Keir Starmer At Lab21

Today, I took a break from work at lunch to listen to the speech from the leader of the Labour Party. 

It was one that the Conservatives would have loved.

The most memorable part of the speech was the heckling that took place.  I suspect that will cause as much damage to the chances of Labour being elected as the high profile resignation before.  After all, I do not remember much of what Theresa May said in 2017, but I do remember her being given her P45.

Saying that, Labour have forgotten that part of politics is advertising.  The brand of Labour was damaged due to the worldwide economic crash of 2008 which both the Conservatives and Momentum have blamed on New Labour.  But further damage to the brand occurred under Jeremy Corbyn.  I still stand by my view that the damage was caused, not just by a manifesto that appeared to be out of touch, but also occurred due to the actions of some who supported him, but ignored his call for Kinder Gentler Politics.  Under Tony Blair, easy to remember sound bites were used, Education, education, education being one.  The Conservatives understand this and in the last election, repeated the mantra of more police (but not enough to replace the way they defunded it), more staff for the NHS (despite increasing vacancy numbers) and the like.

Boris Johnson will come across as having a united party next week, and I doubt that he will many hecklers distracting from his message.

GP surgeries are open

“GPs must bring back face to face consultations with their patients. We need to get back to our workplaces.” Jacob Rees-Mogg said that in Parliament being unaware, along with our Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care that surgeries have been seeing patients face to face since the pandemic began.  

It is frustrating as before the pandemic, it would be common to be sitting next to someone in the doctors waiting room who had a viral respiratory tract infection.  Just before the first lockdown, many GP’s moved to a system of triage by telephone before seeing patients and this recommended by medical institutions. Patients continued to be seen, but what could be dealt with by telephone was dealt with by telephone.

In the surgery I work in, much more face to face activity is taking place, but people still slip through the net, coming into the surgery with symptoms of infections.  Staff are now vaccinated and social distancing takes place, putting them at far less risk compared to last year.  However there is a risk to them still, and more importantly to other patients.

With the waiting rooms kept quiet, the risks posed to other patients is reduced (at our surgery, we see suspected respiratory tract infections in our hot room).  If general practice is opened up to the levels seen before the pandemic, in the same manner, then more people will catch infections in the waiting rooms, and of those, some will be COVID19, and of those, some will die when they would not have if the triage system was in place,

Sadly, the Conservatives forget the pressure that Primary Care was under before the pandemic, let alone the increased pressures it faces now.  They did promise to recruit more GP's in 2015, and failed.

So when Jacob Rees-Mogg speaks about GP’s seeing patients on a face to face basis, he either is unaware that this never stopped, or that he wants waiting rooms full of ill patients infecting each other.

Why I am wrong to call Conservatives scum.

Our nation has record levels of In Work Poverty, rising Child Food Poverty and the government are to cut Universal Credit.  Apparently this is acceptable, as is referring to women in certain forms of Muslim attire as letter boxes, being racist, being homophobic, conspiring to beat up a journalist, cheating on your spouse as well as lying to your employer, electorate and other politicians.

Angela Rayner was unprofessional when she called the Tories scum.  But I have done the same, normally when I have dealt with someone who has been affected by the policies that the Conservatives have brought in.  Often after and during listening to interviews with Conservatives redefining black as white I will rant about how much I hate them.

I know that many honestly are unaware of the hardship that they cause, but I honestly think that is because they refuse to see and hear the truth.  

However, it is wrong to refer to all Conservatives as scum.  I would consider it accurate to say that they have done some scummy things and those in power appear to have no morals and seem to turn a blind eye to corruption if not engaging in activities which do not appear above board.  But not all Conservatives are like that, and due to this, I have been wrong on the many times that I have called them scum.

Zombieland

Last night, I finished watching Zombieland.  And I enjoyed it.  I still think that Shaun Of The Dead is one of the best Zombie comedies around (along with Braindead) but this was fun and I am glad I watched it.  Full of gore, and black humour, it was a much needed lift to the day. 

PMQs and our COVID vaccinations

First of all, family.  We have had our COVID vaccinations today, the kids having their first ones, my wife and me having our third ones.  However, I did get worried when my daughter had a headache later.  It did improve with paracetamol though though did not do away.  My son had wanted to have time off PE due a sore arm, but he asked us this before he had his vaccination and forgot to mention it afterwards.

Anyway, PMQ's.  Angela Rayner put in a spectacular performance, asking Dominic Raab about his comments on British workers being amongst the worst idlers in the world as well as the trade deal our Prime Minister had said we would get with the USA. He gave credit for the USA dropping travel restrictions to the UK to Boris Johnson, even though the USA had decided to do this for Europe and was considering this before PMQ's.  However he did not answer the question posed about British workers.  She referred to the issues that many face about In Work Poverty, missing out on how things are at record levels.  Dominic Raab did list a range of things done which he said was to improve the lot of those who are poorly paid, but he ignored how things are worse under the Conservatives.  I did not get a chance to listen to the rest of it, but the main event was enough.  

Get Out

I am knackered.  This morning my son took Leia out for her walk.  I had intended to cycle to work, but instead started to put our TV together.  My wife and ordered a television and had mentioned the size of it to me, but I had not realised how big it was to be.  Yesterday we realised that what we put the TV on was not big enough for it.  So this morning, after doing some cleaning in the house, I got to putting the TV together.  My wife had been trying to get a new item of furniture for the TV yesterday and after I put the TV together, we went to collect an item that she managed to agree a deal on.  

I took my daughter with me and it was a pleasant drive to Manningtree to get it.  She was of great use helping to put it into the back of my wife's car as well as taking it into the house when we got home.  After that, it was a case of disconnecting the old TV and reconnecting the new one after moving furniture about.

Needless to say, this was quite exhausting which meant that when I did go to work, it was late and I had no energy to cycle into work.

On getting back, my daughter and I watched Get Out on the new huge television.  The picture is amazing.  And I have to say the film is great as well.  I had worked out that I had wanted to watch this before and therefore had done my best not to find out much about it.  My view is that most trailers spoil films.  I have liked Daniel Kaluuya since watching him in The Fades and he was just as good in this film.  It was well worth watching.  And the video is for those who have watched it, or are never going to.

In Work Poverty and PMQs

The government are going to cut Universal Credit. Or rather, not cut it, but instead allow he temporary uplift in it to expire. Over the last few years, we have seen the rise of Child Food Poverty as well as In Work Poverty.

The issue of if this should be cut came up in PMQ’s today.

Needless to say, Boris Johnson did not answer the questions posed to him about how he is to cut help to those who need it most.  And this was a matter that came up on several occasions.

I do think that Keir Starmer would have done better if he had used the personal examples that Jeremy Corbyn did in this role as ignoring reality is so much harder when real people are used.

I hope our MP does not vote for these cuts.  But he is a Conservative and I suspect will toe the government line on this.

13 Reasons Why; The World Closing In

Is redemption possible if true repentance has taken place?  In my view yes.  I think my daughter thought so when watching this before, but my son does not appear to agree, yet.

On a different note, my son was not able to go to school today as he vomited last night, but my daughter returned.  My wife and I spent the morning shopping either on-line or in Waitrose while he looked after Leia (his school said that there was no work for him as him being home was not COVID related).

13 Reasons Why; Always Waiting for the Next Bad News

Drugs screw up the lives of people.  And it can be very hard to kick the habit.  This episode looks at some of he issues involved, but not the deaths that I have seen due to drugs.

Hawkstone Hall & Gardens, Spa & Gym

We are home! Hawkstone Hall was amazing. I did get freaked out as there was very little mask wearing and people must have thought I was mad for wearing mine.  But a colleague caught COVID at a wedding recently and I had no intention of doing the same. It was a good meal after the speeches and later there was dancing and a free bar.  I love dancing but could not do so inside, so on occasion, danced outside with my wife.  

Come the morning, I went for a walk in the grounds.  After that, breakfast and the long journey back.  We dropped off my Mother-In-Law and then to Colchester. My wife felt we should leave Leia for one more day but my daughter and I got her to change her mind.

Anyway, time to rest and rest. 

Church Farm Guest House, Wrockwardine

Our trip continues. Today is the day of the wedding that we have travelled here for.  I am glad that the hotel we are now in was booked as the guest house has been lovely.  The children loved it here, though I am not sure if that is because we booked the place out and they have their own rooms, a novelty for them when we travel, but one we hope to continue, but not for tonight!  Breakfast was lovely, not as amazing as I have had in the past, but filling and it has kept me going so far.  I did go for a walk about the village, a habit that having a dog has made me desire and it allowed me to appreciate the grounds so much more.

The wedding we came for is now over, a sweet Catholic service where we, along with some others, wore face-masks. I am a bit nervous of the mixing considering that a GP at the surgery I work contracted COVID at a wedding she had been to two weeks before and while starting to work, is not back to full speed.

Anyway, I am taking a break from moving the luggage up the stairs in our residence for the night, but more about that tomorrow (or tonight) after the wedding reception.

The Pheasant Inn, Admaston

What an exhausting day.  My day started with the morning walk for Leia, but then we had to take her to Helen, her dog sitter who looks after her on a Tuesday.  That involved packing up her crate and as normal, she was overjoyed to be there.  My daughter took her with me and we both were a bit sad as we knew it would be Sunday at the earliest that we would see her again.

After that it was packing, and collecting the Ford Tourneo, that my wife affectionately calls ‘The Party Bus’ for our trip.  We drove to collect my mother-in-law but realised that we had left some items at home.  Once at the parents of my wife, we had to retrace some of our trip due to traffic on the M25 & M1, but took a detour to get the missing items.

My wife and I shared the driving and we soon got to terms driving it.  It was an experience, and one that makes up appreciate our cars.  She got the worst of the weather though.  Anyway, we are back at the Church Farm Guest House in Wrockwardine after eating a meal at the nearby Pheasant Inn at Admaston.  The service is kind and the food surprisingly good (I loved my chicken with potato rosti) but what freaked me out was that none of the staff where wearing face-masks.  This was something we are not used to as when eating out on holiday in Devon, and also back in Colchester, staff wore masks.

Now to bed for the wedding tomorrow.

Trusting Priti Patel

According to Priti Patel, the answer to the surge in migrants and refugees coming across the channel to the UK is to send them back while on the open seas, but only of it safe to do so.

I doubt that France will be pleased with that, or the threat to take away funding that had been agreed for extra patrols.  

Ignoring the issue of if it is right to send boats back to France if intercepted, the fact is that Priti Patel has thrown others under the bus when the heat is on, notably Cressida Dick, who obeyed her request when it came to the Sarah Everard vigil.  If any fatalities happen, I suspect that given her previous form, she will be quick to blame those obeying her instructions due to her caveat of “if safe to do so” and those who work in the coastguard had better recall her bullying nature as there is no doubt that they will be abandoned by her.

13 Reasons Why; In High School, Even on a Good Day, It's Hard to Tell Who's on Your Side

People in a just system are considered innocent until proven guilty. However accusations can cause problems, but can also help others come forwards.

This episode addresses some of the pressures that Clay Jensen comes under once he is a person linked to the murder of Bryce, but does not address how it can be useful for other victims to come forward when someone is charged, a big example being Jimmy Savile.  

It is also about how people often see the good in others, and how we can not realise that.

13 Reasons Why; There Are a Number of Problems with Clay Jensen

First of all, family.

My wife and daughter took Leia out for a walk this morning allowing me to cycle into work.  I did not get out of bed as early as I would like, but it was nice to cuddle up to my wife.  Once they had left, I got on my bike and cycled in for paperwork.  I have not done this as often as before as my daughter had wanted to come into work with me to do her homework in once of the offices.  But I need to get fitter and if she wants to come, she is going to have to get her mother to drop her off, or cycle in with me.  Anyway, they went for a walk down in Wivenhoe and my wife, who has never been as keen on walking as I have been, did a personal best for this year!

My daughter herself has been a bit stressed out her return to school tomorrow.  My son has to attend for testing, and then he is in properly tomorrow.  He had been in last week for testing and since then, the friend who he was with has developed COVID.  This did result in a scare this morning, until we realised that she was negative on the day.  Her mother became unwell and tested positive yesterday, his friend testing positive today.  The house is a lot calmer now compared to how it was this morning.  Needless to say, we wish the best for her friend and family.

As for 13 Reasons Why, my son and I watched it this evening before he went off to bed.  This episode looks at the rehabilitation of Bryce Walker, and his ability to still attract women to him.  Hence the video...

 

13 Reasons Why; You Can Tell the Heart of a Man by How He Grieves

Another day and another traumatic episode.  This one dealt with illegal immigration.  Personally, I am in favour of the deportation of illegal immigrants, a controversial view, but one I will stick by.  I do think that the immigration system in the UK is a mess, made worse by Brexit and that controls on immigration in the UK are too strict.   

At the moment, we have a shortage of HGV drivers.  Companies have called upon to allow a HGV drivers in from abroad on a short-term temporary basis, but this has been rejected by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, as a short-term temporary solution.  Saying that, we are also short in many other areas such as in dentistry.  The nation will adapt, but Brexit immigration rules are already causing issues to many areas and companies in Europe and elsewhere are making more profits while British companies are now even more disadvantaged.

  

13 Reasons Why; Nobody's Clean

Watching this with my son was interesting.  The two issues brought up were drugs and prostitution.  Drugs have been an issue in other episodes, but here, steroids were discussed.  Buying sex for money was also never mentioned before, and while this episode did not deal with the ethics of this, it did look at drugs.

I have mentioned before, that I do think that drugs should be legal and regulated, but I am not sure about steroids.  The first post-mortem that I saw was of a body builder who had a massive heart due to steroids.  The muscle growth outstripped the blood supply to it and he died.  Since then I have seen ruptured ligaments which do not heal and also others with heart attacks thanks to the use of illegal steroids.  I have suspected that it has contributed to behavioural issues with some, and I see one person on occasion who uses them but has muscles that are so developed, they have joint issues because his body should not have that build.  And he has acne and very small testicles.  Saying that, drugs screw up lives, and just because I think that they should be legal and regulated does not take away from the many lives I have seen ruined by drugs, and too many ended.

As for prostitution, again, this is something I think should be legal, but again regulated. But this view applies to all those who work in the sex industry. Help should be offered to aid those who are forced into sex to get out, or ideally, not to get into it.  The ethics of using a prostitute were not addressed in this episode though.

Needless today, I told my son not to use drugs.  Hopefully he will listen. 

Spider-Man: Far From Home

First of all, family.  My wife went to see someone about her present and future yesterday so I was with the children.  Normally, they keep away from me while I am working from home, but maybe they felt guilty about the huge mess they left on the kitchen table which meant that it was harder for me to start working.  When she got back, she took my daughter away to shop for shoes and afterwards we went out of eat at Banquet.  We have been there several times, and my wife needed a distraction from her return to work today.  As usual, the food was amazing.

When we got back, Leia, who had been in the pen was even more overjoyed to see us compared to normal.  I had wanted us all to sit together but the kids wanted to do their own thing.  For my son, this meant ignoring the drying that he was meant to put away as well as the plates that he had left on the table (and a wrapper of ice-cream that Leia found).  But my daughter and I watched Spider-Man.  My son, her and I had been watching it earlier, but was not able to finish it.  She had forgotten that she had watched it before, but it was great to watch it again. Spiderman is one of my favourite super heroes and I love these films and I cannot wait to watch the next one.  

Like almost all Marvel films, this is amazing and I would even pay to watch it on the big screen again!

13 Reasons Why; Angry, Young and Man

Closure is not always possible.  Some people regret or learn to understand the consequences of the crimes that they do, others do not.  But is revenge the right way to bring about closure?  My son says no.