Thursday 31st March 2016

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 1:35 pm

Temulkar wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
StephenDolan wrote: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Martin wow!

Er - this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Martin" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(Although I now know everything I wanted to know about the place, Alberta, but was afraid to ask.)
I was concieved in Acme Alberta.

I didn't spot a mention in the Wikipedia article!

Temulkar · Post by **Temulkar** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 1:36 pm

PorFavor wrote:
Temulkar wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
Er - this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Martin" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(Although I now know everything I wanted to know about the place, Alberta, but was afraid to ask.)
I was concieved in Acme Alberta.
I didn't spot a mention in the Wikipedia article!

One day

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 1:40 pm

A spokeswoman at the European Commission has said contacts with the British government on the future of Port Talbot were ongoing.

The commission is ready to give targeted advice to the sector and member states to make sure that state aid and EU funding possibilities are fully exploited and that any measures comply with EU law.”

“While the details of any possible measures are still under discussion in the UK, we are not in a position to provide further comment until the UK Government has taken a decision on the issue.”
(Business Live, Guardian)

Hope they are possessed of higher than average patience.

Post by **refitman** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 1:55 pm

Temulkar wrote:
I was concieved in Acme Alberta.

Is that where Wile E Coyote gets all his mail order?

Sorry.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 2:36 pm

Temulkar wrote:
refitman wrote:
Temulkar wrote: If I recall correctly the last widows pensions for the American Civil War ended in around 2007 - women who had married old men at the turn of the 20th century were still collecting from the US govt for their hisbands military career 140 years previous. Thats quite mental
The BBC have a short piece on a woman who is older than the Irish State: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35906246" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Yeah and millions of indians around who were born under the Raj.

Not forgetting Midnight's Children, of course - though they are fairly old now

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 2:41 pm

What's the legal position with regard to the Port Talbot foundry if Tata decides to switch it all off? I'm hearing that they might well be less than keen to sell it on to a possible competitor. So, can they not do with it as they wish if they still own it? Has the government taken this into account and put something in line to prevent such action?

This government is a shambles.

Edited to put in a question mark

Post by **refitman** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 2:45 pm

Good from Kinnock:

The reality is that the European commission has been trying to tackle the steel crisis for years now, but has consistently been hamstrung by a British government fighting tooth and nail to undermine those efforts.

The government is not only actively working against the commission’s attempts to toughen up its anti-dumping measures, where it has been the ringleader of a backroom campaign against trade defence reform, it is also lobbying hard for China to be granted market economy status (MES). MES would mean the World Trade Organisation would consider China to be a market economy, and we would therefore be unable to impose effective tariffs on dumped steel from the 80%-state-owned Chinese steel industry.

Ever since 2010 when the prime minister declared he would “make the case for China to get market economy status”, he and George Osborne have been Beijing’s chief cheerleaders in Europe. Cameron and Osborne know that the granting of MES would dramatically reduce the European commission’s ability to impose tariffs on dumped Chinese steel.

These are not party-political points. These are the views of the steel industry itself. It has repeatedly urged the government to act, and to stop promoting China’s cause in Europe.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... e-campaign" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 2:49 pm

Biggest deficit since records began (BBC).

Edited deficit for defecit! Freudian slip methinks, caused by thinking of George Osborne.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 2:50 pm

PorFavor wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:
Temulkar wrote: If I recall correctly the last widows pensions for the American Civil War ended in around 2007 - women who had married old men at the turn of the 20th century were still collecting from the US govt for their hisbands military career 140 years previous. Thats quite mental
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Martin wow!

Er - this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Martin" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(Although I now know everything I wanted to know about the place, Alberta, but was afraid to ask.)

LOL yes, dunno what happened on the cut and paste.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 2:54 pm

Am I showing my appalling ignorance re my Tata post above? Please don't hesitate to say so if I am!

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 3:15 pm

David Cameron is now flying to Washington for a world leader’s meeting on nuclear security, so there’s unlikely to be a major breakthrough in the steel crisis today. (Business Live, Guardian)

Was he going to go to this from his holiday (had he not "cut it short")? Or is this one of his many "ditractions"?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 3:16 pm

PorFavor wrote:
David Cameron is now flying to Washington for a world leader’s meeting on nuclear security, so there’s unlikely to be a major breakthrough in the steel crisis today. (Business Live, Guardian)
Was he going to go to this from his holiday (had he not "cut it short")? Or is this one of his many "distractions"?

Edited to add an "s"

Edited again to add -

Bumboils. I've duplicated the post and preserved the original error

Oh, no I haven't! Right pig's ear etc etc

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 3:26 pm

PorFavor wrote:
Javid not back in action until Friday

Business secretary Sajid Javid’s journey back from Australia is taking longer than hoped.

Westminster journalists are reporting that Javid will not be reporting for duty in the steel crisis until tomorrow. (Business Live, Guardian)

He missed the last plane back apparently.

They really do inspire confidence.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 3:34 pm

Jim Pickard ‏@PickardJE 3m3 minutes ago
Jim Pickard Retweeted Matt Dathan
Stephen Kinnock calls on @sajidjavid to resign due to "behaviour based on mixture of indifference and incompetence."

Matt DathanVerified account
‏@matt_dathan
Exclusive:Now Sajid Javid faces calls to RESIGN as Business Sec after taking his daughter to Australia for a holiday http://dailym.ai/25yrT3Z" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kinnock's getting right stuck in. Good on him.

Looking forward to seeing Kinnock and Javid face each other in the HoC. A debate between two smooth pates.

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 3:55 pm

PorFavor wrote:Am I showing my appalling ignorance re my Tata post above? Please don't hesitate to say so if I am!

No

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 3:57 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
Javid not back in action until Friday

Business secretary Sajid Javid’s journey back from Australia is taking longer than hoped.

Westminster journalists are reporting that Javid will not be reporting for duty in the steel crisis until tomorrow. (Business Live, Guardian)
He missed the last plane back apparently.

They really do inspire confidence.

He did what? I thought he was a Minister of State - with lifts laid on and all that.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 3:59 pm

PorFavor wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
He missed the last plane back apparently.

They really do inspire confidence.

He did what? I thought he was a Minister of State - with lifts laid on and all that.

Maybe he was held up by his daughter - having to pack her souvenirs up in a hurry or be called back from a night out?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 4:07 pm

BMA launches judicial review challenging the lawfulness of the health secretary's decision to impose newly published junior doctor contract
http://web.bma.org.uk/pressrel.nsf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 4:08 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: He missed the last plane back apparently.

They really do inspire confidence.

He did what? I thought he was a Minister of State - with lifts laid on and all that.
Maybe he was held up by his daughter - having to pack her souvenirs up in a hurry or be called back from a night out?

He needs to be held up by his something, that's for sure.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 4:20 pm

Us WeeklyVerified account
‏@usweekly
Exclusive: Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife Wendi Deng is dating Vladimir Putin! http://usm.ag/1SpabGl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a joke - yes?

Wendi Deng's 'taste' gets ever more questionable ... Murdoch, Blair, Putin.

Post by **refitman** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 4:29 pm

PorFavor wrote:Biggest deficit since records began (BBC).

Edited deficit for defecit! Freudian slip methinks, caused by thinking of George Osborne.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35931968" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 4:51 pm

Now Zaha Hadid has gone too.

2016 is robbing us.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 4:54 pm

: Yardley ESA Challenge.jpg (45.09 KiB) Viewed 4734 times

Jess Phillips MP ‏@jessphillips 2m2 minutes ago
Dear @scrabbmp @jtomlinsonMP what is your view of this picture from my local job centre?

Can someone explain what they think is going on here? Is it showing some kind of target culture re ESA?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 5:36 pm

It's becoming increasingly likely that the fears I expressed earlier (re Tata) are very real, from what I'm hearing on the News. And the Foreign Secretary is still, inexplicably, the go-to minister for any comment on the Tata situation. He must be one of the few who turned up to work - but why re-building communities in the UK is his pigeon is anybody's guess. (Unless Wales is now considered to be "abroad"? Although this problem has ramifications nation-wide.)

Sajid Javid's 'plane missing triumph is getting a fair bit of prominence now, too. I sense that even the BBC is unable to put a good gloss on this particular mess.

Anyway, I think we could be being stitched up by Tata - and the government has no plan.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 5:40 pm

The ESA Challenge is for jobcentres to get as many ESA claimants into work - and off benefits - as possible.

There are no targets for staff to find work for ESA claimants - as they deal only with people in the WRAG, there can't be targets because those people are not yet capable of work. Of course, there will be "expectations" for this, as there are with sanctions and workfare placements.

I'm not that fond of Jess Phillips, but she is not likely to let this one go - apparently she has arranged a meeting with the Yardley JCP manager to discuss this. As yet, there has been no response from Tomlinson.

As I've been saying for days, the activity around ESA WRAG is deliberate.
First we have IDS and Osborne happy to cut ESA by £30 a week - to bring claimants into line with other jobseekers on other benefits.
Then we have the new S of S and other Tory MPs saying that WRAG claimants are capable of work and are required to look for it.
Now we have Yardley JCP engaging in this "ESA Challenge", and I doubt very much that it's the only one.

All this is to support the idea that WRAG claimants are no different from JSA claimants - clever stuff, because it not only justifies the cut to their benefits but also creates a climate in which sanctioning becomes OK because it's OK for JSA claimants.

Get a few WRAG claimants into work, and bingo - they will claim they were right all along, and sick people aren't as sick as they say they are.

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:14 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Us WeeklyVerified account
‏@usweekly
Exclusive: Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife Wendi Deng is dating Vladimir Putin! http://usm.ag/1SpabGl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This is a joke - yes?

Wendi Deng's 'taste' gets ever more questionable ... Murdoch, Blair, Putin.

Well,at least Putin isn't scrawny,in his 80s and covered in wrinkles!
Ha!I bet Jerry is spitting bricks.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:16 pm

PorFavor wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
PorFavor wrote:He did what? I thought he was a Minister of State - with lifts laid on and all that.
Maybe he was held up by his daughter - having to pack her souvenirs up in a hurry or be called back from a night out?
He needs to be held up by his something, that's for sure.

Government weren't likely expecting a crisis up just now - preposterous excuses, a number of Tory ministers bailing out of pre-arranged interviews, contradictory statements from different government ministers, their press having no choice but to report their confusion. Government are pissed off they've got to admit there's an emergency going on and it's rattled them. They're uncoordinated - their plans have been disrupted by Tata or someone else raising hell at this juncture. I don't doubt government knew Tata were going belly up - government don't give a damn about the UK steel industry and workers but it probably wasn't supposed to go crisis just now.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:21 pm

Rebecca wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Us WeeklyVerified account
‏@usweekly
Exclusive: Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife Wendi Deng is dating Vladimir Putin! http://usm.ag/1SpabGl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This is a joke - yes?

Wendi Deng's 'taste' gets ever more questionable ... Murdoch, Blair, Putin.
Well,at least Putin isn't scrawny,in his 80s and covered in wrinkles!
Ha!I bet Jerry is spitting bricks.

Has to be 'Powerful Men Syndrome'.

seeingclearly · Post by **seeingclearly** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:25 pm

You can't separate Space Invaders from targets, it is all about them, and the more you hit the faster it gets, and the higher your score, as a metaphor its a shocking one to apply to disabled people, what circumstance deliver the bonus points and what exactly are the rewards? Or the next level? What a shitty way to deal with people.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:28 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Yardley ESA Challenge.jpg

Jess Phillips MP ‏@jessphillips 2m2 minutes ago
Dear @scrabbmp @jtomlinsonMP what is your view of this picture from my local job centre?
Can someone explain what they think is going on here? Is it showing some kind of target culture re ESA?
The 'ESA Challenge' is set out like Space Invaders. It implies they feel that the whole thing is a game, competition or just a big f$%^ing laugh.

Yes, I agree with you. I'm angry. Incompetent, over-confident, wastoid government dare stand and preach at people about 'living within their means' and lecture other wholly inappropriate, ironic, condescending nonsense from a position of total ignorance of living as a human being like most other people. They're unfit to lead.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:34 pm

Do you know I'm getting to the point I wouldn't care what their politics were as long as those in charge of the country were capable of doing the job in a professional and responsible manner.

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:40 pm

Managed to break my leg today. Excellent care from NHS including much maligned East Midlands Ambulance Service. Temporary cast for today and go back tomorrow. Funny thing is it didn't hurt much. Gonna be fun trying to get out the bath in the morning.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:42 pm

Oh dear. How did that happen Frightful Oik ?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:44 pm

T

echnicallyRon ‏@TechnicallyRon 2h2 hours ago

Next on Wendi Deng's bang list:
Satan
Michael Gove
Kim Jong Un
Donald Trump
Piers Morgan

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:44 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Do you know I'm getting to the point I wouldn't care what their politics were as long as those in charge of the country were capable of doing the job in a professional and responsible manner.

I'm okay with competent government regardless of party or position.
When a job needs to get done and it's not getting done, what do people do?
If people tasked with fixing a house or growing food don't do it properly, homelessness and starvation result.
What do people do when elected representatives employed to responsibly govern country and people instead take advantage of both?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:44 pm

Commiserations oiky. Hope it's going to be relatively easy to set and heal from.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:45 pm

frightful_oik wrote:Managed to break my leg today. Excellent care from NHS including much maligned East Midlands Ambulance Service. Temporary cast for today and go back tomorrow. Funny thing is it didn't hurt much. Gonna be fun trying to get out the bath in the morning.

Bagsie first to sign your cast ...

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:49 pm

@frightful_oik

Ooo-er. Hope you get a restful night.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:51 pm

frightful_oik wrote:Managed to break my leg today. Excellent care from NHS including much maligned East Midlands Ambulance Service. Temporary cast for today and go back tomorrow. Funny thing is it didn't hurt much. Gonna be fun trying to get out the bath in the morning.

Oh, no! It's too early for running bulls.
Was it a clean break?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 6:55 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Do you know I'm getting to the point I wouldn't care what their politics were as long as those in charge of the country were capable of doing the job in a professional and responsible manner.

I suspect that many of the electorate thought along similar lines at the last General. How pissed off must they be having been instrumental in landing both themselves and everyone else with this pack of hyenas?

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 7:01 pm

It's a spiral fracture of the fibula. Stepped backwards down the allotment and trod on a brick and my ankle went over. Knew I'd done something bad so called 111 which didn't work so had to call 999. 2:30 wait then all sorted quickly.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 7:04 pm

George Osborne: We intervened in Tata Port Talbot closure
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-35938094" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The UK government has intervened in the "overnight" closure of Port Talbot steelworks, George Osborne has said.
The chancellor claims its actions have given "breathing space", but would not say what he meant by intervention.
It follows Tuesday's announcement that Tata Steel is selling its entire loss-making UK business, with more than 4,000 jobs at Port Talbot at risk.
But the Indian firm has not given an "open ended" commitment to keep plants open during the sale.
The UK government has faced criticism that it has not helped the industry enough.
But Mr Osborne said the UK government is taking action to cut energy prices and to ensure British steel is used in British construction...

Why am I not convinced ... ?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 7:05 pm

More than 120,000 so far. #PETITION:

Post by **refitman** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 7:08 pm

frightful_oik wrote:Managed to break my leg today. Excellent care from NHS including much maligned East Midlands Ambulance Service. Temporary cast for today and go back tomorrow. Funny thing is it didn't hurt much. Gonna be fun trying to get out the bath in the morning.

A bin bag and an elastic band worked for me when I broke my leg, but then I was only using the shower.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 7:10 pm

frightful_oik wrote:It's a spiral fracture of the fibula. Stepped backwards down the allotment and trod on a brick and my ankle went over. Knew I'd done something bad so called 111 which didn't work so had to call 999. 2:30 wait then all sorted quickly.

Lucky that (well, a lot luckier than something worse....) - it's the tibia that takes all the weight.
The fibula is more of a frame for the attachments of ligaments/tendons etc.

Short leg plaster, 6 weeks - and hopefully not too much soft tissue injury.

Keep it elevated to reduce the swelling.
Physiotherapists will sort out any damage once the bone is healed.

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 7:26 pm

ephemerid wrote:
frightful_oik wrote:It's a spiral fracture of the fibula. Stepped backwards down the allotment and trod on a brick and my ankle went over. Knew I'd done something bad so called 111 which didn't work so had to call 999. 2:30 wait then all sorted quickly.
Lucky that (well, a lot luckier than something worse....) - it's the tibia that takes all the weight.
The fibula is more of a frame for the attachments of ligaments/tendons etc.

Short leg plaster, 6 weeks - and hopefully not too much soft tissue injury.

Keep it elevated to reduce the swelling.
Physiotherapists will sort out any damage once the bone is healed.

Ta Elbe and all. Off to bed now

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 7:27 pm

This is looking pretty dire. The government seem to be doing - nothing. And they're doing that badly and slowly.

Jim Pickard ‏@PickardJE 17m17 minutes ago
Jim Pickard Retweeted Hayley Barlow
Which could enable them to walk away from estimated £1bn clean-up cost of the site?

Hayley BarlowVerified account
‏@Hayley_Barlow
Channel 4 News has learnt that Tata steel has hired accountants PWC - which could lead to Port Talbot plant being put into administration.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 7:28 pm

seeingclearly wrote:You can't separate Space Invaders from targets, it is all about them, and the more you hit the faster it gets, and the higher your score, as a metaphor its a shocking one to apply to disabled people, what circumstance deliver the bonus points and what exactly are the rewards? Or the next level? What a shitty way to deal with people.

At the moment, there are no targets for getting WRAG claimants into work.

There are also no targets for sanctions for WRAG clamants who fail to do whatever it is they've been conned in signing up for.

But - if a WRAG claimant volunteers to do some bit of work via a government scheme, just to try it out, it becomes mandatory.
Once mandatory, if the claimant doesn't attend, they can be sanctioned.
They can ask for the Mandatory Recon; but Decision Makers have a target to uphold 80% of the sanctions referred to them.

I suspect this "challenge" is aimed at getting ESA claimants on to programmes or work trials, make those things mandatory, then they will face sanction.
If the claimant proves they are capable of work by, erm, working, they'll be told to claim JSA instead.

There might be other things involved - eg. getting MH claimants on to forced treatment (we haven't heard much about that pilot to make people do online CBT etc), or setting targets for Work Programme referrals, whatever.

Obviously, we are not supposed to know about this, The offending photo was taken through a window - I daresay the notice board with this ESA Challenge is not something that the jobcentre involved thought anyone who didn't work there would see.

Having worked in a jobcentre, albeit many years ago, when the government of the day wanted something pushed (New Deal, tax credits, whatever) our managers would call a comms meeting and all staff were supposed to do their bit to increase uptake of the new thing. In my day, it was usually something like getting more people into training or something. Nothing like this.

As I said earlier, I think this is all about justifying the ESA cuts and preparing the ground for withdrawal of the WRAG altogether. As things are now, even though the benefit rate will be the same for JSA, WRAG claimants don't have to do as much - get rid of that status and the same conditions can be imposed as for JSA.

It's disgusting, really.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 7:34 pm

refitman wrote:
frightful_oik wrote:Managed to break my leg today. Excellent care from NHS including much maligned East Midlands Ambulance Service. Temporary cast for today and go back tomorrow. Funny thing is it didn't hurt much. Gonna be fun trying to get out the bath in the morning.
A bin bag and an elastic band worked for me when I broke my leg, but then I was only using the shower.

I thought you were recommending a treatment - then the penny dropped.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 31 Mar, 2016 7:44 pm

PorFavor wrote:
refitman wrote:
frightful_oik wrote:Managed to break my leg today. Excellent care from NHS including much maligned East Midlands Ambulance Service. Temporary cast for today and go back tomorrow. Funny thing is it didn't hurt much. Gonna be fun trying to get out the bath in the morning.
A bin bag and an elastic band worked for me when I broke my leg, but then I was only using the shower.
I thought you were recommending a treatment - then the penny dropped.

I've got to admit to conjuring up various images of refitman in the shower wearing that contraption.