a sad and moving read

about a lady who's son has autism, and upon reaching adulthood became violent and dangerous, and how she, as a mother, has had to deal with it.

hopefully by next week i will have something upbeat on here...

today i heard some bad news, i knew news was coming for some time, but i didn't know what sort of news it would be. it was bad news. i'm in a bit of a numb feeling disappointed, angry, sad mood, i never was that great with words, but i dont think there is one for this. for some reason, i now feel i should post the lyrics to 99 red balloons, because it just seems right to do...

You and I in a little toy shop
Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got.
Set them free at the break of dawn
'Til one by one, they were gone.
Back at base, bugs in the software
Flash the message, Something's out there.
Floating in the summer sky.
99 red balloons go by.

99 red balloons.
floating in the summer sky.
Panic bells, it's red alert.
There's something here from somewhere else.
The war machine springs to life.
Opens up one eager eye.
Focusing it on the sky.
Where 99 red balloons go by.

99 Decision Street.
99 ministers meet.
To worry, worry, super-scurry.
Call the troops out in a hurry.
This is what we've waited for.
This is it boys, this is war.
The president is on the line
As 99 red balloons go by.

99 Knights of the air
Ride super-high-tech jet fighters
Everyone's a superhero.
Everyone's a Captain Kirk.
With orders to identify.
To clarify and classify.
Scramble in the summer sky.
As 99 red balloons go by.

99 dreams I have had.
In every one a red balloon.
It's all over and I'm standing pretty.
In this dust that was a city.
If I could find a souvenier.
Just to prove the world was here.
And here is a red balloon
I think of you and let it go.

Body dysmorphic disorder (swiped from the independant)

* Plastic surgery addiction usually arises from "imagined ugly syndrome", also known as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

* According to Adam Searle,former president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), sufferers may "express distorted ideas about their body".

* Repetitive behaviour such as excessive grooming and obsessive checking of appearance in reflective surfaces are also symptoms.

* Sufferers may seek plastic surgery to correct their imagined defects. Often, once one perceived problem with their face or body has been "fixed", they will develop a new fixation.

* It is not known how many people suffer from BDD, but the best estimates suggest the figure could be about 1 per cent of the population.

* According to a survey last year, 33 per cent of plastic surgeons said the number one reason for turning potential patients away was owing to their unrealistic expectations and the belief that surgical procedure would "solve all their problems".

* Thirty per cent of surgeons also turned away patients wanting unnecessary surgery, including facelifts in their thirties.

* Five per cent of BAAPS surgeons said patients who were "obsessed with celebrity looks" was also one of the most common reasons for refusing treatment. www.baaps.org.uk Amy Oliver

... I just thought it was interesting...

facebook targeted ads.

after being 'in a relationship' for many months according to facebook targeted ads, i must be looking to get married. ads tell me that instead of waiting for a proposal, i should buy my own engagement ring so i can start on the road to wifedom asap. oh, and i should lose weight.

swede has also been 'in a relationship' for the same length of time according to facebook, but the targeted ads system seems to think he would be much more likely to click a link to 'find sexy singles' and chat to them. great.

women are like cars.

http://www.feministing.com/archives/009775.html

:-(