DJKillaQueen

The findings of those indexes doesn't suprise me. I wonder as well if there are lower mental health problems in countries where there is a culture of family/ community support rather than fragmentation (and over reliance on the state). Isolation is as much a factor in sustaining depression (whether self enforced or environmentally enforced) as are issues around employment, finance and other things that can add stress to an alreay breaking person.

>:D

Whatever guys.....I manage to work AND find out things rather than ranting and whining in a forum because there are a few road works happening for a few months and having to walk a little. And neilson my reaction to your post was the ignorant sarcasm with which you wrote. The improvements to Rye Lane have taken two years to plan and take time to execute. They've cost a lot of money and are badly needed. Not everyone is happy with the things like the cycle contra flow etc but being involved is better than leaving planners to their own devices. They WILL be finished in the not too distant future.

Attended a very interesting presentation yesterday on how changes to the way social and local authority housing is financed will work in practise. Previously government creamed off a percentage from Housing Revenue Accounts (into a central Housing Subsidy Fund) and gave some of it back as housing subsidy - which is the point I've made all along that the running costs of social housing are NOT subsidised by the tax payer, but would be covered by rents if the government didn't take a percentage to then return in part as subsidy. Under the new system....the government will still take a percentage of rent into a central fund but there will be no housing subsidy. Instead government will write off part of current debts (incurred from capital programmes mainly) and then tell local authorities how much they can borrow each year and take the revenue out as interest on the debt. The reassuring thing is that for existing tenants there will be no massive rent hike. Those rents and their annual increases are protected. It will be for Local Authorities to decide if they want to go down the road of higher rents for new tenants (and there might be pressure on them to do so if the calculations made by central government on what they can borrow compared to housing revenue don't add up) but even in that scenario, beyond 2015 those rents can only rise a maximum of 1% above inflation year on year. In reality this means that the bulk of social housing rents should remain as they are, with their annual levels of increase also protected to 1% above inflation. The real problem under the new financing strategy is that 'decent homes' funding is woefully low and the scope for new builds is gloomy too. The government want 150,000 new homes built but expect the bulk of the finance to do that to come from LA's themselves, from the housing revenue accounts (which cover running/ maintenance costs), and from borrowing (although they will tell LA's how much they can borrow and they won't be able to borrow any more). In the words of the accountant giving the presentation last night.....they want more homes built while leaving less money in the system to do so.

I second that....if politicians really were interested in mental health and well being they'd radically change the things that keep us all stressed, over worked and trapped in an economy with such high living costs.....oh and then not providing adequate mental health provision when some people have mental health breakdowns as a result.

It indeed does look like a piece of art. In fact, I could see that sitting on my desk as such and no-one (not in the know) being any the wiser ;-) ......and that would amuse me no end >:D<.

Any chance the glitch that makes the ads push groups pm's down the page can be sorted?

That's why some restaurants open...because they are not Christians and don't celebrate Christmas Day.

Some indian restaurants will be open. Not very festive I know.

Do you mean on Christmas Day?

lol........might go for a stripey one in the end >:D

This is welcome news.

Doctors used to recommend smoking too didn't they...for nervous patients.

There has always been presuure on women to be whatever men wanted them to be. We've spent the last 100 years trying to change that. Advertising and the media is particularly pernicious though I agree. But racey women were used to sell cars in the 50's as much as they are today. Not a lot has changed except that women are no longer in the pocket of men as they used to be. And Hollywood is definitely the worst it's ever been in it's depiction of women and the range of characters it writes for them.

Yeah I think misfits is genius too :)) always makes me laugh.

I watch it but I don't vote.

*chuckles to self*

Why don't you ask Simon Philips at at the panning department yourself? Resurfacing of Rye Lane has always been the final part of the works to both the North and South end of the Lane. That's why people like I bother to engage with the local council, councillors, attend meetings and so on.....so that cynical idiots like you can dismiss the information from those of us that actually know what's going on of course.

Is the 'rampant rabbit' the best on the market?????

Yes the Lane is definitely going to be resurfaced in entirety once the water and other works are finished. There are constant discussions about what can be done to improve the traffic/ pedestrian flow in Rye Lane. There are no easy solutions and it may be while before any ideas on the table form any kind of formal proposal seeking funding. But it is at least on the radar of discussion amongst the planning and transport powers that be.

Well I am going to ensure my footie squad (that is the drinking club with a footie problem) turn up to this one...as a warmup to the following night were they get to see me DJ dressed up as an elf (don't ask).....!

I think quids has nailed it for me........

What is next is resurfacing of the entirety of Rye Lane....much needed I think all will agree.

I am never bothered by spiders. They usually find their own way out anyway.

Another question then. What is life? Does a plant live for example? Does a single cell amoeba live? Does a bacterial micro-organism live? Saying that every living thing has the right to live is too simplistic to take thiese things into account. Add to that, that ALL life depends on a food chain that requires many living things be eaten alive by bigger predators.