Let It (Pokemon) Go!

I’ve seen this picture by Pawel Kuczynski on Facebook a few times recently, he’s an amazing artist and I really love the concepts that he covers. It’s part of a series of images drawn as a satire on the modern world. Satire’s great, and to be honest it’s one of the things that has helped me through the complete shit-storm that has been 2016.

But satire is a form of comedy, it’s supposed to be a mirror on the world that makes you think. And I think that this does. But do you know what I don’t think Mr Kuczynski was trying to do was to create art that people would use to make themselves seem or feel better than others. I have seen people posting this because they’re not one of the “sheeple” that have joined in with the worldwide phenomenon that has been Pokemon Go!, the people who think that they’re somehow better than others because they’re not following the herd.

I’m Not Racist…

As well as the Generational Divide that I discussed in my earlier post, I’ve also heard quite a few Leave voters clearly, loudly and repeatedly state that they’re not racist. That’s probably the case, but I decided to try and work out why the racist stereotype was out there if none of them are racist.

Just like the generational post that I wrote, this is me trying to work out things logically, and it’s a discussion that I’ve had with a few people now, so this post is another one that I’m going to use so that I don’t have to type it all out again!

So, Leave voters who didn’t vote for racist reasons, you voted for a campaign that said it was going to Take Back Control, a campaign that repeatedly argued about border control and immigration, a campaign that was supported by UKIP, Britain First, the EDL and the BNP. What made you think that this wasn’t going to be a campaign that would primarily be about race? That’s what the leaders of the campaign drove…

The Generation Gap

OK. I’m afraid this is going to be another ranty political post. (Again, political with a small p, not Party Political because I really can’t be doing with all that bollocks!) That also means that I’ll be providing another language warning – there are rude words in the following post

I keep seeing this image popping up in my newsfeed, and it really brings my waste water to 100ºC (if I’m still allowed to use metric in Brexit Britain).

This is possibly one of the most glib, condescending and fatuous twitter posts that I’ve ever seen. I don’t know who started it and neither do I want to. What I do know is that there’s a fantastic tweet response. It’s clear, concise and fully addresses the point being made. It doesn’t however address the other points that drive me to anger and so, as well as attaching that, I’m also going to explain my reasoning. There’s also a second reason for me writing a blog post about it – I’ve typed out responses to this three or four times in the last couple of days and that takes a while on my phone, so now I can just link here! 

For Science!

Okie dokes. I’m afraid that I need to ask a favour. If you’re going to post shit links to articles complaining about Big Pharma, Big Agri and Monsato etc… you do all (hopefully) realise that I’m going to ask for evidence? I’ve just watched my home go down the toilet because “people are sick of hearing from experts” and I really don’t have time for that crap.

I also get *very* angry with the people who think that I can wish my AS away, or that breathing in some smoke from the magic ning nang nong tree while the cows are saying bong while eating some seeds and nuts from the gyre and gimble trees will somehow unfuse my vertebrae.

No, but do you know what demonstrably does work for hundreds and thousands of people around the world, and has been scientifically proven to improve the lives of more people than it doesn’t help? Medicine. Scientifically proved, tested and revisited medicine. NSAIDs, Painkillers, Immunosupressives. I haven’t been able to take my Humira injection this week thanks to a bout of Tonsillitis and a viral infection one after the other, and I’m feeling it.

I’m genuinely chuffed that one of my acquaintances from my misspent youth was diagnosed early with her cervical spondylosis (an non-rheumatoid osteoarthritis of the neck that’s traditionally treated with NSAIDs, exercise and self care techniques) and that she was able to treat it with alternative therapies. That’s not the case for all arthritis sufferers. I’m all for as many possible treatments as possible being available to give people choice.

But, if you post links to POS articles like this one (which wasn’t about medication, but just the general approach to science and chemistry), then I will challenge it. And if you or your friends reply by quoting something as inane and pointless as: “…this reductionist, western imposed, imperialist science that degrades and looks down on Mother Nature. This science does not represent systems of science from India China and Africa that are thousands years older and ones that respect the feminine.” Please note that I will laugh at you. I’ll then draft a reply (it might take a few minutes longer as I reread it to laugh again) and eventually, when I realise just how fruit-loopy you are, I’ll just remove you. (So if you want to save me a job please feel free to unfollow/unfriend.)