Looking back from Westminster Cathedral towards Victoria Street in London. I really want to go back to this building and take some more shots as I think there is so much more it has to offer than the images I got.

St Pauls Cathedral is such an impressive building, especially stunning on a beautiful sunny day.

So i said in the previous post i was taking my second driving test, well i failed again by 1 silly little thing, i forgot to indicate a couple seconds before i should have when turning into a minor road from a major.

I seriously beleive that the DSA (driving standards agency) and its staff are desceetly told to fail people wherever possible, to maximise the sale of tests, and to possily to get more experience to become a realy good driver??? Well its no longer becoming an issue, rather an expense, as it £67 to pay for the actual test, then another £57 for the hire of the instructors car, and its just feeling as though "will i ever pass this thing", how many times do i have to pay for someone to sit in the car watch me drive, and they intentionaly start the test knowing they are going to fail you. Annoying, so annoying.

The tube and underground system is getting even more cramped as each drivless day goes by, and my car is waiting to be colleted by me, minus the pink card thats called a driving licence.

You know, as soon as i get the car, i will be leaving the house in such a happy mood, putting the music in the car on full blast with the bass box which i aim to install inside it, do a bit of flirting at the traffic lights and zoom off into the office, with the shirt i ironed the night before non-creased as a result of getting on a jam-packed tube train. Dreammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm it, and it will happen, eventually.

Although my sister passed onher fifth test in an automatic car lol, i am begining to take bets on what test i will pass on, 3rd, 4th etc, payday on friday so i can book another test hoepfully within the next 2 weeks, i should get a cancellation that i can take which would be excellent.

So ime non-motivated, no energy, everything seems to be blah blah blah blah blah, and ime not understanding anything, i havnt been drinking, as i dont drink, its just being ill. And when you have a shit laod of work and everyone is on your back to get this and that done asap, does not make the day go quciker i tell you that!

So tonight i am going on another Lindy-Hop lesson with my colleague, its the 1920'1930s Jitterbug swing swtyle dancing, absolutely love it, so i cant wait for that, maybe that will help me not watch the clock and help the day go quicker, so good luck to me for that lol.

Hope all you readers are all well and good, and not suffering from the credit crunch and all that bullshit, seing the same phrases day in day out is startingt o annoy me a little always the same "economic downturn" "credit crunch" "recession" blah blah blah blah blah!!!!

Till next time i write, which i cant guarentee will be soon, depends how quickly my motivation goes up realy!

Sam xx:)xx

Tuesday 2nd September i had my driving test at 08:40am in Essex UK. So i had been driving furiously for the past 2 months, 2 hour lessons every night even on saturdays and sundays, in the hope that i could pass the test and get a car by the end of August.

FAILED!

Why did i fail? It was my first test, i didnt know what to expect, and i was so nervous i could have passed out before i even turned the ignition on. Having an examiner who is a sarcastic smug woman who fell out the arse of satan did not help either.

So to add to the nerves, and the prospect of failing a test which i have just paid £150+ and the fact my examiner was the antichrist, i made very silly mistakes during the test. In the UK you are allowed 15 minor faults and thats it. If you get any Serious or any Dangerous its an instant fail regardless if you got no minor faults, and they wont tell you untill your test is finished.

So i noticed 5 minutes into my test i could see that that Lucifer had already ticked a Seriouse box, which meant i had faild the test already, so i tried to gather my nerves and anger as well and carried on driving untill eventually she pulled me over and said "ime sorry to say you havnt passed this time and smiled and got out the car".

Doesnt take a brain surgeon to describe how i felt after that! So anyways i booked another test for next week which is Wednesday 17th September 08 at 17:10, thankfully not at the same test centre where the devils sister works. Again this one cost me £76, add that to 2 hour lessons and the cost of hiring the instructers car to complete the test, would bring the grand total of money spent learning to drive in the past two months to over £2,000.

So is it worth it? Working in central London and living there too would seem to be the one place on earth where you would not need to have a car, as the London Transport is everywhere and you could virtually get anywhere in the capital within 30 minutes using either the over-priced and under-maintained tube system, the Busses that you pay £2 for a single journey yet no seats are ever available because drunk alcoholic schitzophrenic lesbians on crack and meth are sitting in them, or you could get a Taxi.

But the reason i want acar, and need a car, is that the money i spend paying for travel to and from work, would easily cover the money it would cost to fill my car up with petrol, and not only be able to travel in the comfort of my own car, but with my favourite mp3's blasting out at top volum at the same time.

My car would not.......

• Get trapped at trafic lights due to signal faliure at another set of lights 500 million miles away down the road.
• Brake down due to passengers in the back seat activating the emergency alarm whilst driving through a tunnel.
• Have to park up due to congested back seats and short staffing problems.

So you can see why i want a car so much and why its worth putting all this money into it simply to be able to travel in peace and comfort. The only dis-advantage is that the lessons and actual tests are so expensive and can real dis-hearten you if you fail it because you wonder where all that money has gone in the past two months of being a learner, and you still are told your not safe to drive on your own yet.

I take it as a good thing that i didnt pass the first time round, as having a few more lessons can only make me a better driver, and a more confident driver too.

So everybody keep your fingers crossed and hope that i pass this test next week (17/09), and i may give you all a lift home if i pass too.

Anyways i have to log off now and pretend to look extremely busy and intrested in spreadsheets, so will update you all very soon.

Oh by the way i have included a picture of my examiner that failed me, please recognise her if your taking your driving test too...

Keep Reading and have fun.

:)

Having secured the 2012 Olympic Games, London is having a bit of a face-lift currently, in preparation for its international presentation. 

And Mayor Boris Johnson commented that, "Tourism is key to the capital's economy and it's vital that we remain ahead of the competition attracting visitors from around the world all year round."

Capitalising on the city's heritage buildings, its centuries of history, its cultural diversity and its modern cosmopolitan scene, it seems the London has definitely got what it takes to excite its visitors.

For information on visiting the UK and applying for visas to live and work there, take a look at www.workingin-uk.com!

One thing in particular that has triggered my hibernation mode, is the same five words which are being repeated on every news and current affairs programm known to exist. Even in the newspapers the inetnet other blogs everywhere is the same five words.... "disgraced former popstar Garry Glitter blha blah blah".

Now its covered by almost every news organisation in the west and in Asia at the moment, every newspaper every TV prgramme and every online article is putting Garry Glitter in their spotlight and making sure everybody knows that he has been refused asylum in every Asian country and has no choice but to return to the United Kingdom, which he admittedly put up a struggle to accept this was his only choice.

Why does an alleged convicted peadophile deserve so much publicity, that actual real "news" could possibly have to highlight important major world issues? What the fuck are the media thinking right now?

We have wars all over the world, occupations which are active, people that are dying from the lack of basic materials needed to live, and yet, Garry Glitter moving half way across the world is currenly more important than any of the above?!

Nobody cares about what he did in the early ninetees, or what his career was, or what hes done, or what hes doing now, yet the media is forcing everybody else to constantly watch his every move, when infact this could be done to actually help improve other issues highlighted by the world media, but no this is more important some how?

To me, this just proves that although the media has the biggest influence on how the world reacts to incidents and events all around the world, and how they influence people world wide to take notice of things which genuinly need attention from the world to help resolve any difficulties that are preventing the situation from sortingitself out, the media actually cares more about a "celebrity scandal", which in my view is just sick and should not be allowed, if anything people wonder why the the "west" lives in a celebrity-obsessed culture, well this is why.

You would think with all the different run media organisations big and small aorund the world, that have a diverse mix of journalists, who all have a very different approach to reporting and writing, that they could at least use their own headliners, or introduction to reports, but no! all of them are using what seems to be his new legal name now "disgraced-former-popstar-garry-glitter".

I wonder how many people have actually noticed how the media are using the "popstar" connection to gain attention and reactions, as they already know the "west" is celebrity obsessed, and the second they link an event or person or object to the culture of "celebrity" no matter how important it is or how minor and stupid it is, they know people are going to drop everything to just to read what its about, and for only one simple reason, its not because they care, or they are genuinly intrested, its the "pop-star" and "celebrity" link that they are all unaware is being used.

Even peodophiles and major criminals are gaining celebrity status simply because of the coverage that is being given to them, when these people genuinly need to be distanced from society to either help them become aware of what they are doing, and to help them recover and fit back into society as a person which is no longer deemed a threat.

We are well known for our reserve which at times can make us appear standoffish, but if you take a bit of time to understand our customs and get to know us, you’ll realise that we are quite a nice bunch really.

When arriving in a new city it is all too easy to bury yourself in work rather than getting out and seeing the sights around you. After all, finding out about what is on and where to go can take a lot of time and energy. Therefore, whether you are here with your family or on your own, it can be rather daunting finding your way around a new city.

Admittedly, our world famous (or should that be infamous) weather doesn’t lend itself as a motivating factor to ‘get out there’ and experience our culture. Perhaps you are unsure where to start? After all there are few cities that can match London’s diverse social scene. It has so much to offer: the Royals, famous museums and galleries, Wimbledon, afternoon tea, local pubs, oodles of historic buildings, exhibitions and markets to name but a few.

If you are finding that a lack of time and local knowledge is stopping you from getting out and experiencing what our great city has to offer then there is a solution. It will mean never having to spend another lonely night in front of the TV.

I thought that might grab your attention. Are you interested? Do you want to learn more? Well, how about trying a pre-organised social event. They are a great way to enjoy some exclusive VIP experiences and to meet like-minded people – the networking opportunities are endless. All you have to do is browse through a list of forthcoming social events and book; it’s as simple as that. You will then be able to sample all the luxury, culture and history that London has to offer.

So now you are in London there is no excuse not to be out there enriching your British experience. There is so much to see and do, so don’t miss a second of it.

The SaVVy Club^® - Who else wants to have 'once-in-a-life-time' experiences and socialise with the highest quality people in London?

The online advert for iced coffee featured the well-known US television chef Rachael Ray. She was wearing a black-and-white checked scarf around her neck that resembled a traditional Arab keffiyeh.
This fashion choice incensed at least one prominent conservative blogger, who said it evoked extremist videos.
The blogger, Michelle Malkin, called the garment "a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos".

Stylist's choice
Other criticism followed and the coffee and doughnuts chain has now decided to drop the advert.

Fashion statements may seem insignificant, but when they lead to the mainstreaming of violence - unintentionally or not - they matter
Michelle Malkin

In a statement, Dunkin' Donuts said the silk scarf had been "selected by Rachael Ray's stylist and that no symbolism was intended.

"But given the possibility of misperception the commercial was no longer being used."

This has caused a fair amount of consternation in some quarters but the conservative blogger at the centre of the row has praised the decision.

"Fashion statements may seem insignificant, but when they lead to the mainstreaming of violence - unintentionally or not - they matter," Ms Malkin has written.

Now, one fing yeah, take the quote "it evoked extremist videos. " Now i cant see me, my mum, my great great dead grandparents, going shopping in New Look, Oasis, Hennies, Dorothy Perkins, seing a nice chequed black & white pretty scarf, and going "oh look, the scarf, now lets go chop people up and film it on da mobile fone?" i dunt fink so!

Anyways, read the comments that have been made in response for this article, there fucking hilarious, and so to the point! Make yourself giigle.................

I regularly wear socks in support of my extremist friends... who also wear socks.
Gordon Broon, London, UK

Along the same lines, I suppose we should stop showing faces in all advertisements, as it is well known that all terrorists have faces. Clearly, by showing even a single face, we are also supporting terrorism. Shame on Dunkin' Donuts for submitting to the ignorant populous.
Jessica, Beijing, PRC

Look at those eyes, dark brown, very dark brown...makes you shudder. She is a terrorist ..no doubt.
Ross Bingham, New York, New York

What a lot of nonsense! Terrorists wear trousers too - maybe we should all forego those lest we unintentionally indicate support.
Kate, Guildford, Surrey

I suppose they won't ban guns on TV as terrorists use them as well?
Fen Oswin, London

Brilliant! Everything that is wrong with America in a single news story. Neo-Con extremism, the inability to distinguish between 'Arab' and 'terrorist', corporate kow-towing to inarticulate ranting, and huge diabetes-inducing donuts with icing on top.
Mike, UK

When I read this I almost spit my Dunkin' Donuts coffee onto my computer screen. Come on now, a fashionable scarf on many store shelves is now a terrorist statment? Let's take a quick look at everything we should pull from the shelves then, because extremists use them in videos... cars, knives, pants, shirts, water, paint, flags, books, music, jackets, hats... It's a great shame a simple ad generates this kind of response in the USA when it is not warranted. I wish everyone would just take a step back and smell the flowers.
Jude, Hewitt, NJ USA

According to her stylist, Rachel Ray was wearing a white scarf with a black Paisley pattern. If the War on Terror has morphed into the War on Paisley Scarfs then I support the world-famous pattern with its Persian origin, which was popularised by the great textile mills of Paisley, Scotland. If you are not with us, you are against us!
Rob, Paisley, Scotland

I can't even fathom this. The conservative blogger needs to get a life. It is just a scarf, and doesn't have any Islamic message associated with it. I can't believe Dunkin Donuts allowed themselves to be manipulated by this kind of stupidity.
Scott Meneely, Pittsburgh PA USA

Those who complained better not come to Leeds! They are all the rage here. I never knew so many Muslim extremists surrounded me! I just thought they were typical students...
Gill, Leeds, UK

I am an expat living in the Middle East, and over here almost everyone here wears the traditional Arab headscarf. The idea of banning this very headscarf in the United States because it 'symbolizes' extremism would seem very absurd, if not outright stupid, to the millions of moderate Arabs here in the Midde East.
Maaz Yasin, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

My goodness, get a grip! How does the ad "evoke extremist videos" exactly? Aren't there other, more important things to get riled about than a Dunkin' Donuts advert?
p dub, Wellington, New Zealand

What an absolutely ridiculous thing to do, I have a scarf very similiar to the one shown that I bought in Topman! I know, I'll complain that Topman supports Muslim extremists via the medium of scarves.
Mark Johns, Warrington, England

Original Link to BBC Article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7427206.stm

I read with interest the article ‘Capital Costs?’ on the BBC News Website, highlighting the fact, that unlike many other major Cities, London tourist attractions such as the Tower of London and the London Eye, are indiscriminative in their pricing, i.e. charging both local people and tourists the same (high!) admission fee. Having visited many different countries where the admission fee is lower for locals, allowing them to visit and understand their heritage and stand proud, I think attractions in London should also follow suite!

How can we share stories of our experiences of the Tower of London in a hostel in New Zealand if we can’t afford to visit it ourselves. After-all, there is no better marketing and promotion than word of mouth!

I suppose a London or UK Travel jetPack would help any tourists visiting the UK to plan and save money!

Tarkan

Don't you want to go to London? At least I do. I want to see London Eye, eat a Egg & Bacon brunch and check

out Madame Taussads. And I found this hotel, The Trafalgar Hilton. I looks really good. If Im going to London sometime I gonna stay there! And of course I wanna shop 'til I drop! Id like to visit Urban Outfitters, Harrods (Just for looking at it...) and Punky Fish for example. I really fell like going to London more and more as the days passes by!

T-shirt, Guns n Roses, Urban Outfitters, £32

by Jeanne Hambleton © 2008

NFA Leader Against Pain-Advocate

An email arrived at my inbox this morning warning of the dangers of too much information.

As if it is not enough with our Govt.  taking money from us without our permission, we now have to put up with more ‘robbing hoods’ stealing our money from the bank.

This information which is called cell phone advice is certainly worth recommending to friends and family.  

It reads, “I never thought of this...
This lady has changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile 
phone after her handbag was stolen.

Her handbag, which contained her cell 
phone, credit card, wallet... etc… was stolen.
Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him 
what had happened, hubby says 'I received your text asking about our Pin 
number and I've replied a little while ago.'


When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn.         The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. 
Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account. 



Moral of the lesson : *Do not disclose the relationship between you and 
the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, 
Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc.... And very importantly, when 
sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.


Also, when you're being text by friends or family to meet them somewhere, 
be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you 
don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet 'family and 
friends' who text you.



PLEASE PASS THIS ON

I never thought about THAT!  As of right now, I no longer have 'home' named on my cell phone.”

The moral of this story is get your own PIN number and do not share it with anyone. Take care and beware. Jeanne 

by Jeanne Hambleton © 2008

NFA Leader Against Pain-Advocate

It is great news from the USA with a second fibromyalgia drug now approved by the FDA (Food & Drugs Administration).

The news released by PRNewswire reveals the new drug called Cymbalta (R) (duloxetine HCl), manufactured by Eli Lilly & Company  (NYSE: LLY), a leading worldwide pharmaceutical company, has been approved by the FDA as the first serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor with proven efficacy for reducing pain in patients with fibromyalgia.

Patients suffering with osteoarthritis, who have taken the new drug, have already reported a reduction in the pain severity in their knees.

Madelaine Wohlreich, MD, and medical advisor and research physician at Lilly said, "The approval of Cymbalta is important because it provides physicians and patients with a new treatment option shown to help reduce pain and improve functioning in this difficult-to-treat disorder."

While the cause of fibromyalgia remains unknown, scientists believe it may be related to some combination of changes in brain and spinal cord chemistry (i); or genetics (ii); and possible stress (iii). Many researchers claim fibromyalgia is a disorder of increased sensitivity to pain.

How Cymbalta works for people is not fully known, but medical experts believe it increases the activity of two naturally occurring substances called serotonin and norepinephrine. These substances help communication in various areas of the brain and spinal cord that affect emotion. Research also suggests that these substances are part of the body's natural pain-suppressing system.

Lynne Matallana, president of the National Fibromyalgia Association who suffers with fibromyalgia, is reported to have said, "The FDA approval of Cymbalta for the management of fibromyalgia is another important step in the efforts to ensure that people with fibromyalgia will have the availability of effective medications to help reduce the chronic, widespread pain of this life-altering disorder."

In the USA it is estimated that approximately 5 million people (2% of the US population) suffer with fibromyalgia. The victims are mainly women (iv), (v). There is no known cure for this condition, which causes widespread pain, chronic fatigue, insomnia, cognitive disorders, and many other problems.

Daniel Clauw, MD, professor of medicine in the University of Michigan's Division of Rheumatology and director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Centre at the University of Michigan said, "In fibromyalgia, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing the disorder."

Cymbalta has received four approvals from the FDA for different complaints. These include fibromyalgia, the management of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP); the treatment of major depressive disorder; and generalised anxiety disorder, for adults aged 18 years and older.

DATA

Lilly established the efficacy of Cymbalta in two pivotal three-month clinical trials involving 874 patients with fibromyalgia. In both studies, Cymbalta reduced pain at study end point compared with placebo as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) 24-hour average pain scale. (vi),(vii). The BPI is a scale that measures the severity of pain.

Significant improvement in pain for Cymbalta vs. placebo was observed in the first week of each study. Fifty-one percent and 55 percent of patients on Cymbalta had a 30 percent improvement on the BPI at end point (clinically meaningful relief is considered at least 30 percent pain reduction (viii)).

In addition, 65 percent and 66 percent of patients taking Cymbalta, 60mg daily, reported feeling better at end point as measured by the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I). The PGI-I is a patient-rated scale that evaluates how much improvement has occurred since beginning treatment.

Cymbalta 60 mg was superior to placebo on the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) Total Score. The FIQ is a scale that is used to assess and evaluate the impact of fibromyalgia on aspects of health and functioning believed to be most affected by the disorder.

In four pooled studies, the most commonly observed adverse events in Cymbalta-treated patients with fibromyalgia (greater than or equal to 5 percent and at least twice placebo) were nausea (29 percent), dry mouth (18 percent), constipation (15 percent), decreased appetite (11 percent), sleepiness (11 percent), increased sweating (7 percent) and agitation (6 percent). In the placebo-controlled clinical trials, the overall discontinuation rates due to adverse events for Cymbalta vs. placebo were 20 percent and 12 percent, respectively. (ix)

ABOUT CYMBALTA

Serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain and spinal cord are believed to both mediate core mood symptoms and help regulate the perception of pain. Based on preclinical studies, Cymbalta is a balanced and potent reuptake inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine that is believed to potentate the activity of these chemicals in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Scientists believe its effects on depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as its effect on pain perception, may be due to increasing the activity of serotonin and norepinephrine in the central nervous system.

In the important safety information, the company warns that anti depression medicines can increase suicidal thoughts. Patients are urged to contact their doctor in the event of any worsening depression symptoms or unusual changes.

Doctors and patients are warned that Cymbalta ‘is not for everyone’. Patients should talk to their doctors about other medical conditions to avoid complications. Patients taking Cymbalta may suffer with dizziness or feel faint when standing. The most common side effects of Cymbalta include nausea, dry mouth, sleepiness, and constipation. This is not a complete list of side effects. For full Patient Information, visit http://www.cymbalta.com. It is recommended that patients should consult their doctor before taking Cymbalta.

ELSEWHERE

A six months trial under the heading ‘Efficacy and safety of duloxetine for treatment of fibromyalgia in patients with or without major depressive disorder: Results from a 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose trial’ was carried out at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.

An abstract published by PubMed (NCBI) from the trial carried out by Russell IJ, Mease PJ, Smith TR, Kajdasz DK, Wohlreich MM, Detke MJ, Walker DJ, Chappell AS, Arnold LM (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18395345), states the study results demonstrated that duloxetine at doses of 60 mg/day and 120 mg/day appears to be safe and efficacious in patients with fibromyalgia. The primary objectives of this study were to assess the efficacy and safety of duloxetine for reducing pain severity in fibromyalgia patients with or without current major depressive disorder. This was a 6-month, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. In total, 520 patients meeting American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia were randomly assigned to duloxetine (20 mg/day, 60 mg/day, or 120 mg/day) or placebo, administered once daily, for 6 months (after 3 months, the duloxetine 20-mg/day group titrated to 60 mg/day).

The co-primary outcome measures were the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) average pain severity score and Patient Global Impressions of Improvement (PGI-I) score. Safety was assessed via treatment-emergent adverse events, and changes in vital sign, laboratory, and ECG measures. Compared with placebo-treated patients, those patients treated with duloxetine 120 mg/day improved significantly more on the co-primary outcome measures at 3 months (change in BPI score [-2.31 vs -1.39, P<0.001] and PGI-I [2.89 vs 3.39, P=0.004]) and at 6 months (change in BPI [-2.26 vs -1.43, P=0.003] and PGI-I [2.93 vs 3.37, P=0.012]). Compared with placebo, treatment with duloxetine 60 mg/day also significantly improved the co-primary measures at 3 months and BPI at 6 months. Duloxetine was efficacious in patients both with and without a major depressive disorder. There were no clinically significant differences between treatment groups in changes in vital signs, laboratory measures, or ECG measures.

PMID: 18395345 [PubMed - in process]

REFERENCES

(i) Leventhal, LJ. "Management of fibromyalgia." Annals of Internal Medicine. 1999; 131: 850-858. (ii) Arnold, L, et al. "Family Study of Fibromyalgia." Arthritis & Rheumatism. 2004; 50(3): 944-952. (iii) Bennett, Robert M., et al. "An Internet Survey of 2,596 People with Fibromyalgia." BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. March 9, 2007. 8:27. (iv) Lawrence, et al. "Estimates of the Prevalence of Arthritis and Other Rheumatic Conditions in the United States." Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Every year on May 12 people suffering with fibromyalgia raise awareness about this invisible disability with the public who frequently ask, “Fibro what?’

For the first time ever the fibromites will be able to sing-along to a new singles CD called Fibro what? to provide the answer, while encouraging folk to by the CD to fund research to find a cure. This is thanks to a benevolent Manchester postman who wanted to help two million fibromites find a cure for their 24/7 illness.

Not only will the public hear the upbeat lyrics comedy singer song writer Dom Collins has set to music, describing the condition - aches and pains, sleep disorder, memory loss - but they can enjoy to three cheeky tongue in songs donated by the FM benefactor. Laughter is the best medicine they say but it is not necessary to have fibromyalgia to laugh with Dom Collins while supporting fibromyalgia research. Without government funding it is hoped the money from sales will help research and maybe lead to a cure.

Dom, who is well known on the Manchester and northern circuits for his good clean humour and funny songs about every day life, wrote the Fibro What song to help his friend, fibromite Christine Thomson.

“I wanted to do something to raise awareness for May 12 and when Dom offered to help I was delighted. I am fed up with the lack of government funding and doctors still telling us it is all in our heads. I am anxious everyone should know more about our invisible disability. I also felt it was important to highlight the need for research to find a cure. So the proceeds from sales will go towards Jeanne Hambleton’s new book PAIN 24/7 The Fibromyalgia Jigsaw©, due to be self published in the autumn, as the sales money from the book will go to research. The more books we sell the more money for research,” said Chris.

Holding a new contract with a well-known agent Dom expects to be busy playing, singing and making people laugh for the foreseeable future. His reviews compare him to Mike Harding and Richard Digance and claim Dom will go far. With a cheeky grin Dom said he loves to entertain and is available for any special occasion from divorces, funerals, vasectomies, wedding, birthdays and corporate affairs.

Delighted with the new CD, which uses her photographs, Chris has offered Fibro what? to fibromyalgia support groups up and down the UK to sell and play on May 12 at the special events to raise awareness.

ROYAL MALE

This is the second time this year that Dom, who is a postman, has been benevolent. In January he wrote ‘Jack’s Song’s, a tribute to Jack Judge, the writer of the WWI favourite ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’. Dom donated half the proceeds of this CD to the Army Benevolent Fund (North West) and he launched the CD at the Tipperary Café in Stalybridge, Manchester, the site of the old Grand Theatre where the song was written in1912..

This first charity CD attracted letters of support from four members of the Royal family, HM the Queen who sent a lovely letter of thanks; HRH Prince Charles, the Princess Royal, HRH Princess Anne and HRH Prince Edward who all welcomed his support for the Army Benevolent Fund. He also received nice letters of congratulations from our PM Gordon Brown and Leader of the Opposition David Cameron. These can be viewed on Dom's Blog on his website (www.domcollins.co.uk). Needless to say copies of Fibro What will be winging their way to Buckingham Palace.

But Fibro What? CD is just part of the story? There is a new fibromyalgia book on the way later this year. Written as a labour of love and self-published to preserve as much money as possible, sales money will contribute to research to find a cure for fibromyalgia – the pain fibromites live with for the rest of their lives.

With the present government making no effort to put aside a substantial sum of money for research, fibromites must do it themselves. Every Fibro What Cd is raising money towards research. For more information about the music or fibromyalgia email fibrowhat@mac.com or log on to http://fibrowhat1.wordpress.com. There are also Fibro What tee shirts and tote bags available.

OTHER MAY 12 EVENTS

May 12 is not just the International Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, but it is shared with the CFS/ME organisations, and is also listed as the International Nurses Day.

May 12 is the International Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who was believed to have suffered with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue when she returned from the Crimean War.

Born to wealthy parents in 1820 in Florence, Italy, she was described as a wild child. She took 36 nurses to British military hospital in Constantinople in 1854 when the Crimean War broke out. This was the first time female nurses had served in military hospitals under war conditions. She became known as The Lady of the Lamp.

The work of Florence Nightingale, the English army nurse, led to the creation of the International Red Cross. In her 30s Florence Nightingale suffered a paralyzing FM/CFS/ME-like illness and spent in the last 50 years of her life virtually bedridden. In hindsight some say she suffered with fibromyalgia. In spite of her illness, she founded the first School of Nursing. It is fitting that the determination of this lady of the late 19th century became an inspiration to victims of CIND – FMS/CFS/ME/PVFS/MCS (fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, myalgic encephalopathy, post viral fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity) and other long-term chronic pain illnesses in the late 20th century.

In East Wellow, in Hampshire, UK, at St Margaret’s Church, where Florence Nightingale was buried in 1910, a service is held on the Sunday after May 12. There is a significant memorial in the graveyard.

The website Answers.com tells us that every year in London in Westminster Abbey on May 12 there is a service during which a symbolic lamp is carried from the Nurses’ Chapel into the Abbey. This is passed from one nurse to another before the Dean of Westminster Abbey places it on the High Altar. It is said this is symbolic of passing the knowledge of nursing from one to another.

Wikipeda, the free Internet encyclopedia, provides a long list of important events which happened on May 12 including the Coronation of King George VI in 1937, the Queen’s father; in 1942 on this fateful day 1,500 Jews were sent to the gas chambers in Auschwitz; and on a brighter note on May 12 1965 the Soviet spacecraft Luna 5 crashed on the Moon.

INSPIRATION FOR MAY 12
The Awareness Day commemoration was the inspiration of Tom Hennessy, a American patient with chronic immunological and neurological diseases. His thoughts to link with
Florence Nightingale’s birth date galvanised the CIND community to pressurise governments to respond to these devastating illnesses. These days Tom is constantly bedridden and too ill to even answer emails, which still arrive from all over the world.

According to the CIND website symptoms of the chronic immunological and neurological diseases included cognitive problems, chronic muscle and joint pain, extremely poor stamina, and numerous other symptoms. The number of those suffering with these problems increased dramatically. In the 1980s, and patients were often dismissed by the medical profession as suffering from psychosomatic illness. It still happens today with some GPs.

As the illnesses became more widespread many people were so weak that they could not care for themselves. The mystery aches, pains and fatigue continued to spread unchecked with little response from government of the day. In order to raise awareness of the seriousness of the situation, the response was the MAY 12 International Awareness Day.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Two days after the world celebrations the Fibro What composer, Dom Collins, is visiting the South Manchester Fibromyalgia Support Group in Sale on the evening on Thursday, May 15, with fibromite Christine Thomson, when he will be playing his guitar and singing Fibro What? to those with fibromyalgia.

This is a small group run by Leader Georgina Jameson with just 15 members including 4 men with fibromyalgia. The group covers Greater Manchester and Cheshire. It is unusual to have such a high percentage of men with FM in a group – almost a third. Members enjoy socializing, speakers, a library and a helpline. For more information about the south Manchester meetings contact the Leader. (georginajameson@talktalk.net)

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The Fibromyalgia Association UK will be raising awareness in a big way on the International Fibromyalgia Awareness Day on Monday 12th May, when fibromites from all over the UK, and MPs meet for coffee at Portcullis House Westminster.

Chairman of the Trustees of FMA UK, Pam Stewart said, “Our aim is to make MPs aware of how desperate the situation is for so many fibromyalgia sufferers living in their constituencies. We need to let MPs know of the day-to-day struggles people with fibromyalgia battle against just to lead as near ‘normal’ a life. We need their help and support. Fibromyalgia sufferers deserve a voice and deserve to be listened to.
“We need to raise the profile of fibromyalgia in order to persuade decision makers to adopt these guidelines officially so that full treatment programmes can be made available to all sufferers throughout the UK.”
Recent e-petitions to the No. 10 Downing Street website have raised the question of treatments and the government responses have indicated that it is up to each Primary Care Trusts to decide priorities for their area but, without clear national guidance, fibromyalgia mostly slips to the bottom of the list if it is considered at all.

Although more doctors are becoming knowledgeable about fibromyalgia, many people who contact Fibromyalgia Association UK say that having read about the symptoms of fibromyalgia, it has been down to them to suggest the possibility of this as a diagnosis to their GP. This diagnosis stills seems to be overlooked, despite the prevalence of the condition.

Diagnosis of fibromyalgia is just the beginning of the problems. There is still the minefield of treatment options. At worst some patients are still being told, “There is nothing that can be done; there is no cure; learn to live with it. It’s psychological – all in your mind”. At best there are one or two centres that offer a range of managing and coping strategies using pain relief units, physiotherapists, counsellors, hydrotherapy and other treatments. Unfortunately most of the alternative therapies are in the private sector and sufferers are unable to finance these long term or even short term. There are also many hospitals with very good supportive departments but, unfortunately, this is a postcode lottery.
“The method of diagnosis, initially developed for research purposes, has been shown to be both effective and simple. On assessment, a careful health history is taken. If the patient reports widespread pain for more than three months together with pain in at least 11 out of 18 tender point sites when they are pressed, then a diagnosis of fibromyalgia can be made.   ‘Widespread pain’ means pain above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. The ‘tender points’, or spots of extreme tenderness, are rarely noticed by the patient until they are pressed,” said the chairman. 
Most people must wait for an appointment with a consultant, usually a rheumatologist, before getting a confirmed diagnosed, when it should be possible to be diagnosed by the GP.

Sufferers can spend years going backwards and forwards to their GP with what seems to be many different conditions. During this time their general health often deteriorates, employment may become difficult or impossible and family and friends can become increasingly frustrated and unsupportive. There are instances where diagnosis is made fairly quickly, within a year, but the majority can take 3 - 5 years.

Fibromyalgia is a painful, non-articular condition predominantly involving muscle; it is the most common cause of chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain and affects between 2%-3% of the UK population. Although there is a reliable diagnosis for fibromyalgia and treatment guidelines, many people still wait years to get diagnosed only to be told there is no treatment.
The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) has issued the first guidelines for the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and published them in the September 2007 issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. This 9 point plan covers the treatment and diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Whilst these guidelines are not yet adopted by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK, they can be seen as a significant step forward.
For more information of fibromyalgia in the UK please send a 42p sae to:
Fibromyalgia Association UK, PO Box 206, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY9 8YL
or visit the website www.fmauk.org.

For further information relating to this press release please contact Jean Turner 0845 3452603 jean@rfmsg.freeserve.co.uk

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