"Last of George's tubes came out today - hurray! he's now feeding: tube-free and enjoying (yes really enjoying) eating soft, mushy food. Memory a lot better. He's still in intensive care, but should be moved to trauma this week."
Progress is a good thing.
On another matter: time to dig deep my friends...in the middle of the picture is soldier Chris...he was featured on the big screen during the Olympic Opening ceremony.
Chris is doing a sponsored ride to Paris for his chosen charity Kiterite which describes itself as the world's first charity dedicated to using kite-sports in all its formats to help, support, educate and develop people of all ages with physical, mental health or learning challenges. Anyway, Chris needs more sponsorship in order to achieve his ambition...so if you would like to sponsor him, click here or perhaps just feed the link around the interweb on Facebook or Twitter....I'd be grateful, and Chris will too!
After my watch-box extravaganza, it seems somewhat hypocritical to take another pop at the bankers...but that's never going to stop me. The Funding For Lending Scheme was launched by the Bank of England to encourage banks to lend to small businesses by offering banks cheap money. It was designed to kick start the economy. You may have read this week that bank lending is continuing to decrease. Inspite of the BoE lending some £14.5 billion, lending has fallen by £2.4 billion. My maths may not be great, but I think I can calculate that the banks are sitting on a fat profit at the tax payers expense. Again. And in this very same week, Bog-eyed Osbourne has trotted off to Brussels to plea for bankers bonuses not to be restricted. Jeez, by any standard that stinks. Really stinks. While the economy slowly sinks, the Chancellor can do no better than demand that city w*nkers be allowed to be paid more. The banks caused the crisis, and it is more than time for them to do their bit to re-invigorate the economy so I can buy more watch boxes (oops). Anyone with half an ounce must see that the system doesn't work. Fundamental change is absolutely necessary...and more savage cutbacks by the Tories and their LibDem puppies which only impact on the less-well paid isn't the way to do it.
So more MoD cutbacks. Whilst the Generals bemoan the loss of our military capability, I feel it is incumbent on me to point out that globally we remain one of the highest spending countries on military stuff. Now that the world's map is no longer half painted pink, I suggest we cut back accordingly. So an army about the size of Lichtenstein's will do very nicely thank you very much. And the savings can be spent on something rather more worthwhile. Suggestions on a postcard please.
Phew. Enough said.