in terms of productivity.

but also, i can go to an opera at the royal opera house or a a concert at the barbican or royal albert hall or wherever for less than i'd pay to see a (premier league, at least) football match, yet which of those is supposedly working class?

The anti-intellectualism and anti-arts we see today in part reflects a fear of an educated working class. Hence a college-educated barista is elite, a biz owner driving a $70k truck is coded as working class. It’s endemic on both sides of the Atlantic.

Oh no. I remember how daunting this was last time i looked now. The proposal. All the advice seems to really hinge on who you are as an author. It feels like the writing equivalent of "we want 5 years industry experience for this entry level job".

Thought I'd lost all the work I'd done on my dad's memoir last summer, but managed to recover the files from my old hardrive. Easing my way back into working on it. I think i want to have a proposal i can submit to agents by August. The end of August. September. #writing #memoir

Today i had enough brain capacity to do a whole load of admin and form filling and then managed to write 500 words of a blog post about writing my dad's memoir. I'm still not quite in a place for writing the actual memoir! But I'll get there. #writing

The issue in the uk currently is akin to the old issye of usb standardisation. EV charging is still very proprietary. Some cars will only work with some brands of charger or need specific apps which aren't compatible with all charging stations. So stopping to charge can be a pain.

You know who the RFU didn't consult with when they decided to ban trans women? The rest of the women who were playing alongside them. Nobody asked us if we felt unsafe (we didn't). There were just 8 trans women registered to play in England at the time of the ban. Absolutely risible policymaking.

It do feel like that these days

Wrap up for April. 1 library book 1 non fiction 2 audio books 1 indie Historic, scifi, litfic, fantasy, and horror. What a good spread. #booksky #reading

Summer mode activated. Sandals: on Book: out Coffee: fresh #booksky

Can someone explain to me why we shouldn't police incitement to hatred against some groups but we should against others?

I got the weirdest misgendering this evening. A bunch of drunk (probably) cis het women cat called me when i was on my bike. I didn't get the exact words but considering i was on my bike you get the gist. They definitely thought i was a bloke. 1

Lowe is like 1970s NF. Wants 'remigration', aka 'repatriation' as NF called it, of non-white Britons. People who have been here one, 2, 3 generations. Starting from the late 1940s. He is a racist bigot and should be banned from Parliament his organisation proscribed.

I've accepted that I'm not going to graduate this summer as i won't reach my placement hours by June. I can submit and qualify in September and graduate next summer. I have mixed feelings about this.

My birthday is next week and I'm trying to figure out how many samosas i need to order. Got to get the samosa maths right.

Many people are talking about a general strike for May Day. How do we shut down the economy in 2026, when it functions much differently than it did in time of the original general strikes? Here, we propose some some starting places for action and offer a handbill promoting them.

If you're a mental health practitioner, periodic PSA you can hire me and I'll say stuff at you and your colleagues, such fun. www.sandyernestallen.com/consulting

Review of The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. A somewhat mediocre read for me. #booksky #reading

I hate the feeling when i think I have done something mildly clever only to find I was wrong. It is disproportionally uncomfortable. (Two buses arrive at once, ahah i will get on this one which will leave first. And then we sit at the next stop for 5 mins whilst the other bus goes past)

Stayed up to finish my book. The ending annoyed the hell out of me. It was a twist. It was trite as hell. As soon as I realised we were pointed that way i yelled "Don't you dare" but it carried on and several chapters later i was shouting "stop it!" But here we are at the end and i am judging 📚💙

I talk at length about how much i love living in cohousing, in community. I often get comments like "I'm neurodivergent so it's not for me". Which confuses me. Because i am autistic. And it's great for me. It's a group of people who know what I'm like and have chosen to be in a community with me 1/

I'm still fundraising for the increased costs of my cancer treatment. I also need new glasses, which aren't cheap here. More details are at the link, but if you could toss a coin to your writer for my birthday next Tues, I'd be grateful. Thanks & please share! www.gofundme.com/f/help-r-s-a...

Back on my cycling propoganda. As a low income disabled person with moderate ME, having access to the ecargo for "big shops" is cheaper and easier than having to use buses, walking or online orders. This cargo bike is shared with the neigbours and I'd love to see more bike share schemes.

Besides the point but it's been 25 years and i still don't know what a fucking think tank is. Why are you in a tank? Do you need to be in a tank to think? Can this be a hermetically sealed tank? Can we plunge the think tank into the deepest depths of the Ocean? The think tank has tanked.

sure is interesting how i've seen an influx of people accusing cis women of being trans (both trans fem and trans masc) and never cis men. i sure hope this doesn't mean that transphobia is fundamentally misogynistic in nature and serves as way to sequester and control women

The government is in disarray, over Mandleson's link with Epstein. Meanwhile the King, fresh off unroyaling his own brother over his links to Epstein, is now kissing the arse of a tyrant, implicated more than the others combined. Someone make it make sense.

Love universal credit calls and not breathing throughout the whole call. Such a great feeling.

Kyrgyzstan just banned gender transition, hormone therapy, and same-sex families and call being LGBTQ+ a disease. The WHO's ICD-11 says gender dysphoria requires medical care, not a ban. PLS repost & sign the petition if possible. 2 mins of your time could save hundreds of lives

Why’s an American pressure group that helped overturn Roe v Wade suddenly taken an interest in your local park? Anti-rights movements won't stop with trans people, and we must hold back the tide. Get behind @transsolidarity.bsky.social’s campaign: https://protectparkrun.uk/

Today is "my body hates joy" (i did nice things yesterday, and the joy and relief of hand-in day = extreme urrgghhh)

Afrori bookstore in Brighton needs to sell another 300 books this week to stay in business. Just brought a few romantasy books that sound amazing, but they stock every genre. Want to help an independent bookstore? Shop online or visit in person and grab a book.💙 afroribooks.co.uk #writingcommunity

Beginning I spell it wrong first time every time. Beggining.

Final assignment submitted! Now all that's left is placement hours and portfolio. I'm going to lie down now.

Snipped from a BBC piece of local bookshops. I thought this was a reassuring stat, compared to many of the things I've seen online lately about the decline in reading. The UK is doing pretty ok on that front it turns out. #books #reading

Film you've watched more than six times with a gif. (Hard mode for me is excluding Christmas films)

CONCLUSION: Many of us have foundational media - stories that are at the core of who we are as a person. For a lot of us, Discworld is our foundation. I'm a better person today because I read these books. I hope those of you discovering it for the first time have a similar experience. FIN

This immediately made me think of some of the tech in @emmanewman.bsky.social Planetfall which is really exciting!

Today we drove an hour to get to a swimming spot only to discovery it was full of blue green algae. So we diverted to see a friend and get a drink. Friend and dog offered to drive us to another place where the dog could run and we could swim. It was glorious. Then we went for a pint.

Sunderland voters 👋 Did you know Nigel Farage wants to scrap the NHS? Did you know the only NE Reform Council in Durham has done a TERRIBLE JOB!!! Did you know Farage is cutting taxes to rich people equal to HALF the budget of the NHS?? #ReformUK #SAFC #NUFC #Newcastle #Reform

Been updating our UK Events Page! www.brokenfrontier.com/events-compe...

I think i have managed to get my assignment to a passable state. I still need to do the stupid audio recording and may need to edit a couple of paragraphs so I'm under the time limit. But it's reasonable. That's enough for today. Too tired to make good sentences.

im so glad im capable of receiving joy from art. i was just looking through the paintings of john william waterhouse and it really just sent shivers through my body a bit.. like this is what i love about art. its so special

I get very notable anhedonia with my depression and burn out. It doesn't even occur to me to listen to music for pleasure. The contrast with when i don't have anhedonia is so stark. I put on some music as background sound while I'm working and i have to keep stopping to bask in it. It's just joy.

Well this makes me feel a bit better about being stuck inside in a sunny day working on an assignment

UK - if you have an IKEA card they're doing small cooked breakfast for £1 or full for £1.50, 9.30 - 11am Saturday. Think they're running at least through all May. #Budgeting #CheapMeals

When you have an urge to listen to a band that turned out* to be right wing arseholes. But it's OK because you remember that not only do you have the CD (no streaming) but you actually shoplifted it. Not paying you now, didn't even pay you 25yrs ago!