You've missed the point. My post was a reply to Spiderman's comment about religion being something that has to be abided, by it's followers. I compared it to the socialist handbook on here. Spiderman; "Not because it is or isn’t true but because it dictates to its followers that they must follow the word of their god and not any one else’s, no argument allowed" Some of them I may agree with myself but it wasn't about what I agree or disagree with. It was an observation about not having independent thoughts. If you're only a 2/10 socialist you really have to question your credentials. I don't think Remembrance is respected across the board on here.
Well done for holding out for as long as you could but it's good that you've allowed yourself to join in because everyone has a valid opinion. It's was obvious some were going to find my post a "wind up". Let's face it when you are being ridiculed for having no independent thoughts the more delicate posters would be wound up. I shouldn't have to remind an ex teacher to "read the question properly" but my post was a response to Spiderman's line that religion was (more or less) not being about right or wrong but doing what you are told. I compared it to the socialist handbook as used on the Politics thread here and not to argue his point of view. And why it is ironic. Again in your last paragraph you've missed the point. It wasn't that I disagreed with all 10 and therefore socialists are not worth listening to* (what I think is right or wrong in this case doesn't matter, obviously it does at other times) but that it was comparable to the dogma from the Same Old Testament of the Socialist Bible. I'm not sure how you connect "posted without any sense of irony" to not tolerating an opposite view but fair play it was a good attempt. Don't forget though that de platforming speakers was an invention of the "know all, know nothing" lefties at universities around the country. *Some of them are but to be honest, once you've heard one you've heard them all . "angry fervour only reserved for truly great satire". I'd take that as a complement if you were being genuine but unfortunately, you're not a genuine person. Loading 2/10. Must try harder.
Oblique Seville, a young Jamaican sprinter from whom.many great things are expected. I was thinking of changing birthname to that but he has beaten me to it!!
Many years ago I was having a conversation with a guy who is Catholic. I think he was of the view that Catholics rarely if ever question the doctrine or what the priest utters from the púlpit. He contrasted that with Juduaism where members of a synagogue will challenge the Rabbi's views. As for Socialism there are some who do not follow the doctrine including Peter Mandelson. Whatever 'faith" that You have is Unique to you as it has been shaped by your upbringing, education, on-going reading and experiences so it is all the time evolving be it socialism, capitalism, cubism, impressionism, romanticism, Druidism!!
It's Only A Game said: ↑ You've missed the point. My post was a reply to Spiderman's comment about religion being something that has to be abided, by it's followers. I compared it to the socialist handbook on here. Spiderman; "Not because it is or isn’t true but because it dictates to its followers that they must follow the word of their god and not any one else’s, no argument allowed" Some of them I may agree with myself but it wasn't about what I agree or disagree with. It was an observation about not having independent thoughts. If you're only a 2/10 socialist you really have to question your credentials. I don't think Remembrance is respected across the board on here. ————— Sorry, you’re the one using the title ‘Socialist’ and then defining what it means to you and then coming up with some sort of bonkers scoring system for it How about we avoid words that are open to interpretation and just deal with opinions I think I’m part of the group you’re trying to name and define, but I don’t have all the opinions you tell me I need to have to be a part of this ‘group’ Maybe my virtue signalling needs to improve God save the King Vive la Revolution My pronoun is variable
As a user of hearing aids, I have always been miffed by the high price you are charged for aids. My last pair I bought in the UK, 5 years ago in Specsavers, cost around £1700 for the two, but only because Specsavers do a 2 for 1 price deal. This morning I popped into Specsavers as these old hearing aids, that are out of warranty, need servicing and repair. The price quoted for the work, which would include new inner parts, a new shell and setting them up to my needs would be £149 per hearing aid. So effectively I will be getting 2 NEW hearing aids for £298, as against the £1700, I paid 5 years ago, which begs the question “if the manufacturer and Specsavers can turn a profit on this price, why are they allowed to charge so much in the first place?” I have always considered the price of hearing aids to be a tax on disability and this seems to highlight the issue quite well. Not knocking Specsavers as they do reduce the cost by doing their 2 for 1 offer, but I genuinely think that there should be some kind of investigation into profiteering in the industry. Just paid the equivalent of £2650 for replacement aids in Spain, so cheaper per aid than what I paid 5 years ago in the UK but it highlights how the cost is also high elsewhere. My son has already decided that my renewed hearing aids should be called “Trigger’s broom”.
Blimey, didn't realise hearing aids were so expensive, must be a rip off can't imagine that the material cost of such small items can be much. I bought a torch recently for £5.99 and I can shine the beam up towards the moon, it's a great thrill and much better value.
My aunt, who’s 89 swears by the free NHS hearing aids. She also purchased a £3k set a number of years ago but replaced with the NHS ones late last years & said they’re brilliant. Now tiny, really easy to control & great sound.
I wear one aid in my right ear - since about aged 22. My other ear is still ok. My last aid was £1800...as I only need one I don't get any benefit form 2 for 1 offers, though the previous aid before that I paid £1500 for and got two, one in the ear and one behind the ear (for the same ear so i had a spare) as Boots let me do that. The other issue is that I tend to get the mid range as the upper range benefits are really for two aids (proper binaural hearing and focus on speech etc). I did get a NHS one about 5-7 years ago and had so many issues with it that I gave up in the end, Still in the box, I must get round to going to the clinic again and getting it fixed as a spare. They are amazing bits of tech though. So many times I have answered my phone, or listened to music or podcasts and no one knows I do lol. Are they worth £1800? To a good eared person no. To a deaf person maybe.
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To a deaf person good hearing aids are, in my case, everything, which is why I think more should be done to reduce the cost. In the workplace I became more involved in meetings simply because I was able to hear what people around the room are saying, which was very good for my wellbeing because I felt included. As an introvert, deafness makes life (in my case) more difficult in crowded environments because repeatedly saying “pardon, can you repeat that” etc makes you feel less inclined to interact with people and you can come across as antisocial, when you are actually feeling anxious because of not being able to track conversations. I have only had my current aids for 3 weeks, so I am still experimenting with the different settings, but it is good to be able to switch to a setting that cuts out background noise in a noisier setting, such as a bar, cafe or plane. Streaming music has moved to an even higher level, which is great for my walks, especially as you can still hear what is happening around you despite having music piped into the middle of your head. I would caution against rechargeable hearing aids, though, if like me the user does a lot of streaming. I trialed a pair that claimed up to 42 hours of battery life on one charge and up to 36 hours with streaming. My experience showed that streaming reduces the battery life by 14% per hour of streaming, so an avid streamer would empty the battery in 7 hours of continuous streaming. Plus, as we know from mobile devices, rechargeable batteries deteriorate and lose the charge more quickly with age. I read this morning that Angela Rayner is able to use sign language, so she clearly has a connection with deafness, so I may try to reach out to her office to bring some attention to this. Won’t hold my breath though.
I echo everything you have said about the value of hearing aids. The NHS ones have apparently come on leaps and bounds too, so although my current aid is about 3 years old, maybe my next upgrade will be to a NHS one. The streaming is excellent, though I tend to use AirPods a lot, just because the quality is better, but the fact I have one good ear so for anything other than a quick stream, it doesn't really work having a podcast in one ear and full blown noise in the other. The rechargeable ones aren't for me for the reason you mentioned. Also, if your AirPods or phone run out juice it is an inconvenience, but to lose power to your aids is a catastrophe. I think the government (whoever is in charge) should do a lot more - if they looked at pricing of private aids, it may even tempt some people to ditch the NHS ones (and save govt money) and go private instead. £1500-2000 is just too much money for most to consider on an aid.
That last paragraph makes a good point as I am sure that there are people who could afford to go private, if the cost was close to what I am paying for the service of my old ones, and effectively getting new aids. There would still be a need for free NHS ones, simply because of the financial situation for so many, but by off loading some into the private system, the queue for NHS aids should shorten. My only experience with NHS aids was when analogue was the thing. Dreadful aids.
From HIGNFY. New season starts tonight 9pm hosted by Clive Myrie. Guests at Nigel Farage's 60th birthday party include former Prime Minister Liz Truss. She couldn't stay long – force of habit. please log in to view this image
Teachers in England and Wales report vermin and pests in schools. Expected to increase as an election is looming and politicians will be seeking photo opportunities.
