Our Beloved NHS is Sixty

Oh, where to start.
The NHS isn’t perfect and it never promised to be but I’m sure there aren’t many who would disagree that it’s founding principles of free health care for all, regardless of background and circumstance, are principles worth holding on to.
All the main political parties, at each and every election, can be depended [...]

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“Apes and gorillas are people too”

I was curiously surprised when I read that the Spanish government is to give human rights to great apes.  Of course it’s good news for the marvellous hairy beasts in that they will be given protection from experimentation and exploitation.  Of course that protection should already be in place by way of their animal rights but if giving them human [...]

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On By-elections and Reptilian Humanoids

Interesting to hear that the Green party is to run against civil liberties martyr David Davis in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election campaign.  Green party candidate Shan Oakes will stand against him and this is very good thing indeedy.  She has a blog and her tag-line is . . . The real civil liberties candidate.
Yes, odd as it may [...]

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(Almost) Rants and Viewing Points

What’s that phrase they use about a week being a very long time in politics?  Oh yes, I remember.  It’s . . . a week is a very long time in politics. 
The same can be said about the news. 
I get my time on the pc and one of the first things I do is check out the news.  [...]

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Stupid is as Stupid Does

I was astonished when I read this article.  Obecalp is a placebo designed for children.  Jennifer Buettner who’s company produced the drug said . . . “When drugs are not needed and the patient still thinks that medicine would help, we believe that the placebo effect can work,”
This is a staggeringly stupid comment!  No, Jennifer, when drugs [...]

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Movie Nights

I love movies.  I don’t do TV, not much.  I enjoy political shows, comedies and nature programmes but I have zero tolerance for stuff like reality TV, tiresome soaps and those live chat shows where Average Joe goes on TV and exposes all his private business to the world.  I have to confess though that for the first time [...]

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Qualifications, Job Skills AND Compassion?

The government wants nurses to be rated by their kindness.  They are to be measured and marked by how much compassion and empathy they show towards their patients . .  and by how much they smile.  Health secretary, Alan Johnson wants nursing teams across the NHS to be scored and the results displayed on a website.  [...]

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Excuse Me! Are we invisible?

So asketh the Church according to St. England. 
I’ve been catching up with the news and was amused to see that the Church of England is sulking because it thinks the government is favouring Islam.  Ah bless.  My kids do this too.  They carry out all kinds of attention-seeking antics when they feel that I’m paying more attention to one of their siblings.  Well [...]

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The Dam Builders versus the Warriors

Amazon Indians have been squaring up to the mighty corporations and the state in a bid to prevent the construction of a series of hydroelectric dams that are planned for the Xingu River. 
The officials are claiming that the construction plans are part of their sustainable energy drive but in reality it’s difficult to see how concreting, flooding and connecting [...]

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Cluster Bombs aren’t Clever

None of them.
On Monday, over a hundred countries are gathering in Dublin to negotiate a new international treaty to ban cluster munitions. 
Our own Ministry of Defence is fighting against a total ban. They would like to see two types of cluster bomb retained for continued military use (which I think is the current UK position), arguing that [...]

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The Theft of Biodiversity

Species are dying out at a rate not seen since the demise of the dinosaurs, according to a report published today – and human behaviour is to blame. The Independent
Yes, the human footprint is to blame according to the Living Planet Index.  The report, produced by WWF, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Global Footprint [...]

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Pastor Parsley!

Introducing Raving Rev. Rod - American televangelist, dominionist and denouncer of all things Islamic, homosexual or non-Jesus worshipping. 
Senator John McCain calls him a spiritual guide.  I’d call him a misguided spirit.

Really!  Well apologies for dragging up an old post  but where do the religious right get their self-righteous superiority from?  What is it with their deep and unmoving belief [...]

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Before and After

Hubby was having a clear out and he had put this little table on the rubbish pile but I had other plans.  This table has history in it.  It’s been in our family for generations five years and has served us in a variety of ways.  It’s been a nature table, a picnic table, a shield from a [...]

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Threshold of Viability

The sensitive issue of abortion has come up again.  MP’s are seeking to get the upper limit of 24 weeks lowered to 20 weeks.  
Most people have very strong and definite views on abortion.  And there are those who aren’t against abortion but feel that the upper limit of 24 weeks should be lowered to 20 weeks.  Presumably, their belief [...]

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Selfish Shell

Shell, who prides itself on its progressive green initiatives, has reneged on its commitments to the London Array Scheme - a project to build the world’s biggest off-shore wind farm.  The company, who recently announced profits of £4bn, said that the decision was an economical one and claims that it is still fully committed to wind power.
Apparently, [...]

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