Off Topic Other Stuff (anything you want to share)

I agree but you would take it if offered as would the rest of us.

 

The word "field" has been declared to have racist connotations and will no longer be used in a department at a leading American university.

The University of Southern California says it will remove from the curriculum and academic references such as to a "field of study"will instead be replaced by the word "practicum".

In a letter explaining the decision the university's school of social work said...."This change supports anti-racist social work practice by replacing language that would be considered anti-black or anti-immigrant in favour of inclusive language. Language can be powerful and phrases such as "going into the field" or "field work" maybe have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigrant workers that are not benign......etc....etc

Daily Telegraph.....12/01/2023


There are times when I'm glad that I left school at fifteen.....I didn't have to deal with such clap-track whitewashing.....sorry there must be another word I should be using than whitewashing.....but I can't be bothered to fall in line with the removing of the past.

 

If we continue re-writing history and changing things so as not to offend anyone.....what will people be reading about this era in 200 years time.....a repainted history of what actually happened in these years.

You never know in 200 years time racism might have to be re-invented because life is just so bland and pointless......maybe whites will be the ones subjected to abuse.....and things will then have to be reversed and a whole re-cycling of events start all over again.

 

Going to those lengths is nonsense. I added to my collection of Private Eye annuals as a Christmas present. There’s a cracker in there in which modern woke art critics see repressive and regressive influences in classic paintings.

Millais’ “Ophelia” for example is taken to a bold statement against the greed of privatised water companies and the complicity of the ruling classes in allowing them to discharge murky water into the environment. Millais is however castigated for allowing Ophelia to clasp a posy of wild flowers in her watery grave since eco-diversity must be protected from such misuse of nature’s bounty.

 

.....and is the posy of wild flowers... authentic to this country....or have they been brought back by a victorian plant hunter from a far away country ?

 

You can see the politics in that can't you?

 

Should not health and safety have her wearing water wings....and should there not be two versions to cover any racial overtones ?

 

Lorimers Book Shop in Sevenoaks had an exceptional large pile of Harry's book for sale.....marked down from the ridicules price of £28 to £14...and no one looked twice at them whilst I was in there.

 

How can we be so opposite with our postal deliveries.

I collect small clocks... (some quite miniture)... that I take a liking to as I browse around charity shops.....some of them are powered by really tiny button batteries.....Mrs Plyms watch has a very small battery.....but some clocks I find have even smaller ones......I think maybe some who buy these clocks can't be bothered to track down replacement batteries and just let them go to charity shops.

Ok I diverse......I have found a company called...Battery Station...based in the Manchester area that I have used before.....sometimes they use a courier service...sometimes the P O.

Yesterday I ordered some batteries from them...just at standard postal rates...(my order wasn't big enough to get free postage)....you can also pay a premium amount to get your purchase delivered within 24 hrs.

I have just checked my e-mail....they acknowledge my order at 1612hrs yesterday (Friday) and standard postal delivery would be between 3 and 5 days.

At 0910hrs this morning (Saturday)...my order popped through the letter box delivered by the PO.......wow....I make that only 16hrs 58minutes after the order was acknowledge.

So.....
1..... order received.
2.....order looked out.
3.....order despatched....(from Manchester).
4.....arrives in London.
5.....transferred to Orpington Depot.
6.....sorted to postal round.
7.....delivered through my letter box.
8.....16hrs 58 mins later......which includes Battery Stations time as well before being posted ?

Yet recently I mentioned a Christmas Card that had travelled only so many yards a day from being posted to being delivered......ok there were a few strike days plus bank holidays within that time....but it is the inconsistancy of the service that makes me wonder.......If you take off the strike and bank holiday days the card still only travelled so many yards each day before delivery.

 

When systems stop, stuff tends to pile up at the junctions between one part of the process and the next. When it restarts, it’s often the case that new stuff is passed right through the system before work in progress backlogs are cleared.

Goodness knows Evri seem to be sitting on a huge pile of parcels they’ve got physically but lost from their system so they can’t now can’t sort out!

 

Interesting piece be ex Health Secretary Sajid Javed in the Times. He says the NHS now generates a “narrative of adulation” which contributes to a “barrier to reform “. When he became Health Secretary, the messages he received from interested parties could be summed up as “fix it, but don’t touch it”.

I think this is right. No matter how badly things go wrong or how much money is consumed on the process, any criticism of the NHS draws a barrage of vitriol.

He rightly says this can’t go on: by the end of the decade, the NHS may well be consuming 50% of all UK government current account expenditure.

 

I agree with him but charging people to see a GP is NOT the answer in my opinion. The problem the NHS has is it's own success in the past which cannot be sustained in the future. Everything has a price limit and it has to have. I do not subscribe to all NHS staff are either Angels or Heros. They work for a wage like the rest of us either do or did. Take the pay away and none of these people would stay despite what they would have you believe about a calling. My view would be cut out all the frills and stuff around the edges that have little to do with life expectancy and health and concentrate on the basics.

 

Now there you have a point... and more things that can't be criticised... fertility treatment for example. Not being able to have children is a shame but not something that's going to stop you living a fulfilling life or indeed kill you.

 

I think some would disagree about living a fulfilling life without having a family through your bloodline....adoption can fill that gap to a certain degree....but your own blood line is more fulfilling.

 

That's fine, if someone feels that strongly there are private clinics to help. Me, I'd rather have the NHS concentrate on A&E, treating cancer, strokes, heart conditions etc.

See also gender reassignment, non-medical cosmetic surgery etc.

 

My grandson went with a friend to Peterborough to watch the Charlton game Saturday.

Peterborough had assured them that the game was definately on.

As they pulled into Peterborough station....the word got around that the game was off because of frost.

He reckons there was about 2,000 fans up there....and not too happy about Peterborough's actions.....I assume they didn't get a Ref in early.....and the match Ref disagreed with their decision that all was well.

 

And that is exactly the sort of thing I mean. I may have some sympathy for those people but if you want something that badly then go without other things and pay yourself. I would like farm made pate for supper every night and a Butler to serve it but I won't get it no matter how badly I want it.

 

Interesting conjunction of news today.

1. The head of HRMC, questioned about the Conservative Party Chairman’s tax, says penalties are not levied in cases of honest mistake.
2. Last year, HMRC levied 400,000 penalties on people who were late submitting tax returns even though those people had not earned enough for a single penny of tax to be due.

The latter is the HMRC I recognise.

 

Apart from still being alive and breathing what a boring weekend this has been. Loads of football on tele but no Argyle. Switch on the news and it's about the same old topic. Tory sleaze. Go outside and it's bleddy cold and miserable. Do housework stuff, no excuse not to as nothing else to do. Just watch tele, nothing opn but inane game shows with celebrity contestants or other celebrities dancing on something or singing in a fancy getup. Temptation was to go to bed on Friday night and not get up until Monday morning.

 

Does anyone seriously believe one word Boris has now uttered about the Russian threatened misile strike to kill him. Is this just another bare faced attempt by him to get himself in the public eye and appear to be heroic. Why publicise this supposed story now. Is it because Rushi is on the defensive and Boris sees an opening to advance himself. Personally I don't believe anything that comes out of that blokes mouth.