Life with Aspergers

As I often do I will start this post with a links section, before moving on to the main part of the post. I will also be sharing some high quality pictures – enjoy!!

LINKS

Given the title of this post I am in this section dealing only with the non-autism related links that I wish to share – the others will be handled as part of the other section. First of all, courtesy of the Independent, a truly appalling landmark that this government has ‘achieved’ – one million food bank users. Next, through Huffington Post comes a story about Faith Schools. As someone who is a part-time minimum wage worker, I would not necessarily expect the London School of Economics to have much to offer me, but this post from that quarter is a devastating indictment of what this government have done to wages in real terms.

I have a great interest in science, and this article concerning discoveries about the element Lawrencium and its place in the Periodic Table is well worth reading.

All except those who would murder folk whose beliefs differ from their own will find my next offering shocking but sadly unsurprising. It comes courtesy of Padraig Reidy.

A survey boat named the Humber Guardian has been moored in the Great Ouse lately. The boat is owned by Briggs Marine, and I was reasonably encouraged by what I found on their website.

There is a campaign going on at the moment to get the Sun to show Katie Hopkins the door. This is because her latest offering would have made Hitler blench. For more details, here is an article in the Independent.

Tomorrow is the last day on which people who are not already registered to vote in the General Election coming up on May 7th. 38 Degrees are running a campaign to get as many people registered to vote as possible. The process is very straightforward. I provide two options:

38 Degrees

Gov.uk

My final offering comes courtesy of Tom Pride and provides further grist to the mill of those of us who (like your correspondent) reckon that another five years of Cameron and co will be unendurable. Enjoy this catalogue of horrors!

A PICTORIAL INTERLUDE

Before moving on the main part of the post, here are some pictures for you to enjoy…

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This picture and the next four are from framed maps that can be seen in The Crown, East Rudham
This picture and the next four are from framed maps that can be seen in The Crown, East Rudham

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The first of four shots of Humber Guardian, mentioned in the Links section.
The first of four shots of Humber Guardian, mentioned in the Links section.

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LIFE WITH ASPERGERS

I was diagnosed with Asperger’s at the back end of 2006, by when I was already 31 years old. I got involved with Asperger East Anglia very soon after that, and out of that came what is now the King’s Lynn Asperger Support Society (KLASS). The group was originally established as local support group under the aegis of AEA, but when they lost their funding to run such groups in October 2012 we decided to keep going as an independent group. Since then, we have had no funding at all. In 2013 we were able to use King’s Lynn Town FC‘s community hub as a meeting place, but then they changed the times at which they were available ton the public in January 2014, and since then we have had no formal meeting place.

Perhaps the area in which I have personally been most affected by having Aspergers Syndrome is in the world of work, where I went eight and a half years without having a paid job, until I got my current job at James and Sons in April 2013 (merely by going in to work on Tuesday I will officially make it two years in this job). Initially my job was for 12 hours per week, and I was therefore still on jobseekers allowance (yet another thing the Tories are consistently dishonest about is the number of people who have jobs but still need benefits to get by as the amount of money these jobs bring in is so little).

I have not directly run in to the kind of treatment that has caused Kevin Healey to be in a long-running dispute with twitter. Kevin is still trying to get twitter to protect him properly, and as part of that change.org have a petition running on his behalf – and I urge all of you to sign if you have not already done so, and share as widely as possible, starting now.

My twitter account is growing steadily, helped by the fact that I always have good photos to share, talking of which, here are a few more…

Stonework from King's Lynn Minster
Stonework from King’s Lynn Minster

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What can neurotypicals do in the way of autism acceptance? You can find out by reading the wise words of Autism Mom.

I am nearly at the end of this post, but one more thing I wish to do is signpost another blogger with an Autistic Spectrum Condition who has recently signed up to follow this blog, David Snape.

My very final words concern something very important to me: research. Ignorance is so often the father of prejudice, which is why I take part in research projects at every opportunity. I want more people to know about Autistic Spectrum Conditions and to appreciate the abilities that many of us possess. For those who have made it right through to this stage I have two final messages:

1) Please share this widely

2)TY3

The First Butterflies of the Year

First up some important pointers for you…

LINKS

First and most important, I have been helping with a research project by an American. If you have Asperger’s Syndrome and are a social media user (and would be willing to answer some questions about these things), Rocio Watkins would like to hear from you. She can be contacted by email: rwatkins11@apu.edu

For bird fanciers there is an excellent and informative piece about the Himalayan Griffon courtesy of Phuket Birdwatching.

I provided links to several views on the Tory plans to extend Right to Buy to housing association properties, but I think this one is also worth a look on left futures.

The Guardian has an excellent piece about disability rights, focussing on the work of Lee Ridley.

The latest news on activities by the Tory Department of Dirty Tricks comes from Mike Sivier of Vox Political.

On the same theme, a humorous piece from Glynis Millward.

My final offering is an excoriating piece about a horrow show officially known as  The “Gay Conversion Therapy” conference. John P Ointon, whose blog Notes from the North is a regular source of good material and who has reblogged me on a few occasions (so he has good taste alround!) provided this savage (but very amusing) account.

Butterflies

I am not suggesting, let alone stating, that these are the first butterflies I have seen in 2015, but they are the first that have been around long enough for me to catch them on camera. I have used one of them as a basis for the very latest version of my twitter thank you message. Most of them are of brightly coloured butterflies, but  did also get a pure white one…

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The white butterfly - these are almost as numerous as the brightly coloured ones but move much faster.
The white butterfly – these are almost as numerous as the brightly coloured ones but move much faster.

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Here specially for you is that thank you message!
Here specially for you is that thank you message!

Of course, it was not just butterflies in evidence on this walk. There were lots of other photograph worthy sights, some of which I will conclude this post by showing you…

The only picture not from today - this was at the bus station yesterday morning.
The only picture not from today – this was at the bus station yesterday morning.

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A wall of purple flowers
A wall of purple flowers
A single purple flower up close.
A single purple flower up close.
Mother and child.
Mother and child.

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A sensible sign, sadly being ignored by far too many.
A sensible sign, sadly being ignored by far too many.
A last butterfly shot, from the end of the walk.
A last butterfly shot, from the end of the walk.

Winter Sun and the Lower Purfleet Freezes Over.

We are in a post Christmas cold snap. There has been nothing yet to approach the icebergs on the Great Ouse of half a century ago, but at 11:30AM today under a bright sun the lower Purfleet was frozen. Birds of various species have been enjoying the conditions in spite of the cold. “Cormorant Platform” where the Nar joins the Ouse had no fewer than nine visitors today.

I have two days worth of pics to share with you (got some good ones yesterday too)…

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Gulls and terns walking on water!
Gulls and terns walking on water!

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This is the first of today's images.
This is the first of today’s images.
The next two images show the improvements happening at Hillington Square.
The next two images show the improvements happening at Hillington Square.

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Now we have some cormorant images.
Now we have some cormorant images.

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Behold - the lower Purfleet frozen!
Behold – the lower Purfleet frozen!

The Nar/Ouse area and VJB Day

To start with the second part of my title: VJB Day stands for Victory over Julien Blanc Day – it has been confirmed today that this vile specimen of Homo sapiens will not be admitted to Britain.

Today has been ridiculously sunny for November, so I have been out and about taking photographs, many of which my twitter followers have already seen. I now share some of the finest with my blog readers…

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Monday in King’s Lynn

Having been confined to barracks all morning as I was waiting for two deliveries (both materialised – my new tenancy agreement, and a Christmas present for a cousin that I then had to send on to Australia) I was glad to get out and about immediately after lunch, especially as the weather was pleasant for an English November.

Therefore, having taken the package for Australia down to the post office, forked over a noticeable amount of cash and obtained proof of posting I set off on a walk in the course of which I obtained some decent photos even while restricted to the old Samsung (a phone call to the shop in Dereham revealed that the components were delivered at the end of last week, so I really should not have much longer to wait).

My twitter following continues to grow at a satisfying rate, with 400 rapidly approaching.

Now for some pictures…

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