Good Grief it’s Friday!

Isn’t it? Took the painkillers yesterday at about 10am, felt a bit tired at 11am, went for a lie down and woke up at 7 this morning, I feel like I have been run over by a truck and then run over by a bus and then by a car, and then kicked by a horse and run over by a stampede of cattle..

So don’t expect too much today:






Apparently Iran goes to the polls today (I think) and the rows have broken out already Telegraph about vote rigging, the Mousavi and Karoubi camps to Iran's Guardian Council, a clerical body which monitors the conduct of the election campaign, have sent a letter accusing Iran's interior ministry of printing some 2.6 million more ballot papers than originally stated, implying that these could be used for fraudulent purposes. It added: "Supervision over one-third of the ballot boxes has been taken away from the police and given to the Revolutionary Guards, which is against the law and prior norms."

Iran's election authorities have insisted that the contest will be conducted in a fair and free manner. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has already criticised the acrimonious exchanges between the candidates, reminding them to conduct debate in a "religious" manner.


No change there then, the other thing is that the polls will be open during the night because all the ballot papers glow in the dark (think about it).



The MP expenses thing rumbles on, Shahid Malik is in the spotlight at the moment over his claims for rent, it appears that he moved from a property costing £320 per month to a property costing £620 per month, he didn’t have a lease and his direct debit payment stayed at £320 per month and the extra £300 was paid in cash for which he had no evidence.

“Since being elected in 2005, Mr Malik has claimed the maximum amount allowable for a second home, amounting to £66,827 over three years. Last year, he claimed £23,083 from the taxpayer for his London town house, equivalent to £443 per week. The Telegraph disclosed that the “main home” for which Mr Malik pays out of his own pocket - a three-bedroom house in his constituency of Dewsbury - has been secured at a discounted rent from Mr Zaman.”

Maybe he did or maybe he didn’t, the problem I have is do we want an MP who was Justice Minister and seems to unable to prove his claim with receipts, or proof of cash withdrawals?





The Tube strike goes on over pay and conditions, tube drivers earn £40,000 per year, have 43 days annual leave and free staff travel for themselves and their spouse, and want more, a qualified nurse in London earns about £30,000 per year and deserves more.

Tube drivers have much more clout, they can disrupt the lives of millions of commuters and will probably get what they want, nurses would never go on strike, they struggle with the inane
policies of the NHS and Government, with understaffing and poor support, they will be left to their fate.


I think we may have our priorities arse about face.



And finally:

Do you know your arse from your elbow? It seems that we don’t know how we are built, Only a third were able to pinpoint the lungs, and the 722 people questioned only got half the answers right on average.

The people questioned were shown drawings of a male or female body with organs shown in different positions, one of which was correct.

Some were easy, 85.9% could find the intestines and 80.7% knew where the bladder was. Women also performed better when looking at a female body.

That is why God gave us fingers, to point and say “pain” that is why doctors are taught anatomy, so that they can say “ah yes it’s your liver, bladder, lungs etc.

That is why the medical profession exists otherwise we would all be doctors.



"Why do I keep on stating the obvious? It's because you stupid enough to ask about it." — Kathy Kaleb

Angus

NHS Behind the headlines

AN ODE TO GREED

There was a group I heard about
They called themselves New Labour
They spent our money fast as light
And thought it was their favour

They spent on beams and toilet seats
On furniture and carpets
They spent on plants and security
With no accountability

They spent on nappies and bath robes
And thousands more on big TVs
And Christmas decorations and other vital needs
They spent our money on themselves
And other applications

They bought new houses
And spent it all on doing up
Their second or third homes
They even spent it on dry rot
But not upon a lobster pot

There was another group I heard
And they were called the Tories
And from the press there came
Even more horror stories

This lot were spending just as much
They spent on moats and tennis courts
And bulbs and dog food too
And I heard that one of them
Spent hundreds on horse poo

On chandeliers and flower seeds
On swimming pools and other needs
There’s one who built a portico
And more who claimed for council tax
And even claimed for chauffeurs

They claimed as much dough as they could
They claimed for ovens and for food
They claimed for debts they didn’t have
And even for their personal slaves

And then there was another lot
They called themselves Lib Dems
They claimed for bedside shelves
And even for the bed

They claimed for parking and court costs
They claimed for rocking chairs
They even claimed for relatives
Who lived in second homes

They claimed for gardens and repairs
For stamp duty and new kitchens
They claimed our dosh for all they could
And thought that we all understood

They all say sorry, it was a mistake
We didn’t mean to take and take
An accidental claim we made
The public purse we have betrayed

We claimed your cash because we could
And on reflection perhaps we should
Have kept our hands deep in our pockets
And not submitted all these dockets

And now that we have all owned up
You will forgive us for our greed
The thoughts of us they will recede
Our motives you perhaps misread

We did it for the best of reasons
For accommodations and acquisitions
We spent your money on ourselves
We thought that you were all fools
But truth be known we did no wrong
Because it was within the rules


“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.”-Erich Fromm


Angus


NHS Behind the headlines

Angus Dei politico

Angus Dei-NHS the Other Side

AROUND ‘AMPSHIRE

I am not after sympathy but I slept really badly last night, the deluge of rain didn’t help, and neither did the cat who wanted god knows what at two thirty in the morn, and this morning I feel like a two day old doughnut.

And as the “local free” paper dropped on the mat in the evening I thought I would feature some of the news from my part of the world.

MPs expenses-yes I know-boring, but I think my local MPs sum up the attitude of those esteemed members of the Palace of Westminster.

Now just to put it into perspective, Aldershot is 37 miles from the centre of London, which is about 40 minutes by train or just over an hour by car.

News - gethampshire The five Tory MPs representing the News area claimed a total of £712,710 in expenses for one year.

New figures show that the MPs claimed an average of £142,542 on top of their £63,291 salary.
Mr Gove, Mr Howarth and Mr Arbuthnot claimed the full amount for second homes. Mr Hunt claimed the least second home allowance, £11,610, but Mr MacKay had just under the full amount, claiming £22,575. Mr MacKay and his wife Julie Kirkbride topped the list as the most expensive married MPs to take full advantage of their second home allowance. They received a total of £45,658 for the year. Mr Gove said he claimed the allowance for his house in Elstead (very posh), where he spends weekends to be near his constituency

Among some other allowance claims, Mr MacKay got the most for travel expenses, at £5,562, and Mr Howarth the least, with £4,971. Mr MacKay also claimed the most for stat-ionery, receiving £729.

The Aldershot (or Rushmoor) member is Conservative Gerald Howarth, who I believe is a member of the “Johnsons Wax” family, and is not poor.

Mr Howarth, who has a second home in Farnborough, said he spent most of the week in London and weekends in his constituency.

He said the second home allowance was necessary to help MPs fulfil their duties at Westminster and in their constituencies.

He said forcing MPs to commute across the country every day as well as keeping on top of all their parliamentary commitments would “drive people to an early grave”.
He added: “This is not a job but a way of life and a calling.”

“I make it completely clear, the people of Aldershot are my employers.”

Just remember, these five MPs have constituencies that are less than an hours travelling from London, so why do they need “second homes”, millions of people commute from this area and further away to London each day, it seems that it is alright for us plebs to be driven to an early grave but MPs are special and need a longer life so that they can enjoy their pensions for as long as possible.

Our loss-Historic Para landmark lost another landmark piece of aviation heritage is to be lost to the area.

The Dakota aircraft on Queen’s Avenue, between North Camp and Aldershot, is being dismantled and will be shipped to Colchester.

The old Dakota has stood on the Queens avenue for many years and is a well known landmark much loved by all.

Many of the brigades that were in Aldershot have taken up residence in Colchester in Essex.

There are still hundreds of former serving Paras who live in Aldershot and Farnborough, many of whom are upset that the visible reminder of the link with the regiment is to be lost.

Pat Sheehan, 86, of Church Lane East, Aldershot, who served with the Paras between 1942 and 1962, said the loss of the aircraft was a blow to the town. He jumped from similar aircraft during airborne raids on Ardennes and the Rhine in 1944.

“It is a shame the Airborne Forces have been completely severed from Aldershot,” he said.
“Whatever happens, Aldershot will remain the home of the Parachute Regiment.

Although Aldershot was the home of the Parachute Regi-ment for 50 years, the main body of Paras left in 2000 and the last airborne forces soldiers left in 2003.

Many of the brigades that were in Aldershot have taken up residence in Colchester in Essex.
There are still hundreds of former serving Paras who live in Aldershot and Farnborough, many of whom are upset that the visible reminder of the link with the regiment is to be lost.

Pat Sheehan, 86, of Church Lane East, Aldershot, who served with the Paras between 1942 and 1962, said the loss of the aircraft was a blow to the town. He jumped from similar aircraft during airborne raids on Ardennes and the Rhine in 1944.

“It is a shame the Airborne Forces have been completely severed from Aldershot,” he said.
“Whatever happens, Aldershot will remain the home of the Parachute Regiment.”

The site currently occupied at Browning Barracks by Queen’s Avenue will eventually be covered with housing as part of the 4,500-home Aldershot Urban Extension

Which brings me nicely to Rushmoor Borough Council - Aldershot Urban Extension The release of army land for private redevelopment means that Aldershot will be able to grow significantly for the first time in nearly a century.

Rushmoor Borough Council is producing a framework for the future expansion of Aldershot to provide 4,500 new homes.

Now the last thing we need in Aldershot is 4,500 new homes, which I would think means at least 4,500 more cars, more strain on the sewer systems, water, and other services, yes it may mean more trade for the town but Tesco’s is full to the gunnels now, and they have no space to expand, the town centre lacks any of the big high street names and is like a ghost town most of the time.

The Victorian buildings in the town centre have been replaced with concrete “carbuncles” and the character has been lost in favour of “modern” shopping centres.

But it does explain why they built the new “centre for health” at the top of the most remote and steepest hill in the area, because it is right next to the “Urban Extension” site on which will be accessible without the need for mountain climbing gear or oxygen


But despite all this I still love living here, the people are good in the main, and within ten minutes on foot or in the car I can be in the country side-open spaces and beautiful scenery.


"Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change."- Confucius


Angus

NHS Behind the headlines

Angus Dei politico

Angus Dei-NHS The Other Side

A BIT OF AN OVERVIEW

A slight change today, my outlook on the national news from the Times, usually I use the BBC but I thought it was time for an upgrade.

First up is "Parky" with an honest assessment of Jade Goody and today’s society, which I thought hit the nail on the head.

“ Jade Goody, the reality TV star who died last month of cervical cancer aged 27, represented “all that is paltry and wretched about Britain”, Sir Michael Parkinson has said.”

Worth a read.



Then there is Alice Miles who thinks that we should stop torturing those poor MPs claiming expenses-

“Yet it is time for this leakage to stop. To hear Jacqui Smith being barracked yesterday on the Radio 4 Today programme about where she stays the night, and to hear her feebly protesting that “I'm not in some box room in the top of the house” at her sister's, was to listen to democracy on its knees. This is the Home Secretary, one of the great offices of State. We should not need to know where she washes her knickers of an evening.”

Nevertheless, she didn’t even consider the “porn” thing something to resign over- Jacqui Smith 'did not consider resigning' over porn claim

Shouldn’t the “occupier” (Jacqui Smith) of one of the great offices of state behave in a manner befitting that office?

No sympathy from me I am afraid, nobody dragged the “poor” MPs kicking and screaming into politics, they chose the public life and have to pay the piper when they are caught with their hands in the till.





The Concorde that graceful supersonic “eagle” in the sky may be off to Dubai. Ben Webster says it all.

There is some corner of a foreign desert that is for ever England. Dubai already has the Queen Elizabeth 2, the world’s fastest cruise ship, and now it is bidding for Concorde, the fastest airliner.

Forty years ago tomorrow, the British version of the graceful delta-winged aircraft took to the skies on its maiden flight.

The 22-minute journey made by 002 from Filton, Bristol, to Fairford, Gloucestershire, prompted an outpouring of national pride that swept aside complaints about the cost, soot and, of course, the deafening roar.

Yet the anniversary celebrations will be overshadowed for many Concorde enthusiasts by the disclosure that British Airways may betray a promise to put a Concorde on public display at Heathrow and instead cut it into pieces and ship it to the Gulf.

BA who hid their only remaining Concorde somewhere in a hanger at Heathrow is “refusing to help any of the groups seeking to get the aircraft back in the air”.

It has repeatedly rejected requests to publish a feasibility study. BA claims it showed that it would be too expensive, but it will not share the figures with the Save Concorde Group, which believes it could raise sponsorship for a return to flight.

A BA spokesman said: “It is an internal document and wasn’t intended to be shared. It has commercial information in it.” Despite making £20 Million profit a year from Concorde during it’s 27 years of commercial flights.

Come on guys; this is Concorde, we are all proud of it and let’s face it we haven’t got a lot to be proud of at the moment.



Tony Blaire has challenged the “entrenched” attitudes of the Pope on homosexuality, and argued that it is time for him to “rethink” his views.

Speaking to the gay magazine Attitude, the former Prime Minister, himself now a Roman Catholic, said that he wanted to urge religious figures everywhere to reinterpret their religious texts to see them as metaphorical, not literal, and suggested that in time this would make all religious groups accept gay people as equals.

Mr Blair, who now travels the world on behalf of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which aims to promote understanding of the main religions, left the Church of England for Rome soon after leaving office in 2007.


Watch it Tony, you could be excommunicated, but the good news is that as the law stands he will never be King of the UK, although he thinks he is.




Another example of our “hardworking MPs” No-show MPs halt help on fuel poverty (Lauren Thompson) Consumer groups have reacted furiously after legislation to help to end fuel poverty was quashed because not enough MPs bothered to vote.

The Fuel Poverty Bill was proposed by a Liberal Democrat MP in response to the Government's continuing failure to help the 5.5 million households who spend a tenth or more of their income on gas and electricity
But the legislation, which would have forced energy companies to make homes more energy-efficient and introduce lower prices for the poorest customers, was struck down last month. It had its second reading on a Friday afternoon, when most MPs head back to their constituencies.

It received 89 votes for and two votes against, but needed 100 votes to get through to the next stage.

Yes; the MPs really care about the poor, as long as they don’t have to do anything about it.


And finally:



Trickie Dickie Branson has declared a price war on rival train operator that restored routes (Ben Webster) The train company that offers Britain’s cheapest rail tickets is engaged in a battle with Virgin that threatens to force it out of business.

Wrexham & Shropshire, which runs trains between North Wales, the West Midlands and London, began operating a year ago after spotting a gap in the market for direct services.

Despite receiving no subsidy it charges £53 for a standard class any-time return ticket from Wrexham to London. A similar ticket bought from Virgin costs £201.

Now Virgin plans to run trains in direct competition with W&S, despite having previously shown no interest in providing services to the key stations served by W&S.

Virgin, which receives £35 million a year in public subsidy, won the West Coast franchise 12 years ago. It withdrew its direct service to Shrewsbury in 2004, claiming that there was insufficient demand. Now, having observed the success of W&S, Virgin is planning to run trains from London to Shrewsbury and Wrexham.


When Virgin rule the world at our expense, all we will have is one airline, one train company and one health provider, probably with “pay as you pee” toilets.

“People have this illusion that all over the world, all of the time, all kinds of fantastic things are happening. When in fact, over most of the world nothing is happening.” David Brinkley

Angus

NHS Behind the headlines

Angus Dei politico

NHS-THE OTHER SIDE