My therapist once explained that the reason you zone out in a towel after a shower, sit in your car long after parking, or mindlessly scroll at night isn't because you're lazy or unmotivated. It's because your nervous system is stuck in a functional freeze state. You can still work. You can still show up. You can still get things done. But it takes every ounce of your energy. That's why you feel chronically exhausted. Why do you space out so easily? Why can you be social and fine all day and then ignore every message once you get home. This isn't a personality flaw. It's a body that has been surviving for too long.
WARNING! Carers, don't trust your council's info on Carer's Council Tax Discount, more than 1 in 5 councils' online info (Eng & Wal) is wrong. They miss crucial extra eligibility criteria which makes many who are eligible for a 25% or 50% discount think they aren't.
This is likely crapness not conspiracy. Staggeringly, my guess is the cause is that most haven't updated their sites since the rules changed in 2013! And gov uk while not incorrect, does not have the full info either, making it worse.
Carers Council Tax Discount is for the up to 5m people who care, unpaid, over 35hours a week for someone (not spouse / child under 18) who is eligible. Oft its adult children caring for parents, parents for adult children, or siblings caring
FULL STORY & LIST OF COUNCILS HERE: https://t.co/VYhS82jCd4
My official quote...
"Unpaid carers can't trust councils' information about Carers' Council Tax discounts. All Carers who thought they weren't eligible after checking councils' websites should check again (use Carers UK's help pages). If you did miss out due to councils' poor info, ask for a backdated discount to the point of first eligibility, though different councils have different rules.
"Thirty-five hours a week of unpaid caring is no small feat. This army of up to five million carers provides a silent and often un-thanked backbone that takes a burden off the NHS and care system – reducing the cost to the state.
"While it's often done out of love, that doesn't mean it isn't hard. And while this discount isn't means-tested, many who are caring, unpaid, for at least 35 hours a week, are almost certainly under a great deal of financial stress. So, the idea that they're being misled about £100s a year in discounts from their own councils really sticks in the craw.
"This is made worse by the fact the main Gov uk pages about Council Tax don't list the qualifying benefits for the discount – making it harder for taxpayers in England to work out whether they might be eligible.
"We are writing to all the councils involved to ask them to urgently update their websites and to ensure their internal policies are compliant. I will also be reporting this information lapse to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It should work with councils on a clear plan to guarantee that Council Tax information is clear, accurate and accessible.
A few corrections, respectfully.
Chickenpox is dangerous — just not to everyone. Before vaccination, the U.S. saw ~11,000 hospitalizations and 100–150 deaths/year, mostly healthy children. Risk ≠ zero just because outcomes are uncommon.
Natural infection is not “free immunity.” It trades short-term immunity for:
• encephalitis
• bacterial superinfection
• stroke (varicella vasculopathy)
• later shingles (because the virus persists)
The varicella vaccine provides excellent protection without establishing lifelong latent infection. Real-world data show:
• >90% reduction in hospitalizations
• >97% reduction in deaths
• Lower shingles risk at the population level when boosted later
“Broader immunity” is not automatically better immunity. Immune memory doesn’t need a dangerous lesson plan to function.
“Fewer shots is better” is a philosophy, not a biological principle. What matters is net harm vs benefit.
Kids don’t need viral roulette to “learn not to fear microbes.”
They need protection from preventable risk.
That’s not pharma ideology — it’s pediatric epidemiology.
Just a friendly reminder about the US and the Kingdom of Denmark: We are close allies and should continue to work together as such. US security is also Greenland’s and Denmark’s security. Greenland is already part of NATO. The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States work together to ensure security in the Arctic. The Kingdom of Denmark has significantly boosted its Arctic security efforts - in 2025 alone, we committed USD 13,7 bn that can be used in the Arctic and North Atlantic. Because we take our joint security seriously.
And yes, we expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.
@DowneyJude2757@DeanEggitt Difficult to get hold of patients on phone, 1st appt may overrun F2F and then someone arrives late and you're already 15 mins late at 930 etcetc
I shared this in my newsletter yesterday, but today, I want to share it right here in the belly of the beast. I’m asking all of you to go on an extreme crash diet.
This is not a crash diet for your nutrition…those don’t work. This is a diet for your mind. It will work.
So, a lot of people ask me why I buy so many books. The truth is, I have a genetic disorder where my body doesn’t produce enough books of its own, so I have to supplement.
This actor, Lance Reddick (R.I.P.), was so stoic in some scenes for FRINGE that when we did VFX paint-out of objects in front of him — we occasionally replaced him with a still and no one noticed.