MAJOR gripe - our old friend, the DWP! Got a call from my advocate this morning that the DWP is bringing my contributions ESA to an end (no surprise there then), and that they had already assessed me as not eligible to receive Income related ESA. Well, this is news to me as I haven't seen or been assessed by ANYONE! She's given them a blasting stating I will NOT be attending any ATOS medicals due to their incompetence as well as it would be too traumatic. Either they do a home assessment or scrap the idea all together! She's waiting for a call back. BTW, the advocate is a friend and is helping me as a favour NOT because I am so loaded I could afford to pay for one!*
But my biggest gripe is with the tax office on why it is they've decided to drop my tax allowance down to 436T (T meaning they're not sure of my 'status') from the personal allowance of £8105 to £4360! I receive a works related pension on the grounds of ill health, but am not sure if they would also deduct the tax payable on my ESA, which I thought would have been taken at source. Either way, I'll be stuffed by about £400 a month. We'll still have our house as my pension pays the mortgage, and we can have running water. But that's about it. Looks like we'll have to forgo little luxuries such as lighting, heat, food etc. Hubby earns less than £5000 a year which also helps to pay the bills such as insurances etc but between us we'll be barely able to scrape through I think. 32 years full time hard graft then the loss of a career through no fault of my own and now this. I wonder if they are taking my pension as being an 'employment wage'? Did try to get through this morning but of course everyone is either on strike or going slow due to the public sector row over yes you've guessed it, pensions!
...anyone out there want to employ a doddery old thing with vertigo, chronic fatigue, seizures and mobility problems and an actively (albeit slowly) growing tumour?
Let me know....!
*Since this was written I have my ESA still at contributions as I know have a small NHS pension, but in the support group until 2015. Now having to apply again for DLA of which I was getting low rate with both mobility and care.
Friday 11 May 2012
Sunday 6 May 2012
On Being All Fangirly...! One for the nerds and fancrushers.
Getting away for a bit from the bloody beast trying to crush my Right Cerebellum, Temporal Lobe and Pons, I thought I might examine what it is that makes a 51 year old, slightly cynical, worn out but happily married female go googly eyed at certain actors etc, as if she were 12 all over again!
I've never hidden the fact I am a proud nerd (mostly Star Trek and other scifi/fantasy television and films) and have enjoyed the characters involved for many years. Of course, characters are played by actors and the character's physical makeup is defined in the most part, by the actor, depending on the costuming and possible makeup involved. I've always liked the slightly left of field, different ideas with scifi and fantasy but also with cop programs, usually the American ones of course. The greatest of which is Hawaii Five O which has been resurrected very well by CBS as Hawaii Five 0 (note the usage of the numerical '0' in the title). Of course, the original will always be the best with Jack Lord, James MacArthur (who had the temerity to die on my husband's 52nd birthday at the far too young age of 72), Kam Fong, Zou Lou, Herman Wedemeyer and Richard Denning. All are gone now of course, except for Al Harrington who played Ben Kokua for one season who now pops up in the new 5-0 now and then. Of course in the new 5-0, McGarrett is played by the wonderfully stacked with wall to wall muscles Australian actor Alex O'Loughlan, with Danny Williams played by Scott Caan, James Caan's wonderfully talented son. But I might delve in to 5-0 history in another blog as I am getting well off topic!
Actors to drool over!
My first T.V love was of course (and still remains to this day) the most fantastic (fictional) man ever created and that is Captain James Tiberius Kirk, captain of the fabled USS Enterprise. Of course the charisma and good looks of actor William Shatner did much to set my childish heart a flutter back then, even now because that crush was rekindled with Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan where Kirk is still an (unhappy) Admiral in Starfleet after his promotion to such between the series and the first Star trek movie. I thought Kirk looked at his most handsome then in the beautifully tailored 'Monster Maroon' jacket. I guess I also fell for Kirk's more melancholy nature as well - hey I was a nurse for 32 years and caring for those in distress is natural to me! ;-)
And I think that's the thing, no matter our real life sometimes we need to escape in to a fantasy maybe but the trick is to very much know the difference and take it for what it is, which when lost can cause all sorts of problems. Most will like and admire the celebrity of their choice, take an interest and allow a certain little kiddie/teenage flutter to enter in. Of course, where the talent comes in, their work is a joy to behold as well so then we go from 'fangirly' to serious sober appreciation of good work and effort. I am glad to have had the privilege over the more recent years to see some great performances plus as well meeting other fans of various TV shows, actors etc and making some great long lasting friendships along the way.
Anyway, here's a list of actors I have had crushes on over the last few decades as well as their characters!
William Shatner* - Captain then Admiral and then back to Captain James T Kirk, Star Trek TV series and movies, also as T.J. Hooker
Jack Lord - Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five O
James MacArthur - Danny Williams, Hawaii Five O. Clay-boy Spencer, Spencer's Mountain (Precursor to The Waltons)
Don Galloway - Ed Brown, Ironside
Ed Bishop - Commander Ed Straker, U.F.O
William Gaunt* - Richard Barrett, the Champions
Lee Majors - Colonel Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man.
Patrick Duffy - Mark Harris, Man from Atlantis. Bobby Ewing, Dallas.
Ron Perlman, - 'Vincent', Beauty and The Beast T.V. series (In `Vincent' makeup).
Scott Bakula - Dr Sam Beckett, Quantum Leap.
Michael McManus - Kai, Lexx.
Geraint Wyn Davies* - Nick Knight, Forever Knight. Major Mike Rivers, Airwolf (4th season).
Ben Miller* - DCI Richard Poole, Death in Paradise. Jonathan Pope, Moving Wallpaper. Howard Steele, Worst Week.. James Lester, Primeval. Other half of comedy duo Armstrong and Miller also Actor, Comedian, Writer, Producer, Director, Ex Particle Physicist... (what's not to love about this man!)
Out of the above, Four* I have had the great fortune to meet in real life and also have seen on stage, studio and at a convention. I guess there will always be a 'fangirl' in me but I am grown up enough now to not lose my head completely. Their talents have done much to entertain, set this knackered heart a fluttering over the years, and fire up the imagination. For that I am very grateful, and make an effort to catch up on their previous work. But in real life they are human beings, have lives, deserve our respect for their privacy and of course, appreciation for their work.
Thank you gents! You've made this mad old bat very happy over the years and continue to do so. It'll make up for my dear husband fantasizing that one day I'll turn in to a young Maddie Pryor...LOL!!
I've never hidden the fact I am a proud nerd (mostly Star Trek and other scifi/fantasy television and films) and have enjoyed the characters involved for many years. Of course, characters are played by actors and the character's physical makeup is defined in the most part, by the actor, depending on the costuming and possible makeup involved. I've always liked the slightly left of field, different ideas with scifi and fantasy but also with cop programs, usually the American ones of course. The greatest of which is Hawaii Five O which has been resurrected very well by CBS as Hawaii Five 0 (note the usage of the numerical '0' in the title). Of course, the original will always be the best with Jack Lord, James MacArthur (who had the temerity to die on my husband's 52nd birthday at the far too young age of 72), Kam Fong, Zou Lou, Herman Wedemeyer and Richard Denning. All are gone now of course, except for Al Harrington who played Ben Kokua for one season who now pops up in the new 5-0 now and then. Of course in the new 5-0, McGarrett is played by the wonderfully stacked with wall to wall muscles Australian actor Alex O'Loughlan, with Danny Williams played by Scott Caan, James Caan's wonderfully talented son. But I might delve in to 5-0 history in another blog as I am getting well off topic!
Actors to drool over!
My first T.V love was of course (and still remains to this day) the most fantastic (fictional) man ever created and that is Captain James Tiberius Kirk, captain of the fabled USS Enterprise. Of course the charisma and good looks of actor William Shatner did much to set my childish heart a flutter back then, even now because that crush was rekindled with Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan where Kirk is still an (unhappy) Admiral in Starfleet after his promotion to such between the series and the first Star trek movie. I thought Kirk looked at his most handsome then in the beautifully tailored 'Monster Maroon' jacket. I guess I also fell for Kirk's more melancholy nature as well - hey I was a nurse for 32 years and caring for those in distress is natural to me! ;-)
And I think that's the thing, no matter our real life sometimes we need to escape in to a fantasy maybe but the trick is to very much know the difference and take it for what it is, which when lost can cause all sorts of problems. Most will like and admire the celebrity of their choice, take an interest and allow a certain little kiddie/teenage flutter to enter in. Of course, where the talent comes in, their work is a joy to behold as well so then we go from 'fangirly' to serious sober appreciation of good work and effort. I am glad to have had the privilege over the more recent years to see some great performances plus as well meeting other fans of various TV shows, actors etc and making some great long lasting friendships along the way.
Anyway, here's a list of actors I have had crushes on over the last few decades as well as their characters!
William Shatner* - Captain then Admiral and then back to Captain James T Kirk, Star Trek TV series and movies, also as T.J. Hooker
Jack Lord - Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five O
James MacArthur - Danny Williams, Hawaii Five O. Clay-boy Spencer, Spencer's Mountain (Precursor to The Waltons)
Don Galloway - Ed Brown, Ironside
Ed Bishop - Commander Ed Straker, U.F.O
William Gaunt* - Richard Barrett, the Champions
Lee Majors - Colonel Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man.
Patrick Duffy - Mark Harris, Man from Atlantis. Bobby Ewing, Dallas.
Ron Perlman, - 'Vincent', Beauty and The Beast T.V. series (In `Vincent' makeup).
Scott Bakula - Dr Sam Beckett, Quantum Leap.
Michael McManus - Kai, Lexx.
Geraint Wyn Davies* - Nick Knight, Forever Knight. Major Mike Rivers, Airwolf (4th season).
Ben Miller* - DCI Richard Poole, Death in Paradise. Jonathan Pope, Moving Wallpaper. Howard Steele, Worst Week.. James Lester, Primeval. Other half of comedy duo Armstrong and Miller also Actor, Comedian, Writer, Producer, Director, Ex Particle Physicist... (what's not to love about this man!)
Out of the above, Four* I have had the great fortune to meet in real life and also have seen on stage, studio and at a convention. I guess there will always be a 'fangirl' in me but I am grown up enough now to not lose my head completely. Their talents have done much to entertain, set this knackered heart a fluttering over the years, and fire up the imagination. For that I am very grateful, and make an effort to catch up on their previous work. But in real life they are human beings, have lives, deserve our respect for their privacy and of course, appreciation for their work.
Thank you gents! You've made this mad old bat very happy over the years and continue to do so. It'll make up for my dear husband fantasizing that one day I'll turn in to a young Maddie Pryor...LOL!!
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| Rob Brydon and I have something in common. We have both been kissed by Ben Miller!! |
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