Well chaps here we go,Fathers day yesterday and I didn't get a card!My lad was working and his wife didn't have the car,they could have dropped a card off before work or after,but no.Last sunday he got a puncture on the way home and discovered he'd no wheelbrace,it was 10 pm and I got the call to help.I drove out and changed the wheel,his jack was the usual flimsy thing you get with cars these days so on Monday I went out and bought him a small trolley jack like I carry in my car.On Friday his wife got a new job,now she can't get home in time for the kids 2 days a week,so,being as we live around the corner from them,will I pick them up on the 2 days she can't as it's the only way she can take the job.I honestly feel like telling them to sort their lives around their kids,like we had to do after yesterday.I mean I wasn't expecting anything but they could have at least got my card here on time,they'll drop it off during the week! Too late,is that inconsiderate or what? My second rant,the government are talking about more taxes on sweets and sugary foods due to obesity,What about fines for parents who let their kids get fat? What about making them take more exercise and eat less? There is a family over the road from me and they are pathetic,the grandparents are fat,the parents are fat,the kids are fat.even the baby is fat.The ice cream van comes every night at 7pm,they are all on the front waiting for it,salivating like Pavlov's dog! You should see them panic if it's late,they act like it's the end of the world,they all buy the biggest ice creams going,then retreat into the house,they are constantly grazing on fast food like a herd of giant hippo's and never walk anywhere.Is it any wonder they are overweight? Yesterday in the papers there are calls for drugs to be legalised and sold in chemists shops as they don't appear to be able to control them,I've seen loads of people who say they use a couple of hundred quids worth of drugs a week,yet they're on the dole.They don't get that much dole money,so how do they afford the drugs? Crime,a lot of them steal to fund the habit,if they legalise drugs then the government is actually going to be encouraging crime,isn't it? Finally the idiots who want to allow every man and his dog into Britain,we cannot take everyone,the strain on the education,welfare and health services is too great,plus there are a lot of criminals coming in,there have been 2 major crimes commited this weekend that to my certain knowledge were carried out by immigrants.Yes these people must be helped,but help them and keep them in their own countries! There are more and more Britons who are saying they are fed up with the situation,it's bound to end badly. Take the housing situation,how would you feel if your son/daughter had waited years for a house only to see every available property given to an immigrant? It's wrong,by trying to help everybody we'll eventually help nobody,the country will be dragged down further and in the end things will get worse for everyone. We need to make our own people take responsibility for their own actions,get off their backsides and start taking the jobs that the migrants are doing and we need to penalise the employers who employ migrants when our own people can do the job,and those who refuse to work should have their benefits stopped until they do take a job. Then and only then will we be able to start getting our country back on it's feet again.
Phew, where does one start?! Your first 'rant' - soz, that's the 'lot' of being a dad . Taken for granted. You either run with that (knowing that, deep inside, they do appreciate it) or you drop a bludy great big hint like "Fix your own bludy wheel!" Obesity is a major issue all right. One of the biggest (see what I did there... ) How do you turn things around? Not sure, but I think a tax on sugar must be a good way to start. Where it's been tried in other countries, I understand it does help - 10 or 12ish% improvement or summat? It's a start. And I would personally support such a move. (Sugary foods should not be the norm, so price it high accordingly.) Fat people - urgh. But don't blame the kids - it ain't their fault. I would like more direct intervention from health workers or whoever, but that costs money. I do have some sympathy these days, tho', more that I used to. It probably is an addiction like any other, and once you go down that route you have retrained your body to need it. It ain't easy to stop being fat. It really ain't. So we need to try and stop it happening in the first place. No instant magic solution, I don't think. I've read recently that it takes roughly a year to retrain your body back again - most people who go on diets fail at it; their body is actively fighting them as it's changed its metabolism. It will take a solid year of new diet to get back on track and normality. Legalising drugs is a dramatic suggestion. It's one of these things that instantly seems "Whooaah - that can't be right." But, let's face it, criminalising drugs as we currently do certainly doesn't sort it - and never will. What's more, it directly feeds probably most of the crime that takes place? And it prevents users from seeking help - 'cos they know it is a crime. So imagine if these drugs were given out on prescription? Suddenly no more drugs crime (wouldn't that be amazing?!). Everyone on these prescriptions will be monitored and helped - most do, after all, want to kick their addiction. Surely the result will be that more druggies will manage to kick the habit? A good thing too, surely? Finally, immigration. Yep, it's running at an alarming rate at the moment due to refugees from warring countries. But, we can cope. It does need more resources put in to the areas that mostly need them, but we can cope. And it's the right thing to do. And it'll reward us in the end for being so humane. It's what the world should be. We are showing the way. Or would you like the world to go in a different, hate-filled, 'stuff-you', direction? When we in Britain are LUCKY to be here. You and I have not 'earned' this right - we were born into it. Bludy fate. That's all. But we will ultimately be better off - as will the world - for this decision to help. I will take you to task on the housing issue tho'. Yes, more immigrants means fewer houses to go around in certain areas, but that's a decision by the government to not promote house building. In any case, tho', immigrants do not have priority over indigenous Brits - each case is taken on its own individual merit. The old "If I were black/lesbian/single-parent/immigrant I'd be given a house tomorrow" line is nonsense.
The thing with your son is typical of families, I have the same thing with my family/friends. When they're up the creek without a paddle I'm the first number they call in the middle of the night. Overwise, the last person they think of. I can live with that. Fat taxes are a good idea on non essential foods. We need to educate people on their eating habits. Here in the UK we tend to eat far more than we really need to. Eastern Europeans have far better eating habits than ours in my opinion. Drugs to be legalised? Absolutely. It would reduce crime. Housing has always been an issue, my grandparents waited 25 years for a flat.
NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I don't want to agree with Brian! Don't make me do it! Oh, maaaan - I do...
There's no way we can take in ALL the migrants,we cannot sustain it! If the government want to do it then they should also help those of us who want to leave,personally I'd go tomorrow if I could afford it! Re the drugs thing,they aren't on about giving them on prescription,they are on about selling them,apparently that way they can control the purity and quality.NO! I'm dead against it,sorry,I suffer from depression and the only drug that works is Diazepam,however I can't have it long term because it's addictive. In the past I've proven to the doctors that I actually used less of it than they said I should,basically I could make a month's prescription last 3 months,but no it's addictive so I can't have it.With it I can function normally and get on with life,without it I have bad spells,it seems to me they care more about people with self inflicted problems than those with genuine illnesses,sorry but that's how it looks to me. With any situation where someone needs help,yes we should help where we can,but not at any cost.These people who advocate letting the worlds flotsam and jetsom into our country,will be the first to say "they shouldn't have been let in" when it all kicks off,and believe me it will.There are too many things going wrong in this country at the moment and it won't take much to set the whole thing off,there's been riots over a lot less than what's happening now.
Hello. Mr cynical here. Fat people. Now my family may have to be taxed to stop the fatties getting fatter. My bunch are skinny, can't put weight on, eat sweets and chocolate, drink sugary drinks. So skinnies taxed for nothing. Sounds like EU. Drugs for sale legally. Firstly, mmmm? Government gonna make money out of selling drugs? More than likely over-regulate it, restrict quantities. Restrict strength. Maybe keep tabs on peeps. The stuff that's legalised will be tat, and druggies will hanker the 'proper' stuff, which will likely become much more dangerous than it is now. Lose, lose. Mr. HandyAndy - Really
I can see where you are coming from! My daughter and her son now live with us - at our invitation and insistence. Occasionally she will ask for a favour - such as taking Grandson to school when she has a 6:00 AM start! and she never assumes anything. In fact some mornings when running late or bad weather, I will offer her a lift to the school and work - and 3 out of 5 times the offer will be refused. I did get a card and small present from her and another from my Grandson on Sunday - very much appreciated and she has taken in my previous lectures. DO NOT SPEND?WASTE MONEY ON FATHERS DAY ... just a card is fine. I get very annoyed/upset when I see the amounts wasted on presents for Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Easter presnts (not just eggs) and all of the other invented celebrations that rip people off. And especially flowers - elevated prices and they do not last!
Fathers Day is b*ll*cks I've got 2 lads (16&18) not even a feckin text ( I blame the parents ) Happily divorced for 10 years now and ex has had 3 marriages ( loves cake and attention). Mr H wise up man stop feeding your kids on that ****, might be rakes today, but boom goes the future diabetic up surge. I'd hate to be chemist worrying about my stock, delivery's getting robbed cause I only get 5 grams a week prescribed (foc), rob the van and get plenty, so drug crime is never going to go away, no matter how we address it. EU well nuff said, the public have voted.... These rants are epic
Legalise drugs? No way, drugs kill people, ruin families, ruin lives. I'd like to see drug smugglers, makers, cannabis growers and dealers locked away for life, but first of all forcibly administered with the drugs they were handling to within an inch of their lives, then stop administering.
Couldn't agree more,drugs are a very sore subject with me,like many others I've suffered with mental health issues and received very little help!Finally after many many years of useless visits to doctors and psychiatrists,they found out I had PTSD and clinical depression,I'm doing ok with the PTSD now,the nightmares have stopped,I don't wake up shouting in the middle of the night and the depression is a lot better.However it's taken a very long time,too long in fact,I'll never get back those wasted years. None of it was my fault and yet I like many others are left feeling abandoned by the system,it's only when someone does something terrible that any interest is taken,and by then it's too late.The drug user however gets help the instant they go to a gp,now in most but not all cases the drug user has created their own problems,nobody forced them to take drugs,and some of the reasons they give are pathetic.Boredom,lack of work,etc are often reasons given for turning to drugs,well I and a lot of others had worse and we didn't turn to drugs. Some years ago I had reason to visit a secure psychiatric unit as my stepson had been admitted due to extreme paranoia after drug use.Most of the inmates were there because of drugs,mostly they took them because their friends did,what I call sheep syndrome,one does it so they all do it. Drug dealers as you say ruin lives,they should be stripped of all their assets and publicly executed,the effects of their evil extends far beyond the drug user and their families.So called "less civilised " countries,such as Thailand have better ways of dealing with drug dealers,maybe it's time we took a leaf out of their book.
I totally get your reasoning for hating drugs and pushers, Phil, and I cannot disagree with any of that part. But isn't the whole idea here to try and solve this issue? I mean, keeping it criminalised simply does not work and never will. It just feeds crime - surely it's one of the largest contributors to crime? More punitive punishments won't help either - the druggies are addicted so there's nothing in this world other than medical help that'll get them off it. So a punitive punishment is unlikely to help there. As for the drug dealers and gangs, well these guys are quite used to all manner of thuggish behaviour and are probably quite ready to sort out any issues between gangs using as much violence as it takes. Also, the financial benefits are too great for them to worry about more punitive punishments - (even the unethical and illegal ideas that oor 'arry is postulating... ) So, that's the idea - make drugs available by prescription. Likely instant results: 1) destroy the drug gangs and pushers. 2) Have a guaranteed quality of drug so that no more accidental deaths, blindness etc from 'dirty' stuff. 3) Cut the rates of HIV, Hepatitis etc by issuing clean needles as required - and the users will be more inclined to return and dispose of the used needles in a safe fashion too. 4) Raise money for the NHS 5) And, for those who are truly addicted, the opportunity to get the help they'd otherwise might not consider. Addicts don't want to be addicts. 6) Probably other stuff too.
We need to seek out and destroy the drug dealers,a lot of users of Heroin get methadone and use it to "top up" their daily fix,there are other medicines that can be used that have the effect of making a heroin hit feel horrible and not giving the desired high.People who will take this medicine if offered are usually serious about getting off drugs,most of the methadone mob are not.I object to the legal selling of drugs in chemists etc as this will not cut crime,if someone steals to buy their drugs they'll still steal to pay for them whether they're buying them from the guy down the road or from Boots.
Talking about it is what you are taught as part of the therapy,basically I was physically abused at school when I was young,I found out recently that there was a lot of bad stuff went on at that school.The therapists suggested I went to the police with it,but I don't need the hassle right now. It manifested itself years later as depression and agressive behaviour,certain situations would cause me to explode in rage,often over seemingly harmless things.Someone pointed a ruler at me once and I went absolutely mental,that in a nutshell is how bad it got.
Phil, we've been trying to seek out and destroy the drug dealers for as long as illegal drugs have been available. It hasn't worked. It cannot work - the proceeds are too great, the gangs too powerful. As long as that serious amount of money is available to them, they will keep on going. Not even capital punishment will stop it. But the poor saps who are addicted, the druggies, those at the bottom of the chain, those who currently steal to feed their addictions, these are the people who will instantly benefit from prescription availability. And that will also instantly kill the illegal suppliers. Most drug addicts don't want to be addicts. They don't want to rob, mug and steal. They just need their 'fix', and a safe reliable source for this. Once they have that 'security' - no longer the fear of wondering what they'll be driven to do to get their next fix, or the fear of what their usual dealer will do to them - they can then start looking at how to escape their addiction. And part of the process of having their needs supplied by prescription is that they know where they can turn to for help, when they are ready. People who want to take drugs will take drugs. It doesn't matter if it's hard to get hold of, or easy. It doesn't matter if you are addicted to them or if you are a casual user. If you want it, you can have it. Those who don't want to take drugs - like me... - ain't gonna start now
Thanks Phil. Blimey, that's an eye-opener. I have no doubt whatsoever that such manifestations of behaviour, as you describe, almost always has a root cause, and is pretty much beyond the control of the person. (I wonder if Mr Ha is reading this? I hope he is. Mr Ha seems to think you can sort out belligerent yoof by giving them a good slap. Or by being punitive. To use any type of therapy is 'soft'. That young criminals who have been abused throughout their lives should still somehow 'know' the difference between right and wrong, and just behave properly or else.) I obviously don't know what sort of bad stuff went on at your school, but it's clearly pretty serious if the therapists think the cops should be involved? Do you, yourself, have any information that could help address a crime? I wonder if the therapists are right - this would be you absolutely addressing the issues face-on, taking to task those who caused this problem for you and others, and could be very cathartic for you. There is always the risk, tho', that if the perpetrators get away with it, it'll feel even worse . If the police were to be involved, what are the chances of success? Are there others to support your claims? The world has changed a hell of a lot in the past decade even - no longer should anyone feel they are better off keeping quiet. Openness should be the norm. But I don't envy your dilemma
D A, We certainly have to do something,my fear with the current proposal is that they want to sell drugs in chemists in the same way as they sell anything else,not on prescription.Lets say you want to pack in smoking,now you can go to the doctor,get a script and if you get free scripts then you pay nothing,however you can just walk into a chemist and buy stop smoking aids over the counter.Doing it that way something that a person who doesn't pay gets it for nothing,paying for it may cost over a tenner.Now I've no problem with someone getting a drug on a script,if they are going to pack them in,what I do have a real problem with is the idea of selling them over the counter,in the same way as they sell condoms or cough medicine. I really fear in that situation that people may try drugs who otherwise wouldn't,Imagine how many people wouldn't have started drinking if instead of going to the pub or off licence for alcohol they'd had to seek out some dodgy geezer in some dark back alley. The situation currently being proposed will have all the old problems,theft,prostitution etc but instead of the money going to a dealer it will go to the government,that's what I object too. I've heard some real horror stories about drugs,dealers giving kids drugs free so as to get them hooked,young girls being forced into prostitution to pay off their debts,some of the story's are heartbreaking.I heard one the other day,a girl had been forced to sleep with men to pay off her debts,the dealers kept giving her drugs,the debt carried on building,the demands from the dealers got worse.She was an attractive girl by all accounts and eventually they said she had to make a few "adult" video's,things went from bad to worse,she was trapped in a downward spiral,eventually ending up taking part in some of the most depraved,abusive and degrading video's imaginable.She eventually got out but her life is in ruins,she'll never get over it. Drugs are a vile plague on humanity and I don't think anything should be done that will allow them to be sold over the counter,one more addict suffering a life of misery is one too many.
The people involved are dead now thankfully,they can do no more harm,many years ago I was out shopping and came face to face with one of the main ones.The anger flooded back and I wanted to kill him on the spot,I was more than capable of doing it but a ray of sanity shone through and made me walk away,yes I could have done him there and then but what then? Spend the next 20 odd years locked up,it would have made me feel a lot better at the time definately,but in the end it would have been me that would have been paying for it,and I'd still be suffering as a result of what he and certain others did. I spoke to one other victim and like me they didn't want to create a fuss either,when I had my PTSD assessment they said my levels were so high that they normally only existed in that range in combat veterans! I suffered the demons for years,I have an ex wife and a daughter who is now in her late 20's whom I've never seen since she was a small child,I was never violent towards them but I guess they just couldn't cope with my mood swings,they never knew what had happened in my past.I've been pretty horrible to a lot of people over the years and I wish I could turn back the clock,even my wife who has been with me for nearly 17 years knew nothing about it all until a few months back,I didn't want to talk about it all,even sitting alone at 3am after waking up in a nightmare,she'd ask what it was all about and I could never tell her. I remember once hearing a saying "mans inhumanity to man makes countless many more", I never really understood what it meant until I had my counselling,the actions of a few people towards me many years ago had an effect on the lives of others many years later.
Jeepers, that's harrowing stuff, Phil It is why it's so important that these things are out in the open as much as they can be - that victims are encouraged to come forward. Not only for their own sakes, but to prevent the effects of it being carried through to other people, like their closest family. How sad you haven't seen your daughter for years, Phil. No chance of explaining to them what was going on?
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