Jan 6

London to Brighton: Week One

A colleague of mine asked if I had any new years resolutions. Normally I don’t bother but it got me thinking and I decided that I would like to take part in the London to Brighton bike ride in June for the British Heart Foundation. Having never done anything like this before, it is a bit scary but what the hell, you only live once and all that so here I am!

It’s 55 miles, featuring four hills, the largest of which is supposed to be pretty horrific. That’s basically all the bad stuff. The good stuff is that I’ve decided to do it early enough to start training at a gentle pace, and that registration doesn’t open until March 2nd, so I still have plenty of time to back out.

At time of writing, my laptop seems to have died, so I’m typing this on my tablet, which is awkward for adding hyperlinks etc so please bear with me!

As is my way, I’ve put together a Google Doc with an outline of my training plan and a list of handy links which I’ll be adding to as I go along. Using an app on my phone, I’ve worked out that my average speed is about 12 miles per hour, and I used jog.fm to put together a playlist of 120 beats per minute, which should help me keep a regular pace. Typically, that 12mph is made up of very slow uphills vs slightly faster commutes, I’m not terribly fussed about going as fast as some of the cycling blogs I follow. Not that I dismiss their achievements, speed is just not something that interests me. My aim for the London to Brighton is simply to complete it, not to race it.

Superlover is a keen long distance runner and recommended that a good way to train would be to increase distance by 10% each week, with 2-3 rides a week. With the amount of time I have until June 16, I’ve set myself a less ambitious target of 10% every fortnight, starting with 5.5 miles today. I actually did 6.1 miles (and cycled home too) visiting two friends of mine, James and Liz, who will hopefully be taking part with me providing I keep peer-pressuring them. It took me 50 minutes in total (including stopping to check directions and stopping to pick up my jacket that fell into the road) and was not difficult for me in any way. I’m confident that an 11 mile ride would be achievable, but still want to put in a few more 5.5ers while I am in the early stages of training as I don’t know enough about potential negative effects of taking on more than I can handle.

So what did I learn?

Umm, not a lot for such a short ride. It was the first time I rode around Regents Park at night so didn’t realise how badly lit it is. My spermtastic front light just wasn’t strong enough so I’ll need to invest in something brighter. I like the look of the Knog Blinder, but might need to settle for something a bit less bling and go for a Cateye or something instead. Recommendations would be appreciated!

The other thing I need to invest in is a decent backpack as my handbag, whilst reflective, just wasn’t big enough for my jacket, tablet, makeup bag, Kindle, kitchen sink etc. I hate the fluorescent sporty look, even though it’s really practical and it helps car drivers to see you and all the rest, and I won’t care about style when I get run over by a bus but there must be a better way? I went to Cyberdog in Camden last week, maybe I’ll go back there and see if they sell cool fluorescent bags (edit: I like the look of this one). Or just sew bigger reflective lightning bolts to a bigger messenger bag. You can find my Spotify playlist by searching for “Cycling 120 bpm” and I’ll post the link to my training plan as soon as I have internet access on my laptop!

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Sep 30

My Busy Weekend.

Posted in Uncategorized

This is more of a personal diary entry than it is a witty take on something I’ve read about on the internet, just to give you a heads up.

It’s been a busy weekend for me!

  1. Went to a 3 year old’s birthday party, the daughter of a friend of mine. My, how they grow up so fast. And my, how loud children are. Learnt 3 fun things to do with a parachute and a group of small children, none of which involve jumping out of a plane.
  2. Cycled lots. Lots and lots and lots. From my flat in North London down to London Victoria, then from East Croydon to Sanderstead (upfuckinghill), with lots of errands in between. By 5pm, after going to the supermarket, birthday party, visiting my mum, visiting my grandparents, to buy a cake tin with a removable base, and then back home again, I was knackered. But not so knackered that I couldn’t cycle to the Ig Nobel awards today and back again, albeit very slowly. FEEL THE BURN!
  3. Two friends I like and respect a lot had opinions that I didn’t expect people in my circle of friends had about the recent allegations of groping that have gone on at SITP events. My firm bosoms take on it is that I do not believe any of the women who have come forward about their experiences are exaggerating (even though I haven’t witnessed it myself*), and that generally speaking if women were believed and backed up when they spoke out about it then this sort of thing may not have been as apparently widespread as it seems. Whether the allegations are true or not, we are taking this very seriously. See Tessa’s blog on the subject and Michael’s blog that kicked it all off. See also Everyday Sexism for the soul destroying daily grind of what it’s like to be undermined and treated as an object in a range of environments. *As someone who has been publicly groped a lot (for having an ample rack and several visible tattoos), I can’t articulate how angry it makes me, and how difficult it is to speak out about it there and then when nobody else in the group of people around you notice/care that it happened. “I don’t want to ruin the atmosphere by causing a scene, so I should just let it go and get the fuck away from here” is something that has crossed my mind far too many times. It’s much easier to come to the aid of someone else than it is to stand up for myself. Not sure why that is though.
  4. Spent time with friends, some of whom I don’t see often enough.
  5. The flat that I live in is apparently for sale, though the landlord hasn’t sent anything to us in writing about it. Dreading a shitstorm of paperwork, but hoping it will all be ok.
  6. A birthday cake I made for a friend was accidentally taken onto the stage at the Ig Nobel Awards but we rescued it and took it to the pub afterwards and it was all very jolly.

Here is a picture of Martin outside the Ig Nobel Awards, reading a magazine that I thought was a practical joke by the Quackometer. Click to see Hayley's blog post on the subject.

comments: 1 »
Jun 21

Choo Choo For The Froo Froo!

Ha! Oh Femfresh, a vile product and now an insipid marketing campaign to match. Behold the joy that is:

Clicken to embiggen!

The slut that I am, I regularly go to the family planning clinic and asked one of the nurses about this a few weeks back, she literally held up her hands and said “DON’T EVER USE IT!” Then she pointed at the space between my legs and said “That is a self cleaning oven, let it get on with it!” I fucking love the NHS. She also muttered some stuff about God designing it that way, which I won’t repeat here as it was kind of gross what she said, suffice to say she believed it had been intelligently designed and that *someone* enjoyed the task.

She had no idea how Femfresh has a market at all, given that it’s actually kind of dangerous to use, but I suspect it’s something to do with the idea that our vaginas are dirty, all that menstruating and fertile discharges and hair, god, just so much hair.

Top tweeter, Guardian writer, and rampant feminist, Naomi McAuliffe, wrote an article recently about a Michigan state representative being banned from a debate for using the word “VAGINA”, and it got me thinking about all the other words we use for our vaginas to make them sound nice. Urban Dictionary got there before I did with this rather lovely and comprehensive list (in no discernible order):

copher, cunt, pussy, twat, cooter, beaver, fish lips, taco, camel toe, muff, snatch, fuck hole, garage, oven, love button, penis glove, cock sock, cock pocket, JJ, hoohah, bajingo, cum dumpster, sperm bottle, goop chute, slit, trim, quim, pooter, love rug, poontang, poonanie, cooch, tunnel of love, vertical bacon sandwich, bearded clam, cookie, cooleyhopper, nookie, the pink, honey pot, cunny, vag, meat curtains, hatchet wound, putz, fur burger, box, front bottom, gash, kebab, kitty, minge, snapper, catfish, vertical smile, lovebox, love canal, nana, flower, the cum dump, chocha, black hole, sperm sucker, fish sandwich, cock warmer, whisker biscuit, carpet, deep socket, cum craver, cock squeezer, slice of heaven, flesh cavern, the great divide, cherry, tongue depressor, clit slit,laps, fuzz box, fuzzy wuzzy, glory hole, grumble, man in the boat, mud flaps, mound, peach, piss flaps, the fish flap, he furry cup, stench-trench, wizard’s sleeve, DNA dumpster, tuna town, split dick, bikini bizkit, cock holster, cockpit, snooch, kitty kat, poody tat, grassy knoll, cold cut combo, Jewel box, rosebud, curly curtains, furry furnace, slop hole, velcro love triangle, nether lips, where Uncle’s doodle goes, altar of love, cupid’s cupboard, bird’s nest, bucket, cock-chafer, love glove, serpent socket, spunk-pot, hairy doughnut, fun hatch, spasm chasm, red lane, stinky speedway, bacon hole, belly entrance, sugar basin, sweet briar, breakfast of champions, wookie, fish mitten, fuck pocket, hump hole, pink circle, silk igloo, scrambled eggs between the legs, black oak, Republic of Labia, juice box, Golden Palace, fetus flaps, skins, sausage wallet, Holiest of Holies, sugar hole, The Death of Adam, home plate, Deer Hoof, Golden Arches, Cats Paw, Mule Nose, Yo Yo Smuggler, Mumbler, Dinner Roll, Crotch Waffle, Piss Fenders, crack, Melvin, Dove Breast, Brakepads, Vedgie, Slurpy, Vacuum Vulva, Pastrami Flaps, Hot Tamaki Walk, Buffalo Gums,Rooster Jaws, Wagon Ruts, Beaver Teeth, Mumble Pants, Ninja Boot, Marcia, Skin Canoe, Fatty, Mossy Jaw, The Big W, Chia Hole, Lip Jeans, Beetle Hood, Hungry Minge, Welly Top, Frum, Pancake Fold, Tongue Roll, Bologna Flap-Over, Furrogi (Poland), Fortune Nookie, Bearded Taco, Calamari Cockring, Displabia, Slot Pocket, Bluntfrunt, Fishamjig, Pole Magnet, Pocket Pie, Clamarama, kitty cage, Chicken’s tongue, Conch shell, Crack of heaven, Dog’s mouth, Door of life, Fly catcher, Fruit cup, Jelly roll, Lobster pot, bunny tuft, knish, her asshole neighbor, lotus, nappy dugout, moneymaker, womens weapon, tackle box, bone hider, red sea, pizzo, jizz recepticle, The Helmut Hide-A-Way, hairy heaven, furry 8 ball rack, crave cave, arbys with fur, fish canyon, toolshed, snake charmer, Furby, Enchilada of love, Ham sandwich, Camarillo brillo, Brazilian caterpillar, dick rack, boy in the canoe, flesh tuxedo, Mound of Venus, queef quarters, Venus butterfly, cream canal, apple pie, pie, wet mark, private area, thresher, punash, salami garage, slurpee machine, pink cookie, penalty box, ground zero, meat crease, bait, birth canal, holy grail, pole hole, pork pie, fuzz bucket, one-eyed python trail, bubble gum by the bum, stink rink, theme park, saloon doors, pink truffle, bitter & twisted, burger bar, meat counter, temperamental ringpiece, python syphon, big bud, the Wombsday Book, the condo downstate, snake lake, the indoor barbecue, pound cake, beef tomato, tickled pink, launch pad, horn of plenty, the indoor picnic, hamper of goodies, flapped bap, bonefish, close encounter with the turd kind, sperm bank, man’s charity bash, bush tucker, midnight dip, the one-door vulva, the welcome opponent, the Twatlantic Ocean, temporary lodgings, field of dreams, bean, cooze, old catchers mitt, devil’s hole, lucy, pish buffet, pooswaa, poonaner, davey jones locker, pink panther, tinker bell, south mouth, dick eater, wonder bread, wolly bolly, foxhole, hot pocket, head catcher, Lawrence of A Labia, silk funnel, dick driver, purple people penis eater, ponchita, cherry pop tart, fat rabbit, scunt, pee jaws, mingus, The Notorious V.A.G., dugout, babyoven, penis parking, cooter muffin, the promised land, cha cha, the shrine, bitch ditch, fury pink mink, mammal hole, ever-lasting cum stopper, the toothless blow job, happy flappy, wilt chamberlian’s daily glove, the code defierthe salt water taffy factory, mommy’s pie, the easy bake oven, the deflower patch, the virginator, the schlong sucker, the dea bone patch, the vegitarian’s temptation, the vegan store, the blow hole, the pump protector, bag pipe, Spitball Bullseye, meat wagon, pickle stinker, jezebel’s smell, yoni, willys haven, scrumpter, peach, sweat box, yeast pocket, penis warmer, tampon tunnel, penis pothole, cucumber canal, egg drop Box, sperm shack, dick dungeon, cock curator, b.o.b.’s bungalow, mommy parts, tuna pot pie, nice slice, peter vise, rack of clam, peters grove, penis purse, grandest canyon, fish dish, banana box, tuna spread, pink portal, count fapula, red river gorge, happy valley, revolving in/out door, baby zipper, richards house, stop-n-pop, bone polisher, packin shack, weiner wrap, clap trap, dildo hotel, axe gash, pearl hotel, sea food six pack, clam canal, coose canal, dick deposit, wand waxer, vidgie, erie canal, candy kiss, gauntlet, round mound of beehound,lick n’ stick, lap flounder, tomahawk chop, chin-chin, pachinko, cuntry pie, lip tip, the big casino, one eyed worm hole, amazon forest, cock cave, fuck donut, coochie pop, babby, wet seal, pissy froth hole, bald biscuit, the unmentionable, mans ruin, peeshie, hairy potter, courtney cocksleve, panty hamster,deep pink, jaws of life, gizmo, faith, cock magnet, slippery slide, Meat tunnel, pink heaven, squid, dick basket, hot spot, poochika, pudding, bowl, love cave, squeeze-box, he bone collector, goodie basket, depository, pink turtleneck, bread-box, little debbie, pole hole, pandora’s box,snail tracker, cuntzilla, homebase, pud pocket, bear trap, indian bones and the temple of poon, chanch, big montana, noochie, choot, golden valley, nappy roots, dick mitten, mystical fold, red bread, meat locker, douche luge, pushin cushion, cocktease

For the record, my new favourite is “Ninja Boot”, and I haven’t spotted the Femfresh advert with “Cum Dumpster” written on it in bold lettering yet.

Heeee-yah! Judo chop!

How different from Urban Dictionary’s definition of ‘penis’, which waits until number 12 before listing any synonyms (Pen15 club doesn’t count), and even then the list is piss-poor:

1. Wanger
2. Love Length
3. Schlong
4. Boomhound
5. Vainy Love Tree
etc

For the record, that “etc” is theirs, not mine. I don’t think “vainy” is a word, but it definitely should be. I presume they meant “veiny”.

So how about my second source of synonyms on the Internet, Thesaurus.reference.com?

penis

- no thesaurus results

What the hell? I had to go all the way to Wiktionary before finding anything even approaching the impressive list of potential names for my vagina, Vagina, VAGINA:

  • baloney pony
  • chopper
  • cock
  • crank
  • dick
  • diddly (sometimes childish)
  • dingaling
  • ding-a-ling
  • ding-dong
  • dinger (North America)
  • dingus
  • dingy (childish)
  • dink (Canada)
  • disco stick
  • dong
  • donger (Australian, UK)
  • dork    [WS]
  • fuckpole
  • jimmy (US)
  • johnson
  • John Thomas
  • joystick
  • knob (UK)
  • lad (Ireland)
  • langer (Ireland)
  • love muscle
  • love truncheon
  • male member
  • male rod
  • manhood
  • meat    [WS]
  • meatstick
  • meat stick
  • member
  • membrum virile
  • organ    [WS]
  • package
  • pecker
  • peen
  • pee-pee (childish)
  • pee-wee (childish)
  • penis
  • peter
  • phallus
  • piece    [WS]
  • pink cigar
  • pink pennywhistle
  • pintle
  • pizzle (Australian, UK)
  • pork sword
  • prick
  • pud
  • rod
  • sausage
  • shaft
  • shlong
  • skin flute
  • snake    [WS]
  • spitstick
  • tallywacker
  • tadger (Australian, UK)
  • third leg
  • todger (Australian, UK)
  • tool    [WS]
  • trouser snake
  • unit
  • virile member
  • wang
  • weapon    [WS]
  • wee-wee (childish)
  • whang
  • wick
  • wiener (childish)
  • willie
  • willy
  • winky
  • yard (obsolete/archaic)

We win, sorry boys!

I’m proud of my vagina, I grew it myself, and I’ve never received any complaints. Marketing fail of the week goes to Femfresh for failing to understand the ‘social’ part of social media. Shame on them for trying to put shame on us.

Thanks to @victohenry for pointing this out to me <3

comments: 2 »
Apr 20

Spam Curse

Posted in Ranting, Uncategorized

Here’s a tip to pass on to anyone who has to answer the switchboard/phone. If a stranger calls and says any of the following words or phrases, it is a spam call:

  1. “Myself” as in “You’ve been speaking with myself.”
  2. “Yourself” or “yourselves” as in “We’ve been speaking with yourselves.”
  3. “Obviously” as in [me] “What is this regarding?” [them] “Obviously we’re just trying to follow up with yourselves…”
  4. “You see” as in “Obviously, you see, we’ve been trying to talk with yourselves from when my colleague passed this query on to myself.”

RAGE.

I am not unsympathetic to the fact that times are tough and it’s difficult to find a job that pays a living wage, so sometimes working in a call centre is the only job around. I don’t have a problem with call centres, my mobile phone customer service is always great (I understand I’ve been very lucky with o2), but it’s the phrasing that seems to be particular to those who work in call centres. When did it start? Who’s idea was it? Who made these (probably lovely) people talk like this for work?

In the interests of openness, I did get caught out by the BF using the words “Going Forward” in an otherwise normal conversation the other day in place of “Next Time”. Eek.

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