#Kate Hird

[ladyinbooks]

So because I was super mean with the last Ficlet Friday, I promised GraveTiger an IB mermaid!AU (because, you know, it’s MerMay). But it just broke 5k, and now I’m regretting my life choices, because this could be... oh dear, I have so much I could write in this AU. So much. 😓 Like, there is a wealth of backstory I want to add in here and I can’t.

Anyway, I’ll be posting some Mermaid!AU IB either this evening or tomorrow.

[news24fr]

Alors que nous nous dirigeons vers la nouvelle année, les travailleurs en grève se préparent à une longue bataille avec le gouvernement. De plus en plus sous le feu des projecteurs dans ces différends se trouvent les neuf organes d'examen indépendants qui formulent des recommandations sur le montant à payer à 2,5 millions d'employés du secteur public, des agents pénitentiaires aux enseignants.Les ministres ont refusé de négocier sur les salaires, affirmant qu'ils devaient suivre les recommandations officielles.Mais le chef du TUC, Paul Nowak, a déclaré que le organismes de révision des salaires étaient « en danger d'être discrédités ».S'adressant à l'émission Today de la BBC jeudi matin, il a déclaré: "Le gouvernement se cache derrière les organismes de révision des salaires, refusant de négocier les salaires et refusant de parvenir à un règlement raisonnable avec nos syndicats du secteur public."Malgré le débat intense, les comités dont les membres décident des revenus de millions de travailleurs ne sont pas très médiatisés. Alors, qui siège sur eux, et à quel point sont-ils responsables ? Les membres des commissions de révision des salaires ne sont pas autorisés à discuter de leur travail et leurs votes sont gardés secrets. Leurs conclusions sont approuvées « collectivement », et il y a peu d'interrogations par le parlement.Les syndicats se sont plaints de ne pouvoir présenter des observations qu'aux organismes de révision des salaires. Contrairement à la Low Pay Commission, qui fixe le niveau du salaire minimum et compte Kate Bell, haut responsable du TUC, parmi ses neuf commissaires, les syndicats ne peuvent pas avoir de représentants au sein des organismes de rémunération eux-mêmes.Les comités restreints de la Chambre des communes n'ont pas la possibilité d'interroger les membres nommés sur leurs qualifications avant qu'ils ne soient nommés par le Premier ministre, comme ils le peuvent avec les décideurs de la Banque d'Angleterre.Il y a un ancien responsable syndical sur le Organe de révision des salaires du NHS (NHSPRB), Stephanie Marston. Elle travaillait auparavant pour le syndicat Prospect, qui regroupe 100 000 professionnels de la fonction publique et du secteur privé.Un porte-parole de Prospect a déclaré qu'il n'avait aucun contact avec Marston, qui a quitté son emploi syndical en 2017.Les syndicats affirment également que l'adhésion est fortement biaisée en faveur des cadres supérieurs à la retraite avec peu de sympathie pour les préoccupations des travailleurs. Les membres ne sont pas autorisés à parler de leur rôle, il n'est donc possible de juger de leurs sympathies qu'en fonction de leurs emplois précédents et de rares entretiens.Philippa Hird est présidente de l'organisme de révision des salaires du NHS. Photographie: Gov.UKLa présidente de l'organisme d'examen des salaires de santé est Philippa Hird, ancienne chef du personnel d'ITV et maintenant directrice non exécutive en série. L'homme de 58 ans a étudié la politique, la philosophie et l'économie (PPE) à l'Université d'Oxford la même année que Boris Johnson.Comme tous les autres membres de l'organe de révision, elle a un mandat renouvelable de trois ans. En tant que présidente, elle est payée 350 £ par jour, pour la préparation et la participation à 15 réunions par an. La cotisation pour les autres membres est de 300 £ par jour. Certaines années, il y a plus de 15 réunions.Hird, qui en est à la dernière année de son deuxième mandat, siège à plusieurs conseils gouvernementaux, y compris la refonte du commandement stratégique des forces armées britanniques. Le mois dernier, elle a été parachutée pour diriger le comité de révision des salaires des hauts fonctionnaires, des juges et des officiers supérieurs de la police après la perte de deux présidents au cours des six derniers mois.Karen Mumford est économiste du marché du travail et professeure à l'Université York. Photographie : Université de York.Karen Mumford est membre de l'organisme d'examen

et pourrait être considérée comme une amie du travailleur dans son rôle d'économiste du marché du travail et de professeure à l'Université York.Cependant, elle se décrit comme « essentiellement un économiste du travail néoclassique » et compte le parrain de l'économie de marché libre, Adam Smith, comme son principal héros.Richard Cooper est cadre supérieur à la Health Research Authority.Stephen Boyle est l'autre économiste de l'organisme d'examen. Il a passé la majeure partie de sa vie professionnelle en tant que cadre hautement rémunéré du secteur financier, plus récemment en tant qu'économiste en chef à la Royal Bank of Scotland.Richard Cooper était un cadre supérieur chez BT qui continue d'être « un cadre supérieur très accompli » à l'Autorité de recherche en santé et à l'organisme comptable, l'ACCA.Neville Hounsome et Anne Phillimore sont depuis longtemps des directeurs du personnel au niveau du conseil d'administration, tandis que Patricia Gordon a été directrice générale d'une fiducie hospitalière pendant une grande partie de sa carrière.Neville Hounsome, directeur du personnel au niveau du conseil d'administration.Les armées disposent d'un organisme de révision des rémunérations (AFPRB), tandis que l'organisme de rémunération des médecins et dentistes – le DDRB – regroupe près de 250 000 médecins hospitaliers, généralistes et dentistes.Les agents pénitentiaires, qui ne sont pas autorisés à faire grève, disposent d'un organe de révision des salaires distinct, tout comme la police et les enseignants. Enfin, la National Crime Agency dispose de son propre organe de révision des rémunérations, le NCARRB.Patricia Gordon a travaillé comme directrice générale d'une fiducie hospitalière. Photographie : HSCLe rapport le plus récent du NHSPRB avait trois mois de retard lorsqu'il a été publié en juillet et couvrait l'année 2022-2023. Un accord salarial de trois ans couvrant 2018, 2019 et 2020 pour tout le personnel du NHS s'est terminé par la première évaluation significative par le conseil en 2021, lorsqu'une offre de rémunération de 3% a été acceptée par le gouvernement, dépassant le plafond de 1% à l'échelle du secteur public.Le député conservateur Dan Poulter a souligné ce hiatus lorsqu'il a critiqué l'approche actuelle du gouvernement. Il a déclaré que, étant donné que les ministres avaient "choisi d'ignorer les conseils d'un organisme indépendant d'examen des salaires" pendant quatre ans, il était "plutôt malhonnête pour le gouvernement d'accepter maintenant les recommandations car il est financièrement opportun pour lui de le faire".L'organe de huit personnes s'est réuni 21 fois au cours de l'année jusqu'en juillet 2022 pour compiler un rapport de 165 pages, qui énonce des recommandations pour le règlement salarial de cette année.Le rapport recommandait un minimum de 4% pour et jusqu'à 9,3% pour les bas salaires, affirmant qu'il "fournit un investissement dans la rémunération du personnel qui contribue à réduire le risque que la rémunération soit une raison de quitter le service du NHS".Dans sa soumission au NHSPRB, le Trésor a déclaré que l'inflation était devrait culminer à environ 4 % en 2022et qu'il était susceptible de revenir rapidement à l'objectif de 2 % de la Banque d'Angleterre.Il y avait les mises en garde habituelles aux prévisions, mais il a ajouté que les employeurs du secteur privé semblaient convaincus qu'ils pourraient limiter les rémunérations moyennes à 2,5 % au cours des 12 mois jusqu'en août 2022.Quatre jeunes médecins sur 10 prévoient de quitter le NHS dès qu'ils le pourront, selon une enquêteLire la suiteUne grande partie des prévisions se sont avérées fausses. En avril de cette année, la mesure de l'inflation de l'indice des prix à la consommation s'élevait à 7,8 % et l'élan était pour qu'elle aille plus haut. Et il a augmenté, atteignant 10,7 % en novembre.Le comité de révision des salaires a pris en compte une inflation plus élevée, c'est pourquoi les bas salaires sont en ligne pour une augmentation de près de 10%.

Néanmoins, avec une augmentation moyenne recommandée de 4 %, de nombreux ministres ont appelé de nombreux ministres à revoir la recommandation de l'organisme de révision des salaires.Pourtant, le ministre de la Santé, Steve Barclay, a pris une position encore plus ferme. Dans sa lettre à Hird exposant le contexte de la révision des salaires de l'année prochaine, il a appelé à la retenue continue.Une augmentation de 7,8 % du coût de la vie au cours de l'année jusqu'en avril 2022 et de 10 % jusqu'en avril 2023 signifierait qu'une offre d'organismes de rémunération de 4 % en moyenne cette année et une récompense similaire l'année prochaine conduirait à près de 10 % corrigé de l'inflation. réduction de salaire sur deux ans.C'est un écart salarial que les infirmières voudront combler.

[liongoatsnake]

Species Dysphoria

We saw some concerns over the legitimacy of species dysphoria as a term appear on our dashboard yesterday and wanted to share some bits of information regarding it:

Species dysphoria has been used since at least the 90s. [1] Species dysphoria has been talked about it being a thing in queer publication since at least 1997. [2] And its continued to talk about in literature about being queer as being a thing since then. [3]

Species dysphoria has been used by academics since the late 2000s and has continued to be discussed more and more ever since. [4] Also, for Othercon 2021, we did a whole survey and subsequent panel “The Use and Misuse of The Term Transspecies“ which covered people’s feelings on species dysphoria along with people’s options on the term transspecies. Our survey found at - Roughly 77% of respondents experience species dysphoria, & - An overwhelming number of respondents viewed the use of the term positively. [5]

Based on this information and more, we feel that it is clear to say that, species dysphoria is perfectly valid term to use in the community. Full stop.

[1a]  House of Chimeras. A Timeline of the Therianthrope Community, Version 1.1. Updated 19 November 2021. www.houseofchimera.weebly.com, page 36.

[1b] House of Chimeras. A Timeline of the Therianthrope Community, Version 1.1. Updated 19 November 2021. www.houseofchimera.weebly.com, page 39-40.

[1c] House of Chimeras. A Timeline of the Therianthrope Community, Version 1.1. Updated 19 November 2021. www.houseofchimera.weebly.com, page 51.

[2] - Califia, Pat. "Identity Sanitation and Pornography," PoMoSexuals Challenging Assumptions About Gender and Sexuality, edited by Carol Queen, pages 87-106. San Francisco: Cleis Press, 1997.

[3a] Cárdenas, Micha. "I am Transreal: A Reflection on/of Becoming Dragon," Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by S Bear Bergman & Kate Bornstein, pages 116-121.  Berkeley, California: Seal Press, 2010.

[3b] Giffney, Noreen & Myra J. Hird. Queering the Non Human. Hampshire: Ashgate, 2008. 

[4a] Gerbasi, Kathleen C, Penny L. Bernstein, Samuel Conway, Laura L. Scaletta, Adam Privitera, Nicholas Paolone, & Justin Higner. "Furries A to Z: (Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism)." Society and Animals, Volume 16 (2008): pages 197-222.

[4b] Bricker, Nat. Life Stories of Therianthropes: An Analysis of Nonhuman Identity in a Narrative Identity Model, Lake Forest College, April 2016. [4c] Feijó, Pedro. "Doctors Herding Cats: The Misadventures of Modern Medicine and Psychology with NonHuman Identities," University of Cambridge, 2016.

[4d] Shane, Margaret. “Some People Aren't People On The Inside,” Educational, Psychological, and Behavioral Considerations In Niche Online Communities, edited by Vivek Venkatesh, pages 260-271. Hershey: Information Science Reference, 2014. [4e] Roberts, Sharon E., Courtney N. Plante, Kathleen C. Gerbasi, and Stephen Reysen. "The Anthrozoomorphic Identity: Furry Fandom Members’ Connections to Nonhuman Animals," Anthrozoös. Volume 28, Issue 4 (2 December 2015): page 533-548.

[5] HouseofChimeras, “ The Use and Misuse of The Term Transspecies - Othercon 2021 [Slides + Discord Chat Commentary],“ House of Chimeras on Youtube, 23 October 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miSyXSesyzw (contains a link to our survey results).

[sciencespies]

Fact check: The spider crabs that gathered in Cornwall aren’t venomous

https://sciencespies.com/nature/fact-check-the-spider-crabs-that-gathered-in-cornwall-arent-venomous/

Fact check: The spider crabs that gathered in Cornwall aren’t venomous

In the UK, over the weekend of 6-7 August 2022, thousands of spider crabs appeared close to the shore in St Ives, Cornwall.

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Common spider crabs, also known as spiny spider crabs (Maja brachydactyla), live along the East Atlantic coast from the British Isles in the north to West Africa in the south.

They are large, orange-coloured crustaceans, with long, spindly, spider-like legs. They are often covered in algae, sponges and other bits and bobs, giving them a slightly fluffy look.

Juvenile spider crabs live in the shallows, before moving offshore into deeper water as adults. They can be found on rocky, sandy or muddy substrates to a depth of more than 100 metres.

Find out more about crabs:

Mature crabs will undertake a summer migration into shallower waters in order to moult their tough exoskeletons. During these migrations, they can be seen in huge accumulations of thousands of individual crabs.

It is believed that this strategy allows for ‘safety in numbers’. The crabs on the outside of the gatherings still have their tough shells, while the crabs on the inside have softer shells from just starting or finishing their moulting. The texture of the crab at this time is a bit like a hard-boiled egg, making them particularly vulnerable to predators. It is also at this point that the males will grab the opportunity to mate with the still-soft females.

It was one of these enormous gatherings that was witnessed in Cornwall, just metres from the beach.

Are spider crabs venomous?

Many media outlets referred to the spider crabs as ‘venomous’, with gripping headlines such as, “Tourists warned as thousands of venomous spider crabs swarm at Cornwall beach” and “Horror warning for UK beachgoers as thousands of venomous spider crabs swarm beaches”.

There is no doubt that such headlines capture the attention of the public, but they are highly misleading and can be hugely damaging to perceptions of the marine world. Spider crabs are not venomous. No species of crab, lobster or shrimp has venom. In fact, the only recorded venomous crustacean is a cave-dwelling species of remipede.

“These aggregations are truly magnificent sights, and people should be encouraged to go and see them, especially when they are so accessible and close to shore,” says Tom ‘The Blowfish’ Hird, marine biologist and broadcaster, and author of Blowfish’s Oceanopedia. “Misconceptions about the oceans can harm an environment that right now needs our protection and affection.”

The crabs gathered in enormous numbers off St Ives, Cornwall © Kate Lowe/@cornish.coast

While common spider crabs are not insignificant in size, with a carapace length (so that’s the ‘body’ of the crabs, minus the legs) of up to 20 centimetres, they pose no threat to humans. They are not particularly fussy eaters, and will scavenge on the seabed for algae and invertebrates, which they’ll break up and manipulate with their claws to make them easier to eat.

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According to Cornwall Wildlife Trust, these spider crab aggregations used to be pretty rare in the UK, and this summer has been particularly impressive. The Cornwall Wildlife Trust encourages the public to report their sightings online.

#Nature

[updatesnews]

A look at Queen's £66million necklace - 'Most expensive piece' of royal jewellery in world

A look at Queen’s £66million necklace – ‘Most expensive piece’ of royal jewellery in world

Mr Hird added: “The necklace has made many appearances, interestingly, around the neck of the Queen for her portrait, taken to go on the front of the Bahamian dollar bill.” With plenty of beautiful necklaces to choose from in her collection, the Queen has also been known to wear the Japanese Pearl Choker from her collection at state events. Most recently, the elegant piece was worn by Kate,…

[lesmisveteran]

Les Misérables 1992 Manchester Company

VALJEAN – Jeff Leyton

JAVERT – Philip Quast

CHAIN GANG – Paul J. Baker, David Fawcett, Allan Hardman, Peter Hilton, Mark O’Malley, Mitch Sebastian, Tony Timberlake

FARMER – Philip Pritchard

LABOURER – Mitch Sebastian

INNKEEPER’S WIFE – Hélène Witcombe

INNKEEPER – Richard Burman

THE BISHOP OF DIGNE – Kenneth Orr

CONSTABLES – Christopher Steele, Matt Dean

FANTINE – Ria Jones

FOREMAN – Peter Hilton

WORKERS – Paul J. Baker, Philip Pritchard

WOMEN WORKERS – Mandy Holliday, Sarah Ryan, Rachel Spry, Gemma Wardle, Sara West

FACTORY GIRL – Louisa Shaw

WHORES – Meredith Braun, Stephanie Prince, Sarah Ryan, Louisa Shaw, Fiona Sinnott, Gemma Wardle, Sara West, Hélène Witcombe

OLD WOMAN – Rachel Spry

CRONE – Mandy Holliday

PIMP – Christopher Steele

BAMATABOIS – Allan Hardman

FAUCHELEVENT – Matt Dean

YOUNG COSETTE – Katy Fleet, Louise Freeman, Nicola Hird

MADAME THÉNARDIER – Louise Plowright

THÉNARDIER – Tony Timberlake

YOUNG EPONINE – Kimberley Bohanna, Catherine Kinsella, Karina Harrison

DRINKER – Philip Pritchard

YOUNG COUPLE – Gemma Wardle, Mitch Sebastian

DRUNK – Richard Burman

DINERS – Sara West, Kenneth Orr

OTHER DRINKERS – David Fawcett, Allan Hardman, Stephanie Prince, Rachel Spry, Christopher Steele, Hélène Witcombe

YOUNG MAN – Mark O’Malley

YOUNG GIRLS – Sarah Ryan, Louisa Shaw

OLD COUPLE – Mandy Holliday, Paul J. Baker

TRAVELLERS – Peter Hilton, Matt Dean

GAVROCHE – Adam Booth, Edward Crangle, Laurence Porter

OLD BEGGAR WOMAN – Hélène Witcombe

YOUNG PROSTITUTE – Louisa Shaw

PIMP – Richard Burman

MAD BEGGAR – Rachel Spry

WOMAN WITH BABY – Mandy Holliday

EPONINE – Meredith Braun

MARIUS – Mike Sterling

ENJOLRAS – Daniel Coll

MONTPARNASSE – Mitch Sebastian

BABET – Matt Dean

BRUJON – David Fawcett

CLAQUESOUS – Christopher Steele

COSETTE – Fiona Sinnott

COMBEFERRE – Peter Hilton

FEUILLY – Mark O’Malley

COURFEYRAC – Philip Pritchard

JOLY – Paul J. Baker

GRANTAIRE – Allan Hardman

LESGLES – Kenneth Orr

JEAN PROUVAIRE – Richard Burman

UNDERSTUDIES

VALJEAN – David Fawcett

JAVERT – Allan Hardman

COSETTE – Sarah Ryan

EPONINE – Gemma Wardle

MARIUS – Richard Burman

THÉNARDIER – Peter Gerald

ENJOLRAS – Paul J. Baker

MADAME THÉNARDIER – Rachel Spry

FANTINE – Louisa Shaw

STANDBY – Matthew Gould

STANDBY – Kate Marsden

STANDBY – Andrew Williams

STANDBY – Julia Worsley

[markwatkinsconsumerguide]

Consumer Guide / No.84 / Derbyshire-based artist Gina Marsh with Mark Watkins. 

MW : You are a self-employed artist. How did you start out and how have you developed your style?

GM : I’ve always enjoyed drawing and my grandma was friends with a local watercolour artist, Margaret Hurd, who - despite being deaf - used to give me a few pointers when she dropped in for a cup of tea. I must have only been about seven years old but I remember her teaching me how to draw eyes. 

My style is very versatile, has to be for murals really and adaptable to whatever look the client wants to achieve. If I'm painting for myself it's a different matter. Then I can be more messy, creative and hands-on using an oil and acrylic mix.

MW : Where do your pictures "hang"?

GM : I've done murals for private houses, a climbing wall in Sheffield, in bars and restaurants, hotels, shops, schools, hairdressers, beauty salons, Chatsworth House and for Mars at a convention in Barcelona, Spain. 

MW : Where do you get your inspiration from?

GM : I draw inspiration for my own work from the local moorland and the idea of tempestuous relationships, passion and the darker side of human emotions.  

MW : Do you work from a brief?

GM : If I'm doing a mural for someone I usually work from a commission or idea the client has of which I have some input and suggestion regarding composition, colour and detail etc.

MW : Tell me about your book collection... 

GM : I've over 100,  though I keep trying to be ruthless and pass them on after reading unless they are of sentimental value or useful for reference. As for genres : - novels, crime, drama, thriller, health & wellbeing, mental health, psychology, philosophy... OOH! and cook books - Diana Henry and Claudia Roden being amongst my most used. By the way, I love browsing in Waterstones!

https://www.waterstones.com/

MW :  What are your Top 10 books?

GM : There are so many good books, it's so hard to choose just ten!

10) Paulo Coelho ~ Eleven Minutes (2005) 

9) George Melly ~ Slowing Down (2005) 

8) Andrea Levy ~ Small Island (2004)

7) Paul Kalanithi ~ When Breath Becomes Air (2016)

6) Henry Marsh ~ Do No Harm : Stories Of Life, Death And Brain Surgery (2014) 

5) Gail Honeyman ~ Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine (2017)

4) Emily Bronte ~ Wuthering Heights (1847)

I'm such a cliché! one of my grandma’s influences. She bought me a lovely red leather bound edition of Wuthering Heights when I was way too young to read it but when I finally did, long after she had departed, it made a huge impact on me. 

3) Adam Kay ~ This Is Going To Hurt : Secret Diaries Of A Junior Doctor (2017)

2)  Albert Ellis ~ Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings And Behaviours (2001)

1) Albert Ellis ~ How To Stubbornly Refuse To Make Yourself Miserable About Anything. Yes Anything! (1996)

I've chosen this as I was introduced to Albert Ellis and rational emotive behaviour therapy by my Dad (who worked in this field) and it's a great practical realist guide to dealing with our emotions. Ellis teaches that we irrationally disturb ourselves with our thinking and how we can learn to unconditionally accept ourselves rather than criticising our actions and thoughts. He teaches cognitive reframing and conscious choice. Best of all, he does it with humour and encourages us not to take ourselves too seriously.

I must also add .. although I've yet to buy any of his books... just listen to his lectures on You Tube...Alan Watts - amazing! 

Alan Watts was a philosopher who interpreted Eastern philosophy for Western audiences, whom I've just discovered. I want to marry that man! Shame he died the same year I was born! He wrote loads of interesting books on public ethics, the meaning of life and our relationship with the universe. 

MW : What music do you enjoy?

GM : Depends what I'm in the mood for but I always love a bit of Kate Bush! 

MW :  What was the first record you bought? 

GM :  UB40's Red Red Wine (1983) although the 1967 version by Neil Diamond is much more emotive but I didn't know that when I was 10! In fact, if I'm totally truthful - though loathe to admit it, as it is not cool in any conceivable way - perhaps my first record might have been a Mini Pops album. Shameful.

MW : Tell me about the last movie you saw...

GM : It was Eaten By Lions - I watched it in Sheffield. Although there are two independent cinemas close by in Derbyshire (where I Live) which are much nicer! The Ritz in Belper, and The Northern Light in Wirksworth.

http://www.ritz-belper.co.uk/

https://www.thenorthernlightcinema.co.uk/

MW : What’s your favourite pub? 

GM : Locally, there's a great pub up the road in Bonsall called the Barley Mow. They have an annual Hen Racing competition and it's said to be a hotspot for UFO sightings - though they brew their own beer so it could be something to do with that!  Live music, acoustic nights, good pub food and a feisty landlady with a lot of charisma. It's tiny but has a lot of character. 

https://www.barleymowbonsall.co.uk/

MW : What’s your favourite restaurant?

GM :  Stones in Matlock if I'm keeping it local. 

http://www.stones-restaurant.co.uk/

MW : What’s your favourite nightclub?

GM : Nightclub???? Well that definitely wouldn't be in Matlock ...aren't I too old now? I don't know ... Chinawhite daaaahling... never been. 

https://www.chinawhite.com/

MW : What’s your favourite supermarket?

GM : Do people have favourite supermarkets? Depends on how affluent I'm feeling, Marks and Sparks? Waitrose? They have different nice things in. Realistically Aldi.

MW : What’s your favourite newspaper?

GM : BBC Radio 4 - for interesting debates and panel shows ; when I'm not being ancient - BBC Radio 1 for the charts on Fridays. 

MW : What’s your favourite magazine?

GM :  Used to be Dazed & Confused, Grazia, Woman & Home ... Damn! These questions are an eye opener for me just what a geriatric I've become, ha ha. I'm going to have to start telling fibs - Vanity Fair.

MW : Have you ever been in a hot air balloon?

GM : Yes, over The Clifton Suspension Bridge (spanning the Avon Gorge and Avon River) for my Dad’s 70th birthday. Very peaceful - all you could hear were barking dogs. I noticed lots of people in Bristol had outdoor swimming pools. We landed in a field of llamas which was entertaining. 

MW : What’s the best advice you've received?

GM : To love one another. To remember everyone has their own agenda. Oh, and to be more selfish and stop running around so much - both of which I would love to be and do - but I’m not managing it thus far! 

MW : Which famous people have you met? 

GM : George Melly. Thora Hird and the cast from Last Of The Summer Wine when I was doing make-up at Shepperton Studios, in Surrey -  and Peter Andre ... oh dear. 

MW : ...who would you like to have met / meet? 

GM : Much easier to answer! Charlie Chaplin - a genius and funny. Russell Howard, Billy Connolly, Dave Allen, Dawn French (all comedians), symbolist painter Gustav Klimt, philosopher Alan Watts, Alan Watts, psychologist Albert Ellis plus TV presenter (and political commentator) Andrew Marr. 

They'd be fun and have a lot to talk about! 

https://www.facebook.com/Gina-marsh-Artist-1197910996966231/

© Mark Watkins / April 2019

[ladyinbooks]

The devastatingly talented @syrrah​ created a glorious, gorgeous noir!Hird and Venndred! Look at it! IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL! 😍❤️❤️

I mean, firstly I have to talk about Hird. HIRD MY BELOVED! I just... I just love how competent she is here. I mean, @syrrah​ has captured her perfectly. That stance, those shoulderrrrrs. The way she’s fully alert to everything that’s happening around her. The grip on her gun - she’s calm and collected, and not at all worried that she’s in any way outmatched, and it shows perfectly. I honestly wondered how Hird could fit into a noir setting, and then @syrrah​ just blew every single thought out of my head with this, because it works so. freaking. well. here. And that is all down to @syrrah​‘s talent. And before I get sidetracked further, I also just love Hird’s face, and the set of her jaw, and the sheer Hird that is going on here! Like, this is a woman who does not suffer fools gladly, but damn if she isn’t going to do what she set out to. I just - argh! She’s perfect! 😍 Also her hair! Yes! Hird hair! And body! And practical clothing! And just everything about her. I love her.

And then. THEN! In the background is a rogue Venn! And I just love the mystery of him! The shades and the shadows, and the way he’s lingering - ten steps behind and still following. He’s got such a wonderful femme fatale feel to him, robes and all! It’s like @syrrah​ created a still from a film, quite honestly. This is the moment, the heartbeat, before Venn finds himself hauled into a dark alley, with a pistol jammed under his chin, as Hird goes Who the hell do you think you’re following? And then from there, glorious shenanigans unfold. Scene setting and story in one beautiful image.

Thank you @syrrah​. Really, just thank you so much. I absolutely adore this, and it’s currently sitting as my desktop background, because up next on the Ficlet Fridays list is very much a noir ficlet for you, as a way of trying to thank you for turning your phenomenal talent and skill to this. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[kateactingba]

Cast List:

 ·         Narrators: Keith Rice, Georgia Rooney.                  

·         Patients: Andrew Barry, Nadine Cullen, Kate Bricknal, Thomas Dalton, Abby Bush, Anthony Devine, Harvey Fitzpatrick, Chris Hird, Peter Shock, Sam Westwell, John Dixon, Josh O’Grady, Lillyan Nyathi.

·         Interns: Joseph Head, Joe McGhee.

·         Doctors: Rebecca Barrett, Kaylee-Ann Meredith.

·         Nurses: Marni Stanley, Georgia Wills.

·         Party Guests: Olivia Grace, Amy Dalton.

[footyplusau]

Tim Worner must step down from the Sydney Swans board

Tim Worner may have survived as the chief executive of the AFL’s free-to-air broadcaster, but on any reasonable analysis his position as a director of the Sydney Swans has become untenable.

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AFLW Plays of Round One

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AFLW plays of the round

AFLW plays of the round

Jen McCormick snaps a ripper as Adelaide see off the Doggies, Mo Hope kicks her first but the Dees take the points, the Blues yet to be beaten and Tayla Harris will be a superstar.

AFLW Plays of Round One

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AFLW Plays of Round One

AFLW Plays of Round One

The most stunning plays from round one of the AFLW.

Home invasion leaves Essendon players shaken

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Home invasion leaves Essendon players …

Home invasion leaves Essendon players shaken

Young Essendon footballers become the latest victims of a terrifying home invasion after the house they share in Maribyrnong was targeted by a gang of thugs.

Packed Princes Park watches Carlton take debut win

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Packed Princes Park watches Carlton take …

Packed Princes Park watches Carlton take debut win

Four goals from Darcy Vescio helped the Blues to victory over Collingwood after a lock out at Princes Park for the first ever AFLW match.

Living two lives

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Living two lives

Living two lives

Tiana Ernst delivers babies by day and plays footy by night. Hailing from far north Queensland and moving south for the game she loves, Tiana is set to play a season of footy alongside her current life as a doctor.

James Hird’s father speaks out

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James Hird’s father speaks out

James Hird’s father speaks out

James Hird’s father Allan talks to 3AW about his view on his son’s overdose and the Essendon doping saga.

Essendon offers support following Hird health scare

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Essendon offers support following Hird …

Essendon offers support following Hird health scare

Following a suspected overdose, players showed up to training and kept mum about their distressed coach. Vision courtesy Seven News, Melbourne.

AFLW plays of the round

Jen McCormick snaps a ripper as Adelaide see off the Doggies, Mo Hope kicks her first but the Dees take the points, the Blues yet to be beaten and Tayla Harris will be a superstar.

The Seven Network’s handling of the Worner affair is a corporate issue for Kerry Stokes and his board but at a time when the AFL is holding its players, coaches and officials to higher-than-ever behavioural standards surely club board members also must remain accountable.

This is a difficult time for Swans chairman Andrew Pridham and his Sydney board. Like AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan, Pridham’s relationship with Worner is way beyond simply professional and, like McLachlan and Worner’s other AFL friends, he feels badly for him and his family.

The impression is that the Swans would rather this situation was handled quietly and with more distance between any proposed departure from the board and the scandal, which has been reignited in recent days through Amber Harrison’s Twitter account.

But as Pridham, like so many chairmen before him, has said and said again last week: “Nobody is bigger than the football club.”

The Swans chairman has been in regular touch with Worner and is expected to meet him in the coming days to discuss the situation. When the conversation turns to the highly sensitive issue of Worner’s board position, the discussion will surely result in Worner’s resignation.

This is not about the fact that Worner had an affair with a staff member. Even though he was clearly her superior, the story is, after all, one of consenting adults. But like so many AFL scandals, more damage was done in dealing with the cover-up and by so many measures the financial handling in this instance smacks of hush money and old school boys’ club tactics.

Tim Worner outside Channel 7 at the height of the Amber Harrison affair.  Photo: Ben Rushton

Text message evidence provided by Harrison strongly suggests Worner used illicit drugs on company time, an allegation he has denied but an allegation that should be of some concern to Pridham and his board.

Even though Worner was not a Swans director at the time of the alleged incident, it is worth mentioning that Sydney stood down and further punished footballer Michael Talia last season after he was arrested for cocaine possession. This again presents the comparison between standards for players and standards for club directors.

And timing is not on Worner’s side when it comes to the current AFL landscape. McLachlan pledged more than a year ago to revisit and reform the game’s Respect and Responsibility Policy – a promise delivered after the Dustin Martin Japanese restaurant incident – but only now has serious work begun on a new document that is expected to be completed by June.

Kate Jenkins, of the federal Human Rights Commission, is heading the review, which is being driven at executive level by new AFL social policy boss Tanya Hosch. The review panel includes former Victorian Police chief Ken Lay and Mary Barry of Our Watch. 

Club directors are already accountable under that policy and now more than ever good governance at club board level is an AFL priority. There is no suggestion that this will change, nor should it. Although an external investigation failed to unseat Worner at the Seven Network, it is worth pointing out that one Seven board member, Sheila McGregor, immediately resigned citing “ethical concerns”.

The Swans have one woman director in Alexandra Goodfellow and are about to introduce another in former long-serving AFL commissioner Sam Mostyn. There is no suggestion their view is in contrast to that of other directors, but if there is a strong female view regarding Worner’s position then it should be taken on board. Why else introduce women into the AFL culture if they cannot shake it up?

Sydney might prefer that this entire affair disappear; a view clearly shared by Seven West Media Limited and probably the AFL. But not to take a stand would send a poor message to AFL players, coaches and officials, not to mention the hundreds of new women who have joined the industry this year via the new national women’s league.

Worner, according to the club, has been a valuable and popular director. Even if the club resiles from making the tough call, he should be smart enough to do the right thing by the biggest sporting club in New South Wales and its board table and walk away.

The post Tim Worner must step down from the Sydney Swans board appeared first on Footy Plus.

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[ladyinbooks]

@matchoaa sent me the following:

Headcanon: after kicking her wards to their respective happy endings, Hird decides to write down her adventures, and becomes the most popular author in the entire universe, and all of her books have plenty of sassy remarks and outright offensive notes, which makes them even more binge-worthy

I can’t begin to describe how much I love this headcanon! ❤️❤️ Like, I am desperate to read her take on Samiel (and so is the rest of the galaxy). It’s got to be something along the lines of:

‘The first time I met him I thought, Well, he’s a fucking idiot, but at least he’s harmless. Sadly, less than two days later, he managed to lower my opinion of him so much that it was limboing in fucking hell.’

[ladyinbooks]

Ok. Ok. @bluepandawrites​ IS SPOILING ME SO MUCH! I have fic covers! Look at them! They’re so beautiful! 😭 We’ve got two Hird/Venn covers, and a Rarely Pure cover, and I’m just... I’m over here, sobbing.

They’re perfect. Utterly, utterly perfect. ❤️❤️

[ladyinbooks]

Will you ever write a fic with Hird and Venndred as the main pair? I kind of fell in love with them lol.

Ohh, there's lots of lovely Hird and Venndred love in my inbox today. It makes me so happy! 😍

Thank you for your question, lovely Anon! The short answer is: I would definitely consider it, if it's something people would like!

I have thought about these two before, and what kind of a fic I would love to write, if the main focus was on them. A while back, I mentioned that Hird and Venn were meant to be the original couple in the IB universe, but the plot was very different, and quite honestly Samiel derailed the entire world building off into a new direction. So the original Hird/Venn plot no longer works.

Instead, one of the things I keep coming back to for Hird and Venndred is a murder mystery. (Don't ask me why - I have no idea!) It would probably be set during Hird's time with the Medusae, and I think Venndred would accidentally be caught up in the case. (Potentially as a suspect.) For me, I think the fic would be solving the case (with the help of a disgruntled ex-Severne, who despite his own life choice, is hypocritically horrified of the way Hird and Venndred behave), and Hird and Venndred slowly learning to trust one another, and work together.

So, a murder mystery love story, and I think it would tie in quite nicely with some of the things I've got planned in future fics for the IB universe. 😉

(Oh darn, this may need to be added to my list of novel-length fics to write at some point...)

[ladyinbooks]

I wanted to join in on the Venn/Hird love! I think one thing I love about their dynamic is how balanced they are. You mentioned that while Hird has a tough exterior, she's the type to have a more tenuous grasp of her emotions and it shows. Venn, on the other hand, seems open and easygoing, but actually shows far less of himself than you would expect. With them, it feels very much like 1+1=2, where they allow each other to become the best versions of themselves, while with Jason and Samuel it's

Firstly, lovely Anon, oh my gosh thank yoooou! I'm so pleased you love Hird/Venn, and you have no idea how happy it made me to read that this evening!

Secondly, I absolutely agree with every single thing you've put here. I mean all of it. Your take is phenomenal, and I'm going to elaborate on why behind the cut:

Firstly, I absolutely agree with you on the way Hird and Venn balance each other's tendencies out. I really do think they reflect one another in ways that are better (and healthier) than Samiel and Jay. You're absolutely right that they are a 1+1=2 dynamic, and I think both of them provide a good counterweight to the other. Hird reins in Venn's idealised optimism; Venn leeches the cynicism from Hird's outlook and reminds her that there's good in the galaxy. Hird's grasp on her emotions is far more tenuous (as you rightly say), but she's not worried about wearing them openly; Venn's far more self-aware, but keeps his cards closer to his chest, in spite of his friendliness.

I also have to say that I really, really agree with the way you've talked about this in comparison to Samiel and Jay. They are definitely one entity, and yes I think they are much more entwined and impassioned. Not better, or worse, but ultimately different. I think unlike Hird and Venn, they probably couldn't function properly as individual units in the same way.

Partly, I think this is because of the way Samiel was raised. His behaviour differs wildly, because he would have so much to lose, if Jay ever disappeared from his life. Samiel was kept deliberately isolated and sheltered for much of his early years. He didn't have friends; he wasn't allowed to form relationships. For him, any attachments that he does have are violently and greedily protected. Jay is the ultimate example of this. What that results in, is him being desperately bound up in Jay, and their bond, and what it means to him. It's not a negative thing, exactly, but it's far more territorial and dependent than Hird's relationship with Venndred. (It's also one of the reasons it was really important for me to have Samiel leave Jay at the end of IB. He needed those years to grow into his own person; to learn the value of his own worth and form other friendships. Of course, it ultimately didn't mean that he wasn't still frantically intertwining himself with Jay as much as he was physically capable of. But it at least gave him some semblance of independence.)

In contrast there is Hird and Venn, and you've put it perfectly: ...you could put them together to complement each other, but also take them apart and have them still be whole.

Yes, absolutely yes. I think they've formed other relationships, but more than that they've both forged their own lives. They've shaped themselves and become their own people. Their identities and self-worth aren't bound up in each other. I think partly that's because of their characters, but I also think it's their life experiences.

Compare that to Jay and Samiel: both are shaped by their actions and reactions to one another. Their whole lives are bound together, step by step. They've each influenced the course of the other's destiny.

Now, contrast that with Venn and Hird. Neither of them shaped the other. Venn makes his decision to start down a new path before he meets Hird. Likewise, Hird has already formed her found family, and forged her own career before she meets Venn. He helps change her mind about Lenians, but so does Samiel. Venn's influence is there, when she starts to become a little more open towards Lenians, but it's not him, and him alone, that changes her. Equally, its not Venn that she gives up her career for. It's not even really Samiel, or Jay. Hird's actions are her own, and she does them because she thinks they're right. They fit with her moral code. She helps Samiel and Jay because she wants to; she disobeys a direct order because it's the right thing to do. She joins the Medusae because of those choices. None of that is directly influenced by Venndred. None of it is for Venndred. (In comparison to Samiel and Jay, whose actions are driven less by their moral codes, and more by their need for one another.)

In short, lovely Anon: I completely agree with you, and you summed them up perfectly. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[ladyinbooks]

Absolutely in love with IB, Rarely Pure and P2P. Absolutely wonderful men.

And honestly, poor Kate in the IB universe. She cannot catch a break. I’m predicting she’s going to be dragged into some more bullshit, and her husband is going to have to calm her down before she murders two men for dragging her into things.

I think Venn and Hird should take a break, and she should go have a massage and a tea with a nice book, far far away from meddlesome men who are prisoners of biological desires.

God. I can’t believe how much I love Kate. She’s a wonderful young woman.

Also, Kate and Venn, Mummy AU, but Venn is Evelyn and Kate is Rick. This has weighed heavily on my mind to the point where I’ve wanted to write it. (Having had this since I mentioned Kate reminding me of Evie.)

@drake-the-incubus Oh my gosh, this was such a lovely message to read. Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️ I'm so pleased you like the men in RP, P2P and IB.

I would say I couldn't possibly comment on what fate awaits poor Hird. But you know what? You're right, and you should say it. 😉 That woman deserves twenty medals, for putting up with all the drama. She thought she'd done enough for one lifetime, after dealing with the Samiel 'n Jay show. But no. Now she has to deal with a pair of idiots who may be even more ridiculous. (How long do you think it's going to take before she starts fantasising about dumping them on the nearest asteroid and just... leaving?)

I completely agree. She deserves a another holiday with that massage you spoke of, a nice book and some good food. She should turn her commlink off, and let ridiculous men (with ridiculous biological urges) sort themselves out for a change. Venn should come too, so he can go and look at exciting ruins, and keep her from 'accidentally' checking in with the Banshee.

It makes me so, so happy that you like Kate. She's such a fun character to write. I know she can be a bit of a difficult character to love, so I can't begin to tell you how much it makes me smile when I read someone else likes her too!

Oh my goodness! Great minds think alike! (By which I mean yours and @moardragonspls.) I absolutely adore the characterisations you've both put forward because yes. So much yes. I have visions of Venn rescuing Kate from jail now, just so he can convince her to help him find Hamnuaptra. If you ever do decide to write a little Mummy AU, know that I will be screaming hysterically in your inbox!

(Also, I may have to see if I can scribble a teeny tiny drabble of this for you, because I keep thinking about it...)

[ladyinbooks]

Since Hird is always bearing the weight of responsibility and feeling like she always has to be in control, do you think it would benefit her once in a while just to... not have to be in control? Venn is so calm and gentle and I can totally see him taking care of Hird if she trusted him enough to wield to it and just let him.

Also if she ever agreed to hear his real voice, would it frighten her? I'd assume it would be a little overwhelming but if she knew she could trust him then it might be a pretty cool experience. Have you thought of the potential power imbalance that would arise between them once the translator is off?

I love how Hird is such a badass and would probably beat Venndred in a physical fight, but then without the translator she would be pretty much at the mercy of Venn and his voice and I think that's kind of an interesting paradox. I'm just imagining Venn fantasizing about reducing Hird to nothing but a whimpering mess.

Sorry for the rambling 😆 Thanks for reading my word vomit

Oh lovely Anon...

This question has killed me. It's given me so many feels this evening. So. Many. 😍

I really do think it would benefit Hird to let go of that control. I think part of it is to do with her well-being (even she needs to relax from time to time), but I think it's more specifically about letting go of that control with Venndred, and what it means for their relationship. For Hird, I think relinquishing control - and letting go of that hyper-vigilance - is the ultimate expression of trust, both in Venndred, but also in their partnership. It would, I think, be Hird's way of saying 'We're equals. We're in this together, and there's no one else I would do this with.' In some ways, I actually think for her it's more profound than saying 'I love you'. (Because it's not just saying 'I love you', it's also saying 'I trust you'. And, vitally, 'I trust you to look out for my family, if I can't.')

I don't think the notion of listening to Venndred's voice would frighten her, per say. I think if they'd got to the point she'd agree to turn her translators off, then I think there wouldn't be fear. What there would be is nerves, and a nervous Hird is an (even more) obnoxious Hird. I think she'd be hiding behind that attitude of hers, a little. I think it would be overwhelming to hear him unfiltered, but not in the same way that, say, Samiel's voice is to Jay. I think Venndred is a very, very different man, and that's reflected in his voice and its harmonies. I think he's sweeter; softer. He's clear, and calm, and actually the antithesis of Hird herself. So I think it would be overwhelming in its gentle, soothing, adoration, which is Hird's ultimate kryptonite. Aggression and demands she can deal with; patient devotion? Not so much.

I think for me, the potential power imbalance isn't there with these two. I've heavily implied (just because it's my fond little headcanon), that these two are soulmates, in much the same way as Samiel and Jay. (Venndred knows it; Hird doesn't.) Ultimately, that would take the compulsion from his voice if she hears it unfiltered. But it wouldn't, I think, stop it from being any less emotionally overwhelming for her. I also think that even if Venndred could technically compel her, then he never would. He is, in all honesty, never going to be capable of something like that, and I think Hird absolutely knows that (or she'd never agree to turning off her translators). Venndred is basically very happy to be bossed around by his furious goddess. 😉

I completely agree that Hird would beat him in a physical fight. Where she's never, ever going to win, is on an emotional playing field. She's not equipped to deal with Venndred's adoration; she doesn't know how to handle it, or what to do with it. For most of her life Hird's language has been conflict, and gruff, unspeaking declarations of love. (Actions speak louder than words.) Venn is the opposite: he's a man of words through and through. He loves stories and histories and poems. His love language is the thousand ways he can tell her that he adores her, and she can't respond in kind. (Only by keeping him safe, and the knowledge that she'd die for him, if she had to.)

I'm just imagining Venn fantasizing about reducing Hird to nothing but a whimpering mess.

This? This would happen. He would absolutely dream of it, and because it's Venn, it would be that weirdly specific thing where he reduces her to such a state by just talking gently to her about all the things he loves about her.

(And you know what? I could actually see it happening, at some point. Probably in that lovely context you talked about of Hird letting go, for a little while.)

Never, ever apologise lovely Anon! This message was such a pleasure to find in my inbox this evening, and I'm just really happy you enjoy these two! ❤️❤️❤️

(...And I'm going to have to write that little ficlet of Venn and his fantasies for you, because the thought is not leaving me alone...)