JayEsstoo

Now look.

We're off on holiday on Tuesday.

15 days in France!

Ferry over & then a big road trip going anticlockwise around the country.

But this means I'm gonna miss 3 #buyastrangerabook days!

Soz.

So, from midday tomorrow, there's going to be a BIG SPECIAL ONE.

Hope you can help make it epic

Sky News, "It's just been arrests after arrests after arrests"

"People protesting in front of statues of Ghandi and Suffragettes.. I don't need to tell you the symbolism of what that means.. The police crowded around them and took them away"

Police say 365 people arrested at protest over Palestine Action ban in London Met officers and other UK forces form ‘significant presence’ in largest protest since group was proscribed as terrorist organisation

Police will constantly complain about resources and then draw officers from forces around the country to arrest hundreds of peaceful protestors.

Yeah, it's a despicable law, but it also emphasises the extent to which policing protects power and not people.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

I can maybe help them find a bit of themselves again & that old inner strength that got them thru basic. And in doing so, maybe I'll find myself & my own inner strength & some purpose.

It needs a vet to help a vet. Civvies just don't get it.

12

Strange but comforting to be called Mam again after all those years. Odd to slip back into the role so easily. But a big part of an army officer role is to look after the troops. I can't do much but I can do what I can & not judge or condemn. I can watch their backs a bit.

11

G doesnt realise that he's helping me. He's giving me a purpose.

I couldnt do anything for the young REME lass, she was too armoured, withdrawn, said nothing, she's not ready. But I told G to tell her, if she needs help to get a message to me. I'll help her too when she's ready.

10

I also told him he must take his meth every day, not swop it or sell it. And start doing 1 pressup every morn. When I see him next I'm gonna ask if hes done his pressups, starting with 1, then 2 the next day, then 3 the next day etc.
If he's not done them, then I'll get down & do them with him.
9

I've given him strict orders not to give/sell/lend anything, he's gotta look out for himself & his kit.
He's got HGV licence so I told him that once he's clean, sober, healthy & housed, he'll be able to get work. But it'll take time & effort.
I think🤞 he will. I dunno. I'm taking a chance here.
8

He's no phone as he lent it someone else & not got it back.
So I'm on a mission now to get him another phone.
If anyone has an old unused phone they could donate, that would be amazing.
I can give you an address of a mil veterans org to post it to so you know it's kosher.

7

So next week we've arranged to go to library & I will help him apply for his MOD 100. He was so thrilled. It'll give him a bit of himself back, something to be proud of. Hopefully it might make accessing other things easier too as the MOD 100 is increasingly being recognised as valid ID.

6

I showed him my MOD 100. I said it reminded me every day of who & what I once was. G had forgotten what he once was, had lost his pride & belief in himself. He's used to being written off, abused, spat at, stolen from by ppl who've done nothing for their country.

5

Someone nicked his sleeping bag this morn but hes got somewhere to stay tonight so doesn't need it. Charity shop has offered a replacement on Mon. He has no papers or ID but he sat up straight, gave me his name, rank & number, called me Mam. Just like old times for us both.

4

I put together a sort of 24hr rat pack (pot noodle, fruit & nut mix, carton fruit juice, crisps, cereal bar, small pkt biscuits, pkt tissues, chewing gum, lighter) for the 49 yo male (G).
He was so chuffed. We talked & laughed about army rat packs.

3

I sat with them & told them about my service. I told them about living in my car last year, about being a no one, about being written off. About sleeping in a tiny van with elderly dog in -10C. I said it was mil trg that got me thru the worst times.

2

Met 2 homeless mil veterans today, one 49 yo male ex Ordnance Corps, commando course, (looks about 60+) with drug & alcohol addictions, one a young slip of a lass ex REME, suspect there's drug issues too.
2 local mil veteran orgs within 5 mins walk but no one helping these 2.
So I did.
1

Ty. It's odd, I signed up yesterday & did 1st lesson in Italian free. Today I went to do the next Italian lesson & it won't let me without signing up for subs. Until I've tried a bit more of it to see what it's like, I won't be doing a sub.
Will stick with Duo for now.

I have had to rewrite most of the summaries & draft letters etc I've asked for even when I've given clear, unambiguous instructions.

It is programmed to be helpful which is exactly what makes it u helpful & unreliable in terms of accuracy.
#ChatCPT
3/3

Apparently it thinks this might be helpful to me.

Apparently it is not programmed to do real time searches.

Apparently it's purpose is to summarise, draft, explain, assist with planning & problem solving.

But not to give accurate, relevant info as requested.
2/3

More #ChatGPT frustrations.
Asked it to search for campervans & vans for sale within 10 miles meeting the criteria I gave it.
It gave list of possibles.
I asked for more info about 1 of them.
It said this vehicle is not a real vehicle, it is an example of what may be available 🙄
1/3

Any #Babbel users?
Is it a free app or subs?
Wondering if there's a free alternative to Duolingo.
I like Duo but it's now pushing me hard to pay.
I don't mind paying a little but only if I get the use out of it to make it worthwhile. But my memory is so bad I know I'll completely forget to use it 😡

So basically laws are only applicable to those of us who are not in positions of authority & who can't afford top class legal representation?🤔
We're living in Orwell's 1984 but many ppl don't know.

I set a walking route from bus station to the shopping centre & used the preview function so I could see which shops I need to walk past & how steep the hill is, v useful 👍
It says 3 mins walk but I know I'll need at least 10 mins, maybe 15.
But downhill on the way back 😁

At nearly 700,000 signups “Your Party” has already more than twice as many putative members as the Labour Party Reform and the Liberal Democrats together.

They have the ability to create a juggernaut which the media and Establishment simply cannot ignore though they will smear and lie endlessly

Just managed a tricky IT thing. Dentist texted a link to forms to fill in, I struggle with stuff like that on tiny mobile screen & aging eyes.
Managed to send link by Bluetooth to laptop to do it on there. Involved some faffing with Bluetooth settings but successful👍
Bring back paper & pen.

Hypocrisy in leadership is a major red flag that a leader should not be a leader, esp when 1000s lives lost as a result.
Surely Starmer realises he's got no defence for training & supporting Israeli military.
Is it his own narcissism or Israeli pressure that's controlling him? Maybe both.

Exclusive: Green MP and former party leader Siân Berry has shared a list of all her official meetings with lobbyists and has urged all other MPs to do the same to promote transparency. Berry, who was elected as the Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion last year, has shared a full log with PoliticsHome of her first year of meetings with campaigners, unions, community groups, businesses and other lobbyists. She has now shared the list on her website. The MP and former London Assembly member is urging all MPs to do the same and is calling for reform of the 2014 Lobbying Act to tighten the rules. While government ministers have to record and release details of all official meetings, backbench MPs are not currently subject to the same rules, and only have to declare their vested interests and any substantial gifts and hospitality.

Green Party MP Shares List Of All Her Meetings And Urges Colleagues To Do The Same www.politicshome.com/news/article... (UK)

Official meetings disclosure log on @sianberry.bsky.social's website sianberry.org.uk/official-mee...

#transparencydata #opengov -ish #lobbying

Sussed it, using combo of bus company journey planner & Google maps route preview which allowed me to virtually walk the route from bus stn to shopping centre, checking gradient & noting shops as landmarks.
Local human knowledge says dentist is next to a certain well known store.
Screw AI.

The NHS, pensions and benefits are all routinely described as 'unsustainable'. But somehow that adjective is never applied to arms spending or bank bailouts.

Morning ORCs. Hope you all have a good weekend.

I did, they just said it's in the shopping arcade with car park above. Ppl don't think about disability & needing to be specific about distances, ease of walking, which direction to walk in etc. Might have to drive 😱 but I really wanted to go on bus as bus stop v close to me with a regular service.