26th January, 2024.
Yay! It’s Friday!
Which is possibly not a reason for me to get excited!
It is, after all, just another day!
One that doesn’t have that much in the way of plans, I should add.
I’m sure I’ll find something to do.
~≈Œ≈~
I could, for example, watch a movie: or possibly start a series.
Ones I’ve been planning on watching — then reviewing — for a while.
And that now seem vaguely topical.
Especially in light of the fact that, recently, General Sir Patrick Sanders — the head of the UK’s army — has said that the country needs what he calls a ‘citizen’s army’: a group of people willing to join, and be trained, in case of a war.
I have to admit, that gives me a few ideas about films: Dad’s Army might be one idea.
The Day After, another.
I’m also wondering something else.
Is Sir Patrick making a suggestion he feels will help in a looming war?
Or something he hopes will boost Army funding.
I can only hope it’s the latter option.
~≈Œ≈~
As another point in the news?
I’m diabetic, over-weight, and lord knows what else.
And am very aware that two injectable drugs — Ozempic, and Trulicity — are very helpful: both in managing my condition, and managing my weight.
Late last year?
Saw the start of Ozempic shortages.
Lots of people who are overweight — and who could manage their weight with lifestyle changes — started getting private prescriptions for the drug: forcing those of us with diabetes to look elsewhere.
I — and many others, it seems — switch to Trulicity.
Which — in my experience — is less helpful at weight management, however good it is at managing my blood sugars.
According to this article?
People with a priority clinical need are missing out: as there’s still a shortage of Ozempic … and, more recently, of Trulicity.
I’m wondering what can be done.
I suspect drug companies boosting their outputs could help: but suspect they won’t, in order to boost their prices.
I also suspect legislation may help.
Or, at least, a legislated list: of drugs that can only be prescribed by an NHS doctor*.
Putting drugs needed by those with serious conditions — rather than by those with conditions manageable by easier means — could be useful.
Let’s move on, shall we?
Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga†, Mum‡ and Debbi§ putting in their answers: with everyone scoring five out of five.
Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?
Here they are, along with the How To, License and video.
Q1) “26th January” is a song by A.B. Original and Dan Sultan. It was released, digitally, in which year: 2015, 2016 or 2017?Q2) 26th January is Engineer’s Day. Where: Pakistan, Paraguay or Panama?Q3) 26th January, 1998, President Clinton announced he’s never had sexual relations with whom: Angelina Jolie, Monica Lewinsky or Marilyn Monroe?Q4) 26th January, 2024, is the International Day of Clean Energy. According to whom: the European Union, United Nations or the Union of South American Nations?Q5) Finally … ? Nadya Suleman gave birth on 26th January, 2009. To how many live babies: eight, nine or ten?
Q1) The first Winter Olympics opened on 25th January, 1924. In which country: France, Germany or Belgium?A1) France.Q2) Those first Winter Olympic were held in Chamonix. The town was part of which which mountain range: the Rockies, Alps or Drakensteins?A2) The French Alps.Q3) The UK got a total of four medals: one gold, one silver and two bronze. Which nation earned the most medals, that year: Norway, Finland or Austria?A3) Norway: with a total of seventeen.Q4) The Games featured Curling as an event. Who won the gold medal for that year: Great Britain, Sweden or France?A4) Great Britain.Q5) Finally … ? The Games featured an event called Nordic Combined. The event is a form of what: football, skiing or chess?A5) Skiing.
Here’s a thought …
“Differences of opinions about movies make the world go around.”And the song mentioned in Q1 …
Col Needham, IMDb founder, born 26 January 1967.
Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.
Decisions about scores are final.
Thank you for coming: have a good day.
* Britain already has a controlled drugs list: which regulates an eye-crossing amount of powerful substances. I’m thinking this extra list would control substances because they’re in short supply: rather than because they’re powerful or dangerous. I’m no medic: so don’t know how this could work.
† Five Euros (€5), Olga? Five whole Euros? That’s about, what, about £4.30? Blimey, that is cheap! I think most barbers around here will ask for about a tenner: but only for pensioners and schoolchildren! That’s very fierce competition … !
‡ Hello, Mum!
§ That it is, Debbi. Overall, it’s not bad, though: Alison Pill’s VERY watchable in it! Oh, I’ve got this on order: as it was cheap! It would probably be a good partner for Nineteen-Eighty-Four. Oh, and there’s a quote from it on Wikipedia.
“The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns […] to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting out ink.”
Why AM I thinking of Boris Johnson, Debbi? Oh, there’s a famous comment about Boris …
6 comments:
Sounds like you had an expensive hair-cut. I remember paying 3s / 9d for an hair cut. That is about 9p in today's money.
Cheaper than Barcelona, then, Trevor …
Q1) 2016
Q2) Panama
Q3) Monica Lewinsky
Q4) United Nations
Q5) eight (They must have been tiny).
Yes, there is fierce competition. And I've seen places that offer hair-dyeing for 5 euros as well (hairdressers) although I imagine you must bring your own dye, because, otherwise the product is likely to be more expensive (although perhaps not when bought in bulk). And they offer different prices if you want your hair washed or not, etc... I know, at least for hairdressers, that they tend to try to sell you treatments and products as a way of increasing the price, because sometimes they have good offers on, but with one thing and another the prices go up if you say yes to everything. As I mostly have a pretty straightforward haircut, a lot of the time I tell them not to bother with a blowdry.
I think one of the issues is that governments pay a standard fee for medication, and private buyers will pay anything they think it is worth, so the labs will sell it to those people rather than to a government if they don't like the money. The big pharmaceutical labs have a lot of power and means, and they tend to get rid of anything they see as competition. (For instance, India usually made very cheap copies of medications, but they try very hard to block them coming into Western markets).
I guess laws would need to be introduced, and unless they were at an international level, they are unlikely to achieve much.
1 2016
2 India
3 Monica Lewinsky
4 UN
5 8
Speaking of the old money for one of my birthdays a few years ago I bought a full set od English coins minted in 1948 – the year of my birth.
The coins are from smallest value to highest value.
Farthing ¼ d
Halfpenny ½ d
Penny 1d
Thruppence 3d
Tanner 6d
Bob 1s
Florin 2s
half a crown 2s / 6d
The above is what I bought. I dohave a 10 bob note in a container under a lock of my hair from when I had hair.
The lowest note was the 10 bob note worth 10s
Then there was the pound note worth 20s.
A very rare note was a large white 5 pound note about as rare as a Unicorn.
At least Boris hasn't incited people to riot. Like, oh ... someone. :)
1. 2016
2. Panama
3. Monica Lewinsky
4. United Nations
5. eight
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