Just for once there has been a report in the news that, albeit cautious, is good news!
The story is that of Andrew Stimpson, a 25 year old man in the UK, who having been diagnosed with H.I.V back in 2002 was found on further testing, to be free of the virus in 2003. I'm not remotely religious but if this is in fact a medical breakthrough it is as damn near a miracle as it gets for me. I don't see it as divine intervention but that just perhaps the human body in some cases, is learning to fight the H.I.V virus itself at last, after all, though I am not remotely medically qualified I do know that there is no cure for any virus but that the thousands that attack our bodies in a lifetime are fought off by our own immune systems.
Whether Andrew Stimpson's experience is a permanent one and why exactly it happened is yet to be determined by the medical profession but it does seem that the consensus of opinion is that he has a particularly healthy immune system and has healed himself.
Whilst that may not be the case for all individuals suffering this illness it may at least give those researching ways of combating it a new line of enquiry and assist in their finding a way to help sufferers in greater numbers. We may not have all the answers yet and it may not help those who have already been lost to this terrible virus, but it is a significant step forward and one that I can only help lead to a more positive future.
As for Mr Stimpson, he must feel like he has won 10 lotteries all at once and whilst he is likely to now become something of a human guinea pig he will have the pleasure of knowing he is helping in this fight, something I am sure he is only too happy to do.
Monday, 14 November 2005
Sunday, 13 November 2005
Saturday, 12 November 2005
Here we go again!
Yes, it's that time of year again, the time of year when gemmak's-ville goes on red alert for even the remotest, tiniest, most insignificant possibility of a forecast of snowfall. Well this half of gemmak's-ville at any rate, for the other half is somewhat less enamored at the prospect to say the least!
Winter, I love winter, cozy nights in, the sound of the wind howling and beautiful frosts in the early morning sun but best of all I love winter for the snow, beautiful, white, glistening virgin snow. There is nothing like it.
When I moved North I assumed copious amounts of the white stuff came as standard, indeed just the year before I arrived there had been a massive fall, well over five feet, the place ground to a halt, most were without power for almost a week but the images I have seen were stunning....a 'gemmak snow dream'. Less of a dream for those like PG who was stuck at work for four days and those in the situation I would now find myself, with no power and hence no lighting, heating etc. etc.....everything here is electric, we have no mains gas.
But still, just once, my dreamed of winter wonderland would be nice, even a foot and I would be happy..... and so again this year, as almost every other in my life since I was old enough to know what snow is, I have begun the 'weather watch' in earnest. And what prompted this ritual of mine so early in the season? Well, a sudden drop in temperature over the last few days and see below, the first this winter....a forecast for our little patch of Scotland showing SNOW for next Wednesday!
I know, the likelihood is that it will have changed by the time we get to next week but I can dream and if this winter my dream comes true and I have bored you all to tears in the meantime with constant blogging on the subject you can all laugh heartily when I have no heat, no light, no cooking facilities and no internet connection. Really, it would be worth it.....
........I think! :o)
Winter, I love winter, cozy nights in, the sound of the wind howling and beautiful frosts in the early morning sun but best of all I love winter for the snow, beautiful, white, glistening virgin snow. There is nothing like it.
When I moved North I assumed copious amounts of the white stuff came as standard, indeed just the year before I arrived there had been a massive fall, well over five feet, the place ground to a halt, most were without power for almost a week but the images I have seen were stunning....a 'gemmak snow dream'. Less of a dream for those like PG who was stuck at work for four days and those in the situation I would now find myself, with no power and hence no lighting, heating etc. etc.....everything here is electric, we have no mains gas.
But still, just once, my dreamed of winter wonderland would be nice, even a foot and I would be happy..... and so again this year, as almost every other in my life since I was old enough to know what snow is, I have begun the 'weather watch' in earnest. And what prompted this ritual of mine so early in the season? Well, a sudden drop in temperature over the last few days and see below, the first this winter....a forecast for our little patch of Scotland showing SNOW for next Wednesday!
I know, the likelihood is that it will have changed by the time we get to next week but I can dream and if this winter my dream comes true and I have bored you all to tears in the meantime with constant blogging on the subject you can all laugh heartily when I have no heat, no light, no cooking facilities and no internet connection. Really, it would be worth it.....
........I think! :o)
Friday, 11 November 2005
10,9,8 meme
Thieved from Shephards Alley and you will be pleased to hear it's not a 'tagging' meme!
10 Favorites
Favorite Season: Winter.
Favorite Sport: Gymnastics.
Favorite Time: Night.
Favorite Color: Black.
Favorite Actor: Richard Gere.
Favorite Actress: Can't think of one.
Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate.
Favorite Food: Green olives.
Favorite Drink: Coffee.
Favorite Place: At home.
9 Currents
Current Feeling: A little bit lonely.
Current Underwear Color: black.
Current Windows Open: Blogger, Outlook, PSP.
Current Drink: Tea.
Current Time: 20.21
Current Mobile(s) Used: Nokia.
Current Show on TV: 'Tonight'.
Current Thought: Why can't I think of a favourite actress!
Current Clothes: Fleece and sweat pants.
8 Firsts
First Nickname: Never had one....does that make me dysfunctional?
First Kiss: What about it? Oh ok, age 13, boy next door.
First Crush: Robert.
First Best Friend: Kim.
First Vehicle I drove: Mini.
First Job: Babysitting, and then I worked at a newsagents.
First Movie: Bambi.
First Pet: White mouse called 'mini'...she was a Christmas present, cage the lot, much to my mothers chagrin she gave birth to 10 offspring a few days later!
First Shave: er.......!!!!
7 Lasts
Last Drink : Is that alcohol? I don't,
Last Kiss: PG.
Last Time: Yesterday.
Last Time Shaved: Pass.
Last Web Site Visited: Shephards blog.
Last Movie Watched: Ghost.
Last Pill I Had: Does a ventolin inhaler count.?
6 Have You Evers
Have You Ever Broken the Law: Yes.
Have You Ever Been Drunk: Very, in my youth.
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: Yes
Have You Ever Been in the Middle/Close to Gunfire or Bomb Blast: Yes, a number of times :o(
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: No.
Have You Ever Broken Anyone's Heart: Apparently but I didn't know until recently.
5 Things
Things You Can Hear Right Now: Wind....the weather kind before you say something Fletch! ;o)
Things on Your Bed: Bedding, Tilly, Ditto.....well Tilly is kinda hanging off the side tormenting Ditto.
Things You Ate Today: Crisps, chocolate, tea cakes, toast, stir fry & noodles.
Things You Can’t Live Without: Internet, nicotine caffeine, pets, chocolate, PG.
Things You Do When You Are Bored: Moan, smoke and sleep, not all at once.
4 Places You Have Been today
Bedroom,living room, kitchen....oh and just outside to rescue Ditto from her enemy.
3 Things On Your Desk Right Now
Mobile phone, ashtray, lighter.
2 Choices
Black or White: black
Hot or Cold: Depends.
1 Thing You Want To Do Before You Die
Stop being scared of dying!
Hooray!!!
Yippeeee, hurahhhhh, after much ado, much fiddling and much disturbance to my phone line over the last 8 hours I finally and not before time, have my broadband connection back!!!....fingers crossed it stays back.
Many are the issues that I intend to present to Wanadoo with regard to this latest debacle but for now I am just happy to be whizzing around the blogosphere instead of the dawdling as I have been for the last week :o)
Many are the issues that I intend to present to Wanadoo with regard to this latest debacle but for now I am just happy to be whizzing around the blogosphere instead of the dawdling as I have been for the last week :o)
A connection....any connection?
Most of the morning my phone line seems to have been 'down' completely and hence so has any form of internet connection, let alone the luxury of ASDL! The positive side of me is assuming that this state of affairs is caused by someone finally working on the problem that has now existed for almost a week....the negative side is forced to say.....if I disappear completely for a time, you will of course know why!
I dare not try to type anymore for fear of even this post failing to make it's way to the blogosphere before I get cast out once more into the wilderness.
I'll catch you on the other side, wherever and whenever the great 'phone line Gods' get their act together!
I dare not try to type anymore for fear of even this post failing to make it's way to the blogosphere before I get cast out once more into the wilderness.
I'll catch you on the other side, wherever and whenever the great 'phone line Gods' get their act together!
Thursday, 10 November 2005
How odd!
I find it rather odd and more than a little amusing that Blogger doesn't have the words 'blog' or 'blogger' in it's spell check....... but it does have the word 'harrumph'!
Posh cat!
This little Harrods 'cat bed' belongs really, to a soft toy kitten that PG bought me many moons ago (yes, I know, but I'm a woman, men buy us these things) though of late someone very small has decided to turf out the sitting tenant and take up squaters rights. We didn't engineer this, we found her as happy as a pig in muck late last night, toy dispensed with and 'herself' snuggled down in this tiny bed fast asleep!
(Clickable)
(Clickable)
Wednesday, 9 November 2005
Oh woe is me
Well ok, actually only a tiny bit of woe but woe none the less, for today is the last day of my holiday, it's back to the hell heaven that is pre-Christmas in retail tomorrow for me. Yeah, I know sympathy will not abound, I have after all had the last ten (bar one) day off and I only work at the day job for three days anyway but still, right now I could happily have a small tantrum at the prospect.
Add to my return to work the departure of PG, who has to work away Friday though Sunday, which I don't relish either. I'm used to him working odd shifts and nights but this will be only the second time since we met that we have had to spend more than a day apart. Harrumph! Pathetic I know for a grown woman of forty something but I hate it....though in his absence there will be plenty of room in the bed for Tilly, who you never know, might not feel the need to wriggle and pounce all night long if she has so much space.
I'm not giving odds mind you!
Add to my return to work the departure of PG, who has to work away Friday though Sunday, which I don't relish either. I'm used to him working odd shifts and nights but this will be only the second time since we met that we have had to spend more than a day apart. Harrumph! Pathetic I know for a grown woman of forty something but I hate it....though in his absence there will be plenty of room in the bed for Tilly, who you never know, might not feel the need to wriggle and pounce all night long if she has so much space.
I'm not giving odds mind you!
Tuesday, 8 November 2005
The harsh realities of kitten life
For Tilly, up until yesterday, her whole little life had been one long round of things that are good. Unending playtime interspersed with frequent naps, every type of yummy kitten cuisine on tap, toys galore and as many cuddles as a little cats heart might desire.....and then came the slightly harsher side of life.
Yesterday, all at once, not only did the little soul have to face Ditto's displeasure all morning until the cat-nip incident bought about a renewed sense of peace but she also suddenly became home to a flea, well a flea or three in fact and her slightly poorly tummy became slightly more poorly. Having tried all the dietary manipulations known to cat parents to cure her tummy troubles and having failed, and my cat medicine cupboard being sadly lacking in flea preparations safe to use on one so small, the biggest trauma yet in her 7 week life was to come in the evening.....her very first visit to the vet!
Not ever having undergone this trauma she was blithely happy whilst in the waiting room, despite the company of a Boxer dog, a Doberman and assorted other canines, whilst they sniffed and pulled interestedly toward her little box, she just slept and purred away merrily.
Once on the table things were a little more disapproved of. The very nice vet lady fell in love with her, particularly her white tail tip and couldn't resist a little cuddle before the serious medical business began, but none of this flattery was to bluff one small kitten into enjoying the ensuing examination and treatments! It is amazing just how wriggly, squirmy and claw-ridden a tiny kitten can become when the dreaded thermometer comes into contact, or just how much noise said tiny kitten can make in response to an antibiotic injection. Poor little scrap, my heart bled for her but it had to be done.
She is suffering nothing terrible, her tummy troubles, as suspected, are the result of being weaned too young and the fleas are easy. Well in fact there weren't any fleas, I had caught them when I first found them but a quick spray with the prescribed chemical on our return home sorted any remaining 'pre-hatchers'. Ditto was none too impressed that all this required her also to have an extra shot of 'anti flea', and a worm tablet jammed down her throat unceremoniously before she had next expected either!
So all is well, Tilly has a few days medicine that she has taken a definite dislike too and manages to eject from her mouth in all directions and amid much baby spitting and complaining but her tummy is already much improved and she has got through her first scary visit to a vet without major trauma.
As for yesterday's sudden 'battling shenanigans', the picture below, taken late last night, illustrates how well that seems to have been resolved :o)
Yesterday, all at once, not only did the little soul have to face Ditto's displeasure all morning until the cat-nip incident bought about a renewed sense of peace but she also suddenly became home to a flea, well a flea or three in fact and her slightly poorly tummy became slightly more poorly. Having tried all the dietary manipulations known to cat parents to cure her tummy troubles and having failed, and my cat medicine cupboard being sadly lacking in flea preparations safe to use on one so small, the biggest trauma yet in her 7 week life was to come in the evening.....her very first visit to the vet!
Not ever having undergone this trauma she was blithely happy whilst in the waiting room, despite the company of a Boxer dog, a Doberman and assorted other canines, whilst they sniffed and pulled interestedly toward her little box, she just slept and purred away merrily.
Once on the table things were a little more disapproved of. The very nice vet lady fell in love with her, particularly her white tail tip and couldn't resist a little cuddle before the serious medical business began, but none of this flattery was to bluff one small kitten into enjoying the ensuing examination and treatments! It is amazing just how wriggly, squirmy and claw-ridden a tiny kitten can become when the dreaded thermometer comes into contact, or just how much noise said tiny kitten can make in response to an antibiotic injection. Poor little scrap, my heart bled for her but it had to be done.
She is suffering nothing terrible, her tummy troubles, as suspected, are the result of being weaned too young and the fleas are easy. Well in fact there weren't any fleas, I had caught them when I first found them but a quick spray with the prescribed chemical on our return home sorted any remaining 'pre-hatchers'. Ditto was none too impressed that all this required her also to have an extra shot of 'anti flea', and a worm tablet jammed down her throat unceremoniously before she had next expected either!
So all is well, Tilly has a few days medicine that she has taken a definite dislike too and manages to eject from her mouth in all directions and amid much baby spitting and complaining but her tummy is already much improved and she has got through her first scary visit to a vet without major trauma.
As for yesterday's sudden 'battling shenanigans', the picture below, taken late last night, illustrates how well that seems to have been resolved :o)
Arghhh....how frustrating!
I am completely and utterly fed up with this emergency dial-up connection already and yet, whilst when I had nothing else, I looked forward to a broadband connection, the dial-up didn't seem as terribly, horribly, frustratingly slow as it does now!!! It's strange how quickly the human mind seems to dispense with such memories, I don't recall my old dial-up ever being this dire and yet I know it was exactly the speed I have now!
The day to day business of surfing is suddenly transformed to something bordering 'yawn-worthy' but worse than that, the designing of a template, necessitating loading a page tens, if not hundreds of times, has been turned into a thing of unending annoyance.
But still, it looks as if I will have to learn to tolerate it for some time yet, Wanadoo and BT are still arguing among themselves as to who's responsibility our problem is, our latest promised repair date has been and gone without so much as a phone call from anyone, and the call we made confirmed only that yet again, what was promised hadn't happened! Do I look surprised?
Yes, I could continue harassing them 24/7 as I have been but it would appear that those on the receiving end are barely Neanderthal in their emotional or intellectual evolutionary process and it is only me who is getting stressed....they sure as hell aren't. So for a day or two I am trying to ignore the whole sorry situation and pretend to myself that the waiting times involved right now in gemmak's-ville, are really designed to allow for chocolate consumption and kitten watching!
The latest news is that we will be fixed by 9th November....I am assuming that rather than that referring to tomorrows date they in fact mean 9th November 2006!!!
I'm off to eat chocolate.......
The day to day business of surfing is suddenly transformed to something bordering 'yawn-worthy' but worse than that, the designing of a template, necessitating loading a page tens, if not hundreds of times, has been turned into a thing of unending annoyance.
But still, it looks as if I will have to learn to tolerate it for some time yet, Wanadoo and BT are still arguing among themselves as to who's responsibility our problem is, our latest promised repair date has been and gone without so much as a phone call from anyone, and the call we made confirmed only that yet again, what was promised hadn't happened! Do I look surprised?
Yes, I could continue harassing them 24/7 as I have been but it would appear that those on the receiving end are barely Neanderthal in their emotional or intellectual evolutionary process and it is only me who is getting stressed....they sure as hell aren't. So for a day or two I am trying to ignore the whole sorry situation and pretend to myself that the waiting times involved right now in gemmak's-ville, are really designed to allow for chocolate consumption and kitten watching!
The latest news is that we will be fixed by 9th November....I am assuming that rather than that referring to tomorrows date they in fact mean 9th November 2006!!!
I'm off to eat chocolate.......
Monday, 7 November 2005
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