#cancer carer

[p0orbaby]

Hi writer, hope you are doing well and if you are accepting request

Requesting a barca teen who is short like aitana and may be shorter than her and the team likes to baby her or tease her good naturedly and The reader is the one who scores the winning goal for barca through a header surprising everyone

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The match is a big one. The kind where the crowd feels too loud and too quiet all at once, and the floodlights could probably fry an egg if you held one close enough. You’re on the bench—standard practice when you’re 5’2” and look more like you belong at a school assembly than on a pitch. Aitana, the second shortest on the team, is on the pitch, legs pumping like pistons.

“Looking for your big sister?” Mapi teases, leaning back on the bench beside you. “Or maybe your carer?”

“She’s not my sister,” you mutter, flicking the grass off your boots. You’ve heard all the jokes before. Aitana calls you “her shadow,” and the rest of the team has gleefully adopted the dynamic.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Patri chimes in, tying her ponytail for what must be the fifth time today. “You even walk like her”

“No, she skips,” Mapi adds, making an exaggerated bouncing motion with her shoulders. “It’s very cute”

You glower at them, crossing your arms. Cute. As if that’s what you signed up for—endless ribbing and being treated like someone’s younger cousin at a wedding. You’re here to win. To play. To prove you’re not just a mascot with a squad number.

“Alright, you’re in,” the coach says suddenly, and you spring to your feet so fast you almost trip over your bootlaces.

“What, her?” Mapi exclaims, clearly delighted. “Coach, do you want me to carry her onto the pitch?”

You shoot her a look that could cut glass and jog out before she can say anything else.

The game is tied—1-1—and the tension in the stadium feels like a living, breathing thing. You’re darting between defenders, trying not to let the adrenaline make your legs feel like jelly.

Aitana passes you the ball with a grin, whispering something as you pass her by. “Don’t get lost out there, pequeña”

You don’t respond, just shoot her a glare over your shoulder and keep moving.

Then comes the moment. A cross from Patri so perfect it feels like it was gift-wrapped. The defender marking you is taller—of course—but you don’t care. You jump. And for a second, you’re airborne, defying every height-related joke you’ve ever heard.

The header is clean, sharp, and perfectly placed. The ball rockets into the back of the net, and the crowd erupts.

You land with a thud and turn, wide-eyed, as your teammates descend on you like you’ve just cured cancer.

“Was that—” Aitana starts, staring at you like she’s not sure whether to laugh or scream.

“A header,” Mapi finishes for her, running up behind you and hoisting you into the air. “The short one scored a header!”

You’re laughing, almost dizzy from the chaos, but you can’t help the smug grin spreading across your face.

“You know,” you say, as Mapi sets you down, “maybe it’s time you lot stopped calling me small”

Aitana raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Sure. Right after you grow another five inches”

You roll your eyes, but there’s no malice in it. The teasing doesn’t bother you so much now—not when the scoreboard says 2-1, and your name is written next to it.

[norfkid]

many palestianian families have reached out asking for public aid & support. please consider donating if you are able to & share this post with as many people as possible!

mohammad taysir is a husband and father of two young children, joud & yazan. this urgent fundraiser will support his family's search & travel for a safe place to live outside of gaza. (verified here & here)

€9,620 / €50,000 (as of 16th august)

samah hijazi is a teacher and mother of two young children, ibrahim & lana. this urgent fundraiser will go towards rebuilding & providing basic necessities for her children. (has not been vetted yet.)

€155 / €50,000 (as of 16th august)

ahmed halas is seeking support to evacuate his family of 20, most of whom are young children. this urgent fundraiser will also afford medical amenities for family members who suffers from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, back pain, & cartilage pain. (verified here)

€5,952 / €80,000 (as of 16th august)

ola ferwana is a wife and mother of three young children, yamen, qusai, & mira. her daughter, mira, was delivered during the war. they are seeking support via this urgent fundraiser. (ola has reached out to vetters but has not had any replies yet.)

€1,924 / €35,000 (as of 16th august)

raneen ibrahim is a father & carer of several young children. his daughter, julia, suffers from a shortness of breath & hospitals are no longer available to provide medical care. they are seeking support via this urgent fundraiser. (verified here)

€6,739 / €80,000 (as of 16th august)

oday adnan al-anqar is a 22 years old. he is seeking support to evacuate his family of 7 via this urgent fundraiser. this includes himself, his mother, father, two brothers, abdullah & youssef, and two sisters, farah & rafif. (verified here)

€2,117 / €50,000 (as of 16th august)

israa al-tawel & her husband, muhammad al-tawel, have two young children, nasser & inaam. innam was delivered during the war and is two months old. this urgent fundraiser will support the family's evacuation & needed medical care. (verified here)

£643 / £20,000 (as of 16th august)

israa is also the sister-in-law of hanaa jad al-qual, who is seeking support for her family via this urgent fundraiser. she is 246 on this vetted fundraisers list. (also verified here & here)

£9,827 / £20,000 (as of 16th august)

aya is a wife and mother of three children. she and her family live in a tent shelter with 15 people. this urgent fundraiser will also help to support her father, who is a cancer patient, & her mother, who has special needs. (family of nour, verified here)

€1,396 / €15,000 (as of 16th august)

aya also is family of nour, a wife and mother of five young children, muhammad, bahaa, amira, joan, & ghazal. they are also seeking support via this urgent fundraiser. (verified here)

$9,120USD / $90,000 (as of 16th august)

safaa asaad is a wife and mother of amir, who was delivered during the war & is five months old. this urgent fundraiser will also help to support her mother who suffers from diabetes & has been unable to receive any treatment. (verified here & here)

$8,438USD / $75,000 (as of 16th august)

farah is a 20 year old university student with a family of 20, of whom 7 are young children. she & her family are seeking support via this urgent fundraiser. (verified here)

£404 / £50,000 (as of 16th august)

iyad is a university student seeking support for his family via this urgent fundraiser. this includes his 4 young nieces and nephews, nasser, jana, hind, & mohammed, and will help them afford travel, medical care, & education. (has not been verified yet, but his gofundme is donation protected.)

€60 / €40,000 (as of 16th august)

mohammed ayyad is a father of five children. he is seeking support via this urgent fundraiser, which will also benefit his uncle with essential resources & medical care (verified here)

€15,091 / €35,000 (as of 16th august)

muhammad al-habil is husband and father of three children, ahmed, osama, & mira. this urgent fundraiser will also help to support his wife, father, & mother, who collectively suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, a herniated disc, & osteoporosis. (verified here & is 166 on this vetted fundrasiers list.)

€25,016 / €50,000 (as of 20th august)

mohammed ayyad is a 17 year old high school student with a family of at least 8, including his mother, 4 sisters, & 3 brothers. they are seeking support via this urgent fundraiser. (has not been verified yet, but his gofundme is donation protected.)

€1,980 / €38,000 (as of 20th august)

mohamad smeer is a medical student living in cairo, egypt. his family's home in gaza has been destroyed during the war and he has little-to-no contact with them. this urgent fundraiser will support his education & tuition fees, as his family can no longer afford it. (has not been verified yet, but he has enquired users as to how to get his post vetted. the campaign organiser is also the same as this campaign, which has been shared by humanity for gaza (an organisation active on instagram)

1,321AUD / 12,000 (as of 27th august)

nadaa and her family have been displaced several times during the war. this urgent fundraiser will help to support her elderly parents, who are in need of shelter, medical care, & treatment. (verified here & is 107 on this vetted fundrasiers list.)

£8,217 / £25,000 (as of 27th august)

ahmed alanqar is a husband and father of four children, mohammed, kareem, namer, & sahad. his son, mohammed, is 9 years old and suffers from motor & hearing disabilities. this urgent fundraiser will support the family's evacuation, including travel & accommodation expenses. (verified here)

€5,256 / €30,000 (as of 27th august)

[astrolocherry]

Astrology Midheaven in Fire Signs (Aries Midheaven, Leo Midheaven, Sagittarius Midheaven): Honourable sacrifice, emergency response, speculation and investment, manufacturing, devoting talents to the pursuit of one of them as a profession Midheaven in Earth Signs (Taurus Midheaven, Virgo Midheaven, Capricorn Midheaven: Business, trade, healing crafts, retail, cuisine, mechanics, accountants, jewellers Midheaven in Air Signs (Gemini Midheaven, Libra Midheaven, Aquarius Midheaven: Scientific and academic pursuits, thinkers and speakers, media, travel - vocations at altitude Midheaven in Water Signs (Cancer Midheaven, Scorpio Midheaven, Pisces Midheaven): Healing arts, incline to employment on/near water; attendants of spiritual/religious ritual - mortuaries, burials, matters surrounding birth and death Midheaven Taurus/Libra Venus in the 10th House: Signifies inclinations for perfumery, cosmetics, apparel & costumes, flowers, wines, cuisine, finance, financial advising Midheaven Gemini/Mercury in the 10th House: Teachers, salespeople, writers - all those who live by literature, informants, academics Midheaven Cancer/Moon in the 10th House: Produces teachers, nurses and carers for children, the elderly, & vulnerable people, storywriters, musicians Midheaven Sagittarius/Jupiter in the 10th House: Offices of magistrates, judges, tutors, business - specifically foreign trade

Cherry

[world-of-wales]

BREAKING NEWS -

THE ROYAL FOUNDATION BUISNESS TASKFORCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD RELEASES NEW REPORT!

Business investment in early childhood could unlock £45.5bn in value a year for the UK economy, according to a report by a taskforce created by the Princess of Wales.

In the report, CEOs from eight leading companies urged “businesses of all sizes across the UK, to join us and help build a healthy, happy society for everyone”.

The report by the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, set up by the princess in March 2023, said the figure included £12.2bn from equipping people with improved social and emotional skills in early childhood, £16.1bn from reducing the need to spend public funds on remedial steps for adverse childhood experiences and £17.2bn from supporting parents and caregivers of under-fives who work.

The princess, who announced in March she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy after a cancer diagnosis, was said to be “excited” by the report.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said the release of the report should not be seen as the princess returning to work, but she has been kept fully up to date and seen the report.

Taskforce members announced new initiatives, including:

The Co-operative Group creating a specific early childhood fund as part of its unique apprenticeship levy share scheme, and committing to raise £5m over the next five years, creating more than 600 apprenticeships.

Deloitte focusing its ongoing investment in Teach First to include the early years sector for the first time, supporting 366 early years professionals in 2024.

NatWest Group extending its lending target for the childcare sector to £100m, launching an early years accreditation scheme to its staff and producing a financial toolkit for childcare providers to help them grow and succeed.

Ikea UK and Ireland expanding its contribution of support, design expertise and products for babies and young children to six new locations across the UK to help families with young children experiencing the greatest disadvantage.

The Lego Group donating 3,000 LEGO® Education Build Me “Emotions” sets, supported by training materials, to early years providers in the UK.

Christian Guy, the executive director of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, said it was a “rallying cry” to business leaders to “transform the way our country supports the vital early years”.

The princess, Guy said, “feels passionately about the transformational impact of getting this right, together with business, both for the current generation and many more to come. She is looking forward to seeing momentum grow in the coming months and years.” The work of the centre was “rolling on while she recovers”, he added.

The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early ChildhoodThe taskforce – comprising CEOs from the Co-operative Group, NatWest, Unilever, Ikea, Iceland Foods, Aviva, Deloitte and Lego – identifies five areas in which businesses can make the greatest impact for children under five, the adults around them, the economy and wider society.

These are: building a culture prioritising early childhood within businesses, local communities, and wider society; helping the families facing the greatest challenges access the basic support and essentials they need; offering parents and carers greater support, resources, choice, and flexibility with their work; prioritising and nurturing social and emotional skills in young children and the adults in their lives; and supporting initiatives that increase access to quality, affordable and reliable early childhood education and care.

[aimeedaisies]

On the road with the inexhaustible Princess Anne

8am 800 miles travelled, 12pm 650 hands shaken, 9pm 0 cups of tea drunk

By Hannah Furness, 9 May 2024

The Princess Royal is standing up a 42ft tower, looking out to sea in a north-westerly force six wind. Her hair, that neat up-do that has barely changed in 40 years, does not move, even as a sudden gust blows a seagull past her eyeline.

‘It’s quite exposed,’ she says, with understatement, then gets on with peppering her hosts with questions about tides, volunteer timetables and what precisely the diggers on the beach below are doing.

Outside the watchtower, her arrival in the Lancashire seaside town of Fleetwood has caused the smallest of stirs. A handful of curious dog-walkers gaze at her, camera-phones aloft, and she offers them a brief wave.

Inside, the volunteers of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) could not be more excited for a visit from their royal patron. The chairman, Stephen Hand, launches into a stream of compliments about the Princess’s work. ‘If I haven’t made the point clearly enough,’ he finishes, ‘we love her.’

This is her first engagement in a day that will see her travel 421 miles from Gloucestershire to Lancashire, then Merseyside, and back again via helicopter and Range Rover. It is one of 10 engagements in this typical week; she will complete about 450 this year.

‘She’s a dynamo,’ says the CEO of The Pony Club. ‘The best president imaginable,’ agrees the chairman of Carers Trust. ‘She should be queen,’ offers a member of the public. This is said at least once a day.

Not for nothing does she have the reputation as Britain’s hardest-working royal. In numbers of engagements, she and the King vie for the top spot each year. While he and the Princess of Wales have taken time off from public engagements to undergo cancer treatment, the 73-year-old Princess Royal has ploughed on with her head down, her work the definition of ‘unsung’.

Most of the time, that is how she likes it. She has eschewed the ‘rota’ system of journalists, photographers and broadcasters who cover her family’s outings. ‘I don’t go for their benefit,’ she once said of the press. ‘I go for the people who ask me.’

This week, in the middle of April, she has made an exception to grant vanishingly rare permission for The Telegraph to follow her on the road, for a snapshot of her work.

At no small effort from her close-knit team, which has accommodated me in its nomadic office, I have been allowed to document her encounters with the approximately 650 people she has met, the many charities and organisations she has put in the spotlight – and report from inside a Windsor Castle investiture for the first time.

I’ve spent seven years writing about the Royal family, travelling across the UK and the world to watch them at work, but Princess Anne’s no-fuss, no-frills team is unlike anything I’ve seen up close before. Professional and precise, she barely stops – every hand is shaken and every minute counts.

The Plan

The Princess’s diary is set months in advance. Twice a year, her office sends an invitation to 300-plus organisations she is affiliated with, asking for their requests for her time. Typically she’ll receive 1,000 to 1,200 requests a year – some suggest a visit, others ask her to write forewords to books, or ask for meetings. All are compiled into a database, arranged by date and region, and printed neatly in a book for the Princess to study. ‘[She] goes through everything required and decides what she’s going to do and when,’ says a member of the team. A planning meetings follows – and ‘once [the programme is] set, she sticks to it’.

Across the year, the Princess Royal travels the width and breadth of the United Kingdom

Her staff then go through it again to add last-minute audiences into the gaps. ‘The week is there to be filled,’ one long-serving team member tells me. ‘If she’s got a free hour and a half in London, we’ll look again to see what else to add.’

The Princess’s team is small but mighty. There’s her private secretary, Colonel John Boyd, who is fresh from 32 years in the British Army; her deputy private secretary, Commander Anne Sullivan (the double Annes occasionally cause confusion for outsiders); as well as five programme managers tasked with ironing out the exact schedule, right down to how long the Princess can spend talking to each person.

They are aided by 13 ladies-in-waiting, spread geographically, who accompany her out and about. Some of her first, who began working with her in the early 1970s, have only just retired.

‘You never quite know what she’s going to say yes to, but it’s never an outright no,’ says the long-serving team member of her schedule. ‘She’s probably been to more industrial estates than any other royal.

Monday - Estimated miles travelled - 0 (worked from home)

Hands shaken - 8

‘It’s a balance of what do the organisations want, what could she hear or learn or teach here? Every day is a school day where the Princess is concerned.’

At Gatcombe Park, her Gloucestershire home, the Princess’s assistant, Donna, welcomes a small group of eight smartly dressed representatives from the Royal Dairy Innovation Award with a cup of tea and a biscuit.

The Princess joins them once they are settled, in a homely barn conversion with framed seascapes on the walls. She reassures them that it’s ‘not going to be one of those formal events’, then starts grilling them about the Nova Scotian dairy industry and on-shore salmon farming.

Ash Amirahmadi OBE, winner of the prestigious Princess Royal Award, is there to officially collect the certificate honouring his leadership in the dairy industry. Afterwards, when the private engagement has sunk in, he tells me: ‘We had practised our formalities but she immediately put us at ease.

‘I was thinking, “How does she know this stuff, and how does she remember?” I come across eminent scientists and business leaders and not many have a better understanding of the food system than the Princess Royal.’

Ash Amirahmadi, the winner of this year’s Princess Royal Award, pictured with the Princess Royal

Before he leaves, the Princess tells him that she’ll be in touch to sign him up to deliver a speech at a conference next year.

She fits in a horse ride, dodging the worst of the day’s rain and hail she feared could be ‘painful’.

‘There’s no such thing as bad weather,’ she says later, with satisfaction. ‘Only inappropriate clothing.’

Tuesday - Estimated miles travelled - 421

Hands shaken - 200+

In Fleetwood, the wind whips across the sandy beach and the Princess Royal doesn’t flinch. She is there with a handful of volunteers from the NCI, celebrating its 30th anniversary. With an average age of 69, these are the local ‘eyes and ears’ that saved 22 people from trouble in the water last year by raising the alarm.

After a turn with the telescope, the Princess – wearing a navy-blue coat, colourful silk scarf and (the now famous) wraparound sunglasses – reaches the top of the Rossall Point Observation Tower, which looks out over Morecambe Bay, where conditions can be treacherous.

The Princess Royal inspects the Rossall Point Observation Tower

‘It really is extraordinary,’ she says. ‘Classically people say the sea is never the same, but in a place like this it really never is the same. The seasons, the bird life, the activity…’ Everyone nods.

This visit, it emerges, has little in common with most royal engagements, where guests of honour hear how things work. This has more of an air of a diligent business manager checking in on a regional branch. Nothing needs explaining to the Princess, a keen sailor and lighthouse aficionado, and she wins the approval of what could be a tough crowd with on-the-money observations about tide timings.

She speaks sparingly. Questions and remarks are formed from one or two words: ‘Since?’ ‘Previous experience?’ ‘Quite handy.’ She has a reply to everything, having travelled every inch of Britain in the line of duty.

John Bradford, who at 77 is the longest-serving volunteer, waits on the tower to shake her hand, but he is accidentally missed. The Princess is swept on to the next part of the engagement, presenting long-service awards and meeting 25 more volunteers in the nearby Marine Hall, accompanied by her new lady-in-waiting Dolly Maude, a midwife and friend of Zara Tindall who wastes no time in charming the room.

When her team discover someone has been missed out, they tell the Princess directly and Mr Bradford is whisked into the very last line-up.

‘I’m very glad you made it in,’ the Princess tells him, spending an extra few moments in conversation.

Then, plaque and certificate duties completed, she disappears to a back room where sandwiches are on offer. Ten minutes later, she’s back on the road.

It is a cliché that the Royal family thinks the world smells of fresh paint. The ground floor of the watchtower was drained of flood water shortly before the Princess’s arrival and the corridors at her next engagement in Merseyside have the distinct smell of bleach – but at the Wrea Green Equitation Centre in Preston, it is quite the opposite: a muck heap has been left intact. The hosts deem futile any attempts to fool the Princess into thinking it didn’t exist. She is, after all, a life-long equestrian.

She arrives on time; I do not. Without a helicopter, it’s impossible to keep up with her formidable itinerary.

Skipping the champagne reception and tea party, put on to celebrate 25 years of the Pony Club Centre Membership Scheme, the Princess instead strides around the yard watching the young riders and their parade of ponies.

She tours the stables and classrooms, chatting to children about horse massage and how side-saddle is still relevant for people with prosthetic legs, then she holds a presentation of commemorative plaques to 20 proprietors, each of whom has a different chat with her.

When a ‘naughty pony’ in a stable behind her unties itself to join the royal party, she is entirely unfazed.

‘She didn’t mind a bit,’ says Marcus Capel, CEO of The Pony Club – she simply carries on talking while stroking the pony’s ears.

The third engagement of the day: Sefton Carers Centre at Waterloo in Merseyside, which supports unpaid carers. Some of those assembled remember the Princess from 30 years ago, when she opened the centre. She is back to celebrate the anniversary.

Wearing a red jacket that looks strikingly similar to the one she was wearing back then (only the length and buttons are different), she hails a stream of people with a cheerful, ‘I haven’t seen you for a while,’ and, ‘This has changed a bit.’

The Princess Royal visits the Sefton Carers Centre to celebrate its 30th anniversary

Everyone is assembled in horseshoe shapes – her preferred arrangement for talking – and she ploughs on with gloved handshakes, getting through five large rooms of people. Among them are two men in their 90s who care for their wives with dementia, an eight-year-old girl in a wheelchair dressed as a princess, and teenagers who look after siblings and parents before and after school.

Some are nervous; a few curtseys are a little shaky. The Princess has a neat trick: her questions get more specific – no opinions are required, just short, easy-to-recall facts, to help ease them in. ‘Where do you live?’ ‘How long have you been coming here?’

Her own opinions are brief, delivered as common sense. On hearing that GPs don’t see the same families from cradle to grave any more, so find it difficult to support carers, the Princess says: ‘That’s part of the way people live their lives.’

She spends a few extra moments talking to the building’s cleaner, loudly declaring her ‘very important’. When one woman jokes about her long service, adding, ‘I think my face shows it,’ the Princess does an exaggerated double-take and says, ‘I’m sure that’s not true.’

She has another habit, shared with King Charles, of ending engagements by turning back for one last comment, leaving the impression she wishes she could stay.

The Princess Royal cuts the cake, on the promise it will be eaten

Downstairs, she unveils her third plaque of the day. There is a celebratory cake on the table in front of her and an expectant crowd waiting. She takes control of the moment. ‘You want the cake cut? On the basis that you’re going to eat it? Otherwise it’s just vandalism.’

Before she leaves, she is presented with a large rose planter. ‘Oh my word, a monster!’ she marvels. ‘What a lovely thing… I hope the helicopter can cope.’

By the end of the day, in small heels and with the briefest of breaks, she has spoken to at least 250 people. If she’s flagging, it doesn’t show.

Wednesday - Minutes of continuous conversation - 180

Hands shaken - 140

At 11 o’clock in Windsor Castle, Yeomen of the Guard stand on duty in the Grand Reception Room, as the Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra plays quietly. The Princess Royal moves into position, wearing naval uniform, and the orchestra strikes up with God Save the King. Standing on a dais, a red velvet stool placed in front of her, she is ready for a full day of investitures.

The Princess is one of only three members of the family who perform them and while the King and the Prince of Wales have been needed at home, she has been carrying the load.

Some 140 people will receive an honour today, among them Paul Hollywood, who is being made an MBE. The pair discussed the smells of baking, he says later. ‘She loves Chelsea buns. I did promise her some so I’m not quite sure how I’m going to sort it out.’

The Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood was among those honoured by the Princess Royal

Diana Parkes, a domestic violence campaigner who has worked with Queen Camilla in memory of her daughter, is made a CBE. She finds immediate common ground with the Princess via a family member who sold her horses.

One of the large team that makes the investitures happen tells me quietly that ‘you can always tell when it’s HRH’ on duty, because the day takes longer.

In theory, the Princess has her deputy private secretary on hand to jog her memory with details about people as the Lord Chamberlain announces each name. In practice, says a long-serving aide, she sends investiture notes back with her own comments about where she has met people before and which of her patronages they have links to. This is the case ‘95 per cent of the time’.

‘She’s got such a great brain. We often hear, “You must have briefed her really well,” but no, it’s all her. She makes it very easy in that respect.’ As each encounter winds up with a brisk handshake, recipients walk backwards to bow – desperate to get it right before rejoining their watching families. The Princess smiles at each one like they could not have performed it better.

After the 90-minute session has overrun slightly, she takes lunch in the private apartments before repeating it all in the afternoon.

Thursday - Core working hours - 9

Hands shaken - 250+

London’s Guildhall. The Princess Royal arrives via train for The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, a City fundraiser for military veterans which has raised more than £3.3 million since it began in 2008.

To walk in as an outsider is to enter a new world where London’s livery companies (guilds dating back to medieval times) line the corridors with stalls – the Worshipful Companies of Bakers, Fruiterers, Gardeners, Pewterers and Framework Knitters are all there.

The Princess has no entourage, only her protection officers and one lady-in-waiting. She does not bat an eyelid at being escorted in by members of The Company of Pikemen & Musketeers, who wield weapons from the Charles I era and take their roles seriously.

Guests are an eclectic mix – a pearly queen mingles with barristers and bankers, alongside the military. An injured veteran in his mid-30s tells me: ‘In the Army, I’ve often been in front of high-ranking people who don’t care what you have to say at all… She’s different.’

Michael Hockney, co-chairman of the event, says the Princess is ‘very well-known and popular in the City because she’s involved in the livery movements’.

The Princess Royal greets the traders at London's Guildhall

Lunch is served on long tables. The Princess sits with servicemen and women, eating from an identical plate piled with chicken tikka masala, prawn malai, dal, rice and mango chutney.

Ballanupalli Sainath Rao, executive chef, asks if she remembers her last visit, in 2015, when she said she knew the factory of the company supplying the food and thought they could offer more variety than chicken every year. ‘Two meats and three vegetables,’ she suggested. Chef Rao added the prawn dish on that advice. ‘We had a lot of compliments.’

The Princess is plied with goodie bags, including matching socks for her and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, her husband. On her way out, she views a small garden with artwork by children from forces families and inspects a stall from the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers (est 1272); the stallholders have been hastily restocking ice and swatting away flies as they wait in the sunshine.

‘She was saying it’s great to see the array of fish,’ fishmonger Andrew Kenny explains afterwards. ‘She asks really precise questions… It’s very disarming.’

Climbing into a waiting car, the Princess tells the organisers: ‘[I’m] not causing too much chaos, I hope.’ And then she’s off – next stop Buckingham Palace.

At 7pm, the Princess Royal walks through the ‘secret door’, disguised as a mirror and cabinet, which links the Palace’s private rooms to the White Drawing Room, a State Room with a gold piano, familiar from some of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Christmas broadcasts. Tonight, she is hosting a black-tie dinner to celebrate The Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conferences, which bring together future leaders to address pressing problems facing the world. In particular, she is saluting the Canadian team, which has led the way in hosting the conferences and keeping her father’s vision alive.

The Princess Royal enters Buckingham Palace's White Drawing Room via the secret door.

Wearing a long skirt and sequinned jacket in red to match the Canadian flag, she carries a handbag under her arm and wears her late mother’s three-strand pearls. Unlike other royals, the Princess’s team won’t confirm to the press what exactly she is wearing. One suspects anyone who asked would get short shrift.

She spends roughly an hour in the Picture Gallery, working her way through a crowd. One guest tells her of her memories of a drinks reception with the late Queen and Prince Philip on Britannia, during their visit to Ontario in 1984. Asking another about their trip to London, she agrees that walking is the best way to get around, although ‘not at this time of night and dressed like this’.

Ahead of a dinner of poached citrus salmon salad, roasted lamb, and crème brûlée with poached rhubarb, the Princess delivers an eight-minute speech. At one time, she is said to have written every speech herself. Nowadays, she often works from prepared notes, which she edits ruthlessly with liberal red pen strokes and capital letters.

The conferences, she says, were ‘envisioned by my late father, but I suspect he never thought it would last this long.

The Princess Royal greets guests at the Duke of Edinburgh's Commonwealth Study Conferences dinner.

‘At the moment, in these rather difficult times – post-Covid and just generally complicated – it’s just as important to have the ability to bring people together across the widest possible range.’

The Princess will stay on for dinner, sitting at a round table and entertaining guests until long after sundown.

Friday - Minutes on feet presenting honours - 90

Hands shaken - 79

Friday morning and the Princess is back at it with an investiture. There are 79 people this time, with their families, in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.

Neil Constable, former CEO of Shakespeare’s Globe, is here to receive his OBE for services to theatre. He says afterwards that the ‘professional’ Princess knew the brief so well that she could make conversation about both his previous job and his next, at The Musicians’ Company. She told him she had just been to the Guildhall that week for the Big Curry Lunch, adding, ‘You’ll have a great time with them.’

‘You leave thinking, wow, actually we had a really good conversation,’ he says. ‘We talked about her late father Prince Philip being a long-standing patron of the Globe and how some of the timber from the Globe came from Windsor Great Park’, donated by Prince Philip.

‘[She] made it a very special day.’

At this point, I close the notebook that clocks in at 84 pages of shorthand. Everyone – kindly, warmly, generously – is saying the same thing, and we have run out of superlatives. The job, too, must get repetitive but you would never know it. In continually asking questions, the Princess has found a way to keep interested even after all these decades.

Princess Anne salutes at the conclusion of a commissioning ceremony aboard HMCS Max Bernays as part of Fleet Week, in North Vancouver, B.C

She treats her work as a ‘nine-to-five job’, one Palace source tells me. ‘Except it doesn’t often finish at five.’ I have barely seen her sit and haven’t seen her accept a single cup of tea while working.

The week after we meet, the Princess will be in Windsor, Shropshire, Cambridgeshire, London and Cornwall. After that, she will go from the Royal Windsor Horse Show to Canada for a three-day trip with Sir Tim.

She will be 75 next year but shows no sign of slowing down. I am half her age – and after barely a week of trying to keep up with her, I’m off for a lie down.

Weekly total

Estimated miles travelled - 818

Hands shaken - 677+

[dr-reids-fidget-toy]

Idea for a House MD reboot:

Normal House MD shenanigans. Wild cases, House being an ass, Cuddy trying to wrangle House, House and Wilson being homo besties, etc etc. I don’t have any specific plot or episode ideas but at the end of the 1st new season they have one of those fever dream episodes where House is hallucinating, but it’s unclear to him that that is what is happening (like when he got shot). It’s mostly clear to the audience now that the entire season has just been inside House’s head. He has a moment of almost-clarity when he starts to question if what he’s experiencing is real, and at some point after that we see a short glimpse of reality. It is implied that Wilson is dead (cancer). At the end of the episode, House makes the decision to stop questioning his reality. Viewer’s choice on whether to believe he believes the hallucinations are real or if he just wants them to be. 2nd season and onwards, the show continues as normal.

I don’t have specific ideas for who the team would be. Maybe the team changes slightly every few episodes, then more often until it changes every scene, possibly in the same scene, in the last episode of season 1. Then in season 2 it goes back to switching team members every few episodes? I’m unsure about what to do with this part after season 1.

Edit: I’ve thought some more about this and I think there are many possibilities for Reality, for instance:

House is in a group home/psych ward/rehab center, most likely against his will but he’s quite out of it soo

After season 1, there will occasionally be a nurse/carer who walks into the room to give house meds/food/whatever, then leaves. Sometimes the team stands around quietly during this, sometimes they make comments. If there is a patient/other non-recurring character in this scene, they are confused by this (contrary to the team and other recurring characters). House’s reactions vary with his moods, like always

House is on a shit ton of drugs, often overdosing

The glimpse of reality we get in the season 1 finale is of House laying on the floor, barely clinging to life. He looks miserable and happy. This happiness is artificial, a combination of drugs and false reality

House is so overcome with grief and loneliness that his mind breaks

House is in terrible pain (his emotions canonically affect his pain levels) and hallucinating because of this

Possible extra angst if he ran out of vicodin

These ideas are not mutually exclusive.

[kandyzee]

Something I hate when u try defend Debbie, Mandy, Karen, fiona and even Monica is how someone will always come back with the "Frank was abused and you hate him🤡" like yes I do!! Cause its different.

Debbie, mandy and Karen are all teenage girls who show that they have grown from their actions and are better after! Frank is a old man who has had his whole life to work through his trauma and get better. Frank didn't do something wrong and change for the better (in the space or a couple years) like the girls. He forced Monica to keep fiona and did it YEARS later with Carl too. Frank didn't just 1 or 2 horrible things, he did hundreds.

And can we talk about how Frank is a massive factor to why Debbie, fiona, Monica are the way they are?? Frank didn't break the cycle and he abused his kids and his partner. The other 3 actively try not to do that! Debbie is a fantastic mum she's not perfect, but she would never tell her kid to sleep with an adult or insult and belittle her. LIKE FRANK. Fiona spends her life till she is 28 doing everything for her siblings, sure she makes some mistakes, but she would never hurt them on purpose. LIKE FRANK. Monica is a terrible mother, but she tries to get help. She wants to get better, and who is it that almost always pulls her down?? FRANK.

A lot of what Frank does can be explained by his abuse and I really sympathise with him when we meet his mum. I hate that women. But a tragic childhood is not enough for me to forgive a man who has done the following things

-got his very young son kidnapped over a bar bet.

-used a dying woman for money and slept with her knowing she would likely die

-gave his son a bloody nose over a t shirt

-neglected all his children from fionas birth to his own death

-sexually assaulted his wife

-got a convicted pedophile into Congress

-told his underage daughter to sleep with grown adults so that he could sneak into that adults house to sleep

-broke his mental ill wife out of hospital, with the help or his young children

-tricked his son into thinking he had cancer

-tricked his son into being the bio father of 6(?) Kids

-used another mental ill woman for his own enjoyment

-told his own daughter to be "skins" in a game (meaning to take her shirt off 😃)

-forced his 9yr old daughter to become the main carer of all her siblings

-left his 3 very young children on the side of the road while one of them was extremely ill

-lied about being gay to hundreds of people for personal gain

-used ANOTHER mentally ill woman

-became the sponsor to an addict just so he could live with him and later outed him as gay even tho the man wasn't gay ??

-brought monica back into his children's life because he wanted money(he tricked her to coming back)

-has used prostitution services

-steals form pretty much everyone

-repeatedly ignored his youngest daughters attemps at closeness

-hes racist

-seduced his daughter in attempts of getting her liver

-ruined his daughters wedding

-given drugs to a baby with down syndrome

-called CPS on his own kids, particularly forcing his young adult daughter to now legally becoming guardian of her 5 siblings

-creating credit cards under his kids names

-used homeless people to create a second family

-handcuffed his wife to a bed so she couldn't get an abortion

-spiked his kids with drugs

-pretending his kids was homeless and begging with him

-showed clear sexual interest in Karen (a teenage girl)

-tried to strangle his daughter

-He advised Carl to use Chuckie to smuggle drugs, and then gave both of them away for police

-He refused to go Carl's parent night at school, but instead went to Karens

-encouraged his son to be a drug dealer

And that's just what I can remember of the top of my head. So yes FUCK FRANK and love my shameless girls

[mythicalcoolkid]

Okay actually making this bullet points because I have a lot of feelings about it and don't want to be misunderstood. More TL;DR version here

"I wish I was visibly disabled/had X disability instead because my invisible disability isn't taken seriously"

Visible disabilities ALSO aren't taken seriously! No, you would not automatically be taken more seriously, get better care, or have your needs more respected if you were in a wheelchair. Or had cancer. Or couldn't mask. Or had a limb difference. People will still think you're lazy or lying or incompetent

"If I was more severe I'd get the support I need"

Healthcare neglect and lack of resources also affect people who are more severe, even in cases where it's obvious someone needs assistance. Severe people also cannot afford their treatment, cannot travel to places they need to go, do not qualify for charities or disability, experience shortages of medical necessities, are rejected by bad doctors, and cannot access resources they need, just like "less severe" folks. Not to mention severe folks may also be at the mercy of carers, group homes, legal guardians, etc. Severe people get rejected by charities, clinics, and more BECAUSE they're severe - I've had doctors reject me more than once for being too complex. No referrals out, no better qualified specialist, just rejected with a "good luck." The same way that less severe people are rejected for not being "bad enough" to access the service. Resources open up to you at a certain level of severity; resources ALSO close

"If I was more severe, I would have gotten early intervention"

That's not necessarily true. Would you have been diagnosed with the chronic condition you have, or would you have been labeled as a liar or exaggerating, or told you'd grow out of it? And some people are very obviously not abled as kids and still do not get help, whether because parents veto it or because the resources just plain don't exist there

If you did get early intervention, was it accurate and helpful? Would you be diagnosed correctly and given helpful treatment? Would you have been put in programs that severely dehumanized you and caused harm? Would you have to endure the stigma of being visibly different, instead of the stigma of being invisibly different? You would have had a name for what was wrong with you, but it also would become a slur and an easy way to exclude you. You'd still be told you're using it as an excuse, you'd still be bullied and feel broken. You'd still have trauma from growing up disabled

"I wish I'd never been able to mask"

I want you to really, genuinely ask yourself then: why did you mask? Was it beaten or bullied into you? Would there have been consequences for being obviously different? Now consider that there are people who endured the same thing and couldn't mask. They still got abused and traumatized in the same way and kept being abused and got all the negative consequences that come from being inescapably different. People didn't see them continue to be weird and go "oh man I think this kid can't help it, we should stop bullying them"

Masking is traumatic for many, many people! But not being ABLE to mask is not better or easier in any way

"Visibly disabled people and people with common conditions are less acceptable targets for discrimination/have more accommodations"

No. They just aren't. People with disabilities are discriminated against, period. And people are still fully willing to mock visibly disabled people

People in wheelchairs still can't access buildings, get told to drop out of school, and are told their needs are too complex or told they just shouldn't exist in public spaces. Blind people are still told there's no good accommodation for them or that their accommodations are unfair. Having a common or visible disability doesn't change these things. Invisibly disabled people have to fight for their accommodations at their job because they don't "look disabled" and jobs don't want to accommodate them. Visibly disabled people often don't get the job in general - because jobs don't want to accommodate them. The problem is not whether your disability is visible, it's that jobs don't want to accommodate for disability

"People treat me like I'm fully abled and then get upset when I can't handle it"

Visibly/severely disabled people also deal with assumptions. We're assumed to be bitter (or perpetually cheerful), incompetent and helpless, lazy, weak, or any other number of stereotypes, and people get angry when you don't fit that. We face violence for not being appropriately grateful to abled people, get denied jobs because it's assumed we can't do them (and are assumed to be a charity hire if we DO get them), get approached at random to ask why we haven't killed ourselves yet, and all sorts of mistreatment because our disability is obvious. Disabled people who are unable to work aren't treated kindly by anyone, still have to struggle to get by, and often struggle with getting on disability no matter their severity. The struggles are different, but not easier

In short: visible and invisible disabilities have unique traumas and struggles, but being more obviously disabled is not easier than having a hidden disability. Please stop saying you wish you were visibly or more severely disabled

[copperbadge]

Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

Ways to Give:

goodbyeomelas linked to a fundraiser for their cousin, who recently was diagnosed with breast cancer and then shortly after laid off. She needs surgery and chemo, and help covering medical costs and living expenses for her and her daughter. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

valkerymillenia is a carer for her disabled father and recently had to spend months out of work; she's back to work now but needs to raise funds for her father's diabetes medication and her own health issues, as well as food; you can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

jeanninedupree linked to a fundraiser for Morganne, a former coworker whose father had a severe brain bleed and needed to be hospitalized; his FMLA leave is coming to an end and he will be without a paycheck as the sole provider for both of them. She is fundraising to cover mortgage and bills while he undergoes another round of surgery and therapy and she applies for disability. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for killiel, who needs help to cover bills and debt; you can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

Recurring Needs:

Anon linked to a fundraiser for prototrans, a disabled artist who needs help with rent money; he is also offering commissions. You can read more, reblog, and find giving and commission information here.

Anon linked to karla-hoshi or Hoshi on TikTok, who is raising funds for cancer treatment for her cat Naku; they caught the cancer early and hope that he can survive it, but can't continue treatment without funding. You can read more and support the fundraiser here, as well as find links to her updates on tiktok.

chingaderita's partner recently lost their job due to a house fire that also destroyed the house; they're raising funds to keep food on the table, to try and get a supply of water to keep clean and do laundry, and for various bills until they can find new work. You can read more, reblog, and support the fundraiser here.

loversdoom is a college student from the Philippines, studying away from her family, and her parents are unexpectedly unable to support her education; she is in mounting debt and facing eviction from her dorm in her last semester of college. She's raising funds to repair her laptop so she can do her schoolwork and find a remote job that will help her pay rent, and to fund the remainder of her schooling. You can read more and reblog here and support the fundraiser here.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.

[seiryuuchan]

Back in December, re-reading some of Omega Red's older appearances, I started wondering about the name the Soul Skinner calls him here in this panel of X-Men 18:

Vasyliev Arkady. His human name has been given alternatively as Arkady Grigorievich or Arkady Rossovich, but Russian names have three parts, not just two: Given Name, Patronymic, and Family Name. Technically, Grigorievich/Rossovich would not be equivalent to his last name. EDIT: I wasn't able to resolve the mystery of why the Soul Skinner would call Arkady "Vasyliev" Arkady. The closest I could figure out was that it might actually be Arkady's surname (third name), since it can be either a patronymic or a surname. It might also have been meant as an insult, since calling someone only by their surname is how inferiors were traditionally referred to, or how a teacher might address a student, or ironically as in some modern usage.

Which then led me to wondering how his first name would have been chosen?

Russian first names are, or often were, chosen from Greek Orthodox tradition or pre-Christian Slavic names. Arkady is from the Greek "Arcadia" and there was a Russian saint in the Greek Orthodox Church, Arkady or Arkadios of Novotorsk from the 1600s whose saint's days are June 11th, July 11th, and August 14th.

Now I started to get curious about what kind of natal horoscope would Arkady Grigorievich/Rossovich have?

Buckle in with your drinks and snacks, because this is going to be a bit of a ride...!

Given that his first appearance was in 1992 and it's been stated several times he was in cryogenic stasis for 30 years; that Wolverine stated his team's operation to sabotage Omega Red's program was in the early 1960s; and that Arkady would have likely been in his early-to mid 20s at the oldest the time (likely entered military service at 18 if not earlier - this wasn't uncommon back before networked records, and his abilities would have likely been discovered pretty soon thereafter) gave me a rough likely timeframe of 1936-1943ish to consider for his birth year.

Western astrology doesn't give much importance to, or assign characteristics to, the year of birth, but Chinese/Eastern astrology does. Here's the breakout of the animal zodiac signs for each year in that range:

There's a lot of background I'm going to skip over here for the sake of brevity in what's already a long post, but from a thematic point as well as a likely age point, having a heavenly branch element of metal makes a certain amount of sense, not to mention the personality and characteristics usually ascribed to Dragon or Snake.

This was really a tough call, because with all the force of his personality, you might initially think Yang Metal Dragon is the logical choice for birth year. Both Metal Dragon and Metal Snake are ascribed similar traits of unyielding strength and resolve, really a lot similar between both of them for Arkady's observed traits. What really clinched it for me as his most likely birth year (again, following astrology's ascribed characteristics purely for fun) was the nature of Yin Metal Snakes being described as emotionally distant, suspicious, and absolutely undying in either loyalty or hatred for betrayal. THAT sounds like Omega Red to a T!

So 1941, likely in June, July, or August. Let's turn back to the Western zodiac for his sun sign - those mid-month dates give us the likely choices of Gemini, Cancer, or Leo:

Gemini

Flexibility, balance and adaptability describe the Gemini personality. Their responses can be difficult to predict and they may be prone to mood swings, but they can also be generous, affectionate and imaginative.

Cancer

Cancer people are traditionalists, loving a simple home life. They will usually be composed, but that hides a turmoil of moods going on under the surface. They are easily hurt and can be prone to depression, but they are loyal, sympathetic friends and carers.

Leo

Leo people are exuberant and powerful. Born leaders, they won’t hesitate to let you know what they think and that they are right. Which they usually are. They can be brave and intuitive, but may come across as pushy and overbearing. Their bossiness often hides a sensitive soul and an underlying insecurity.

Oh, our boy is HELLA a Leo, then. Hands down, no question!

So in combination with his official biography on Marvel.com giving his birthplace as Novorossiysk, with an assumed birthdate of August 14th, 1941, and after a little adjusting time of birth for rising sign, his natal chart looks like this, courtesy of Astrolabe:

Rising Sign is in 15 Degrees Scorpio

You tend to be quiet, reserved, secretive and, at times, quite difficult to understand. Others notice your deep emotions and feelings and wonder how to draw you out. Stubborn and tough, you fight for any position you believe in. You are very resourceful and formidable when you become angered or upset about something. You enjoy living life at the cutting edge -- for you life must be experienced intensely and totally. Quite courageous, you are willing to take calculated risks. Easily hurt by others, you often strike back with bitter sarcasm. Sensitive and curious, you are concerned with the deeper mysteries of human psychology. Once you have become interested in any subject, you pursue it with total fanaticism.

Sun is in 21 Degrees Leo

More than a bit of a showoff, you love to be the center of attention! But others do not usually mind because they tend to enjoy your genuine warmth and affection. Very spirited and willful, proud and self-important at times, you demand your own way. You are quite honest, however, and the respect of others is very important to you. You never compromise yourself and you pursue your goals with persistence and dedication. Your regal presence and demeanor draws you to positions of leadership and authority. But beware of being overly hardheaded, domineering, ostentatious or patronizing or you will lose the goodwill and admiration that you enjoy. Very theatrical, you live life on a grand scale wherever and whenever possible. Your strength and energy vitalizes those who come in contact with you.

Moon is in 14 Degrees Taurus

Warmth, comfort, security and familiar surroundings are necessary for you to feel at ease. Very loving and affectionate, you prefer a steady, patterned way of life. Patient, calm and steadfast, you are not easily upset. Others look to you for support. You tend to be a slow starter and a slow mover -- others may try to rush you, but they will never succeed. Emotionally, you are quite stubborn -- your attitudes about people and things were firmly set in your youth and will change very little as an adult. You are also very cautious and conservative about spending money. It is not that you are selfish, you just need to feel secure. Beware of a tendency to become overly complacent and too self-satisfied.

Mercury is in 16 Degrees Leo

You are usually quite convinced that your own ideas are correct and you enjoy persuading others that they are. At times, you are very stubborn and proud of your beliefs and principles, and you get very defensive when they are challenged. You appreciate truth and honesty -- you practice it yourself and expect it in others. You have good talent for organizing, directing and planning. You delight in being asked for your advice and counsel.

Venus is in 22 Degrees Virgo

You express your love and affection through selfless service to people or causes. You have a tendency to underestimate yourself and doubt your self-worth. This is very demeaning and should be avoided -- learn to love yourself as well as you do others. Your standards of perfection are very high -- you are attracted to relationships based on duty and responsibility. You are supercritical of yourself and others and, at times, prefer to be alone rather than deal with any imperfections in yourself or in those with whom you might relate.

Mars is in 20 Degrees Aries

You are very independent and self-assertive, and you have lots of physical energy. You are not satisfied unless you can be the first to do something. As such, you are more comfortable in leadership positions than you are as an underling. When you are challenged by anyone for anything, you delight in the competitive process and will fight long and hard for your beliefs. You are bold and courageous and often act without thinking. At times, in your zeal to get ahead, you are tactless and offensive -- learn that cooperation with others can often bring you nearer to your goals quicker because of the support you will get.

Jupiter is in 16 Degrees Gemini

You have a logical, detached, objective view of most things. Your interests are wide-ranging and you are an avid student, with expertise in many different areas. You love to work things out in your mind -- everything you do is reduced to an exercise in logic and reason. You have the ability to grasp abstractions and to deal successfully with the larger issues of life. Your overemphasis on developing your powerful intellect can cause your emotional and intuitive abilities to atrophy unless you consciously choose to exercise them.

Saturn is in 27 Degrees Taurus

Complete freedom of choice makes you ill at ease. You must have a firm, ordered, secure foundation in your life in order to feel comfortable. You do not adapt easily and tend to fear the new and untried. You constantly fear that you do not have enough (love, property, material things, etc.) and this makes you tend toward being selfish, withdrawn and stingy. If you try to surround yourself with supportive people in your environment, you will become more emotionally self-supporting.

Uranus is in 00 Degrees Gemini

You, and your peer group as well, are attracted to new, unusual and revolutionary thoughts, ideas and lifestyles. You prefer abstract, idealistic solutions to practical, immediately useful answers. You delight in communications, the mass media, electronics, computers and all sorts of gadgetry.

Neptune is in 26 Degrees Virgo

You, and your entire generation, idealize work, duty and responsibility. You tend to be very fearful of anything that would force you out of the protective shell of your everyday routines. You place a high premium on personal pride in productivity and craftsmanship. But in your search for perfection in minor details, you sometimes lose track of the overall purpose of life.

Pluto is in 04 Degrees Leo

For your entire generation, this is a time when the relationship of the individual to society as a whole is being thoroughly re-examined. Major attempts will be made to find a balance between the need to be self-sufficient and the need to honor debts of social commitment.

Happy birthday (maybe?) Omega Red/Arkady Rossovich!

N. Node is in 23 Degrees Virgo

You're usually quite at ease in leaving leadership roles in the hands of others. You would rather tend to the thousand and one details that need to be accomplished to keep any group going. Although you're very fussy and high-minded when it comes to choosing your associates, once your loyalty is given you can be trusted with many of the practical aspects of any project that is being undertaken. Usually quite unselfish, you will toil long hours in the service of any worthy cause that demands your attention. But be careful that your perfectionist tendencies don't get in the way of making real progress. (In other words, don't waste your time dusting clean shelves!)

If you made it all the way to the end of this post, thanks for reading! This was a real labor of love for one of my favorite characters in any fandom, I hope you enjoyed the journey.

[eroticcannibal]

Genuinely I would have expected that to turn into "that sex worker / that boy's carers facilitated a boy with cancer being raped" more than anything, I am BAFFLED that it somehow turned into "of course the cancer kid was a fucking incel, thank God he's dead"

Just. Seriously? He was dying and wanted to know what sex felt like. That is so fucking normal for someone that age. He made a request and someone agreed to meet it, how is that worth being glad that a fucking teenager died of cancer??

These people have zero fucking humanity

[sleepymccoy]

My manager quit today after taking six weeks of personal leave and oh shit the rumour mill is working it's magic. An hour later and we have;

He has cancer (inspired by him being a smoker. No other proof lol)

He has a new job and was burning sick leave before quitting (if true, I respect it, but we'll never know)

His husband had an accident and he has to quit to be a full time carer (main point against this is a resident who absolutely knows nothing suggested this)

Head office asked him to leave (mm grain of salt cos the person suggesting it doesn't like him)

They decided to reopen the facility he used to manage and he's going back there (no, he wouldn't quit for that, that's still within our company)

An old manager wants to return and he's generously stepped aside (what??)

[catherinetheprincessofwales]

May 2024: Invest in childhood to unlock £45.5bn a year, says Princess of Wales’s taskforce - The Guardian

Report from group set up by Catherine says business can improve early years and benefit all of society. Business investment in early childhood could unlock £45.5bn in value a year for the UK economy, according to a report by a taskforce created by the Princess of Wales.

In the report, CEOs from eight leading companies urged “businesses of all sizes across the UK, to join us and help build a healthy, happy society for everyone”.

The report by the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, set up by the princess in March 2023, said the figure included £12.2bn from equipping people with improved social and emotional skills in early childhood, £16.1bn from reducing the need to spend public funds on remedial steps for adverse childhood experiences and £17.2bn from supporting parents and caregivers of under-fives who work.

The princess, who announced in March she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy after a cancer diagnosis, was said to be “excited” by the report.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said the release of the report should not be seen as the princess returning to work, but she has been kept fully up to date and seen the report.

Taskforce members announced new initiatives including:

The Co-operative Group creating a specific early childhood fund as part of its unique apprenticeship levy share scheme, and committing to raise £5m over the next five years, creating more than 600 apprenticeships.

Deloitte focusing its ongoing investment in Teach First to include the early years sector for the first time, supporting 366 early years professionals in 2024.

NatWest Group extending its lending target for the childcare sector to £100m, launching an early years accreditation scheme to its staff and producing a financial toolkit for childcare providers to help them grow and succeed.

Ikea UK and Ireland expanding its contribution of support, design expertise and products for babies and young children to six new locations across the UK to help families with young children experiencing the greatest disadvantage.

The Lego Group donating 3,000 LEGO® Education Build Me “Emotions” sets, supported by training materials, to early years providers in the UK.

Iceland Foods providing learning, awareness and support in all 1,000 Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores by featuring emoji posters at a child-friendly height – a practical tool to help customers with young children and to create a space of understanding and support in stores.

Christian Guy, the executive director of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, said it was a “rallying cry” to business leaders to “transform the way our country supports the vital early years”.

The princess, Guy said, “feels passionately about the transformational impact of getting this right, together with business, both for the current generation and many more to come. She is looking forward to seeing momentum grow in the coming months and years.” The work of the centre was “rolling on while she recovers”, he added.

The taskforce – comprising CEOs from the Co-operative Group, NatWest, Unilever, Ikea, Iceland Foods, Aviva, Deloitte and Lego – identifies five areas in which businesses can make the greatest impact for children under five, the adults around them, the economy and wider society.

These are: building a culture prioritising early childhood within businesses, local communities, and wider society; helping the families facing the greatest challenges access the basic support and essentials they need; offering parents and carers greater support, resources, choice, and flexibility with their work; prioritising and nurturing social and emotional skills in young children and the adults in their lives; and supporting initiatives that increase access to quality, affordable and reliable early childhood education and care.

The authors are not lobbying the government for changes in policy, though the report has been briefed to No 10, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Department for Education.

The report was not meant to be prescriptive, but rather a blueprint to start the conversation and encourage companies of any size to adopt initiatives, however small, its authors said.

[boytoykevinday]

Hey I’m an old follower who had been off of tumblr for a couple years until recently. if you don’t mind sharing, what did go down with you and your ex? I came back to find his blog completely gone and I’m sort of interested in the gossip. No pressure tho I get that this is a Big Ask! Feel free to ignore

Oh man,,,,did you miss a LOT

Well to sum it up. We got a divorce a couple years back because she (pronoun change) fell in love with someone else (but you know....no cheating obviously hahaha 🙃)

She then moved 4 hours away to be with the paramour, leaving me and our son by ourselves. Rarely did she even visit. Btw

We ended up moving in with her parents (my ex in laws) and then a few months later our son got diagnosed with cancer and was in patient in a hospital for months with me as his sole carer with rare (I mean RARE lol) visits from others. During one of the child's stays in the hospital, the other parent got engaged! 🥳 yay! Good for her /s (7 months after our divorce)(no cheating tho hahaha 🙃)(actually our divorce hadn't even gone through yet)

Anyway I stayed with my ex in laws while in and out of the hospital with the son for about a year, then I got sole custody and moved to the states! Woo-hoo!

So now we're here and she's there

[the-autistic-agoraphobe]

Disability Parking in Queensland needs to Change

Trigger Warning: cancer, ablism and death

I believe a couple of things need to change in regards to Disability Parking in Queensland (Australia). Firstly I have heard that there are often not enough disabled parks so some disabled people use the parent parks even though they're not parents and sometimes get abused. This is not right that they're abused.

To solve this issue I believe we should have a state wide law where there is a ratio of disabled parks to nondisabled parks at every venue. I think you should look at the population of Queensland and the population of people with disability parking permits to decide what the ratio should be. This way disabled people will be more likely to get a park that they need. All that is needed to be done to do this is get some tradies and blue and white paint together.

At the moment in Queensland only blind people and people with a physical disability are eligible to obtain a disability parking permit. I think the criteria needs to be expanded to include some people with psychiatric disabilities and some neurodivergent people. I can provide some examples for why these groups of people need a disability parking permit.

Some people such as some Autistic people and people with Dementia may elope or wonder off at any given time. This situation can be hazardous in as some people don't have awareness in terms of road safety and may be hit by a car. It may also be hard for their carer to get them through the car park to the venue. I think people who are at risk of eloping or running away should have access to a disability parking permit for their safety. In the UK some Autistic People have disability parking permits. Not all Autistic people need them but many do.

I have Agoraphobia which means that being in open spaces without quick access to a closed in space can cause panic attacks. I feel safe when I am in my car. I can't access some venues unless the car is parked directly outside for fear of a panic attack and even if the car is parked directly outside I can often only access the front of the venue but it's better to be able to access the front of the venue than not access the venue at all. I often miss out on going to venues because there is no available car park that is close to the entrance. It can also be hazardous for me not to be permitted to have a disability parking permit as when I am having a panic attack I have been known to attempt to cross busy roads and had to be restrained. I believe some people with Agoraphobia should be allowed to have disability parking permits if they need them.

Another thing that I have heard of is people with hidden disabilities are getting abused for using disability parking even though they have a parking permit and need the disabled park. This is disgusting. I suggest the Queensland Government funds public service announcements that go on TV that educate the public about hidden disabilities. I also think there should be more awareness about the hidden disabilities sunflower lanyard and its meaning. Perhaps there should be signs put up near disability parking that remind the public that not all disabilities are visible.

I knew a kind lady who lost her battle to cancer. She was abused for using disability parking in the midst of her battle with cancer which is appalling. People battling cancer have the right to use disabled parking as chemo therapy can make them very weak. This is why we need more awareness about hidden disabilities and medical conditions. People with cancer should have access to a disability parking permit from the day they start chemo as some people with cancer are terminal and need to make the best out of the time they have left. Oncologist should be allowed to administer disability parking permits to cancer patients.

If the Queensland Government created more disabled car parks, increased the eligibility for disability parking permits to some neurodivergent people and people with psychiatric disabilities, increased awareness about hidden disabilities and allowed Oncologist to give cancer patients disability parking permits it would make the lives of many disabled Queenslanders much easier.

Image Description:

Kasumi is a 1999 baby furby with a large yellow tuft of hair on her head. Her fur is light pink except for a white square on her belly. Her tail is a big tuft of yellow hair on her lower back. Her feet are white and she has 3 toes on each foot. Her face plate and eyelids lids are both white and her beak is an orangish yellow colour. Her eyes are light blue. She has pink ears. Kasumi is wearing a pikachu onesie. The onsie has yellow ears with black tips at the end of them. There are large black eyes on the onesie. The onesie is mostly yellow and has a small black dot for a nose and a small smiling black mouth. There is a hole that reveals Kasumis face. On each side of the hole there are large red circles that resemble cheeks. At the back of the onesie there is a large yellow tail that is shaped like a lightning bolt. There are two brown stripes on the back of the onesie. Kasumi is also wearing a dark green lanyard with sunflowers on it. The lanyard has a white tag on it with a rainbow infinity symbol. Spud is a grey furby buddy with brown eyes. He has light orange coloured feet and his belly is a lighter shade of grey. The inside of his ears are pink. Spud is sitting in a wheelchair with a blue frame. There is a red car that resembles a Jeep between Kasumi and Spud. End Description.

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in April 2024

06/04 As President of the Working Clumber Spaniel Society, held a Training Day to mark their 40th Anniversary at Gatcombe Park. 🐶

09/04 On behalf of The King, held an Investiture at Windsor Castle.🎖️

With Sir Tim Opened Tideway’s Chelsea Quay, on Chelsea Embankment in London. 🌊

With Sir Tim, As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, attended the 70th anniversary of Re-Hallowing Service at St Olave’s Church, followed by a Reception at Trinity House. ⛪️🍾

10/04 Visited Helmshore Mills Textile Museum in Rossendale, Lancashire. 🧵👕

Visited Trawden Village Community Projects in Trawden near Colne, Lancashire. 🏡

Visited HMS VENTURER in build at Venturer Hall in Fife. ⛴️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

11/04 In Northern Ireland Princess Anne; 🇮🇪

Visited Fleming Agri Products Limited in Derry. 🚜

Visited Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners, to commemorate its 170th Anniversary. 🚢

Visited the South West College Erne Campus building in Enniskillen. 🏫

Visited the renovated Enniskillen Workhouse in Enniskillen. 💼

As Patron of Maritime UK, attended the Northern Ireland Maritime and Offshore Cluster launch Reception at Belfast Harbour Office. ⚓️🥂

12/04 As Royal Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, attended the Northern Ireland Conference at Dunsilly Hotel in Antrim. 🇮🇪👨‍🦽

As Patron of Tenovus Cancer Care, visited a Mobile Support Unit at Bronglais General Hospital in Aberystwyth. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏥

15/04 With Sir Tim As the Former President of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, presented The Princess Royal Award and Royal Dairy Innovation Award at Gatcombe Park. 🐄🥛🏆

16/04 As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, this visited Fleetwood Station in Fleetwood, followed by a Reception at Marine Hall. 🔎🌊

As Patron of the Pony Club, visited Wrea Green Equitation Centre in Preston, to mark the 25th of the Pony Club Centre Membership Scheme. 🐴

As President of the Carers Trust, visited Sefton Carers Centre in Liverpool, to mark its 30th anniversary. 🧑‍🦯🩺

17/04 On behalf of The King, held two Investitures at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

18/04 Attended the Lord Mayor's Big Curry Lunch at Guildhall. 🍛

As President of The Duke of Edinburgh's Commonwealth Study Conferences, held a Dinner at Buckingham Palace for the President's Council and the Caribbean-Canada Leaders' Dialogue. 🗺️🍽️

19/04 On behalf of The King, held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace. 🎖️

21/04 Unofficial As President of the Working Clumber Spaniel Society, hosted a test day at Gatcombe Park. 🐶

22/04 As trustee of the council of St George’s House Princess Anne;

Attended a council meeting at St George’s House. 💼

Attended a Lecture in St. George's Chapel. 🎓

Attended a Dinner at the Vicars' Hall. 🍽️

23/04 On behalf of The King, held two Investitures at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As Royal Patron of the Special Boat Service Association, held a Dinner at Windsor Castle. 🚤🍽️

24/04 As President of the Riding for the Disabled Association, visited the Cavalier Centre, and presented The King’s Awards for Voluntary Service in Farley, Much Wenlock. 🐎🏆

As Patron of Save the Children UK, visited the Lyth, Ellesmere, the birthplace of Eglantyne Jebb. 🏠

Visited the Jebb Memorial Garden at Cremorne Gardens in Ellesmere. ⛲️

25/04 Attended "DNA Day" at Illumina Centre in Great Abington. 🧬

Opened the National House Building Council's Apprenticeship Training Hub at Histon Football Club. 👷

As Patron of the Royal College of Midwives, visited Hinchingbrooke Hospital Maternity Unit. 👶🏥

As Colonel of The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), visited The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment at Hyde Park Barracks. 🐴💂

As Chancellor of the University of London, attended an Institute of Commonwealth Studies Reception at the Senate House, to mark its 75th anniversary. 🎓

27/04 As Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps, attended the National Drill and Piping Competition at HMS Raleigh. 🫡⚓️

30/04 As Guardian of the Chaffinch Trust, attended a Reception at the Reform Club. 🥂

As Chancellor of the University of London, attended a Graduation Ceremony at the Barbican Centre. 🎓

As Commandant-in-Chief of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps), presented Coronation Medals at Wellington Barracks in London. 🫡🎖️

Total official engagements for Anne in April: 39

2024 total so far: 171

Total official engagements accompanied by Tim in April: 3

2024 total so far: 32

FYI - due to certain royal family members being off ill/in recovery I won't be posting everyone's engagement counts out of respect, I am continuing to count them and release the totals at the end of the year.