Vintage blood

Prime of life

A constituent asked me why blood donations are not accepted from donors after their 70th birthday?

One day the blood is welcomed. The next it’s rejected. Only one in ten of those who can donate blood in the UK do so. There have been shortages in the past.

This rule has been in place for many years. But 70-year-olds are much healthier than they were in the past. Why has the age limit not been changed? If there is doubt, surely a simple test could evaluate the quality of the blood.

The over 70s are now in the prime of life. Many are public-spirited and wish to continue to contribute to society. Why stop them?  I’ll keep you posted on this.

Jargon blind

I had an invitation to discuss “the success of the Whole Farm Approach transformational Government… including the citizens experience and optimising efficiencies of Transformational Maturity Creating an Adaptive Personal Experience… to deliver integrated citizen services.”
 
Baffled, I asked, tongue in cheek, for an invitation that was in English.

They replied, “I can only apologise for that, I will ensure your comments are actioned.”

‘Actioned?’ My sarcasm was obviously wasted.

New snake oil

Big Pharma is at it again in collaboration with their love child the Depression Alliance.

We will have another ‘Depression Week’ this year. It was invented, promoted and entirely funded by the Big Pharmas who make big bucks out of popularising depression as an illness.
As no one believes a word Big Pharma says, they speak through their front organisations. They seek to medicalise every twinge of boredom, sadness or melancholia into a life threatening illness for which we are encouraged to take their useless dangerous drugs.

They have a relatively new wheeze. They claim that their drugs will cure ‘aches and pains’ and ‘sleep disturbance’. Minor problems that everyone has occasionally.

So in 2005 we had Depression Alliance research and report boosting, Packer Forbes, Eli Lilly & Boehringer Ingelheim, new drug Cymbalta & “general aches and pains”.

In 2008 we have Depression Alliance research and report boosting, Athena Medical PR, Servier Laboratories, new drug Valdoxan and “sleep disturbance”.

For 200 years a string of remedies have been foisted on society for mild depression, including cocaine, bromide, benzos, tricyclics and SSRIs. All have been addictive and of little or no value.

Why should new snake oil be better than old snake oil ?

BNP threats

Featured on the BBC News tonight was fuel protester Andrew Spence. He is not just a simple  trucker. The Beeb neglected to mention that he joined the BNP and stood as one of their candidates.

Other sinister elements are involved. The pro-cruelty Countryside Alliance is suspected of having a hand in previous anti-Government machinations.

Of course the Government must listen to those who are in difficulties because of rising costs. But no British Government should ape the cowardly weakness of the French governments that have surrendered to threats and blackmail. If changes are to made, they will be on the merits on the case not on threats of disruption.

There lies the path to anarchy.

Comments

[smear test]

BNP Threats:
Playing the man, not the ball ?
If someone from the BNP advocates cleaning your teeth, that doesn't make cleaning your teeth wrong, or indicate a conspiracy...

[paulflynn]

It's entirely fair to reveal the hidden political motives of those who encourage prptests whether they are BNP or Tories.