Blah Blah

I think the problem sometimes LondonMix is that integration is misundertood for assimilation. Many migrant cultures integrate perfectly well but that's not enough for racists or xenophobic people. They want migrants to be like them in every respect including culture. That expectation is the real barrier to integration. It's an unreasonable expectation of course and would lead to a very boring world if it actually happened.

No one is saying that Coco at all. But some people really do have no choice but to live with the heating off, wear 2nd hand clothes and eat stuff that may as well be a pot noodle. It's worth remembering that before using it as a parody to ridicule peoples objections to fiscal obstentatiousness.

And that figure becomes less clear given that some of those are over 65 and so exempt anyway because of age. It's just a really poorly thought out policy at the end of the day, that hasn't really saved any money either. And a small number of people have been pushed to suicide over it. Even one suicide is one too many.

TE44 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Otta I don't think it is a small number, trouble > is, we have a goverment who refuses to make > public, how bad the situation is. Around two thirds of those affected are disabled according to figures. Cameron did claim that the disabled would be exempt, but it hasn't been the case for many. Councils have been issuing discretionary housing payments to cover the tax of those hardest hit. And tenants who have never had arrears find themselves in arrears for the first time ever. There's no logic to this government. They are determined to make it as difficult as posible for councils to build and at the same time seek to tax those who have absolutely no options to be moved because the LA has a shortage of suitable properties.

The problem Jeremy is this. Many local authorities do not have smaller properties to move people into, so what does the tenant do? Pay the bedroom tax or move into private rented accomodation where the bill to Housing benefit will be twice as much? It is probably one of the most poorly thought out policies ever, and every party but the Tories vowed to scrap it at the last election for that reason.

This is why my wife doesn't let me anywhere near the Christmas decorations. I probably would set fire to the house, inside and outside (yes I'm one of those useless blokes). If there's a tag on the wiring and a serial number, maybe a google search might find the answer?

My point is this numbers. Using the words charity (and there's some debate as to how much of this shops proceeds went to charity) and an expensive dresss to make a point about charity makes no sense to me. Why not give 5k directly to a charity that will use every penny of that for charity? Beyond a certain proportionate value, items just become status symbols. I think there is a discussion to be had about that and find it dismaying that so many of you are trying to shoot that down.

edcam Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'd quite like a list of Blah Blah's possessions > and their price, so we can make a moral judgement > about whether he should have spent what he spent > on each item. Why are you making this into petulant nonsense? I think I've made a valid point and made is concisely. You don't have to agree with it. If you want to have a debate then stick to the point. Btw the most expensive thing we have is the house and we haven't finished paying for that yet. Probably the next thing is the kids (they cost a furtune) and we haven't finished paying for them yet either :D

I'd never spend that on a car either Jeremy :) I just have a different perspective redjam, that's all. Yes I have strong views on inequality, poverty etc (as does my wife). But we both work in professions that see the impacts of those things. I'm not trying to single out anyone, just to make people think about what really matters in the world.

Not sure they are all middle class though. Take a look at today's 'Daily Politics' for a poor example of the kind of people they attract - not pleasant at all - although he was from 'Class War' so perhaps not the best spokesperson to invite on the programme. Anonymous emerged originally as a group of hackers didn't it? Attacking big business? And from what I understand the hackers didn't know who each other were.

'Do you have an issue with someone spending nearly 5k on a wedding gown?' Yes because it's an obscene amount to spent on a dress for one day. 5k is min wage for someone for FIVE months. I won't even go into what 5k means to the poor in other countries. To me, and it is just my view, it typifies a lot about what is wrong in our values. I stand by that view and whilst people on a forum that is predominetly middle class might not agree, there are billions of people around the world who would. They don't even know who Lagerfield is and really couldn't care less either. Also to be fair, the poster didn't say she got a discount. She said it cost nearly 5k, to make some kind of point. The vast majority of weddings around the world have no need of expensive designer gowns. It a consumer con that some people are daft enough to be sucked into.

Have a look at where the bulbs are on the lights. If water can get in and short the bulb then I would guess they are for indoors? Or maybe post some pics. I'm sure someone will be able to say one way or the other at a glance?

Yes the hippocampus and hypothalamus are different areas but they have a bearing on each other. The hypothalamus links between the endocrine and nervous systems and some thinking now suggests that imbalances in the endocrine system, brought on by stress, brings about the depressive neurology and not the other way round. That of course links into diet and lifestlye. But the hippocampus also feeds into the autonomic nervous system and has a bigger role in our emotions. The reason why it figures so prominently in PTSD research is because it's also the centre for memory (and learning). That is where traumatic events will impact most. My area is within a clinical environment, but even there, an open mind is to be found regarding holistic approaches. We know for example, that acupuncture works for some patients, if not always why. And some forms of Cognitive Behaviour therapy now incorporates meditation, because that too raises treatment success rates in some patients.

Sue, I'm pretty sure that led lights are safe outdoors. We used to have outdoor icicle lights, and they were just strings of little led lights. They tend to be completely rubber sealed to the wiring so no water ever can get in. Ours we just ran through the window as the wiring was so thin that it could fit under the frame.

Is it only me that finds an irony in someone spending 5k on any piece of clothing and then accusing others of not being charitable enough?

Even those who don't suffer from depressive illness are living under high levels of stress. So when looking at wellbeing I think there are broader queastions that go beyond just those who become ill. Prevention in mental health terms could save the country billions in lost working hours alone for example, and save lives too. We know ao much more now about the brain and physiology and there are some great advances in understanding how depression evolves and impacts on every part of the body. Yet the standard treatment is still anti-depressants, and patients are left languishing for years on them with no other treatment. Anti-depressants do not cure anything. One neurological area that is of interest is the hypothalamus. It shrinks in people who are suffering from depression. The good news is that it can return back to normal if a patient recovers from that depressive period, but that takes time. If it doesn't recover from a depressive episode, it makes repeat and more severe episodes likely. That is just one clinical aspect of research but all the evidence is showing that treating depressive illness has to go beyond just controlling mood (which is what anti-depressants seek to do). And I would also add that depression is a normal human emotion. We all experience bereavement for example. It only becomes a problem when it is prolonged and even then it's only a problem because we live in a society where there is constant pressure, to work, to be happy, to perform. That is what I think this government fails to understand most. That it takes time to help someone get well and that it will be different for everyone. By taking those most qualified to assess patients out of the welfare assessment process for example, they are simply condemning people to an abyss. The DWP have investigated 80 welfare reform suicides and refuse to publish their findings. The real figure is higher (especially in men). Hardship is killing people.

I think it typifies that problem with twiiter though ????. People behave in ways they never would face to face and write without any sense of responsibility. It also goes back to comments above about the kinds of people who seem to end up as diversity officers and think the use of shocking language is ok, and worse than that, actually forwards debate. It doesn't. It just polarises people against those claiming to forward the debate. The other thread on the ride out group reflects this too. That shocking behaviour will somehow forward their demand for a place to ride legally. It won't. There are numerous examles out there of this sort of thing. Fortunately, enough people are able to seperate the misguided behaviour of some individuals from the core issue.

Or as someone said above, the council could have built new homes on it and sold a couple privately to pay for the homes to rent.

Elephant and Castle. A prime piece of land went for just ?50 million. Oh wait!

It is all about welfare reform, but they are making major errors of judgement. People with depressicve illness have been deliberately targetted and the consequences have been detrimental to the health and any hope of recovery of those people. So in my department we have less resources and more people to treat, who are more difficult to treat because of external factors like welfare reform. It makes no sense and saves absolutely no money.

Being black or asian or chinese is not circumstance. Being male or female is not circumstance. Being heterosexual or homosexual is not circumstance. Being racist is a choice, albeit often a learned choice. The same is true for sexism and homophobia. Frankly, for someone who claims to have worked in the diversity and equalities sector I am astounded by your whole line of reasoning, and as for the original post that was deleted by admin, I could be forgiven for thinking you don't have the slightly clue as to what diversity and equality means.

Article in the Evening Standard tonight saying they stole petrol from a station in Streatham en masse. The police are looking at CCTV footage apparently. Take a look at their facebook page UK Raise It Up - lot's of people telling them how stupid they are!

There was also Panorama last week that highlighted the desperate shortage of resources for mental health treatment. 3000 beds have been lost in five years and trusts are now having to use private hospitals to house patients because there are not enough NHS beds, so much so that the private health sector is running out of beds in some areas. It's a national disgrace. Government doesn't even class depression as a disabling illness anymore.

That post Admin has reposted absolutely isn't anything the OP claims it was. It was quite clearly and deliberately offensive.

Agreed Dave. That was my point too. Sometimes, unpalatable views are best out in the open where they can be challenged. We do have freedom of speech Jeremy but we also have laws to protect society from people abusing that right by inciting others to do harm to others. Is it a perfect balance? Probably not but well meaning all the same.