Dear soap writers

Dear Soap script writers,
Why are you giving the child actors bratty things to do? 
That brat Grace in Corrie is a nasty piece of work, a mini Tracey in the making, and as for Gabby in Emmerdale has been a brat ever since they gave her lines.  It's about time Bernice went off somewhere and take her with her.
I know children can be brats and downright rude to adults, but does this have to be shown on TV before 9pm?
This is just my opinion.  It just annoys me to see children being shown to be completely without any parental control, Bernice's reaction to Gabby's outburst seemed to be very dismissive. 

Feeling grotty

I'm not at work today, or rather haven't been, as it's past my finishing time.  I've been cooking a cold or fluey thing for the past week or so.  Yesterday by the time I got in from work I was drenched in sweat despite there being quite a fresh wind.  This morning my neck, which has been intermittently stiff for well over a week is really stiff and my throat is sore and feels swollen inside.  I've been having to use my inhaler as breathing is not as easy as it should be.  If my neck is still like this when I go to see the doctor about something else on Friday, I'll mention it as it is quite uncomfortable.  I think an early night is in order so that I'll be fit for work tomorrow.  I hate feeling ill.

It's already on it.

Latest Thing in the news today!  Health "bodies" want to put a 20% tax on soft drinks such as Coca Cola.  Perhaps they've never worked in the retail sector, but there is already 20% tax on such drinks...it's called  VAT, and is on all non -essential items.
There are a few oddities in what are deemed non-essentials.  For example, there is VAT on energy, not at 20%, but surely energy is an essential for modern life?  (I mean gas ans electricity here.) 
Also there is VAT on "feminine hygiene products", OK, it's on men's shaving essentials as well, but it is not anti-social to grow a beard, however it would be fairly difficult for women to go about their normal routines without using feminine hygiene products as and when needed.
My point is, people should check out facts before advocating things

What would you do?

OK...now it's 5 past one in the morning...around fifteen minutes ago I was going to bed, but as it is still really warm for the time of the year I have one of my bedroom windows open.  I heard some shouting..."get up Mum"...I looked out and it was a neighbour, she was collapsed in the middle of the street, (thankfully a cul-de-sac,) and her son was trying to get her to stand up and go into the house.  He isn't very robust, so I went out to help him...after all..some help is better than none!
After a few minutes we managed to get my neighbour on her feet and slowly towards her house...just as we got the door open   an elder son appeared, (called by the one I was helping,).
Result, my neighbour is in her house...I hope she's OK tonight as she'd had a good night out
I hope I did right helping, but I probably won't ever know

Grr, Nosey Parkers!

OK, at the moment Shadow has a swollen toe.  This is because she cracked her claw inside her toe several weeks ago.  It formed an abscess, which she has had lanced, and is seeing the vet.  It is getting better and now the flesh is almost normal colour.
Shadow is a feisty dog and would rather walk than stay at home and rest, and the exercise is doing her good.
What annoys me, and even is upsetting me is that people seem to think it is OK to ask what is wrong with her, and point out that she is limping.  Fair enough I suppose you are saying, but when total strangers quite rudely ask what is wrong it gets me mad, after all, if I was on crutches, they wouldn't ask me what I'd done....friends might, but not strangers.
It makes me feel like I should go out with a placard around my neck stating what is wrong....or I might just tell the next person to mind their own business.

What the heck? Rickets?

SO according to research around 40% of under fives in the UK are in danger of developing rickets!  I find this a terribly high figure. The government are proposing giving free vitamin supplements to all under fives. 
Hey! I know this might be reactionary, but instead of giving out vitamin tablets, why not make sure the Mothers know how to cook a nutritious meal.  After all, there is no excuse for this vitamin deficiency.  In this day and age there really is no excuse for children to develop this condition.  As for the excuse the Mum's interviewed were giving, what right thinking parent allows their child to be using game systems and watching TV for prolonged periods of time, so that they don't have time to "play out" or spend time outside?  For pity's sake.....it's UNDER FIVES that are being said to be in danger, do these parents allow their under fives to set the rules? 
I used to love taking my three out for walks along the canal, down to the village, to the library, to the playground, as they got older we used to go on longer walks to "explore".  Don't get me wrong, they did watch TV, and on a miserable rainy day we liked nothing better than spending the day baking, making things, or even just curling up and watching a good Disney film....but we would do lots of other stuff, even invented silly games that we'd just thought up on the spur of the moment.
So..instead of throwing sticking plaster answers, the government should look at the cause and not the consequences, after all things don't happen without a cause.
Right...I'll get off my soapbox and shut up.

Sometimes I really worry about things

It's the Tory party conference in Manchester at the moment so we are getting "news" articles in most news bulletins.  In the past two days we have learnt that the Tories wish to make long term unemployed work for their benefits.  Which might seem fair on the surface, but IF there are jobs for them to do, why aren't there paid jobs for them to apply for?
And today's little gem.  They propose that doctors, your town/village GP work a 12 hour day for 7 days a week.  This in itself again sounds fair, but...hold on!   Why should doctors have to do this, I know we do not have enough GPS and that in most areas they have far more patients than they can cope with, but surely the answer to this is not make the doctors work longer hours, but make sure we have more doctors wishing to be GPs.  They are under a lot of pressure as it is without piling on the pressure by asking them to work longer hours.
The GP surgery where I go already offers appointments most days between 7.30 in the morning and 7.30 at night Monday to Friday.  But so many of these appointments are wasted.  You sit in the waiting room, and there is usually a notice saying how many appointments were broken in a previous week.  It is usually around the 200 mark, at 10 minutes approximately for each appointment that adds up to a lot of time.  (Around 33 and half hours.)  If this figure is standard for most GP surgeries, that is a lot of lost time, that other patients could have used.  And I don't know if this is widespread, but I had an appointment one day, and it was dreadful weather, raining hard, strong wind and the waiting room was empty.  I commented on this to the receptionist, and she said that people don't turn up in bad weather.  Surely if they are ill and need to see a doctor, they should either turn up, or cancel, not just not bother?
Anyway, I worry about what the majority part of our government is hoping to achieve.  Will they stop when we are back to a social system like there was in Victorian times? As the gaps between the higher and lower paid are widening quite alarmingly. 
If you are on a high wage a wage freeze might mean holidaying somewhere a little cheaper, but at the lower end of the scale a wage freeze can mean skimping on things that are essential.
As usual when I have a moan about this "wonderful" government of ours, I have gone off at tangents.  I don't have the answers, except that I think anyone who can vote, should vote in the next General Election.  The current government was elected by default as many voters stayed at home on election day, and I don't think it should happen again