An introduction, The Hussy Hospital is closed again, and why do you need a gun?

30 November 2012

So it's December tomorrow; where has this year gone?  It seems to have flown by to us.  But it has been a busy year for us really.  Jan has had an operation; we moved home; the house went on the market; not much really I suppose but to did seem a lot during the year.

There are some very sick people in Dorktown.  A three year old boy died and his mum began to tend his grave and build up a bit of shrine to him.  There's a photo of it on the front page of the News this morning.  It's not really my sort of thing I suppose but it does help a lot of grieving people.  But some prat however, decided that they needed the items on there for themselves and began stealing them.  Now the mum has had to take the rest away so as not to lose those too.  Like I said, sick people!

The front page of yesterdays News claimed that the Hussy Hospital was closed to all visitors because that noro-virus bug.  The hospital seems to be hit by it on a fairly regular basis.  Usually it's just the odd ward that get's closed but now it's the whole hospital.  There is something seriously long there and they need to find out what it is and get it fixed!  In today's paper there is a plea that the public only uses A&E for real emergencies only ... what's the betting that plea is ignored?

A Tory Councillor has hit out at the contents of an email that somehow got sent to all councillors.  It seems that the council is printing 2000 Christmas Cards for just £8.09.  That must be a very heavily subsidised price.  The cards are being printed for just one ward, Slough in Bed'th.  For once I am in agreement with a Tory councillor.  There is no excuse for the tax payer picking up that bill!

The big switch on is taking place either this evening or tomorrow evening, probably this evening although I'm sure I read somewhere that it would be tomorrow.  Tomorrow though could be difficult with the market on.  No idea where I saw the date for tomorrow though.  Jan has to go out this evening so we won't be going this year so I will have to be in town later one afternoon to get shot of the lights in the town centre.  There seems to be a new set of lights too.  About bloomin time too.  But it looks like they have moved away from the traditional coloured Charismas lights and gone for the non-descript neutral white strings of lights.  So sad ... ... ... I feel a letter to the editor of the News is due!   

Along with our Dorktown News this morning there was a copy of the Maily Dail delivered here too I would normally return it to the newsagents but we get our papers delivered by a young girl and I'm not sure where she gets her supplies from.  On the front page of it is the story of the ex-SAS soldier who has been released from his jail sentence by a judge in London.  I'm not sure how I feel about that really.  The charitable side of me agrees with his release.  But the ex-soldier part of is not very happy at all.  The man had been in the Army long enough to know and understand that being in possession of a private fire-arm and ammunition was every much against all the rules.  But here's the thing ... owning a gun is one thing - but owing 300 rounds of ammunition lifts it into a different level of seriousness.  My question is, "Why did he want the ammunition if the gun was supposed to be a war trophy?"  From what I heard on telly and read in the paper, the gun was still active, that is it could still be fired.  Why does and person need, or want such a gun?

So it's photo time and I really do hate to see this ...   

I get very annoyed over it.  In this case I even went back to see if the poor dog was still there; she wasn't but if she had been I would have taken her and handed her over to the cops or the dog warden.  I told Jan about it and how I felt and started to think about getting ourselves a small dog.  We're both sloppy on Yorkys - so here's is Pip-Pup ...

She has a kink in her tail and we were going to call her Kinky but changed our minds when to thought about having to call her back when she is out for walk.

Funny time ...

A man had two great tickets for the Cup final. As he sits down, another man comes down and asks if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him.
"No," he says. "The seat is empty."
"This is incredible!" said the man. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the FA cup final, the biggest sporting event in England, and not use it?"
He says, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. My wife was supposed to come with me, but she passed away. This is the first Cup Final we haven't been to together since we got married."
"Oh ... I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. I guess you couldn't find someone else - a friend or relative, or even a neighbour to take the seat?"
The man shakes his head...

"No. They're all at the funeral."        

A con, the Hussy and 50 shades of ...

29 November 2012

The National Insurance scheme was once described as being the biggest con perpetrated on the British population.  How could ever provide the cradle to grave health care that was promised with the low payment that the scheme was set up with?  Well, whoever made that claim was pretty much on target with it.  If prices and so on remained the same over the years there would still be no way the scheme could work properly.  Various hospitals and health trust are doing a lot of unpleasant things in an attempt to cut down their costs.  The front page of the Maily Dail carries one such cost cutting measure.  Now there are hospitals who are withholding nourishment and water to badly disabled babies, thereby saving money but condemning them to a long and unpleasant death.  In addition they are discharging terminally ill children to hospices and to home so they can die there.  But is it really all down to cost though?  I'm not so sure.   

There's a new standard whereby death rates in hospitals are recorded and they are required to meet a target of lower death rates. It seems these hospitals are working towards meeting those targets no matter what it does to the patients or their families.

Another large cost is that posed by an aging population.  Today's Express banners that claims that elderly people will have to pay for their care fees and the cost could be £75,000.  The promise of the National Insurance was that we would be taken care of when we needed care without having to pay.  It's not working is it?  That is why the claim of the NI stamp was such con could well be correct.

Today's photo then ... 

is of the Hussy Hospital looking towards the Maternity block.

The Sage has sent be a bang-up-to-date funny for today ...

Four guys have been going to the same fishing trip for many years.  Two days before the group is to leave, Ron's wife puts her foot down and tells him he isn't going.  Ron's mates are very upset that he can't go, but what can they do.
Two days later the three mates get to the camping site only to find Ron sitting there with a tent set up, firewood gathered, and dinner cooking on the fire.
"Shit Ron, how long you been here?  How did you talk your missus into letting you go ?"

"Well, I've been here since last night. After dinner at home yesterday evening, I was sitting in my chair and my wife came up behind me and put her hands over my eyes and said, 'Guess who ?'"
I pulled her hands off, and she was wearing sexy brand new lingerie.   She said she had been reading 'Fifty Shades of Grey' and she had a devilish look in her eyes!!!
She took my hand and led me to our bedroom. The room had candles and rose petals all over.
On the bed she had handcuffs, and ropes !
She told me to tie her up and cuff her to the bed, so I did.

And then she said, "Do whatever you want."

Press reforms, hospitals and the price of a pint

28 November 2012

After days of saying very little about the murder in the town, today we have a name for the victim and the man now charged with her murder.  It seems that she died from head injuries.  Anthony Hall was remanded in custody yesterday and will appear at Warwick Crown Court sometime today.  What a waste of two lives! 

The Report on the enquiry in press standards was released today.  Radio 4 had the new boss of News International on giving his views on what should happen next.  He majored on government interference in the press and I would agree with him on that; the press should be allowed to report as and when it finds stories.  But the inquiry was set up to look at how they found the stories to begin with and the follow up stories.  It also looked at the issue of privacy.  The horrendous way that the Sun and the News of the World (do you remember being a broadsheet years ago - I do!), reporters hacked into mobile phones and used other invasive methods was totally out of order.  Then there was the issue of the certain sections of the press turning on various people who spoke out against what they were doing and worked hard to smear them and their efforts.  Top and bottom of it was all the press, and News International in particular just got too full of its own importance and too big for their boots.  They needed to be brought down and sorted out.  That ultimately will be good for the British press in my view!

A hospital in Cannock is due to close but someone has come up with the idea that it should perhaps be run by local people thereby being kept open and out of the hands of private companies.  Ideally is should remain open as a NHS hospital, as should all hospitals and therefore they should be fully funded by central government.  It got me thinking about the future of the Hussy Hospital here  Dorktown and if it could happen here.  The Hussy has already contracted out to private companies a number of its services already.  Indeed, all hospitals have done that anyway.  During the time Mad Maggie all the catering and cleaning services were contracted out.  I wonder if there is any coloration between that and the rise of C/Diff and MRSA?

Staying on the health theme then ... NICE has come out with the idea that all car park charges should be significantly increased to force people to walk to work or to the shops thereby getting and staying fitter by doing so.  It's a nice idea - the pun is intended - but it seems to me to be unworkable.  Why?  Well the days of rolling out of bed, out the front door and down to the bottom of the street to work are long gone.  Now, commuting to work is very  much the done thing.  But be honest, how many people can really walk to work?  Added time alone would make it difficult.  Mums working part time after dropping the kids at two or three different schools on her way in and collecting them on the way home again.  There was also something about going walking to the shops - but can you imagine walking home with a months worth of shopping in one go?  No, nor me!

Another health issue ... the possibility of a minimum price for alcohol is to be consulted over.  The suggested price is 45p a unit.  Strong beers are 3 points a pint but I have never paid such a low price of £1.35 for a pint.  These days most beers are all priced above that level.  The problem of over drinking is a big one that needs tackling but as I see it, it's the happy hours and drink promotions in bars, clubs and supermarkets as well as the longer opening hours of the pub and clubs that are causing most of the problem.  That is where action is need to be taken.  Top and bottom of it all is that booze is far too easy to get hold of.  Within a five minute walk of our flat there are three off licences and a pub.  We don't need that many!

So it's time to look for a photo ... yes, I know ... 

found at the entrance to the Hussy hospital.

And today's funny ...

  
Three old mischievous grandmas were sitting on a bench outside a nursing home. An old grandpa walked by, and one of the old grandmas yelled out saying, "We bet we can tell exactly how old you are." The old man said, "There ain't no way you can guess it, you old fools." One of the ornery grandmas said, "Sure we can! Just drop your under shorts and we can tell your exact age." Embarrassed just a little, he dropped his drawers. The grandmas stared at him for a while, asked him to turn around a couple of times, asked him to jump up and down for a little while and then they all piped up and said, You're 84 years old!" "How in the world did you guess?!?" The onery old grandmas snickered and laughed. Slapping their knees and grinning from ear to ear, all three happily yelled in unison, Because we were at your birthday party yesterday!!