I'm so glad of my nieces! Monday, February 8th, 2010 - 11:41 am
Progress has been slow with my broken foot (both literally and metaphorically). At last after two months coping I've asked advice from my chiropodist niece, who lives in the North of Scotland, so is too far away for her to look at said appendage.
She said that hospitals in general do not take a fractured metatarsal seriously enough. It's a small bone so they assume it will heal quickly. However a metatarsal can be just as difficult to heal as a femur (thigh bone).
She asked what the hospital gave me to help me: a pot for 12 days and then an elastic bandage and a pair of crutches. She said this was totally inadequate.
She asked what advice they gave me: when I first went to A & E I was told the break would take six weeks to heal; the physios taught me how to use the crutches. After the pot was taken off the doctor said I could go back if I had any problems; I was told to wear the bandage during the day and take it off at night.
She said I should have been told about going to a podiatrist for more specialised help and advice. I wasn't. She said the fracture could take two more months to heal (this was two months after it was fractured, but bearing in mind I hadn't been given adequate advice and support to start with).
She recommended footwear with a rigid sole and with curved heel and toe areas to give a 'rocking movement', in other words something similar to a Dutch clog, to rock my foot through the movement and prevent bending of my foot every time I stepped. As my foot is still too swollen to get any of my shoes on it I have been getting around in elastic bandage and socks.
Another niece (who lives in Surrey) has been to visit me and took me to the clog making place at Mytholmroyd. I've now got kitted out with a pair of clogs. The heels still need to have a curve put on them, but I've spoken to 'chiropodist niece' to ask how this should be done. With the help of a friend I'll be able to go to the clog factory and get that adjustment made.
Oh, and the only place in Britain where they manufacture clogs from start to finish is only a few miles away from here. Streets of Shame Sunday, February 7th, 2010 - 9:03 am
People in my ward have complained about dog dirt around the village lately. I've talked to Cleansing and the Dog Warden Service about it. They say the whole district has been overrun by it - er, maybe I should rephrase that - there are problems all over the district.
It seems to me that some dog walkers have imagined it's OK to leave shit in the street because the snow would cover it up. When the snow has melted all the brown stuff has come to light.
Of course the majority of dog owners are responsible people and wouldn't dream of leaving dog mess in the street.
Anyway the dog wardens have been so overwhelmed by complaints that they have had to bring in the pooh cavalry in the form of Community Wardens. Two of them came round to see me the other day. They were going to the streets that people had told me about. Here is a list of the 'Streets of Shame' that I've been told about (but I do realise that these may not be where the pooches in question actually live):
Thwaites Brow Road
Moss Carr Road
Cherry Tree Rise
It is actually illegal to allow a dog to foul a footpath, park, play area or grass verge without clearing it up - well, that is, the dog doesn't have to clear it up, the dog walker does. Hurray! Just spotted a pavement sweeper. Saturday, February 6th, 2010 - 12:51 pm
I've just spotted a pavement sweeper - a machine, so not able to get everywhere, but at least it can move quickly and clean a lot of pavement in a short time.
Hope it's sweeping up dog pooh, though I'd rather pooh wasn't left on the pavements in the first place! More on that story tomorrow. Has slavery ended in the US? Saturday, February 6th, 2010 - 12:09 pm
Nader's post of 1st February rightly celebrates the anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States of America.
However I heard a thought provoking piece on a TV current affairs programme this week. (I'm sorry, I can't remember which one.)
This was what I heard:
Some of the states of the United States have a "three strikes and you're out" rule. This means that having been found guilty of two offences you automatically go to prison if you are found guilty of a third offence, no matter how trivial it may be. All right, we don't like people to drop litter, say, but we Brits would think it outrageous to send someone to prison for such a misdemeanor. In the US people can be put away for something that trivial after they have had been found guilty of any two previous offences.
Once incarcerated, prisoners have to work. They have to produce goods. The only alternative is solitary confinement.
Now a disproportionate number of US prisoners are black. Is there a presumption of guilt that might not be applied to a white accused?
Maybe slavery amongst American people of African descent is still taking place, but in a less obvious way.
It's time the United States had a really good look at itself! Northern Ireland Agreement is Good News Saturday, February 6th, 2010 - 11:18 am
It's good to see progress being made in Northern Ireland - and all credit to Gordon Brown for his part in it. Maybe being a Celt helps.
The new agreement on policing may help to keep things on an even keel over the 'Marching Season'. Dial-a-Ride Monday, February 1st, 2010 - 12:24 pm
The man who came to ask the Town Council for funding for Dial-a-Ride said that none of us know when we might get a disability which makes us need their help. He was so right! They're going to help me today. So glad I voted in favour - but I would have done anyway. Of course from now on I'll have to declare an interest when anything comes up about the scheme.
We aim at the highest possible accessibility standards -
WCAG 1.0, AAA and WCAG 2.0, level 3 (with valid HTML).
Unfortunately, that's hard to prove.
The checker linked above, for instance, fails almost every page on the site,
but when I follow up the "faults", so far, they have all turned out
to be warnings about issues that have been taken into account.
Please feel free to check for yourself, then
if you find an exception, please
In accord with our aim of accessibility, it is site policy not
to specify font families or point sizes for our pages. You can choose the
size and typeface you see: set the
'default font' in your own browser. (Roger Beaumont has published
some instructions about how
to set your default font.)
Volunteers required.
We use the automated checking tools above to try to make this Website accessible
but need help from someone who has a real sight disability to give us feedback
about practical use with a screen-reader - especially about problems. If you
can help, we'd be very glad to hear from you.
The REAL alternative
"The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a free, fair
and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental
values of liberty, equality and community and in which no-one
shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity." Preamble to the Liberal Democrat Federal Constitution, first sentence.
"Hope not hate"
This Website is hosted ("printed") by Roger Beaumont, 174 Skipton Road,
Keighley.
It is published and promoted by Judith Brooksbank on behalf of the Liberal Democrats,
at 198 Thwaites Brow Road, Keighley, BD21 4SW
All information and opinions on this site are provided in good faith, but we are
fallible - no liability is accepted except that required by British Electoral Law.
*
*