Living in County Durham is a privilege in the way that there are so many different routes and walks nearby, particularly near my village which is an hour walk from Beamish woods. So, what has my experience with the ‘great’ outdoors been during lockdown?
Read MoreI have been called on to exclusively handle President Trump’s PR in the run up to the election. It’s a long story, but it involves a wrong number, a dynamic lie, and a bribe.
Read MoreI’m embarrassed to say it: I’ve seen more of Australia than I have my own home country. Go ahead - a ring that bell and shout ‘shame, shame, shame’ for all to hear. It’s just that here wasn’t as interesting as abroad, although the UK does have so much to offer.
Read MoreThe royal family has a convoluted existence: their identity is made up of perceived grandeur and a history of pain, power, and political manipulation. According to the official website of the royals, one of the most important roles of the royal family is to help “strengthen national unity and stability.” Whilst this might be the case, it in itself births its own issues.
Read MoreAfter years of putting up with me talking about penguin knees, grass screaming, the anomalies of statistics and much much more, he suggested I find an outlet “If you find it interesting, why do you think no one else will?”. So here I am giving it a go; the first “random blurb I blurted out to him – “Have I ever told you how cool crocodile hearts are?”
Read MoreWater is the basis for a lot of the world creation myths, from the creation myths of Mesopotamia to Bakuba Creation myth of Africa. Water is not only a place of creation though; it is a dangerous force of which the human and animal kingdom alike have respect, and be wary of.
Read MoreThroughout her career Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an established campaigner and advocate of women’s rights and gender equality rights until the end. Before she died, she commented that her, ‘most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.’ She was so close to getting that wish.
Read MoreThe United States election is on the 3rd of November, and at time of writing that is 45 days away. For Conservatives, it is 45 days to shore up a Conservative majority on the Supreme Court. For liberals, 45 days to secure the legacies left behind by Ruth Bader Ginsberg. The stakes could not be higher.
Read MoreI’m trying to think of everything I would have wanted to say in the moment when the door is closed. Everything that mum or dad will be unable to say in the moment because they’ll be orbiting the room trying to keep busy with bedding and Tupperware before the last goodbye.
Read MoreI have come to the interesting realisation of the juxtaposition between ‘isolation’ and ‘escapism’. Isn’t it funny that during lockdown we have become isolated in our homes, yet we have found it possible to feel enjoyment, escapism, and freedom through our hobbies?
Read MoreThese lockdowns have one rule: no guests in your home. Otherwise, go off sis. Do literally whatever you want. Go to a bar and ‘socially distance’. Go for a cheeky Nandos with your Gran - but don’t you DARE go to her house for a cuppa, for fuck’s sake, what’s wrong with you? Do you want your precious Gran to die? For shame! For SHAME!
Read MoreMost of us will have a vague three part tier in our heads of the class system: the upper class (who own yachts and brush their teeth with truffle), the middle class (in nice five bedroom suburban houses and a golden retriever), and the working class warehouse workers in council flats. But note the imagery - all the markers are superficial. Types of houses, holidays, food, and accents are things we use to assume someone’s class and economic standing. It is simply too reductive. Class is way more nuanced than that.
Read MoreI don’t know how long I’ve had a low sex drive, but it’s had a marked change over the years. Going without sex for months would have felt like a death sentence in my late teens and early 20’s, but now I just view it with a ‘it is what it is’ mindset.
Read MoreTwelve years after the pain started it turned out that I had a hiatal hernia, which is basically when your stomach bulges back against your oesophagus. Your oesophagus has a small opening that should close off to stop food and stomach acid etc to stop it leaking back into your oesophageal tract. Mine wasn’t doing that and my stomach acid was basically burning me.
Read MoreArrogant. Self-absorbed. Superior to others. Unique than others. Lacking in empathy. Manipulative. Patronising. Selfish. Exploitative. Demanding. An excessive need for admiration. These are a few of the traits that Narcissistic individuals display. Even though it may not seem obvious as physical injuries, the consequences of being involved with a narcissist – regardless of whether they’re your partner, parent or family member – can be traumatic.
Read MoreGardening has been a source of enjoyment, the joy it brings to the senses has meant I have experienced freedom from responsibilities in life.
Read MoreI always imagined that working from home would be the ultimate scenario. Snuggled on the sofa in my favourite pyjamas with a soft blanket slung over my shoulders, a hot cup of tea to my side and my laptop balanced on my knee firing off emails and getting everything ticked off from my work to-do list.
Read MoreSome people you meet are funny, or cruel. One thing is evident, though. You are your nationality, and that is the umbrella under which all of your traits are rationalised. Your new companions have to make sense of you, and everything has to be explained in order for them to feel comfortable around you.
Read MoreA big question that plays on my mind is where would a trans kid apply? A Boys Grammar or a Girls Grammar School? Or what about a non-binary person? Grammar Schools as a concept have this ingrained binary in most cases, with mixed Grammar Schools being few and far between (I certainly have never come across one).
Read MoreFor seven years advocacy groups and patients called out this study, urging it to be retracted, and it eventually was after outcry on Twitter. The fact that it took seven years, ironically often how long it takes for people to be diagnosed with the disease, shows how much patients are left out of the conversation about their own bodies and that ultimately the only thing worth evaluating is their appearance, not their chronic pain
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