This week’s cartoon is one for a sunny summer Friday …
Something for the Weekend …
All posts by Keith
Just Stay Well
So you thought the NHS was a simple hierarchy of family doctors and hospitals? Think again.
Created for The King’s Fund**, this animation explains the current state of the NHS in just over 6 minutes. It is well worth watching and puts (some of) the current organisation in context.
And it is about the best explanation I have yet seen.
Though to be fair it wasn’t that much better before the recent reorganisation — just different! And actually it has never been a simple structure.
No wonder I’m cynical about it all, but still determined to do my bit to try to make it work professionally. The thing is if we don’t make it work then we’re all stuffed.
Gawdelpus!
** The King’s Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and health care in England. They help to shape policy and practice through research and analysis; develop individuals, teams and organisations; promote understanding of the health and social care system; and bring people together to learn, share knowledge and debate. Their vision is that the best possible care is available to all. They are not a sideshow; they are hugely influential.
Word: Ecolect
Ecolect
According to wiktionary an ecolect is a language variety unique to a household although I might cast the net slightly wider than a single household, maybe to an (extended) family.
However it appears that as yet it has not made it’s way into the OED or many other mainstream dictionaries.
Compare with:
Idiolect: The language variant used by a specific individual.
Ethnolect: A language variety specific to an ethnic group.
Sociolect: The variant of language used by a social group such as a socioeconomic class, ethnic group, age group etc.
Dialect: A variety of a language that is characteristic of a particular area.
Perils of Sharing a Bed #293
Mummification …
National Allotment Week
5-11 August is National Allotment Week.
National Allotments Garden Trust and the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners will be teaming up with local authorities to recognise the importance of allotments — not just locally, but nationally too.
Following on from the success of the 2012 event they are bringing back their ‘Party on the Plot’ and inviting allotment societies across the country to dust off their bunting and BBQs, spread the word and hold a jolly good knees-up!
Too often allotments are thought of as places that only grow the humble potato or everyday carrot, but in truth they offer a cornucopia of delicious treats, including some of our most delicious fruit: strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries; blackberries, plums and apples.
Allotments need protecting from development plans and budget cuts, so now is the time to get involved and help ensure they survive.
As always there is more information on the National Allotment Week website.
Five Questions, Series 4 #3
So it’s that time again. Well to tell the truth it was probably than time days ago but who round here is clock-watching? Isn’t retirement all about not having to worry about clocks?
Anyway, yes, it is time for an answer to question three in the latest series of “Five Questions”. So here goes …
Question 3: If you could be the opposite gender for a day, what would you do?
To put it very simply: Fuck.
I’ve always wondered what it is like to be female, and especially to have sex — because it seems to me from the outside that sex is a much different experience for girls than for boys.
More importantly, perhaps, I feel I should know, and would like to know, what it’s like to be female. And I don’t just mean the good bits like fucking, but also the messy bits like periods and childbirth. No I doubtless wouldn’t enjoy those bits, but it’s about understanding as well as having fun.
I’m sure if even 10% of men could experience what it’s like to be female, even for just a few days (and conversely 10% of women experience what it’s like to be male) then we’d understand each other so much better and everything would work so much better. Yes, I know we all have these ideas of what being the opposite gender is like, but I suspect they are mostly delusions. And there’s nothing quite like the real thing.
But yes, basically, if I had only one day, I’d fuck. It might be fun, it might be educational and it might even be lucrative. Sounds like a winner to me. 🙂
World Thumb Wrestling Championships
The World Thumb Wrestling Championships are being held on Saturday 3 August at the Triangle Tavern in Lowestoft, Suffolk.
World Thumb Wrestling is a fun sport, where competitors are encouraged to glam up their thumbs and choose a ‘stage name’ for their thumb before entering into battle. There are men’s and ladies’ competitions.
Each Year the annual World Thumb Wrestling Championships is held at the Mecca of Thumb Wrestling, Lowestoft, Suffolk. On display are some of the World’s top thumb wrestlers who battle it out to see who will be the champions.
It seems that anyone can enter by buying a ticket online or registering at the venue before 14:00 on the day (spaces permitting).
There are more details as well as the rules, on the World Thumb Wrestling website at www.thumbwrestling.co.uk.
Buggered Britain #19
Another instalment in my occasional series documenting some of the underbelly of Britain. Britain which we wouldn’t like visitors to see and which we wish wasn’t there. The trash, abused, decaying, destitute and otherwise buggered parts of our environment. Those parts which symbolise the current economic malaise; parts which, were the country flourishing, wouldn’t be there, would be better cared for, or made less inconvenient.
I’ve blogged this “yard” before in Buggered Britain #13.
As you can see, it doesn’t materially improve with keeping.
Weekly Photograph
Early yesterday (Sunday) morning I went photographing in central London. It was a glorious bright, warm, sunny morning in which the Albert Memorial, in Kensington Gardens looked absolutely stunning.
Albert Memorial
Kensington Gore, London; 28 July 2013
Later in the morning the Italian Gardens at the NE corner of Kensington Gardens (near Lancaster Gate station) were equally delightful, if rather more populated by the time we got there in mid-morning.
Italian Garden
Kensington Gardens, London; 28 July 2013
Does my head in
I came across this image of four perfectly round concentric circles the other day.
It does my head in just looking at it.