I was reading this article earlier , and it occurred to me that I'd actually quite like a gender neutral honorific too, but I'm not comfortable with Mx - I'd feel like I was treading on toes of the non-binary and genderqueer folk. I did like the idea of Rear Admiral, but there's probably some possibility of being accused of fraud, and that's very rarely an option on dropdown forms anyway. One that is often an option is Rev, though. And there are various ways of being ordained online... The ULC explicitly has no beliefs at all, which strikes me ...
Robert Banks Stewart, creator of Shoestring and much else, died yesterday. By chance I found this interview a few days ago. In it Trevor Eve remembers Banks Stewart and making the series.
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Fri 15th
19:49
Our excellent Shropdoc out of hours medical service is threatened by tendering plans - your help nee...
At times, the NHS seems almost hell-bent on breaking things that work. The introduction of the 111 out of hours call service more than two years ago was chaotic. Shropdoc had to step back in to rescue the service in our county. Only today, the press is reporting that out-of-hours services in Norfolk and Wisbech... Continue reading Our excellent Shropdoc out of hours medical service is threatened by tendering plans - your help needed →
Eric unexpectedly sent home today. Renal doctors decided that Eric's kidney function had improved greatly, due to rehydration and two units of blood. We are all delighted to have him home, particularly Stripey the cat who won't leave his side. The doctors say they will carry out the procedure to clear his renal arteries on another date, possibly when things quieten down - they seemed to be dealing with a large number of emergency procedures this week. Lindsay
Continues Kim's exploration of the planet of Betelgeuse, as the young head of a fractious team which disintegrates over the course of the story. The art as usual is gorgeous, and we have a couple of asides to other places where the extended plot is happening. Having said that, it is very much a middle book whose purpose is to get Kim from place A to place B.
Current Watership Down, by Richard Adams (a chapter a week) Uprooted, by Naomi Novik Dry Pilgrimage, by Paul Leonard and Nick Walters Touch, by Claire North Last books finished Wylding Hall, by Elizabeth Hand Ms. Marvel Volume 2: Generation Why, by G. Willow Wilson Travelling Light, by Tove Jansson Lois McMaster Bujold, by Edward James Sex Criminals, Vol. 2: Two Worlds, One Cop, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky Relative Dementias, by Mark Michalowski Bételgeuse, tome 3 : L'Expédition by Leo Thor Volume 1: Goddess of Thunder, by Jason Aaron Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of ...
We've received the following request: Dear South Manchester Stakeholder As you may know Care Quality Commission (CQC) will be inspecting the University Hospital Of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust at the end of January 2016. We are now contacting you to ask for your help to promote this new inspection on Twitter and other Social Media. We have a CQC Twitter regional account – @CQCInYourArea – which we use to promote forthcoming inspections in the 4 regions. We would appreciate your help to retweet our messages. Here is the link to our South Manchester Tweet today – https://twitter.com/CQCInYourArea/status/687695633931722752 We want ...
"You can now buy train tickets on your smartphone anytime, anywhere with the free Northern Rail mobile app." boast Northern Rail. With the continued complaints about heavy-handed G4S staff at Piccadilly Station handing out fines on behalf of Northern Rail, we were hoping this new app might help Gatley's hard-pressed commuters. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Yes, you can buy a ticket to travel from Gatley on the free app. But you have to collect it from a ticket machine, and you'll be looking a long time before you find one of those at Gatley. For some lucky travellers ...
The Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment which would stop the Chancellor's planned cuts to Universal Credit which are still in place, meaning that families on the lowest income will face a similar annual cut in income as those who receive tax credits. Osborne stopped the tax credit cuts after political pressure but the Universal Credit cuts are still planned to go ahead. The changes mean that anyone applying for Universal Credit from 2017 would be £1000 worse off. Work and Pensions spokesperson Zahida Manzoor said: George Osborne claimed he listened to concerns about low income working families losing out ...
Norman Baker was never your average MP. In fact he was never an average Liberal Democrat MP. It is no surprise therefore to see him embracing life outside the House of Commons by rejuvenating his rock career with his band The Reform Club and going on tour to promote a new album. The Independent reports that Baker's group, The Reform Club, first came together in the early 1990s, but it became increasingly difficult to combine pop and Parliament after his election in 1997: "I was still performing live when I became an MP, but people said: 'Why are you doing ...
[IMG: [personal profile] ] yoyoangel asked me: 1. If you had to not live where you live, where would you live? 2. What would 15-year-old Jennie think of now-Jennie? 3. What fictional universe would you like to live in? 4. What's for tea? 5. What are you listening to? ( answers under the cut ) If you want your own set of questions ask me in the comments. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
[IMG: International Office_with text] Last month I travelled with the Liberal Democrat International Office to visit our liberal colleagues, the Republican Party of Georgia (RPG), in Tbilisi – nestled between Russia and Turkey. The occasion was the Republican Party's bi-annual Party Congress, and the Liberal Democrats had been invited to send a speaker for their discussions on the economy. Politics in Georgia is a difficult to sum up in a few words. It is East meets West both politically and geographically; a country with a strong European identity but with Soviet overhangs. The Patriarch can condemn homosexuality and hold an ...
[IMG: wpid-screenshot_2016-01-10-19-11-40.png] Last Sunday, I did something drastic: I deleted Twitter from my phone. I'd been half-intending to do it for a couple of weeks, putting it off because I didn't want it to seem like a New Year's resolution (which, actually, it was) as I don't make New Year's resolutions (I do, really). Next day, I did something else. I added a website-blocker extension to the Chrome browser on my work computer to stop myself reading Twitter there. I targeted Twitter as it's the website I can most easily accidentally spend too long grazing on when I should and ...
[IMG: Gemma Massey held the Launceston Central ward with 63% of the vote] Great news from Launceston, where the Cornwall Liberal Democrats convincingly held both the principal council seat and both Town Council seats. The by-elections were caused by controversial events leading to the resignation of Cllr Alex Folkes. In the resulting election to Cornwall's unitary authority, Gemma Massey held the seat with sixty-three per cent of the [...]
Obama's address was relevant to how knowledge and evidence are used in democracy. Politicians need to spell out how science will inform their decisions Musician Billy Bragg and President Barack Obama would probably enjoy a beer together. "Cynicism is our great enemy," said Bragg in a 2010 interview. "If we, coming together, can't overcome our cynicism, then there really is no hope. We just might as well pack up and go home." Tuesday night, in his final State of the Union address, Obama spent the majority of his time detailing his legacy and his vision for the nation. The clarion ...
What is creative genius? In this episode of The Creative Life I look at how the idea of 'creative genius' has changed from Greek and Roman times to what we understand it to mean today. It has a big impact upon how we think and value own own creative work. This video was inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's new book 'Big Magic – Creative Living Beyond Fear'. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, Gilbert offers some great insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how ...
You've no doubt read about the serious issues relating to recent flooding around the UK recently? That made me think, I wonder if people know about the flood map service offered by the Environment Agency? Basically, most areas in the city are pretty safe from flooding from rivers, the real threat in Peterborough is from [...]
Almost all Liberal Democrats agree on the EU. A remarkably high number give the same reason for their support - Peace. Securing peace was the primary goal of the Founding Fathers of the European Union. Making war unthinkable and impossible through economic integration and prosperity were the means to the end. Peace and Prosperity. The debate so far has focused on the economic arguments. After years of political debate and endless studies it's no surprise that the impact on the economy and our jobs is the top concern of most voters. But polling shows peace is a decisive argument in ...
A planning application has been made to Sefton Council to develop a small piece of land off Southport Road for a handful of houses. The site is at Oaklea Riding Stables Trouble is the land is technically in Green Belt so you can imagine my initial concern. However, closer examination of the site leads me to think that the land in question has previously been developed and it is not high grade agricultural land. In a much smaller way it reflects the situation at the Ashworth South site in Maghull that was once where Moss Side Hospital stood. That site ...
Whenever a government loses control of the situation there has to be a scapegoat, and on the issue of flooding it's not Sir Philip Dilley the Environment Agency chairman who resigned on Monday. After his PR blunder of refusing to interrupt his holiday to visit the flooded areas he gave up his £100k position on the grounds that what had started out as a part-time non-executive post was now looking suspiciously like actual work. No, this winter's devastating floods we are asked to believe, weren't so much the result of government failings, but of an over concern for the protection ...
Great news from Cornwall where the Liberal Democrats have held on to the Launceston Central ward on Cornwall Council with a whopping 63% of the vote: The Launceston Central result on Cornwall Council, a Liberal Democrat hold. pic.twitter.com/hScvcna85A — Britain Elects (@britainelects) January 15, 2016 Congratulations to new Councillor Gemma Massey and her excellent campaign team. the result shows that the Liberal Democrats are still alive and kicking in the south west.
On 6th January George Osborne made a speech emphasising the threats to the UK economy in the coming year. His emphasis on the weakness of the economic situation might have come as a surprise to anyone who had listened to his autumn statement, where he was keen to trumpet how well the economy is doing, but Mr Osborne is a spin master above all else, and he clearly feels that the time has come for a different spin on our economy. The spin yesterday was all about the impact of the global economy on the UK. The UK and US ...
Fri 15th
10:25
Liberal Democrat Newswire #75: Norman Lamb playing key role in Lib/Lab cooperation drive
[IMG: Liberal Democrat Newswire logo] How can the Liberal Democrats make a success of 2016? Is Norman Lamb right to be working on policy with a Labour MP? Was the Conservative marginal seats campaign really a success? These are just some of the issues which were covered in Liberal Democrat Newswire #75 when it hit inboxes last week. You can now read it in full below, but if you'd like the convenience of getting it direct by email in future just sign up for it here: Email* Name First Last What would you like to receive?* Liberal Democrat Newswire: monthly ...
The Liberal Democrats got off to a successful start to the year in local by-elections, as the party won the first principal council by-election of 2016 where the party has fielded a candidate. In yesterday's only contest, the Liberal Democrats in Cornwall (UA), comfortably won the election in Launceston Central ward. Despite a vote share decrease of 7.9% [...]
I remember when I became totally convinced that Barack Obama was going to be re-elected president of the United States for a second term: it was in January, 2012, and I watched Newt Gingrich try and insult his rival for the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney, by calling him "a timid Massachusetts moderate". Every word in that phrase was meant to be pejorative. And it was this that convinced me the Republicans were definitely going to lose later that year: when moderation becomes a dirty word within a party, it is very likely they are on a losing trajectory. Because voters ...
This week, we're featuring the maiden speeches of our newest Lib Dem lords. This one is still warm from the press. Sharon Bowles only made it on Wednesday. As part of the Strathclyde Review, she drew on her experience in the European Parliament when it came to dealing with secondary legislation: My Lords, I rise for the first time, deeply conscious of the honour that it is to serve in your Lordships' House. I am grateful for the kind way in which noble Lords have received me, for the friendliness of all staff and for the elegant and discreet way ...
Further to my update in November about a possible new group to run evening classes and adult learning at Harris Academy after the school returns to its Perth Road campus next August, the next meeting of the informal group to take this forward and seek your views and input will take place at Blackness Library (enter by Blackness Avenue entrance, not main entrance) at 6.30pm on Wednesday 27th January - all welcome! Please so complete the short survey about possible evening classes and adult learning at Harris Academy by clicking here.
What made Alan Rickman so compelling as Die Hard's villain Hans Gruber? Die Hard is a profoundly stupid film made by some very smart people. It is vacuous popcorn cinema of the highest order but it is crafted with far greater skill than most best picture winners. It has to strike innumerable balances – between drama and humour, [...]
