Using NHS Direct
Because of my pain, I felt like a pain killer might be an idea. So I searched the NHS Direct web site and I couldn’t find anything that might help.
Eventually I gave up searching and phoned them directly.
I was on the phone for perhaps ten minutes before I got through to a nurse, after answering a load of questions. The nurse reapeated some of these questions and then quizzed me extensively to check I wasn’t aving another stroke. She did say that if I thought I was having another I should phone 999 immediately.
When we got to talking pain killers, she said I wasn’t to take an aspirin as I was on Warfarin. But paracetamol was OK. So as I had some, possibly of a dubious age though as it had Victoria Regina stamped on the tin, I took one.
The system did work, but it was rather bureaucratic and over protective. Let’s hope the 111 system is better. A chat to a competent nurse or pharmacist is what I wanted and that is what I got. Will I still get that under 111?
How To Make Money As A Zombie
Apparently, some people arrested because they were dressed as zombies have received substatial compensation in Minneapolis.
What a simple way to earn money by being silly!
The Pakistani Betting Scandal
Now I’ve held a bookmaking licence in my time and I’ve also had some good successes making the odd ridiculous bet. I had £10 each-way on Terimon for the Derby many years ago at 500-1 and it came second, so I made a profit of over a £1,000 on the transaction.
Usually though I’ve had inside information, as the horse has either been one of mine or it has been trained in the same stable. There was also my last winner, Joy of Freedom, who won at Folkestone at long odds, because she was pregnant and that had improved her no end!
But in all these cases the bookies offered the odds and we took them.
The one case we didn’t take the odds, was when my horse, Debach Delight, won at Ayr. She started at odds of 22-1 on, which meant that to win a pound, you needed to stake tenty-two. Not good betting odds, but I had noticed that to generate business the bookies were offering 10-1, if she won the race by ten lengths. When she duly won by twelve, I told the jockey about the betting, who said that I should have had a bet and told him, as he would have made sure I won. He wasn’t suggesting anything dishonest, but he had eased the horse down in the last furlong and if it had mattered, he would have made sure, she had won by the requisite distance, as she in fact had.
This just shows that if bookmakers offer silly bets, like whether the next delivery will be a no-ball, it is very easy to take advantage.
In part this is what has happened with the scandal involving the Pakistani cricketers. The bookies offer a silly bet, so someone takes advantage and asks the bowler to bowl a no-ball.
The first thing that needs to be done is rid the sport of these illegal bookmakers or at least the bets that encourage cheating. Only then will we be able to clean up the game.
I have to say that the response of Pakistani supporters in the UK, seems to have been exemplary, with most appearing to be extremely disappointed about the actions of the Pakistani players.
Apologies to South West Trains
in the post, where I outlined how I could get to Portsmouth on September 11th, I assumed that I would no longer be allowed to break my journey at Micheldever, as I have done many times in the past, due to the new barriers.
But after a reply from South West Trains, I now know that I was making the wrong assumption.
Here’s what they said.
I can confirm that a break of journey is valid on tickets for travel between London Waterloo and Fratton. Customers wishing to break their journey must ensure that they only travel to a station that is along a valid route for their ticket and that they only travel on times and dates that their ticket is valid for.
I can confirm that as Micheldever is between London Waterloo and Fratton, you will be able to break your journey at this station.
Customers may find at times that their ticket will not automatically let them through barriers at an intermediate station. If this happens, please show your ticket to the member of staff operating the barriers at the station in question so that they can let you through.
So it would appear that the old rules are still in place.
I shall now probably buy a Day Return from Whittlesford Parkway to Fratton. It looks like it’ll cost me £28.
An Expensive way to keep the Bench Warm!
I had to laugh on Match of the Day last night, when the camera cut to all the expensive players that Manchester City have bought sitting quietly on the bench. They looked as bored as sin. I suppose I would if I was paid all that money and didn’t make the team.
But at least the right result happened as Sunderland won.
Don’t you just love it, when mega-rich people make a complete fool of themselves! I suppose though that it all redistributes the money, especially when your Italian striker crashes his £120,000 car.
The Anonymous Widower 