by Helen P. Stephens | 24 Jan, 2017 | Blog |
Like many crazy cat ladies, I am the proud owner of two cats. Well no, that’s not entirely true – I am merely fortunate to be living with the human that two cats selected to be their human slave carer.
Today we took our youngest cat, Dexter, to have a front leg amputated. Just one week to the day we found out he had a bone tumour, he was in having, what felt to us like, a drastic procedure, that would give him the best chance at a fairly normal, lengthy life.
It’s been an emotional week. Swinging wildly from, ‘yes it’s the right thing to do’, to ‘I feel so mean cutting his leg off’. I just couldn’t shake the thought that we were doing something awful to him.
Thankfully I found lots of support around the world, through the Tripawds community – a blog space for owners humans of amputee pets to share their stories and the progress of their 3-legged 4-legged friends. I eventually adjusted my mindset to the idea we’re doing it for him, not to him. Following their stories, I’m confident that our little Monster Muncher, will be back to his old self in no time.
Over the course of the last week, he stopped using his paw. It clearly hurt to put weight on and he’d been limping around for a while – which is why we took him in for a (De)X-ray in the first place.
And in the last few days he’s started moving much faster using just his good front paw. Hopefully once he heals he’ll at least be out of pain and no worse off in terms of his mobility, than he was before.
Have to say a huge thanks to the team at Adams Vets. They’ve all been brilliantly supportive, kind, and reassuring.
When we went to collect him, the Vet opened the door to the waiting room and called ‘Dexter’s Mum’. I’ve never been called a mum before. But our cats are like children to us. We worry about them, love them and enjoy their company as much as any parent does a child.
It’s been a week filled with worry and concern but now it’s behind us and we can all start the recovery process.
by Helen P. Stephens | 25 Sep, 2016 | Blog |
Don’t let my title fool you. I love Jeremy Corbyn.
The media has been biased against Jeremy Corbyn, yet despite that, the Labour Party membership has grown to become the largest party in Western Europe. More than 300,000 members voted him as labour leader this week, after an unnecessary leadership contest which wasted both members time and money and could have been better spent campaigning to win over the electorate and oust the Tories from power.
And while the number of members have swelled since Corbyn first became leader, and more again, since the attempts to remove him, many of those new members were not eligible to vote (myself included).
I am concerned by the bickering and the backstabbing. The PLP need to accept that 62% of party members and supporters have chosen Jeremy Corbyn to lead the party. Let him get on with it.
We don’t know if Jeremy Corbyn is electable. The media say he isn’t, ignoring the fact that neither Ed Miliband nor Gordon Brown won an election. The 62% of Corbyn voters in the leadership election think he can be the next Prime Minister, but they make up less than 1% of the voting public. And latest polls suggest Labour are still falling behind. But then the polls also said Labour were likely to win the general election the last 2 times and look what happened there.
46 million people are on the electoral register but only 66% of those voted in 2015. I know many people who don’t bother voting because they don’t see the point, There’s no clear party that they relate to. There’s a lot of confusion about politics, and lots of people don’t bother for that reason. I know of people who vote because a party’s branding is the same colour as their football team. (Thankfully I know a lot of Liverpool supporters. But worryingly I know a lot of Everton fans too). It sounds daft, but seriously – how can they be expected to understand what they’re voting for if all they are faced with is media lies and party propaganda?
Jeremy Corbyn is something different. Maybe, just maybe, Jeremy Corbyn, man of the people, voice of the disenfranchised, is EXACTLY what the Labour party needs to galvanise those 15 million non-voters to get off their arse and get to a polling station. Because finally there’s a clear alternative to the current leadership. In 2015 Labour won 9.1 million votes and Conservative secured 11.3 million. Let’s imagine for a moment, those 15 million non-voters have just been waiting for a Labour Party that they can relate to?
Suddenly Jeremy Corbyn doesn’t look quite so unelectable.
by Helen P. Stephens | 1 Jul, 2016 | Blog |
It’s been a week since a slim majority of the UK decided we should leave the EU. I’ve felt a strange sense of depression and sadness since then, a tight ball of panic has set up camp in my stomach and I have this horrible sense of despair that no amount of playing Lego games seems to shift.
I voted remain. Not because I’m a sheep, or because I am happy with the status quo. I voted remain because, having weighed up all the pros and cons, looked past the propaganda of the leave campaign and assessed the likely outcomes of the vote I realised something quite significant. Leaving the EU will only make one major difference. We’ll have less money invested in deprived areas, to address issues of disadvantage.
Think about it. The leave campaign focussed on 2 major things: immigration – taking control of our borders etc, and the membership fee – saving money to decide where to spend it, say, on the NHS for instance.
But somewhere underneath it all, we knew that in order to continue to access the single market, we would have to pay… probably more than we pay now… perhaps closer to that £350 million a week that was wrongfully bandied around throughout the campaign. And we knew that a condition of the single market would likely include free movement across the border.
So not only will we still not have control of our borders, we also won’t actually have any extra money to invest in the NHS.
The EU invests money in its member states, to address issues of disadvantage. In areas like Liverpool, which has been largely ignored by the government since the 1980s, EU funding has been particularly good to us, turning us into the cultural tourism attraction that it is today.
On a personal note, my business has been able to provide training and work placements for unemployed women interested in digital media careers, thanks to a grant from the European Social Fund. I’ve even been employed in jobs that were funded by the EU, tasked with providing opportunities to improve learning and job skills in deprived areas. These opportunities have been proven to help people enter the labour market and wouldn’t have been available if it wasn’t for EU funding.
So to recap. No matter what happens, we’ll have to pay money to the EU and accept free movement of people across the border. But we’ll no longer have a say in what happens and we’ll no longer get funding that has been vital to local economies.
Well that’s just awesome isn’t it? So how has this been allowed to happen?
Politics. I hate politics. I hate smarmy politicians in slick suits who are trained to speak in a certain way, so they say stuff without actually telling you anything. I hate that there’s a huge chasm between the people who run our country and the people that have to live with the consequences of their decisions. We’re so disconnected that we’ve turned a blind eye. Everything seems to be so cloak and dagger, that no one really knows what’s happening anymore and because we’re ignorant we just assume that they know what they’re doing and leave them to get on with it.
It’s a shame that many leave voters have since admitted that they didn’t really want to leave the EU, they just wanted to show their outrage at the austerity cuts and tax increases implemented by our government. This was not the time to do that. The time for that is at the next General Election.
My friend, Ruth, likened the Leave vote to a hangover… Like they all got drunk at a work do, told their boss he’s a prat, and threatened to quit. Then woke up the next morning with a bad head and sense of guilt and regret.
Perhaps the one good thing to come out of the referendum is that people are waking up to the idea that there seems to be a lot of corruption and bad decisions being covered up. There’s a lot of lies being told and we’ve had enough.
I’m so outraged by the whole thing, that the EU referendum turned into a popularity contest between one posh git and another posh git who both think they have the right to run the country when they don’t give a crap about the people of Britain. This egotistical contest has torn our country apart overnight. And while there’s plenty of infighting and backstabbing happening in the Tory party, this was the perfect opportunity for Labour to ride in like a white knight and steady the ship… but no. A Coup started, planned months ago, to oust the democratically elected leader. Rather than emerging as the stable party, they’ve completely deflected attention away from the shambles of the Conservatives. it’s almost like those Labour MPs are closet Tories. Is that why “New Labour” was also referred to as “Tory Light”?
Well. That’s bollocks – excuse my language! I grew up believing that the Labour party represented workers. And as a worker, I have never felt any kind of connection to the Labour party. In all honesty, since I was old enough to vote, I’ve sided with Lib Dems. The so called centre party, which, seems far more left wing than the lefty labour lot.
Then Jeremy Corbyn popped up and won the leadership contest. What a guy he is. A genuine, community activist. A man dedicated to improving the lives of people. Not just the 1% but the people that really need a voice. This was what I expected Labour to be. This was a guy I could trust to represent me.
I’m appalled by the coup. So much so, I joined the Labour party, to make sure I can cast a vote should a leadership contest happen. 60,000 people have done the same thing this week. Now that people are waking up, perhaps they’re also realising that Jeremy Corbyn offers a new hope to us. Something has to change. Leaders must be held accountable for their actions. The whole country needs to have their voice heard.
Gosh, it’s like Star Wars!
So this time round, rather than moaning about it, I’ve felt compelled to do something. Joining the Labour Party feels like the least I can do. But who knows what happens from there. I’m interested, for the first time ever, in politics, in the decisions being made on my behalf. I’m concerned by the lies and the propaganda and I want to know the truth.
I suggest, people do the same. Not join a party necessarily, but seek the truth. Don’t be getting all your facts from the news, because the media is corruptible. It tells us what it’s paid to tell us – and for the most part, that’s more lies and propaganda. Seek the truth and then make your voice heard. Make your vote count.
by Helen P. Stephens | 10 Apr, 2016 | Blog |
I’m not a fan of the Grand National. When the yellow signs appear, warning drivers of road closures, a little part of me groans inside. While I’m sure it’s a great thing for our city, in terms of attracting visitors from out of town, and boosting the economy, for those of us that live alongside the racecourse it is little more than an inconvenience.
That said, Aintree weekend has become an annual holiday for us. We leave town for a few days to avoid the irritation of being stopped by community officers demanding to see ID and proof of address, before allowing us to slowly drive through swarms of tired and inebriated racegoers – in scenes reminiscent of an early episode of the The Walking Dead. And we get to spend time with our friends in the tranquil surroundings of West Sussex.
And I do have objections to the horse racing itself – I believe 4 horses died at Aintree this year – but it would be hypocritical of me to make a big deal about the horses while chewing on a bacon butty. All that aside, I do have a small amount of pride that one of the biggest races in the calendar, The Grand National, takes place in my home town. But I hate that this so-called sport of kings also provokes ridicule like they’re allowing the common folk to take part in this otherwise elitist activity and then mocking them for their enjoyment. It’s hard to tell whether the sport, during this three day event, is the horse racing or the people watching.
“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?” – Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice.
It’s upsetting to see the national media reports about Aintree. This year, the Daily Mail had a particularly long and tedious article for each day of the event. The primary focus being on classless ladies wearing short skirts, drinking beer, smoking fags and flashing their knickers (albeit unintentionally, due to strong winds).
They took every opportunity to mention the dress code: “Dress Aspirationally” inspired by Coco Chanel. But looking at the photos, I see no difference in the outfits from any other year – Ladies have always made an effort to wear their best dresses, find the best hats and make sure they’re looking chic and glamorous for the day.
The Daily Mail would have you believe that the dress code was implemented because Liverpool ladies don’t know how to dress well. And that the dress code was largely ignored.
What they overlooked was the thousands of elegant dresses, serious racegoers and sensible, well mannered people that descended on the racecourse to have a fun day out.
My niece and her boyfriend. Smart, elegant, and without a flash of underwear. STOP PRESS Liverpool ladies can be classy!
Any photos they included of smartly dressed ladies from Liverpool, were hidden so far down the over indulgent and lengthy article that few people would have persevered as long as I did, in order to see them. Once again The Daily Mail has gone to great lengths to portray Liverpool women as rude and crass.
I read this article and felt my blood boil. What purpose had the Daily Mail to send this guy to Aintree other than to insult the racegoers. To look down on the event, the attendees, and the city. The Daily Mail went on to post another article dedicated to photos of girls falling over. A blatant desire to ridicule and cause embarrassment to the individuals concerned who have had their pictures published without their permission and made to look stupid on a worldwide platform.
Racing has become a popular day out, I’ve attended a few racing events across the country, usually as part of a hen do, but they don’t receive the kind of coverage that Aintree gets. Maybe because The Grand National is a big race or maybe because it’s an opportunity to mock us. To hear it ridiculed when compared to Ascot or Cheltenham is little more than snobbery, and a direct insult of Liverpool. Of course it’s different, because every city is different. This is how we do it in Liverpool. Scousers are celebrated for their humour, charm and big heart. So you can expect a bright, vibrant, fun event.
Stop trying to shame us for it.
by Helen P. Stephens | 9 Apr, 2016 | Blog |
Watching the march to Downing Street to shame David Cameron over his embarrassing lies about his off-shore shares has been quite eye-opening.
I usually shy away from talking about anything vaguely political because – let’s be honest – politics is boring and I don’t really know much about it. Also, as I’ve previously discussed, my avoidance of the news means I don’t really know what’s happening so I have no faith in my own opinions as they don’t come from a well rounded knowledge base.
But I suspect I’m not the only one. And it’s people like me, that need to start paying more attention to what is happening. Because we should have an opinion and, assuming we’re all decent, empathetic people, we should be outraged by what is happening to our country.
It’s heartwarming to see so many people joining the protest. Footage throughout the day has shown a peaceful demonstration, amusing in parts, with protesters displaying that wonderful sense of humour that makes Britain great. What is disappointing is the lack of coverage from our very own British Broadcasting Corporation. You know, the broadcaster which we, the public, pay for through our TV license and probably taxes. The corporation that has a duty to tell the public when something of significance is happening. The BBC shouldn’t be afraid of offending the government, it should be afraid of offending its viewing public, without whom, it wouldn’t exist.
The people pay for the BBC, and the people expect it to be our voice of reason, our unbiased, impartial, broadcaster. Turning a blind eye to the corruption of the current government – a government that would see the BBC closed down in favour of a commercial broadcaster.
Poor. There’s been very little coverage of the junior doctors strike too. This is terrible. Our NHS will be broken down and sold off, forcing people to pay for private medical care. That’s fine, for those that can afford it, but what about those that can’t? Is the government effectively trying to kill off the weak and vulnerable by making care prohibitively expensive? That’s certainly how it seems.
Why don’t people care about this? People like me hear that the NHS is under threat and we say, “Nah, they won’t get rid of the NHS, the NHS is boss!” But it’s ignorance on our part – blind faith in the status quo. An assumption that the public won’t allow it to happen – but then the public voted this awful party in to run the country and as far as the government is concerned they are acting on behalf of the British public.
After only 12 months it’s suddenly become clear the impact from within that Nick Clegg had on the government. The coalition wasn’t great, but we’re now seeing how much worse it would’ve been if it had been solely Conservative.
Jeremy Corbyn has made me interested in politics. There I said it. What a breath of fresh air he is. So he doesn’t wear a slick suit and he doesn’t talk like an Eton Toff. Good. Let’s be realistic, the so called 1% – the rich posh kids that are groomed to run the country, the career politicians that don’t give a crap about their local community but just want to win a seat anywhere there’s one up for grabs – they form a small minority of the UK. Isn’t it about time we were represented by someone who has a real sense of the average person? Someone who understands how the 99% live. Someone who looks around at his local community and says “we’re all in this together and we need to support each other.” Someone who rides the bus, because it’s the best way to get to work, and not because it’s a good PR move to appear more down to earth.
Jeremy using the Force…
Politics has been so far removed from my day to day life because I can’t relate to the people who run the country. Finally there’s a party leader who is real. Hopefully he’s given a whole generation hope that we can make a change.
by Helen P. Stephens | 12 Mar, 2016 | Blog |
In case you missed the furore on Twitter last week, the new Ghostbusters movie trailer was finally unveiled… And it seems that fans of the original movie are not impressed.
Or at least, if they are impressed they don’t want to admit it.
I love Ghostbusters. Last year on our trip to New York, much of our sight seeing revolved around Ghostbusters movie locations – we stood outside that fire station for so long that the fire fighters were about to offer us coffee.
So I am really excited about the new movie – in much the same way that I was really excited all those years ago about The Phantom Menace… Okay so I learned to lower my expectations but even that movie is okay by me because, no matter what, it’s still part of the Star Wars story and as such, holds a special place in my heart (behind all the other Star Wars movies, including the ones that haven’t been release yet)!
Had to laugh at some of the tweets though:
Unless Bill Murray gets involved I’m not interested”
So you’re interested then? It’s been well documented that he will have a cameo in the movie, as will Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver.
So @melissamccarthy is one of the #Ghostbusters? And I’m not making that up..@BillMurray must be rolling over in his Grave!”
Erm… his grave? Shows how much attention this guys been paying!
The way I see it is, people love to hate. I watched that trailer and thought: looks like a good, fun comedy. It felt familiar because it has Ghostbusters all over it but I didn’t think of it as being some kind of sequel or a remake of the original – which seems to be the biggest gripe so far.
I’m sick of films being remade. I understand that there’s a need to refresh a franchise or modernise it to appeal to a younger generation, but some films don’t need to be remade. Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones – those films are perfect… Or am I just biased because they were from my youth?
I think we need to just look at this Ghostbusters film as a tribute to the genius of the original. Nobody is ever going to replace Bill Murray because he’s a one-off. But that doesn’t mean that a group of female comedians 30 years later can’t be just as entertaining.
Saturday Night Live has been churning out comedy talent for decades, throw in the much loved hilarity of ghosts terrorising New York and I can’t see what there will be to hate about this movie.
I’m looking forward to seeing it, anyway. I don’t expect it to replace the original film in my heart, but I can’t see me hating it on principle either.
