Walsingham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqj2DnPxWFs

I think that overall this is being pumped for all it's worth by the media. It's not as if theer are thousands falling sick in multiple countries. I'm getting worried that if this carries on, it's going to be crying 'wolf' for the next time.

I'll have to check that out.

I don't think there's anything immoderate about wearing a mask. I won't be. But then I don't go out much, since I don't work in an office most of the time.

I don't think it's descending into conspiracy theory to suggest that the multi-billion dollar private healthcare industry is going to try and do something about nationalised healthcare.

It probably is toxic, if you eat it. I'd prefer to take my chances with hand cleanser than swine flu. BTW, I suggest that if things do go loopy we post a harrowing and theatrically helpful account of the slide on the fora so later generations can turn it into a memorial. A memorial where we're all sneezing on Sand.

Yeah, commiserations for all it's worth, GD. My grandfather told me that was the hardest thing about beinga soldier, knowing some bugger totally unconnected to you cough cough while loading a mortar and the shell hits you when it might have missed. Not much comfort, I know. On the plus side your impaired mobility may save you from something even worse down the line.

You mean when you order one without the UK's distance selling directive, which allows you to return her in her original packaging, if unsatisfactory within 14 days?

He's right you know. In general women are quite gorgeous. I have to say though that blondes just don't make me wig out the same way brunettes do. There was one brunette I saw I'd have cheerfully moved to Sweden for... ahem. Other tourist attractions included the destroyer Smalund. A curious ship, and rather unlucky in being out at about the time when big guns were totally losing favour. She'd probably be happy joyed in the current climate of shore bombardment. Quite rusty all around.

I'm guessing you've never met one.

As I say, epidemiology says you aren't a discrete organism. You're a species. So if I understand correctly then you can be as selfish as you like and still support nationalised health. Your question about living free in the UK is interesting. Yes, you can. And people do. It annoys me, and there's been a lot of talk for some time about tests to establish if someone is just taking the piss. But in principle, yeah, with the right disabilities you get a total ticket. I'm no expert on the NHS, but to my mind it seems pretty obvious how we got it. During WW1, for the first time the political classes were put into close proximity to, and made responsible for the lower classes. Trench warfare was extremely intimate for officers and ranks. That mentality and awareness of interconnectedness continued in civilian life; alongside a respect for the sacrifices everyone had made together for the state. Then you had the big Spanish Flu outbreak that killed millions, and POW! Suddenly people got on board the idea of shared health.

There's nothing wrong with Thai women. Many are gorgeous. Sort of the opposite of Sweden in being short and dark. The main problem I had with Thai women was that they have the most furious and irrational tempers. Or at least I thought that was my problem. I've subsequently realised that ALL women are like that. With me. I wouldn't blame any Swedish man for marrying one, provided he got on with her family, as they are very family-oriented, and you WILL be seeing a lot of them. I'm rambling again. Sweden good. Gothenborg good.

I don't think I can be alone when I am reminded of the words of Chris Rock. Republican, Democrat. If you've made up your mind on an issue before you've heard the issue, you're just a moron. I'm not against having clarity on, and fixed axioms established, like human rights, which way is North etc. But I do like a healthy debate on how to get towards these things. Most political parties seem to have it the wrong way round. they're a hodgepodge of principles, but a monolith of practice.

That reminds me, apparently a lot of women from teh North East of Thailand have settled in Sweden. I can't imagine a worse culture shock. Thailand, land of spicy exotica, noise, and bad civic planning... and then you come to Sweden. It's a testament to how hardy they are 'up north'.

I thought the consensus was now that shaking hands was teh way most bugs move about? I think we should wear gloves.

So how was the redhead twins then? I don't think I even saw any redheads. Do you not have them? And now I think about it, what is the term for women with black hair? Ravens? Coal scuttles?

Or your toenails.

1) People who dont have private healthcare dont have it because they cant afford it. Now you want to force them to afford it? I doubt too many people are uninsured because they cant be arsed. 2) Huh? Worrying is free. OK we see eye to eye on a lot of things, so help me to understand your perspective here. We have the NHS here in the UK. It has flaws, but no-one gets left hanging out to dry. First order consequence, I know I can expect good healthcare any time I need it. Not the best, maybe. But it's quite good. Further, the NHS invests in things that stop me getting sick in the first place, rather than making drug companies happy, because it only loses money when it spends on drugs. Second order consequences, I live among people. They are generally pretty healthy, because they get healthcare when they need it. As a consequence I can expect my employees, friends, and relations to reliably stay alive. Thirdly, but probably not third order, no-one worries about it. Having friends and relations across the pond I can't emphasise how great that is. None of us worry about going to seee a doctor for a check up, or having a lump looked at. The only thing stopping us is laziness. I've lived and worked in countries where there's no public healthcare, and it was just crazy. I got injured once, and got paratyphoid another time. Each time I became a chequebook, not a patient. Soi much so that when I had paratyphoid and couldn't remember my insurance details I nearly got chucked out. Only the arrival of a friend stopped them. from my perspective I compare that with the really quite painless business of having an NHS and I wonder why you think it's going to be such a nightmare.

Hostile civilians? There is a difference. One is saying you can aim to achieve your objectives while minimising suffering. the other is saying "There have to be more uses for pliers than we are crediting them with"

Er... but if you have state healthcare surel you'll be able to afford a bit of tax because you'll... 1. No longer have to pay for private healthcare OR 2. No longer have to worry yourself sick about not having enough money for private healthcare

If you cough hard enough, that's always true.

Part of the problem was that this was the first time in my entire life I've had a holiday just for the sake of a holiday. No plans, no meetings, not even any travelling, really. It was unbelivably relaxing. The first 48 hours, I spent 28 of them asleep. 18 hours in one stretch! I caught a lot of sunshine, though.

Sorry it's taken so long to sit down and write up the review of my recent trip. - We visited Goteborg in Sweden. <iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?source=ig&hl=en&q=goteborg&lr=&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=uk&ei=MQz3SfLyMMurjAeu5LW3DA&ll=57.95276,12.134399&spn=1.195855,3.317871&t=h&z=9&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?source=embed&hl=en&q=goteborg&lr=&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=uk&ei=MQz3SfLyMMurjAeu5LW3DA&ll=57.95276,12.134399&spn=1.195855,3.317871&t=h&z=9" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small> - Goteborg is a relatively compact city, witha lot of historical shenanigans. It used to be heavily fortified. But Most of the old fortifications have been removed to make way for a lot of tasteful architecture. - I can confirm that Sweden has a ridiculously high concentration of attractive blondes. - I can also confirm that I totally failed to score with any - Or any brunettes - We didn't visit either Sticky Fingers or Nefertiti. Which would probably explain some of the failure. - Most bars we visited had a decent array of ales. this was good to see. however, at

I don't see what WMD and Iraq has to do with the sanctioned use of torture. And I'd like some credit for manfully not wading into the Iraq debate again.

The whole notion of private healthcare is belied by the nature of diseases. If 50% of the population get sick from, say, swine flu, you lose out. It doesn't matter how good your cover is. there's plenty of criticism to be levelled at bureaucratised national health care. but to me it makes very sobvious sense. And that's ignoring the fact that I wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for the NHS giving me treatment my parents couldn't have afforded.