It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

oh god mrs LM, first, come up here and do my house, and second, get your husband to take mine out with him !!

Ah....but then Mardatha....if you were on your own too much you might notice more spiders lurking round the place.........

(note to all: Mardatha HATES spiders - but LOVES sweeties. Its a moot point which is the strongest feeling :rotfl: ).

ceridwen

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

Don't know what it is Mardatha but for the past few years I just can't sit still.I'm constantly looking for things to do.I have so much energy people keep telling me to sit still as I make them feel tired.I'm sleeping better too.I think it must be all the vitamins I take.(LOL)

Hmmm....well I was thinking "Which ones? Tell us.....tell us....." - but then we'd all get an MSE telling-off:cool:

(pssssttt....stage whisper.....but some of us do maintain "open" P.M. boxes.....LOL)

...think some of my energy drains away from me because of T.B.J. (aka That B****y Job) - as I have noticeably more at weekends - but am open to other things I can do energy-wise besides hand in my notice at work (regrettably not a possibility...damn).

ceridwen

I've been watching the newspapers over the last few days about the wildcat strikes going on against foreign labour - and thinking "hmmm....expected this one...its a given for an economic situation like this....feel sorry for EVERYONE concerned here..and I'm not going to take sides" - but aware there's something very odd going on here. Certainly its quite obvious that the "Daily Mail" at least isnt just reporting the news - its actively creating the news - with its huge coverage of this and slipping in website addresses to incite people into looking up the "action" themselves. Well - I recall listening to a talk years ago about how the newspapers are far from impartial and are the "tools" of their rich owners - but it had rather sunk to the back of my mind.

How stupid of me to overlook this and I have been reminded of the fact in one of the intelligent newspapers today by this:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-strike-yes-ndash-but-not-at-this-target-1544948.html

and I note her comment in there re a website that might be worth a look:

www.dosomethingaboutit.org.uk

One thing I am very sure of here is that this dispute is being "stirred" with a very large wooden spoon by people not directly involved in it...its just identifying who these "stirrers" are...and I think this reporter might have put her finger on just what it is that is very "odd" about this dispute. I feel sorry for the people involved in this dispute - and sorrier because it is clear that they are being used...someone is using them to load a gun - and it is that "someone" who aims to "pull the trigger" - using them as the ammunition. My bleeper is going off loudly - the one that goes "odd...oddd...oddd....doesnt add up".

rosieben

chrisbethany wrote: »

... My Mum thinks I'm very irresponsible not keeping up with things. She's 84 and follows every bulletin from 8am to bedtime, tutting at everything and quoting the most shocking stuff, ...

my dsis is like your mum, I'm sure she thinks the world would stop turning if she didnt keep an eye on it :rolleyes: She - like me - also suffers from depression and I've tried to wean her off the hype but so far I've had little success and unfortunately she reads the scaremongering mail and believes every word.

I stopped buying newspapers in self defence many years ago when you couldn't open one without some special 'Diana' spread. I wasn't very taken with her to start with, but the total media obsession thing just turned me right off. Happily I've never got back into the habit of reading newspapers and on the few occasions I do pick one up I turn straight to the crossword

Ceridwen, you are so right about political manipulation that goes on, but also the media hype things up so much, makes them feel important I suppose; you only have to consider how they've been over the last few days. After hearing of all the troubles Londoners and others had experienced I was gobsmacked on monday night when the weatheman said it had been an 'exciting' day, he was practically rubbing his hands together with glee :rolleyes: and now they are stirring up the whole closing schools thing.

I'm happy in my own little bubble

mummysaver

Ceridwen - interesting article! Listening to the radio over the past few days, I've only once heard a reference to the British Government not signing up to whichever treaty that guarantees the same wages for foreign workers as for British. I did hear something yesterday from Total saying that all workers were paid the same.

Hmmm, I'm not so sure that everyone is telling the truth here! If all workers really are paid the same then why were so many immigrant workers imported specifically - that's if that is a true fact I guess!

If they aren't paid the same then it is blatantly unfair, and that is what the protest should be about in my opinion. Like it or not, we are part of an economic union, and surely everyone should be entitled to the same pay and benefits.

I'm fed up listening to the news about this and never being given the full picture, what happened to impartial news reporting, or even simply reporting all the facts.

Of course many many people will be affected by the situation, not just those who are currently protesting, and I do have every sympathy with everyone who simply wants to work and have a safe job, don't we all (well apart from my brother, but that is another story!). It does seem however that when things go pear shaped then people become very malleable, and stop thinking about who is really to blame.

Anyway on a brighter note, those people who sniggered at my emergency supplies in my car stopped laughing! Nothing like being told that you need to carry spare jumpers, blankets and food and water by the media to make people believe it lol!

fedupfreda

JoolzS wrote: »

I also keep hearing/reading people saying that their school was never shut - well mine was. If the temperature ever got below freezing for more than a day or two then my school got shut because the ancient heating system simply couldn't cope. I went to school (senior) in the late 70s/early 80s.

Too true - I also went to senior school at the same time - and can clearly remember being sent home maybe once every year because it was so cold the heating oil had frozen up.

But I can also remember walking the 30 minutes or so to the very same school through snow which was a foot deep... and also walking through fog which was so thick visibility was down to as far as the next lamp post (30 yards?) I know health and safety rightly takes a higher priority these days, but methinks some of the 'wimp' accusations might be at least partially true.... but then I suppose its because more teachers have to drive further to get to school these days?

Funnily enough, it doesn't seem to stop the rest of us trying to get in to work though

elizabunny

rosieben wrote: »

my dsis is like your mum, I'm sure she thinks the world would stop turning if she didnt keep an eye on it :rolleyes: She - like me - also suffers from depression and I've tried to wean her off the hype but so far I've had little success and unfortunately she reads the scaremongering mail and believes every word.

I stopped buying newspapers in self defence many years ago when you couldn't open one without some special 'Diana' spread. I wasn't very taken with her to start with, but the total media obsession thing just turned me right off. Happily I've never got back into the habit of reading newspapers and on the few occasions I do pick one up I turn straight to the crossword

Good morning rosie and everyone else -I have to agree with you re: the newspapers, we stopped buying them in general, years ago. Sometimes DH would have the saturday one for the tv listings, but then the rest of the paper just sat there unread, which was a total waste of money. I must admit to having had a real fondness for 'Diana' but on the other hand, agree that the 'spreads' that were a regular part of her era became obsessional and in particular, certain interviews that took place at the time of her separation were I think, in poor taste.

I suppose the thing that really frustrates me, is how the media latch onto anything and everything and blow it out of all proportion. I sometimes think all thoughts for the feelings of the people and the families behind the stories, are pushed into the background, in the scramble to get the best scoop!

I think more and more people are realising that they just do not need this kind of intrusion in their lives. I am quite shocked at times at some of the scenes that are reported in quite grusome detail on the television, even before the smallest children have gone to bed -whatever happened to the watershed!

On a much happier note, the sun is shining here and its a beautiful day, so have a good one everyone

fedupfreda

elizabunny wrote: »

I am quite shocked at times at some of the scenes that are reported in quite grusome detail on the television, even before the smallest children have gone to bed -whatever happened to the watershed!

I agree, elizabunny - a while back my eldest (aged 11) asked me what rape was, after hearing it mentioned on the news - this was my wake up call to leave the news until after they had gone to bed :shocked: Cue some gentle discussion about the nasty things some humans can do to each other.

I would rather discuss such important issues with my children at an appropriate time - than have them come away from the tv screen filled with depression and anger. Childhood is too short these days anyway.

Charis

ceridwen wrote: »

I recall listening to a talk years ago about how the newspapers are far from impartial and are the "tools" of their rich owners - but it had rather sunk to the back of my mind.

I have the feeling that Johann herself is being somewhat disingenuous, stirring up the impression that there is an element of racism. She says the protest is taking place outside the doors of Italian and Polish workers and is directed at them. As far as I can see from the news reports, the protest is being directed at Total, for not giving the Brits the opportunity to apply for any of the jobs in question. They were subsequently offered 25% of the jobs - or the chance to apply for them. They have turned down that offer.

Possibly the British workers feel as I do, that although there should be freedom of movement of labour, it should not be at the expense of indigenous workers. The latter probably have homes and families here already; the foreign workers simply add to the appalling housing crisis in our country. How much more can a country in the state we are today afford to give away? A friend of mine recently asked a Polish worker what benefits a Brit would be entitled to in Poland. The answer was 'none'.

lilac_lady

An old saying - "if you believe all you hear, you'll eat all you see." I don't bother with newspapers now and use Teletext to get the gist of what's going on . I listen to the radio for news as I can do without the graphic pictures and the 15 minute long items.

I'm convinced that news coverage can help lead to depression in some people especially as few stories are positve ones.