Seen in the News

[Mags]

This woman has clearly never had to manage/cope/deal/live with anyone with mental health issues. That money should be directed towards clinics, professionals and support for the families who are dealing with this issue on a daily basis.

I have.........on a daily basis. sometimes trying to get that person out of bed and into the shower is a monumental battle in itself. Getting a person to take their meds on a regular basis is a struggle and if that person is incapable of managing their meds you also have to manage the dosages and timing of the meds to prevent under or over medicating and try to prevent the risk of suicide attempts.

I have dealt with mental health problems for the past 18 years (not me) and it is damn hard work, it takes a toll on everybody within that persons group. If a person is in hospital suffering with mental health issues they are clearly not in the right headspace to be thinking about working or writing a CV. Their main focus in hospital should be counselling and trying to get medication dosages correct - which is a trial - seeing how that patient reacts to the meds and getting the dosages correct.

We are lucky that we have private health insurance and have access to private clinics and professional services but nothing can prepare a family for the heartache, mood swings, arguments and tantrums that come with having a mentally ill person with in your household.

[Stanley]

Well done Margaret! That's valuable evidence from someone who knows what they are talking about and looking in from the outside I can assure everyone that I have been very proud of Margaret for many years as I watched her dealing with circumstances that would have floored many people.
I share her opinions about the article but I haven't got the necessary first hand experience to speak as Margaret can. I would urge you to listen to her, she knows of what she speaks!

[Wendyf]

They also want to give weight loss drugs to obese people to get them back to work!

[Gloria]

They also want to give weight loss drugs to obese people to get them back to work!

It really beggars belief.

[Tizer]

Yes, and it worries even those in the medical profession. These drugs (Wegovy etc) have some serious side effects. Also, if you stop taking the drug you end up putting the weight back on. They're wonderful from the pharma company's point of view and Novo Nordisk has already become Europe's most valuable listed company on the back of this drug.

[Stanley]

They're wonderful from the pharma company's point of view and Novo Nordisk has already become Europe's most valuable listed company on the back of this drug.
I think Peter has put his finger on it there..... Did you hear the CEO of the big pharma company endorsing Starmer's 'vision' of the UK as a good place to invest? Could that possibly have been influenced by the announcement about attacking obesity in the unemployed with these injections?

THIS caught my attention....
A seven-year-old boy has died and six people have been taken to hospital following an explosion which destroyed three houses. Emergency crews were called to Violet Close in Benwell, Newcastle, at about 00:45 BST. Police, who have now enforced a no-fly zone in the area, said the boy's death was "truly devastating". Eyewitnesses described a "very loud bang" and a "bright flash", with some residents then told to leave their homes and go to a rest centre run by Red Cross volunteers. An evacuation centre was set up nearby and the Red Cross has been giving out mobile phone chargers and food.
Interesting to see that mobile phone chargers are seen to be as essential aid items by the Red Cross.

[Stanley]

See THIS disturbing news about the increase in fraud cases.
Fraud cases have risen by 16% with con artists stealing more than £3m a day, according to figures from the banking industry. Criminals have particularly targeted victims by tricking them out of their one-time passcodes, trade body UK Finance said. Despite the increase in reported cases, total losses have fallen slightly - totalling £572m in the first half of the year. Banks said that fraud posed a "major threat" to the UK and called for support in tackling the crime. The figures come after BBC Panorama revealed earlier this week a stream of cases involving e-money firm Revolut. One victim told of how he lost £165,000 from his business account within an hour. Revolut said it had "robust controls" in place.
The banks assure us that banking online is safe. I don't believe them and refuse to do it.

[Tizer]

Musk is spending billions of dollars on supporting Trump for election again as US president. He knows he can get Trump to do as he likes. They're both fixated on profits and fame...
`US probing Elon Musk's Tesla over self-driving systems' BBC

[Tripps]

A bit spookily - I watched Mr Mc Master demonstating a driverless taxi in San Francisco yesterday. As usual Hutber's Law applies, (Improvement equals deterioration" ) and you can only travel between designated stopping points. He had to ring Customer Services to get the unwanted music turned off. If you want to slag off the Government, do you have to call them for a conversation - in the absence of a sympathetic driver?

Still not seen the answer to my question - if there was a serious accident, who would be sued the taxi operator, or the software designer? I don't see it being scaled up to a meaningful level. Interesting video though. Watch it of you wish.

[Stanley]

I share your antipathy David and won't be watching the video. The whole subject of self-driving vehicles appals me. The one great thing about driving that attracted me for all those miles was the fact that I was in control and the captain of my own fate. I didn't know of any other way of making a living that had that great advantage. Today it seems that this counts for nothing. Now that's the really scary bit!!

[Tizer]

Still not seen the answer to my question - if there was a serious accident, who would be sued the taxi operator, or the software designer? I don't see it being scaled up to a meaningful level.

`UK government says self-driving carmakers liable for crashes in new framework' ETSC 9 Nov 2023

[Tripps]

Still not seen the answer to my question

If truth be told - I haven't looked too hard for the answer.
Thanks for pointing it out, though I'd say it's still some way from being the law.
Another example I'd say of a solution in search of a problem.

[Stanley]

I saw THIS .......
Ministers are to take a direct role in overseeing the building of the HS2 rail line to try to "get a grip" on the rising cost of the high speed route between London and Birmingham. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said it had long been clear that the cost of HS2, which could reach £66bn, had been allowed to "spiral out of control". She said she had now seen "up close" the "scale of failure", which she described as "dire". "I have promised to work fast and fix things and that's exactly why I have announced urgent measures to get a grip on HS2’s costs and ensure taxpayers’ money is put to good use," Haigh said. The government also confirmed it will not reinstate previous plans to run the high-speed line to Crewe and Manchester, which were scrapped under the previous Conservative government.
Politicians getting costs of a project down? I wonder what evidence there is for that being even a remote possibility?

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report about free school meals....
Thousands more children from England’s poorest households are eating a free school meal because of a new trial scheme. The pilot project, run by the Fix Our Food research programme and involving dozens of councils, is identifying previously unregistered eligible children and automatically enrolling them. Families who qualify for free school meals usually have to register their children to get a meal, even if they meet the criteria. The Department for Education has encouraged all eligible families who are not automatically enrolled to register. The total number of children registered for free school meals in England is about 2.1 million, or 24.6% of the total pupil population. Some families do not sign up for free school meals they are entitled to because of language barriers, not understanding the eligibility criteria or because of a stigma around sharing financial information.
I'm glad to see this but want to see it extended further. The cost of school meals is so low compared to other areas of spending and such a good use of money! (Personally I'd like to see free school milk as well.)

[Stanley]

I saw THIS BBC report.....
An independent commission, designed to deliver the largest review of the water sector since privatisation in the 1980s, is being set up to examine how best to tackle the tide of problems threatening to engulf the sector. The Independent Water Commission will be chaired by former deputy governor of the Bank of England Sir Jon Cunliffe and will report by the middle of next year.
The thought that struck me was "Will it do any good?" and "How many 'Independent Commissions' will it take to put right all the broken policies? God knows, there are a lot of them!

[Stanley]

You all know my love for cattle.... See THIS BBC report of a rare birth....
A dairy cow giving birth to extremely rare quadruplet calves has been described as "unheard of" by farm staff. The bull and three heifers arrived fit and healthy at Calcourt Farms in Wernllwyd, Powys. The chance of a quadruplet pregnancy in cattle is said to be, external one in 700,000, with the chance of them all being born alive just one in 11 million. "This is a once in a career, probably lifetime, experience," said Matthew Hicks, the farm’s fertility manager.
They look alright. I hope they all survive and are healthy. Quite remarkable.
I've calved many hundreds of cows but never see even twins!

[Mags]

I am one up on you there dad, when I worked at Park House Farm for Bill Graveston I calved a cow (3rd Calver) and she had twin heifers. Somewhere I have a photo Bill took of me bringing them in from the field.

[Stanley]

Hee Hee! That's good Margaret! I am so glad at least one of us has had twins.....

[Tizer]

This is a once in a career, probably lifetime, experience," said Matthew Hicks, the farm’s fertility manager.

I didn't know that it was possible to become a `fertility manager'! I know when I was in publishing there was a `reproduction rights manager' job title!