Got quite a shock this morning when I opened up the Media Guardian. Of all the pictures they took to accompany an article about this blog they must have printed the worst one. Or maybe I really am that miserable in real life and just don't realise it. Anyway, the article (thankfully minus pic) is online, although stupidly they forgot to include a link. They did knock two years off my real age, though, so I'll forgive them:

Media Guardian: A Sympathetic Modem

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Two days later than usual, it's high time I introduced another disability-beating Amputee of the Week.

Many of us are guilty of getting legless and singing out of tune from time to time. Well, this week's AOTW is both legless and tuneful.

Irishman Ronan Tynan was born in Johnstown, County Kilkenny. He was born with deformities in both legs but nevertheless became a champion rider and high jumper in his teens.

He later developed severe scoliosis and underwent a bilateral amputation at the age of 20. After the operation he took part in two Paralympic Games, winning a haul of gold medals. In 1984 he was named "the most outstanding disabled athlete in the world."

Tynan spent six years studying medicine in Dublin and at the age of 33 began taking singing lessons. One year later, he won an International Operatic Singing Competition in France before being accepted by the Royal Opera. He established a medical practice -- only to be asked to join the trio of singers known as the "Irish Tenors" in 1998.

Tynan says: "I want people to realize that regardless of what infirmity or disability, it should never stop you doing what you want to do. You can make your mind strong enough to overcome any obstacle that comes your way."

I say slainte Ronan -- you're Amputee of the Week!



Ronan Tynan's Homepage

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Out with the old and in with the new today as I prepared for the arrival of my new car -- a year-old Ford Focus automatic. The silver-tongued Iraqi salesman finally won me over and we shook hands on the deal on Friday.

It'll take a week or so to get the modifications done so I can drive it with my left foot and then I'll be back on the road and a little bit closer to independence.

My trusty Citroen has served me well but with a stick shift and three pedals to contend with it's not suitable for life with one foot.

News that the old motor was up for sale spread by word of mouth and someone agreed to buy it this afternoon.

I said goodbye to the old girl by giving her a damn good scrubbing -- which isn't easy in a wheelchair:

Picture: Car Wash

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A day which bordered on the surreal.

It started with a visit by BBC Director General Greg Dyke, who sat on my sofa drinking coffee:



...followed by an afternoon at the FA Cup Final:



...I'm speechless!



Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

BBC News Online have added a backgrounder to my first weekly diary. It can be found here.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

Her Ladyship is down for the weekend, so the latest entry into the Amputee of the Week hall of fame is just going to have to wait.



Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

It's official.

I am not mad and a highly qualified psychiatrist has told me so.

This afternoon I went to see the post-traumatic stress shrink to discuss how I was dealing with everything that has happened.

He interviewed me for an hour and asked me all the obvious questions -- Was I sleeping properly? Was I still taking an interest in life? Was I having flashbacks or nightmares? Was I suffering from what I think we can call "men's problems"? I explained that although the accident won't go down in history as one of the happiest episodes in my life I thought I was dealing with it fairly well. Some days I'm fine and forward looking, other days I'm angry and frustrated at what has happened.

He asked whether I thought I was suffering from PTSD. I said I didn't but I wanted to talk to an expert in case there's something lurking in the background that could rise up and shatter my well-being. He thought it unlikely and sent me on my non-traumatised way.

Actually, it was an extremely useful thing to do. Not having been in this situation before I don't really know how I should be behaving, what's a "normal" reaction to an accident and amputation. Just having someone saying that I'm coping well is therapeutic in itself -- and it means that if I suddenly turn into an axe-wielding serial killer my family can sue the hospital for negligence.

You can read more about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder here.

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I've been commissioned to write a weekly diary for BBC News Online about my recovery.

The first installment can be found here.

Regular readers may recognise some of the material but I prefer to think of it as environmentally-friendly journalism -- caring for the planet by recycling my copy!

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Following on from Claire H's comments on the message board regarding truth and accuracy in war reporting, the Guardian sheds disturbing light on the half-truths and outright falsehoods behind the Private Jessica Lynch story.

It would seem to confirm many peoples' worst fears about Pentagon news management during the War In Iraq.

The Guardian -- The Truth About Jessica

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So. Bugs Bunny is taking time out from running away from Elmer Fudd to educate Cambodians about the dangers of landmines, according to this CNN report.

The State Department says Bugs Bunny was chosen because "the rabbit is considered a kind and intelligent creature in Cambodian culture." Presumably, then, the Mines Advisory Group has chosen me to speak on their behalf because I'm considered a kind and intelligent creature in British culture. Surely that can't be right?

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

Everyone had warned me it would happen and today it did. I came crashing down to earth -- physically and emotionally.

Until now I’d been getting around pretty well in the wheelchair and, increasingly, on crutches.

This morning I was making my way around on crutches, my mind miles away. I think I must have forgotten momentarily that my limb was missing because the last thing I remember is putting my right foot forward and immediately thinking “oh shit, this is going to really hurt.”

It did.

I came crashing down on the floor, my injured leg taking the full force of the fall.

The pain took my breath away. Every nerve ending in my leg screamed and my knee swelled up like a balloon. I must have spent 10 or 15 minutes rolling on the floor in agony. It was, without doubt, the most painful thing I’ve ever felt – far worse than the original accident or anything before it.

While I was still in hospital the physio warned me of the dangers of falling, telling me that a number of patients had undergone a second amputation above the knee because they’d damaged their legs while they were still healing. In order to be safe I went to the hospital for checks and an x-ray:



Mercifully, there was no permanent damage, just bruising.

I had a string of appointments lined up but I was forced to cancel them all and spend the afternoon resting. Mr Stumpy is not a happy man today. He’s twice the size he was yesterday and is seething angrily underneath my right trouser leg.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

So -- another opportunity to test out the facilities for the disabled at the Millennium Stadium now Cardiff City are through to the play-off final. It's all for research purposes, you understand.

BBC Sport Online -- Cardiff Deny Robins

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Apotemnophilia.

It's something a few people have e-mailed me about but a link from Lynn G has prompted me to write about it.

It means an attraction to the idea of being an amputee -- and can be distinguished from "acrotomophilia" -- a sexual attraction to amputees (which is something I've touched on but am still making my mind up about and will return to in future.)

Perversion? Body image disorder? I don't know. I'm not a psychiatrist and so I'm in no position to judge. Nevertheless, from where I'm sitting, anyone who can calmly come out with quotes like "I will never feel truly whole with legs" is disturbed at the very least. Even so, the case of the doctor in Falkirk who cut off the healthy legs of two patients who wanted to be amputated is a fascinating one -- especially as both have declared how much happier they are post-amputation.

I'd imagine I'm as repulsed and yet intrigued as anyone else by the idea of someone freely choosing to undergo an amputation -- especially as I now know at first hand what it entails and what the consequences are. I simply can't imagine anyone asking to undergo a form of surgery that I had no option over. Ultimately, though, in a free society people should be free to do to themselves whatever they choose; drink heavily, smoke themselves to death or have their legs cut off. Who am I to tell them otherwise?

Anyway, follow the link and make your own mind up -- then post your thoughts on the message board.

Atlantic Monthly -- A New Way To Be Mad

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A great morale boosting day.

A BBC colleague who underwent the same amputation as me 3 years ago in a motorbike accident came up from London.

We immediately got down to talking about stumps, prosthetics and phantom pains in the same way that most people would discuss holiday plans or the weather. He laid out his artificial legs in a row and showed me the pros and cons of each – from the bog standard NHS model to a top of the range Madame Tussauds style prosthetic that looks almost identitical to the real thing, down to the leg hairs, veins and freckles (it's second left in the picture):



It’s the first time I’ve been able to talk at length with someone who has been through the process – from accident, through rehab to life after amputation. I saw the light shining brightly at the end of the tunnel – someone who’s able to live a life as full and active with one foot as he did with two. I was looking carefully and I swear I couldn’t detect a limp.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

Judith draws attention to this article from the British Medical Journal, published in 1995, on the social cost of landmines in developing countries.

Although a little dated now, the key findings are depressing:

* One household in 20 reported a land mine victim, a third of them dying in the blast; one in 10 of the 2100 victims was a child
* The incidence of land mine accidents has more than doubled between 1980-3 and 1990-3
* Without mines, agricultural production could increase by 88-200% in Afghanistan and 135% in Cambodia
* Households with a land mine victim were 40% more likely to have difficulty providing food for the family
* Family relationships were affected for one in every four victims

The citations at the bottom of the article are also well worth pursuing.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

I'm sure many people will be saying this week that they'd give their right arm to go to Saturday's FA Cup Final.

Well I've given my right leg -- and I've been rewarded by The Football Association with a ticket for the game....and I'm not even English!

An apt sporting cliche would be to say that I'm "Over the Moon."

I'm told the wheelchair enclosure is right next to the touchline!



Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

My brother Steve nominates the racing driver Alex Zanardi for the Amputee of the Week award. He is the perfect candidate but his story is so compelling that I didn't want to wait until Friday (when I name the new AOTW) to tell it.

Zanardi lost both his legs above the knee in September 2001 when he was involved in a horrendous accident during a race. 18 months on he has just finished the 13 laps he failed to complete on that fateful day. He completed them in a racing car modified by friends and supporters. Zanardi describes his rehabilitation as "the longest pit stop in the history of motor sport." Now that's determination.

Zanardi was the subject of the double-page spread in yesterday's Sunday Times, which is reproduced below. There's another piece on him here. Never mind Amputee of the Week. He should be Amputee of the Year -- at least.

Sunday Times: Alex Zanardi

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Further proof, as if it were needed, that my nephews and niece prefer their uncle with a foot missing.

Aio’s been putting his mind to constructing an artificial limb out of K-Nex, complete with moveable toes. Nice job. His younger sibling’s Ben and Elin, meanwhile, have discovered that being pushed around the street at speed in my wheelchair constitutes Really Good Fun. Ben has trouble comprehending the fact that my prosthetic foot will be made out of metal and plastic. Then again, he is only five.

The kids were at my parents’ house when I returned from an afternoon’s car shopping. It was great for morale to be making moves towards renewed independence – and independence with a new set of wheels at that. Coincidentally, one of the salesmen who tried to flog me a car was an Assyrian Christian from Kirkuk! He left Iraq when he was 19 and was a master in the Middle Eastern art of salesmanship. We chatted about Sulaymaniyah, the Kurds and the war in between discussing part exchange deals, 8 valve engines and twin airbags. Sadly, though, in the world of car sales stepping on a landmine near one’s hometown doesn’t seem to warrant a discount.

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Surfing the Mines Advisory Group I came across this picture of the site in Kifri where the accident happened:



It's the first time since I was injured that I've seen a picture of the spot. Jim went back there a couple of weeks ago and took some photos but they haven't arrived yet. Just this one photo stirs up a whole hornet's nest of emotions for me. Near this spot my life changed irrevocably in an instant. Near this spot my friend Kaveh was cut to pieces and killed by a landmine. As I lay beneath our jeep seconds after the blast that blew part of my foot off, I thought this scene could be the last thing I ever saw. I was lucky to leave there alive, let alone conscious and lucid.

It's still hard for me to look at this picture for any length of time. I know it looks bland and unexciting but that's just the point. On April 2nd, at this unremarkable place, an accident happened that I will remember every day of my life.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

From time to time I try to fool myself into thinking I haven't lost my foot. It's a grown up version of Let's Pretend.

There's a mirror directly opposite my bed. If i press my knees up below the duvet I look just the same as I did before the accident -- two knees leading to two feet hidden underneath the bedding. When the phantom pains are coming on strong the illusion is complete; I can feel my toes, my heel and my ankle even if I can't see them.

If I try hard enough I can almost convince myself that my foot's still there. It's like immersing yourself in an engrossing thriller. It's only when I cast the duvet aside that the spell's broken.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

A touching tribute to director and cameraman James Miller, who was shot dead in Gaza on 2 May 2003. It's claimed he was killed by a bullet fired from an Israeli armoured personnel carrier. He was the fifth freelancer to die this year.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

Sorry Lynn G. I know what you’re saying but Aron Ralston is enjoying too much attention to make it as this Friday’s Amputee of the Week. It’s the lesser-known leg-less and arm-less heroes who make into this Hall of Fame.

Instead we look towards Canada – home of ice hockey, maple syrup …and this week’s Amputee of the Week.

In the province of Quebec in the mid-1990s, the cause for independence from the rest of Canada was re-energised by one man -- Lucien Bouchard, the charismatic leader of the separatist Bloc Quebecois in the Canadian parliament.

In 1994, Bouchard became infected with the deadly strain of Group A streptococcus known as necrotizing fasciitis or “the flesh-eating disease." His leg was subsequently amputated.

Bouchard was a fiery orator who had long been Quebec's most popular politician. Nevertheless, the amputation further elevated him to near-hero status. Quebeckers flocked to hear him speak, chanted his name and struggled to shake his hand.

In the Globe and Mail newspaper, Ottawa bureaucrats were quoted as complaining that Bouchard's "suffering will make him a more formidable opponent, almost a mythic, tragic hero for the sovereignist side, impervious to partisan attacks."

For using amputation as a political weapon and for beating the flesh-eating bug: Lucien Bouchard -- nous vous saluons!!



Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

Jakob Whitfield e-mails with another worthy entry for Stuart's Encyclopaedia of Strange Amputations, concerning the 19th century surgeon, Robert Liston. I was actually told about Liston by my own orthopaedic surgeon, which naturally filled me with confidence in his abilities.

Apparently Liston was regarded as the fastest saw in the west. During one operation he -- in under two and a half minutes -- amputated the leg of his patient (who later died from gangrene), sliced off the fingers of his assistant (who later died from gangrene) and slashed through the coat-tails of a spectator (who dropped dead from fright). Liston thus performed the only operation in surgical history to have a 300 per cent mortality rate.

Good going Dr Liston.

Also on the e-mail, fellow blogger Kitty Bukkake sends a picture of herself doing a hand-stand, in which it looks as if both her legs have been amputated at the knee.



Kitty Bukkake -- crazy name, crazy gal!

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Those self-amputation stories just keep on comin'

Bill Jeracki from Colorado lopped his leg off ten years ago while out hiking.

There'll be a new Amputee of the Week tomorrow....and no, it's not going to be Aron Ralston (he deserves it, but it's just too obvious.)

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

The BBC's Newsnight team based in Northern Iraq for the duration of the conflict had their fair share of problems getting home again via Iran. BBC Correspondent Robin Denselow has been writing about the ordeal -- there's a transcript here.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

Back behind the wheel for the first time since the accident.

Went for a driving assessment this morning to find out how I’m going to drive now my right foot’s no longer able to do the, er, leg work for me.

In theory the solution’s simple enough; an automatic transmission with the accelerator pedal switched so I can drive with my left foot rather than my left. In practice it means overcoming years of motoring habit. If I want to speed up or brake my right leg instinctively reaches for the pedals -- but now the leg just dangles in mid air. I’m sure I’ll get used to it in time. Went for a spin around the block in a modified car. It felt exactly like taking my driving test all over again, especially since my test run followed almost the exact same roads I took my original test on. Deja vu.

This afternoon I had a chance to re-tell some war stories with In Charge Oggy and Studio Manager Steve, two colleagues from Northern Iraq. Over lunch we shared tales from the frontline. As I flicked through their photos taken in Kirkuk, Tikrit and Baghdad I felt a deep pang -- as though I’d read an 800 page thriller only to find the final chapter missing.

The explosion cut my assignment short, just before the final act. I never got to see the presidential palaces, people celebrating the fall of Saddam or the oil fields of Kirkuk. By the time Baghdad fell I was in hospital in Cardiff, mourning the loss of my foot and wondering what the future held. The photos made the accident, the amputation and everything that’s happened since melt away. I just wanted to be back in the field; chasing stories, watching history unfold, doing what I do.


Photo: Lunch with Oggy and Steve

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For some reason I decided to revisit Jennicam today for the first time in months and months. I remember it was one of the first websites I ever visited in 1998 or sometime like that. Back then, I thought the idea of someone having webcams around their house streaming 24/7 and writing online about their life was really cool.

What was I thinking?

I don't mean to be rude and I'm sure she's a lovely woman and all but man is she boring. Typical entries in her diary:

"Just yesterday we installed the first circuit of our drip watering system."

and

"Dex borrowed a friend's rototiller, so the back yard garden has been growing steadily."

Are people interested in this stuff? Do they pay good money to read it?

I blame the Reality TV phenomenon. People going about their daily business isn't interesting enough any more. We need excitement, drama, conflict. I'm not saying I'm as gripping as a Danielle Steele novel but at least I had my leg blown off. That's kind of interesting, isn't it? ISN'T IT?

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Following on from the Five Live interview, Mike Jefferies asks whether I know what mines hit me and Kaveh -- and where they were produced. It's something I'm keen to know myself but I've already got a pretty good idea.

The Mines Advisory Group believes I was injured by a PMN anti-personnel mine, which looks like this:



This mine has probably killed and maimed more people than any other. Originally manufactured in the former Soviet Union, it has also been produced in other countries and has also been found in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iran, Nicaragua, Angola, Mozambique and many other countries. It's nicknamed the "Black Widow," is 56mm tall, 112mm across, weighs 600g and contains 240g of TNT. It's usually buried by hand beneath the surface of the ground and can be set off by as little as 8kg of pressure. Delightfully, it's designed to drive plastic, dirt and bone into the upper regions of the body, so the fact that I escaped with my right knee intact could be regarded as "lucky."

The mine that killed Kaveh was much larger and more lethal. It was probably a Valmara 69 like the one below:



The Valmara 69 is made in Italy and Singapore, although the Iraqis manufactured their own copy. It's a bounding fragmentation mine, sometimes referred to as a "Bouncing Betty." It's 205mm high, 130mm across and contains 597g of explosives. The main charge is surrounded by 2000 metal fragments and the mine is designed to pop out the ground and explode at waist level, spraying red hot shrapnel out in a lethal radius of 27 metres.

What's happened to me has happened. I don't really blame the guys that laid the mines that killed Kaveh and maimed me. They were probably frightened, poorly educated soldiers following orders. What sickens me is that although half of all landmine victims are children -- and approximately 8,000 to 10,000 kids are injured or killed by mines every year -- there are still 14 countries thought to be producing anti-personnel mines. (Sources War Child Canada and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines)

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Lynn G has spotted a great update on Aron Ralston, the climber who cut off his own arm with a Swiss Army Knife.

Fans of the The Onion will no doubt treasure the following real-life quotes from the Aspen Times:

'A doctor from the Moab hospital told reporters, “There’s no way it didn’t hurt a great deal.”'

and

'Upon arrival at the Moab hospital Thursday afternoon, Ralston walked off the helicopter, still bleeding, and into the emergency room. He requested pain medication immediately, according to a story in The Denver Post.' REALLY? I thought he'd request a Whopper and Fries....and why not Go Large while you're at it.

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I've republished the archives because a few people have said they've had difficulties accessing them.

Drop me an e-mail or put a message on the discussion board if you're still having problems reading them.

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...Waiting to be interviewed by BBC Radio Five Live.



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Reading this jolly tome about lower limb amputation I learn that "amputation has traditionally been viewed as a technically simple operation and might previously have been left to be carried out by a junior member of the team at the end of the operating list." WHAT??? Let me read that again.....So I get the work experience surgeon who couldn't get onto the "Become a Butcher in Just Three Weeks" course at Sheepshagger Polytechnic. Marvelous. I feel so much better.

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This article's an interesting insight into how landmine victims in Thailand are getting back on their feet:

Niagara Foot: Boon to Landmine Survivors

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If there was a European hopping competition I'd win it. No question.

While I wait, my right leg dangling in mid-air, for Mr Stumpy to heal sufficiently for a prosthetic foot to be fitted my hopping abilities go from strength to strength. I'm becoming a human kangaroo, although my physio keeps insisting that hopping around the place is a Very Bad Thing and should be avoided at all costs.

I've developed a variety of hops for every occasion, ranging from the high-impact, long distance propulsion hop to the low-impact hop-shuffle, specially designed for use when carrying a cup of hot tea from the kitchen. I barely spill a drop.

So far I've managed to avoid the mistake made by many new amputees. Apparently it's very common to wake up in the middle of the night, forget the limb's gone, try to plant both feet on the ground and go crashing to the floor in a crumpled heap.

In my case my missing leg is the first thing I think about when I wake up. There's no chance of forgetting it.

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Welcome to new readers who've linked from The Guardian weblog. The Guardian's named this site a "top blog." They flatteringly say I write "honestly and unflinchingly about coming to terms with the loss of a limb," discreetly forgetting to mention that I also write "aimlessly and incomprehensibly about anything that takes my fancy." Thank you Guardian.

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I'll be doing an interview with BBC Radio Five Live this evening between 2330 and midnight BST.

People outside the UK can listen in here.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

I've been reading a report on how to safeguard foreign journalists by Beth Howe, a researcher at the Kennedy School of Government, prepared for the Newspaper Association of America.

It's full of revealing and shocking statistics such as:
* The fatality rate suggests that the job of foreign journalist is one of the most dangerous professions in America -- more dangerous than timber cutter, fisherman, pilot or coal miner.
* The fatality rate for freelancers is nearly three times higher than for staff journalists. Howe says there's anecdotal evidence that freelancers are often required to take risks that staff journalists cannot and will not take.
* 71% of the deaths recorded of foreign journalists were homicides, 27% were accidents -- just 2% were caused by illness.

Howe notes that "as the costs of communication and transportation continue to drop, it is likely that the number of foreign journalists reporting from war zones will rise." Unfortunately, more journalists is likely to equal more fatalities. It's a sobering thought.

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Aileen returns to London and I’m reminded of all the things that are worst about the current situation.

The fact that she’s living in London and I’m living in Cardiff while I recuperate.

The fact that we seem to spend most of our time saying goodbye to one another at train stations at the moment.

The fact that my London flat – my home -- is out of bounds until I get my artificial leg because it has too many steps and narrow doorways and is unsuitable for wheelchairs and crutches.

The fact that I can’t just jump into a car and go where I want, when I want.

People keep reminding me that I’ll be “up in no time,” that “this is only temporary,” that I’ll be “back on my feet before I know it.” That may be the case, but right now it doesn’t feel that way. I feel stuck, frustrated, going nowhere.

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Examining Mr Stumpy this evening it occurs to me that he looks like nothing so much as a butternut squash. Could they perhaps be related? I think we should be told.





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A university reunion....College flat mates Noel and Petra come down to visit, along with spouses Anne and Chris. It's just like old times.



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An e-mail from Sarah Goodyear, recounting a story from a newspaper in Portland, Maine, arrives just in time to be selected as the first entry in my new occasional feature Stuart's Encyclopaedia of Strange Amputations.

It's particularly enchanting because it's written in a wonderful breathless yet understated local newspaper style. Two quotes in particular stand out:

"His arm was so mangled and stretched it hung down to his ankle."

and

"'What this boils down to is it's another setback,'' Goodale said. ''It's like going down to your boat and your motor gave out. Or like the pump doesn't work. Or the bait man didn't come. ''Only this time, the setback will take more time.''

I can relate to this. When the surgeon told me I was going to lose my foot, my first thought was "yeah...this is just like one of those days when the bait man didn't come."

Maine Fisherman Story (.txt file)

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Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

Thanks to Jason Goldman and the guys at Blogger for the T-shirt, which Aileen brought across from London.

I'm wearing it as I blog!!



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It's Friday and that means it's time for another....Amputee of the Week.

In 1797, in an unsuccessful attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Britain's greatest naval hero -- Admiral Lord Nelson -- was struck in the right arm by a grape-shot or musket ball just above the elbow. It shattered the bone so badly that amputation (without an anaesthetic) was essential. Nelson's surgeon wrote that "Nelson bore the pain without complaint but was given opium afterwards." I'd say he damn well deserved it. For the rest of his life, Lord Nelson experienced compelling phanton limb pains, including the sensation of fingers digging into his phanton palm. The sensations led the Salty Sea Dog to claim that he now had "direct proof" of the existence of a soul. If an arm can survive physical destruction, his argument went, why not the whole person?

For enduring amputation without analgesia and for single-handedly (geddit...single? hand? amputation?....oh, forget it) winning the Battle of Trafalgar, Admiral Lord Nelson is the new Amp of the Week.



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Another new word for the Dictionary of Amputee-Speak.....Juzo.

At the hospital this morning I was issued with a Juzo -- a trade name that's slightly more attractive than the term "stump shrinker." Juzo's company motto: We want our customer to feel so well served that upon leaving the store they have already forgotten that they are wearing compression stockings." Catchy, eh?

The Juzo is possibly the ugliest piece of hosiery I've ever seen -- a thick biege coloured sock that makes me look like I'm wearing old lady wrinkled stockings. It's designed to squeeze the swelling out of my injured leg and is not to be confused with Juzo Itami. He is a Japanese film director who committed suicide in 1997. He has nothing to do with compression hosiery.

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For those who haven't checked the message board, you've got to read this amazing story posted by Mark in Bangkok. It's quite unbelievable:

Climber amputates his arm, hikes to safety

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As requested on the message board by a Mac User, here's the article I posted up yesterday as a .txt file rather than a Word document.

Coracle Article.TXT

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This article's killer bee. A pigeon-chested woman from California (where else?) set up a website in November, asking readers to contribute to a fund she'd set up to turn her 34A funbags into something more substantial. Six months on, she's raised the $4500 she needs to, as the slogan on her website goes, "help a girl fill out her sweater."

Cyber-begging seems to be all the rage just now. As many will already know, one journalist -- Chris Allbritton -- raised nearly $14,000 dollars from online supporters to pay for a trip to Iraq where he reported independently on his website Back To Iraq. A nice idea....rather like the old Victorian idea of paying for public monuments through subscription.

I'm definitely missing a trick here. I need to start up a cyber-begging fund to pay for the cost of my new prosthetic legs. Or maybe a nice big pair of tits.

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Attending a meeting tomorrow morning to discuss a proposal for BBC Wales to make a documentary about my recovery. The perfect opportunity to pitch my ideas for adapting a number of popular TV programmes especially for people injured by landmines...such as:

10. The X-Ray Files
9. Casualty
8. Changing Wounds
7. Saturday Night Live Explosives
6. Ready, Steady, Blow
5. The Weakest Limp
4. Trinny and Susannah's What Not To Step On
3. Mine-der
2. Cold Prosthetic Feet
1. I'm an Amputee....Get Me Out of Here!

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Finished an article this evening for the magazine of the Iona Community, where I worked as a volunteer for six months in 1994 before joining the BBC. You can get a sneaky peek at the unedited version below:

Article for The Coracle

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Today's Fascinating Amputee Fact: There is a Patron Saint for those with missing limbs -- St Anthony of Padua.

Quite what the connection is between the 13th century Franciscan priest and people who have had their legs chopped off remains unclear. I suspect it may have been a bit of an afterthought because St Anthony would seem to be the busiest saint in Christendom. He is also the patron saint of (wait for it)....

Against shipwrecks, against starvation, American Indians, animals, asses, barrenness, boatmen, Brazil, domestic animals, elderly people, expectant mothers, faith in the Blessed Sacrament, fishermen, harvests, horses, Lisbon, lost articles, lower animals, mail, mariners, oppressed people, Padua, Italy, paupers, poor people, Portugal, pregnant women, sailors, seekers of lost articles, shipwrecks, swineherds, Tigua Indians, travel hostesses, travellers, watermen.

Does the man ever sleep?

So, I'm in esteemed company along with Tonto, Ronaldo, gypsies, pensioners, Desert Orchid, air hostesses, your pet dog Rover...oh yes, and the good people of Lisbon. I feel so much better knowing that. And while I'm at it, can anyone explain to me what a "lower animal" is? And how can mail have its own patron saint? Does a letter from the Reader's Digest, informing you that you've won $50,000 really need spiritual guidance?

As a Catholic schoolboy I was always told to pray to Saint Anthony when I lost something and he would intervene to help me find it. Taking this to its logical conclusion I assume this means that if I pray to him now he'll help me find my missing foot. Cheers, St A, but I already know where it is. It's in a sack of contaminated surgical waste in the bins behind the BUPA hospital in Cardiff.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

Belatedly, because I haven't got around to scanning them before now, here are a couple of recent newspaper articles based on interviews I've given:

Sunday Express
The Mirror

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Anyone who watched Fox News during the war will understand just how scarily close to the mark this spoof from The Onion is:

The Onion -- New Fox Reality Show To Determine Ruler of Iraq

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As if a get well card from the Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan wasn't enough, this morning I received a hand-written letter from the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw. I am most definitely not worthy.

Jack Straw Letter Page 1
Jack Straw Letter Page 2

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This blog can now be accessed through the easier to remember URL www.stuhughes.co.uk (although it'll download with annoying banner ads because I'm too much of a cheapskate to pay to have them removed.)

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A riveting docco on BBC4 last night about Robert Capa, the war photographer who famously said that "if your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough."

BBC4's Capa minisite is well worth exploring.

I've been meaning to mention Robert Capa for a while now because the links between him and Kaveh are striking. Not only was Kav a huge Capa fan but he was also awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal in 1979 for his coverage of the Iranian revolution for Time magazine.

The most tragic irony of all is that Capa and Kaveh ultimately met the same fate. Both died in war zones after stepping on a landmine.

"This is going to be a beautiful story," Capa said just hours before he was killed by a mine in Vietnam. Those words could just as easily have been Kaveh's.

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Soren Ryherd of Providence, Rhode Island, points out that Hossein Derakshan, the author of the BBC Persian Service article about this blog is an Iranian living in Toronto. He runs the Editor: Myself weblog, covering "Iran, technology and pop culture."

Hossein is closely monitoring the case of Sina Motallebi, a journalist who's being detained by the Iranian authorities.

Hossein's article Weblogs, an Iranian perspective is a fascinating insight into how the internet is having an impact on Iranian society and culture.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

On March 3rd I vented my spleen about the peace activists who travelled to Baghdad to volunteer as human shields -- then swiftly high-tailed it when they realised that Baghdad at that time was actually quite a dangerous place to be. I came in for a fair bit of flak over my comments.

Nearly two months on, Kim Sengupta catches up with the muesli munchers in today's Independent. Their protest seems just as futile to me now as it did then.

I don't normally read the Indy that closely but also of interest in today's paper is a piece about the war of words between the BBC and the right-wing press over the Corporation's coverage of the War.

What I really can't work up any excitement about, though, is the Guardian's front page story about the chocolate firm Cadbury's launching a promotion whereby tokens can be exchanged for sporting goods. I felt the opening paragraph: "The chocolate manufacturer Cadbury is launching a £9m campaign to persuade children to buy 160m chocolate bars, containing nearly 2m kg of fat, in exchange for "free" sports equipment for their schools. It says the initiative will help to tackle obesity." was really stretching it. Pass the Dairy Milk, will you.

Discuss "Beyond Northern Iraq"

A strange thing has happened over the last 48 hours.

Me and Mr Stumpy (or is it Mr Stumpy and I?) have started getting on with one another. I won't claim I'm delighted that he's a part of my life. I'd be much happier if I'd never clapped eyes of him. But, slowly, very slowly, I'm coming to accept him.

A few weeks ago the mere sight of my residual limb had me recoiling. Now, my response is a resigned shrug of the shoulders.

I'm still trying not to think too far ahead. The thought of waking up every morning -- in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years time -- without a foot is still too much to contemplate. But on a day to day basis I'm coping. At first, the simple things were the hardest -- looking at the injury, touching it, pulling on a pair of trousers and seeing just one foot poke through the bottom. With time, all these things are becoming more natural. Not quite second nature yet, but getting there.

Here's a record of our latest encounter, which comes with the usual "not for the squeamish" health warning.

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As a patriotic Welshman, it's not a telegram from the Queen that makes me glow with pride, it's the arrival of a get well card from Wales's First Minister Rhodri Morgan. I'm going to frame it and hang it on the wall next to my signed photo of Max Boyce.



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BBC News Online reports that Prima ballerina Darcey Bussell will miss the rest of the Royal Ballet's Covent Garden season because she has to undergo an operation on her foot.

The Northern Iraq and Beyond weblog can confirm that club-footed toss pot Stuart Hughes will also miss the rest of the Royal Ballet's Covent Garden season because he has undergone an operation on his foot, which has resulted in it going missing.

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A wealth of top class, timely articles in today's Guardian.

Michael Howard's report on the landmine situation in Northern Iraq is essential reading, even if the Daily Mirror did the same story a week ago. Howard reports that "In the two weeks after the cessation of hostilities on the northern frontline, which divided the Kurdish self-rule area from government-controlled territory, as many as 80 civilians have died and more than 500 have been injured (because of landmines)." Tell me about it.

Also of interest is the piece by the ubiquitous Dr Raj Persaud on incidents of post-traumatic stress among journalists. It's a thought-provoking read, although I disagree with his possible explanation for the increasing number of fatalities among war correspondents. He says that: "One theory is that journalists are driven to take greater risks by rising competitive pressures." As I said in the piece I wrote after the accident, the media market is extremely competitive but the correspondents I have worked with in hostile environments take calculated risks where necessary without putting their lives or the lives of local staff at risk.

Thirdly in today's fun-packed Guardian is Armando Iannucci's analysis of the media's role in Gulf War 2. Iannucci's argument: "The decision to embed reporters with troops led to great footage but lousy reportage. No reporter, his or her life literally being protected by the military round them, was going to file a report saying "the troops I'm living with are disgruntled. Their equipment doesn't work, they're probably blowing up children, and one or two of them are going to die." Instead, objectivity melted faster than a division of the Republican Guard, and these seekers of the truth were reduced to gasping excited commentaries such as "over there, some bastard Iraqis are firing on us. If, in a few minutes' time, some of these wonderful men of Britannia to whom I've pledged my daughter don't shoot them in the guts, then I'm damn well going to do it myself."

Good stuff.

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Been there, done that....

Reading about and watching National Geographic's 50th anniversary coverage of the first ascent of Everest got me wondering. What about the first ever amputee ascent of the world's highest peak? Nice idea -- and like all the best ideas it has already been done. On May 27th 1998, Tom Whittaker, who lost his foot in a car accident, got to the top -- becoming the first "disabled" person to do so.

ESPN -- Overcoming Everest: Disabled Climber Tom Whittaker Reflects

If that weren't enough, Tom Whittaker is also from Wales!! And another Celtic Everest Connection....Chomolungma was named Mount Everest in 1865 after Sir George Everest, surveyor general of India, who was.....you've guessed it.....Welsh! From Gwernvale in Breconshire to be precise.

Whittaker was followed 3 years later by Erik Weihenmayer from Denver, Colorado who at the age of 32 became the first blind person to reach the summit of Everest. Erik lists his hobbies as "rock climbing, diving, wrestling and dirt bikes." Just thinking about him exhausts me.

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In a couple of recent postings I've mentioned America's failure to sign the Ottawa Treaty on the production, stockpiling and use of landmines as well of reports of American involvement in landmine production.

However, last May the BBC pointed to a British connection in the landmine trade.

A Today programme investigation claimed that a Derbyshire company, PW defence Limited offered to sell a reporter a batch of fragmentation grenades and trip wires, which are banned under the Ottawa Convention and outlawed in the UK under the 1998 Land Mines Act.

In response to the investigation, PW Defence's owners, the Chemring Group, issued the following statement:
"Chemring maintains policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements, including proper vetting of proposed sales. Chemring ceased manufacture and sale of this type of tripwire five years ago. We subsequently ceased manufacture of this type of fragmentation grenade and the final sale was made in May 1999."

However, the campaign group Landmine Action said: “We have solid proof that at the very least PW Defence have been actively marketing anti-personnel landmines....That a British company should flout this ban is not only criminal but also inhumane." Landmine Action also accused the British government of not doing enough to implement the UK's obligations under the Ottawa Treaty.

Related Articles
BBC News Online -- Police to probe landmine 'sales'
Guardian -- UK firm accused of selling landmines
Landmine Action Press Release -- ‘Attempt to sell illegal landmines’ – new evidence contradicts UK company’s claims

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Thanks to Shirin Sadeghi, who answered my call for a translation of the article about the blog on the BBC Persian Service website.

Ominously for me, the article ends with the sentence: "His readers can email him in order to publicly express their opinions of his writings." Note to all Persian readers -- spare yourselves the trouble. You don't have to e-mail me to tell me my writings are crap. I'm already well aware of the fact.

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As if I hadn't suffered enough already, I got to spend the afternoon watching Cardiff City hold Wigan to a nil-nil draw at Ninian Park. In the rain.

Photo at Ninian Park

My favourite Cardiff player -- Andy Legg (geddit?!)

South Wales Echo -- Bluebirds seal play-off spot

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I think I may have started something.

Nephew Ben, delighted at seeing his last work displayed on the blog, has been hard at work on a new canvas of his limbless uncle:



Not only that but he's taken to mimicing my every move. I hop across the lounge between wheelchair and sofa -- he hitches up his right foot and copies me. I slide up and down the stairs on my backside -- he follows suit. Far from being scared by my predicament, he now seems to find it rather cool.

Not to be outdone, Ben's 12 year old brother Alessandro has also been depicting my amputation through the medium of art. I was particularly taken by the scar on my face. When I asked him why I was saying that my ears were ringing he explained that: "it's because you stepped on a landmine and the explosion has made you deaf." At least I think that's what he said. I couldn't quite hear him because I stepped on a landmine and the explosion has made me deaf.



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The pain starts as soon as I lie down.

It's usually a burning sensation, like someone's doused my foot in petrol and set it alight. Except the foot's not there any more.

It's followed by a sharp stabbing, six inch nails being driven through the soles of my absent foot.

Sometimes the pain is less intense and it's more like pins and needles or cramp, as though I've kept my leg in the same position for too long.

I press lightly on the bottom of my stump and the sensations start to ease, as though the nerve endings have been given something to occupy their attention.

I fall asleep with my stump cradled between my hands.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

One of the main priorities since my accident has been to get back on the road.

My stick-shift Citroen isn't suited to life with one leg, so yesterday I went for a preparatory assessment to see what car I'll need now the number of feet available to drive has been halved.

The assessor told me I'll need an automatic with the pedals switched round so I can operate them with my left foot instead of my right.

My choice of replacement vehicle to reflect my changed circumstances -- the General Motors Hummer H2, based on the US Army Humvee.



A snip at $55,000 and boasting a gutsy 10 miles per gallon it's as well suited to the narrow country lanes of Britain as it is to the highways of Iraq. It sends out a message: GET OUT OF MY WAY. I MAY ONLY HAVE ONE FOOT BUT I'M STILL A MAN. I CAN RUN YOU OFF THE ROAD ANY TIME I FUCKING CHOOSE.

What I need to find out now is whether the pedals on it can be modified for one-legged drivers.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

I knew I should have paid more attention during those Persian lessons in school because the BBC Persian Service has picked up on the blog. A translation from any Farsi speakers out there would be very welcome....

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So you wanna be a snapper?



This photo was taken by Patrick Baz from Agence France Presse in Baghdad's Palestine Hotel on 8th April. 5 people, including a Spanish cameraman and 3 Reuters staff were wounded when the hotel was hit during fighting between Iraqi and US troops.

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Claire H points out that my Fox News colleagues have been rootin' rootin' and a-lootin' their way around Iraq:

BBC News Online -- Newsman on Iraq looting charge

Guess this means I should take Saddam's teak humidor and Uday's tennis racket off E-Bay. Damn.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

AMP OF THE WEEK

For refusing to quit despite having his leg gnawed off by Delphinapterus leucas, my very first Amputee of the Week award goes to the ass-kicking Cap'n Ahab from Moby Dick.

This exchange between the Captain and the ship's carpenter, who is fashioning him a new artificial leg, uncannily reminds me of a conversation I had with my prosthetist just the other day:

"Look ye, carpenter, I dare say thou callest thyself a right good workmanlike workman, eh? Well, then, will it speak thoroughly well for thy work, if, when I come to mount this leg thou makest, I shall nevertheless feel another leg in the same identical place with it; that is, carpenter, my old lost leg; the flesh and blood one, I mean. Canst thou not drive that old Adam away?" "Truly, sir, I begin to understand somewhat now. Yes, I have heard something curious on that score, sir; how that a dismasted man never entirely loses the feeling of his old spar, but it will still be pricking him at times. May I humbly ask if it really be so, sir?"

Cap'n Ahab -- you rock.



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"Non-lethal" landmines, anyone?

AFP: And now for...electric shock landmines

and Jordan takes action to destroy the last of its landmines produced in guess which country?

Kingdom detonates 5,790 mines in last stockpile clearing effort

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Big thanks to Xeni Jardin for inviting me to take part this evening in the Emerging Technology Conference seminar on the Warblogging phenomenon. Hell, I've never been part of a phenomenon before.

Anyway, now the war's all but over, surely the phenomenon -- such as it was -- is so last month. The next big thing.....Amputee Blogging.

And Xeni, as I'm on the subject....while you're editing The Reverse Cowgirl's Blog you really need to explore the amputee devotee scene. Actually, on second thoughts, you really don't.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Art therapy for my five year old nephew, Ben, who has proved just how adaptable kids are.

We've been careful with him, getting him used to his new-look uncle slowly so as not to scare him.

When I was in hospital I kept Mr S tucked beneath a blanket so he couldn't see it. We just wanted him to know I was still the same person as before.

When I was discharged I kept the plaster cast hidden under my trouser leg. I asked him if he wanted to look at the cast but he backed off, afraid of the unknown. Aileen came up with the brilliant idea of drawing a face on the cast to make it more approachable. Within minutes, Ben had got his felt tip pen out and was happily writing his name on it.

Now, a week after the cast was removed, you'd have thought nothing had happened. When he comes over he gleefully shouts "UNCLE STUART HAS ONLY GOT ONE FOOT. THE OTHER ONE WAS BLOWN OFF IN THE WAR. HA! HA! HA! HA!" He's right, of course, and it doesn't seem to bother him one bit.

In fact, he's even drawn a picture of me, on crutches, complete with missing foot. I like the fact that he's drawn me with a smiley face.



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Dr Hughes is in. Today's case.

A trip to the Betty Ford Clinic is overdue for Cindy C, who reports that she's "addicted" to this weblog.

Cindy Writes:
"It is my daily reality check, and one which I highly recommend to those who spend all their time whining and complaining and bitching because they didn't get the raise they wanted, or didn't get the VP position, or didn't buy the right cell phone, or the girl at the deli had a snarky attitude this morning."

Cindy...if you're using me as a reality gauge you need urgent medical help. Take two of these tablets and go sit in a darkened room until you feel better.

Next patient please.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Vicky came to call this afternoon. She took a look at Mr S and gave him a gentle squeeze.

Vicky reckons the stump looks and feels like a woman's breast -- and a nice one at that.

Now she mentions it, she's absolutely right.....so why am I treating it so warily?! I should be giving it a damn good fondle.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Phantom sensations.

People just can't stop asking about it. In fact, some people are obsessed with the subject in a "Legless Stu's World of the Strange" sort of a way. If you're that interested get you're own fucking foot chopped off and then you'll know what it's like!!

OK, OK. Phanton sensations. A guide for the two-legged.

Let's start with yet another definition. The Amputee Coalition of America (membership $30 per annum) describes phantom sensations as "any type of sensation which the amputee experiences in the portion of the limb that has been removed. It can include: tingling, warmth, cold, pain, cramping, constriction, and any other imaginable sensation."

Close your eyes. Think about your feet. What are they doing? Are they itching? Tickling? Sore? If I close my eyes I can feel exactly the same things -- except in my case I've only got one foot. If I were to try to locate the sensations I'd say they were at the bottom of my leg in my heel/ankle/toes. Except they're not there any more. It's the strangest thing. My head knows the foot's not there but it still interprets the sensations as though it were.

Apparently this really freaks some people out. To be honest, it doesn't bother me that much. I've been given all sorts of useless advice like "if you get phantom sensations in your missing foot, scratch the other foot instead." This was probably dreamt up by the person who said "don't pull a face because if the wind changes you'll be stuck like that forever." It doesn't help one bit.

What is weird is when I instruct my brain to make my toes wiggle. I know they're wiggling, even if no one else does.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Another unexpected benefit of only having one foot comes in an e-mail from Gavin Bell who notes that "annoying sounds of toenail clipping will be reduced by 50%" A fair point well made.

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A day of small steps, giant leaps....and a new acronym to add to my increasingly bulging dictionary of amputee-speak.

Today's new word -- a "PPAM," defined thus: "A Pneumatic Post Amputation Mobility Aid is an inflatable device (not a prosthesis) that is used in the UK by physiotherapists as part of the rehabilitation programme prior to prosthetic rehabilitation." I hope you're keeping up. There'll be a test later.

Basically a PPAM is a cross between a sock and a bicycle inner tube. It sounds and looks ridiculous, but that's part of the fun of it.

Jo my physio stuffed the thing over old Mr S, gave it a few puffs with a bicycle pump and instructed me to rise from my chariot. For the first time in three weeks I was able to walk on two feet (or one foot and a great big marigold glove to be more precise). It looked absurd but felt fantastic. For the first time since the operation I was able to think "aha, I WILL walk again", although hopefully in time it'll be with something more graceful than a PPAM.



Despite these small triumphs, me and Mr S still aren't seeing completely eye to eye. I'm trying to make friends with him but it's taking time. I still treat him warily. My foot's been replaced by a smooth, round.....hate the word but I'm going to saying it anyway....stump. It's actually quite aesthetically pleasing. The nurses coo over how healthy and well it looks. Still, it's not my foot. I know I'm still grieving for my lost limb. Over the weekend we played the popular amputee parlour game "how much would you pay to get your leg back?" I'd pay almost anything -- but it's not going to happen.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Nurse, where's my soapbox.
(Sound of box being dragged stage left)
Thank you.

Right then.

If you've been following the blog for any length of time you'll be aware that landmines are Not Cool.

Even so, what's happening in Northern Iraq at the moment is shocking. In fact, it's downright grotesque.

According to my friends at the Mines Advisory Group, 52 people have been killed and 63 injured by landmines and unexploded ordnance in Kirkuk -- near to where I was injured -- in just one week. Most of the deaths and injuries involve children.

This photo is heart-breaking -- but it's the true face of what landmines are doing to children in warzones around the world. Nine-year old Arkin found a landmine near his house. Not knowing what it was, he picked it up and it exploded. The blast destroyed an arm, a hand and both eyes. Doctors doubt he will survive. What's happened to him makes my injury look like flesh wound.

MAG is the only mine clearance organisation working in Northern Iraq. They need your help.

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An entry in Lisa English's blog makes me howl with laughter, perhaps not intentionally.

She describes this blog as "warm, no bullshit and funny, in that lovely sort of post-landmine macabre way." Oh yes THAT lovely sort of post-landmine macabre way, how could I have forgotten. You think it's funny -- I haven't stopped pissing myself since the amputation (he said with a large dollop of irony.)

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

My top ten choice of optional attachments for my new leg:
10. Water Pistol
9. Periscope
8. Shovel
7. Golf club
6. Fishing Rod
5. Circular Saw
4. Lawn Strimmer
3. Dust Buster
2. Vibrator
1. Kebab

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

The Daily Mirror has an excellent double page spread today about the landmine situation in Northern Iraq, along with a couple of quotes from me.

In the past week, 52 people have been killed and 63 injured by mines and unexploded munitions around Kirkuk.

Read the article -- then get off your arse and do something!

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

The reason I haven't written much this past weekend:



Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Thanks to Whiterook for putting the following link on the message board.

Pieces of Eight Skydiving Team.

What he doesn't make clear is whether these guys were missing limbs BEFORE they started skydiving!

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Spent the afternoon at the National Gallery in Cardiff.

I was particularly impressed by Rodin's sculpture "Female Trans-Tibial Amputee Checks Out Her Stump" -- at least I THINK that's what it was called.



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I'm learning a whole new vocabulary, a secret lexicon known only to amputees and prosthetists. A few weeks ago I didn't know my AK (above knee) from my BK (below knee), a symes (an amputation at the ankle or through the foot) from a neuroma (the end of a nerve left after amputation.) Now I'm becoming fluent in amp-speak.

I learnt today that I'm a BK or "trans-tibial" amputee and, like a new washing machine, I come with my own instruction manual. It seems that more than 50% of amputations are below the knee. I'm as common as muck.

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Please don't think I'm turning into Michael Moore. My sense of humour is still intact and the usual light-hearted dispatches on life as an amputee landmine victim will return soon enough. However, as part as my "Stu gets up to speed on landmine issues" crusade I've been reading up on the Ottawa Treaty, the "convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of antipersonnel mines and on their destruction." It became part of international law on March 1st 1999.

Some facts:
* It is estimated that more than 110 million active mines are scattered in 68 countries with an equal number stockpiled around the world waiting to be planted.
* Landmines maim or kill one person every 22 minutes. That's more than 20,000 people a year.
* 30 to 40% of landmine victims are children.
* For every mine cleared, 20 are laid.
* Anti-personnel mines are priced at $3 to $30 each. The cost to the international community of neutralizing them ranges from $300 to $1000.

(source United Nations.)

Article 1 of the Ottawa Treaty commits countries never under any circumstances:
* To use anti-personnel mines.
* To develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer to anyone, directly or indirectly, anti-personnel mines
and
* To destroy or ensure the destruction of all anti-personnel mines.

As of April 1st 2003, 146 countries had signed the Ottawa Treaty (source Landmine Survivors Network)

Countries which have not signed the Ottawa Treaty include Russia, China, India, Pakistan.....oh yes, and the United States (source United Nations.)

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Can you believe this T-shirt?!

It's this Spring's essential fashion item.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Especially for the ice hockey crowd, I think I may have found what I'm looking for here and here!

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Doing some research into landmine producers I came across a delightful American company called Alliant Techsystems, based in Minnesota.

Alliant Techsystems (ATK) says it is "a $2.1 billion aerospace and defense company with leading positions in propulsion, composite structures, munitions, and precision capabilities."

On its website, ATK publishes its values statement, "developed," it says, " by employees across the company to help capture the essence of the spirit that drives our work performance."

The values are:

Always Ethical
We are committed to conducting business in an ethically and socially responsible manner. Our constituents — customers, shareholders, colleagues, and communities — can depend on us to deliver what we forecast, what we predict, and what we promise.

Target Excellence
We are dedicated to excellence and continuous improvement in ourselves and our products, processes, technologies, and systems — quality in everything we do.

Customer Satisfaction
We provide value to our customers by helping them achieve 100-percent mission success.

Shareholder Value
We make ATK our business by acting, thinking, and making decisions as owners. We pursue efficiencies to be competitive and promote financial growth for employees and shareholders.

Key on Employees
Employee performance is the driving force behind our business success. As the most valuable of company assets, employees are recognized and rewarded for their intellect, creativity, and contributions to our success.

Safety
Our first consideration is the safety of our employees. We are committed to ensuring that our facilities are in order, procedures are accurate, employees are trained, and attitudes are solid for safety.

Diversity
We value and respect all people for who they are, for their differing opinions and viewpoints, for the way they think, and for the way they do things. Our goal is to build on the strengths of our differences.

Corporate Citizenship
It is our duty and privilege to invest and volunteer in the communities in which we live and do business. We are committed to protecting the environment in all of our business activities.

One of the products produced by ATK is the Volcano, a "modular mine delivery system for dispensing of antitank mines from a variety of five-ton dump and cargo trucks, the UH-60 helicopter, and the M548A1 tracked cargo carrier."

According to the Minnesota Medical Association, ATK is the major producer of landmines in the United States.

In a Human Rights Watch Report, ATK was identified as a "recalcitrant producer," one of 30 US companies which rejected HRW's humanitarian appeal to forego any future production of antipersonnel mine components. HRW says that "Alliant was awarded DoD antipersonnel and antitank landmine production contracts worth $336 million in 1985-95; its Wisconsin subsidiary Accudyne Corp. was awarded similar contracts worth $150 million in 1985-95; and its New Jersey subsidiary Ferrulmatic was awarded a $72,000 contract in 1985 for the M128 Volcano landmine dispenser."

The CEO of ATK insisted some years ago that "It is irresponsible to imply in any way that companies such as Alliant Techsystems have contributed to the world's landmine problems. To do so wrongly maligns responsible U.S. citizens, and diverts resources that could be applied toward stigmatizing the governments that violate international law."

On April 2nd, Kaveh Golestan was killed in Northern Iraq by an anti-tank mine of unknown origin. On the same day, shares in ATK closed at $53.08.

Read more at Minnesota Alliant Action.

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I'm boycotting the Personal Exercise Program put together by my physiotherapist due to its blatant foot-ist bias.

Take the following examples:

"Lift the upper leg straight up with ankle flexed and the heel leading the movement." What ankle? What heel?

"Lift lower leg 10-20cm from the floor keeping toes pointed forward." If I had toes to point, they'd be facing forward but unfortunately they were cut off a fortnight ago.

"Bend your ankles and push your knees down firmly against the bed." Surely that should read ankle SINGULAR?!

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

News of another landmine victim from Iraq here.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond

Some unexpected benefits of only having one foot:
1) My feet only smell half as much.
2) I don't have to wash my socks as often.
3) Half price pedicures.
4) Less fluff collects between my toes.
5) I'll no longer trip people up in cinemas by blocking the aisles with my lanky right leg.
6) Less need for legroom on aircraft = more room for bags of duty free.
7) Wearing two left shoes won't feel uncomfortable.
8) Bottles of L'Oreal Leg Firming Gel will last a third longer.
9) Significant tactical advantages when playing hopscotch.
10) Fewer toes to stub.

Discuss Northern Iraq -- and Beyond