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Phoenix122's bio
Long since retired but felt it was a beginning not an end and life had a lot more to offer. I have several hobbies although dedicated to none I more or less do as the spirit moves. I'm a fair weather gardener and I enjoy family history although now I tend to help other folks unravel - or dig up the skeletons in the cupboards. I enjoy writing, particularly blogging and I sometimes forget to stop once I start, I also like writing poems, Pam Ayres style, a bit more tongue in cheek than serious. I like to think my cup is half full and I enjoy company but am more comfortable with one to one or small groups rather than crowds.
I have one daughter who lives quite a distance from me although I do still see her fairly often but I still miss her company. -
Phoenix122's latest comments
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31st Jul 2018Phoenix122 commented on:
Should we have a second EU referendum?The first referendum was to join the common market not the EU.ViewDate:
19th Aug 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Should smokers, drinkers, drug users and obese people be charged to see the doctor?jeanmark, whilst I do agree with you in some respects, it is very difficult to generalise given such a wide range of situations. My personal experience with bursitis worked for me but I am not stupid, I do realise I can't speak for everyone but there are those who will always go for the quick fix when there are alternatives. I do also understand what addiction means and I see how it can destroy lives, but there are enough warnings around about what can happen if you start. Some folks have perhaps turned to an addictive substance thinking it would help them over a sticky patch in their lives and they could control it or use it as a way of escape. When it comes to indulging in it for sheer pleasure then they must be fully aware of how it could end up. I see young folks, no work, no hope of working try to get enough money to pay, going from one fix to another. Borrowing from family because they've spent the rent money on drugs and no matter how you try to help, it never seems to work. I think the society we live in now is a lot to blame. Many parents don't take the same responsibility for their families and the families are now so independent because of the generosity of the welfare state. When I was younger it was almost impossible for a single young person to get social housing. They were expected to live with their parents or rent a room somewhere. Now many of them are getting homes of their own but without guidance on budgeting, respect for neighbours and property. Don't tell me I don't know about that either, I lived with that as a neighbour. The constant drunken parties, unbelievable noise from extremely loud music but finally I put up with it long enough and contacted the authorities. The officers came out, heard the racket and gave them £100 on the spot fine. They needed to have a whip round from their friends to pay it but it more of less stopped after that. The nicely, nicely approach doesn't always work. It hit their pockets in this instance and it worked. The NHS doesn't have the money and to get enough to try to sort everyone's problems out, NI and income tax contributions would need to be raised substantially. They are already supplying methadone to drug addicts because it's cheaper to the NHS than what treatment without it would be. Unfortunately even that is being abused, some are taking methadone and drugs so are already funding their habits. There's no one answer fits all.ViewDate:
5th Aug 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Should smokers, drinkers, drug users and obese people be charged to see the doctor?I think the problem there is smokers, drinkers, drug users can have problems which are self inflicted through their addictions. If something is poisonous you don't eat it, smoking, drinking and drugs are already costing the country a phenomenal amount of money just to try to prevent the health issues but it doesn't stop people indulging in them. Obesity can be a totally different matter, a lot of it is related to health issues and not gluttony or laziness. Those who supply the tobacco, alcohol and drugs are responsible, their products are all addictive and they know it and make huge profits from abusing the health of people, they also should contribute more. However the people who indulge have got to bear some responsibility and perhaps should be given an option to get help to quit or contribute more for any of the abuse related incidents. For example, anyone going on a binge drinking spree should be charged if they need medical attention. The NHS would need to change and I think it probably will, it can't keep providing free services without having an income to cover it. That might mean raising NI contributions for workers but again why should they be expected to pay for something which could have been avoided. There are also more incidents of drug abuse by the patients who keep demanding antibiotics and unnecessary medication. I was given an option when I had bursitis, to either exercise, which would be painful and take a long time, or a cortisone injection which I was told was a quick fix. I opted for the exercise, I didn't want to risk infection with the injection, I know some folks who have suffered this, and I didn't understand why taking the pain away would speed the recovery, surely there would be more risk of damage if you didn't have the pain to let you know something was wrong.ViewDate:
17th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Vegetable PatchesI'm sure I'm throwing the same ones over the wall time and time again but they never get fed up coming back :-(ViewDate:
16th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Another atrocityListening to R4 this afternoon, it was suggested that it could possibly be a planned coup by their PM in order to write a new constitution giving him more powers with the ultimate aim of him becoming all powerful like Saddam Hussein. The programme was on around 5pm but I haven't tried to look for it in playback yet.ViewDate:
16th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Weather 2016 - a Gardener's Nightmare! - [DELETED_MEMBER]Further north west Scotland, exotic plants thrive, supposed to be because of the Gulf Stream. Pineapples were very popular here in Victorian times although they were glass house grown. If you've grown bananas and coconuts before, any idea what the difference is. Your weather will be just a shade warmer than ours but not a lot.ViewDate:
16th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Weather 2016 - a Gardener's Nightmare! - [DELETED_MEMBER]A bit sunnier than up here and a few degrees warmer :-)ViewDate:
16th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Weather 2016 - a Gardener's Nightmare! - [DELETED_MEMBER]What area are you in Wilf?ViewDate:
15th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
GeneologyI believe I have Irish ancestors from N.Ireland but never got very far with researching them. You didn't say which part of the UK Paul, I'm in Scotland and research here is a bit different from English research. It depends what you are looking for. You can do a surprising amount of research yourself for either free or pay something like Ancestry.co.uk. I don't use them, but Rootschat members (free to join) are usually all very helpful and will do searches on your behalf if they can. If you give a bit more information, we can maybe point you in the right direction.ViewDate:
15th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Vegetable PatchesNever too late to comment of slugs and snails. They do do a good job, too good a job because they don't know when to stop. If they would just settle for the dead material it would be fine but their clear-up programme doesn't tell them the plants not to touch. I bought Nemotodes this year and they worked a treat on the slugs but I was still left with large mature snails and if I found them I tossed them over the wall. I didn't realise that snail have their own SatNav and they know their way home so to get rid of them, you need to take them about 20ft away, that scrambles their homing sense. Nemotodes probably didn't work with the snails because I only found the mature snails, apparently the wee microscopic worms work best with the younger generation. I would recommend trying them at least.ViewDate:
15th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Weather 2016 - a Gardener's Nightmare! - [DELETED_MEMBER]I'm in South West Scotland and suffer summers of being frequently cooler and damper than anywhere else. My tomatoes have gone a big strange, I bring them on from seed and they were doing fine until we had a spell of hot dry weather and they became quite leggy and developed side branches. Although I removed the shoots as usual I kept the branches otherwise I wouldn't have any tomatoes. I've heard other growers say the same. I grow some toms in pots and some in a hydroponic tank, two identical plants, one in a pot and one in the tank and now the potted one is tall and leggy and the one in the tank is like a tree trunk and laden with toms. The only difference I see other than the growing medium, is the fertiliser. The tank gets nutrients added with the water. My courgettes were abysmal but I was advised to feed them more so now I have them outside and they are thriving. So my lesson is to be more generous with feeding them. My garden is tiny so I have to grow in containers. I haven't harvested any potatoes yet, but they are usually robust anyway. I am growing sweet potatoes which are apparently difficult to grow in cooler climates and they are still alive. Kale and Lettuce are healthy. I have been trying other veg. this year, because of the constraints of container growing. Beans were slow to start, not many of the peas came to anything. I do have a lot of less popular or maybe less known vegetables which seem to be doing ok. My plants are not lonely though and I have some bee and insect plants to keep them company as well. I paid a visit to the Tibetan Monestary in Dumfriesshire last year and was very impressed with their veg. They had the healthiest courgettes I've seen, companion planted with pot marigolds and nasturtium with the tomatoesViewDate:
15th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Brexit and TravelI didn't believe any of the propaganda for either side, just like I don't believe any other kind of advertising. I wanted to find out an unbiased opinion and I ended up being shocked at what was all behind the EU. Unfortunately I am surprised at the number who voted to remain for the sake of free movement - where do they get the idea that we won't be able to travel, I did before EU and I presume I could again after it if I wanted to. People moved and lived abroad as well before EU. But free travel, cheap booze and tobacco have all been fairly popular reasons for folks voting to remain, fairly selfish but not many mention their reasons to stay, and I mean their own reasons not reasons given by the media getting repeated parrot fashion. Do you know when or why the EU came to be, do you know what actually goes on inside the parliament. Nobody yet has given me a good reason why staying is good for the country.ViewDate:
15th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
What should the government do next?It will be interesting to see how it will all be dealt with. My fear, although they say Brexit means Brexit, that other issues will interfere. I am Scottish but I voted to leave and I want the UK to remain as a United Kingdom. Sturgeon does not speak for all Scottish people, but she is like a wee terrier, once she gets her teeth into something, regardless on consequences, she won't let go. Northern Ireland and Wales are not making such a rammy. Sturgeon has been told that it is the UK who are members of the EU, not the individual nations and Scotland would need to be independent and then apply. I hope this issue gets put to rest so that the country as a whole can knuckle down and get the economy going again. We will need to wait until Friday to find out what the outcome of the meeting between Sturgeon and May will be to have any idea which way events will turn. I did think it would be best to trigger article 50 as soon as possible to get the negotiations going but with the political unrest at the moment, I think the UK needs to get it's houses in order first. Thankful the governing parties are getting their act together but I think it's a disgrace the way Labour is carrying on. Whatever they think of Corbyn, I'm pretty sure people voted the way they wanted to whether or not Corbyn did or didn't do anything to help the campaign, perhaps it's just getting used as an excuse to oust him, but they should never have brought their debachle out at this time.ViewDate:
15th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Just joined so I'm introducing myself.I haven't been here long either and not used to how it all works yet. If you do find your way around, please let me know, I don't find it the easiest site to negotiate LOLViewDate:
15th Jul 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Just joined so I'm introducing myself.I don't find this site all that easy to keep track of conversations but I suppose it's just because I'm not used to it yet. I've been spending time trying to revamp a tiny garden so haven't been spending much time on here. All the work but I still won't end up with a prize for garden of the year!ViewDate:
17th Jun 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Brexit and TravelApparently although we voted to join the EEC, we did not get the option to vote to join the EU and that may mean we are actually not members of the EU. Best to read the suggestion for yourself and form your own opinion http://www.vernoncoleman.com/euillegally.htmlViewDate:
17th Jun 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Brexit and TravelIt is a referendum we are voting on and should it be a 'leave' vote the notification of the wish to leave needs to be applied to the EU commission, there would be a lot of negotiations which could take about 2years (someone even thought as much as10 years). The application then goes before the EU parliament and they set the date for leaving. Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Ireland and Greece have all needed bail-outs from the EU, now it's being reported that France and Germany are having problems. We have been threatened with no-one would trade with us, even suggesting WW3, loss of jobs - all the threats coming from the 'Remain' side. UK farmers paid not to plant crops but other EU countries could. Our fishermen could only catch the quota of fish they were told to and the rest thrown back, dead or alive! and then we have to import the fish in our waters that we are not allowed to catch. As far as trading goes, we already trade with other countries, we are in the G7 & G20, the biggest economical countries, we are the the Commonwealth League of nations, our queen is the head. We like many of the other EU members are in NATO - can't see them allowing WW3 to break out in Europe. If there are threats of war from perhaps Russia, then we would join forces with our allies as we have done before. If Germany and France stopped trading with us, we import more from them, than they do from us and think of all the BMW, Fiat, Citroen etc cars from these countries - it would be unnecessary economic ruin for them. Then there is all the produce from France and Spain - ruination of their economy. Nobody wants that, least of all, them. Ridding ourselves of an expensive beaurocracy, would give us the opportunity to build up our own businesses, put the money where we need it most and still be able to help other countries - but it would be our choice and not something which has been dictated to. The EU lost £100 billion in unaccounted spending and errors and their own auditors wouldn't even sign them off. It costs £130 billion of European Tax payers money p.a. for the monthly shuffle between Brussels and Strasbourg. Our debt is the biggest it's ever been at £1.4 trillion, so how can we be better of remaining, if they can't look after our money?ViewDate:
17th Jun 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Do you feel lonely?I've been retired for some time, I have one daughter living a distance away. Living in a small rural place means I have to travel to meet friends and although the folks here are friendly enough when you meet them, they are very parochial. I realised a few years ago that there were people in a similar position as myself. I live on my own but have a partner who has health issues and is not very sociable. I call in on him almost daily but our social life is limited to taking him shopping with a very rare visit to see his friends. I started a lunch group, originally contacting local members of the now defunct Sagazone because most of the events organised were in the city and not easy to get to if you live in the sticks. It has lasted over 4 years now. We meet once a month for lunch for over 50s. I advertise the event, if someone wants to come along they would be welcome. Our lunches are in a nice hotel, wide choice of menu from a snack to a meal and we can stay as long as we like. It was started as a time for anyone, regardless of status or gender to come along and chill out for a wee while. Some want some 'me' time away from husbands and family, some just like having a meal in company. The only admin is emailing everyone to get their names if they want to come and booking the table. Any of them can organise an outing if they want and we have had days out. I would recommend trying something like that. A lunch or even a coffee & scone, suits almost everyone. We even pay our own at the till when we leave so no fussing about collecting the bill. If anyone wants any other information on how we work, I'll be happy to tell you more. I doesn't solve all the problems because our participants come from all over the county, so in that respect it doesn't help a lot with making local friends - unless you live in a bigger town.ViewDate:
1st Jun 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Should Britain stay in the EU or is now the time to leave?Neither side know for sure what would happen and although I'm all for leaving the EU, I would like to see people vote for whichever way the feel is best. If most of the people would turn out for a vote, then we'd know how the whole of the country felt. If we leave, we will not be alone as the scare tactics say. Britain did without the EU for centuries so I don't see why we can't again. If we stay, I hope this referendum has been the means of a shake-up both for the EU and UK. It will let these governing groups know we still have the power to get changes if we stand together.ViewDate:
29th May 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Beastly Slugs and SnailsI have a frogs which I hope will help but I am using nemotodes this year. Not many slugs but the snails are quite butch. I tried throwing them over the wall but apparently they have a GPS system which brings them back home so you need a bit more power to your elbow to scramble their SATNAV to get them beyond 20 mtrs. I have us use containers for planting so can't afford to share fresh veg with them, they are supposed to clear up decaying matter but have never learned the difference Most appropriate poem :-)ViewDate:
29th May 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Just joined so I'm introducing myself.Hi Colleen58, I have just joined but missing out the grandchildren bit (I don't have any) I should have got you to write my introduction for me LOLViewDate:
29th May 2016Phoenix122 commented on:
Should Britain stay in the EU or is now the time to leave?The EU can't give us anything we haven't already got already. The scare tactics used by the 'remains' are unbelieveable. Will no-one trade with us if we leave the EU, WW3 threatened - Of course they will trade. We are one of the 7 biggest economies in the world and being members of the G7 proves that. We are also members of the G20, an even bigger organsation. We're in The league of Commonwealth of Nations which has our queen as their head, we're in NATO. These are worldwide organisations we are already in, so when they say we will be alone - They lie. WW3 will break out - They lie, we're in NATO - so are most the other members. EU members will not trade with us - they lie. Merc, BMW, Fiat, Citroen, Scania, Daf etc are all from EU countries and for a foreign committee to block them selling to us, puts their economy in danger and they won't do that. If we leave, there is a chance that there will be more jobs for more people in Britain. The House of Commons cost analysis is a long read but it's worth it, it makes points for either side. One paragraph starts "2 Cost-benefit analyses of EU membership There is no definitive study of the economic impact of the UK’s EU membership, or equivalently, the costs and benefits of withdrawal. Framing the aggregate impact in terms of a single number, or even irrefutably demonstrating that the net effects are positive or negative, is a formidably difficult exercise." It's a PDF doc if you want to read it. http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06730/SN06730.pdf Personally I don't think it's worth giving up our sovereignty to a beaurocratic foreign committee to make decision for us. -
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