Evening all. Sunday evening's round again and I'm at Shamila's. Posting a bit earlier than normal, getting my personal contractual obligation out of the way?  Mmm maybe. Like most days I feel I haven't got much to say so I'm just tapping away at the keyboard hoping to stumble upon some inspiration. Shhh, I shouldn't give away my blogging secrets. 

Think back in the day I would probably have picked up today's paper and discussed a news topic to ramble on about. It's all about opinions isn't it? Everybody is spouting something off (the irony of that comment is not lost on me by the way) and of course sometimes opinions get confused for facts. For example on Friday I was queuing up outside the chemist masked up, as we all do post Covid and  the woman in front engaged in what I thought was going to be a bit of small talk with me.

"Eee, who'd have thought we'd still be doing this 2 years later?" I politely agreed.

 "Mind it's definitely been man made in a lab" she continued.

Mmmm. I should have let it lie I guess but I was now in a difficult position. We'd started a conversation so I had to reply with something. "Maybe, I guess it's a possibility but I'm not sure it's definite".   

"No it's 100% definite. I've seen too much evidence".

Thankfully, before I could come back to her somebody a customer out of the chemist and it was her turn to go in. Good timing although then somebody else came out and it was my turn to go into the shop as well. Ding ding, round 2? Thankfully there was bit of a kerfuffle about somebody accidentally jumping the queue which created enough distraction until she was served and on her way.  Probably for the best.

My point is that it was her opinion probably based on other people's opinion pieces. She'd probably argue that she had the facts to back it up. Maybe she has. I don't think there's enough credible evidence (yet) to challenge the accepted and published facts. Then again, who's to say my news sources are more credible than hers?  As they say "one man's intuition is another man's conspiracy theory" or something like that.

It's a well known fact that I'm an unlucky guy and while we're talking about chemists it looks like I'm going to have more evidence to prove it's true.

I've got a bad heart for which I've been taking regular medication since 2014 and unlike residents of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland prescriptions are free, all people living in England under the age of 60 have to pay.  It's wrong that anybody has to pay imo but I was 60 last year so no longer had to suck it up. Although it looks like that all might change and if you read the Daily Express it's a done deal and the date for free prescriptions is going to change to the normal retirement age as soon as April 2022. That said as far as I can the result of the public consultation hasn't been announced but watch this space. 

As if turning 60 wasn't traumatic enough one of the few benefits is going to be turned over. I guess I could always sign the Age UK petition.  Jeez, that fellar on the Age UK link must be me.  Do I look like that?

Fanx tara.

Two songs today, you can either have a go or not.  No sweat either way but they're both cutting edge alternative folk releases, not just some crap from the archive.