Absolutely Anything Else

Wages are not all.
As for me one of the most important contributor: who do you work with? +What are the regulations?
At here in my main worksplace I barely have proper subordinates, even with changes in this year as we finaly have someone to sort out cv-s/ do interviews who anno was in the Police Officer College/ Zrínyi Mil. Academy but even he can choose from the ones who actually apply.
So I actually think about to uptake a contract (With a coup in every 5 minutes nowdays in Africa services are in demand.) - not predominantly for the 10-15X wage, but for the better comrades/ organisation structure. Anno even here was a few all right PSC, but since the mental health pandemic I am ok with often as low as half dozen diplomatic events per year.

As for healthcare: that is new info for me - but off course when possible I do avoid healthcare. Just find out that is my GP is retired in january. Well sure she was closer to 80 than 70, but still it is a loss, she was old school, not the average which would have a proper place on the street lamps/ trees.
In my experience doctors from India, China, Cuba, some Arabic are fine, as well dentists from Vietnam and Israel, but with Filipino no notable experiences (less than 10 in lifetime).
-@sjbabilon5

Usually salary is a dissatisfier.  If multiple things are wrong, people mostly complain about salaries.  Good work mates and happy work places can make the difference between staying and going.  So many people meet their partners at work - me and Mrs F included.   What's not to like?

I'm OK with Filipino doctors and nurses. I or members of my family have been treated by them before and they were very nice.  Bangladeshi doctor was OK.  One in Burma was really kind and friendly.   Polish doctor was OK too.  Hungarian GPs can be variable - either miserable or worse, not caring or the worse one, just after some money or just OK.  UK ones are mostly OK - there's no money involved of course.  No-one tips UK doctors.

Just been reading about the school problem in the UK, OMG what a F^ck up and they have known about it for over 5 years and now they are panicking.

Just look at the list of schools and they still don't know how many others are affected and thee kids are meant to go back on Monday!! 

List of all the schools we know are affected by concrete safety fears

Just been reading about the school problem in the UK, OMG what a F^ck up and they have known about it for over 5 years and now they are panicking.

Just look at the list of schools and they still don't know how many others are affected and thee kids are meant to go back on Monday!!

List of all the schools we know are affected by concrete safety fears
-@SimCityAT

Apparently it's many public buildings - like schools, courts and others. 

LBC ran some segments where some commentators said Education budgets had been subsumed by ideology and they had ignored basic things like buildings maintenance.  And what moron would agree a lifespan on concrete lintels of 30-35 years?   Should have been like 150 years!    This crumbly concrete goes back 50 years.  They've all been asleep  at the wheel.

We'll know for certain that the Tories are out come Nadine Dorries's by-election.  Talk about circling the plughole.  I reckon it'll swing +20K in Labour's favour.  Dorries had a majority of over 20K so we're talking about a massive defeat.    Sunak is verging on a vote of no confidence in my mind. 

Just been reading about the school problem in the UK, OMG what a F^ck up and they have known about it for over 5 years and now they are panicking.

Just look at the list of schools and they still don't know how many others are affected and thee kids are meant to go back on Monday!!

List of all the schools we know are affected by concrete safety fears
-@SimCityAT

Apparently it's many public buildings - like schools, courts and others.

LBC ran some segments where some commentators said Education budgets had been subsumed by ideology and they had ignored basic things like buildings maintenance. And what moron would agree a lifespan on concrete lintels of 30-35 years?  Should have been like 150 years!  This crumbly concrete goes back 50 years. They've all been asleep at the wheel.

We'll know for certain that the Tories are out come Nadine Dorries's by-election. Talk about circling the plughole. I reckon it'll swing +20K in Labour's favour. Dorries had a majority of over 20K so we're talking about a massive defeat.  Sunak is verging on a vote of no confidence in my mind.
-@fluffy2560

Labour had a maintenance plan in force, but when the Tories came in the scrapped it. But they knew for the last 5 years it needed fixing. Why just wake up now with 2 days to go???

And the education secretary saying parents should not worry but we don't know how many other schools are affected.

There was a school 3 years ago where the whole roof collapsed, thank gawd it was on a Saturday so no kids were in school.

Just been reading about the school problem in the UK, OMG what a F^ck up and they have known about it for over 5 years and now they are panicking.

Just look at the list of schools and they still don't know how many others are affected and thee kids are meant to go back on Monday!!

List of all the schools we know are affected by concrete safety fears
-@SimCityAT

Apparently it's many public buildings - like schools, courts and others.

LBC ran some segments where some commentators said Education budgets had been subsumed by ideology and they had ignored basic things like buildings maintenance. And what moron would agree a lifespan on concrete lintels of 30-35 years? Should have been like 150 years! This crumbly concrete goes back 50 years. They've all been asleep at the wheel.

We'll know for certain that the Tories are out come Nadine Dorries's by-election. Talk about circling the plughole. I reckon it'll swing +20K in Labour's favour. Dorries had a majority of over 20K so we're talking about a massive defeat. Sunak is verging on a vote of no confidence in my mind.
-@fluffy2560

Labour had a maintenance plan in force, but when the Tories came in the scrapped it. But they knew for the last 5 years it needed fixing. Why just wake up now with 2 days to go???

And the education secretary saying parents should not worry but we don't know how many other schools are affected.

There was a school 3 years ago where the whole roof collapsed, thank gawd it was on a Saturday so no kids were in school.
-@SimCityAT

Sounds like NIH (Not Invented Here) syndrome.  It's like Teresa May's scrapping of 20K police officer jobs.  What possessed her to do that?  Demented decision making.  The Tories are in their death throes. It's painful to watch.  I reckon we'll see an election by March or April 2024.   Tories will be out for a generation.

There are education crises everywhere.   The HU system is hemorrhaging personnel.  The teachers left are the dregs  unemployable elsewhere.  Mrs F knows a lot of teachers and reports are that it's just being decimated for dogma.   Our kids are back in school and say everyone is on edge and miserable as sin.

I'm not enamoured with schools not being used at weekends.  In HU, school halls etc can be hired for events or night classes like yoga or kung fu.  Buildings should be in use 24x7 to get value from them.  But those are  proper buildings, not ones made out of pumice like material.  In other countries they have two school shifts - morning and afternoon.

Sounds like NIH (Not Invented Here) syndrome. It's like Teresa May's scrapping of 20K police officer jobs. What possessed her to do that? Demented decision making. The Tories are in their death throes. It's painful to watch. I reckon we'll see an election by March or April 2024.  Tories will be out for a generation.

There are education crises everywhere.  The HU system is hemorrhaging personnel. The teachers left are the dregs unemployable elsewhere. Mrs F knows a lot of teachers and reports are that it's just being decimated for dogma.  Our kids are back in school and say everyone is on edge and miserable as sin.

I'm not enamoured with schools not being used at weekends. In HU, school halls etc can be hired for events or night classes like yoga or kung fu. Buildings should be in use 24x7 to get value from them. But those are proper buildings, not ones made out of pumice like material. In other countries they have two school shifts - morning and afternoon.
-@fluffy2560

Our town isn't doing too badly, they needed to expand the school so they are spending €18 million on the project https://kurier.at/chronik/niederoesterreich/schulstart-fuer-300-kinder-im-container/402579011

Our town isn't doing too badly, they needed to expand the school so they are spending €18 million on the project https://kurier.at/chronik/niederoesterreich/schulstart-fuer-300-kinder-im-container/402579011
-@SimCityAT

That's a lot of money per head. 

Apparently UK is spending 1/10th of the spending per head of other countries like NL or USA. 

Says it all really.   

All we seem to be receiving is news of incompetence.  It's like the entire plot has been lost and now it's just a load of accumulating micro-disasters. 

God forbid there's a war.  Oh, sorry, there is.  Luckily the enemy is incompetent too.  For now.

God forbid there's a war. Oh, sorry, there is. Luckily the enemy is incompetent too. For now.
-@fluffy2560

....and we are not at war with them alone.

God forbid there's a war. Oh, sorry, there is. Luckily the enemy is incompetent too. For now.
-@fluffy2560

....and we are not at war with them alone.
-@SimCityAT

It reminds me of that variously paraphrased saying "no plan survives contact with the enemy".

Some of our "friends" might be Fifth Columnists or apologists.

Anyway, elsewhere, concrete wise, I'm surprised there aren't more calls for heads to roll this morning on the news wires.

I was chatting with various people over the past week and the consensus was the sooner 2023 is over the better!

As per the topic of war, I think most of the members have been extremely lucky to avoid this, Europe especially (apart from Balkans) have been in a very good situation (even for elderly like myself), in a way we should be happy (but we do not, we (Europeans) complain about this or that, we did not experience Army coups, hunger, nothing really, still we tend to complain, I think it is decadent.

A war can start at any moment, with atom bomb, with viruses, with .... Most of us have had a good life, for the younger people it is different.

Sorry to most of the contributors, we have had good (and bad things), but hunger and war?

Be happy and enjoy the last years (for me I do not know, smoking, drinking, bad genes, ...perhaps 10 more years (which is good))

I stopped being involved in politics and views I think 15 years ago (I can have extreme views)

Just been reading about the school problem in the UK, OMG what a F^ck up and they have known about it for over 5 years and now they are panicking.

Just look at the list of schools and they still don't know how many others are affected and thee kids are meant to go back on Monday!!

List of all the schools we know are affected by concrete safety fears
-@SimCityAT

Oh, they've known about a lot longer than that. Autoclaved aerated concrete has been in use across Europe since it was designed back in 1920; it was widely used in the rebuilding of Europe post-1945. The UK Government were aware that this material only had a life span of 30 years and should have been planning on its replacement from the day they started using it - nobody did. Our local swimming pool/sports centre at Knottingley was demolished last year because of this, it was virtually impossible to repair; I hope they do better in the schools - we'll find out on Monday.

To add - concrete is a COSHH item and very much in the remit of the Health & Safety Executive in the UK who is the regulator and can prosecute, I suspect we haven't heard the last of this in the UK.

Another add - Local press report this morning that 4 schools in the whole of Yorkshire are affected by this; judging from the fuss being made, I suspect there is much more to come.

IDK what happened in Hungary with the schools.

I know my husband was in school in Budapest in the 50's and 60's.

He spent 4 years in a trade school after age 14.

half the week was all clsses in his trade and after the second year they spend half the week working under a mastr and making easy parts which the master machinist went over with them.

He was just spekaing abut it a day ago. How the factory where he was trained at was one of the best in all of HUngary, Europe maybe?

They didn't just work on one sort of job, they did it all.

Made parts for anything and everything.

I know when he arrived in the US without speaking more then a few words of Englsih he was hired anywhere once they knew how he was trained.

I remember in the early days when we moved back to Ca. and instead of filling out a long CV he just brought in a few extra parts he had made. He'd hand then to the front desk, they took them back too the boss and right away he was hired.

He said after grammer school, not sure what it's called in Europe but in the US after elementary levels the boys went to one school and the girls to another.

In trade school out of 40 or so students who started 3 or so were girls. By year 4 only one girl was left out of the starting class and perhaps 10 boys were still standing.

It was not easy.

The schools in the US are terrible too.

Always have been.

I know my sisters who finsihed in 1966 and 1968 both spent more time figuring out what to wear to school and how to avoid getting the a@@es kicked in by low riders.

Often the girls put razr blades in their updo's to make sute they have the ,"edge" in a cat fight. Once a girl set fire on the bus to another girls hair...

My experience in school wasn't much better. Trying to avooid getting my a@@ kicked in the restroom and not getting beat up on the way home from school.

I tried to sue the LA county school district when myson's arm was broken at age 12 in a school yard fight.

Who had time to learn when survival was more important?

My SIL is a teacher in Ventura County school district in S. Ca.

She has issues and I persoanlly wouldn't like her to be teaching my child.

First grade teacher, been teaching fr over 35 years.

Private school or home school is the only way to go.

I see in Japan they teach children to respect each other, wait their turn and even clean their own schools.

I also now think wearing a uniform is a good idea. Keeps wealthier children from bullying poorer ones about their clothing.

War, may or may not come but in any case they will slowly drain everyones savings with inflation.

As per the topic of war, I think most of the members have been extremely lucky to avoid this, Europe especially (apart from Balkans) have been in a very good situation (even for elderly like myself), in a way we should be happy (but we do not, we (Europeans) complain about this or that, we did not experience Army coups, hunger, nothing really, still we tend to complain, I think it is decadent.
A war can start at any moment, with atom bomb, with viruses, with .... Most of us have had a good life, for the younger people it is different.

Sorry to most of the contributors, we have had good (and bad things), but hunger and war?
Be happy and enjoy the last years (for me I do not know, smoking, drinking, bad genes, ...perhaps 10 more years (which is good))
I stopped being involved in politics and views I think 15 years ago (I can have extreme views)
-@cdw057

I am not sure war can start any moment.  Obviously events happen which lead up to it.   Recognising the significance is another matter.

I don't think young people now face anything truly different to my generation (I'm 63).   I've lived through the Cold War and communism, the Falklands War, Vietnam, Northern Ireland, economic turmoil, recession and a raft of other things.  The youth will be experiencing many parallel things or at least the stressful threat of them. 

Their list will be different but the effects could be the same.  It's all adding up as trauma.   After 2023, I'm beginning to think just living is going to give people PTSD.

Just been reading about the school problem in the UK, OMG what a F^ck up and they have known about it for over 5 years and now they are panicking.

Just look at the list of schools and they still don't know how many others are affected and thee kids are meant to go back on Monday!!

List of all the schools we know are affected by concrete safety fears
-@SimCityAT
Oh, they've known about a lot longer than that. Autoclaved aerated concrete has been in use across Europe since it was designed back in 1920; it was widely used in the rebuilding of Europe post-1945. The UK Government were aware that this material only had a life span of 30 years and should have been planning on its replacement from the day they started using it - nobody did. Our local swimming pool/sports centre at Knottingley was demolished last year because of this, it was virtually impossible to repair; I hope they do better in the schools - we'll find out on Monday.

To add - concrete is a COSHH item and very much in the remit of the Health & Safety Executive in the UK who is the regulator and can prosecute, I suspect we haven't heard the last of this in the UK.
-@Cynic

Apparently  there's another asbestos crisis looming as well.   We already had one of those.  It looks bad across many buildings.  They might have been able to drag it out even longer if they had done proper maintenance - i.e. keep the water out. 

My outbuilding has an asbestos roof.  In HU, it'd just go in landfill (£).  UK probably needs people in spacesuits with some kind of tent over it to dismantle it and then taken away in yellow bags to be burnt (££££).

Not quite the same thing but when my house was being built, I noticed the builders had embedded half a bag of concrete into one of the columns.  Literally there was the paper bag sticking out of the side of the column.  It must have been in the shuttering and got trapped there and they forgot.  It's been there sometime and we've not noticed any problems.  Besides, it's now behind the plaster but if it gets wet, who knows?! Case of "Out of sight, out of mind".

But of course, UK wise, it makes you wonder about what additional bodging was going on at the same time as this dodgy concrete.

Just been reading about the school problem in the UK, OMG what a F^ck up and they have known about it for over 5 years and now they are panicking.

Just look at the list of schools and they still don't know how many others are affected and thee kids are meant to go back on Monday!!

List of all the schools we know are affected by concrete safety fears
-@SimCityAT
Oh, they've known about a lot longer than that. Autoclaved aerated concrete has been in use across Europe since it was designed back in 1920; it was widely used in the rebuilding of Europe post-1945. The UK Government were aware that this material only had a life span of 30 years and should have been planning on its replacement from the day they started using it - nobody did. Our local swimming pool/sports centre at Knottingley was demolished last year because of this, it was virtually impossible to repair; I hope they do better in the schools - we'll find out on Monday.

To add - concrete is a COSHH item and very much in the remit of the Health & Safety Executive in the UK who is the regulator and can prosecute, I suspect we haven't heard the last of this in the UK.
-@Cynic

Apparently there's another asbestos crisis looming as well.  We already had one of those. It looks bad across many buildings. They might have been able to drag it out even longer if they had done proper maintenance - i.e. keep the water out.

My outbuilding has an asbestos roof. In HU, it'd just go in landfill (£). UK probably needs people in spacesuits with some kind of tent over it to dismantle it and then taken away in yellow bags to be burnt (££££).

Not quite the same thing but when my house was being built, I noticed the builders had embedded half a bag of concrete into one of the columns. Literally there was the paper bag sticking out of the side of the column. It must have been in the shuttering and got trapped there and they forgot. It's been there sometime and we've not noticed any problems. Besides, it's now behind the plaster but if it gets wet, who knows?! Case of "Out of sight, out of mind".

But of course, UK wise, it makes you wonder about what additional bodging was going on at the same time as this dodgy concrete.
-@fluffy2560

I heard the stuff about asbestos this morning.  Must admit it surprised me as I was involved in regulatory audits of asbestos in buildings for over 20 years.  The HSE have a whole website devoted to it, how to deal with it and details of who's been prosecuted for breaches (link) - including schools;  I can't help but think that this is one of those "yeah, and what about"  to get some more kicks in while they can.

I heard the stuff about asbestos this morning. Must admit it surprised me as I was involved in regulatory audits of asbestos in buildings for over 20 years. The HSE have a whole website devoted to it, how to deal with it and details of who's been prosecuted for breaches (link) - including schools; I can't help but think that this is one of those "yeah, and what about" to get some more kicks in while they can.
-@Cynic

Sounds to me like it'll need a complete survey and do a building by building revamp. It's not like they can unbake the cake that is a dodgy building.   

Usually they say it's OK to leave the asbestos if it's not going to be disturbed.   Our house had asbestos tiles on it.  We replaced them with proper tiles and we were able to sell the old ones.  No-one put them in bags or anything.  They just went in a van and disappeared.

Politically, this couldn't have come at a worst time for Sunak and Co.   I'm not even enjoying the Schadenfreude on this one.  It's brutal inconvenience for a lot of innocent people.   

I heard the stuff about asbestos this morning. Must admit it surprised me as I was involved in regulatory audits of asbestos in buildings for over 20 years. The HSE have a whole website devoted to it, how to deal with it and details of who's been prosecuted for breaches (link) - including schools; I can't help but think that this is one of those "yeah, and what about" to get some more kicks in while they can.
-@Cynic

Sounds to me like it'll need a complete survey and do a building by building revamp. It's not like they can unbake the cake that is a dodgy building. 

Usually they say it's OK to leave the asbestos if it's not going to be disturbed.  Our house had asbestos tiles on it. We replaced them with proper tiles and we were able to sell the old ones. No-one put them in bags or anything. They just went in a van and disappeared.

Politically, this couldn't have come at a worst time for Sunak and Co.  I'm not even enjoying the Schadenfreude on this one. It's brutal inconvenience for a lot of innocent people. 
-@fluffy2560

Asbestos is normal ok if its left alone, but if they do find it, they like to remove it just in case it does get disturbed in the future.

The UK is now in a position where headteachers are afraid to open their schools because they're potentially in danger of partial or total collapse and now the fear of asbestos!

Look at this headline from 13 years ago:

"School building programme scrapped in latest round of cuts.

£1bn cut from education budget and Sure Start hit.

Labour spending pledges not funded, says coalition"

( The Guardian )

FFWD:

"Rishi Sunak has donated more than £100,000 to Winchester College - one of the most expensive private schools in the country, Sky News can reveal.

Mr Sunak has continued to give money to the school, where he was head boy, since becoming chancellor."  (Sky News)

A school in Rishi Sunak's North Yorkshire constituency was left in 'shock', after he contributed a cheap bottle of wine to their fundraiser. The Leyburn Primary School was conducting a fundraising drive to buy new computers.

( Yorkshire Post )

"Out-of-touch Rishi Sunak gives $3million to US college as UK schools can't afford basics

Rishi Sunak and his wife donated a huge sum for a computing lab at Claremont McKenna in California, where Akshata Murty studied. The college fees are $86,500 a year for tuition and board"

(The Mirror, Telegraph, Times, Guardian, even the Daily Nazi )

Sunak has abandoned any laughable prevence that he or the Conservative Party, are or ever were the party of ordinary working people.

He personally donates from his own wealth to already wealthy elitist institutions, while the education infrastructure  WE all rely on figuratively - and quite literally - crumbles.

The UK is now in a position where headteachers are afraid to open their schools because they're potentially in danger of partial or total collapse and now the fear of asbestos!
Look at this headline from 13 years ago:
"School building programme scrapped in latest round of cuts.
£1bn cut from education budget and Sure Start hit.
Labour spending pledges not funded, says coalition"
( The Guardian )

FFWD:

"Rishi Sunak has donated more than £100,000 to Winchester College - one of the most expensive private schools in the country, Sky News can reveal.
Mr Sunak has continued to give money to the school, where he was head boy, since becoming chancellor." (Sky News)

A school in Rishi Sunak's North Yorkshire constituency was left in 'shock', after he contributed a cheap bottle of wine to their fundraiser. The Leyburn Primary School was conducting a fundraising drive to buy new computers.
( Yorkshire Post )

"Out-of-touch Rishi Sunak gives $3million to US college as UK schools can't afford basics
Rishi Sunak and his wife donated a huge sum for a computing lab at Claremont McKenna in California, where Akshata Murty studied. The college fees are $86,500 a year for tuition and board"
(The Mirror, Telegraph, Times, Guardian, even the Daily Nazi )

Sunak has abandoned any laughable pretence that he or the Conservative Party, are or ever were the party of ordinary working people.

He personally donates from his own wealth to already wealthy elitist institutions, while the education infrastructure WE all rely on figuratively - and quite literally - crumbles.
-@SimCityAT

FFS, that says it all really.   

Like he "represents" his constituency anyway.   

As per the topic of war, I think most of the members have been extremely lucky to avoid this, Europe especially (apart from Balkans) have been in a very good situation (even for elderly like myself), in a way we should be happy (but we do not, we (Europeans) complain about this or that, we did not experience Army coups, hunger, nothing really, still we tend to complain, I think it is decadent.
A war can start at any moment, with atom bomb, with viruses, with .... Most of us have had a good life, for the younger people it is different.

Sorry to most of the contributors, we have had good (and bad things), but hunger and war?
Be happy and enjoy the last years (for me I do not know, smoking, drinking, bad genes, ...perhaps 10 more years (which is good))
I stopped being involved in politics and views I think 15 years ago (I can have extreme views)
-@cdw057

What you write is may true for a middle or high class BENELUX resident.

East Europe were different, actually quite bad in the 90's.

Also best not to forget long standing war zones - not one of those official, but around Naples, or Amsterdam just as easy to meet folks with AT rockets as in the Balcan. I do consider gangs and criminal organizations just as much a war participant.

I know when he arrived in the US without speaking more then a few words of Englsih he was hired anywhere once they knew how he was trained.
I remember in the early days when we moved back to Ca. and instead of filling out a long CV he just brought in a few extra parts he had made. He'd hand then to the front desk, they took them back too the boss and right away he was hired.

Things like that does not exist for decades now.

If would then would be some meritism left.

Since they replaced that with HR departments/ services, and equality/ equity such easy ways became history.

The schools in the US are terrible too.
Always have been.
I know my sisters who finsihed in 1966 and 1968 both spent more time figuring out what to wear to school and how to avoid getting the a@@es kicked in by low riders.
Often the girls put razr blades in their updo's to make sute they have the ,"edge" in a cat fight. Once a girl set fire on the bus to another girls hair...
My experience in school wasn't much better. Trying to avooid getting my a@@ kicked in the restroom and not getting beat up on the way home from school.
I tried to sue the LA county school district when myson's arm was broken at age 12 in a school yard fight.
Who had time to learn when survival was more important?

Hungary just the same, depends on geographical area and the school itself.

Just as in the west there is a very strong class system, so it range from the crime academies till the pink buble gymnasiums and in the later they have no idea from their comfortable middle class sorrundings/ safety about the real world.

I see in Japan they teach children to respect each other, wait their turn and even clean their own schools.
I also now think wearing a uniform is a good idea. Keeps wealthier children from bullying poorer ones about their clothing.
-@Marilyn Tassy

In some schools there is a strange weapon on the wall, and the students also trained how to disarm armed intruders - so off course that is very different.

When my husband worked, he never worked for a main stream big factory in the US.

It was always a small percision proto-type machine shop usually owed and operated by a Hungarian.

He did work a few times like in Vegas for Americans, they loved his work too.

He was the last man standing when they had to close down for good due to no new orders coming in.

He never had to deal with any HR depts. while he worked in machining, lucky him!

IDK, the schools my siblings and my son went to in the US where all what would be considered in middle working class neighborhoods.

This spanned a good 3 decades of time too.

The only exception was the 2 weeks I attened Marshall High in Silverlake, Ca.

I moved in with my sister to Hollywod thinking i"d go to Hollywod HIgh.

She was about one block out of that district so it was Marshall for me.

Holy cow, the filmed the old movie, "The Blackboard Jungle" there.

Fitting. I was a middle class Hippie girl out of water there.

I knew it was just a matter of time before I got more then a A@@ kciking at that school.

I just quit while the getting was good.

We pulled out son out of public school and placed him in a private one.

It was worth the money even though it wasn't cheap.

It was a nice new car payment every month or his schooling.

We stayed with used cars and let him enjoy being in small classes with teachers who actually liked teaching.

Noticed the kiddies off this morning for school.

Not as busy as usual by the looks of it.

Just been reading about the school problem in the UK, OMG what a F^ck up and they have known about it for over 5 years and now they are panicking.

Just look at the list of schools and they still don't know how many others are affected and thee kids are meant to go back on Monday!!

List of all the schools we know are affected by concrete safety fears
-@SimCityAT
Oh, they've known about a lot longer than that. Autoclaved aerated concrete has been in use across Europe since it was designed back in 1920; it was widely used in the rebuilding of Europe post-1945. The UK Government were aware that this material only had a life span of 30 years and should have been planning on its replacement from the day they started using it - nobody did. Our local swimming pool/sports centre at Knottingley was demolished last year because of this, it was virtually impossible to repair; I hope they do better in the schools - we'll find out on Monday.

To add - concrete is a COSHH item and very much in the remit of the Health & Safety Executive in the UK who is the regulator and can prosecute, I suspect we haven't heard the last of this in the UK.

Another add - Local press report this morning that 4 schools in the whole of Yorkshire are affected by this; judging from the fuss being made, I suspect there is much more to come.
-@Cynic

Update from the BBC (link) on the number of schools in Yorkshire that have been affected by this - it's now 3, looks like the weekend BBC gang had a bout of dyscalculia.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has apologised for her "choice language" after she was caught complaining about not being thanked for doing a "f***ing good job" over the unsafe concrete crisis.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has apologised for her "choice language" after she was caught complaining about not being thanked for doing a "f***ing good job" over the unsafe concrete crisis.
-@SimCityAT

That will go down in political bloopers like Gordon Browns little outburst.

Another add - Local press report this morning that 4 schools in the whole of Yorkshire are affected by this; judging from the fuss being made, I suspect there is much more to come.
-@Cynic
Update from the BBC (link) on the number of schools in Yorkshire that have been affected by this - it's now 3, looks like the weekend BBC gang had a bout of dyscalculia.
-@Cynic

BBC is useless at the weekends. It's like everyone is away from their desks.  Some stories hang around for weeks and never get updated or keep appearing weeks after any interest has dissipated.   I have to resort to looking at CNN and others.

If I were moving back to States with school-age kids, I'd pick a neighborhood with lots of Asian families. No question whatever about it. Because it really is the other students that count far more than the teachers.

Didn't wish to get too off topic so will report here where it seems safe to say just about anything without going off.

Sunday the phone, tv and interent were off for 6 or so hours in our building.

Not sure if it went beyond just our house or not.

Perhaps they did an upgrade, doubt it since my internet seems to have gone down 2 times today.

    Didn't wish to get too off topic so will report here where it seems safe to say just about anything without going off. Sunday the phone, tv and interent were off for 6 or so hours in our building.Not sure if it went beyond just our house or not.Perhaps they did an upgrade, doubt it since my internet seems to have gone down 2 times today.        -@Marilyn Tassy

This topic has no topic so by definition, nothing can be off topic as there isn't one to be...err...off.

We get frequent interruptions on Sunday evenings. Always about 20h (8pm).  They must be doing maintenance but they never tell us.  We only find out when we phone the help number and there's an automated message saying there are known problems.   Thanks a lot!   

We have been considering swapping providers.  We can get like 3 x the speed for the same money.  TV channels (which I don't watch or care about) are far worse though.  And we'd have to change our phone number.  Not that I mind, we use mobile phones between us.

I'm  more concerned about power and gas supplies over winter.  Perhaps it won't be that cold like last year.  Dry and no snow.  I've also got 2 tonnes of wood stockpiled. We might be sitting in the dark but we won't be cold.

Just been reading about the school problem in the UK, OMG what a F^ck up and they have known about it for over 5 years and now they are panicking.

Just look at the list of schools and they still don't know how many others are affected and thee kids are meant to go back on Monday!!

List of all the schools we know are affected by concrete safety fears
-@SimCityAT
Oh, they've known about a lot longer than that. Autoclaved aerated concrete has been in use across Europe since it was designed back in 1920; it was widely used in the rebuilding of Europe post-1945. The UK Government were aware that this material only had a life span of 30 years and should have been planning on its replacement from the day they started using it - nobody did. Our local swimming pool/sports centre at Knottingley was demolished last year because of this, it was virtually impossible to repair; I hope they do better in the schools - we'll find out on Monday.

To add - concrete is a COSHH item and very much in the remit of the Health & Safety Executive in the UK who is the regulator and can prosecute, I suspect we haven't heard the last of this in the UK.

Another add - Local press report this morning that 4 schools in the whole of Yorkshire are affected by this; judging from the fuss being made, I suspect there is much more to come.
-@Cynic
Update from the BBC (link) on the number of schools in Yorkshire that have been affected by this - it's now 3, looks like the weekend BBC gang had a bout of dyscalculia.
   

    -@Cynic

We're now down to 2 schools in the whole of Yorkshire affected by wobbly concrete; not sure about asbestos and the Press have now shut up about it, so I suspect that was a press fishing expedition.  The final list is 147 schools (2%) across the whole of England; as PMQ's didn't call for anybody's heads over the matter; I think it's now 30/30 and it will slowly fade away into the background.

We're now down to 2 schools in the whole of Yorkshire affected by wobbly concrete; not sure about asbestos and the Press have now shut up about it, so I suspect that was a press fishing expedition.  The final list is 147 schools (2%) across the whole of England; as PMQ's didn't call for anybody's heads over the matter; I think it's now 30/30 and it will slowly fade away into the background. 

    -@Cynic

Talk about tone deaf - schools (and other public buildings) falling down, Sunak's gift to some US college, NHS waiting lists, budgets being cut, EU borders nonsense and blah-blah.

I reckon this is just another giant nail in the Tories coffin.  There's like a tipping point where the BS, scandal and mismanagement is just overwhelming and I feel many voters will have now made a decision to vote for the others.  Case of anyone but them.  it's time for them to be out.   If I was a Tory MP, I'd be looking for another job.

Question is when? I am now of the opinion that it'll be over for them by April.   They could drag it out until October but what would be the point of inflicting more pain?

    We're now down to 2 schools in the whole of Yorkshire affected by wobbly concrete; not sure about asbestos and the Press have now shut up about it, so I suspect that was a press fishing expedition.  The final list is 147 schools (2%) across the whole of England; as PMQ's didn't call for anybody's heads over the matter; I think it's now 30/30 and it will slowly fade away into the background.      -@Cynic

Talk about tone deaf - schools (and other public buildings) falling down, Sunak's gift to some US college, NHS waiting lists, budgets being cut, EU borders nonsense and blah-blah.

I reckon this is just another giant nail in the Tories coffin.  There's like a tipping point where the BS, scandal and mismanagement is just overwhelming and I feel many voters will have now made a decision to vote for the others.  Case of anyone but them.  it's time for them to be out.   If I was a Tory MP, I'd be looking for another job.

Question is when? I am now of the opinion that it'll be over for them by April.   They could drag it out until October but what would be the point of inflicting more pain?
   

    -@fluffy2560

They can call it tomorrow as far as I’m concerned; Yorkshire Party for me.

They can call it tomorrow as far as I’m concerned; Yorkshire Party for me.   
    -@Cynic

I suppose you fly Yorkshire Airlines too!

I am starting to seriously wonder what happened to the children in Maui.

The school director on Maui stated that 2,000 who were registered to start school this year have not been heard from.

Not a conspricy theory but facts.

The day the fire started ,many were sent home alone because the schools closed because of the high winds.

Parents were at work and allowed some children who were old enough to stay alone at home.

I haven't been sleeping well since the fires.Feels like lost souls are crying out in the night.

Silly, it's a world away from Hungary but as I've mentioned before we lived there .

My son was born there too.

There defo is an evil agenda happening there to steal land and resoruces.

They are holding a protest of sorts on the 11th on Maui and hopefully the locals will get some solid answers.

    I am starting to seriously wonder what happened to the children in Maui.
The school director on Maui stated that 2,000 who were registered to start school this year have not been heard from.
Not a conspricy theory but facts.
The day the fire started ,many were sent home alone because the schools closed because of the high winds.
Parents were at work and allowed some children who were old enough to stay alone at home.
I haven't been sleeping well since the fires.Feels like lost souls are crying out in the night.
Silly, it's a world away from Hungary but as I've mentioned before we lived there .
My son was born there too.
There defo is an evil agenda happening there to steal land and resoruces.
They are holding a protest of sorts on the 11th on Maui and hopefully the locals will get some solid answers.
   

    -@Marilyn Tassy

Maybe these kids are just on other islands with relatives and no-one bothered to tell the schools? 

Or the parents perished and there's no-one to ask.

I am sure all the island authorities are scrambling to put in place emergency plans to make sure it never happens again - until it does.

Unfortunately protests won't bring anyone back. I suppose protesting is a form of grieving.  I'm somewhat doing it myself right now.

        I am starting to seriously wonder what happened to the children in Maui.The school director on Maui stated that 2,000 who were registered to start school this year have not been heard from.Not a conspricy theory but facts.The day the fire started ,many were sent home alone because the schools closed because of the high winds.Parents were at work and allowed some children who were old enough to stay alone at home.I haven't been sleeping well since the fires.Feels like lost souls are crying out in the night.Silly, it's a world away from Hungary but as I've mentioned before we lived there .My son was born there too.There defo is an evil agenda happening there to steal land and resoruces.They are holding a protest of sorts on the 11th on Maui and hopefully the locals will get some solid answers.        -@Marilyn TassyMaybe these kids are just on other islands with relatives and no-one bothered to tell the schools?  Or the parents perished and there's no-one to ask.I am sure all the island authorities are scrambling to put in place emergency plans to make sure it never happens again - until it does.Unfortunately protests won't bring anyone back. I suppose protesting is a form of grieving.  I'm somewhat doing it myself right now.         -@fluffy2560

Perhaps entire families passed since many generations live together in Hawaii in one home.

The upcoming protests are to try and get info about why people were not allowed to get out of town.

The police set up road blocks and wouldn't allow people in or out of Lahania.

I know that place and it's over croweded and only had one way in and out.

Now they have another bypass road that wasn't there when we lived on Maui.

A small Isalnd with 2 lane roads that makes it slow going at time to go from one side to the other.

Most of the business is done in Wailuku, that's about half way between the west and east sides of the Island.

Wailuku hads the main post offices, hospital and city hall offices.

I watched a video on how they had a public sort of grieving service, Hawaiian style with blessings and chants.

It's a very supersitious culture with many culters mixed into the Hawiian ones.

It's rather interesting.

I suppose I still feel a connection to the place after all these years.

I had several local friends on Maui and they were so excpeting.

Invited me to meet their parents and even attend family funerals and baby laua's.

Weddings too.

I know I cried more at a Hawiian wedding then I ever did for any other wedding I've ever been to.

The grooms mother was a Hula dancer from Honolulu and she did a special Hula for the new couple that made everyone ball their eyes out, even my husband , stoic he is had tears running down his face.

It just hurts when such trusting people are betrayed by their own gov.

I have the impression that Hawaii is a very difficult place for outsiders to understand.

    They can call it tomorrow as far as I’m concerned; Yorkshire Party for me.       -@Cynic

I suppose you fly Yorkshire Airlines too!
   

    -@fluffy2560

I very rarely fly these days.   Budget airlines tend to park at the furthest point from the terminal, so the walk is daunting to people who are not as mobile as they used to be.  I'm not disabled, but these days I ache in places I didn't know I had until fairly recently, enough to always choose the method of travel that's going to hurt the less.

This will make you smile (if only ironically); I didn't know until fairly recently that some NHS employees get private medical insurance as part of their T&C's and my wife is one of them; when we investigated further, she could add me to her policy for an extra 5 quid p/month and as I no longer work, it's offset against my tax allowance, so I don't get taxed as a benefit in kind.  Anyway, earlier this week I went to see a private osteopath, paid for by the NHS staff health insurance - I shall give it a couple of goes and see if it helps with all these pains, then I shall go and get some new specs as well; who knows, I may be back in the air again.

        They can call it tomorrow as far as I’m concerned; Yorkshire Party for me.       -@CynicI suppose you fly Yorkshire Airlines too!        -@fluffy2560

I very rarely fly these days.   Budget airlines tend to park at the furthest point from the terminal, so the walk is daunting to people who are not as mobile as they used to be.  I'm not disabled, but these days I ache in places I didn't know I had until fairly recently, enough to always choose the method of travel that's going to hurt the less.
This will make you smile (if only ironically); I didn't know until fairly recently that some NHS employees get private medical insurance as part of their T&C's and my wife is one of them; when we investigated further, she could add me to her policy for an extra 5 quid p/month and as I no longer work, it's offset against my tax allowance, so I don't get taxed as a benefit in kind.  Anyway, earlier this week I went to see a private osteopath, paid for by the NHS staff health insurance - I shall give it a couple of goes and see if it helps with all these pains, then I shall go and get some new specs as well; who knows, I may be back in the air again.
   
    -@Cynic

Having returned on a now traditionally late Lufthansa plane last night, I can say they also park at the furthest extremes of the airport.  Any airport.  And when you're in a  hurry. I spend far too much time in airports.

Private medical insurance for NHS employees?  That's insane.  If the papers got wind of that, there would be a backlash.

My bro was posted to Thailand and also Singapore.  He was very senior in an oil company and his package including extensive medical and dental insurance.  He said he had everything done.  At that time his Mrs and his kids all had the straightest and whitest teeth one could ever see.   Brighter than Donny and Marie Osmond.  And vaccinated to the hilt.  His Mrs had a torn Achilles tendon - whisked straight in post-diagnosis.

It wasn't all roses. As part of his key worker seniority, he had to undergo rather intrusive and uncomfortable investigations. He said it wasn't very nice but I suppose knowing others are paying made it a little easier.

....

Private medical insurance for NHS employees?  That's insane.  If the papers got wind of that, there would be a backlash.
 
    -@fluffy2560

Must admit I had a WTF moment when I was first told; I guess it's aimed at getting staff back to work sooner than if they had to wait for their own GP services to sort out the strained back etc.