although there are many fan-made teasers out there, I think this one is for real. if so, it has a totally different mise-en-scene to any other vintage of trek. I think itss cool, but…mmm, somethings not quite trek about it. mind you, they said similar things about daniel crig as james bond, and look what happeened.

Its oout at christmas, so the cripple is issuing an order to his family – as is tradition, we are going to watch this film as a family. ok? mark and kat return from paris, luke from manchester or wherever. We can go as one family to the cinema. what do you say? Make it so

Bit of crip-related news tonight. Katie Thorpe, a teenager with cp, will not be having a hysterectomy. I think this is very good news, and a victory for disability rights and logic over what constitutes, in my opinion, narrow-mindedness and condescendtion.

link

Far be it for me to relish in another person (or team’s) defeat, but I’m exceptionally pleased that someone has finally ended the Australian cricket team’s unbeaten streak. ‘India denied Australia a record 17th straight victory by dismissing them for 340 to win the third Test by 72 runs.’ Reads the bbc site. Hahaha. To be honest, while the Australian team impresses me, I think its bad for the game for one side to be too dominant or invincible. However, when I brought this subject up over lunch in the wes today, nobody seemed very interested. Mind you, two people at the table, ash and Steve, are American, and Maria is Portuguese, so cricket means very little to them. Grr.

Most people were recovering after a bit of a heavy night last night, too. I had fun, freezing my butt off in a dress. As I say, fuck knows why I do it – its a pain in the ass, but it draws me like a moth to a flame, and trying to explain it, even to myself, is like trying to explain cricket to Americans.

Tonight is the gangsta ball. Its organised by the student film society, so I’m definitely going. However, I thought putting tights on was hard till it came to these goddamn stockings. Why ddo I do this to myself?!

We’re just off out, but there’s just enough time to link to this story of a paralimpian called Oscar who wants to compete in the normal Olympics. The thing is he has been banned because he uses special springy prosthetics which allow him to run faster. Boo! I say, let him run! It’s high time we crips had some advantage over norms. Mind you, then I could compete in my electric wheelchair, which would be great fun until it comes tot the hurdles. Buzz….ouch…buzz…ouch…buzz…ouch…YAY

Today is interfaculty cup day. It’s been rather cool: did some reading this morning, and this afternoon I’ve been zooming around from sport to sport watching bits and bobs. I can’t believe that, in less than a year, they’re going to start tearing campus down – it’s quite a beautiful place, much better than the Crewe campus, which is small and ugly and far too dense. I met up with the dean earlier, on the touchline of the rugby pitch: I hadn’t seen him since graduation day, last summer, and was very curious about something. I asked him who got the loudest cheer, from where he was standing. He replied that, not only did I get the loudest cheer of my particular ceremony, I got the loudest cheer of them all! We then started to discuss my second graduation: to be honest, I’m in two minds about going. It won’t be the same. Anyway, a lot of water must pass under the bridge before then. In the meantime, my head is once again inflated.

Although its full of crappy Americanisms, like the horribly nauseating subtitle ‘live forward’, yesterday I came across a new social networking site called disaboom. While I have yet to fully explore it, the site, like Ouch, has many interesting articles and discussions to engage with, but, unlike ouch, is written from a non-u.k perspective, which, for me, gives it a novel quality. I look forward to investigating it. Besides, how can I resist a website with ‘boom’ in the title?

link

Today I found out about something odd called machinima: its where people use games platforms to create films. Short films have been made using quake 4, and more recently second life. At first I must admit I was revolted: it’s the project of the bored and geeky, who don’t have the first clue about making a film. But it then occurred to me that this is a democratisation of the filmic art: now all you need is a game like quake, and you can make a film. No more need for editing software or even cameras. No more need for actors, costumes and props. Film is now as accessible as writing, a prospect which fascinates me. I’ll certainly be looking into this more, perhaps even as part of my Masters. link to the wikipedea article on it

I was just in Crewe seeing a man about a fish. Needed to get some things from the shops; ash is cooking tonight and she needed eggs and oil. Trips to Crewe are now fairly routine: I know what I want, and go get it. I must admit I enjoy the change of scenery too.

This afternoon’s trip went well. The sun was out at last; Crewe town centre was crowded, and the bus home was packed. I feel that people treat me with a reasonable amount of dignity; the shop assistants were very helpful. Its all very pleasant.

Yet it was as I was wheeling back up hassall road that I passed three boys in hoodies. I was reasonably cheerful, minding my own business, when, as they passed, one said ‘spacker’. Why? Why did he say that? I wasn’t doing any harm. Why did he insult me for no reason. I hate such people: people who cling to outmoded stereotypes. People who think they’re being big. What puzzles me is why he said it. I don’t understand.

I fail to see whats so heroic about this. I’d have done no less. Only i’d have caught the fucker because of the superiority of brittissh wheelchairs over american ones. I feel the woman acted as any other person would have done. no doubt she felt victimiised and therefore angry,, but nevertheless part of me askss why is this so special?