Tag: disabilitynewsservice

Links, Pictures and a Test Match

A mixed bag – a brief account of test match, some very important links, especially regarding disability rights, and some photographs.

INTRODUCTION

The pictures and some brief comments on the Test Match that finished yesterday between England and Pakistan not withstanding, this is mainly a sharing post.

UNRESOLVED IN THE UAE

This is nominally a home series for Pakistan, being staged in the United Arab Emirates because Pakistan is still considered off-limits for security reasons. For four and a half of its allotted five days this match had all the makings of a high scoring bore draw, Shoaib Malik having scored 245 for Pakistan on pitch devoid of life and bounce, and Alastair Cook retaliating with a monumental 263 in 826 minutes for England who ended up leading by 75 on first innings. Then a combination of some horrendous misjudgments by the Pakistan batsmen and some good bowling, especially from leg spinner Adil Rashid (Yorkshire born and bred btw) left England with 99 to win, and they were within 25 of doing so when the light closed n sufficiently for the umpires to call a halt, it being at the same level it was when they had done so the previous evening. This is the second time in only just over two years that the current light rule has been horrendously shown up in a test match involving England – the other being at the Oval in 2013.

LINKS

The links I have for you today come in three sections…

DISABILITY RIGHTS

As some of you will be aware, Britain has recently achieved the unwelcome distinction of becoming the first country to be investigated by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I have three links relating to this very important issue to share with you…

First, this wonderful piece from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) which explains exactly why this investigation is happening.

Next comes this from disabilitynewsservice about the early stages of the investigative process.

Finally, comes the text of a question and where you can post it (as I have already done) to ensure that it gets asked at next Prime Minister’s Questions. The question we want to ensure that Mr Corbyn puts is:

The United Kingdom is currently being investigated by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities because of allegations of “grave and systematic” violations of disabled people’s human rights. Shamefully we are the First Country ever to face such an inquiry. The Inquiry itself is has been widely reported in the press and DWP have confirmed the inquiry was initiated by the campaign group Disabled People Against Cuts.

Will the Prime Minister now commit to the government publishing in full the findings of the committee when the report is sent to the government next year?

You can put the question on this link: http://www.labour.org.uk/your-PMQS

A COUPLE OF INTERNATIONAL LINKS

The bizarre situation at universities in Texas whereby one can carry a handgun concealed about one’s person with impunity but not a water pistol has provoked one very brave and principled professor to resign his position in protest. The full story has been covered by whyeveolutionistrue in this post. Here for you to view is the resignation letter itself:

Resignation Letter

My other international link comes courtesy of the wonderful Heather Hastie, whose blog I heartily recommend. This piece, under the heading “Winner of the Week” talks about the sadly endangered pangolin, taking a battering because of the vile superstition that its scales have medicinal qualities (I like to think that even if I was not allergic to woo this piece would have provoked the kind of reaction it did in me).

THE REMAINDER

Vox Political have been pursuing the DWP over claimant deaths for a very long time, and it now looks as though that department have landed themselves in a whole heap of trouble, as explained in this post.

Finally, a link to a piece in the Guardian about Jeremy Hunt (he of rhyming slang fame) and his current target, junior doctors.

PHOTOS

Today’s selection of photo’s also divides into two, starting with some of my usual pics from around King’s Lynn…

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My remaining pictures come from Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin, one of the books mentioned in this post which I reblogged from whyevolutionistrue.

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A Figure of Eight Walk

An account of a walk around King’s Lynn, accompanied by photos. Also some important links.

INTRODUCTION

I am in the process of putting together a very large post indeed as an experiment, and meantime I offer you this little post…

THE FIGURE OF EIGHT WALK

I did this walk immediately after lunch yesterday. Setting off I headed through Baker Lane Car Park, across the upper Purfleet and down to the Great Ouse by way of the lower Purfleet. The first photo I got was this one of a bird that was perfectly positioned for the shot…

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I headed along the river bank and across the Millfleet, then took the path that skirts old Boal Quay round to…

CORMORANT PLATFORM

This meeting point of the Nar and Ouse provided some fine photos…

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Just beyond Cormorant Platform is the path through Harding’s Pits, from which I then headed across the Nar, stopping to photograph a swan…

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Up through the South Gate, across the London Road, through a little known passage and along to Seven Sisters, at which point I entered…

THE PARKLAND

The water by the bandstand is generally good for a few pictures, and today was no exception…

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After the bandstand I followed the path the exits the parkland by way of the church of St John the Evangelist, walked up past the train station and on to the second loop of the figure of eight, following another little river in King’s Lynn until the path diverged from it to go past the first of two ponds separated by the width of a road. The river provided a few pics, but nothing was happening in either pond…

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From the second pond I followed the road I was round until I reached the path through the meadow that leads to a bridge across Bawsey Drain, on to another path that I followed back towards the town centre. This section of the walk yielded only one picture – a green insect that because of its size I was not sure I would be able to capture…

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On the last stage of the walk I got a picture of the model spitfire that currently adorns the Trues Yard museum…

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After I was home, I got one final picture of a military aeroplane that flew very low (by the standards of powered aircraft) overhead…

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LINKS

My first link is to a document outlining Mr Corbyn’s mental health policy, for which I am using a quote from the document itself – the second bullet point to be precise…

“Challenging the stigma around mental health and ending the second class treatment of mental illness in the NHS – mental illness should be treated on a par with physical illness. Mental health conditions make up 21.9% of conditions faced by the NHS but receive only 11.9% of the overall budget.”

My next two links both come courtesy of DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts):

This piece from disabilitnewsservice makes some unpleasant but hardly surprising revelations about Maximus, the vile American company responsible for administering the notorious fitness for work tests that have blighted so many lives.

Finally, and on a completely different note, here is a link to an excellent blog post by Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society.