RealTime is a phrase used by the technological industry to describe applications, gaming, computing etc. happening in the here and now. Computer programmes can provide us with data or make calculations with startling speed that reflect the environment/time when the query was made. In gaming we no longer have to wait for our turn. We […]
Depression Daze: Fear of Recovery
We hear and talk about recovery a lot. Whether it’s physical, mental, emotional or spiritual etc. Recovery is a beacon of hope, the light at the end of the tunnel, or any other inspirational (and cheesy!) metaphors you wish to apply to it. The idea of recovery can be extremely motivating for those who suffer […]
A Room of One’s Own: Alone but not Lonely
I hope Virginia Woolf won’t mind my theft of her words but they seemed apt for the topic at hand. Many of us fear loneliness, it is the spectre hanging over us as we go about our daily lives, as we interact with others. As people we seem to have an undying need to be […]
Waterstones and the Smell of Books
News just in, or a few days ago when I didn’t have the time to write this blog…Waterstones has decided to stop selling e-books. For one, I am a big fan of their decision to abandon digital books for the real deal. Kobo, a digital book company, will be taking over Waterstone’s digital customers. According […]
Gender Wars: High Heels & Toothbrushes
I bought new toothbrushes a few weeks ago. One pink, one blue. This wasn’t intentional; it was default; it was the colours they had. On deciding who got which toothbrush I asked my husband. Do you want blue or shall we challenge gender stereotypes and you have the pink? (I recognise this is a heavily […]
If You Open Your Mind Too Much….
In a recent blog post, Headmaster Graeme Whiting expressed concern that fantasy novels, games and movies are ruining the health of our young people. He expressed that these fantastical stories are “deeply insensitive and addictive material” which can cause “difficult behaviour” and damage the subconscious of young brains. Included in this troublesome group of unrealistic […]
10 Top Tips for Mental Health
Mental health is finally getting the attention it deserves. Many of us are aware of the limitations of the NHS for both physical and mental health care. On top of this we grapple with the limited provision of therapies, extensive waiting lists etc. etc. More and more we are being told to rely on self-care […]
License to Breed: Ending Child Abuse and Neglect
First for some background. This post was inspired by a throwaway comment I heard in the office today. Colleagues discussing the lack of support a young person received from her parents noted that some people shouldn’t be allowed to have children. The actual comment was some people should have their tubes tied to which my […]
Minding Your P’s & Q’s
Call me old-fashioned but I like manners and they really don’t cost a penny, or a minute. With most of us running around without a moment to spare it’s not surprising that manners seem to have been one of the first things to go. We just don’t have time. If that’s your excuse, then it’s […]
Men are from Mars….
Men are from Mars and women are from Venus; we all know the old adage. Mars and Venus are of course planets in our solar system. They are also the eponymous Roman divinities: Mars, the god of war and Venus, that of love. To many equating the genders with these attributes make perfect sense. Whether […]