Nerd Church - Dyscalculia (Part 1: What Is Dyscalculia?)

I've mentioned in passing before now that I have a learning problem - condition, disability, whatever you wanna call it - called dyscalculia.

So I figured it was about time (ha, you'll see why that's a pun soon,) that I let you know what that entails, and why that means I struggle with a lot of things that most people find easy.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Disclaimer time: I am not a medical, educational, or neurological expert. I’m a Welsh chick with a blog.

So, what is dyscalculia?


In its simplest explanation, dyscalculia is the maths version of dyslexia.

It affects numeracy, rather than literacy, and also affects a lot of things related to mathematical ways of seeing the world that most people don't actually associate with maths.

Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: Writing Vs Self-Care

While my aim is to write every day (y'know, like all the advice seems to say you should if you wanna be successful as an author,) some days I just can't.

That's not strictly true - I usually end up writing something in a day: blogging, tweeting, e-mails, work stuff, etc.

But I don't always manage to work on my work-in-progress (WIP) every day.

Nerd Church - An Unpopular Opinion On the 'Don't Feed the Trolls' Campaign

There's a new campaign in the UK using the previously informal hashtag of #DontFeedTheTrolls.

The Center For Countering Digital Hate advises that you don't engage with trolls. 

Ignore, block, report. Rinse, repeat.

Now, that's certainly not a bad option for dealing with trolling.

And you should ALWAYS feel that you can use the mute, block, report options, or some variant thereof, if you want to.

Cos you owe no-one, and you need to protect your mental health. Take care, ok?




So, what's my unpopular opinion?

Nerd Church - It's My Birthday! (And I'll Cry If I Want To)

...Not that I'm particularly aiming to. But I'll give myself the option!

Yes, the day this post is published (15th Sep, unless I pushed 'Publish' instead of 'Schedule' again! 😅) is my birthday!

While I'm hoping to have fun and enjoy myself today... I have had some mixed feelings in the days leading up to today.

See, for my entire life, my birthday has been a few days before my grandfather's.

Month in Review(s) - August 2019

August was not as hot here in the UK!!!!! 

Thank whatever deity, divine power, or cosmic entity that may be listening!

Don't get me wrong, there were still days which were officially too hot. But there were less of them. *sighs happily*

Unfortunately, I spent most of August with a cold.

Because I'm one of those people who will catch every virus imaginable after a galandular-fever-like illness screwed my immune system over when I was 16. Good times.

Nerd Church - Caffeinated Current Events: We're Really F**ked (Like, More Than We Were Before)

I'm full of coffee, so let's try to figure out the state of the UK, shall we?

I don't know if you've been paying attention to UK politics lately, but it basically goes a little something like this:

Our Prime Minister is somehow Boris Johnson. 

Because we apparently haven't suffered enough yet.

Nerd Church - Escapism, Reality, the Power of Stories, and Brigsby Bear

Films, books, media, stories.

They’re how we talk, communicate, connect with each other, with the world around us, and how we understand ourselves. 

At least, that’s true for me, maybe it’s not for you.

Or maybe you just think it’s not the way it is for you 😉

...when I was making the graphic I somehow wrote 'realism' instead of reality but *shrugs* same diff I suppose! 😅

There’s an amazing, adorable, and, in places, heart-breaking, film called Brigsby Bear.

I love it.

It’s one of those films which rips your heart out, hands it to you, and then is like ‘look! This is what your heart looks like! Look at all the blood and gunk and stuff!’ (Metaphorically, of course.) 

It’s hard to talk about Brigsby Bear without either a) getting spoiler-y, or b) descending into fangirling to such an extent that all I’m doing is making a series of inarticulate noises.

Nerd Church - You're Capable (I Promise)

There will be times in your life, dearest nerdlets, when you feel like you're not capable of understanding something, or learning to do something, or actually goddamn doing the thing - whatever the thing may be.

But you ARE capable!

I know, I know - so easy to say.

(Except it's not - for me, it's def. not.)

Image by Shahid Abdullah from Pixabay

I love bad puns in visual form, ok? 😅 I couldn't resist.

I don't mean that all you have to do is decide you wanna be a rock star, and then, if you want it bad enough, it'll magically happen.

Life doesn't work like that.

If you don't play any instruments, you won't wake up tomorrow as a rock star. Simple as.

But that doesn't mean you're incapable of being a rock star. It'll take a lot of work, a lot of luck, and a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but you can do it.

...Or it might still not happen.

Nerd Church - America, You Got a Problem With Guns

(Warning: this post discusses the El Paso and Dayton shootings, and the American gun culture)

I'm sure this has been said time and time again.

While people are still out there dying, I will add my voice to that, time and time again.

America has a gun problem.

Month in Review(s) - July 2019

July was too goddamned hot.

I spelled Gorffennaf wrong in the graphic - oops! 😅

I'm not built for anything past 23C, and it hit, like 31C.

I know to some of you who live in hotter places than the UK, that's nothing but... it's really not nothing to us!

I'm not a nice person when I'm hot - I'm grumpy af and just want to make the world suffer.

Also, I live in Wales. Summer is traditionally one big rain shower - WTAF with this heat?!

Nerd Church - Do We REALLY Value the ART?

I love Fine Art, and have done since I was a teensy babbi.

(Which slightly confused my parents who were expecting a child rather than an art, music, and literature lover, but anyways...)

I'm not so much of a fan of Modern Art, though, 'cos it tends to be either ugly or pretentious af - or sometimes both. Lol.

Nerd Church - My New Self-Care Strategy

(Warning: this post discusses low self-esteem and Depression)


I have a plan!


My plan is this: to treat myself BETTER than I think I deserve.


'Hang on Cee!' I hear you cry (well, I don't but it's a structural narrative device,) 'What the hell are you talking about?!'

Let's rewind.

Nerd Church - Trump Is A Racist, and Other Obvious Things That Still Have To Be Said

(Warning: this post discusses all things Trump, inc. racism, bigotry, and alleged sexual assault, inc. Jeffrey Epstein and paedophilia)


Trump is a racist.

He is a sexist, a homophobe, an ableist, a transphobe, an Islamophobe.

Trump is pretty much any kind of bigot or general a**hole you can think of.

I don't know why people are still surprised, but some people seem to be.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Nerd Church - Casual Homophobia: A Thousand Cuts

(Warning: this post discusses several instances of homophobia, and the feelings caused.)

I use the term homophobia here as a catch-all for all types of bigotry against LGBTQ+ people.



When I was very, very, small, someone I love - an adult - said something that stuck a tiny dagger into my heart.

They said, "...it shows being Gay as something natural. Which it's not."

And a teeny-tiny voice in my small child brain said, 'But what about me?' and then I stamped it down very, very, hard.

Partly because I didn't know what I meant. What about me? What was I?

Well, if straight was the natural... then I was straight? Right?

Month in Review(s) - June 2019

June kind of flew by!

Partly because I was super-busy! Which is also why I (once again) posted less here than I wanted to.

I did manage to post a review though! Woo! I can still call myself a book blog! (Lol.) 😅

Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: Turns Out, People Are Interested

I've never really had much confidence in my writing.

Like, objectively I know that people read this blog but... it always surprises (and delights,) me when someone comments, shares, etc. (Hint hint. Lol.)

Likewise, I'm always on edge about the fiction I write - it can't be something someone'd be interested in reading, right?

At the same time, not writing would be like not breathing. Unthinkable.

It's literally who I am - I breathe. I read. I write.

Nerd Church - Women In Danger Vs Men Inconvenienced: Discussing The Boris Johnson & Mark Field Stories

(Warning: this post discusses assault against women and domestic violence against women. It contains a news video where assault is shown in the thumbnail.)


British politicians don't have the best track record with women lately.

If you're not aware (I know a lot of you are international - and I utterly adore you!) we've had two serious incidents involving British politicians and women over the last few weeks.

Both incidents involved aggression. One definitely involved violence.

Both politicians were male Conservatives.

Make of that what you will. I just submit it to the jury m'lud.

(Brit slang notes: m'lud is a shortening of 'my Lord,' which is what you're supposed to say to judges etc. M'lud is also used sarcastically. Because British.)

Nerd Church - Anxiety: Worrying About Sh** I Actually Don't Care About

(Warning: this post discusses Anxiety (which you probably figured out) and Depression)


If you're worried about paying the bills when you've got no money in the bank, that's logical.

Likewise, worrying about a friend who's been going through a tough time, or feeling anxious before you give a speech, is totally understandable.

Anxiety, though?

Anxiety blows the normal sh** out of proportion, while adding some completely illogical sh** t'boot.

Nerd Church - 5 Super-Dads (And 5 Who Aren't So Super)

(This post may have some mild spoilers for various superhero-y dealies.)


Let's have some fun this Father's Day, shall we?

Superhero media is a hazardous place to be a father...

...Either you or your kid keeps getting kidnapped and you have to save each other...

...someone changes the timeline and suddenly you've accidentally poofed your child out of existence...

...your kids get ret-conned for film license purposes so that they're no longer your kids...

...they turn out to be super-villains even though you thought they were dead...

It ain't easy!

Nerd Church - 9 Things I Learnt From the Chernobyl TV Series

The last episode of the Sky/HBO dramatisation of the Chernobyl disaster aired last Tuesday.

When I was a kid, Chernobyl was the reason people couldn't sell their livestock.

I live over 1000 miles away from the site of the Chernobyl disaster. I was born years after the explosion.

But when I was a kid, Chernobyl was the reason people couldn't sell their livestock.

The restrictions on sheep farmers were only lifted in 2012.