Dangers in Mexico
One would have thought, that with swine flu, that this was the main reason not to go to Mexico. But they do seem to have their fair share of drug-related killings too.
Perhaps it is best to stay home or get attacked in Naples.
I think it probably illustrates though, that drugs and not global-warming, terrorism, Afghanistan, Iraq or swine-flu is the most pressing difficulty facing everybody.
An Expensive Smoke
If there’s anything that might make someone give up smoking, then it is a mistake like this.
I bet his heart fluttered a bit.
Another Case of Rip-Off Britain
I’ve just booked my return trip on Norfolk Line.
Can anybody tell me why I get charged for credit cards when booking Dover-Dunkirk and I don’t when I go from Dunkirk to Dover?
Sounds like some banking practice in the UK, which rips me off!
Dutch Water Line
The Water Line is a series of defensive forts, towns, castles and dikes, that was built to protect the Dutch heartland from invasion in the 17th century. It was upgraded for many years, but proved inadequate in the Second World War as it was just by-passed by the Nazis.
This is one of the impressive castles, Slot Loevestein.
Slot Loevestein
The castle, and in fact the whole Water Line, is definitely worth a visit.
Waiting for Apollo 11 – Part 2
To return to the story of my late wife’s first pregnancy. This tale was started under Waiting for Apollo 11.
I stayed all night at the Middlesex Hospital and about midnight, the contractions stopped and I think I fell asleep with my head on her bed.
She was sharing the room with another lady, who was perhaps a ten years older than my wife’s then 21 years. I can’t remember much about her except that she was dark-haired and she had a wedding ring with a buckle in it. But at least my wife had some pleasant company whilst I was not there.
In fact, I remember going to work on that Monday in Welwyn Garden City. You had to do that in those days, as there was no such thing as paternity leave. But at least my bosses were fairly sympathetic.
I returned to the hospital on that Monday evening and nothing had happened.
I seem to think that the hospital had decided that if nothing happened on the Monday, they were going to induce the baby on the Tuesday morning. I probably got a good night’s sleep at my mother-in-law’s in Barnet.
There are other things that I can’t remember. Did I drive up to the hospital in our elderly Morris Minor? Did my mother-in-law visit before the birth? Oh! How you wished you had wrote it all down.
Dignitas and the Care Tax
Two stories from yesterday, should be linked together.
We had the tragic tale of Sir Edward and Joan Downes going to Dignitas to commit suicide together, because of her terminal cancer.
We also had the government outlining proposals that when you retire, you’d have to pay £20,000 for compulsory insurance for your long term care.
I should say that I’ve helped care for someone in the last few weeks of their life and when the pain gets too bad to endure, all sorts of thoughts arise. But for me, as there is nothing afterwards, I would never countenance any premature end for myself. But others should be free to choose.
So if Aunt Sally or Uncle Fred have to retire early because of some long term illness, would the family push them off to Switzerland because they don’t want to pay the £20,000?
The Care Tax is insane!
Something needs to be done and people need to be encouraged to provide for their long term care, but anything compulsory needs to be consigned to the bin.
The Anonymous Widower 