Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[arbboy]

EMR don't do any food/drinks for free in first class at the weekend i think.   Was it the weekend?

No, Friday and Monday.

First time I've ever been charged for food in 1st class.

I was outraged, almost wrote to The Times and signed it "Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells".

Wow that's pretty insane.   Don't get the 'EMR' rebrand either what was wrong with East Midlands Mainline?   I have used the trains a lot in the last few months during my driving ban and couldn't see any difference at all from the rebrand.

[Doobs]

She is the chief medical officer, so making pronouncements on impacts of public health are very much part of her role.  There should be very few more qualified people to suggest what to do about it, assuming she has performed her role well.

...

The CMO is their to advise about health - (my interpretation) would be their job is to tell the government what the problem is and explain it to them; others would be their to work out the solution.

This one in particular has great medical expertise - but no background in Public Health before she was appointed.

Read the report and not the headlines, and after you have read it come back and tell me your attack on her was necessary.  I have read a lot of dull and useless reports in my life, but this isn't one of them (fwiw there is a lot of evidence referenced and multiple credited authors).  God knows why the headline writers have chosen to ridicule it on a very tiny recommendation from the 50 of so in it.  There is even a section on how the sugar tax has worked across all sections of society.  

The bits on childhood obesity vs the likes of France, UK breast feeding rates and takeaway size inflation were all pretty shocking, though maybe not altogether surprising.

I can't say I agree with every recommendation, and can't say they have included every single thing I would, but don't think that matters much.  

It is here.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/time-to-solve-childhood-obesity-cmo-special-report

Maybe a bit harsh, I have read CMO reports in the past and the majority of these are along the lines that I would expect - basically what needs doing, rather than how to do it.

Headline writers are going to headline I guess - but banning food on public transport is something new which hasn't really been suggested before. And it does seem to fall more into the 'how' to do something rather than 'what' needs doing.

It is presumably to address the problem of 'empty' calories being consumed in transit; possibly related to the easy abundance of snack foods available. But I don't see any evidence in the report of that, and no evidence that banning would actually reduce that level rather than just transfer it to another location.

But, yes, the majority of the recommendations are pretty good and they are actionable in a way that leaves it to specific experts to interpret and apply.

There are loads of nuggets in there; I really should have read all those posts telling me how to post pictures.

Considerable NHS resources are devoted to tackling diseases which are preventable, such as type 2 diabetes and tooth decay.  Until recently type 2 diabetes was considered an adult disease. The first cases of the condition were reported in children in England in 2000. Today there are over 100 new diagnoses each year and over 700 children living with the condition.

The disease in children is more severe, with rapid progression to complications, such as kidney failure, damage to sight and leg ulcers.

I think one of the suggestions in the first draft was to remove free food in first class  

[Pokerpops]

I’m going peterborough to Stansted on  Monday by train ,
£8 in cattle or £20 with food n drinks in first class
with a senior citizen railcard
Burp slurp 🥩🍔🍟🍕🍗🍸🍸🍻🍻☕️☕️

That sounds like a great deal. How far are you travelling and how much does the rail card save you?

Senior Railcard knocks 1/3 off the fare. Booking in advance makes savings even better.
Mrs Pokerpops and I travelled from Darlington to Edinburgh and back in August for £32.20 each. First Class both ways. We got a very good breakfast on the way up midweek, and sandwiches, wraps, crisps and biscuits/cake on the way back because they don’t do cooking on weekends.

Btw, you can save a little more on some journeys by using a split tickets site.

[Marky147]

I travelled 1st Class on an EMR train last week, ordered a sausage roll & was shocked when the somewhat brusque attendant plonked it down in front of me & stated "that'll be £4."

Never ever paid for food when travelling 1st on Network Rail before. 

To add insult to injury, the roll was not buttered. I repeat, not buttered. So vulgar. Do I look common?

Click to see full-size image.

Your diet going as well as mine then

[RED-DOG]

I travelled 1st Class on an EMR train last week, ordered a sausage roll & was shocked when the somewhat brusque attendant plonked it down in front of me & stated "that'll be £4."

Never ever paid for food when travelling 1st on Network Rail before. 

To add insult to injury, the roll was not buttered. I repeat, not buttered. So vulgar. Do I look common?

Click to see full-size image.

Your diet going as well as mine then

I can't work out if those sausages are side by side or on top of each other. It's like an optical illusion.

[RED-DOG]

Sometimes I wake up at silly o'clock and I know I won't be going back to sleep again.

I woke up this morning at something to four and lay there In the dark for an hour with my eyes wide open.

I don't know if it's the same for others, but for me when this happens occasionally the darkness of the room seems to creep into my thoughts too. I feel anxious and everything begins to seem pointless and hopeless

Over the years I've learned that if I stay in bed, no matter how rational I try to be I will be thoroughly depressed by morning.

So now, when this happens I get up and go into the living room. I don't know turn the lights on because now, perversely, the darkness seems friendly and comforting.

I might switch on the electric fire so that I can see the coal effect, or stare out of the window and watch the silhouette of a tree slowly appear as the sky lightens.

I make a cup of tea and put the radio on low.

I suppose I'm just distracting myself but more often than not it seems to work and by the time dawn has broken I'm feeling much more optimistic.

Blimey! It's 6am already.

I could just eat Tony's optical illusion sausage sandwich right about now.

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I wonder how light it will have to get before my phone camera can see the tree that I can see now?

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Just enough light in the sky for the camera now.

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Why does my laptop charging lead need a light this bright?

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If I cover it with a sheet of paper it's stlll too bright.

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Look how much the light has improved in less than 10 minutes.

Doesn't dawn break fast?

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[RED-DOG]

I watched a programme a couple of years ago charting this blokes training and subsequent attempt at a sub 2-hour marathon. He missed by less than a minute.

He's trying again on Sunday. What an achievement it will be if he makes it.



https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/marathon/a29364019/kipchoge-inoes-159-challenge/

[tikay]

Do the dogs get up with you Tom?

I have a similar problem waking up early. Once I wake up - usually 5 or 6 am - I just lay there & start to worry. Only cure is to get up.

Then by midday I need to have a sleep. Ridiculous really.

[RED-DOG]

Do the dogs get up with you Tom?

I have a similar problem waking up early. Once I wake up - usually 5 or 6 am - I just lay there & start to worry. Only cure is to get up.

Then by midday I need to have a sleep. Ridiculous really.

The dogs live outdoors Tony but they are always aware when I'm up.

They have warm dry kennels but they also have access to the space beneath the chalet, it's all boxed in so it's quite cozy so they often spend the night under there.

Only Poppy and Kizzy live with me full time now, Amber and Evie are with my daughters so I still see them regularly.


This is a pic of me and Bridie doing the boxing in.

I was a bit plump back then wasn't I?

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