WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

Richard, in general I agree with you, I'm all for the NHS being free and alleviating suffering. However, some circumstances worry me. My compassion threshold starts to rise a bit when what we are looking at is what the army used to describe as 'self-inflicted injury'. If someone drinks to the stage where they are paralytic and A&E have to put up with the consequences I'm afraid I have more sympathy with the staff than the patient. I was listening this morning to an account of Crystal Meth usage and the terrible consequences. I have no answers but as I said, a certain amount of sympathy with anyone who questions policy in such cases.
The Leveson Report is published today. We don't know yet what it will say but the expectation is that it will be thorough, wide-ranging and fearless. What strikes me at the moment is that for once, the system of judicial enquiry has worked well, largely because Mr Leveson has resisted all attempts to constrain him. Remember him refusing to alter the timetable of the enquiry to suit Jeremy Hunt? David Cameron set up the enquiry to get a huge political problem off his back and I'm afraid it backfired on him. You've only got to look at the list (as yet nowhere near exhaustive) of people on remand or waiting for charges to realise that this went right to the top and questions the judgement of many people. I look forward to the debate and wonder if any real lessons have been learned. For instance, will there be a political fudge? There is also the question of the potential of a split between Cameron and Clegg. Interesting times!

[EileenDavid]

I think theres other place to make cuts. Dave worked on social housing in Bradford and a couple of the residents advised him that because they were alcohol dependent they gave them an extra £50 of benefit and a further £50 for taxi's to go to the shops Eileen

[Tardis]

Last night:

The moon, with Jupiter sitting close by in a clear sky

[Moh]

That annoying Google message seems to have got worse!

[Stanley]

Hard luck Moh, some people seem to get it more than others. Very infrequent with me.
Coulson and Brooks remanded on the separate charge of bribing the civil servant.
Strauss Kahn affair hasn't gone away. See this LINK for settlement in the case against the maid in NY. He is fighting another case in France at the moment accusing him of other offences connected with sex. A strange man with enough money to pay for smart lawyers and out of court settlements....

[EileenDavid]

I also had the annoying message several times today when first logging on. An email from a friend telling us about a mobile home for sale in Spain. Eileen

[Moh]

Do you fancy a change Eileen?

[Tardis]

My comment at the Pendle West Craven Area Committee about the street lights in Valley Gardens made it into today's Lancashire Telegraph. It was supposedly fixed on the 21st

[Stanley]

It's the first day of December......

[EileenDavid]

Moh wll I do fancy a change but I wouldn't buy another static. When you have one you feel obliged to utilise it. If we sell I want to see other places. Only had the annoying message once today when logging in. Stanley hope you said rabbit rabbit rabbit for the 1st day of the month. Were did that come from as a symbol of luck? Eileen

[Tripps]

We say "white rabbits" on the first of the month - no idea why. I think you've been listening to too much Chas and Dave.

[Wendyf]

We used to say "White rabbit"....but only when there was an "r" in the month.

[PostmanPete]

Wendy - are you getting mixed up with the eating of shellfish? (an 'r' in the month)

I think that the mention of rabbit is meant to be a polite way of saying an swear word as an ancient way to ward off evil spirits. Some folks believe that it is lucky to say the word on the first of the month and that a gift will be received before the month is out.

According to olde Devon folklore, you must also say 'brown rabbit' last thing at night and walk downstairs backwards.......! (this should also be good for the knees as Stanley recently commented on another thread)

[Stanley]

Never heard of that one but I now have this indelible image in my head of OG members walking backwards downstairs muttering to themselves.... Nobody could ever accuse us of being boring!
As usual, the current edition of Private Eye makes depressing reading. They get to the bottom of the stories in politics and it's not a pretty picture.
There's an interesting article about the deteriorating conditions in Afghanistan. It draws attention to the fact that there isn't enough transport capacity to repatriate all the munitions and equipment deployed there and the most likely fate for it is that it is handed over to the Afghan government. Question is, how long before the Taliban take over the government, are we going to be in a position where we are supplying them? The same applies to the much larger US stocks of course.

[Tizer]

Is `rabbit' the animal that sea-going fishermen don't mention when on board their boat?

The Afghan government's bad enough already - some of the people are rather close to corruption although they deny any involvement LINK

[Stanley]

The Panorama programme last night drawing attention to the long-running scandal of the South Staffs Health Trust. No surprises for dedicated followers of Phil Hammond in Private Eye, he has been flagging this up for years. When the long-awaited report comes out early next year the Trust will of course say that these are historic matters and all is well now. Unfortunately the current news suggests that this is not the case. The failings highlighted by the programme highlight the main cause as the administration ignoring patient safety in the pursuit of targets, savings on the budget and constant change in systems.
Have a look at this LINK for the latest investigations into the use of chemical weapons against the Kurds at Halajba. Reckoned to be the biggest such use in history and it is now possible to identify the source of the precursor chemicals needed for manufacture. There could be some nasty surprises when and if the suppliers are identified. Read the history for accounts of the use of mustard gas shells left over from the Western Front in WW1 in what was then Mesopotamia in the 1920s. Guess who was using them.....

[EileenDavid]

How dark it is this morning and waking up with a sore throat Eileen

[Stanley]

Agreed Eileen and I had a dry throat yesterday as well. Quick gargle with salt water seems to have clobbered it.
The light coating of frozen snow on the car roofs. It bodes ill for the state of the pavements. I shall be proceeding with care and not walking any further than necessary!
60 years today since the Preston by-pass was opened.

[Thomo]

Snow, and again a small amount causes chaos in the South East, multiple accidents due to drivers ignoring the obvious, 30 schools closed, flights delayed. What will it be like if we have a repeat of the winter of 61/62?!!!

[Tripps]

I woke this morning to a report on BBC R5 that the main road , not two miles from here was closed in both directions due to snow. When I finally plucked up the courage to get up - the snow was negligible, just a covering, certainly less than an inch. As a veteran of the 1947, and 1963 winters, I'm puzzled.

[Moh]

I thought White Rabbit was only the 1st of March. Quite a few local cards delivered today, just pressies to wrap now.

[Tardis]

Pendle have given up trying to defend a position taken by the West Craven Area Committee to refuse planning permission for the houses planned to be built behind the Greyhound. Neil Watson said there was a severe expectation of exposure to having costs granted against the Council if they tried to defend the appeal

[Cathy]

I guess most of you would have heard by now about the prank radio call to Kate Middletons hospital. 2 of our (SA) dj's rang asking to speak to Kate using very unconvincing accents as the Queen and Prince Charles, they actually got put thru to Kate's nurse. The nurse was apparently quite flummoxed but told them how Kate was health wise. Probably not the right thing to do, but some Aussies think it a real hoot. (Hope Kate's nurse doesn't get into trouble)

[Stanley]

I think she might Cathy and all because of a stupid prank.
David, I know what you mean but young people today have been reared without adversity forcing them to think for themselves and survive. It's compounded of course by the fact that the same age group is in charge of things like road closures and they are all looking over their shoulder for legal claims that by not being super-cautions they could be sued. Absolutely ridiculous of course but that's the way the modern world works.
What got my attention was two good friends looking after me. One made sure I had enough kindling for fire lighting and Doc came round to ferry my scrap bin to the skip in Gissing's yard. Only small things but they tidy loose ends up in my life and do me a power of good. The store cupboards are topped up and by the time I have called in at B&D's today I shall have enough coal to see me through the winter. Let it snow!

[Stanley]

Re. Ranulph Fiennes Death Wish mark? How deranged do you have to be to propose walking more than 2,000 miles in average temperatures of -70C with no prospect of rescue if it all goes pear-shaped? Beats me.....