Rape Threats on Twitter

Quoting the BBC :

"An MP (Stella Creasey MP) says she has received threats of rape after speaking out on behalf of a campaigner targeted by Twitter trolls. Stella Creasy, who represents Labour in Walthamstow, has called for the social networking site to do more to deal with abuse.

She spoke to BBC Radio 4's The World At One about the offensive material sent to her, after she publicly supported campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez."

I have been following the news coverage of the above story. There has been a lot of comment concerning the acceptability or otherwise of such behaviour in cyberspace and about what, if anything, to do about it. Some I have agreed with, some has made me want to shout "nonsense!", a few have made me think. The New Statesman posits the question "Why does it always come back to rape?"

Rape is about power, not sex. Violence is a way of one person establishing power over another. 

Threatening verbal or actual violence is about asserting dominance in a way that should be seen as totally unacceptable within our societies and regardless of the environment within which it happens.

We need to emphasise the unacceptability of the use of violence and rape to our children from the earliest age and keep repeating the message.

We need to emphasise that the anonymity afforded by the net does not excuse this sort of behaviour. 

We need to move both our law enforcement agencies and those providing forums on the 'net to take more responsibility for uncovering and prosecuting those that behave this way.

Note that I am making my comments here gender neutral. This behaviour is abhorrent regardless of the genders involved.

Last year the United Nations Secretary General launched the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign that includes the following statement on cyberspace as a safe place for women and girls.

"Technological developments in information and communications have presented rich and varied opportunities for advancements in the empowerment and participation of women and girls. New platforms now exist from which to raise awareness and disseminate information which have enabled women access to a wealth of information, presented new modes of communication, and new means of mobilisation. The proliferation of digital technologies have enabled the development of innovative tools and programmes to prevent and end violence against women and girls and have facilitated information sharing on the topic.

Unfortunately, along with the myriad of possibilities brought about by technological developments, new risks and types of violence have also emerged. One such form of violence is cyberbullying, which occurs on the Internet and mobile phones and can be initiated in cyberspace, or be an extension of face-to-face bullying. Cyberbullying can include threats and attempts to humiliate its subject through the posting of embarrassing pictures or personal information. It can be particularly difficult to hold perpetrators to account since bullies can easily conceal their identity online.

Technology has also played a role in enabling and exacerbating violence which takes place offline. It offers possibilities to store and share personal information about ones’ movements, social life and finances which have offered increased possibilities for partners or family members to exert control in the lives of others. Furthermore, the anonymity afforded by the Internet has exposed women and girls to specific risks, including the possibility that those who they are communicating with are doing so under a false identity."

References:

http://www.un.org/en/women/endviolence/orangeday.shtml

So Sad

I collected Max's ashes from the vet today.

Such a light box to contain such a life.

Fiona

Twenty-Five Years Since Piper Alpha

It is 25 years since the oil rig, Piper Alpha melted as a result of a giant gas blowout and subsequent violent explosions. So many lost friends and family that night (only 62 crew members survived out of the 229 personnel on board). I worked for John Brown at the time. Not a word was said to staff about the rig and no collection was made for the affected families. That soured me greatly and was a contributing factor in my leaving the company. An old oil man working as a security guard in his retirement felt the same so he put a tin out in the foyer off his own back. 

I remember watching the television coverage of the disaster that was due to a combination of nature and short-cutting on health and safety measures with mounting horror and nausea. Last night's documentary brought it all back to me as if it were yesterday. Only the hardest of hearts could fail to be moved by the sight of those Scots hard men choking back tears as they recalled the events of that night and the following days.

It is very hard for those outside of the heavy engineering industry to appreciate just how hard a job it is to keep the lights on and our energy hungry society working. Over the eleven years I worked in Oil and Gas I helped deliver several projects during which employees died or were injured. One man lost his life building a jacket (the rig) when a colleague dropped a length of 3" pipe from a 30' drop, cleaving his skull in two. Then there were the colleagues who committed suicide due to the weight of responsibility they felt from being responsible for decisions that could affect so many lives, cost billions of pounds, or result in mass pollution if wrong.

I am thinking about loss a lot today and not just my own.

For more on this disaster, see http://technologism.net/ruscot/en/20th-21st-centuries/12-piper-alpha-disaster

Maximus 26-Feb-1998 to 07-Jul-2013

Maximus July 2010

My cat, Maximus (Hibreeze Obi Wan), died today at about 5pm (age 15). It seemed to be quick. I guess from a stroke or massive heart attack. 

He was the most beautiful, loving little boy with a huge character and intellect even by Korat standards. 

He gave me his whole heart and most of my grey hair.

I am in bits.

Rest in Peace Max and Rise in Glory.

Rampant Rhubarb

The recommended way of cropping rhubarb is to place one's thumb in the 'pocket' at the base of a leaf and snap the leaf off with a deft downward motion. You then cut off the poisonous leaf which can be composted before taking the stem in for a wash and cooking.

One of my plants is growing so vigorously this year that the base of some leaves are almost three inches across. Deft snap??? I have to use both hands, brace my feet and hang on for dear life. All you can see of my is my fat arse stuck out between the leaves!

I have an highly aromatic red hot rhubarb and ginger crumble cooling in my kitchen. I use Delia's recipe but use stem ginger rather than powdered.

One Reason for Rising Accident and Emergency Admissions

I was a re-admitted via A&E (hours) and CDU (two days) this year as a result of my spinal fusion surgery having some unexpected issues. I had had an adverse reaction to codeine whilst in Orthopedics and larger incisions than predicted, one of which kept bleeding for four weeks. I live alone so had no support and was not really in any fit mental state to care for myself when first discharged due to the impact of the surgery and codeine. 

You'll find it surprising but I assign no blame to Orthopedics who were so busy caring for a bay of Alzheimer's' patients that my bay's assigned nursing staff had no time or space mentally to consider whether someone who'd not had a standard experience of fusion surgery should undergo a standard discharge procedure. I was discharged with nothing more than a slip of paper with the ward number printed on it in case of concerns.

My second discharge from an ENT ward was handled much better. The ward sister had arranged appointments at my GP's to having my dressings changed and checked, had re-filled my meds and issued me with spare dressings and pads to cover anything I sat or lay down upon. She was able to identify and address my needs as she was allowed the time to do so.

That said, I still ended up back in A&E twice more in the early hours of the morning due to needing a flooded dressing changed at a time of day when there was no other service available. Another night saw a pair of district nurses being sent to be from another town by my GP's out of hours service for the same reason.

My GP's practise nurses gave me some great tips later on how to handle the bleeding:
- stuff an absorbent pad down the back of my briefs
- tape inco-pads to my lower bed sheet,
- put another dressing over the top of the existing one if it leaks at an inconvenient time of day
- make use of the drop in centre in the Broad St Mall at times when the surgery is shut where possible

It's just a pity I wasn't given these before being discharged the first time as it would probably have saved at least two of my three trips to A&E, and, perhaps, the district nurse visit.

I spent a total of twelve days in the RBH. The average for my procedure is 1-2. 

I'd just like to take this opportunity to say how impressed I was by all the staff of Orthopedics, A&E, and Dorrell Ward. I just hope the 'powers' start listening to them over what they say they need to do their jobs more effectively and safely.