The beaver is a proud and noble animal
Notes from a bemused canuck
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Here are a few pics of my apartment. It's starting to feel hom-E-y. I didn't put any pictures of the bedroom because there's only a clothes rack with my laundry in there right now, but I'll put some more when I get my own furniture.
Edited cause you're all pervs.
Nurses warn over teen group sex
Teenagers are taking part in a group sex activity known as “daisy-chaining”, nurses have claimed.
School nurses at the Royal College of Nursing's conference in Harrogate said colleagues in parts of London had become aware of the practice. Nurses warn daisy-chaining, where acts are performed with multiple partners, puts teenagers' health at risk.
They said the problem showed how school nurses' work had changed from checking for “nits” or giving immunisations. Concerns about binge drinking and drug abuse had also changed their role, school nurses said.
Judy McRae, a sexual health nurse in London, said: “Colleagues are coming across reports of groups of young people having sex in large groups. “It is known as daisy-chaining and is obviously very worrying as far as sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy is concerned.
“As we understand it, it involves groups of older teenagers going round to each other's homes and having sex in a similar way as swinging. It is very new and is only just starting to be talked about.”
Steve Jamieson, an RCN sexual health adviser, highlighted a case involving a 14-year-old boy who was diagnosed with HIV, which he had contracted through sexual activity, though not through daisy-chaining. The boy had been shocked to realise that someone so young could be diagnosed with HIV.
Other sexual health nurses said peer pressure was causing young boys to become sexually active earlier. Liz Allan, chairman of the RCN School Nurses Forum, said some children felt under pressure to provide sexual favours because they are part of a gang culture.
“Most school nurses at some time in their career will work with children and young people who are subjected to sexual exploitation, that's boys and girls who prostitute themselves. “These are children who are being exploited sexually who prostitute themselves as a result of coercion, violence, trafficking,” she said.
Ms Allan said children could also sell sexual favours for money.
Research involving more than 1,200 school nurses in the UK, conducted by the RCN, found that 90% were dealing with providing sex advice and support. Two thirds said they had also supported youngsters with substance abuse, and 90% had dealt with obesity problems.
A spokesperson for Terrence Higgins Trust said: “Risky sexual practices like this are the fastest way to spread sexually transmitted infections like HIV.
“It's very worrying that young people are putting themselves at risk in this way.
“Sex and relationship education must improve so that young people know how to protect themselves and their sexual partners.”
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/4489967.stm
Apparently, British weatherpeople are just as useless as their North American counterparts. After being soaked yesterday, they were forecasting more of the same today so I didn't really want to go out, but it ended up being a nice day. Went to run an errand for the Katygirl at Barclay's bank – which they bunged up – and then went to Tesco's again to get a new frying pan (the one that I had here was poo), a potato masher (cause mine is probably somewhere on the Atlantic at the moment) and a roast chicken (cause they make a really nice richard-no-death-allergy one and it goes well with chip night). I'm starting to get my bearings now. I know how to get to Tesco (food), Asda (walmart), Boots (pharmacy), Heffers (bookstore) and a few interesting shops I will need to patronize when I get paid.
We tried the fare from the chippie near my house. Nice. Really nice. It's times like this that I really really hate my allergies, cause the smell in that chippie is something else. Their curry gravy for the chips is droolworthy but would proably be death-in-a-styrofoam cup. I keep saying that the day I want to off myself, I'll simply sit down at an all-you-can-eat international buffet. One very positive point about moving to the UK is that their label laws are really good for my peace of mind. I've discovered a ton of new stuff I can eat, which is good for morale but potentially bad for my waistline. Hmmm, jaffa cakes and penguins.
Going to stay in tomorrow and start doing a bit of background reading for the job I'm going to start on tuesday. Yup, tuesday. Time stops for no man.
And no, not that sort of wet. Pervs, all of you. For shame.
I went walkabout again today. It was raining softly when I left and never really stopped for the whole time I was out. Now that I'm home and enjoying a warm drink, there's a glorious sun shining outside. Took the bus to the Grafton center and did a bit of shopping, then went walking along Newmarket road to find out where the Tesco and the Asda are. Managed to get turned around 3 times on the same piece of road, a record even for me. Bewildering moment of the day: when you take the bus, you pay according to the route you're taking (meaning that there's no fixed bus fare for anywhere in the city). Amusing moment of the day: the bus driver I had going uptown was the same I had getting back home, and apparently, he recognized me (“didn't I drive you up here a while ago?”).
I bought a plant. Now granted, it's a pot of coriander, but it's still green and requires water, so it counts as a plant. The good news is that even if I kill it, I can still eat it :D
I've already mentioned the fact that there are no screens in my windows and this freaks me out. Here is further proof of this. The rental people finally came and cleared out the couch and bed that came with the apartment this morning. They took them out through the french doors in my bedroom. The ones I promised myself would never be opened. About 5 minutes after I shut them for good, I hear a “thonk' from their general direction; to see this FRIGGIN HUGE bumblebee flying into them. Now let me rephrase that. When I say FRIGGIN HUGE I mean golf-ball sized.
This does not make me happy.
It's a good thing I have my leatherman with me these days.
So far, I've used it to build my couch, my TV stand and my breadbox. Yes, I have a breadbox. I feel so domestic, saying I have a breadbox. I just like the word. breadbox, beadbox, breadbox. Anyway, as I was saying, with my tools in a box somewhere on the Atlantic, it's a Very Good Thing I'd packed my leatherman in my suitcase.
I'm trying to make my apartment into a home. It still doesn't feel like that yet; more like a hotel. The sofa-bed is actualy really comfortable, and I have high hopes for the rest. I just need to start decorating it. Getting my furniture in will go a long way for the rest. I got my TV this morning, and I should be getting online tomorrow. They're also supposed to come pick up the old furniture then.
Katy and I went on a walkabout in Cambridge yesterday. We walked to the train station, where Katy's going to take her train to work and I'm going to catch my shuttle to work. After that, we walked up to the Granfon Center, a cool shopping area. There are a few shops I'm going to patronize when I get a bit of loose money. Funny detail, when I asked the shopkeepers for business cards, none of them had any. Seems that cards are not a british affectation.
It took about 2 hours for the NTL people to hook me up. Apparently, when the landlady said that there was a cable hookup, she meant that there was a hookup to the outside areal. Hooking up my cable involved drilling a hole through the wall and tacking a coax cable along the baseboards. I hope she doesn't throw a wobbly. The good news is that I am now back online.
Leaving for my place in Cambridge to set up house for good. Won't have internet until monday. Behave, all of youz.
Activate yeast with one cup warm water and 1 tsp sugar. Mix and let stand for 15 minutes.
In a big mixing bowl, sift together 2 cups flour and 1 tsp salt. Add yeast mixture. Mix well, adding flower as needed to make a firm dough. Let stand in oiled bowl for 25 minutes in a warm area. Knead dough and stretch to form a pizza crust.
Blind bake crust for 10 minutes at 350F. Top as desired. Cook at 350F for 25-30 minutes.