Monday 24th August 2015

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refitman
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Monday 24th August 2015

Post by refitman »

Morning all.
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LadyCentauria
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Monday 24th August 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

Mornin'. Am definitely 'wrong' today - just noticed I'd put the month as February but spotted it in time... And I'm probably going to spoil people's breakfasts with this post, for which I apologise in advance and will provide croissants, brioche, blinis (with assorted toppings,) cakes, plus teas, coffees, and hot-chocolate, for elevenses once we've all calmed down again.

Anyroad, here's the last few lines of today's Telegraph article on the speech Saint IDS of Bullshitdom is giving today about his latest go at ESA 'reforms' since the ones he'd worked on since long before his allegèd* Damascene Conversion and that he implemented in 2012 have failed to miraculously cure everybody:
He will accuse Labour of "blind blanket opposition" to welfare reform.
He will say: "Over the course of the last Parliament, the Labour Party stood in opposition to all our reforms to sort out the flawed system they created.
“Given comments from each of the leadership candidates about the Welfare and Reform Bill, I suspect they will continue on this path of blind blanket opposition.
“The challenge to Labour is to see that the reforms I am proposing are about transforming lives.
“We are giving everyone in this country the chance of a better life….….the chance to fulfil their potential.
“That is surely something we can all support.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... efits.html

And, believe it or not, that example of history-rewriting-in-action is probably the most palatable bit of the entire fucking article! Go and read it and weep
:fire: :wall: :whip: :fight:

* That's biblical speech, that is ;)

Edit @refitman: Please merge threads... (and formatting. Bumboils™!)
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ephemerid
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Monday 24th.August

Post by ephemerid »

Good morning, everyone.

As mentioned by some of you last night, IDS is, apparently, intending to impart his Arbeit Macht Frei ideas today. According to the DWP spokesthing this is "not a policy announcement but the start of a conversation".
Quite how changes to the assessment process, the entitlement to benefits, and a package of policy announcements qualifies as "not a policy announcement" escapes me. IDS is planning "radical reform", allegedly.

Seemingly, this "conversation" is to be based on the assumption - not for the first time - that people who are sick are disabled; some of them might be, but if they are claiming ESA or are off work due to illness, it's the illness that's the issue and not any disability that may arise from it. (Labour's DWP shadow ministers do this too, to be fair)

IDS has claimed that 350,000 more disabled people have moved into work in the past 2 years. I do not believe this, and I suspect he is fiddling figures again. What certainly is true is that there are fewer JSA claimants, some of whom may have a recorded disability; and changes already made to JSA and ESA have removed people from the claimant counts - that's not proof of what he claims.

If the article is right, IDS will be announcing more changes to - the ESA assessments (conducted by Maximus); the Fit For Work service (run by a subsidiary of Maximus); the access to mental health advice for claimants (outsourced to multiple providers).
The introduction of IAPT to jobcentres is aimed at addressing the latter - and there have been serious concerns about what is coerced psychological therapies on people whose mental health diagnosis may not be suitable for what is often quackery.

An example of this is the appointment of a company called Start Smiling Again to provide services in some jobcentres in Wales.
The boss of this company is one David Rahman, who is not qualified in any way and is not registered with statutory bodies.
He claims a "success rate" of 95% in treating people with various illnesses using his very own "Blueprint Therapy". He can cure depression, anxiety, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Fibromyalgia, and other illnesses which medically qualified clinicians can't; Rahman uses "Time Line Therapy" and "The Chrysalis Effect" to effect these miracle cures.
What he doesn't invent therapy-wise, he claims to be trained in. This amounts to a clutch of little certificates obtained from dodgy Neuro-Linguistic Programming courses (NLP is quackery of the most egregious sort) and other preposterous feel-good idiocy which can be downright dangerous for people who have severe organic mental illness including psychotic episodes.

There are very few people who do not understand that having a job or something useful and interesting to do is good for health.
Work may not set you free, but it can have psychological benefits; that is obvious. But subjecting people to this sort of nonsense is dangerous, and all it will do is cause more distress in the very people least able to deal with it.

IDS has not been able to cut the numbers of people claiming IB, SDA, or ESA. The number IDS inherited in 2010 for these people was 2.5 Million, and the figure remains 2.5 Million now. People get sick at the same rate they usually do.
His Fit For Work service is aimed at preventing people with jobs from staying off sick, cutting the cost of SSP by encouraging them back to work irrespective of what their doctors say, and if that fails, preventing them from claiming ESA when SSP runs out.
His changes to the already draconian WCA made in the last Parliament didn't get people off benefits, so he's now changing it again and the result of that is likely to leave many sick people with no support at all when they lose ESA and can't qualify for JSA.

I have every expectation that the figures dues for release on deaths will not tell us much more than we know already.
"Poverty is the worst form of violence" - Mahatma Gandhi
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by utopiandreams »

Good morning.

(Sorry LadyC, not expressing favouritism).

@Tizme

I'm just catching up on yesterday's posts after reading of IDS' latest push; I was far too angry to look at anything else at all. Thankfully I was able to compose myself sufficiently for what in my book is a good night's sleep (I was tired). Anyway thanks for the link to the young Labour voter's passion, from which I have picked up the following especially as I feel particularly let down even by the party that I had once supported.
Corbyn is inspiring passion, enthusiasm and motivation. People want something different. He is packing out halls, bringing in new supporters and new voters. Imagine what Labour could do if they harness that over the next four years, rather than throwing away the harness and then shooting the horse and setting the barn on fire for good measure.
As I've said before, excepting Ed I have not given my vote to Labour apart from local elections, even then it's usually been because of a lack of candidates. I appreciate there are many that may not share my views and dismiss me for 'old freak' ideals. Yeah I've also suffered from depression, sometimes in an immediate and extreme fashion, sometimes a lack of self-worth and others by simply being ground down. Nevertheless I now feel I can yet again hold my head up high for all the good I have done, far more than many I can think of and certainly far less harm.

Inspiration is indeed what Corbyn has brought to the table, something I and many others had stated was sorely needed when the Labour leadership was first declared, moreso perhaps once Corbyn had joined the fray. As was declared with no shortage of passion before the election, many of you claimed that Labour was our only hope to oust the Tories. There is much about them that I disapprove, quite frankly leaning toward the Greens since the evisceration of the LDs but feeling them too radical or lacking of pragmatic solutions to man's plight. If we are about to rise then Labour is possibly our route but it must arise from a groundswell or upsurge from below. Should the powers that be dismiss this as unelectability or entryism then they need to stand aside and allow a new consensus to develop. Tories have been given far too much licence to steal from... most anybody really. We need a coalition of the left with perhaps a broader church, failing that I only see a revolution, a route we really don't want to pursue. PR can come later, please Labour at least put that on the agenda.

Sorry if a disjointed ramble.

Edit: inserted missing 'voter'
Edit: replaced repeated 'views' with 'ideals'
Edit: moved ellipsis forward one word - may refashion for the G.
Last edited by utopiandreams on Mon 24 Aug, 2015 1:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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ephemerid
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by ephemerid »

Whoops!

Au Secours! I've done it again, Refitman - merger is required.
"Poverty is the worst form of violence" - Mahatma Gandhi
SpinningHugo
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by SpinningHugo »

Cooper gives satisfactory account of things wrong with Corbynomics, but weaker on giving her alternative
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... ation-plan" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BTL is as interesting as ever

This is what she should have said

http://blogs.ft.com/the-exchange/2015/0 ... the-point/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

She probably understands this as it is close to the 2015 position of one E Balls.
TobyLatimer
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Re: Monday 24th.August

Post by TobyLatimer »

ephemerid wrote:According to the DWP spokesthing this is "not a policy announcement but the start of a conversation".


I'm surprised anyone is still talking to him.

He does as he likes in the end anyhow, even if he has to change the law he'll do it.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by refitman »

All 3 threads are merged.
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LadyCentauria
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

@refitman: You are my hero! Thank you for your masterful merging of @ephemerid's and my threads with yours – all in order and everything! :hug: :kiss: :rock:

Edit: formatting...
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utopiandreams
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by utopiandreams »

@ephemerid

I'm not sure where but had read that two out of every five, yes 40%, of those coming off JSA had not found work. I'll see if I can corroborate that later because if true must also be broadcast far and wide.

Edit: corrected 'broddcast ' to 'broadcast'. Would you believe as I typed I corrected 'braodcast' as well, or so I thought.
Last edited by utopiandreams on Mon 24 Aug, 2015 8:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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refitman
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by refitman »

LadyCentauria wrote:@refitman: You are my hero! Thank you for your masterful merging of @ephemerid's and my threads with yours – all in order and everything! :hug: :kiss: :rock:
Being in order was more luck than judgement.
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rebeccariots2
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by rebeccariots2 »

Morning. I'm sorry to be the poster of another link to the vile news re IDS's new 'shake-up' of benefits. I posted that disgusting Sun advance 'Exclusive' about it last night. I wish someone would take them apart for the language they used. As HindleA pointed out, 'sickie handouts' is beyond offensive.

I'm posting this Guardian report of IDS's announcement because it says he wants to 'force' 1 million people into work. Given that Ephemerid tells us the number of people claiming ESA and relevant benefits is 2.5 million and has been 2.5 million for a long time ... that is a huge number of people IDS considers to be languishing on benefits when they could be working - a really large percentage of the 2.5 million. I fear for everyone who will be affected by this. And it won't just be those who are actually targeted by IDS - it will be anyone who might be identified - rightly or wrongly - as being disabled and possibly in receipt of benefits who will face more hate and undeserved abuse as a result of another ratcheting up of the scrounger / fakes / not really ill enough narrative.
Benefits shakeup aims to force more disabled people into jobs
Government wants radical reform to push 1m more people into work, but disability campaigners fear they are being targeted

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... -into-jobs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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rebeccariots2
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by rebeccariots2 »

refitman wrote:All 3 threads are merged.
Thank you very much. I can't cope with such decisions so early in the morning.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by yahyah »

Does Smith say where the million jobs are going to come from ?
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by TechnicalEphemera »

yahyah wrote:Does Smith say where the million jobs are going to come from ?
The planet Zanussi I expect.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by yahyah »

Have read a couple of the articles and cannot see where he thinks the people he is targeting will be able to work.

Have we got a mass of vacancies unfilled that no one has told us about ?
Last time I saw figures there were about 250,000 job vacancies and as far as I know it has been pretty standard around that figure.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by TechnicalEphemera »

In other news the answer to my question on China would today appear to be that people believe the fundamentals of the economy have serious issues.

Despite the announcement on the pension fund being able to buy shares their stock market has kept lemming like off a cliff, others have of course followed it. The G has the usual breathless live blog.

(Yes I know lemmings don't actually jump off cliffs)
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by yahyah »

Peter Jukes ‏@peterjukes 9h9 hours ago
Short memory @JohnRentoul John Major described IDS in worse terms than any Blair has Corbyn @MatthewdAncona

But it didn't do IDS that much harm, did it, leader for a time, and now given the power of harming other human beings.

What a joy he must think life is, implementing political sociopathy, getting paid for it, and claiming he is somehow a follower of Christ.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by yahyah »

As my Economic for Dummies seems to have got lost behind the sofa, I have a genuine question for those who know about these things.

Re-nationalisation would cost money. Just how much is open to debate, as is how aggressive the mode of re-nationalising should be.

Have heard some suggest mutualisation, or a share of profits being used gradually to buy back.

In times of war we had war bonds.
Is the notion of Re-Nationalisation Bonds a real no no ?

There must be many people like my husband and myself.
We're not rich, but debt, mortgage & rent free.
Savings are not bringing in much in interest at the moment.
We would be willing to buy a thousand pounds worth of re-nationalisation bonds that paid back a very nominal rate of interest so the cash could be used to buy back our services and infrastructure.

Would there be enough people who would, or could afford, to put principles before profit to make it viable ?
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by SpinningHugo »

yahyah wrote:As my Economic for Dummies seems to have got lost behind the sofa, I have a genuine question for those who know about these things.

Re-nationalisation would cost money. Just how much is open to debate, as is how aggressive the mode of re-nationalising should be.

Have heard some suggest mutualisation, or a share of profits being used gradually to buy back.

In times of war we had war bonds.
Is the notion of Re-Nationalisation Bonds a real no no ?

There must be many people like my husband and myself.
We're not rich, but debt, mortgage & rent free.
Savings are not bringing in much in interest at the moment.
We would be willing to buy a thousand pounds worth of re-nationalisation bonds that paid back a very nominal rate of interest so the cash could be used to buy back our services and infrastructure.

Would there be enough people who would, or could afford, to put principles before profit to make it viable ?
Oddly, the answer to your question is in the FT piece above.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by yahyah »

Express headline:
''Employers must do more to haul Britain out of its sicknote culture, Iain Duncan Smith will warn today as he announces a fresh broadside aimed at the country's sick and disabled.''
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by HindleA »

Morning.

http://lartsocial.org/24hourcarpark" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Talking about "parking"

The benefit system as a 24-hour carpark
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

yahyah wrote:Have read a couple of the articles and cannot see where he thinks the people he is targeting will be able to work.

Have we got a mass of vacancies unfilled that no one has told us about ?
Last time I saw figures there were about 250,000 job vacancies and as far as I know it has been pretty standard around that figure.
Apparently, the Universal Job Match website boasts a fairly steady 750,000 vacancies (up from an average of 500,000 vacancies notified to the JobCentrePlus during the "noughties") but, I am reliably informed, that website is riddled with spam, scams, non-jobs, commission-only positions, and multiple-postings for what is, effectively, the same 'self-employment opportunities', etc., Even were all positions advertised there to be viable work, that number is likely to simply reflect normal 'churn' in the jobs-market - with many, if not most employers only interested in people moving from one job to another, only a small-ish proportion being properly new jobs, and again a small-ish proportion of jobs open to new entrants to the jobs-market or the longer-term unemployed. At the same time there are about five-times-as-many jobseekers and perhaps that many again seeking to re-enter work after time out for other reasons. That's on top of currently-employed people looking for different work or jobs with better hours/pay/conditions.
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yahyah
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by yahyah »

Can you cut and paste bit please Hugo.

My attempt at registration with the FT seems to be playing up.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by rebeccariots2 »

No sign of proper jobs growth in these parts. The move seems pretty relentlessly the other way ...
THE PEMBROKE DOCK call centre owned and operated by Friday Media Group looks likely to close, as the company say there is a decline in the need for a call handling operation as their business moves online.

The call centre, which has been run by Friday Media Group since the collapse of ITV Digital in 2002, employs sixty staff in sales, information technology and management roles.

Sources close to the company have told The Herald that the Pembroke Dock based staff are now facing the prospect of redundancy.

A former employee told The Herald that in its heyday in 2006 and 2007 the centre employed 160 staff.
http://www.pembrokeshire-herald.com/174 ... ll-centre/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

Good-morning, everyone.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by SpinningHugo »

yahyah wrote:Can you cut and paste bit please Hugo.

My attempt at registration with the FT seems to be playing up.
Sorry, on my phone and it won't let me.

What she is suggesting is a bond scheme for infrastructure investment.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by yahyah »

Thanks Hugo.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

A half hour ago.
The mining sector is clearly exposed to China’s slowing economy. But today’s sell-off has spread much wider -- every company on the FTSE 100 has fallen this morning.

Tony Cross, market analyst of Trustnet, says:

Any hopes that the last week of August would pass off in unremarkable fashion for equity traders has been dashed as the London market opened for business....

Panic is genuinely gripping the mining stocks which collectively have dumped £5bn of value already this morning.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/liv ... e#comments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

FTSE 100
6058.46
-129.19
yahyah
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by yahyah »

Sun's shining a bit. Whoopeee.

Don't let IDS get you down folks. That's what they want, people to feel demoralised, powerless and bickering amongst ourselves about the Labour leadership.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

God damn Tory Chancellor Jeff with IDS singing the Joy of Working in UK government.
No accountability from any Tory returned to government.
Do the public even consider the economic infrastructure of the UK as the responsibility of the clowns in current government?
God damn press would take a Labour government apart - but Tories get their free ride.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

yahyah wrote:Sun's shining a bit. Whoopeee.

Don't let IDS get you down folks. That's what they want, people to feel demoralised, powerless and bickering amongst ourselves about the Labour leadership.
It's a beautiful day here in Stoke, yahyah, lovely warm, not too much pollution, the sun bright.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

Every company on the UK FTSE 100 has fallen this morning
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

Over five years in government, Tory b******s, look what works you have wrought
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

"Blame China!"

The elite of this world continue to point fingers
"...Beijing’s handling of the stock market calamity raised real questions about
the leadership of president Xi Jinping and prime minister Li Keqiang."
Oh, please do f*** the hell off

edited again to add

the economic problems we're all witnessing all over the world isn't the fault of China's leadership or their economy in isolation
It's sloppy, irresponsible reporting to suggest it is
Last edited by citizenJA on Mon 24 Aug, 2015 10:31 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by rebeccariots2 »

citizenJA wrote:
yahyah wrote:Sun's shining a bit. Whoopeee.

Don't let IDS get you down folks. That's what they want, people to feel demoralised, powerless and bickering amongst ourselves about the Labour leadership.
It's a beautiful day here in Stoke, yahyah, lovely warm, not too much pollution, the sun bright.
:heart:
Mr Riots has just given me our updated weather forecast which went something like this ...

Today it's not meant to rain ... but as you can see, it is.
Tomorrow - rain
Wednesday - lightening strikes and rain
Thursday - hail and rain

We've just done another round of ringing round clients to say we'll get to them when we can ... but nothing can be done while the weather is like this. I've not worked properly for over a week now - and this is when I should be working hard to get in as much income as possible before the winter.

We had about 3 hours of sunshine yesterday evening. Grateful for very small mercies. Think a lot of holiday makers have just packed up and gone. It's very deserted out there - even in town.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

rebeccariots2 wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
yahyah wrote:Sun's shining a bit. Whoopeee.

Don't let IDS get you down folks. That's what they want, people to feel demoralised, powerless and bickering amongst ourselves about the Labour leadership.
It's a beautiful day here in Stoke, yahyah, lovely warm, not too much pollution, the sun bright.
:heart:
Mr Riots has just given me our updated weather forecast which went something like this ...

Today it's not meant to rain ... but as you can see, it is.
Tomorrow - rain
Wednesday - lightening strikes and rain
Thursday - hail and rain

We've just done another round of ringing round clients to say we'll get to them when we can ... but nothing can be done while the weather is like this. I've not worked properly for over a week now - and this is when I should be working hard to get in as much income as possible before the winter.

We had about 3 hours of sunshine yesterday evening. Grateful for very small mercies. Think a lot of holiday makers have just packed up and gone. It's very deserted out there - even in town.
I love Wales.
I'm sorry your work is hampered now, RR2, truly.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by PorFavor »

rebeccariots2 wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
yahyah wrote:Sun's shining a bit. Whoopeee.

Don't let IDS get you down folks. That's what they want, people to feel demoralised, powerless and bickering amongst ourselves about the Labour leadership.
It's a beautiful day here in Stoke, yahyah, lovely warm, not too much pollution, the sun bright.
:heart:
Mr Riots has just given me our updated weather forecast which went something like this ...

Today it's not meant to rain ... but as you can see, it is.
Tomorrow - rain
Wednesday - lightening strikes and rain
Thursday - hail and rain

We've just done another round of ringing round clients to say we'll get to them when we can ... but nothing can be done while the weather is like this. I've not worked properly for over a week now - and this is when I should be working hard to get in as much income as possible before the winter.

We had about 3 hours of sunshine yesterday evening. Grateful for very small mercies. Think a lot of holiday makers have just packed up and gone. It's very deserted out there - even in town.


After several hours, the rain's eased off a bit here. It's now a mere torrent.

Good morfternoon, everyone.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by ephemerid »

I started the morning a bit cross thanks to the IDS spokesthing and the reported comments from the liar himself.

I am now so angry I have no idea what to do with myself.

The Showmaster was due to see his consultant on the ward this morning, with the likelihood (but no guarantee) that he would be discharged. He was due to have some more blood work done, the results of which would be decisive in terms of his fitness to come home; and hospital transport was in the process of being arranged. Despite being ambulant, he was considered a "trolley case" and the ambulance service could only guarantee that he would be brought home at some point later today, which is fair enough.

Off-your-trolley case is more like it. He discharged himself at 8.30 this morning, on the grounds that he believed he would be lying on the floor in the day room because his bed was going to be taken for a new admission. Moron.
The staff say that he was told there might be a wait, but they would make sure that he had somewhere to rest; the transport might not be until the evening, but that's not unusual due to pressures on the ambulance service.
He has had excellent and thoughtful care throughout; there is no reason to think that it would not continue. He left before the consultant round, before the phlebotomist round, and before his discharge letter were ready.

He is now on a bus somewhere, with 2 sticks and carrying his kitbag. He has to take 4 buses and the 50-mile journey will take at least 4 hours depending on how long he has to wait between connections.
The ward staff have phoned me twice to ask if he's changed his mind and might come back; he risks his consultant refusing to see him again (and that is an issue as we now know he has a condition that recurs elsewhere in the arterial system); he has a graft which is in very early and delicate healing on a major artery; and he had a general anaesthetic just 4 days ago.

The staff nurse responsible for him has given me a (very) long list of instructions and "what to do if..." things in case he has a problem.
I daresay everything will be fine - but I am so angry and so worried. Our wonderful NHS has probably saved his leg for him, and this is what he does. He has always had issues with his anger, and his fuse at the best of time is about 2mm long - but this is a whole new ballgame.

AAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by utopiandreams »

You may be pleased to know that in future I shall be proffering fewer of my egoistic (no typo albeit that may also apply) thoughts, but am currently a little concerned after the news my neighbour opposite furnished on Saturday. I had a family day yesterday so somewhat busy, but realised late on that I had neither heard any movement from below nor light from the skylight to my roof terrace. I gather she works judging by her attire when she leaves in the morning but her car has not been moved. Not wishing to impose I have knocked on her door with no reply, even peeked through the windows that I can reach. I have therefore spoken to the chap opposite as a further pair of eyes, but he too has seen nothing. He's going to knock himself later. I really hope that all is as well as can be expected, she may have simply needed time off work.

Am feeling a little unsettled now and hope we shall not be calling the police later. Not sure what else we can do.
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rebeccariots2
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by rebeccariots2 »

Ephemerid - I don't know what to say about that - except not surprised you are fuming - and presumably very anxious too.

I hope Show gets home OK. I hope you can manage the anxious, angry wait without too much stress on your system. And best of wishes to you for sorting things out when he appears - and with the hospital in the future.
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LadyCentauria
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

Oh no, @ephe :head in hands: I hope he's ok - you, too – and I'm so sorry I neither drive nor am near enough to go and 'retrieve' him for you :(
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Willow904
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by Willow904 »

rebeccariots2 wrote:Ephemerid - I don't know what to say about that - except not surprised you are fuming - and presumably very anxious too.

I hope Show gets home OK. I hope you can manage the anxious, angry wait without too much stress on your system. And best of wishes to you for sorting things out when he appears - and with the hospital in the future.
I hope Show gets home OK, too. He must be very stubborn and strong-willed to leave before his discharge letter. Is this normal behaviour for him? I know some people find being in hospital very stressful. Unfortunately there's a very fine line between respecting people's right to discharge themselves and keeping them in for their own good. They wouldn't have let him go if he wasn't medically alright, but sometimes you wish they would respect people's wishes less when they are unwell and clearly making poor decisions. We had problems with my dad discharging himself early and then ending up straight back in hospital, before he was finally diagnosed with dementia, so I know what a worry it is and how you must be concerned that he will jeopardise his recovery.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

rebeccariots2 wrote:Ephemerid - I don't know what to say about that - except not surprised you are fuming - and presumably very anxious too.

I hope Show gets home OK. I hope you can manage the anxious, angry wait without too much stress on your system. And best of wishes to you for sorting things out when he appears - and with the hospital in the future.
I echo RR2's post, Ephemerid.
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LadyCentauria
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

@RR2: Sorry that the rain is interfering so badly with your work and hope it clears up enough for you to get something done and catch up on it soon...
@utopiandreams: I hope your fears are unfounded and that your neighbour is ok...
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It's alternating stair-rods, steady rain, and drizzle, here.
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RogerOThornhill
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Morning all.

Good article on two free schools in Suffolk which were set up in acrimonious circumstances - words were obviously exchanged between them and the schools nearby.

Seckford lick wounds after disastrous GCSE results at Beccles and Saxmundham

http://blog.hargrave.org.uk/2015/08/sec ... trous.html
Back in 2012 I wrote extensively about the proposed Seckford Free Schools at Beccles and Saxmundham saying they were unwanted and that they would waste money better spent elsewhere. One thing I did not expect however was that these schools would deliver truly terrible GCSE results. Results so bad that the Seckford Foundation themselves feel the need to launch an external investigation into what happened.

In the key target of five Grade A-Cs including Maths and English Beccles Free School got 39% (just under the 40% Government "floor target") and Saxmundham did considerably worse with 28%. Sir John Leman in Beccles that came in for a sustained attack on its good name by Seckford and its supporters got 66%.

Even IES Breckland the troubled free school in Brandon that lost its first principal and was then put into special measures by Ofsted did better just scraping 40%.
Interesting to note that Ofsted rated both of these as Good in June 2014 - maybe those crowing about about Ofsted scores of free schools against 'council-run schools' (sic) should maybe wait for the first set of results...
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citizenJA
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

Hospital is a tough place in all of the best hospitals in the world - it's the nature of hospital.
A lapse in judgement is understandable.
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by PorFavor »

This is from yesterday but I don't remember our covering it here (the usual apologies apply) -
NHS competition could waste millions says Labour, after Care UK complains

UK’s biggest private healthcare provider demands investigation into decision by GPs to remove elective care contract and award it to local NHS health trust (Guardian)
Is this the way that private providers (for which, read Government) intend to deter others from even bothering to tender?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... healthcare
ohsocynical
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by ohsocynical »

yahyah wrote:As my Economic for Dummies seems to have got lost behind the sofa, I have a genuine question for those who know about these things.

Re-nationalisation would cost money. Just how much is open to debate, as is how aggressive the mode of re-nationalising should be.

Have heard some suggest mutualisation, or a share of profits being used gradually to buy back.

In times of war we had war bonds.
Is the notion of Re-Nationalisation Bonds a real no no ?

There must be many people like my husband and myself.
We're not rich, but debt, mortgage & rent free.
Savings are not bringing in much in interest at the moment.
We would be willing to buy a thousand pounds worth of re-nationalisation bonds that paid back a very nominal rate of interest so the cash could be used to buy back our services and infrastructure.

Would there be enough people who would, or could afford, to put principles before profit to make it viable ?
Ditto for me and Mr Ohso. And likely to have a large lump sum when we get our assisted living place.
Think that's a brilliant idea. I also like the idea of a National bank.
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
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citizenJA
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Re: Monday 24th August 2015

Post by citizenJA »

ohsocynical wrote:
yahyah wrote:As my Economic for Dummies seems to have got lost behind the sofa, I have a genuine question for those who know about these things.

Re-nationalisation would cost money. Just how much is open to debate, as is how aggressive the mode of re-nationalising should be.

Have heard some suggest mutualisation, or a share of profits being used gradually to buy back.

In times of war we had war bonds.
Is the notion of Re-Nationalisation Bonds a real no no ?

There must be many people like my husband and myself.
We're not rich, but debt, mortgage & rent free.
Savings are not bringing in much in interest at the moment.
We would be willing to buy a thousand pounds worth of re-nationalisation bonds that paid back a very nominal rate of interest so the cash could be used to buy back our services and infrastructure.

Would there be enough people who would, or could afford, to put principles before profit to make it viable ?
Ditto for me and Mr Ohso. And likely to have a large lump sum when we get our assisted living place.
Think that's a brilliant idea. I also like the idea of a National bank.
I'm with you.
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