Tax the super-rich

I get fed up when Labour does not show leadership. The last big example was throwing Sadiq Khan under the bus about ULEZ when the simple counter argument is to ask people how much pollution is acceptable.

Another example is a promise not to tax the rich. A message to tax the rich is going to be viewed as a tax on aspiration as many work to be better off. While it will reassure many high earners, there would be no problems at the ballot box by promising to tax the super-rich. Such plans could be presented with a commitment not to raise taxes below a certain threshold at the same time. I think that this has been another opportunity lost to lead.

The oldest profession

My daughter is watching a TV series featuring underage prostitution. I do look forward to a question about the grey areas with her. This is an issue that I have discussed in the past, and there are blurred lines between what is acceptable to society and what is not. 

Let me be clear from the beginning. No person should be forced into sex work and those in it should be offered the help to leave it as well as help to address any addiction issues they may have.

But there are those for whom working in this or related areas has been a positive choice. I have even met one of them, though most of those who I have cared for had left it (one was in it to fund her then drug habit). The one who was still working in it appeared to be a good mother, but she had housing issues which I suspect may have been related to her line of work and the alcohol issues she later came out as still having (which I suspect helped her cope with her job).  Needless to say, I suspect there have been many others who I have looked after who I was or am unaware worked in this role.

The grey line is when relationships or marriage is involved. Does having a sugar daddy mean that you are a sex worker? How about if you marry one? Caroline Aherne, in the guise of Mrs Merton, opened an interview with Debbie McGee, the partner of magician Paul Daniels, with the query: "So what attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?" We can see similar issues now with Melania Trump and her husband, many wondering what attracted the foreign born model to the (then twice married) millionaire Donald Trump.  The reason that I bring her up is that Stormy Daniels is often called a prostitute for having had sex with Donald Trump, but Melania, who many see as marrying for money, is not considered to be a sex worker herself by most.

There are those who call for a ban on prostitution, this has consequences for those working in that field, just as it does on other areas of sex work.

I do have concerns that this can demean women in the eyes of some men, but I suspect many of those men would not have much respect for women. I have one patient who has found it hard to have a relationship due to his behavioural issues. I do think that seeing sex workers is going to make it much harder for him to find the love that he craves, but is meets his desire to have sex. He has had issues with getting attached to some of the women he pays for due to his need for love. The bottom line is that I would rather he paid for sex rather than raped a woman to satisfy his primal urges. He is not alone, there are many men who are going to find it much harder to find love. It is really right to forbid them from ever having sex so long as this can be done in an ethical way? 

The only 3 points Arsenal are going to get next week is if Suella Braverman drives the team bus back to London.

I was hoping any dropped points would happen later in the season. Not at home against a side reduced to ten men though. 

While have stated that I do not think that Arsenal are likely to win the title this season, keeping the dream alive for longer would have been nice.

I watched the highlights, and I guess the mistake at the start affected the side, as going a goal behind so early changes how the game is played. But it was two points dropped at home and it should not have happened.

Man Ure will be looking forward to the game with us next month… 

Back at home

We are back at home. I was a bit too tipsy to post on our last day in Rhodes after I drank a whole bottle of wine.  My wife, daughter and I, had spent the morning at the beach, but I returned to our room just before two, to have lunch in the restaurant with my son. In the evening we had a meal in one of the hotel restaurants, this being a pizza restaurant. They made good American pizza’s, but I much prefer Italian ones which have a thinner crust and base.  This also meant that we missed out on Casino night as I decided to power nap and my son decided not to gamble. 

Our day travelling to the UK was uneventful apart from me forgetting to claim VAT back on purchases until after we had gone through passport control.

My son and I started to watch Ashoka, but we were both too tired to continue this and had to retire to bed. Hopefully we will get to watch it together again. I do wonder where all the people trained in the force hid during the rule of the Empire. It was bad enough with how Snoke came to be about in the poorly written sequel films (episodes vii-x). Now there are more Jedi? 

Also, we now have Leia back. She was ecstatic to see us when we got her from the dog sitter. I got in trouble for taking treats with me but she has been for a short walk with me and a longer one with my daughter. I also have had a nap today and she has slept with me, but has woken me up each time she has decided to jump off the bed to see what the other family members are up to.

Day eleven on Rhodes

Tomorrow is our last full day on Rhodes. I am going to miss it. My wife and son went with me to Rhodes were we went on a city tour, had an amazing lunch. The pick up and drop off point for the tour was at the cafe, which is where we rested before and after the tour.

The heat in the town was oppressive but the sights were impressive. My son and wife shopped and on getting back I cooled off with a swim in the ocean. My daughter found a school of fish, a sea snail and a crab using my goggles.

Back at the room, my son pushed me in the pool which was appreciated as I needed to wash the salt off me while my daughter showered first.

Tomorrow the plan is to relax for our last day and I guess do some preparatory packing. While there have been annoyances staying here, overall, it has been a great holiday.

Innocent until proven guilty

 Recently, Mason Greenwood has been allowed to leave ManUre, basically because of what he did to his partner. 

It turns out that the team had wanted to keep him, but it appears that a whistleblower did the right thing and exposed this.

Based on the premise of innocent until proven guilty, he is innocent of the charges he faced. But the video that has been widely shared seems to indicate otherwise. I am glad that the right thing has been done as actions should have consequences, and if he was allowed to continue playing football for ManUre, that would have sent the wrong message to those engaging in domestic violence.

Day ten on Rhodes

 

Today has not been the best of days, but it did have high points, and example of this was swimming with my daughter in a very calm sea.

However, we have not had decent access to WiFi for the last few days. I have spoken to people and they have given us the excuse that too many people are using it. It would make sense if this was when Framissima was holding events close to us, but this has been an issue in the early hours of the morning, and the WiFi works perfectly near reception.

Also we have a mouse. I mentioned this yesterday, it was not sorted and my wife today was told that we had been offered and declined the option to change rooms yesterday. This was not offered to us yesterday, but we did take them up on the offer, only to change our minds when we saw the alternative room. Basically we would prefer to have a mouse than a room that smells of damp and has a carpet so stained that my wife and daughter would not walk barefoot on.

But things are calmer now. I do love the setting of this place and the staff at the bars and restaurants as well as the cleaners have been lovely. The staff in reception will get an interesting review when we leave… 

Day nine on Rhodes

 

What a full day. We hired a car and went first of all to The Valley of Butterflies. My wife waited in the car having no interest in seeing it, but it was amazing. We went right to the top, out of the valley into the heat where I became the Lord of Flies.

After this, it was a long anticipated drive to Lindos where my son and I climbed up to see the acropolis. What an amazing place but doing so did tire me out, hence me going to bed early now. I am surprised that he had so much energy, but he has rested a lot more than me.

Day eight on Rhodes

 Another day doing nothing. A downside is that the WiFi is down most of the time in our room, but I have increased the data available for my son. My daughter has her own data but they do use my iPhone as a hot spot. I did bring this up with the hotel staff yesterday but they were not too helpful. 

Tomorrow we are planning to go for a drive, tonight my wife has seen how the French dance in unison.

Day seven on Rhodes

 I thought that the French lived so long because they were miserable. That is a poor joke based on an incorrect stereotype. It has been thought that they love long because of their diet. I think it is the exercise that they do. 

Last night, the reps put on an a brilliant and very energetic show and then got us all to dance. The number of dances that a French person seems to know is amazing. And they all appear to know the moves. Anyone who says that white people cannot dance has not seen the French dance. They put us to shame but it was still a fantastic night and my daughter and I are looking forwards to seeing what is happening tonight.

Today, was another relaxing day at the pool, and for my wife and daughter, at the beach. We now have a guide book and will look at exploring the island in our last week on it. I have just come back from a walk with my daughter on the beach where we found an interesting dead fish that appeared to have been killed by the rocks it was swimming in. Just need to find out what it is.

The song on the video is the music that they have played every night, again one with dance moves to it, at least with the reps who teach it to children before the main event which starts at 2130 every night. 

Day six on Rhodes

Yesterday I taught my son how to gamble. It was casino night at the hotel, the gambling being for free tokens. My son was with me as I played Blackjack, though the rules were slightly different as it was not as biased in favour of the house.

We had fun and had enough tokens at the end to bid in the auction where we won a 10% voucher in the gift shop. However my wife and daughter explained that the costs are so high in it, they doubt that they will use it! 

My wife swam with my daughter and I in the sea and this is probably something that we will do for the rest of the holiday. We also found out a bit more about trips on the island. Anyway my daughter and I are contemplating seeing what the entertainment is tonight…

Day five on Rhodes

Today we went to Rhodes itself. It is a distance from the hotel but it was lovely to walk about the historic streets. We had lunch there and when the family went back to the hotel, I continued to explore. I was hoping to find out about the knights of the island, but I may have to come back at a later time to find out more about this. 

Day four in Rhodes

 

Last night we went to the evening entertainment. My son went back to the room which in hindsight was the wise choice as most of it was in French. It makes sense as there are a large number of French people here, and they did explain what was happening in English as well. Sadly we returned to our room before the entertainment was fully underway due to a drink mishap and soaking clothes. My daughter and I returned later to dance in the disco. And I have just been complemented on my dancing last night by a barman. 

Come the morning, after breakfast my son and I walked to a nearby supermarket where we bought some replacement footwear for my daughter and some painkillers at a nearby chemist. 

We relaxed for the rest of the day, my son and I playing a few games that got a bit vicious in the pool. I may get to dance again tonight and tomorrow we are thinking about getting a taxi into the town of Rhodes itself. 

Why are we abandoning refugees from Afghanistan?

I am proud of the way our nation took in Ukrainian refugees, many of whom were in safe nations such as Moldova. I do not know why we do not do the same with refugees from Afghanistan or other nations riven by war, such as Yemen. 

We know that many of those who died in The Channel this month were from Afghanistan and that two years on from the Taliban taking over Afghanistan, we are still failing those Afghans who helped our forces when we were trying to bring human rights to the nation.

We have been offered a way to stop the boats back in 2021 when France said we could process asylum seekers there. Doing so in a speedy manner would reduce channel crossings, slash the bills housing them in hotels and end any need for any barges. Also, having a fair and speedy system in France would mean that there are few moral issues to deporting those crossing the channel to Rwanda.

We are not a soft touch for refugees. When there was the migrant caravan in 2015, most refugees went to Germany and Sweden. France has more refugees than the UK. So when Lee Anderson says that asylum seekers can “fuck off back to France” does he include Ukrainian ones? 

Day three in Rhodes

I woke up late this morning. Both children had woken up before me, but they had gone to bed late. I had got an early night while they had gone to The Voice at the resort. They sang Blank Space without me and had a great time. 

I swam in the sea with my daughter, played in the pool with both kids and listened to my wife talk about the night before.

We have made friends with a family of cats. The kittens come up to us at dinner and they have charmed my cat-allergic wife as well!

Not sure what we will do tomorrow, but another day of relaxation is fine with me! 

Day two in Rhodes

Today has been a relaxing day. I had intended to go for a walk before breakfast but ended up having breakfast with the kids instead. I did go for a walk afterwards and we played in the pool.

At lunch, my son who has not liked cats before started to feed a kitten, something my daughter and I would not have believed if we had not seen this ourselves! 

I did go for a swim in the sea with my daughter, something we did not do here last year. Anyway, the kids are at the local disco with their mother. Me I am going to go to sleep.

Day one in Rhodes

It has been a long day. We woke up for our taxi trip to the hotel at 0400, well, most of us did. Despite being told to get to sleep, my son tried to stay up and fell asleep, but, when we got up at 0330, fell back to sleep again. This has meant that he had left a few things back at home. I slept on the drive to the airport and on the plane, my son managing to stay awake during a lot of the flight, but it was sweet when he fell asleep on me. 

In fact, the photo was taken by him on the flight. It is great to be back at the hotel, and while the kids had bickered before getting here about sharing a room, they appear to be fine about it now.

We have had dinner, which was our first proper meal of the day as we missed lunch when we came here, and the airport breakfast was not as good as I had wanted.

I did get to watch the highlights of the Arsenal game. I do have to agree with the pundits, no disrespect to Nottingham Forest, but we would have been punished if we had played a top six side. Saying that, we did score two amazing goals and I am hoping that we can match or beat our previous league standing. But it will be much harder to do that this season. And remember, we could be Spurs! 

Anyway, the bed is calling me…

How fires are attributed to climate change

Wild fires have devastated Maui in Hawaii, notably Lahaina. Some people have had issues with understanding how fires are attributed to climate change. 

The answer to this is quite simple. Wet forests do not burn very easily. If they are dry, they burn easier, and if there is less rainfall due to climate change, then the fires will be worse than otherwise and will be harder to combat.  The more rainfall, the less fires.  And, to look at two recent examples that have hit the headlines. Rhodes and Hawaii have had less rainfall than they had ten years ago.

Many continue to tell us Don't Look Up and some of them may not be paid by the companies that profit from ruining our planet, doing this work for free instead. 

Our planet use to be a lot hotter when there was more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.  Let us not return to that climate. 

NHS waiting lists

Today another strike is affecting the NHS.  The media have been interviewing people who have had operations cancelled due to the junior doctors strike. This same media have not paid as much attention to the way that NHS waiting lists have risen since the reforms which were made during the years of the coalition government.

NHS staff are leaving.  The can have a better work-life balance outside the NHS.  I know one person who left medicine and entered the restaurant trade because it was less stressful!  In the surgery I work in, many doctors have left the surgery to work for more money and better hours elsewhere.

Before 2010, I knew one GP who moved to Australia because it was hard to get a job, there were so many GP's then.  Now, the surgery I work in has had a vacancy for months for a GP. 

The government say that they are making things better for those working in the NHS, but the facts are that loads of NHS workers are voting with their feet and leaving the NHS, many to work abroad instead. 

And then there were two

My daughter has come down ill as well.  I do not know the symptoms, but things are not looking good for us going on holiday.

Ill before our holiday

I am a bit nervous.  My son was come down unwell, runny nose, feeling awful.  He had been out earlier today, but came back feeling awful.  We have our holiday next week and I am hoping that he has not come down with the plague.  So far, his COVID test is negative, but I am in favour of encouraging him to social distance in his bedroom...

The UK is not a soft touch for refugees

I am disgusted at the quality of reporting when it comes to how our nation is dealing, or failing to deal with refugees.  Listening to journalists who should know better, they do not mention several things. 

1- The European nation with the largest number of refugees is Germany.  When the migrant caravan happened, most refugees went to Germany, not to the UK.

2 - France (which has more refugees than the UK) has offered to stop the boats by allowing refugees to apply for refugee status in a legal manner.  In addition to this, action has taken place in France to stop them using ports and the Channel tunnel to get to the UK.

3 - The safe and legal routes that we do have for refugees from Afghanistan have left too many in danger.  

And now we want to house asylum seekers in a barge that is considered by many to be unsafe...

Arsenal and the quiz

Two unexpected results yesterday.  Arsenal won the Charity Shield, a result I will be honest and did not think would happen.  In fact, in order not to get depressed, I did not watch it.  I should have had more faith in the team.  

Also, we scored our highest ever score on the pub quiz that we go to on Sunday nights.  I also got four of the literature questions right.  It made no difference to the score, as others knew the answers as well, but they were not too sure about one of them.

We went to The Red Dog for brunch earlier in the day and later, while I ironed and watched The Witcher with my daughter, my son earned money by mowing the lawn.  Now both kids have done it, though they have to be pain.  My son had initially agreed to do it for £20, thinking that is what his sister had been paid.  For some reason, my wife thought that she had been paid £45, but it turned out she realised later that it was £25.  I doubt that I will get the kids to mow the lawn that often, but getting them to do it will help me on days when I have not been able to do so.

Needless to say, yesterday was much dryer than before which was why the lawn could be mown.  It is nice to see the sun again.

Our August Monsoon

It is looking sunnier today.  Yesterday was a washout.  Both walks with Leia involved the rain and on both occasions, she wanted to get back as quickly as possible.  In fact, last night, I walked down the road, where she had done her wee and then poo, and as we walked past the house, whereas normally on a dry day she would be happy to continue to walk, she wanted to go back home!  It has been a while since that happened.

Climate change, Labour and new drilling

We only know of one planet that sustains life in this galaxy.  And we appear to be ruining it. Our government, which should be leading the world in green energy has decided to work towards pumping more carbon dioxide into our atmosphere by allowing more fossil fuels to be taken out of the ground.  For those who wish to deny the link between fossil fuels and climate change, remember that our planet was a lot hotter before plants sucked carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and the carbon was stored in the crust of our planet.  

If the government is to be believed, this will make things better for UK consumers, but the fuels will be sold on the international market which will not benefit the customer, but will give money to the government, so will help a bit with the taxes that the electorate pays.

We should look to the future.  Our nation, in the past, had the greatest empire on the planet.  It created that by looking to the future, not by looking inwards.  That ambition and drive that is still present in the nation, can be used to leading the world when it comes to green energy and the fight against climate change.

We can lead the world in this, or we can follow it.

Saying that, I do think that Labour has to honour this deal. Not doing so will cause the party a huge amount of harm with economic credibility, but I do also hope that it sticks to its promise not to had out more licences.  And on that, I disagree with Novara media.