A couple of new blog discoveries to tell you about, which came to my attention over the long weekend (when I wasn't stuffing my face with chocolate eggs or hot cross buns).
Eliza wrote to us from the US to tell us about her site , and this is one of those occasions where it's easier to let her describe her blog in her own words: "Snarky musings on life with syringomyelia, Arnold-Chiari malformation, related dystonias, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. With frequent television worship thrown in for good measure."
I also discovered a blog called , written by a thirtysomething disabled feminist who describes herself as "overeducated and underemployed". A bit of a different proposition, this one - personal reviews of books and movies from a disability culture perspective.
Don't forget to check out all the blogs we like - and if you haven't told us about your site yet, why not? Email us!
You may remember that a couple of weeks back we reported on the story of Liz Crow, a disabled film-maker who couldn't get into the film festival where her work was being shown because the chosen venue for the closing night - the swish but step-filled CafΓ© de Paris in London - was inaccessible.
In protest against the venue and discrimination throughout the film sector - but also to have a damn good party themselves - Liz and friends, including disabled film-makers and artist, held a party outside the CafΓ© de Paris, right there on the pavement. You can now watch a video of the event online via the website - it's available in both subtitled and audio described versions.
Monkey's obviously too busy to watch daytime telly, but his spies tell him that a blindie has recently infiltrated the sunny soap world of Neighbours.
A true tale of heart-rending bravery is unfolding in Ramsay Street, as heartthrob Stuart struggles with sight loss following his heroic rescue of girlfriend Sindi from a fire at the Coffee Shop.
Yesterday's episode saw poor Sindi crying cos now she'll have to look after the wretched Stu for ever and ever (just to reinforce Stu's helplessness he was caught stumbling around and falling over in the street).
But it's not all doom and gloom - Sindi's discovered that she can still play sexy 'games' with Stu's remaining senses - which have miraculously become super-sensitive now that he's blind. Oh yawn.
Your favourite disability magazine on the entire interwebnet (that's us, just in case you were wondering) now has the privilege to have a titled person on our team! Yesterday, Ouch columnist Tanni Grey-Thompson OBE was made a - or, to give the honour its full title, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire Insignia. But we're sticking with 'Dame', 'cos it's much snappier and quicker to type.
Congratulations from all of us on the Ouch team, Tanni ... and do let us know all the goss about what access was like at the Palace, won't you?
It's been a bit quiet recently when it comes to discovering more disabled people making their presence felt out there in the blogosphere, so I'm pleased to tell you about . The writer is "young and single *hint, hint*" and can, apparently, often be found wandering about the streets of Glasgow. Which is nice. He's also a regular on our messageboard.
So did anyone see the front page of this morning?
They published a report about, in their own words, "a 17-stone mum with arthritis [who] craves sex with hook-handed fanatic Abu Hamza". Hasn't that story just got it all when it comes to disability?!
We've covered some of the sensationalist reporting of Abu Hamza's prosthesis in the past here on Ouch (see Abu Hamza: hooked by the press from our Behind the News section, dated January 2003), as well The Sun getting into hot water when it referred to Frank Bruno's mental health problems under the headline "Bonkers Bruno locked up". So with their new-found sense of disability awareness, what headline do you think The Currant Bun chose for this morning's essential piece of news reporting?
"I WANT NOOKIE WITH HOOKIE".
Well, it does rhyme, at least.
Don't you just hate it when you're left out - of your own party?
The , which celebrates the work of female film-makers, has decided to have its closing night party in an inaccessible venue - even though one of the women it features is disabled.
Not one to be a party pooper, film-maker Liz Crow and her friends have decided to hold their own celebration on the pavement outside the CafΓ© de Paris in Coventry Street on Sunday evening, while the rest of the festival crowd will be inside quaffing champagne. Messages of solidarity have apparently poured in from as far afield as Chicago and will be read out at the 'alternative' party, in the hope of making festival organisers splutter into their drinks.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Birds Eye View said they had meant to hold the party at an accessible venue, but had to change it at the last minute for "various unforeseen and unavoidable reasons", leaving them without the time or budget to find somewhere suitable. It acknowledged the CafΓ© de Paris was a listed building with "unavoidable stairs", but said cafΓ© staff would be on hand to assist wheelchair users.
If you know your Danny Crates from your Lloyd Upsdell and your Jenny Ridley from your Rhiannon Henry, then you're obviously a bit of a disability sport fanatic. In which case, you should get on over to the Radio 5 Live website, where they've just launched a dedicated disability sport messageboard. Be sure to tell the hosts that the Crippled Monkey sent you.
It's that time of the week when I find myself aimlessly clicking around the net, only to find one of those disability-related headlines that just makes me CRINGE. The latest example comes from the Herald Community in New York State. Take a deep breath: .
Don't forget, we love to read those examples of bad journalism about disabled people. If you've spotted any, email them to the usual address: ouch@bbc.co.uk.
In the news today, details of a at London's Royal College of Art, which features artworks designed to appeal to blind and partially sighted people. So is this a genius access innovation, or possibly a bit of a waste of time? If you're a digital TV viewer, don't miss tonight's (Wednesday) edition of The 7 O'Clock News on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ THREE. It's got a report on the exhibition, in which Ouch editor Damon Rose goes along to, er, "feel some art".
