Monkeys Fist

Well said mate. Thankfully, a lot of folks are changing their thinking and it’s easier now , I find, to be open about mental health. I had a bad run-in with depression towards the end of lockdown, when a combination of several negative things got the better of me. I’m very lucky in that my lass has very good mental health training through her job, and we got sorted, but fuck me, it’s a horrible experience- the way it manifested in me was a total lack of emotions or feelings- no joy, no sadness, nothing. Thankfully, I’m just about back on top now. I’m a long drive home from finishing my first 4 days as a Class 1 artic driver. Started Wednesday at 6:30pm, drove down to near Dartford, dropped a trailer load, then head down for 9 hrs in the cab from 7:00am on Thursday. Picked a load up in Wisbech Thursday evening, brought back up north, head down for another 9hrs at home Friday morning, back in at 7:00pm yesterday drove down to Dartford, unloaded, and I’ve just picked up 25 tons of paper from near Sittingbourne. I’m now parked up, having a brew and a croissant then I’m having 9hrs off, driving back up north, timing it so I get back at 5 or 6:00 am tomorrow. ( I’ll find somewhere in Wykiki’s home county to dump the prozzies parts, so that’ll waste a bit time ). Then I’m off until Thursday.

Great article here about the threat to the Pacific North West of America and Canada from the Cascadia Subduction Zone. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one It’s a tectonic fault line about 80 miles offshore, running from Northern California up to Vancouver Island. Unknown until about 40 years ago, its cycle of activity runs roughly on a 250 year pattern, and it’s now 100 years overdue. When it does go, and it will, it’s going to be catastrophic- the land will drop by approximately 6 feet and rebound westwards for about 30-100 feet. That will cause a Tsunami which will hit land approximately 15 minutes after the quake. ( A wave anywhere between 20-100 feet is expected, depending on local topography). “Kenneth Murphy, who directs FEMA’s Region X, the division responsible for Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, says, “Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast.” In terms of preparation in the US, it’s basically … Within the inundation area, any survivors can expect no power for 6 months, no mains water for over 1-3 years, no permanent hospital facilities for 3+years.

Nice one Craig. It takes courage to face what you’ve faced, and courage to be so open it when there is still, for whatever reason, a stigma attached to mental health issues. I’m over the moon for you mate.

Funny, I’ve got a wall sized pic of Big Ben.

Half of those kids are taller than him

Eh? Wtf is the point of this post? LondonBlue has been a member here for a good few years, they’ve always been thoroughly respectful and provide a viewpoint of a neutral on so many things. You, however, can get fucked, Thompers. You’re a waste of breath.

What was Whitney Houston’s favourite kind of coordination? Haaaaaaaaand Eyyyyyyyyyyyye! Thank you , and…

Aye, whatever their version of it turned out to be would never work, because it needs nationalisation of community service providers on a large scale. I also said previously that I wouldn’t let the military anywhere near it, nor the NHS.

You’re making the assumption I’m advocating that it’s voluntary I.e. unpaid. I’ve said it must be the opposite to even get past the first “idea” stage. Edit; for it to work, it has be properly funded by the state, it’s basically a Socialist concept- state funded work for the good of the community and participants. I wouldn’t call it National Service either.

Not something anyone of potential qualifying age needs to worry about though, is it, since the Muppet version he’s on about won’t be happening? I hope they don’t persist with this, and choose some other half-arsed desperate idea to help them on their way out, tbh. I’d hate to see the idea become toxic by association with them, since I honestly believe it’s got potential.

According to Wiki, her English mam helped ABBA translate the lyrics for the album Waterloo from Swedish to English. She’s on the cover of their next album, to the left of Benny Speaking of actresses called Rebecca who we “admire”…Rebecca Hall. Giddup!

There are certain holiday companies where 90% of their “coalface” workforce are teenagers, working 6 days a week minimum for relatively low pay. I would, however, banish accountancy firms from any future NS programme on the grounds of terminal boredom.

I meant to reference this above, but previous National Service wasn’t voluntary work, you were paid an equivalent rate of pay as “regulars”.

I’ve not thought too deeply on the subject tbh, but the mandatory part could even be addressed by having it as an option in the now-mandatory education until 18yrs old. If someone wants to leave education at 16, 12 months of participation in a branch of service of their choice at that age could be a positive way in to the world of employment, whilst giving them a chance to try something off their normal radar, and they get to be independent at 17, a year earlier than those that choose to stay in education. Also, it’s worth remembering that the National Service of old wasn’t a volunteer scheme- people were paid for their time in whatever they did. Any new version must also be paid work for the participants- you could even include some basics lessons on personal finances management. Anyway, the Tories can fuck off as I’ve put more thought in to these few posts than they have with their announcement.

Aye, if it was thought out and implemented by sensible adults not motivated by profit or political grandstanding, I’ve thought for a long while that it would be a positive thing. So many , currently absent, community projects could benefit hugely from the investment and participation. For example, community kitchens, if done right, could help address the massive amount of food poverty we have today, and perhaps remove the attached stigma that goes with it. Basic cookery classes, breakfast clubs, lunch clubs etc. Parks and nature reserves, beach wardens, sports coaching/summer classes etc, community libraries. There’s loads of things it could be a very positive influence for, without feeling like some kind of penal sentence. The point being, only things which contribute to enrichment of communities should be able to recruit National Service intakes. Sending spotty youths off to some Army camp for a year will do fuck all for them or their local community imo.

I’m not opposed to the idea of a modernised form of national service* tbh, but this is clearly just a desperate vomit of nonsense from a party in its death throes. * I’d say that military service doesn’t/shouldnt even need to be a part of it- 12 months of some form of community based work. Sports coaching, library work, grounds and maintenance, community catering work, conservation and environmental work etc. It doesn’t even need to involve Plod, NHS, or emergency services work, although that could be an option. Make it from ages 16-20 for example.

Would.

That’s awful news mate.

Rogue One is the best of the new crop of Star Wars movies by some distance I’d say, although I agree that Solo was good fun and didn’t deserve the panning it apparently got.

Fish and Meenz were drinking buddies in that there Lahndan. Meenzer gave up booze. (I’d have a pint with Fish though.)

Totally stealing this , cheers.

First job for Starmer- sack the proof-reader.

Someone should ask them to write “3-0” in Arabic numerals, see if they protest.