The first day of the Junior Doctors strike over a junior contract that is not safe for patients and not fair for doctors.

Sadly, I am in favour of the #NHS #JuniorDoctors #NotSafeNotFair #JuniorContract strike. I have worked under a system where the safeguards to protect working hours that Jeremy Hunt wants to remove didn't exist. Back then, that meant that the hospitals I worked in then ignored the advice on safe hours. I wouldn't want my loved ones to be treated by me during the times that I was so tired I fell asleep taking to a patient or couldn't remember how or why I had treated a patient a certain way come the consultant ward round in the morning.

The thing is that loads of doctors, this being GP's, consultants and junior doctors have already left the UK for more money for less work abroad. Two of my social media friends are there, along with the daughter of Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston, doing just that. The junior doctors do not want to strike, but like nurses and others in the NHS, market forces will drive many away if we do not value them. Being a doctor means not seeing your family as much as others and being in a profession with high rates of divorce, alcoholism and suicide.

These changes, like with the proposed changes to the #StudentNurses #NHSbursary will harm safe staffing in YOUR NHS. Personally if the NHS goes tits up, I will be better off. I have a job and GP's like me are increasingly harder to recruit which means I can always give up my job and work as a locum for less work, less stress and more money. But the changes that are proposed will harm most of you as you have no choice.

So remember today that these Junior Doctors are not striking for more pay, or even less hours but to stop hours being increased and pay being cut for those working the most antisocial hours. And they would rather have been working today to help people instead of being on strike.

Beaver of the week

Just a few things to note.  My son is beaver of the week, and is very proud of being so.

The message is one my son wrote last year when I made him write some lines for being naughty.  He did not, but the content of what he did write made me laugh.  One of the many ways in which he, like his sister, makes me so proud.

Anyway, I made a post on the Voice yesterday, but I forgot to include some other singers who I thought were great and capable of winning.  I am sure I have missed a few so I will have to try to keep more up to date with this series!

And last of all, an update on chess, and the tournaments that I did not win.

29th Chess.com Quick Knockouts (1201-1400)

Speed King #105 - Very fast players 3(2)->1 U1500

The Speed King tournaments are fun in that the top three places normally are filled by at least one player of the rating that the tournament intended to play.  Unfortunately this is not the case with the Chess.com tournaments which are often won by players who tend to lose a few games for their rating to fall, and therefore enter a competition meant for players of a certain rating, who they then slaughter!  But when I play those games, my intention is to see if I can get out of the first round.

My wife wants us to go to Morecambe for our holidays next year, but I'm not so sure that is wise

We have been down to London to see my mother (who is now living alone) yesterday.  We took her out for a meal at a Sri Lankan restaurant that had been recommended to us by a colleague of my wife.  When we arrived in Soho, my daughter sniggering as we passed one or two places, we were amazed to find a long queue outside the restaurant we wanted to visit.  Booking is not an option, so waiting is what you have to do if you do not arrive in good time.  It was strange waiting in a queue for one restaurant that passed one next to it which had empty tables in it!  But food wise, it was worth the wait.  You can find similar food in East London, but the standard will not be as what we had here.  Some places come close with some of the dishes that they serve, but overall, for this type of food, this is the best we have eaten at, in the UK that is. 

Once we got home, through a terrible downpour, we got to watch The Voice, the last series on the BBC.  Both kids love it and this year, both were able to use the App that is available for it.  My son 'turned' for loads.  I probably did the same for more than I should, but one stood out.  I think that they have the chance of wining, but I have been wrong with those who I have loved in the past before.  

I did not get a chance to watch the football last night, we were too tired after the drive home.  But I did watch the win this morning after we had all been out on our bikes.  I am determined to become fitter as I have not really exercised properly in years.  I would never say I did exercise as well as aim to do today, but something is better than nothing.  And in my job, I do see how exercise helps keep people fitter and improves the chances of living longer.  After my wife was dropped at home, the kids and I continued onwards.  The highlights of the journey included by son falling into mud and getting it all over his trousers, but for the kids themselves, cycling down a hill at speed.  Of course, when back, by daughter who had a mild spat with me, decided to ask my wife if she had seen the trousers of my son, this being after I had earlier in the day told them that I would be dead if she found out how dirty they were.  The look of innocence on her face when she asked this would have fooled many, but not me!  My son, despite being in ecstasy since my brothers bought him an Arsenal kit, did not want to watch the highlights of the Arsenal match.  My daughter and wife watched Arsenal beat Sunderland though, a great game, but one where our defensive weaknesses were on show again and with Liverpool to play soon, we will probably not be as lucky in our next game if we give away goals the way we did.

Why Katie Hopkins is wrong about the sugar tax and why Jamie Oliver is right

It is the time for people to set goals for the New Year.  Mine is that I intend to lose weight, something I decided before I realised that my belt this morning was tighter than normal.  Many people across the country, like me, need to get fitter.  Diet is a big part to play with this, this being changing eating habits to healthy eating habits that are sustainable.  There are loads of fad diets out there to help with weight loss, but they tend not to look at the unhealthy eating that made weight increase in the first place.

Katie Hopkins recently has said in an article, that the Sugar Tax as recommended by so many, including Jamie Oliver is not the way forwards.  I disagree with those who are against taxation on unhealthy eating.  There are arguments that such a tax would hit the poorest the most, but life expectancy amongst them is lower than with those better off.  I am sure that David Cameron would not have allowed the food lobby to sway the decision on not bringing in a sugar tax, but since that decision was made, it has been shown that the bag tax in England has resulted in less bags being used.  And guess what, the poor are hit by that tax the most.

If a bag tax results in less plastic bags being used, it stands to reason that a sugar tax and even a fat tax can bring about changes in eating habits.

My New Year's resolution is to stop procrastinating - in 2011, that is.

Actually my resolution is to get my weight below 90 kilos. My mother wants me to get my cholesterol checked which is important but what is more important for my health is exercise, which is hopefully going to happen this year, and weight loss.

My voice is better today and I can actually talk, which means that my voice should be acceptable for work tomorrow. We spent today taking the Christmas decorations down, the tree that we have on loan from my wife's parents going back into it's box in the garage.  

And just before bed, I have finally got to watching the Arsenal match from yesterday. We were lucky to win our goal coming out of nothing. Ramsey is almost back to form, the same being with The Ox, and it was good to have some players back from injury. But the players returning applies to other teams and the Manchester team that rhymes with City now have the cyborg Aguero back. I say cyborg as I am convinced that he must be part machine. 

Silence is golden unless it is when I can not speak!

Interesting is how I would describe today. ManFlu yesterday and today I have no voice. I was hoping to bike with the kids, but that involves being able to shout warnings when on the road, or in the park, and whispers are hard enough for me! I feel better than before, but am still unwell. My wife has been great, but she has now fallen ill with my plague myself, though at the moment, not as bad as I have been affected.  Anyway, back to watch Game of Thrones, a shame that the last book will not be released soon.

My resolution for 2016 is to launch a brand of ice cream called Revenge. It will be both sweet and a dish best served cold.

Well, today I have Man Flu, which started yesterday.  Despite this, I was still able to work today, and yesterday, though today I am feeling more unwell compared to yesterday.  Which is just as well considering that we had guests around last night.  I had to go to sleep early but the party continued.  Which makes me glad as otherwise I would have felt very guilty.  The children, who had been allowed to stay up till midnight were very glad that not only they got to stay up late at night, but also that I went to sleep before them!  I am looking forwards to spending time with them tomorrow, though I am hoping that they will be able to spend time with a father who is in better health.  On Wednesday, when I was looking after the children, we went for a bike ride and they loved it, as did I.  The only issue with it was that they are of different levels when it comes to the ability to ride a bike, and one bike makes it easier to travel much faster than the other.  I need to get fitter, and they may be able to help me in this ambition.  Anyway, it is time for bed once more.