GrandmasterP

There's no distance on spirit side as such BKA. We're the only ones that need maps and mileage. :-)

I had no idea that Jenny Lamb was charging that sort of money for clearance work.. It seems a hell of a lot to charge for what's basically a healing procedure albeit with some extra help from spirit side. We don't charge for healing or clearance work at our centre but ( amount unspecified) donations are always accepted in the spirit that those are given. This is no comment at all on Jenny Lamb but from the Indian community here in the East Midlands every now and again we see reports in the local press about 'exorcists' putting the fear of goodness knows what into people and then making off with a small fortune for supposedly getting rid of the entity or curse. There was one such in the paper here just last Friday. That is preying upon fear.

Yep I remember that report coming out around the turn of the last century. It led to some positive changes. Thing is with hospitals being open 24/7 and all, working unsocial hours is kinda a given. Back when we had a hard time recruiting nurses one of my shift patterns was 5 days on then 5 nights on followed by two days off. But... They could and sometimes did call us in on those two days off to cover absences. That was just how it was so you either did it or baled out. These days there's a working hours directive so nobody ( apart from very junior doctors) has to work punishing hours anymore. Us 'old hands' when we get together to grizzle tend towards mantras such as... " Young nurses today- pah! They don't know they are born. Their lot is sheer luxury compared to what we had to do." Nostalgia aint what it once was.

I hear that Steve. Back when I trained we still had the old asylum system and those truly were places of safety for most of those who needed to be in them. The downside being that long term institutions inculcate institutionalisation in some. Then we got 'care in the community' and some folks who really needed to be in an asylum were pitched out into the community to sink or swim. Many sank. Now we have a more balanced system with these 'units' such as the one Cap is in offering the best of what the old asylums offered but with increased links and contacts to the communities they serve. In a way in the UK we are spoiled as nurses because we are 'de facto' state employees without many of the pressures that a private medical system focused on the bottom line of the annual accounts and shareholder report; of necessity must put on its staff.

Pass with Distinction. You got the job Steve. ( Our cousin Joe says to say 'Hi' BTW) :-)

I'll see your Marbles? And raise our chum Nikolai... 'References'? Where and how from Nietzsche's own writings do you derive that statement that Fred either wanted or did not want to be 'seen as a true religious mystic'? Fair enough maybe he is seen as such by some, you included. But where in his work does Fred either stake that claim or refute it?

Can't generalise here Steve all I know is the English psychiatric hospitals system that I trained and worked as a nurse in. Did that for twenty some years prior to moving into teacher training. Our psychy nurses are well trained, checks and balances are in place for safeguarding the patients, the public and nursing staff. There is no such thing as a perfect system nor perfect people. I do think that a patient in the English system has as good treatment as can be found in most places and possibly better than in some.

Well I can't see anyone much being interested in it as a regular thread but it'll keep me amused

My left leg's shot. Literally ( It got shot when I was in the army). Never been a happy leg since that time as it is missing some vital muscle-ey bits. Anatomy chap back in nurse training once told us that everybody 'naturally' bears weight inequitably, favouring one leg or the other. He reckoned that right handed people bore weight unevenly onto their left leg. Tends to be the weight bearing leg where varicose veins show up initially too, if someone is going to have those.

If the Captain's been 'sectioned' ( compulsory detention-for-treatment under the Mental Health Act) then it might be a while before he's out. Anyone released from section will have a Community Psychiatric Nurse to visit regularly. Patient care and community safety is central to the process. All our psychy units have 'independent visitors' appointed and some visitors come from Mind the Mental Health charity. For sure humans are fallible and 'trauma psychy' units can be witness to violence especially on first admission but deliberate cruelty or violence being done to a patient is extremely unusual to the point of massive press coverage when such reprehensible instances do come to light. Nurses tend not to become nurses in order to inflict harm. Quite the opposite. All good wishes to ya Cap. Go with the programme and 'fake it 'til ya make it' buddy.

Competitive examination followed by a rigorous interview stage. Hope that helps. ;-)

Taoism enacted on grass is the game of Lawn Bowls. Just off now to our team's fourth match of this season and our first away game. Two wins and one loss to us so far. It's a glorious afternoon. " Be the Bowls" is my mantra. Back later.

To Loughborough's beautiful Victoria Park ( the finest park in Leicestershire) yesterday morning to play in the first round of the County Championships ( we won comfortably). The green was like a carpet, marvellously kept and we had many spectators. There's a massive carrillon tower in the park. Pictures here.... https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Loughborough+Victoria+Park+carillon+images Loughborough has a famous bell foundry so the carillon reflects that. One of our spectators was an old boy wearing a tall wooly hat and thick overcoat holding a ratty old manilla folder of yellowing papers. It was a scorching morning. He was sat on his own with spaces around him, he did look kinda 'odd' you could see mums with kids casting him sidelong glances. The match ended at 12.45 with our opponents conceding the last two ends as they had no chance of winning by that stage. Carillon concert was billed to start at 1pm so having changed out of match gear I popped in to have a look, the bells were jjust starting. That odd looking old boy was the carillon player. He was brilliant. Once he'd banged out that first tune everybody wanted to talk to him and ask questions about how it all worked. He was 'in his element'.

I'd have noticed. We have dogs. They'd have told and shown me.

But there is no rabbit nor hole. ( here). ;-)

No rabbit. No hole. ( no rabbit stew)

Just been re-reading Peter Mattiessen's ' Nine headed dragon river." It's his 'zen' travel writing. There's a chunk of his Snow Leopard in there that I skipped having read that again last month. The Japanese sections are very good indeed. Matthiesen died recently and his last book has just been published to very mixed reviews. It was slated in today's Sunday Times books section. It's a novel about a mixed group of contemporary meditators from various faith paths on a 'retreat' at Auschwitz. Can't say I fancy it at the moment but may give it a go once the price drops.

Not sure that's a koan as such bro. Maybe more of a lifestyle tip. From the ones I've seen Koans tend towards being questions. If the dude had asked.... " What is the sound of one man sleeping?" Yep that'd be a koan albeit quite an easy one. One might answer... " Snoring". :-)

All the hard wood floorings are good and pretty easy to lay working from one straight edge. They just slot and click together. We had bamboo in our bathroom at the last house. It wasn't as durable as the regular wood flooring, that said it got wetter. Underneath the bathroom scales it just wore away the coating and once that was compromised the bamboo sorta crumbled a bit. We ended up putting hard wood on top of it.

Check out Mindfulness via the link in my sig. That can be a useful tool towards regulating troublesome thoughts. For sure you'll get off to seep easier. Hope that helps.

My electric bike has lithium batteries in some sort of series array. Not sure how but from the size of the long and rectangular casing I reckon they are mobile phone sized cells stacked up. It's good for about 20 miles unassisted, further using pedal/ battery combo. Takes forever to charge up from flat though. Overnight minimum.

These 'green' energy wheezes maybe OK but here in Blighty, so far: they have been a huge flop. We don't get enough sun for solar, either not enough wind or too much for windmills and tidal barrages just kill off molluscs first then the local bird life. We are sitting on some 500 years worth of coal here but due to 'green' legislation we can neither mine it nor burn it. Drax power station sits right on top of our biggest deepest coal field ( that's why they built it where it is) but had to shift from coal to wood chip. The wood chip comes in huge container ships from Canada and the USA. There's 'green'.

Just quoting is all. I don't buy it. Nor does Pratchett I suspect.

"In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.” (Terry Pratchett: Lords and Ladies)

I can't sit full lotus period. Dodgy left leg won't bend like it once did. Can do half lotus but unless I have my oversize zafu to sit on then anything over half an hour and I need to walk a while. Using that big zafu though I can go a full session with few problems. For Mindfulness we can sit as we choose and most choose a chair whilst some use a little bench. Main thing being as long as there are three points of contact and the back is straight then it's good to go. Was thinking of punting a Brad Warner thread on here. Whaddaya think? I really like the guy but some don't.