How Do You Know

My wife and I watched this last night.  The best way I can describe this is a rom-com without the com.  It was not terrible, it appeared to be directed and produced well, it just was not well written.  I would argue, that thanks to the acting it was an average film, one worth not watching.  Normally I do not recommend watching a trailer, but watching it means that you do not need to waste time watching the film.

Not voting is still making a choice, but it is a bad one

I have made my views on voting known on many an occasion on this blog.  The lady featured on this video from Novara Media shocked me. Someone who is politically aware should realised that you vote for the party you disagree with the least.  Yes, ideally, a person should be inspired by a leader and vote for them based on a positive perception of them, but few are going to agree with everything any party leader is going to advocate, well few with a critical mind anyway.  To put matters simply, each time you do not vote, you have no voice, but those who vote against the position you have do.  To say that the Conservatives and Labour are the same ignores how they are different on matters such as the NHS or asylum.     

The government have taken away the right to vote from too many people. Something that Jacob Rees-Mogg admitted to.  

Yes, people have the right not to vote, but for someone who is aware of politics, to refuse to vote when the Conservatives are making it harder to vote is silly.  And very sad.

One-nation conservatism

This week I was taught what a one-nation Conservative is by my daughter. She was quite patient with me considering it started me on a rant. Apparently, David Cameron is part of this view, the Prime Minister who brought about austerity to our nation as is Jeremy Hunt, the man who has overseen the decline of our NHS. 

I have to thank my daughter on teaching me about this despite my interrupting her with my views on the two. I am going to learn more as time goes on from both my children. 

A vote to Stop the Boats and ignore those we should be helping

I am proud that our nation took in refugees from Ukraine, many of whom were in safe nations such as Moldova and Poland when they needed sanctuary.  There was a need and the applications for asylum were processed quickly.

I do not understand why the same is not being done for people from Afghanistan, notably, those who are linked to the UK when we had a presence there.  We have Afghan soldiers who face execution if returned to Afghanistan waiting in Pakistan among many others we have a duty to help.  I suspect that the reason that they are being left to rot is because they are Muslim.  

We have shown that asylum applications can be processed quickly.  Instead, the government have allowed loads of asylum seekers to be held up in hotels while more cross The English Channel. A cynic would argue that the reason that they have done this is to make this into an election issue...

The NHS on YouTube

There is an interesting article on the NHS on YouTube. 

I disagree with bits of it. The use of the private sector resulted in improvements in NHS performance during the Labour years, not seen in Wales, where private sector involvement did not occur.

It also mentions PFI in brief, without looking at the reasons that loans had to be taken out to rebuild the NHS.

Also it does not mention how the Conservatives cut the numbers of doctors in training, removed the NHS bursaries and have watched as UK trained staff leave for better pay and conditions abroad.

But it was very good overall.

A Dog's Purpose

It was the Christmas Party for my work last night. I decided to drive which was good for two people at my work who live nearby. We returned to the place we had our party last year, the food was a lot better. But after we ate our main course, there was a power cut. We did get served dessert and ate by the light of our mobile phones. However, mobile reception there was very poor but some did find out that the power was not expected to come on till the early hours of the morning. This meant that we left early, and being the nominated driver, it also meant that if was easy to get home. Others had to wait for pre-booked taxis.

I had rested in the day before and even got a nap. Before I did so, my daughter and I watched A Dog’s Purpose.  My daughter was right in that I would never have watched it before we had a dog, and while predictable, it did tug at my heart strings. If you love dogs, it is worth considering this as a film to watch, but there is no point in doing so if you are not a fan of dogs.

COVID and lockdowns

On BBC Any Question last night, the matter of lockdowns during COVID came up. Some idiots on the panel doubt that they were needed.

They ignore what happened in Italy, or Iran. While Sweden avoided a lockdown, they put Social Distancing guidance into place before we did. A few days before the UK went into lockdown, the Cheltenham Festival took place, 60,000 people in close proximity spreading COVID. 

Also they forgot to mention how unprepared the NHS was to face a pandemic, this despite Exercise Alice and Exercise Cygnus showing the problems being faced.