I can't post a response to stories on the MSN news site without being a Facebook member and signing in. I do not do The FB Thing, as readers here well know.
I shall post it here.
A story related how Roald Dahl wrote a pro-vaccination pamphlet back in the late 1980s where he told the tragic case of his daughter Olivia, who died from encephalitis directly caused by measles - and how a routine anti-measles vaccination would have saved her. He concluded by urging parents to have their children vaccinated now that it was available on the NHS.
Straight away, the comments about 'Big Pharma lies', 'vaccines = autism', 'virus has died out anyway', 'children just need some vitamin C and they'll shake it off' flood in. Here is my response (for timeline purposes, I had contracted and recovered from measles before the vaccine was fully developed and in widespread use. Or my parents would have had the vaccine for me, being sensible types), please bear in mind that it's in idiot-speak in order to be MSN comment-worthy:
"There is a very good reason why children who go unvaccinated still seem to be immune, and it isn't because measles is 'on the decline' and 'Big Pharma lies about it being a problem'. It's called herd immunity. Once a certain % are vaccinated, it more or less covers a whole population.
There are no genuine instances of vaccines causing autism. Anyone with basic knowledge of scientific analysis can see that those claims result from junk science, cooked statistics and the sort of method that would be considered inadequate for an A-level project.
However, the potential cost to life and long-term health of children who catch measles is easily seen. One of my classmates died in the same outbreak when I contracted the illness.
I don't work for the pharmaceutical lobby. I am a trained scientist who can analyse both sides of the argument and the studies published for both. I also suffered significant damage to my hearing and mind-body coordination from contracting measles as a child after not being vaccinated. I am also autistic to a degree that I can type this fluently but am unable to communicate through speech. If anything, I work for the autism awareness lobby (National Autistic Society)."
I shall post it here.
A story related how Roald Dahl wrote a pro-vaccination pamphlet back in the late 1980s where he told the tragic case of his daughter Olivia, who died from encephalitis directly caused by measles - and how a routine anti-measles vaccination would have saved her. He concluded by urging parents to have their children vaccinated now that it was available on the NHS.
Straight away, the comments about 'Big Pharma lies', 'vaccines = autism', 'virus has died out anyway', 'children just need some vitamin C and they'll shake it off' flood in. Here is my response (for timeline purposes, I had contracted and recovered from measles before the vaccine was fully developed and in widespread use. Or my parents would have had the vaccine for me, being sensible types), please bear in mind that it's in idiot-speak in order to be MSN comment-worthy:
"There is a very good reason why children who go unvaccinated still seem to be immune, and it isn't because measles is 'on the decline' and 'Big Pharma lies about it being a problem'. It's called herd immunity. Once a certain % are vaccinated, it more or less covers a whole population.
There are no genuine instances of vaccines causing autism. Anyone with basic knowledge of scientific analysis can see that those claims result from junk science, cooked statistics and the sort of method that would be considered inadequate for an A-level project.
However, the potential cost to life and long-term health of children who catch measles is easily seen. One of my classmates died in the same outbreak when I contracted the illness.
I don't work for the pharmaceutical lobby. I am a trained scientist who can analyse both sides of the argument and the studies published for both. I also suffered significant damage to my hearing and mind-body coordination from contracting measles as a child after not being vaccinated. I am also autistic to a degree that I can type this fluently but am unable to communicate through speech. If anything, I work for the autism awareness lobby (National Autistic Society)."
I will be away from now until Monday morning; if it's urgent I will be checking email. If it's an emergency that would require me to be notified, you already have my mobile number. If I don't pick it up please leave a message as I actually listen to my voicemail.
Adventure due ahead!
Adventure due ahead!
I'll be off to my parents' house for the three core days of Christmas; whilst my family is and raised me humanist, we have always treated Christmas as a time for togetherness with family and friends.
May you all have a peaceful and joyful time, be you celebrating Christmas, the last day of Hanukkah, a belated Yule or other - even if only the annual Paid Day Off Work.
Last year I posted the lyrics to one of the most stirring and emotional carols, O Holy Night. This year I have chosen a song that I originally learned as a single verse in the first year of primary school (we weren't up to long songs that didn't involve green bottles on walls). Later on, I knew it as the Ashwell Carol and enjoyed not just the extra verses, but also adding in my own harmonisations. The lyrics were written by a man of gentle faith, Rector of St. Mary's in Ashwell, the Rev. John Catterick.
Angels in the skies are singing
Trumpets summon, loud and shrill.
God His purpose is fulfilling
Peace on Earth, to men goodwill.
Chorus:
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Pax per aedes hominum.
Adoramus, adoramus
Adoramus Dominum.
From celestial realms descending,
To the manger-bed for throne,
Christ the Lord to man is coming,
To the earth, to save his own.
Born a babe of gentle mother,
He declares his love to men,
Let us then, above all other,
Praise him, as the angels then.
Shepherds hasten, praise outpouring,
Echoing the heavenly lay;
To the crib they come, adoring,
Homage to the Child to pay.
Join we then in acclamation,
Welcoming the Saviour King;
‘God is love’ his proclamation,
May our own in echo ring:
May you all have a peaceful and joyful time, be you celebrating Christmas, the last day of Hanukkah, a belated Yule or other - even if only the annual Paid Day Off Work.
Last year I posted the lyrics to one of the most stirring and emotional carols, O Holy Night. This year I have chosen a song that I originally learned as a single verse in the first year of primary school (we weren't up to long songs that didn't involve green bottles on walls). Later on, I knew it as the Ashwell Carol and enjoyed not just the extra verses, but also adding in my own harmonisations. The lyrics were written by a man of gentle faith, Rector of St. Mary's in Ashwell, the Rev. John Catterick.
Angels in the skies are singing
Trumpets summon, loud and shrill.
God His purpose is fulfilling
Peace on Earth, to men goodwill.
Chorus:
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Pax per aedes hominum.
Adoramus, adoramus
Adoramus Dominum.
From celestial realms descending,
To the manger-bed for throne,
Christ the Lord to man is coming,
To the earth, to save his own.
Born a babe of gentle mother,
He declares his love to men,
Let us then, above all other,
Praise him, as the angels then.
Shepherds hasten, praise outpouring,
Echoing the heavenly lay;
To the crib they come, adoring,
Homage to the Child to pay.
Join we then in acclamation,
Welcoming the Saviour King;
‘God is love’ his proclamation,
May our own in echo ring:
A quick repeat of before. It's on Saturday 17th January 2015 at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, central London.
AutismCon is to be a celebration of neurodiversity - only small for our first try, but it will possibly be the first case where an event is organised BY autistic people. There will be talks, panels, stalls, workshops and within the framework of a venue set up to minimise stress on attendees:
http://www.autism.org.uk/autismcon
I will be giving a talk about RPGs (how they relate to people with autism, how to make them user-friendly for people on the spectrum and hopefully, workshop some getting started in RPGs - both tabletop and I'll take some LARP kit).
I'd love it if people I know could come along for immoral support, whether you previously know me IRL or not.
My talk is at 3pm in the Brockway Room and will last an hour.
I have been given permission to include a participation LARP demo.
AutismCon is to be a celebration of neurodiversity - only small for our first try, but it will possibly be the first case where an event is organised BY autistic people. There will be talks, panels, stalls, workshops and within the framework of a venue set up to minimise stress on attendees:
http://www.autism.org.uk/autismcon
I will be giving a talk about RPGs (how they relate to people with autism, how to make them user-friendly for people on the spectrum and hopefully, workshop some getting started in RPGs - both tabletop and I'll take some LARP kit).
I'd love it if people I know could come along for immoral support, whether you previously know me IRL or not.
My talk is at 3pm in the Brockway Room and will last an hour.
I have been given permission to include a participation LARP demo.
"And we have a winner
The people have spoken. Our very own EvilKitten has won the OctoberNomicon submission contest. Her entry was the Ululatus Anima; the anthromorphism, if such a vague/blunt term could be used, of the very sound created by the demon flutists to placate the blind nuclear chaos that is Azathoth. What the colour out of space is for artists, the Ulutatus Anima is for musicians. We both congratulate EvilKitten, and worry for her neighbours. What horrors does she have for us in the future? Only time will tell, especially now that she will be armed with a brand new copy of Tales of the Crescent City, generously donated by Golden Goblin Press. Thank you all that submitted entries and all of you who voted."
*Happy Dance*
Free book! Free book! Free book!
My pleas for ballot stuffing didn't pay off; I should maybe have asked people to vote for me ONLY no matter which entries they liked...but then I'd've felt guilty, and I have been told that asking friends is OK. With the exception of a 'joint' single vote from my parents, and for some reason one from my sister-in-law who seems to have quite enjoyed reading the entries, everyone who voted for me was at least a gamer who read it first.
Oooh, a thought...did any of them want me to win so I can use the prize to write a new adventure for them to play in?
The people have spoken. Our very own EvilKitten has won the OctoberNomicon submission contest. Her entry was the Ululatus Anima; the anthromorphism, if such a vague/blunt term could be used, of the very sound created by the demon flutists to placate the blind nuclear chaos that is Azathoth. What the colour out of space is for artists, the Ulutatus Anima is for musicians. We both congratulate EvilKitten, and worry for her neighbours. What horrors does she have for us in the future? Only time will tell, especially now that she will be armed with a brand new copy of Tales of the Crescent City, generously donated by Golden Goblin Press. Thank you all that submitted entries and all of you who voted."
*Happy Dance*
Free book! Free book! Free book!
My pleas for ballot stuffing didn't pay off; I should maybe have asked people to vote for me ONLY no matter which entries they liked...but then I'd've felt guilty, and I have been told that asking friends is OK. With the exception of a 'joint' single vote from my parents, and for some reason one from my sister-in-law who seems to have quite enjoyed reading the entries, everyone who voted for me was at least a gamer who read it first.
Oooh, a thought...did any of them want me to win so I can use the prize to write a new adventure for them to play in?
- Current Mood:
bouncy
I'm currently running in second place with one of my Octobernomicon entries, the Ululatus Anima (the Deus Ex Machina only has a couple of votes).
No free New Orleans campaign pack for me. Sigh. At least it's a 'want' and not a 'need' i.e. I'll get over it.
No free New Orleans campaign pack for me. Sigh. At least it's a 'want' and not a 'need' i.e. I'll get over it.
The online gathering point of Lovecraftian roleplaying players known as Shoggoth.net - or SDN for short - has had a competition through October of people submitting new and original creatures for Call of Cthulhu (or in some cases, finding a way in which classic folklore elements can be looked at in a new way to bring them under the Mythos umbrella).
Now it's over, people are invited to vote for their favourite, the winner to receive a rather juicy bundle of gaming book featuring adventuring in New Orleans.
So...if you could, please hop over to http://shoggoth.net/ and look down the right hand side of the page for the voting sidebar. Mine are 'Lost Pages: Ululatus Anima' and 'Lost Pages: Deus Ex Machina' and are right at the end of the list, which is in order of date posted. You can vote for both with the ticky-boxes.
Of course, if you read some of the others and decide you like them better, so be it!
Now it's over, people are invited to vote for their favourite, the winner to receive a rather juicy bundle of gaming book featuring adventuring in New Orleans.
So...if you could, please hop over to http://shoggoth.net/ and look down the right hand side of the page for the voting sidebar. Mine are 'Lost Pages: Ululatus Anima' and 'Lost Pages: Deus Ex Machina' and are right at the end of the list, which is in order of date posted. You can vote for both with the ticky-boxes.
Of course, if you read some of the others and decide you like them better, so be it!
AutismCon is to be a celebration of neurodiversity - only small for our first try, but it will possibly be the first case where an event is organised BY autistic people. There will be talks, panels, stalls, workshops and within the framework of a venue set up to minimise stress on attendees:
http://www.autism.org.uk/autismcon
There's not a lot up online so far, but there's a big meeting next weekend where the organisers will thrash out the timetable.
My interest? I'm a member of the organising team (in theory, but I've had bad luck when it comes to meetings) and I will be giving a talk about RPGs (how they relate to people with autism, how to make them user-friendly for people on the spectrum and hopefully, workshop some getting started in RPGs - both tabletop and I'll take some LARP kit).
I may also contribute home bakes to the cake stall!
I'd love it if people I know could come along for immoral support, whether you previously know me IRL or not.
http://www.autism.org.uk/autismcon
There's not a lot up online so far, but there's a big meeting next weekend where the organisers will thrash out the timetable.
My interest? I'm a member of the organising team (in theory, but I've had bad luck when it comes to meetings) and I will be giving a talk about RPGs (how they relate to people with autism, how to make them user-friendly for people on the spectrum and hopefully, workshop some getting started in RPGs - both tabletop and I'll take some LARP kit).
I may also contribute home bakes to the cake stall!
I'd love it if people I know could come along for immoral support, whether you previously know me IRL or not.
A new RPG which pitches housecats into their version of the Cthulhu Mythos (they must fight the various Chaos Gods to keep all the luxuries that they've spent millennia training humans into providing) has come into my possession. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Hopefully, I will be running a CoCat adventure at Origins 2015 and I have submitted the details for a self-written adventure called "Nine Kittens In Amber".
However, some of the PC/NPC cats are based off cats I know in person or from descriptions and talk online, from the personality and looks right down to the name.
If you recognise your cat below and want me to change their name, or switch them out for another cat - or think that there's something I should know - just comment.
Cordelia - a dainty grey tabby
Penny - a black longhair
Onyx - a black shorthair; littermate of Oreo
Oreo - a black and white shorthair; littermate of Onyx
Zach - a daft Birman
Miss Tilly - a tuxedo
Angus - a blue shorthair, can also be used as a flood barrier
Maisy - a silvery Persian
Charlie - a classic Ragdoll
Max - a Bengal; littermate of Russ
Russ - a Bengal; littermate of Max. Neither brother is endowed with brain power
Tom - an apricot longhair, gorgeous and knows it
GABA - a sleek Bombay
The Siamese, off to one side to contain the noise:
Margot - a blue point
Purkinje - a flame point
Leonora - a seal point; littermate of Eleanor
Eleanor - a seal point; littermate of Leonora
Micky - a chocolate point
If your cat is not on this list and you want them included, comment and remind me of their name and I'll add them in. Probably as evil cultists.
Hopefully, I will be running a CoCat adventure at Origins 2015 and I have submitted the details for a self-written adventure called "Nine Kittens In Amber".
However, some of the PC/NPC cats are based off cats I know in person or from descriptions and talk online, from the personality and looks right down to the name.
If you recognise your cat below and want me to change their name, or switch them out for another cat - or think that there's something I should know - just comment.
Cordelia - a dainty grey tabby
Penny - a black longhair
Onyx - a black shorthair; littermate of Oreo
Oreo - a black and white shorthair; littermate of Onyx
Zach - a daft Birman
Miss Tilly - a tuxedo
Angus - a blue shorthair, can also be used as a flood barrier
Maisy - a silvery Persian
Charlie - a classic Ragdoll
Max - a Bengal; littermate of Russ
Russ - a Bengal; littermate of Max. Neither brother is endowed with brain power
Tom - an apricot longhair, gorgeous and knows it
GABA - a sleek Bombay
The Siamese, off to one side to contain the noise:
Margot - a blue point
Purkinje - a flame point
Leonora - a seal point; littermate of Eleanor
Eleanor - a seal point; littermate of Leonora
Micky - a chocolate point
If your cat is not on this list and you want them included, comment and remind me of their name and I'll add them in. Probably as evil cultists.
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