NHS, Moose, Obama Healthcare, NHS Walk in Surgery

I watched a documentary on the whole sniper thing last night and the police, and Moose were balmed for how long the whole thing went on for. One of the snipers (it wasnt clear which) was phoning the police, giving clues,; they stopped their car twice but were so stuck on a white van they never checked. The programme ended up really taking the piss out of Moose who apparently went back to beat work, but in Hawaii straight after the case!!!!!!!

On the subject of severance pay and health care... It cost us a fortune to let go of employees, I am talking thousands each, even the 21 year old who was still in training. Yesterday I took Mum to a health care drop in centre, a new fangled way to see a nurse or GP, no booking, open 365 days a year, 8am to 8pm, she had the full check over and then got some anti biotics for a chest infection. I wont be going anywhere else again, nor take the boys....and it means N can get in from work, or go on a Sunday if he has any worries; thats why men are notoriously bad at taking care of their health, because they cant fit in with surgery hours, and they let things get out of control. Its brilliant. All news on the Obama healthcare reform has dried up here. Once again, I am very happy to pay taxes for the NHS.

Larry King Live, Muhammad Execution, Health Insurance

I am SWAMPED!!!! and stressed out, and then my cousin called me yesterday to tell me that she had been laid off, as of the time she was calling me, no severance, nothing, they just came in and told them to pack their shit and go. She wasn't too upset, as she has only been working for them for just over a year, but she was upset because their were people there that had been working there 15 years or more, and no severance for them either. When you get laid off here, bang goes the health insurance, unless you can afford to pay what your employer was paying monthly (thus taking it over), then you can get coverage for a year. I did that when I left my job, it cost me $310 a month (look up the conversion). Most people can't afford to do it.

I will be in Virginia for a show next week from Weds to Sat, I will write more then. But, here goes regarding the sniper then I am going to have to get back to work...............

I actually don't know too many people that agree with the death penalty, even my Repub friends, it's not a deterrent, and most don't believe in an eye for an eye. I personally think that it's inhumane on every level. However, and I must admit me included, most of us were indifferent regarding the sniper. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that for those few weeks we feared for our fucking lives. I have NEVER been so terrified for my life. When there is a terrorist attack you are not expecting it, however, when there is a guy going round randomly shooting people, and you think you might be next it's freaking terrifying. I had just bought my house when the killing spree started, on the first day he shot 4 or 5 people. I drove 5 miles out of my way to get my petrol pumped at a place where they pump it for you, because he was popping people off at petrol stations at first. Then it was outside the grocery store, and then the last killing (he killed 10 in this area), was a Ride-On bus driver. That killing was the worst, and it upset people more than any of the other killings, plus he also shot an elementary school kid, while he was walking into school (elementary is from 10-13 years old I think). The boy apparently did some of the shooting too, and I would have been distraught if he had got the death penalty, but they gave him life. They tried Muhammad in VA first, even though most of the killings were in MD because although both states have the death penalty, we are more liberal here in MD, and they were afraid that he would get life, or the death penalty and be on death row forever. I have never heard of someone only being on death row for 7 years, people are generally on it for about 15, so it shocked the shit out of me last year when I heard that he would get executed this week!! Anyway, regardless of Muhammad's last name he was a goner anyway. He shot up blacks, whites, hispanic and Indian. Everyone thought that it was some redneck white guy from West Virginia, even the FBI profiled him as such, we were all shocked as hell when we saw it was a nice-looking black guy. Np one was more shocked than the blacks!!

He was crazy like a fox. He fired his trial attorneys, and decided to represent himself, and then after he was convicted based his appeal on having inadequate counsel at trial, LMAO. I didn't even realize it was still a big story until his 2 ex wives were on Larry King Live (LKL), on Monday night. Then I had to watch LKL last night, because he was due to be executed at 9pm, and I wanted to see the press conference afterwards etc. They also had Chief Moose on the show, who was the police chief of the Maryland county where most of the murders occurred, he is a huge hero here, even now, and he has been gone for about 6 years.

Anyway, they were saying on LKL that they didn't have the anti-execution protesters out at the prison last night, like they normally do when an execution is scheduled. There were maybe a handful, there are usually hundreds. As high-profile a case as this was, I just think people were kind of indifferent to it.

I had closure when his ass was convicted, I didn't feel that they needed to kill him, and as one victim's relative said, the death penalty doesn't bring closure it just re-opens old wounds.

BNP on Question Time, Execution in the US

Even though we are both so busy we can barely get a post written on the ridiculous BNP leader appearing on Question Time (it had to happen as he was elected, and Bonnie Greer made him look like a loony) I feel the need to comment on the fact that you live in a place where they have just injected someone, who must be a nutcase, with a lethal injection, and worse, I had to listen to how he behaved in his last hour and what he had to eat. My questions for you are
How many of your associates think thats OK?
Does his Muslim surname have an impact?
Why dont Americans who want the right to bear arms (or is it Bare?) understand that thats how he was able to get the gun in the first place?
What was the role of the 17 year old, apart driving?

Redskins, Gareth Southgate, Dan Snyder,Raffa Benitez

So Middlesborough have sacked Gareth Southgate. Now, he is neither here or there to me personally, but this is ridiculous. These managers are hired and fired on a whim, and shit, the fans are pissed off so they are not supporting the team, well, when you sell all your good players and bring in players past their prime, that's what happens, it's not the manager's fault, most of the time it's the owner. We are having huge issues here, because the Redskins are shit, they are the laughing stock of the NFL, some are blaming the coach, but he shouldn't have been hired as head coach in the first place. Most though, including me are blaming the owner Dan Snyder. He is a bastard of the highest order. He bought the Redskins when he was 34, and is a billionaire. Before he bought the team he was a huge Redskins fan, and he doesn't understand that he has to step back from running the team and leave that to the experts. Now the games aren't selling out because the fans are pissed with the results, and if the game is not a sell-out the NFL blackout the game to the local viewers, so if they don't sell out we won't get to see it on TV!!!! MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!!! The Redskins are one of the biggest franchises in the NFL. So this is huge. All the local sports stations, and newspapers are making a huge deal out of it, but Snyder refuses to talk to the press. Meanwhile ex-players and ex-employees are spilling shit about Snyder and what a bastard he is. For example, his wife lost a diamond earring which she thought she lost in a suite at a Redskins game. They grilled the cleaning crew, and accused one of them of stealing it, no-one admitted to it, (probably because no-one stole it, more likely it went up a vacuum cleaner hose), so he fired the whole cleaning crew and hired a new one!!! Another story, (I heard this one a couple of years ago on the radio),the lives in Bethesda, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Maryland, it is also one of the oldest too. When ever there is ice or snow or severe weather, they tend to lose power. All of the neighbors were in the dark when the power went out, and it was out for a couple of days, he got this souped up generator, and turned on all the power that he possibly could, basically to taunt the neighbors and to say that he could. Neighbors said his house was lit up like a Christmas tree, like more than it would be if they had power.

Wow, Cambodia and Vietnam, that's freaking awesome, the boys will love it, and I bet that the foood will be awesome. I'm sure that the flight will be expensive, but once you get there everything will be dirt cheap. Joe told me that squid and octopus are plentiful in Vietnam, I love both of 'em. I am soooo looking forward to the World Cup next year.

Been busy trying to catch up with the work I didnt do while in France.We had a lovely time and N insisted on 2 hotels with a view (I'll send you the views when I get them off my phone because they were spectacular)- I am a bit tight and my new phrase is "thats 2 nights on the mekong" Ask J what we should not miss in Vietnam. The pound/euro exchange rate was appalling- £6 for a bier grande in the front cafes. So I insisted on going to the supermarket and sitting looking at our view with some bottles before venturing out for food.....bloody gorgeous food.....Oysters,Moulles frite and veal with goats cheese;I'm dribbling now.

I think the cutting off of the TV for the Redskins game is a good idea for getting the stadiums full, though if ST is on the telly its a full house anyway.Everyone wants to be on the telly. But I do pay for the boys (not H, he hates football and says "what would I want to go to see ST play for )to go to a home match, whenever, because you should support your local team. Redskins must be big if I have heard or them. Dont you have employment laws do prevent unfair dismissal?

Gareth Southgate is a strange one. They are 2nd in the Championship, but cant win at home, and they won the night he was "released" The Chairman is THE best bloke in football and has supported Bryan Robson and SOuthgate through bad times and it is generally recognised that managers at Middlesborough have the best relationships with their Chairman. Do you remember when Ravenelli and Juninhio and Emerson were there, and Craig Hignett was the Capain. We howled when he was interviewed and said " Yeah, Rav, Emo and Juni have really brought something else to the team"

I am giving Raffa til Monday, after they have played Man utd on SUnday, then I expect transfer requests from Gerrard and Torres. They have leaked bad stories about their relationship with him. Torres was unhappy with Raffas reaction to the news that he was expecting his first child. Apparently he just started talking tactics and did not make any attempt to congratulate him.

Obama, Nobel Peace Prize, The Olympic Bid

So Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize! Are you fucking kidding me. They have just devalued the award. I understand how the world feels about Obama, but it's just the most ridiculous shit I've ever heard. He had been in office 11 days when the nomination process closed!!! I am so incensed. I have nothing against Obama, but they have politicized the award and turned it into a farce. Didn't Bill Clinton broker the Good Friday agreement, didn't he do more for Mid-East peace than any other Pres. before him? I just don't get it. I was already pissed off that he felt the need to go to Copenhagen for the Olympic bid, surely Michelle and Oprah were enough, particularly since there is so much shit going on over here on all fronts right now.

We too are dumbfounded? I think, from his speech that he was a little embarrassed. Our commentators say its an award for not being Bush. There was a wave of peace and hope across the world the weeks after he was elected and perhaps that did it? They have chosen some dodgy winners in the past too- Northern Irish hardliners who managed to hold their tongues long enough for a treaty to be signed etc even Yasser Arrafat who lost every opportunity to get a peace in Palestine, while his people suffered and his wife shopped in Paris. We English believe that Bill Clinton was the person at the party who was able to talk to everyone because they had no understanding of the problems...lets face it the American Irish bankrolled IRA terrorism for years, and they always forget who asked the British Army in, in the first place. John Major started the talks and is recognised as the broker by both sides, Tony Blair kept the ball rolling, and Mo Mowlem was a calming influence in many heated stand offs. As for the Olympic bid, well it was about time it went south, just like next years world cup. You cant get a flight to south Africa for love nor money here, so we have decide to go to Cambodia and Vietnam for 4 weeks straight after the final!

DC United, Womens Problems, Fibroids, This American Life

We went to see DC United on Saturday night, what a disaster. They lost and now can't get into the play-offs because there are only 2 games left. They really suck. It's tough for the fans because DC are the most "winningest team" in the MLS. Jeez 10 years ago there were parades through the streets etc when they won the MLS cup etc, now they're just crap. Although, to be fair, they are in a rebuilding stage, and need to get rid of some of their old ass players. The Washington Redskins suck big time too, only their problem is way more serious, last week they were booed through the whole game. They have been shit since they won the Superbowl back in the 1991 season, and people are pig sick of it.

So I finally went to the specialist a couple of weeks ago. He diagnosed that I have fibroids, which are growing and need to be removed. Only problem is that I will have to be off my feet for 6 weeks after surgery, and I told him that at this time of year there is no way that I can afford to take the time off, and it will have to wait until the summer. He said well, we will need to keep an eye on them every 3 months, but if the pain gets too much they will have to come out. If worst comes to worst I will get myself through the holiday season, and then get them taken out in January or February. He said that the fibroids are causing my periods to be really heavy, which in turn is leading to the anemia, and if I get them removed "it will be like you had a tummy tuck, you're stomach will be totally flat", well he didn't need to say anymore, I'm definitely going to get them taken out!!!

Jesus, Wish I had fibroids. 3 enormous children have wrecked my stomach.R was half an ounce off 12lb H was 10lb4oz and A was 9lb 6oz. H had the 2nd biggest head circumference of all time in the hospital.There are no muscles in my stomach. Sit ups do nothing. I just feel lucky I am able to control my bladder!I believe I am less likely to get breast cancer from breast feeding (these mommas had to be good for something) and cervical cancer. Doesn't "off your feet" mean you can do more work? Wouldn't one of your family come and help? Doesn't your insurance include off work cover especially as you are self employed?

I am just trying to work out how to get the England match off the internet which is the only way to watch it this Saturday. I want to get it off the net and on our screen for everyone who normally comes. There is an outcry here- kids will give up football if they cant see it on the TV , just like cricket. The London evening standard is free now too so you can hear the news link between the 2. Surely the advertising in the game, more sponsorship on the players etc are all the arguments. Apparently the sun screen in the Cricket West Indies series had the sponsors name all over the players noses!


Jesus Christ, your boys were huge!!! Surely you didn't give birth to them all naturally? Apparently all women have fibroids, but most of them don't grow. They are benign tumors. Apparently they affect black women disproportionately. They can be exacerbated by caffeine (guilty), red meat (not so much), and alcohol, (not so much). Ha, no, the insurance doesn't cover loss of income, you can only get that if you are working for an employer, I don't know all the details, but over here it is better not to apply for any free shit anyway, because it can affect your credit rating!!!! It's no biggie, as long as I can wait until the summer. And you are right, I am just going to work the whole time. Plus, I am thinking 6 weeks is worst case scenario for someone who isn't fit, I am thinking 4 weeks for me.

We get the England game next Wednesday!!!! First free England game ever, (other than World Cup games), I am psyched!! We don't get the Saturday game though, and I'm pretty sure that they won't let me watch it on the internet.

I still want you to listen to This American Life, I really think that you will enjoy it, and I want to discuss some of the episodes with you. There are 100's of them.


I was induced with all 3 children so that is not considered natural, though they all came out the right orifice! Imagine how big they might have got? They were all 2 weeks overdue except H who was born the day after a bank holiday weekend so he was 18 days. The NHS is great but they dont want too many in over a bank holiday!

I will try to listen to This American Life

Kanye West, Whitney Housten, Healthcare Immigration and Jamie's American Road Trip

If you ever get the show The First 48 over there you HAVE to watch it. It is awesome. Better than any fictional detective show. It's true life murder's, and if the case is not solved within the first 48 hours it gets significantly harder to solve. It's raw though, you get to meet the family's who have lost a loved one, and you see the detectives interviewing the suspect's etc. LOVE the show. They are showing a marathon today.

The big news here is that Jimmy Carter has said what a lot of us have thought for a long time, essentially the crazies are knocking Obama's policies because he is black. I was in DC on Saturday when the right wing protesters were in town. One of them came by my booth and said to me did you know in England they can't choose their doctor. I said, actually I am British, and you can choose your Dr. and here actually you can't, because if your health insurance provider says that he is not on their provider list, then you can't go to him. She said nothing, sniffed and walked out. So much fucking misinformation being bandied about. Some of the signs they were carrying were so ridiculous they were hysterical. One of the signs said, "Hotline to socialized medicine - 1800- UR-DEAD. Then some of them were carrying photos of Obama with bones through his nose, so disrespectful. I want you to go online just once and listen to Rush Limbaugh, he is the one inciting these people. Fat bastard. O'Reilly is tame in comparison.

The other news is the Kanye West bullshit. He is SUCH an arsehole, I really believe he has mental problems. That poor kid is only 19 years old, and he took away her 5 minutes. It just so happened that he was on the Jay Leno show the following evening. I didn't watch, I hate Jay Leno, but I saw the highlights, and now people are up in arms because Jay Leno said, "how would your mum feel about the way you acted", well, you probably know this, but his mum died during a plastic surgery procedure about 2 years ago, perfomed by this rogue plastic surgeon, and people thought it was a low blow to ask him about his mother.

In other celebrity news Whitney was on Oprah on Monday and Tuesday (yes, special 2 day season opening event!!!!). I really enjoyed the interview though, she was really candid about the drug use, and what a disaster the marriage was. Oprah asked her if she thought that she would ever use again and she said, "Oprah, I can only think about today, and today I'm not using" I really respected her for saying that, instead of bullshitting about saying, "hell no, I ain't gonna use again."

Health care is so fucking good in this country that I have been having serious pelvic pains, and just some general gyno problems for more than a week. I call the gyno's office today, and I'm putting it on a bit in my voice, saying I think I might have cervical cancer, and describing the symptons and telling her that it's an emergency............they'll fit me in on Wednesday, next week!!!!!! Tell me how that is better than the UK. If it did turn out to be something serious then my health insurance could drop me at any time because I'm costing them too much money - no bull!

I am so glad that woman picked on you- we can change our doctor anytime, and last week I got a leaflet through for a drop in NHS surgery, for when you dont want to see your own doctor for all things right up to minor surgery. Tell them THAT!

I hadnt realised that it was Jimmy Carter bringing up the race card. Do you think its true? This would cause so much trouble here. As for those protesters its incredible that people are so easily conned with sound bites and easily accessible points and issues. Its so easy to do and whip up a dangerous mob. After a real feeling of relief when Barak was elected, these health care protesters are really frightening us. How does a few illegal immigrants getting health care impact on the USAs healthcare costs..really. I looked at the LA Times the other day. Completely NUTS, linking all sorts of scare issues to this fiddling with the insurance system.

Yesterday we watched Teen cribs, and the ostentatious waste of money on entertaining the kids made me feel sick...then we watched Jamie Olivers road trip in New York (hes done LA's Mexican community and Wyoming cowboys already) In NY he went to immigrant communities- underground Peruvian home cooking Restaurant, Columbian legal immigrant who feeds 70 homeless immigrants every night, egyptian restaurants and Halal butchers 6 miles from the Empire State, then he did a dinner Party where people apply online to come to your house and them just leave a donation in a pot (all proceeds to the Columbian bloke) The contrast between dull teens with their own vehicles, games rooms, climbing walls, firemans poles and lifts, then the interesting communities which is actually what the US was built on. But then, thats what these people have trekked through south America, risked the border guards etc for- the American Dream. Why don't the better off understand that the whole point is that the US offers this dream, is built on it and therefore should celebrate it? What is their history of immigration?