Family Affairs and other matters

BLACKDOGTRIBE.COM

When talking to Ruby on Saturday at our very glamourous Hennessy Gold cup event – look I’ve even found a photo that isn’t blurred of me, Ruby and Ingrid who is editor of Majesty Magazine:-

We talked for ages about Ruby’s new online project set up to help people with mental illness. They’ve got the basic website set up now – in “beta” form – ie the functionality isn’t all there yet, but they’d still like your views on what you think:-

http://www.blackdogtribebeta.com/

The idea is that a social platform is provided to get more people talking and sharing their experiences of mental illness – you can find your own “tribe” depending on what you are looking for and then you can create and join forums, write blogs and get involved. There are videos of A list experts talking about mental illness.

Their official launch will be in January 2012, but in the meantime the organisers are hoping that you can contribute to the Black Dog Tribe experience by giving them your feedback and suggestions on how to improve our site via their “issuetracker.”

What a great idea.

25% OF US WOMEN ON MEDICATION FOR A MENTAL DISORDER

Can it really be true that a quarter of women in America are on some sort of regular “psychiatric medication?”. A QUARTER OF THE FEMALE POPULATION??? A report from MedCo published last week notes that 25% of US women take meds for depression, anxiety, ADHD or another mental disorder. In men, that number is 15%. [...]

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HP SAUCE BACKS MOVEMBER

HP sauce have been in touch to let me know about their connection with Movember and it’s great – they are releasing a limited edition bottle to raise awareness and much needed funding for men’s health with Movember. The new label will be without Britain’s famous Houses of Parliament, making way instead for a top-hat clad British gent with an inspirational moustache.

In conjunction with the release of their new look bottle, HP is giving Mo Bros across the UK the chance to celebrate and share their top Mo-moments on Facebook www.facebook.com/hpsauceuk – the most enthusiastic Mo Bro stands the chance of becoming the Gentlemanly Face of HP Movember, claiming £5,000 towards their Movember fund and a VIP trip for themselves and three friends to London.

Throughout the month of Movember the HP Facebook page will also host a series of competitions and challenges aimed to Mo’tivate men and bring the Movember spirit to life. HP teams and individuals can have fun and embrace the experience, from bacon buttie adventures to celebrity inspired Mos, and then upload their most Mo-tastic photos to HP’s Facebook page – the best images will receive contributions towards their Mo funds.

Mo Sistas can also get involved and support their Mo Bros – The People’s Choice Award for the best HP Mo Bro will be presented to the Bro who has receives the most ‘likes’ over the course of the month’s challenges.

Registered Mo Bros & Sistas can get involved by visiting the HP Facebook page on www.facebook.com/hpsauceuk and find out more about Movember at www.movember.com

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MOVEMBER FOR GIRLS = “MUFFEMBER”

My friend has come up with a new word which I think is quite a good female approach to Movember and the month of hair growth in the form of (mostly) moustache growing for prostate cancer. We’re not trying to muscle in on your thing particularly, it’s just that I’ve had quite a large response [...]

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MOVEMBER

How are you all getting on??

My teenage son is looking forward to visiting a nearby pub who are offering a free pint for everyone involved in growing a moustache for November month – I’m not really sure he’ll get away with it though – I’ve taken a photograph so that you can see the problem he might have – it’s a little bit bum fluffy (“no offence” – as my daughter would say to cover anything bloody rude that comes out of her mouth)…..we may need to add a bit of dye to it or mascara before he turns up so that they don’t have to use a magnifying glass or worse still turn him away…:-

Whereas on the other hand, here is my brother’s splendid effort thus far. Now he has two more weeks to start developing the handlebars:-

Gosh. Don’t their nostrils look huge taken out of context….So. Let me see your efforts? Otherwise the donation I’m offering is going to one of my family members to add to the charity. Photos please (nostrils included – it’s funnier).

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WHO’S THAT GIRL? (A.K.A. MADONNA)

Who’s That Girl? (a.k.a Madonna)

Here is a post from my blog buddy in Chicago Expat Mum who writes a brilliant blog and our children are all about the same age so it’s always interesting to compare what is going on in the US Vs UK with the teenagers.  Check her out here: expatmum.blogspot.com

So Madonna’s back in the news at the moment because of her new movie W.E. (about Wallis Simpson). She was photographed at very close range the other night at her premiere, by my bloggy buddy Lulu.

If you’ve followed Madonna at all, you’ll know she reinvents herself from time to time.

We’ve had the young, slutty Madonna with the lace fingerless gloves and bows in her hair

the channeling-Marilyn Madonna,

[caption id="attachment_8646" align="alignright" width="205" caption="The channeling Marilyn Monroe Madonna"][/caption]
and the Geisha Madonna: to name but a few.

Apparently her latest aim is to look like Mae West – in her early 70’s

I have no idea why, but I really thought Madonna would buck the Hollywood system and age with grace. Or at least with a bit less Botox and filler than she’s currently sporting. OK, so I knew she wasn’t going to go totally European and Brigitte Bardo-esque. But this? Come on Madge. You can do better”.

What do you think? If you had the money – would you do the same?? Should she be a more responsible role model to the younger generation or is this simply the way forward and I have to start saving now?

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KICK BOXING CLASSES

You know that boxing class I bought my youngest child for his birthday? Well, I joined in and although it nearly killed me we had a great time training together. Then I booked a few more for him and got my daughter (much to his horror) to join in as well. I knew she’d love it and I really want her to do it – great for her fitness and also for self defense if ever required. We have now had 3 lessons together and have already turned into Ninjas. I keep wanting to high kick the first person I see in the street and shout “HAAA YAAAA” in manner of Miss Piggy.

What a shame I didn’t discover kick boxing in my youth. Brilliant exercise and such fun; but now I’m too old to be any good at it and I’ve already got injuries. My arms are so weak they make little “poof” noises when they hit the punchbag and after several minutes of double punches I want to be sick. What is more, it was a HUGE relief to me that during the skip-as-fast-as-you-can drills he makes us do regularly that everything stayed (internally) where it should. I am thinking about mentioning to the gorgeous young male 30 something fit instructor that he should avoid AT ALL COSTS getting middle aged women who have produced three children naturally (if you can call it that) to jump up and down on the spot furiously for 10 minutes. It’s just asking for trouble – a small pool of wee is a probable outcome but a full on uterus ejection is also entirely possible.

Anyway, yesterday when we each had 5 minutes with him in the ring at the end, he stopped me after about 3 minutes and said to my children “now, here is an interesting example of what I mean when I told you that I want you to start developing your own fighting style. Unlike you two, your mother is maintaining control of the centre and I’m having to move around to stay out of her way – she has a far more aggressive style of fighting than you two – did you know your mother had such an aggressive streak in her?” and they both make faces at him that say, (if there were little bubbles above their heads) “does the pope shit in the woods and would he mind just popping out and calling the social services quickly before they have to leave with me and get beaten to a pulp later on”.

How odd that this should come as a total revelation to me. Up until now I have never ever hit anyone (except my ex husband; once, shortly after some particularly devastating news). I certainly didn’t think I could throw a reasonable punch. I did try and explain that there was a lot of shit going on in my life at the moment and perhaps that was why I was enjoying taking my aggression out on him and/or the punch bag. He thinks I should keep coming back. He thinks its very good for me to beat the shit out of something. Some might call it therapy.

Back soon to tell a rather awful story about what happened next.

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