Music is the food of love

Last Saturday I was at the best heavy rock gig for many years - Thunder touring their new album.
and this week I`m down in Scarborough to see old favourites Budgie who also have a fabulous new CD which I have bought autographed by the band, next week we are going to see Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra with Lulu as special guest.

Guisborough - Capital of Europe shock!

Well you will not be surprised to learn that the first drive-thru Subway opened in the UK in Manchester.
So where did Subway decide to pioneer their second drive thru sandwich experience?
London, Paris, Barcelona, Vienna perhaps???
No - hahahahaha it is in Guisborough!!!!!!!!!

Secret NHS heroin injections for criminal addicts

So there are two secret NHS sites for giving addicts heroin by injection - for the first time since the 1960`s - and one of them is Darlington (part of my Trust!). The argument is that treatment with Methadone doesn`t work - ooh big news that, I`m sure we could say that treatment to get people off drugs largely doesn`t work full stop!! Then that 2/3 of all crime is drug fuelled and that to support an average £15,000 annual habit you need to steal £45,000 worth of stuff.
The solution is to stop the crime by turning NHS staff into dealers of free heroin!! Oh the stuff of genius!!! Debate that one over a church BBQ.
Meanwhile back at the ranch I was phoned today by a chappie asking me to be available to meet some american bigwig next week for a two day power conference (including a saturday!) with a couple of other "really important people" to discuss innovative ways to introduce change management processes into health care systems. This involves working with Toyota and will involve a 2 week trip to Japan next year! Is it just me or is this really odd???????
I think I have died and gone to crazyland as some sort of penance!
I am consoling myself with a lovely bottle of Louis Latour Chardonnay which is my personal drug of choice!

Bernard`s visit and news from Rhema School Kampala

Our friend Bernard Bakunda stayed with us this weekend and we held a fund raising day at our house with a bouncy castle and a Body Shop christmas sale for Rhema Junior schoool in Kampala.
Bernard started this to provide education for children orphaned by HIV/ AIDS in Nakulabye slum which located 2 km from the Kampala center on Hoima Road. In his words: "The VISION STATEMENT of the school is to provide Bible- basic education from Nursery to Primary 7 and to equip children with skills that will help them earn a living there after.

The MISSION STATEMENT is to lay a Biblical Foundation in the lives of these little children in order to transform the Nakulabye community.

THE FOUR MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE:
1. To help at least 500 children by the year 2010 from Nursery to Primary Seven.
2. Raise one foster parent per child to provide school fees, uniforms, Books and pencils for a child.
3. Construct good class rooms for the children and a place of meeting.
4. Set up a skills training program of the children so that they can be trained after the 7 years of primary education.

KEY ACTIVITIES AT SCHOOL (now there are 200 children)
1. Beginning with prayers and Bible stories every day.
2. Providing basic education as recommended by the ministry of education.
3. Raise foster parents for each child.
4. Build good classrooms and place of meeting for children."

Newcastle to develop Human-Cow Hybrid

The Times reported today that Newcastle University were applying for a License to implant a human skin cell into a bovine ovum. Newcastle United fans were left wondering whether, with their team languishing equal bottom of the Premiership, that their chairman was behind the whole scheme. The suspicion remains that Eleven Human-Cow hybrids have been turning out for Newcastle United recently, judging by their speed and mobility on the pitch dressed in black and white.
However it is in fact a serious attempt to clone an embryo that would not legally be judged as human under current law, would be harvested at 6 days and "killed" at 14 days with a view to seeing whether stem cells could be used from the results.
We had a debate at the Bell Dinner table as to whether this was a very clever attempt to get round embryo research laws or indeed a valid way to harvest stem cells for future research targetting numerous serious diseases. Ethically this is a mine field (with a herd of Friesians grazing all over it) that needs some thought. Is an embryo grown from a human skin cell in a bovine egg human? Is it wrong to use stem cells from this source to alleviate suffering?
It is an issue which requires prayerful consideration.

Addictive "Lines" game top score

Well after two years of playing I`ve finally beaten my top score by a big margin so the challenge is on to beat 789. Yes Ruth that was 789 hahahahahahahahaha Dad is the best!!!
To play: click on the title of this blog.
Oh, and Nigel don`t let Sue even try this game as you won`t see her for weeks! (She won`t beat me anyway!!)