annaj

Pellmel, on a personal level, I'm sorry for your loss and I hope you are recovering. In a broader sense, I think you have raised a really interesting point and I think the lack of response shows that there is a certain amount of discomfort in discussing miscarriage and perhaps even an element of taboo. As a doctor, I know that miscarriage is increadibly common. Depending on which source your read, 20-50% of first pregancies end in miscarriage and it is said that most, if not almost all, women will have a miscarriage at some point in their lives, although some may not be aware. And yet talking about it really does seem to make people uncomfortable. Whether it's better to talk about it or not depends on you, I think, what kind of person you are and how you normally process things. If it would help you to talk then do. Talk to your husband, your family and your friends and explain how you feel. I think people are afraid of saying the wrong thing, but if you are able to talk openly about how you feel, you may find that encourages people to be more open in their support. Good luck.

Ok, I know this is naughty, but I can't resist..... The Wanted, Offered and Recommendations bits are always the ones to watch. Check out this impassioned defence of a cat's right to fatherhood bursting with righteous indignation on both sides.

Atticus, I have done as you asked and read this and the other threads and I have decided. You are being unreasonable. And also a bit petulant. As others have already said, you're not being censored or oppressed, to say you are is hyperbolic and trivialises those important words. Your threads were moved and locked, because they were duplicates and in the wrong place; it was housekeeping not censorship. There is no conspiracy or favouritism towards the Actress, many of the posts on the original, and still busy, thread are criticisms. You choose to post on a forum that is run by Admin and his team in their own time. It's Admin's forum and his rules. You broke them and so were moderated. There is nothing mysterious or sinister about that, it's very very simple.

Oh, I'm glad someone has brought this back up, because I meant to add my support to Sean's, all chipping in to have one last drinks for Georgia, idea, but forgot. I'm in.

I'm with Rosie and giggirl. It's not a great photo or website, but I also don't think it's very nice to start a whole thread just to ridicule a stranger and I'm not sure why anyone would.

*stands nervously* My name is annaj... and I like smoked cheese...

I don't think Tarot is Spangles, although Spangles was... what was it again Sean?... a squalid little person, her posts made sense (grammatically, you understand, not morally). On topic, if anyone cares at all, whilst I don't agree with Tarot (or at least I don't think I do, but it's very hard to know what she's saying exactly) there is credible evidence emerging that cannabis has a causitive link with mental illness. There has been evidence of a corralation between the two for years, but it was suggested that people with mental help problems were more likely to use as a form of self medication rather than cannabis causing the problem. More recent research (don't have it to hand, but could find it if anyone actually cares)though suggests cannabis, along with other things, may cause mental health problems in some people.

I'll second that, Jah. Georgia, I think you've done a great job of organising over the years (as someone who hates organising social things I can't imagine how you've had the patience and energy!) and the drinks have allowed lots of people to meet and make friends locally. If they're getting less popular now, maybe that's just a reflection of how sucessful they, and the forum, have been, as all those friendships formed are now strong enough to go on without a monthly scheduled meet-up. It took me months to feel brave enough to go to my first drinks, but I have never regretted going and have had some very enjoyable evenings and made some great friends. Thank you.

I read this article about it on the train the other day and thought it quite interesting.

No, no. I wasn't implying it was a dodgy recommendation. You were very clear about you relationship to her. I meant no relation to me, you know, with us both being something-j. It was a rather weak joke, sorry. If I knew how to do an embarrassed smiley when posting from my phone, I would! Thanks for the link, I'll check it out when I'm back on the big screen.

No apology needed, EDmummy, I wasn't remotely offended or patronised, I just thought I'd clarify what I was looking for. Thank you, everyone, for all the suggestions and research on my behalf. ellaj (no relation, I assume?) I had already spotted the Fran Balkwill books and quite liked them. Perhaps I'll go for "Have a Nice DNA" for starters.

Thanks for all the advice. To clarify, it's not that I can't answer her question, I'm a doctor, which is why my sister sends her to me with them in the first place, and I'm gald to say nothing she can think of has (yet!) exceeded my knowledge. It's that I'd like to give her something she can go back to and enjoy to help build on her interest. Also, as a mere aunt, I don't see her as much as I'd like and I'm not always there (although she can always e-mail me from her i-pod touch, naturally!) and I thought it would be nice if she had a book I'd given her to look at when she thinks of things. But I like the suggestion of the science museum, although their online book selection is disappointing with far too much by Richard Hammond, and I think I'll look into Osbourne books and the others mentioned. Thanks again.

Thanks, the science museum is a really nice suggestion, because, as you say, it would give us a day out together too. She really is inquisitive and ask some challenging questions. When I was trying to explain about us getting features from both parents she asked if I had been born a boy, would I have had my face, but a bit more boy like, or my brother's face. I find it amazing to see how her mind works and where each new answer takes her.

I haven't been to the pool yet, but I really hope these are just teething problems, because I've been looking forward to it re-opening and planning to start using it regluarly. Reading everyones' comments about the temperature it seems to me that someone needs to establish of the pool really is the temperature it says it is, because the pool being 28 degrees and some people thinking that's too cold is one kind of problem, and the pool saying it's 28 degrees and actually being a lot colder is another kind of problem, if you see what I mean.

Valid questions, but did it really need a new thread?

Ok, so maybe it's an even odder request than I realise, not a single response! Doesn't anyone have any suggestions or children the same sort of age with the same sort of questions? If not, how about recommendations for educational, but fun, science books generally? Or particular shops or websites for childrens books? I'd really appreciate the advice, and the benefit of your collective experience, so I can get her something she'll enjoy that will help build on her interest. Thanks

I was thinking about going this time, because I really like The Actress and want it to do well, but in the end won't be there. Thanks for taking up the reins again and organising though, Georgia.

The rooms at The Actress are not ready yet, but Scott's other pub, The Victoria Inn, has rooms as he said himself on the other thread about The Actress

Narnia, I've said I'm sorry if I misread your intention, and I've tried to wish oyu and your son well, but you still seem upset. What more would you like me to do or say?

Narnia, I'm sorry if I misread your intention with the question and I'm sorry you found my post patronising, but I find the question patronising. The only reason I posted at all was that I thought Huguenot's post was one of the most considered and helpful on the thread, with a mix of personal experience and interesting research, and it seemed a shame, to me, that it was met with the trite response "Are you a parent?" I'm sorry you son is having trouble in his first few weeks away and I hope you find a solution that suits you both soon. And, no, I'm not.

Hello family room. This might be a odd thing to be looking for, but I'm trying to find a book about basic genetics suitable for a nine year-old. My niece, who has always been bright and full of questions, is currently really interested in genetics; questions like "why do we look like each other in some ways and not others?" "what does run in the family mean?". This weekend I found myself explaining, among other things and with the help of a diagram, who in the family was more likely to have twins. She loved it and it prompted a whole other round of questions, including where did the first DNA come from, and I'd love to pick up on her interest and help her learn. I've had a look on Amazon, but nothing is really jumping out. Any suggestions?

So, I'm only allowed to comment on questions directly aimed at me? Sorry, I'm a bit out of touch, must've have missed the new rules.

We crossed posted, so your post quoting Huguenot wasn't there when I wrote that. And what about me saying that I find the question "are you a parent?" irritating, pointless and superior is patronising?

Well answered, Huguenot. But also, WOD and Narnia, "are you a parent?" in this sort of context is possibly the most pointless, irritating and superior questions you can ask. Empathy is a powerful human emotion and communication tool. It allows us to use what experience we do have, along with our imagination and understanding of situations, to see another persons perspective and identify with how they might feel, even if we have never experienced what they have. No-one can ever really know what another person feels or experiences, but it doesn't render our opinions on situations outside our direct experience invalid.

Oh, ok, yes, I see. You were pointing it out for the vegans, rather than suggesting it was an alternative for vegans, which is how I first read it. Pedantic objection withdrawn.