I had another day off work today to use up my holiday leave. Fortunately I have enough FOCUS leaflets that need delivering to occupy...

20 police officers, fire crews and the coastguard searched Bournemouth seafront after a 999 call from a teenager who had fallen over the cliff. The youngster, who had been drinking, had been having a piss when he fell over the edge. Fortunately a tree broke his fall. Search as they did though, his would-be rescuers could find no trace of him. He was eventually found up a tree in a local car park 1 mile from the sea. The embarrassed teen was convinced he had fallen over a cliff Source . . . Hhmm, wonder what he was drinking? And can I buy it in Brum ?...

(Listening to Simple Minds: Rockets) Rocketeers is now safely installed on its new server. The site may have appeared to be down for a time, or give "account suspended" messages, but that was a symptom of DNS update propagation. The site will likely be going down again for an hour or so in the near future so I can complete some software updates, mainly to deal with an issue with spam membership registrations. Once that's done, we should be good for a while, at least. Fortunately, Rocketeers isn't suffering as badly as one of the other sites I run, which is being hammered by a spam botnet at the moment...

shoulda looked in a mirror, dear !!!15-year-old Japanese speed skater Miho Takagi wore a very fancy gold racing uniform for a practice round in Vancouver. (Un)Fortunately, it was a little see-through. What will her mother think...

Close to the Conference hotel in Swansea was a old railway embankment which, once upon a time, carried trains to Swansea Victoria station. The picture, courtesy of Swansea Heritage, was taken in 1964, not long before the station was closed, leaving the old High Street station as the only one remaining in use. Fortunately, this piece of South Walian heritage has not been lost forever, as it is now the National Waterfront Museum, in itself well worth a...

Image via Wikipedia Although the nature of AMHP work is that it will be crisis-orientated, I have found that assessments are usually planned to some extent. Last week, we received a referral to our team at about 3.30pm. For reasons that smack of ageism and that I shouldn’t explore for fear of rising blood pressure, a situation that had been brewing had become much more risky, much more quickly – and the Crisis Team were not able to intervene. The community consultant knew the patient and family very well and asked if it would be possible to manage an assessment so that he could be a part of it – but we understood it would be necessary for a same-day assessment. I alerted the local police station and ambulance service and to be fair to the police – and perhaps unsurprisingly...

From Houston v. Federal Medical Center Carswell, 2010 WL 363479 (N.D. Tex. Feb. 2): “She [plaintiff] seeks compensatory monetary damages and seeks a ‘passion release.’” Fortunately, the court goes on to explain, in a footnote: “The reference to a ‘passion release’ is likely to the Bureau of Prisons’s ‘compassionate release’ program.” Glad that got cleared up. Copyright © 2010 This feed is for personal, non-commercial use only. The use of this feed on other websites breaches copyright. If this content is not in your news reader, it makes the page you are viewing an infringement of the copyright. (Digital Fingerprint:...

The flailing elbow of C-Ron Cristiano Ronaldo picked up the second red card of his fledgling Real Madrid career for elbowing an opponent in the face. Malaga’s Patrick Mtiliga was left with a broken nose after the incident. Fortunately for Ronaldo, he had already secured all the points with his two goal, including a strike from 20 [...]...

I must state publicly that I am not entirely convinced by the blanket 'brave-soldier-hero' guff wheeled out by the MSM and even less by the 'case for war', however the breathtaking hypocrisy of legislators leaves me speechless - fortunately I can still manage a rant on my blog. You may think my comparison with commons division attendance ad hominen - I've spend the morning crunching the...

Trying to get home to Deeping in time for a public meeting at the Community Centre where I hope we can hold our 'local' district council to account...I want to ask South Kesteven District Council why they pulled the rug from under the extremely popular summer playscheme this year, which they have traditionally part funded. And more importantly, persuade them it's worth backing this year.My own daughters enjoyed the playscheme when they were young so I know personally how valued the scheme is - even though it was almost a quarter of a century ago. Since then the playscheme has gone from strength to strength - despite a blip a few years ago when red tape almost strangled it.Fortunately, it survived and SKDC continued to see its value by sharing the costs with our very own DSJ Parish Council...

Theres nothing like putting my foot in it when a female passenger got into the car with a very young child.I asked her where she was going to and she answered me and in the same sentence she spoke to the child but I didnt realise this.Her reply and I quote, was "Lumley Street, - When we get home I`m taking you to bed"Obviously (or maybe not obviously, the address part was meant for me and the rest she was saying to her child but it didn't sound that way to me and my ears pricked up and I answered her by saying that it was a very kind offer but I really couldn't as I had other fares to pick up.She gave me a disgusting look and I pointed out to her what she had said she then realised and fortunately we both had a good laugh about...

As you should know if you're read my blog for a reasonable length of time, I've been involved in many projects with Hannah Tan. She's truly one of the hardest working individuals I've ever known and humble at that. Fortunately for her she has a great team to support her and her latest project is [...] Read the full post at shaolintiger.com....

I went into the Big City yesterday.I had cheques to pay in (the nearest building societies are there) and the last of my Christmas shopping to do.I met a young lady for lunch in a select restaurant.Whether it was the shock of her arriving on time, or my run-down state, I'm not sure, but I couldn't finish my meal.I was always taught to clean my plate.*I must be ill.*Fortunately my meal wasn't served on a plate, but in a cardboard...

It turned out to be a bit of a weird gig last Saturday night. Not in a hall or a club or a pub but in somebody's house! Turned out it was a doctor's house (my favourite profession...NOT!) so I was happy to turn my amp up full blast and drink all their beer. I managed to restrain myself and not use the lipstick in the toilet to write "you are all bastards" all over the walls. Just as well cos at the end of the night I was handed £60 for playing pathetic renditions of "party favourites" like Hi Ho Silver Lining. I conveniently forgot my principles and grabbed my 30 pieces of silver before leaving with cap in hand.The next day I blew the money on an external hard drive for the PC. My happiness was short lived however as the wrath of God was cast upon me and for my sin of avarice the...

Anthony Valentine, who plays Simon Barlow's other grandad, was left badly shaken after he slipped and hit his head as he walked off the set.The Mirror reports that Corrie production crew ran to help him but fortunately he wasn't seriously hurt. A Street source told the paper: "A nurse was there quickly but, thankfully, Anthony didn't need to go to hospital. He looked pretty badly shaken by it all but he was eventually ok to carry on...

I recently expressed some concern that politics had entered the difficult world of the future of adult social care. Fortunately, there are other, eminently more qualified people than me who are more positive about the political focus: — Jenny Owen, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services: [N]obody should be too surprised that the social care content of the Queen’s Speech this week gave rise to mutual recriminations from all the...

I have to admit that I hadn't exactly expected to do anything more than attend the ELDR Congress, take a few notes and otherwise listen to some speeches. Indeed, I took in the working group on the theme resolution in the expectation that it would be interesting, informative and make good reportage. I didn't expect to have to do very much.However, as it appeared that virtually all of our delegation had other plans for their time, I became the second spokesperson for our group on the resolution itself, with Gordon Lishman leading. Fortunately, Gordon is good on the political philosophy end of it, upholding our stance that, whilst free markets are a good thing, there is sometimes a need for balancing what is good for business with what is good for individuals and the wider community.I was...

For one reason or another we’ve been sitting with a hole in the kitchen ceiling for months now. It’s not anyone’s fault really, just that a few delays here and there have added up to quite a number of months now. But, at last we’re starting to look at Kohler faucets and the like with a view to actually getting the kitchen redone before Christmas. Fortunately (well, in some ways), we’re also needing to get the bathroom done which at least cuts down on the time trailing round plumbing fittings in shops though it’s going to be into next year before work starts on the bathroom....

Last night I accompanied Dad to the Mayor of Southwark's quiz night. We were on a table with a couple of past Mayors of Southwark, Cllr Columba Blango and Cllr Eliza Mann. Sadly, we did not win but fortunately we did not lose either.It was a fun evening with loads of teams, too many in fact they had to house some teams in the room next door! In all over £1,400 was raised for the Mayor's...

One day I will get bored when every story in the news gets its own Downfall parody on YouTube.  Fortunately that day has not yet arrived, so here is Hitler learning that his hacked Xbox has been blocked by......

In the summer, I asked xfanatic501 to send photographs of her completed Dalek costume, early last week I received these in email.I apologise for the delay in posting them, I have had a lot on my plate ATM, so much paperwork to read, things are starting to settle down fortunately, so here they are :)Larger photographs are here.Anyhow, be sure you behave or she may come and exterminate you :)This post started off on my blog - http://lifetheuniverseandcombom.blogspot.com - there are so many features on there that are not in the newsfeed, or posted elsewhere, you really need to check it out!...

You’ve got your iPod, you’ve got your laptop, and now you can proudly walk around showing them off just like everybody else. But we humans seem to have an inherent need to be different, so somehow stand out, and thus the idea of adding skins to your prized electronic possessions arose and a company called MusicSkins are at the forefront of this market and so we thought we’d have a look. The first thing you’ve got to do if you want to make your device unique is have the right device, but fortunately this is a pretty easy step as there is a fairly wide range available: the Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and PSP slim, iPhones, iPods, Zunes, SanDisks, a whole variety of popular phones (10) , five different size of laptops (12, 13, 14, 15 and 17 inches), Seagate Hard Drives and most...

Thanks to their phenomenal sound quality and gorgeous design, we've been overcome by a desire to dry hump the Zikmu wireless speakers. Fortunately, the marketing guff makes for a powerful anaphrodisiac...

Book well in advance to get a reasonable price for a return ticket on the fast and busy east coast line from London, up through Peterborough, York and Newcastle, to Edinburgh. Fortunately, your advance booking comes with an automatic seat reservation or you might end up sitting on the floor in the luggage-strewn corridors between carriages. Although there are electric sockets next to most...

After Nick Griffin’s comments on the BBC’s Question Time about homosexuals being creepy, I thought I’d play around with the iconic “hope” poster used during the US Presidential Elections. Fortunately, there is a website that – with a bit of post-production editing – can generate the Obamicon posters automatically for you from a source image....

I had a hellish journey by Tube across London this morning. The Victoria line was congested. I had to wait with hundreds of others outside the entrance to the Tube station for ages before they let us in. Fortunately I still got to Kings Cross in time and my army of Labour readers in Gateshead will no doubt be delighted to know that I am now heading home ready to do battle with the...

Commiserations to whoever washed this guy’s pants afterwards This reporter knew he had to ask. He didn’t want to ask and he knew it probably wouldn’t be pretty, but he had to ask. Fortunately, Ipswich boss Roy Keane hasn’t quite perfected his death by staring technique yet. Looks like he is getting pretty damn close though. The [...]...

THERE'S a giveaway here of children's book, The Kingdom of the Deep by Frank Hicks. MAGICKED to the Kingdom of the Deep by the witch Griselda, the boys meet stingrays, octopus and squid (who only want a little squeeze and a cuddle) and then a mermaid (whose mother has lost her tail) but fortunately, the cat Snuggle comes to the rescue. So goes a snippet of an introduction to the book, a charmingly illustrated adventure for children aged five and over. Let me know in the comments under the post about the giveaway if you would like to be in with a chance of receiving one of six copies I have to give......

And it was only 65 miles Non-league outfit Fleetwood Town had a disastrous away trip they travelled to Hyde last Saturday. The trouble started on the way there when the team coach suffered a tyre blow-out. The squad and coaching staff were left stranded on the hard shoulder of the M61. Fortunately - and it’s just about [...]...

In our latest article France Gillespie takes a look at the scorpions that inhabit the Qatar desert in their thousands. These small inhabitants are responsible for hundreds of bites every year, although, fortunately, fatalities are extremely rare.In addition to an in-depth look at scorpions, Fran looks at how to avoid getting bitten by the creatures - and what to do if you are bitten. Check out Qatar Scorpions for more information.View more articles about Qatar's Natural History....