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Valleyman's bio
I've always liked writing short stories, novellas and poems. The community poems on here are really good. So I had to join in! -
Valleyman's latest comments
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9th Jan 2021
Valleyman commented on:
Will you be joining in the Clap for Heroes on Thursday?The first time round I thought it was a nice communal idea, even if it did create some peer pressure and unpleasantness from the few. But it's had its day. Pay the nurses more.ViewDate:
29th Nov 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Is foreign aid better spent at home?It's a case of repeating the same behaviour and expecting a different result. The West has been throwing cash at Africa for decades and only enriched a few dictators. Crazy policy. I was travelling in India when a local businessman explained the solution to me. 'Education and contraception'. Scrap the rigid payments and only help countries with emergency needs.ViewDate:
7th Nov 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Will the pandemic put an end to paying with cash?I rarely use cash these days and really like the contactless way of paying for things. No cash means no muggings (for cash), no bank robberies (for cash) and so on. There will still be criminals, like the calls from ‘BT’ and the ‘…about your recent accident…’ and the dodgy television charity appeals. I suppose the computer savvy hackers will prosper. And that criminals will steal ‘things’ rather than paper and coins. But there are other effects. Money for homeless people, children’s birthdays, builders doing little jobs? Yes all of these could be paid via the internet or even by people having their own card machines. But in reality, the homeless people I have met have not been very organised. And I hardly think a small child’s face will light up with the knowledge they have received a bank transfer. The illegal drug trade will have to find a way around it’s lack of cash, some exchange system? Or a triangle of accounts to avoid detection? Finally, there is the ever extending role of the world’s governments. Every transaction seen, every movement monitored. Now that is worrying.ViewDate:
2nd Nov 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Would you vote to legalise euthanasia?I questioned the Liverpool Care Pathway when I encountered it, and was told to keep supplying fluids to a dying patient meant that they would drown in their own secretions. I'm not a doctor, but I was glad the scheme was ended. Only to be replaced by almost exactly the same treatment regime but with a different title! But yes, to see people suffer, and be rendered objects of pity by advanced dementia, or to scream in pain, means I'm all for grown ups being given a choice about how they depart this world.ViewDate:
28th Oct 2020 Valleyman commented on:
How likely do you think family gatherings will be this Christmas?The thought of having a big gathering and spreading the virus amongst those you care for is chilling. As Anubis said earlier have a June Christmas. Lunch on the lawn in the sunshine with hopefully Covid nothing but a a memory sounds wonderful.ViewDate:
23rd Oct 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Are you a big tea drinker?I love tea. But it's coffee for me first thing in the morning. The 6.30 caffeine rush gets my motor started. After that black tea all day long. I used to drink nettle tea, good for the circulation, but it was no substitute for Tetley. The water quality makes all the difference.ViewDate:
21st Oct 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Do you wear a reusable face mask or a disposable one?I use a disposable and bin it each time. Not great for the environment, but there’s more chance of preventing the spread of infection. I’ve tried reusables but have found the ones I tried to be claustrophobic. Also it would be tempting to use a reusable without washing. If you’ve been to the supermarket once then the mask is contaminated. It’s no good saying I’ll wear it a few times then wash it. As for people who wear it under their nose! What is the point? Most people are great about all this change to routine and as a nation we should applaud ourselves. The figures of hospital admissions I saw today scared me. I think we have to be very careful. But not panic.ViewDate:
19th Oct 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Does your family rely on you for childcare to enable them to work?My granddaughter has to be dropped off at my door, and I'm not allowed to go over to her house. It's better than not seeing her at all.ViewDate:
19th Oct 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Would you welcome a 'circuit-breaker'?Drippy Drayford is calling it a "firebreak." LOL.ViewDate:
18th Oct 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Would you welcome a 'circuit-breaker'?JeanMark, I would never criticise front line nurses. As I said, my family are nurses and I myself was a nurse for thirty years. Unfortunately front line nurses do not decide policy. Field hospitals were created then mothballed due to lack of use. Waiting lists for cancer treatment, just one example, have lengthened to unacceptable levels. It is sad to see the field hospitals being reopened now but that is due to the resurgence of the virus.ViewDate:
16th Oct 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Should all GP appointments go online?I'm sorry to hear that RodotH. I must admit I rarely see a doctor, but the nurses seem to have stepped into the doctor's shoes. I know options for changing doctor are very slim.ViewDate:
16th Oct 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Would you welcome a 'circuit-breaker'?I think the first thing to do is dump the phrase “circuit breaker.” It’s a full lockdown, not some new option. Nobody knows how things will pan out. Every scientist has a different opinion. But it does appear that lockdowns don’t work. Different countries have tried different approaches but we’ve all ended up in the same position. As far as I can see admissions/ventilator use/ deaths are not at the same level as the first wave. My family are involved in healthcare, and I’m dismayed how the NHS has deserted so many other patients to focus on Covid 19 (28th highest cause of death in the UK). My preference would be for life to go on with a sensible approach. Shield the vulnerable, wash hands, wear masks (correctly), keep your distance, but let us flourish and make money. If not there will not be an NHS, or benefits, not to mention the devastating effect on the nation’s mental health.ViewDate:
6th Oct 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Are you living with tougher lockdown measures at the moment?Hi Jay, nice to know we're all in this together. And how strange that people from England can come to our localities (possibly with the infection). Caerphilly has shown some improvement, hopefully this situation won't last too long. Plus we both live in a beautiful country!ViewDate:
2nd Oct 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Should there be an upper age limit to be a US Presidential candidate?I think we should avoid blatant ageism. Appoint on merit not race, gender or age. Trump has been incredible and I hope I have his energy at 74 (not so fussed on the hairstyle though).ViewDate:
30th Sep 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Are you living with tougher lockdown measures at the moment?In lockdown Wales. Here we go again. It’s strangely less painful this time. We know the drill. If there is a plot to break the independent spirit of the people, to end relationships, to disband discussion groups, to stop cross community support networks, it’s working. But saying that, many folk are openly flouting the rules and are happy to say they don’t believe the government any more. They are a small number, who may be complete fools, and who I presume will be informed on and rounded up pronto. (At BLM demo the police took the knee, at anti-lockdown demo they punched an old woman in the stomach - we know where the wind lays). We have to play along. I believe we are at risk from a second wave and must do something. But I find the experience quite depressing.ViewDate:
30th Sep 2020
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24th Sep 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Will you be downloading the new tracing app today?I'm not sure if you have to be permanently connected to the internet to join this scheme? My mobile is a pay as you go, get your Facebook in Costa thing.ViewDate:
24th Sep 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Have the new coronavirus rules gone far enough?I agree with KTrott. Overseas travel and sea-borne invasion should be restricted as much as possible. I was listening to a G.P. on Talk Radio (the only reasonable news channel available), and he said the only cases of Covid 19 he saw were people returning from holiday. Also I didn’t realise many of the hundreds queuing for testing were there not because they were ill, but because they needed a test certificate to travel to holiday destinations. It looks like we’re in this for the long term, as with many other viruses. We need, as stated in the interesting second wave analysis https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/covid-19-epidemic-waves/ ‘robust surveillance, the flexibility of response and rigid separation of suspected or confirmed cases.’ViewDate:
19th Sep 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Do you have confidence in the test, track and trace strategy?Of course, to be clear, there may be similarities in structure but the effects of Covid are far worse than the common cold. It is a devastating illness.ViewDate:
18th Sep 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Do you have confidence in the test, track and trace strategy?More tests, more cases of Covid. How many years has this particular strain been circulating? Test everyone for herpes zoster (shingles) or many, many other viruses and lots of positive results. We need to be guided by hospital admissions, the numbers on ventilators, and the number of deaths. Lockdown for a virus similar to the common cold? Probably not.ViewDate:
12th Sep 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Are you comfortable dating in person right now?Yes agreed Wilf, I remember the discos and bars of the 70’s as the scene of many humiliations and disappointments. A belly full of beer, lungs full of smoke, trying to shout something into some “lucky” girl’s ear. And if she agreed to a snog out the back by the bins, you soon found out the pair of you had absolutely nothing in common. Okay, to be fair, I’m sure many people found love at the time. After my two divorces, (the triumph of hope over experience), I met my current partner online. We had plenty of time to get to know each other before we even tousled each other’s hair, and it has been, and still is, a wonderful relationship.ViewDate:
11th Sep 2020
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10th Sep 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Are you comfortable dating in person right now?I feel an immense sympathy for the youth of today. In intimate situations young men are advised to ask for permission every 45 seconds. Not a joke. Marriage, if unsuccessful, can be financially disastrous. Blokes like computer gaming, sport, cars, etc. When the technology for artificial sex is fully developed I'm pretty sure they will look no further. Young women often want children, but it may be courtesy of the sperm bank. I was a young man in the seventies. We didn't know how good we had it!ViewDate:
6th Sep 2020
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3rd Sep 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Are you taking a late summer overseas holiday or have you postponed your plans?I think we should spend our holiday cash in the U.K. at the moment. Many seaside towns (and some inland tourist towns) are very run down, and used to accommodate people with drug or mental health problems. This could be a period of re-birth for places like Blackpool. Also, why risk bringing back infections from abroad? Seems a bit unnecessary to me.ViewDate:
30th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Are you inclined to take up the Government's offer - 'Eat Out To Help Out'?Wise words Sally.ViewDate:
29th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Should the Proms be stripped of its favourite vocals?The BBC seem hell-bent on self-destruction. The proms appear to be yet another attempt to alienate the British public. The over 75's free licences were part of a deal they agreed to and reneged on. It will be interesting to see if the BBC report the arrest and imprisonment of scores of elderly people for not paying their telly tax. They claim lack of funds while at the same time proposing to spend £100 million on "diversity" programming. The BBC "news" is laughably woke and prejudiced against the values and culture of Britain. But presumably the Corporation is run by intelligent people? How could they get it all so wrong? In their eyes they have not. It's hard for us to conceive how insular the North London politics and media "elite" are. They clearly believe they are right, the rest of the country is wrong, and needs to be educated. They despise the ageing population they rely upon for for their funding. A few years ago I would have laughed at the idea of a Marxist/Communist plot to overthrow our country. But after the rise of Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonald, and our close escape from disaster in the election, I realised things had definitely changed. I found a good explanation of how subversive plots work in one of Akkad Daily's videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWEmvQmndI8 It is very familiar. A twenty year plan to infiltrate the education system and shape the minds of children and young people. The demoralising of the population, spreading doubt and distrust of it's institutions, e.g. the police. The closing down of free speech. It's not a secret, and unfortunately it's not paranoia. Defunding the BBC would be a great start, but we'll probably continue to pay for it through income tax rather than the licence. The younger generation would have eventually refused to shell out for something they never use. Well, adapt or die they say. Long live the comrades!ViewDate:
24th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Would you be happy to have a drive-through flu jab this year?Yes...although I have strong reservations about the government putting chemicals into our bodies. With constant mutation it's impossible to cover every virus, and the testing period seems to be growing shorter and shorter. However, at this moment I would have the flu injection. I recently went to my local surgery and it was a strange isolated experience. As is almost all of our lives now. Most of my family and myself (before retirement), are nurses. They tell me there is massive training going on for the winter second wave. We are not out of the woods, and the careless mass assemblies will breath life into Covid. Stay home stay safe still applies!ViewDate:
24th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Daily diaries of those who are self-isolating due to CoronavirusHi Jenny I live in the Neath Valley, which is lovely, but the picture if I remember correctly is of Solva in Pembroke. If you don't know the area it's well worth a visit!ViewDate:
7th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Should all GP appointments go online?Thanks Lionel, I never realised the debilitating effect of a bad ear infection. I suppose none of us really understand someone else's situation till we've experienced it as well. Looking forward to your informed and wise comments in the future.ViewDate:
5th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Are you a 'Silver Streamer'?Defund the BBC! Seriously, Jimmy Saville's crew have had their day. Sort it Boris!ViewDate:
5th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Are you inclined to take up the Government's offer - 'Eat Out To Help Out'?Yes been out a few times and been great. Sounds like 2nd wave coming so fitting in a few days out. So sad, I miss our old lives. Thanks China.ViewDate:
5th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Is a second national lockdown for vulnerable over 50s the right way forward?Over 50's? Crazy talk. We run the country and the economy, and are in my humble opinion more responsible than the youngsters, who believe they are invulnerable. So many over 100's these days, 50 is only half way there!ViewDate:
5th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Should all GP appointments go online?I have recently been ill and found askmygp to be great. I conversed with practice nurses and got everything sorted. The days of sitting in a waiting room full of coughing patients are well and truly over.ViewDate:
5th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Do you prefer traditional books or audiobooks?Due to eye problems I could no longer read normal print books. I moved to large print and then to audio. Print books are still the treasured items I have known all my life, but audio have given me new worlds when lying in bed in the dark. Wonderful.ViewDate:
5th Aug 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Should wearing a face mask be compulsory in shops?Everybody in public should wear a mask. The effect on not just covid but all infections would be tremendous. Avoid people feeling awkward or uncertain, (eventually everyone will be wearing a mask anyway), make it normal until vaccine found.ViewDate:
23rd Jul 2020
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22nd Jul 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Should the new Covid-19 vaccine be made optional or mandatory?The practicalities of arresting and forcibly injecting people mean it has to be optional. We are not prisoners of this sceptred isle, we are the decision makers. In the course of my work, I once had the swine flu injection (another Chinese gift), and was told it was totally safe. However, it later emerged there was a chance of Guillain Barre Syndrome, as in the rare disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves until it eventually paralyses your whole body. Nice. Vaccinations are a gamble. Unfortunately.ViewDate:
17th Jul 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Are you keen to go back to your workplace or do you prefer to work from home?Aristotle said, 'man is by nature a social animal.' and that's it. Being shut up in the house indefinitely may appeal to some, but it's a short term buzz. We need the interaction with others. The joys and the challenges, the comradeship and the love. We're not meant to be in a cage. That way lies depression and misunderstanding.ViewDate:
13th Jul 2020 Valleyman commented on:
Do you feel that freedom of speech is becoming restricted in the UK?Well said John B and Wilf! -
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