Strongest condemnation.

So apparently an atheist shot three young Muslims in America.

I'm lost for words.

This blog doesn't usually deal with religion beyond my own belief.

I've no doubt that the accused, mainly because he is innocent until proven guilty, is an atheist.

He just missed that atheism is not about violence, not even in mirror of religious fundamentalism. Atheism is the use of reason and knowledge to better ourselves, in the face of myth and legend.

I'm horrified. He's set back any progress made by atheists to be seen as equals and as members of society.

Atheism should be the voice of reason. It should point to reality and explain why myths, both religious and otherwise, are flawed. Why a global flood is not supported by the fossil record, why the universe is not geocentric and why the stars are not hung on a cloak thrown over the earth at night. Atheism should promote the advancement of humanity, by driving secular law and equality, and by pushing technology growth (until AI becomes self aware and wipes us out).

Atheism should also be about protecting others right to freedom of speech and religion. Everyone has the right to practice any religion as long as it does not affect anyone else. You can worship whomsoever you wish in any reasonable manner, and you should be protected and allowed to do it without hassle.

Freedom of speech is a core pillar of western society. It let's us say whatever we like and be protected. This idea has been tested recently with the Paris attacks and the Pope's comments following those attacks. Murder and terrorism is not freedom of speech, ever. Limiting freedom of speech because it hurts someone's precious religious beliefs is also rubbish. We all have the right to believe whatever we want, and have the pleasure of being mocked for it. Tell me you're going to burn a Richard Dawkins book and watch me find you matches.

To quote Christopher Hichtens, that that can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

Some people I've seen commenting on this are asking why this is not being labeled as a terrorist attack rather than a lone nut as it would be with a Muslim attack. It's a lone nut, just like every Muslim "terror" attack. Anyone who feels murder is a decent response is mentally unstable, the word nut is a byword for crazy.

I know good religious followers and bad ones. I know good atheists, and bad atheists. Humanity is flawed, and it is our humanity that unites us.

Murder is never right, or just or good. RIP to the victims.

Orthotics review.

So, with everyone jumping on the vaccines cause autism bandwagon again, I am trying to compose a thoughtful and fact checked post about it, you know, to jump all over that bandwagon until the cymbals fall off.

In the mean time, I managed to bag me a review of lefty (why can't it be more like righty, that's snug and not wearing a hole in my ankle?) this morning. The orthotasit (?) was really patient. She took a long look, and sent lefty off for melting into a more pleasing shape.

To stop my ankle joint eating my trousers, apparently socks should be worn outside my orthotics. I'm not cool enough for that, so I'll have to just keep an eye on my ankle biters.

Equally to prevent sweaty legs (it's very sexy) the long sock, recommended by Robb Brydon on Qi, to help soak up sweat.

A fellow patient told me they put a sock right up over the top of the orthotic to prevent chaffing.

The department took my strap pad measurements so when they wear out, they can post me more.

Looks like I'm in for some fun experimenting.

Better get researching.

The rub.

So, it's been just over a week since I got fitted for the orthotics. I've been warned to watch for redness that doesn't fade.

I've noticed blanching redness under my ankle bone on my left foot. Now, full disclosure, I've probably been wearing them a bit more than I should be. It looked like it was blistering today but it seems to have gone back to angry red.

I grabbed some silicone strips and tried to protect my foot but it didn't last and I ended up taking them off halfway through my (14 hour) shift. I thankfully haven't thrown away any old shoes yet, so I was able to plod along in my old shoes without damaging the new ones.

Pressure sores are very much what they sound like, also known as bed sores. They are generally associated with the elderly due to reduced mobility. However reduced mobility can happen to anyone, from spinal injuries to anyone who spends too long on a theatre table. In my case, it's sheer force and pressure from the orthotics. While there are many different tools to help alleviate pressure, like those mattresses or cushions, or the silicon I grabbed in work, the best way to deal with pressure damage is to remove the pressure. People get walked and stood or turned to take the pressure away and I think that'll have to be my tactic over the next few days.

I'm going to minimise my use of my legs over the next few days and ring the department on Monday and have a review.

Goodnight.

Interesting.

Vlad the impaler, sorry sorry, Mr Putin, Russian president, has been remotely diagnosed with Aspergers, writes the Telegraph. It's based on a Pentagon report from 2008 and is only based on videos. While it may be true, it's methods are limited and it's postulation that he has an extreme need for control as a part of his Aspy is speculation at best. The Telegraph is also not peer reviewed.

Let's have a quick Google search. Sky and MSNBC are running this story too. Sky reiterates the Telegraph, saying that his mother may have had a stroke during pregnancy, interupting fetal development. However, Sky quotes a Dr Stephen Porges, a psychiatry professor from the university of North Carolina as concluding that Mr Putin has a form of autism but caveats that with the fact that the report was never finished and he would shy away from an Aspy diagnosis.

MSNBC (citing USAtoday) states it's a U.S. Naval War College (Rhode Island, yes I'm splitting hairs) report and has a video. Anchor just called it Assburgers. They are claiming it's just a theory (read: hypothesis) that can only be proved with a brain scan.

Wait, what? My brain scan was for CP, all my Aspy tests where written and one on one with an educational psychiatrist.

This smells. But it's been fun diving into it.

Before I start demanding my own country (and grumble "show everybody"), I can't help but think this is a little propaganda. Also, to every Aspy who reads this blog, look what we can achieve.

Disability my eye, super powers engage! Guess we'll all have to settle for fictional universes in gaming.

"Show everybody!"

Links:

http://news.sky.com/story/1421850/putin-has-aspergers-pentagon-report-says

http://www.msnbc.com/way-too-early/watch/vladimir-putin-has-aspergers--study-394342979846

Disability and procreation.

Disclaimer, before I start, this post is opinion based on my own experience, internal thoughts of my own scions and thoughts conjured by articles I have read today.

These articles are both from the Independent and are about disabled persons of both genders who are to be sterilised for their "own good". One is a lady with six children already who doctors feel will die if she falls pregnant again. I know it's the 21St century and we all have this magical view that dying during child birth doesn't happen anymore. According to Margaret C Hogan, et Al in the Lancet (2010 Maternal mortality for 181 countries, 1980–2008: a systematic analysis of progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5) the UK ranks No. 23 with 8.2 deaths per 100 thousand. Last time I looked, the UK is a first world country. Child birth is still a risky business. There's an argument that this is the start of the descent into eugenics. While that would hold water if there wasn't both a good medical reason and the woman did not already have six children. The second article was about a man who had an IQ so low he would forget to use condoms (although, frankly, every man is guilty of that while plastered) and, while he was having supervised visits to his girlfriend, who also has learning difficulties, he managed to impregnate her. The resulting child is reported to have had significant impact on both families, which I read as neither parent was able to cope. Babies are said to be hard work for every parent, disabled or not. I know plenty of disabled parents, who cope and are great parents.

I have butted up against learning difficulties and parenthood in university. I took ethics in my final year, and both in the literature and in group projects, there where case studies of parents with various grades of learning disabilities, including Downs syndrome, and hypothetical outcomes. Would a parent with a learning difficulty understand the needs of a child? Would they understand the implications and impact of having a baby?  How will they feel if the child's intellectual ability grows at a "normal" rate (if you've read this blog, I don't believe in normal), and out grows theirs? Are disabled parents going to become a burden much sooner than other parents might (i.e. through dementia or stroke) and with more certainty? Does it limit the child, both through possible poor parenting (although honestly most parents muddle through) and by stunting their future, inadvertently?

None of these questions have simple answers, I certainly don't have any answers. I'm asking them to get us all to think through issues surrounding disability and parenthood. They are, in my opinion, slightly negative. I haven't once considered that blind parents are perfectly capable, a mother in a wheelchair is more than able to care for everyone in her family. Disability should never be an automatic preventative of parenthood. I'm sure everyone reading this blog knows someone who is both disabled and a capable parent. For every negative example presented, I'm always sure there's ten positive examples, E.g. for every dole scrounging illegal immigrant with ten children and a criminal past that the Red Tops love to parade around as an example of Broken Britain, I suspect there's ten hard working, law abiding immigrants who want a better life and to contribute to society.
It takes ethical committees some time to discuss these issues and come up with a conclusion.

I have met people who are just below the line of what is considered disabled who are automatically banned by law (Ireland) from marriage and children. It makes me wonder if I fall into some draconian law. I've discussed before that I have thought long and hard about babies. I understand the concept that children take work and have no off switch, but some days I struggle to self care, so how can I suddenly be able to care for this vulnerable, helpless creature that is totally dependant on me for everything? Maybe these are feelings of all parents, but I think for me there are serious considerations to be made.

None of this is helped of course by my opinion that in the general population that the ability to have babies doesn't automatically entitle you to babies. If the forced sterilisation on medical grounds of intellectually disabled people has people screaming about eugenics, then a broader brush stroke really will set off the eugenics alarms. Today you can stop disabled people, tomorrow what stops you from declaring another group "undesirable" and we're free falling into 1930s Germany.

While I would hope our laws, judicial system, government and general populace (yes, when things start going pear shaped, the citizens of any society need to join the debate and stand up for each other and what's right. Remember the lesson of "when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me") have enough checks and balances to prevent wholesale and indiscriminate breaches of human rights, including that of procreation.

It's a ridiculously difficult topic, filled with pit falls and caveats, that requires nuanced and thoughtful discussion. Monotone honking about eugenics on one side or equally tone deaf "it's for their own good", is neither constructive or growth inducing.

All I know for sure is my parents are going to be enjoying years of not being grandparents, and I'm going to enjoy disposable income and holidays during term time.

Be safe and thoughtful of others.