draliman on life

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

What is your opinion of the state of health care in your country? Adequate or inadequate? What could be done to improve it?
I reckon it’s pretty good. I’ve never had any complaints. There are delays etc for some things and it’s generally understaffed but at the start of the year when I had blood pressure issues they were all over it with all sorts of tests and whatnot. I even sent my GP surgery a box of choccie biccies for Christmas last week to say thanks – they’ve all been so friendly and smiling this whole time.

And, of course, it’s all completely free (paid for through “National Insurance” – about 12% of salary plus employer contribution). I do pay for prescriptions but I get as many as I need for just over £100/year so nothing compared to the actual cost.

To improve it? As with many things – more money. Though it already costs the government over £150bn a year. And if you don’t like it, you can always “go private” and pay for health care, though most British people wouldn’t even consider that. It’s very expensive!

What are two words that describe you best?
Largely inconsequential.

Do you have a morning routine? If so, what it’s like?
Yes. Most people with “standard” 9-5 jobs will. Get up, get ready for work, commute two metres from the couch to the desk…

What’s something that really makes your blood race?
Woohoo! Nudge nudge wink wink… um, I mean, nothing, really.

Do you enjoy singing festive songs during Christmas?
Nope.

‘Nuff said.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

What really turns your stomach? (politicians aside)
It takes a lot to turn my stomach. You’d be surprised at some of the gory stuff I happily watch while I’m munching away at my tea.

The behaviour and evil deeds of some people, that would do it.

What would YOU do with the immense amount of ‘garbage’ in the world, if there weren’t dumps or barges (Sorry New York/New Jersey) where it was taken to be processed?
Fire it into the sun. Nature’s incinerator!

What’s the oddest container you’ve ever gotten a gift in?
I can’t think of any odd containers used for gifts. I tend to get stuff in the original box wrapped in paper.

Do people behave differently during Christmas?
Everyone seems to be jollier. And less willing to do any actual real work. We used to get the afternoon of Christmas Eve off work. Now we get the whole day as the bosses realised no-one was actually doing anything in the morning.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World. This week is another squirrely one courtesy of the critters of the Shelf.

Mr Fox – If you had the power to strike one person in your life permanently speechless, who would it be?
I strike people speechless on a daily basis purely from the power of being me.

Tina – If you could relive your childhood over again, what’s one thing from this modern world today you’d want to take back with you?
Relive my childhood? Are you mad?

Rainbow Donkey – Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple are the standard colours of the rainbow. Name something you love (or greatly admire/appreciate) for all six major colours of the rainbow!
Purple? That’s history-changing. In this country we use the rhyme “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain” to remember the colours. He died in battle, you see. If we change Indigo/Violet to Purple we’ll have to change it to “Properly” and he wins! Oh no!

Red – spectacular sunset
Orange – normal sunset
Yellow – sun(set)
Green – sunset viewed through tall grass
Blue – sunset under water
Purple – sunset on Venus

Here’s sunset from my bedroom window a few days ago.

Hung-Lo – If you were to open the world’s most accurate fortune cookie, what would your fortune inside it read?
Hmm, let me see… how exciting! And… it’s blank! How can it be blank? What can this mean? What can this mean?

Shelf Santa – Santa’s tired of people leaving him out cookies and milk on Christmas Eve night! If you really wanted to get on Santa’s good side, what would you leave out for him to eat/drink instead?
Milk and cookies? What sort if treat is that for Santa? Over here it’s sherry and mince pies. I’ll add some Cornish clotted cream for him.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

What are some red flags to watch out for in daily life?
Clowns. If you see a clown, run away. Nothing good ever came from clowns. Creepy bastards.

What obstacles would you include in the ‘world’s most amazing obstacle course”?
I would include a “clown gauntlet”. Rope bridges, tyre runs, netting, even barbed wire crawling – all fine. But asked to run a gauntlet of clowns? 99.2% of all elite soldiers across the world^* screamed like little babies and ran the other way.

(*) made up statistic

Who is the best most believable movie or book villain in your opinion? Or the one that stands out for you? (‘book’ is included because some folks don’t watch movies)
“Ming the Merciless” out of Flash Gordon. I see a lot of his type around the world.

What, in your opinion, is the most beautiful/handsome part of your face? (no dissing yourself please, we’re all beautiful/handsome!)
No dissing myself? Humph. My eyes, then. Awesome they are, and whatnot.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World. Some pretty serious questions this week…

In your opinion, what should be humanity’s goal?
Like a medical doctor, “do no harm”. But it’s a bit late for that. When the squirrels take over, things will be different.

Are you hesitant to speak your opinions?
I’d, um, prefer not to proffer my opinion on that questions. Um. Everyone will be forced to speak their opinions when the squirrels take over, of course.

In what ways has society changed during your lifetime? What do you think caused these changes?
The way we live has changed through technology and more progressive thinking but I don’t think underneath society has changed all that much. There’s more oversight on governments so they find ways to operate “under the radar”. The new squirrel government will be more accountable.

If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow this person to be your friend?
Half the time they’re bigging me up, the other half they’re dragging me down. Not a chance. Way too moody. Unless it was one of our new squirrel overlords, they can talk to me however they’d like.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

How many pillows do you sleep with? If over one or two, is it because you sleep better ‘propped up’ a little?
Ha, I had to pop upstairs and check! One pillow. Quite a flat pillow at that. I’m of the opinion that sleeping with my head at a 45 degree angle to the body is probably not the best for your neck.

What would be the worst thing you could put in a piñata?
Poo 😮

Body parts 😮

Those chocolates with the nuts that are always left behind in the variety box at Christmas 😮

What noise annoys you the most?
I hate constantly-barking dogs. How do they find the energy to bark for hours on end? What’s wrong with them? Why don’t the owners get them to shut up? It’s 3 in the morning! These are just some of the barking-dog questions which will never be answered.

If cartoon physics suddenly replaced real physics, what are some things you would want to try?
I’d like to be able to go wherever I like simply by drawing a big hole.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World. This week is another squirrel one, courtesy of Evil Squirrel’s critters.

Scratchy – What was the very first popular song you ever remember taking a liking to? I’m not talking about children’s songs or old traditional songs… but the kind of songs you’d hear on the radio.
I can’t remember, but the first album I bought with my very own pocket money was Super Trouper by Abba.

Zeeba – Are you one of those people who get queasy at sight of blood, or could you watch an open heart surgery?
I’m fine with blood, and I can watch anything as long as it’s on TV. Just last night I was watching “Dredd” and happily munched away at my egg and bacon roll while viewing a drug dealer who’d been skinned and thrown off a 200 storey building, brains all over the ground.

However, if I were to see anything like that in real life, I’d probably pass out before I even had time to throw up.

Big Scrat – Who or what do you feel is lurking right behind you, just waiting to ambush you and make your life a living hell (or “heck” for those with delicate sensibilities)?
I don’t feel like anything is lurking right behind me. That’s no way to live 😮 Even Snuggle Bear doesn’t see it coming until it “happens”…

Sparklepony – What is the gaudiest thing you have ever worn?
I once went to a 70s themed disco. I had a big wig, tight purple trousers, the whole 70s thing. Aside from that, I’m pretty much dark blue, black and grey clothes-wise.

The Squirrel Children – Fess up! What was something you did as a child that got you into BIG trouble?
Me? BIG trouble? As if… 😉

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

Name something you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark forest or in an abandoned building?
Dreeplang G’Kar, lesser demon of the Circles of Hell (Junior Grade). He’s okay usually, but stick him in an abandoned building and he goes all hard core, all “eat your soul” this and “destroy the world” that. There’s just no talking to him.

Do you believe in multiple dimensions or worlds?
Yeah. I bet that’s what deja vu is. A glimpse across realms dum dum DUM…

Would you ever go to a graveyard at night?
Yes, I don’t see any reason not to. Even Dreeplang G’Kar is pretty chill in graveyards.

What is the most frightening book you’ve ever read?
“Wuthering Heights”. That was frighteningly boring. I thought it would be all heaving bosoms and whatnot. You’re better off watching the film adaptation for stuff like this. Shame, because the song spinoff by Kate Bush was awesome.

If you could have a spooky Halloween pet (black cat, owl, bat, rat, wolf), which would you pick out of the five choices?
I’d have a black cat. Black cats aren’t spooky, black cats are cool.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

Are you easily frightened or startled?
I am when I suddenly become aware that there’s a spider crawling all over me. It’s probably quite amusing to watch me screaming and jumping up and down.

If you were a ghost, what location do you think you would haunt? Is it the same or different from the location you’d want to haunt?
I’d probably end up being allocated some boring spot somewhere by the Ghostly Supervisor. whereas I’d prefer to be haunting the… um, never mind 😉

What do you see in your mind’s eye when you close your eyes?
I see everything and anything. My mind’s eye is free to roam the universe, where it makes stuff up with gay abandon.

If a Semi (Big Rig in Americanese) (lorry or trolley over the pond) were about to smash into a crowd, and you could divert the vehicle’s course to hit only one person, would you? How would you decide who would become the victim?
Even if I weren’t frozen in indecision, I’d probably leave it alone and yell warnings. Leaving it alone is “what will be, will be” whereas if I messed with it, I’d be deliberately killing the one person.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

What is the scariest game (board or on-line) you ever may have played?
That would be “The Last of Us”. One of the best games ever made, but I will never play it again! At one point I actually jumped up off the sofa, I got such a fright.

I’m still trying to work up the courage to play the sequel.

What’s just “over the rainbow” for you?
A pair of weighing scales. That’s what it says in the song, isn’t it? “Somewhere over the rainbow, weigh a pie…“

Sorry, that’s a very old joke 😦

Do you have to watch something upbeat after watching a suspense or horror movie so you can go to sleep?
No, I always read some of my book before going to bed so that takes the edge off it. I’m not even sure what constitutes a proper “horror movie” these days anyway, to be honest.

Is there intent behind every action?
No. Sometimes people just act on instinct. Though I suppose that does mean some sort of un-premeditated intent. You sometimes end up with unintended consequences, though.