Robert Poste's Child

Penguin68, you seem to be making some rather judgmental assumptions about my views there. I think anything that would help him accept help would be more constructive than wringing hands and repeating 'it won't end well'. Not sure how the reference to a film about MH in another country 40 years ago is helpful. No one's suggesting forced ECT or lobotomies. Though in the US he would be unlikely to be offered support with housing or treatment as he has no money or health insurance.

One of the stated aims in the OP is 'to provide a sense of identity to ED'. If the survey is trying to find out what that is, isn't it a circular reference? And a bit of a cheek, frankly.

Agree with you. Given the fires and behaviour lilithangel witnessed, it sounds like the police and/or local mental health team could potentially resort to a section, or more likely the threat of one to get him to accept help. It sounds like a long-term situation though so they may have tried this in the past, only to see him back on the streets afterwards.

Substance use is a broad spectrum, and at the soft end (for example half a bottle of wine when you get in from work every day) it's more straightforward to look at it as a behaviour and think about other options (such as go for a walk). If the person's using alcohol to manage hearing voices, psychosis or intrusive thoughts, it's much more complex and from a purely humane viewpoint I really think they need support with their mental health issues to be able to start managing the substance use - not forgetting that a very heavy drinker must cut down gradually as stopping suddenly has its own risks, and that needs monitoring by a doctor or nurse.

How are you feeling?

Or Maria Betty and Really Sweaty?

That's the view that statutory services tend to take, but if the person's using alcohol to cope with their problems they need support to break the cycle somehow. It's horrifying to think of this man coping on his own at this time of year, even if he has refused help, as he's obviously very vulnerable.

Today I've passed two signs for their event on 9/10 December, which reminded me they did the same in previous years. Please, have enough courtesy and respect to take your signs down promptly.

How is that gentrification?

It appears to be designed to make you walk further, which is frustrating and adds to your journey time, particularly if you have heavy luggage. Presumably this is done to avoid the risk of bottlenecking at busy times and make crowd control easier when services are disrupted at peak times (so every day of the last five years then). No doubt making it bigger and further to navigate also increases the commercial potential.

Could be Twelfth Night / Epiphany / Orthodox Christmas. Or hard-working mothers celebrating the start of term.

It's only 6 Jan - pacing myself.

Parking 'who's' for now, it's the rest of the saying. At a guess, it comes from observing animals grazing in a field: however big it is, they'll strain to reach the grass outside the fence once they've had the best of what's inside the field. We're not satisfied for long with what we've got.

The fence.

What makes you say that, Lavender?

Yes, how are you doing so far, Tosca? Assuming you weren't already knocked off track by the comments about addiction above - I didn't get the sense that would apply to you.

'More haste less speed.' I didn't get that for decades, then I realised you need to add 'the' in front of each word to get the meaning.

TheCat Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > "You can't have your cake and eat it" > > Well...what's the sodding point of having a cake > if it's not for eating?!!!! It's a misquote that stuck, apparently. It should be, 'eat your cake and have it' - then it makes sense. Bit like people saying, 'the proof is in the pudding'.

I recently heard a radio ad that started, 'Want to do more, faster?' Immediately knew with absolute certainty that I really, really don't.

They eat carrion - meat of animals that are dead already - hence all the superstitious association with death and bad luck. They do a useful job clearing up roadkill but they also plunder other birds' eggs and young, so gardeners who like songbirds tend to discourage them.

Try going to the library and looking at the section with the staff recommendations. If you like reading on a device you can also borrow audio and ebooks free. If you liked Harry Potter, try Philip Pullman's Dark Materials series. Also for children but much more literary than HP.

It's been going on at Sainsbury's for years. You have to notice prices on the shelf and watch what comes up at the checkout, then go to the CS desk to get them to refund the difference. For what it's worth, at least it's not as bad as at Superdrug, where it happens literally every visit.

Is this thread by any chance a soft lead in to some marketing?

If the bday is soon, you could try for Follies at the NT.

Happy Christmas all.