Calling all ladies - do your bit for science

Can any women reading this blog complete this survey about HPV and cervical cancer. I know the student running the survey will really appreciate your taking part.

Come on, do it for the greater good :)

Classic Kids TV

Rainbow was my favourite program when I was a kid, but somehow I see it in a whole new light now...

***Warning - lots of sexual innuendo, so pls don't play if you're easily offended***

View other funny videos at Very Funny Downloads

Well would you believe that...

My PhD supervisor has just put his stamp of approval on my final chapter.

All that is left is proof-reading. I say all, but it is extremely labourious and time-consuming. Still, it looks like I'm nearly there.

If anyone is willing to take a chapter and give it a second proof-read after I have done so, I will mention your name in the acknowledgements and if I pass, your name will be in print in the British library ;).

AUTISM - getting the truth out!

Thanks to Alice, I've discovered a fantastic website about autism called Getting the Truth Out.

Its a wonderful reflection on power, rights, choice & disability.

However, what is really quite shocking, is that it is in response to this to website, run by the Autism Society of America. How much we need to be careful about ever presuming to speak on behalf of another person. How much we, especially people like me who work with people with autism, need to learn how to listen.

Little Friend

Little Friend

Difficult
Challenging
Complex
Disabled
Mentally Ill
Immature
Inappropriate
Dysfunctional
Annoying
Unengageable

It took a long time
Little friend
For you to say a word

It took a long time
Little friend
For you to smile

It took a long time
Little friend
For you to laugh

It took a long time
Little friend
For you to say

You fear the people
Who send you letters
To say its time for you to go

To another facility.
One better equipped to meet your complex needs.

I wish that the people who send your letters
Who make plans
The great "them" who sit in offices
And discuss finances

Could hear you singing in the bath.

We - Arundhati Roy

This is a free documentary based on the words of Arundhati Roy.

Find out more or download a better copy at weroy.org

If you don't know who Arundhati Roy is, find out more on wikipedia

And if you've not read The God of Small Things - get a copy, it is a wonderful novel!

A story

Daiju visited the master Baso in China. Baso asked: "What do you seek?"

"Enlightenment," replied Daiju.

"You have your own treasure house. Why do you search outside?" Baso asked.

Daiju inquired: "Where is my treasure house?"

Baso answered: "What you are asking is your treasure house."

Daiju was enlightened!

Ever after he urged his friends: "Open your own treasure house and use those treasures."


(Two blog entries in two days - can you tell I'm trying to write the final chapter of my thesis and failing miserably?)

The beautiful heresy

I have discovered a new blog

Brian asked why people hope for, but don't cross over to believe in universalism. I thought about my own journey and my first time at an interfaith meeting.

I had either just left, or was in my final days at evangelical church and I plucked up the courage to attend an inter-faith group I had seen advertised. I remember tentatively walking up the steps into the church building where it was held, with a certain degree of nervous anxiety. I felt naughty - looking over my shoulder almost in case someone who knew me from church might be passing by. I might as well have been walking into a seedy sex shop as into a church building. That same sense of doing something forbidden and dangerous was there.

A terrorist attack had just happened in Istanbul and there was a massive furore about Islamophobia and Islamic fundamentalism. People felt threatened and under attack, fearful of their neighbours. And there I was, standing side by side with Jewish people, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Buddists to remember what had happened and to witness our togetherness and our commitment to one another as people of faith in seeking peace in our world.

It was exhilariating, liberating - I could be truly and wonderfully open to those around me. Not just in the interfaith group - but with everyone. I didn't have to worry about the eternal destination of those around me anymore. It was like I was coming home to what I always recognised but never dared to believe that whatever "God" was, it/he/she/they were present everywhere - in all cultures and in all faiths.

I didn't tell my Christian housemates for quite some time - I slipped out and in quietly, like a naughty school girl with a secret romance. And, I admit it, I really enjoyed the secrecy and the tremendous sense of doing something really naughty.

I flitted between feeling free and feeling scared. Perhaps, I was going too far. Perhaps I might find myself stepping outside the circle of salvation. What if God was not as generous as I hoped? If hell does exist and believing in it is a pre-requisite to avoiding it, maybe most people will take the safer option. Afterall, if universalism is true, no-one has anything to loose (in the sense of their eternal destiny).

I'm pleased to say, I'm not so worried anymore! I have taken my place in public acts of witness with the interfaith group, feasted with people of other faiths and I am not afraid anymore. This same group, by happy coincidence also introduced me to the Quakers.

Maybe it is a bit dangerous to dare to believe that the light, truth and love that we find ourselves longing for might be lurking deep within us and within our neighbours. But if we cling to beliefs we don't really believe in or we hope aren't true out of fear of offending some diety, how much we and our communities stand to loose?

To recognise that of God in all people (or at least attempt to) is a tremendously liberating way to live. It allows us to approach our neighbours, no matter how different they may be from us, with a sense of deepest respect and sincerity, with no agenda, simply to recognise and treasure that which is good, true and loving within them and to invite them to treat us in the same way. It allows us to love without fear that our neighbours may one day find themselves destined to eternal torment. It allows us to surrender pride and fear and live in friendship and seek peace with our neigbours.

There is always something that seems to hold some people back from realising the universality of love. Perhaps universal love is almost too good to be true. But it is the universality of love, which recognises, values and includes all people(s), that we will heal the fractions within our society and create peace within and between communities.

"There is a principle which is pure, placed in the human mind, which in different places and ages has different names; it is, however, pure and proceeds from God. It is deep and inward, confined to no forms of religion nor excluded from any, where the heart stands in perfect sincerity. In whomsoever this takes root and grows of what nation soever, they become brethren." ~John Woolman 1762

Out of the mouths of babes...

This news story struck me this week

I know many people who use the word "gay" as an insult - many of whom aren't opposed to homosexuality per se. Our use of language betrays us as a society. Where its acceptable to use the word "gay" as an insult, whatever tidy niceness we say on the outside about being open minded and not having a "problem with it" rings shallow.

Its not acceptable to call something "black" as an insult or "Muslim" or "Asian" - and quite rightly so.

Change language, change attitudes.

Wedding guitars and nightmares

I had a nightmare....

I dreamt I was getting married to partner dude - not that, that is nightmare.

Naturally, we had planned a wonderfully simple, elegant Quaker affair with lots of quiet (yes, quiet).

I dreamt, heaven help us, that my family, unable to fathom the idea of a silent wedding had taken it upon themselves to surprise me with, brace yourself, a WORSHIP BAND.

So it was tweedle-de, tweedle dum, pluck guitar, strike the drum, praise the Lawd etc. etc. etc.

And, of course, I was furious and asked them to stop. But I was told by the matriarchs that this is what happens at weddings and I should put up with it because what did it matter. I was so livid I grabbed my partner dude and left my wedding in a huff.

Analyse that :S

PhD Blues

I have written 61464 words on 202 pages, not including 47 pages of references (thats 524 references and another 15872 words). That doesn't include my very volumous appendices.

AND....

I'm still not finished.

:(


I'm told people are wondering where I've been lately - sorry if I've not been sharpish with posts, comments and emails - this is why.

CA

PS. Anyone enjoy proof reading? ;)

Pandora's music box

What an internet wonder!!!

Its a music genome. It tries to discover music you will like. You put in one of your favourite artists or songs and it generates music that it thinks you will like - and thus far, its been very accurate for me.

I love it!

Extend your music collection or just listen to some new stuff online.

AMAZING!

Prayer harder Mr. Bush, pray harder!

Shocking news. America's president does not pray hard enough. Pray harder Mr. Bush, pray harder my man!

How to find yourself...

Peterson inspired me to look up some of my old journals from when I was a church goer.

It was so strange looking back over the journal I wrote in the year coming up to the time when I actually left church. Some of them were so sad. Others were hilarious - my my, I do have an acerbic wit about me sometimes! There's a wonderful Saturday night entry were I pray, with sincere earnestness to be delivered from cynicism. However, Sunday's entry shows the Lord did not hear my cry!

"My distain for church grows every time I go...Today's sermon was particularly nauseating."

I loved this entry - it kind of sums up where I was at a few years ago:

"I wish I was nice, tidy, pretty and submissive. I wish I was a good Christian and knew how to say the right things and be the right way. But I don't...I feel guilty because I don't know how. I should try to make more of an effort, but I'm not sure there's anything left in me to even attempt it."

I can look back on it now and laugh - of course I don't want to be nice, tidy or submissive. God forbid I ever be submmissive!!! BLEURGH! I think stories of people becoming themselves resonate so strongly with all of us, because whether obvious or not, most of us struggle to simply be and simply accept ourselves.

However, I did stumble across a wonderful gem of wisdom in my old journal that I thought I would share...

"Do not run, but be quiet and silent. Listen attentively to your own struggle. The answer to your question is hidden in your own heart." (Henri Nouwen)

Gym

We got round to joining a gym - haven't been since we moved nearly 2 months ago. Very expensive - but I have been getting wibbly.

I like the gym but I have left it in an absolutely foul mood.

I resent being bombarded of images of fakely tanned, photoshopped women who clearly haven't eaten in a year. Did you know women have a temporary lowering of mood & body image after looking at such photos? And that is linked to the development of eating disorders. Maybe I'm just cross because I know people with anorexia who use exactly those kind of pictures as triggers and I think its totally inappropriate/grossly irresponsible for them to be in a place where people with eating disorders congregate (gyms!)

I also resent being told that "tanning is good for you, it gives you vitamin D and helps prevent osteoporosis", when tanning has been consistently linked with the development of skin cancer. You need 20 minutes in sunlight (not direct sunlight - walking outside will do) to get all the vitamin D you need. And its not exactly scarce in food either. And how many people with vitamin D deficiency do you know anyway?

So I am cross. The health and fitness industry is just not healthy.

From James Loney

Thanks to Peterson for directing me to this link of James Loney speaking to the press having been freed in Iraq

What a reminder that we must not forget those who do not have freedom as we do.

A link to Amnesty's website's campaign against torture in the war on terror seems shallow in comparison to what James Loney, Norman Kember and Harmeet Sooden have been through in the last few months. Not to mention the tragedy of Tom Fox's death.

Out done

I thought I had big news this weekend - but no, my own mother completely and utterly outdid me by getting engaged :O! I'm very happy for her actually - although very surprised. She's not been seeing the lucky man for very long (only a few months) so this is all very quick. I've not even met him yet (should be fixing that in May).

Does anyone know what normal etiquette is for informing the ex-husband (i.e. my dad)? I'm trying to decide if I should tell him or wait for the extended family grapevine to do its work?

I think I'll tell him. No idea how he'll react (he is married tho - has been for nearly 10 years).

Oh my....

Another doctorate degree...

I have yet to finish the first. But no matter. I've been offered a place on a clinical psychology training course (fully funded) to start in September :)

Thanks to everyone who wished me luck!

Sad sad news

From Peterson's site - Tom Fox, one of the hostages from Christian Peacemaker teams, was found dead in Iraq on Friday



Repel evil with what is best. Then the one between whom and you there was hatred will become as it were your friend and intimate! (Qu'ran)

Facing the Truth - Desmond Tutu goes to Norn Iron

Desmond Tutu has been bringing together victims and perpetrators of Northern Ireland's conflict.

I managed to catch the program tonight on BBC2 - it was incredibly touching and challenging to see people, on both sides of the table, display such honesty and courage. It wasn't twee, it wasn't sensationalised. It was very calm, very dignified and very real. It wasn't comfortable viewing, not to hear someone say they had no remorse for their involvement in terrorism, not to hear a young man in his early teens whose brother had been shot dead by the UDA to ask a former UDA member why he had chosen that path - no it wasn't comfortable at all. But it was necessary to witness. Maybe it can help us all a little further down the road to understanding.

The last of the three part series is on BBC2 at 8pm tomorrow (Monday). I hope they are repeated. They should be compulsory viewing for anyone with any contact with Northern Ireland whatsoever. More info about the series & an interview with Desmond Tutu here.