Try not to let this neurological condition win - YouTube channel

This video tupid is about living your life sticking to your dreams rather than giving in to this terrible neurological condition.

 

Yes, I did just do a near duplicate post

 😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕❓❓❓❓❓

I wanted to expand on my previous post about pensioners and the government decision made recently.

Energy Scandal & Pension Credit Propoganda

 

Reading or hearing the news would have us believe that 10 million pensioners will lost their winter fuel allowance this year. This is then followed by images of a poor old soul sitting in their armchair wearing their outdoor clothes, hats, gloves and scarf sipping a hot drink.

Let us get something clear, the majority of those 10 million (alleged) pensioners will not struggle this winter, many won't even notice the lack of the allowance, they leave such things to their accountants. 

Think on this ...

All of these people are pensioners, part of the 10m mentioned and they are not alone. Indeed, many of those 10m are reasonably well off. Not all, there will be still a large amount losing out but, many don't need the winter fuel payment. 

What other sort of people can we imagine who will lost it?

Lot's is the answer ... let's look at who qualified last year:

• State Pension age

  Those who have reached State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week, which in 2022/23 was the week beginning September 19 
• Born before September 25, 1957

  Those born before this date may receive up to £600 
• Benefits

  Those who receive certain benefits, such as Income Support, Universal Credit, or Pension Credit, may be eligible 
• Living in the UK

  Those who are ordinarily resident in the UK, or who live in Switzerland or a European Economic Area (EEA) country and have a genuine link to the UK, may be eligible 

If you're eligible, you may receive the payment automatically in November and December 2023. If you don't receive an automatic payment, you may need to make a claim. You can call the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0800 731 0160 if you have any questions

So last year there was extra money, up to £600. You will see though that looking at what happened last year, it was paid to a lot who maybe shouldn't have got it then. Back then, anyone with a genuine link to the UK could qualify even if they lives in the EU or Switzerland! The benefits link was only one way to qualify. Otherwise, as long as you were born before 25/09/1957, you got it. Everyone born before then got it (age 66). It had nothing to do with income or savings, a millionaire qualified as much as someone not working living just on their state pension. That figure, of those living outside the UK, is around 40,000, that's just one group from the quoted figure of 10m. Many of the rest will be those who as a majority, just do not need it. They get nice company pensions or have a business or whatever but don't need a hand out from the UK Government (us).

The unfortunates are those who might just be a tiny amount short of any benefit entitlement (it's not just pension credit). For them, yes, absolutely they will lose the money which also, isn't always £300. It ranges from £100-300 depending on age.

Now, where does the energy price come in?

Because, OFGEN set how much can be charged and then, each year the energy companies make £billions of additional profit. Then the UK Governemt taxes that profit to pay for services, maybe even the winter fuel payment. Wouldn't it make more sense to get rid of OFGEN and simply state to energy companies how much profit they are allowed to make and the rest has to come off from customers energy bills?

I think that's actually simplistic as, in truth, it means 'all' energy bills and, if it means that, it means millionaire mansions as well as a pensioner in a small flat. Or, could it not go to fund the payments too all those pensioners, over 66 who just don#t qualify for benefits using perhaps an arbitary £20 buffer zone?

What it comes down to here is that there has to be a line, it cannot be as complicated as personal circumstances, that costs more to administer than the money needing to be saved.

But, surely, the issue here is not winter fuel payments but, rather, the amount energy companies are charging us? For an example, anyone paying £250 or more each month will get their total bill increased by £300 a year, I know I will (more or less). If they were simply not allowed to increase it when they still pay huge directors bonuss  and make huge mega profits, wouldn't that be fairer?

Something just feels wrong here, it's almost like the UK media is controlled by someone, maybe someone in opposition to the Government, who wishes to spread discontent over decisions being made by over edging the impact?

LGB .... QT+?

 

It does seem like some sort of physics thing but, what the hell happened to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Movement that made them think it would be an excellent idea to add everyone with gender issues?

Look, there is Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual, nothing after that relates to sexuality.

I am trying to find other group of advocates which randomly connects such radically different minority groups together? You may want to suggest something.

There seems to be varied groups but generally quite specific so the broadest being, BEM (Black, Ethnic, Minority) but, that seems to be more of a target audience, a cover all to include various way more specific groups generally dividing up differing ethnicities. 

What so many try to do is slip into 'Mental Health' as the background issue. Let me tell you, anyone and everyone can suffer mental health issues, they don't need to be part of any minority group. 

So, I got this one charity the Race Equality Foundation only the groups they claim to represent are, by all accounts, very not politically correct for 2024 as they still refer to the BAME (Black, Asian, Minority, Ethnic) acronym which it has been decided does not include quite enough people ,,, hey, why not add LGBQT+ into that then? 

You know why they don't pool them? Because they decided that the diversity between the varying groups, whilst they could overlap, were significantly different enough not to justify them being trapped under the 'BAME' banner

Maybe, from what I just wrote, we're not quite sure what this means now?

Stonewall UK says they stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer, questioning, and ace (asexuality or, no sexual attraction at all, to anyone)

I mean, 

We had a cause when we were just LGB and, to be honest, we were never 'just' anything. People at least vaguely knew what we were. We were bum boys, pussy lickers or greedy and, not the descriptions we might have liked but they were concise at least.

I can only presume Action groups such as Stonewall realised they might be becoming obsolete. The more equality there was for the LGB side of things, the less needed they were and, for that read, the more it threatened their jobs. No one likes to be so good as to make themselves unemployed so, what do they do?

They add something so loosely connected it is the original square peg for a round hole. But, it was confusing enough that those still terrified by equality laws and in the workplace rights would buy into it and continue to pay for that training on diversity they had to have, problem solved, advocates once again had full employment but ... where does that leave the original LGB part of it because, let's face it, there is precious little about us lot! It's all trans this and trans that. Is a woman a woman if she doesn't menstruate? (Absolutely you complete twat @jkrowling). Look, frankly, what the hell does that have to do with LBG? No one is really questioning their gender in amongst us LGB. Obviously some might but then, some might also come from all sort of other minorities but we don't just expect to have everything inclusive do we?

What next?

A Drag Queen, likely NOT LGB but, OK on their own

A gay Pride march, again, fine.

A Drag Queen leading a Gay Pride March, NOT OK

So, why is it NOT OK for a drag queen not to lead a Gay Pride Parade? Well girlfriend, because there is no connection to a man who wants to dress as a woman and a man or woman who is attracted to someone of the same gender. A Drag Queen 'is' loosely connected to a Transgender cause but, even that isn't assured as many just like dressing in female clothing (and often looking amazing BTW).

As always, this it utterly my opinion and I don't have any argument with anyone not in the LGB part of life. I fully support all the variants of gender equality with a few exceptions.

You see, the one connection sexuality and gender have is that neither is genuinely a choice. Sure, we can choose how open we are about it but whether we are the way we are or not is by not stretch of the imagination 'a choice'.

Many I have spoken to would argue, if there was a pill which could have cured them the first time they realised their reality, they would have taken it to be 'normal'.

So, if we work on the premise it is not a choice, how does this statement sit:

"How do you identify?" That sounds very much to me like someone is choosing something. I mean, maybe not but, if someone says they are non-binary and want to be called 'them/they', is that a gender or sexuality issue? I argue it is neither of those. In many cases, I suspect, and I am here to be convinced otherwise, with respect, it is done to seek attention. A perfect example of a certain attitude to life such as:

The fact that some have already got the t shirt backs up my claim.

I really dislike being asked my pronoun. I guess it is Mr. But, anyone calling me that either doesn't like me very much or they are trying to be professionally distant. As someone very wisely wrote a song about, 'I am what I am'. It's not the first line but way down in the lyrics it says, 'what I am needs no excuses' which is totally right.

If someone asks 'what shall I call you' I will answer with 'Steve' is fine. Heaven help us when pronoun bollox reaches the British titles system. Does a 'Sir' became a 'They?' It's crazy and, it's a fad which will, as it should, sod off back to the tantrum ground it started.

Have I explained my thoughts at all here? I do hope so.

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There are loads of available videos, well worth you taking a look I gues

Poor Pensioners ... and comparisons

 Following on from my previous posts this argument came up, I kid you not!

'If the government are so keen to make more money, they shouldn't take it the pensioners but, instead, legalise cannabis and get the tax revenue from that'.

This is how crazy these distraction techniques are. On @LBC Matthew Wright, the presenter seemed not to object and allowed to flow the absolute fake news that the government is taking money from pensioners.

This is that time when we need to get real and work out what they are doing.

What do pensioners on Pension Credit actually get?

Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 (£945.32 Monthly) if you are single or if you have a partner it rises to £332.95 (£1442.78 Monthly) all those getting Pension Credit still get the fuel allowance.

Who does it affect?:

Pensioners who claim no other benefits which qualify, the qualifying benefits are:

- Income Support;
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance;
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance;
- Pension Credit; or
- Universal Credit (for example, through a joint claim with your partner).

So, a lot of pensioners will still qualify. What is the basic state pension:

Single person is £221.20 weekly and £958.53 monthly

Couple rate is £442.40 weekly and £1917.07 monthly.

Is this a poor pensioner?

We must also consider that many of those may well get some small private pension which increases their income though this may put them into the lower tax bracket forcing them to pay income tax on any amount over the basic rate (rarely much). Pensioners, even those still working, don't pay National Insurance contributions.

So, what is the problem?

Are these properties the same? Would the monthly outgoings of those living there be the same? No, of course not but, to many it is considered only right and proper that all pensioners, regardless of status and ability to pay, should get the same top up payments.

This is the problem. Just saying 'pensioners will not longer get the winter fuel payment' is just not accurate. Also, it's quoted as being £300. That is not true either, it is between £100-300.

Sure, some unfortunates will be left short but, very likely, only for this year. Like most of us, if we know what income we have, we live up to it. So, many will have taken the £100-300 into account when budgeting for winter. Many pundits argue that the problem is, they didn't get time to prepare.

Look, when my utility bills go up every damn time, I just get told that next month they are going up, on one occasion it was by £200 monthly, not yearly, monthly!

Pensioners cannot be immune from the cost of living.

I also strongly believe that only those on qualifying benefits should get payments for children. I think two is too low. I also believe it should be tweaked between those who kept having children after they went on benefits and those who, through no blame, found themselves with more than 2 kids needing benefits. One is an expectation that the state will pay for your choices, the other is the epitome of what the welfare state is for.

Yeah but, what about ...

For every argument there has to be a couner argument in the UK. One of the most crazy is the one about keeping cannabis illegal. As soon as the question is asked some, too many, will say:

"Yeah, but what about alcohol"

The argument has merit but, it's a distraction technique only.

Around Northampton and many other parts of the country we have electric scooters to rent sold as this:

The reality is actually way more like:

But the argument goes, we cannot ban them because, what about bikes or even horses, they cause mess and accidents too.

The same sort of argument to the smoking debate, why should we ban smoking anywhere, drinking alcohol is far worse and drunk drivers kills people, smokers don't.

Can you see how these arguments are just used to distract?

The reality is, if an issue arises we need to address that issue in isolation as there will always be something worse it can be compared to but, right now, let's focus on the issue at hand. Maybe the other issues can be looked at later but, not now.

 

Resting in the garden but ...

 I thought I'd come chill in the garden. However, my shed is depressing. It's so damaged and I've neither the time or money to replace the outer skin. I'm also getting weeds growing on my gravel garden and it is difficult to keep on top of it. 

To finish off my fun the local authority has decided today is the day for the heavy machinery. It's so bloody noisy and ME/CFS and noise don't mix so I need to go indoors

Subscribe this way if you wish to

 Still likely the best way to subscribe is by creating a blogspot account and following me on there, it's dead simple and you don't need to create a blog to do it. (But you can if you want)

Go to this site to subscribe

OK, this is an option which isn't too complicated.

What you will get is a live email stating there is a new entry to the blog.

In that email will likely be some pointless ads. Apart from those ads, I cannot see an issue with the service, This is what the email looked like when it came in

One line confirmed the site subsciption, then an ad for dental care followed by the blog entry link and then another ad for Volvo below. 

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Another hot day in England

Wow, it is so hot today. Every year I tell myself I must get an air conditioning unit even if it is just in one room but, of course, I never do. Trouble is, we have really weird windows that the AC unit exhaust pipe wouldn't really fit unless we opened them which, with two indoor cats, we cannot do.

We cannot get a wall unit fitted as the house is rented and, well, it's just too complicated to consider.

Besides, this is England and, let's face it, we are talking about a lot of work for just a few weeks a year when we would use it. 

BTW, unless I take them myself I use AI images to avoid copyright issues

Changing to Blogspot

 

I loved creating my wordpress site but, every now and then it'd go wrong and I would need to fix it which was just annoying.

So, here I am back over on Google's offering

I've recreated much of the old site so, it won't look so terrible different

The latest video about my ME/CFS

Your Summer Vacation

I want you to imagine for one moment that you and your family are on holiday in Israel. It’s OK, the brochure and even the UK foreign office says that sure, there are issues with the Palestinians, you know, the terrorists but, that’s nowhere near you, absolutely miles away, you won’t see or hear any of it when you are there. You will be in a biblical paradise, the vacation of a lifetime.

You are on the third floor, not only overlooking the pool with kids slides but, also you overlook the red sea, it’s all inclusive, you don’t even have to leave the hotel

It’s day 4 and you’ve just had your meal in the evening when you hear shouting outside, the shouting is followed by a woman screaming. You hear someone shout, death to the west with an Arabic accident. You can see flames and hear the explosion of a car on fire, what do you do?

You have the sea on one side, the Arabs are on the road the other side, you are stuck in the hotel, there are just two security guards. The shouts are getting louder, you hear more screams, glass breaking.

In a panic you grab your wife and two lovely kids and run inside, you get to that room and you lock the door.

From the balcony you can see them. They have banners, death to the infidels, death to the west.

This guy, you met him at dinner, he’s from Halifax or, somewhere up north, he’s just retired and is celebrating with his wife, they’ve been married 43 years. He’s on the floor being kicked, he’s not moving, what do you do?

You go on social media, there are news reports all over it, a hotel in southern Israel, your hotel, is under siege by Muslim extremists. There are several injured, even a white muslim guy on holiday, he was abused and had to run for his life.

Your hear a noise below, you see flames, they are setting fire to your hotel. The police are there and the emergency services but, there are too many Arabs, the police cannot break through … you can hear them, in your corridor and then, there is silence, nothing.

Too scared to look, you are now hiding, all of you, under the bed. You know it won’t protect you but, it might buy you a little more time. There is banging on the door, you say your final prayers and, you hear an English voice outside, it’s the police, you are saved.

In the press the next day the headlines say …

PROTEST AT BEACH RESORT
British man alleged to have attacked a Muslim boy sparks a protect which lead to a riot quickly controlled by police. Later it goes on to say he was actually a very light skin Muslim man.

There is more but, it’s not what you experienced, it’s all about, you don’t understand it, it seems to be all about the rioters point of view, interviewing people saying that it’s all this westerners coming here that causes the problems.

Did you imagine that, did you feel it?

This is what poor, unfortunate people waiting for their asylum claims are experiencing in the UK right now.

Let us be totally clear here, 70-80% of all asylum claims are approved. That means that despite exhaustive research, these people really did flee from persecution and very probably death in their country of origin. They came here because, Britain is the country where they know people, they learnt English at school, they love our legal system, our democracy, they want to feel safe and part of a World Leading Country.

The other 20-30%, when the asylum system is fixed, they’ll be repatriated to where they came from, where ever that might have been. Eventually, there won’t be asylum seekers living in British towns and cities, they will have all been processed and either becoming part of our future culture or, gone.

These are not ‘ILLEGALS’. Now, clearly understand this, illegal immigrants are those who’s asylum claims were rejected and somehow evaded the authorities or else, they never sought it in the first place, they came over, likely trafficked by gangs and slave workers. Often this gangs even come from the UK, they’re born here and see an opportunity to ship over vulnerable people from abroad often taking everything from them, including their passports on the threat that if they cause trouble they’ll face huge issues, at the very best of those is being sent back to what they tried to escape from.

Can we also clearly understand that the majority of immigrants which come into the UK are invited here. They are our doctors, our nurses, engineers, carers … a whole host of careers we just don’t have enough people here to do, we need them, desperately.

Under the Conservative government we asked these folk over here and told them, they have to leave behind their family, no, husband, wife or children can ever join them, they come here to work and when we don’t want them any more, they go home.

Another terrible thing the last government did was to change the thresholds under which couples can bring their spouse into the UK. This is British born men and women who, by an absolute fluke be it destiny, divine intervention or otherwise, met and fell in love with someone from another country. Go back a decade and bringing them here was reasonably simple. Forms had to be completed, the UK partner had to prove they had enough income and a home for the foreign partner to come here, not just for now but, for 5 years. They paid a reasonably small fee, under £1000. Once approved, their partner was allowed to work in the UK, pay tax and National Insurance contributions on their salary

BUT, they were not entitled to a single penny in state benefits and had to pay a separate fee to be eligible to use the NHS, at that time, it was maybe £150 every 6 months

These days things have been changed. Indeed, many couples excited to start their life together may end up never getting their dream because of Conservative changes.

For starters, the UK citizen must earn at least £29000 a year and they must prove that.

Visas are, at most for 2.5 years

The first two, presuming they are married, cost 1856. On top of those they have to find an additional fee of £1035 each year (half for 6 months) This means that the visa to bring a wife or husband are a total of £8887. That takes them to year 5 then there is the final visa, this costs £2885 and, they can stop there if they wish. They have the right to stay here indefinitely and claim benefits but, should they return to their birth country for say, an emergency and stay what the government feel is, too long, they lose their status and have to start again. BUT, they are not done.

After they are allowed to stay here as a foreign national they likely will want to become British, the total for that process is £1630.

What I did not mention is the tests. To get here initially they must take a language test, then another at 2.5 years and again at 5 years plus a life in the UK test. Most British people whose families have been here for generations cannot pass it. These are all added costs and rarely are these test centres local, applicants often having to do overnight stays.

To become British and have all the rights that come with it, they will have spent a minimum of £13,402 over 5 years. Only after year 5 can they claim a single thing from the UK yet they pay the same tax as every else.

I know, it’s all too complicated, you don’t care, they’re all foreigners what does it matter?

Hardly any of us born in the UK can trace our ancestors far into history without realising they come from a totally different country. We have in us a lot of Scadinavian, French, German, Italian and Irish blood to name but a few. Hell, we don’t have to go back far before many of our Royal Family were German, the Duke of Edinburgh (late Queen’s Husband) was Greek! That means our current King is half Greek.

Boris Johnson, an American Citizen

Born of both the Green and Danish Royal Families.

Spike Milligan, born in India

Rita Ora, born in Yugoslavia

Cliff Richard, India

Freddie Mercury, Zanzibar

Great British athete, born and a refugee from Somalia … Emma Watson, Paris, France

Those are just a few we think of as very British, the very epitome of being British, everything about us which makes us British and yet, they were not born here, does it matter?

You see, this is the thing about immigration, being British relies on it. You know who really lost out, you know, lost their home after Brexit, apart from those who couldn’t afford their mortgage that is? No, I’ll tell you, Brits living in Europe who wanted to keep their British citizenship. They were simply told, we are very sorry but, you are no longer part of the UK, you do not have the right to live here for more than 3 months!

Remember always, to be really British we just have to be accepted as British as we all have been either by birth or by going through a citizenship ceremony made part of what and who we are

Asylum seekers are not illegal in any sense. Everyone, including us, have the right to claim asylum in another country where we will feel safe. The UK is becoming one of a unique set of countries now whereby, we have virtually zero safe and legal routes for people to claim asylum here. They cannot come by traditional routes of air and sea as those have been blocked to them.

What will change?

Sadly, there has been created such a right wing, racist culture here, I am not sure our new government can change much that the last lot brought in. They can and will get those numbers seeking refuge here down considerably, of that I am sure. They’ll win the war on the terrorists who are currently rioting in the UK under the banner of too many immigrants, some of them, and it makes me sick, are claiming to be doing it to support the families of 3 little girls murdered by a British kid, born in Wales.

Are there immigration problems?

Yes is the simple answer. The last government simply didn’t process applications and, as such, it’s costing the government (us), £billions.

Do we have an issue with integration? Very much so we do. Some nationals of other countries do come here, work here, have kids here and yet, they never make British born friends, they only mix with others from their birth country, they actively avoid British people. Eventually though, even they die out, their kids or their grandkids will be true British, they’ll follow British teams, have British accents, probably won’t even speak that original language so, right now, it’s their loss if they don’t want to integrate, they are a dying minority.

Please, if you get anything from this it might be that these attacks, these riots are wrong. They are based on social media lies, even the likes of Elon Musk is spreading nonsense because of his wealth, he feels he has the right to get involved in UK life, a damn foreigner telling us what to think and these yobs are too stupid to realise it because he’s not black or dark skinned!

I’ll leave it there.