Chocoholic season is upon us yet again. I prefer the little Easter chicks myself or rather what they lay and what they become after a bit of fattening up, it has to be Free range of course as I have found this is one particular food product where there is significant differences in flavour etc between Battery and Free Range chickens. I tend to go for the Corn Fed variety. They can look a bit like they are need of a Liver Transplant with their bright Yellow skin but the intensified flavour is something else.

Okay on to business. As I’ve mentioned a number of times on the blog in the past I could not be accused of singing “Patientline’s” praises by no stretch of the imagination. They’ve made it into the news again this week and I think as it is a bit of a quiet time at the moment, somewhat due to Parliament having a rest, and I’ll come onto that subject later, it was covered by virtually every news channel all day and night. I know that this is a subject close to many peoples heart and also too close to many people’s wallets. Peter had written a rather good, straight to the point explanation of these conmen that masquerade as Patientline. You can get straight to it HERE or read the blog that he had written on this same subject the other day as the news was breaking HERE. He really does have his finger on the pulse, either that or he’s got “An Insider” leaking info?? In a nutshell they have decided that they are not ripping us off enough and as such have raised the cost of calls for Patients to Ring Out from 10p min (min 20p connection charge) to a whopping 26p min (min 20p connection charge) a mere 160% increase. They are mind you, being very generous and lowering the cost of their super efficient??? TV/Radio service from £3.50 per day to £2.90 per day, but it looks like the over 65’s, who would I’m sure mount up to a pretty large number are no longer entitled to a Half Price offer. The excuse they have used for the increases is that they have never made a profit in all the years of running the service and need to recoup their cost, (at the expense of vulnerable people) their Radio Service is actually Free although you do need to phone to activate it, which is also free for now but who knows what the future holds there, so if you were to purchase the TV which has around 8-10 channels although does change depending where in the country you are, it will cost you a staggering £78 per month. If you compare this to probably the most expensive home TV provider SKY TV which charge for their Full Package (Sky World) inc endless movie channels and sports channels etc etc and of course the terrestrial channels too, in comparison a meagre £43.50 (£34.50 Cheaper) you can see why people get so wound up by this. I guess for me what with the laptop and mobile they won’t be having any more of my money, not that that stops me from being outraged though.

You’ll be glad to know too that my friendly MP was again in the area this last week or so and I have the many (3) pictures from the Local Free paper to prove it. It did come as no surprise though when I read what he was actually here for. He was handing out Veteran’s Badges to a few local Ex-Servicemen in recognition of their gallant service for the country. I strongly agree that these men did a great job and I owe them all a debt of gratitude but sadly it just adds more fuel to the fire regarding John Smith and the way that he appears to be very blinkered the issues he will try and deal with. If it is to do with anything like RAF St Athan or servicemen or Flying in general, although he has spoken a few times on Deep Vein Thrombosis, which was though in connection to flying, then he will bend over backwards to help but anything else and he’s not interested. I emailed the other day to get an update on what he was doing regarding my problem with the council and I know he, or at least someone from his office, read it 10 minutes later but sadly no reply again and what with the bank holiday I won’t get one till at least Tues, if at all. This last week alone he could have attended the Local Citizen Awards recognising Local people for their hard UNPAID work in the community or maybe the opening of the new Heritage Centre and that’s just in the very immediate surrounding area let alone the rest of his constituency. I wonder if he will show his face when they come around canvassing for the upcoming Welsh Assembly Elections?? I do hope so!!!

Jeeeeez all this ranting is making me thirsty. I’m going for a cuppa and quite possibly I must just indulge in a light snack of bacon, bread, butter and mushrooms while I’m at it.

See Ya!!