D+ Stress

I WAS STRUCK BY THIS NOTICE IN A HIGH SCHOOL & TOOK A PHOTOGRAPH USING MY CAMERAPHONE.

Click to enlarge image. It reads:

“Youth Stress Centre

Aromatheraphy Massage
Reiki
Self-Esteem
Relaxation
Reflexology
Stress Management
Anger Management

Appointments available at
Castlemilk Stress Centre
109 Stravanan Road
(above the shops)
Call us on 630 0111

MONDAY’S 6.00-8.30
WEDNESDAY’S 6.30-8.30

Funded by The National Lottery
NHS Greater Glasgow”

Where do I start? I have a problem with children going above shops for a massage.  This did not happen in my day, and I am not convinced it ought to happen today.

If  we overlook the terrible use of the apostrophe, the hours appear to indicate very early morning, before school starts.  On the other hand, perhaps it is meant to be PM  rather than AM or 24 hour clock, it is difficult to know for sure.  As Castlemilk is a very deprived and rough council estate, getting the times correct would be important, especially if one wanted to have less stress.

I do not understand how this can be part of the NHS, and yet receive funding from the National Lottery. I also do not understand how things like Reiki can be available under the auspices of either body when it is not recognised.  The Roman Catholic Church, for example, has outlawed Reiki practices as heretical and blasphemous!

• According to William T. Jarvis, Ph.D., of The National Council Against Health Fraud, there “is no evidence that clinical Reiki’s effects are due to anything other than suggestion” or the placebo effect.

Things are getting worse when school children are receiving early morning or late night hocus pocus to cope with “stress” all paid for by the Lottery and NHS. What will they do when they go to university or college — or later when they get a job? What will they do when they have real stress to deal with?

Would they not be better teaching children how to cope with their own stress, how to manage themselves without visiting a massage parlour in one of the biggest council estate black-spots in western Europe?

Holy Street!

AMAZINGLY, NO ONE WAS HARMED WHEN THE STREET CAVED IN TODAY.

I was walking along Renfield Street, and right at the corner where the old ABC cinema used to be, the road simply collapsed!

It was big enough to drop a full-length family car waiting to turn left onto Renfield Street!  Things are getting worse when roads can suddenly cave in.

In 2007, the road outside the Citizens’ Theatre collapsed as a result of a burst water main, ironically while “The Tempest” was being performed (see Clipped News Article).  Glasgow’s infrastructure was shown to be crumbling and in dire need of investment.  The pot holes cannot be making things any better. Thing sare definitely getting worse when pavements and roads can simply and suddenly cave in without warning!

InSecurity

I WAS AMAZED TO SPOT THIS NOTICE PINNED UP AT THE FRONT DOOR OF A FANCY OFFICE BLOCK.

It simply states that Security will be back in 5 minutes. Yes, security – the people securing the building are unavailable for a few moments — and, importantly, were thoughtful enough to let us all know about this fact.

Things getting worse? What do you think?

Glasgow Dress Code

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO RECEIVE A LOT OF FUN THINGS BY COMMENTS AND E-MAIL.

Some are virals and round-robbin items, but others are (or seem to be) genuine originals.  This photograph taken of a public house notice in Glasgow has the appearance of being authentic.

Thanks to Robbie for this.  We reckon it will make Glaswegians smile, but still, things are getting worse when we have to resort to public admissions of bigotry and foolishness.

For those out there in the internet world who wouldn’t know what this means, allow me an explanation: pubs in Glasgow are known as “Rangers Pubs” or “Celtic Pubs”; these are places where football fans congregate after matches to drown their sorrows or celebrate their victories. There are several football teams in Glasgow, but the biggest two are Celtic and Glasgow Rangers.

Other pubs distance themselves from football and the associated bigotry and religious sectarianism, to avoid drunken violent incidents and perhaps try to cater for families.  These pubs put up notices stating the policy of refusing access to people wearing “football colours” — meaning scarves, football tops, flags and the like.  The word “Fud” is a local slang term for vagina, but it means “fool”.  Now you know!

Holy Roads!

THE POTHOLE SITUATION HERE IN GLASGOW CITY IS TERRIBLE, APPARENTLY DUE TO THE RAVAGES OF THE SEVERE WINTER ON OUR BELOVED TARMACADAM.

Imagine my surprise, however, to spot a sign at Blythswood Square that simply warned me to expect more potholes!

[Please click on the photograph to enlarge image]

Things are getting worse when the council will spend money on signs instead of repairing the roads.

Supasnug

AN ITEM CAUGHT MY EYE WHILE SHOPPING RECENTLY.

I have to ask myself, who would buy this item? It is called “Supasnug”, and the legend states:

“Keeps You warm and Your Hands Free”. There is a picture to prove what it can do for you.

Click on the image to enlarge.

This seems fine if you are a Benedictine Monk in a chilly old monastery, but the box shows how attractive the Dominican Friar look can be to the opposite sex; it shows a young girl, also clad like a Cistercian, snuggling in.  This is a particularly uncomfortable image. He looks like her father. She hold a TV remote control suggestively.  Is there a bulge? She’s smiling far too much.  He only has one hand visible — yet we know BOTH hands are free.

He holds a cup of cappuccino (ironically enough), which puts them both at risk — there is a suggestion that the supasnug could be cappuccino-proof.  The next image to cross one’s mind is this man walking about making coffee dressed like a capuchin monk. This is not a good look, surely.

I do think this garb is dangerous and ugly.  How on earth does it fasten? At the back? “Blanket With Sleeve” suggests a single sleeve, but the picture shows two rather massive and frankly hazardous wizard sleeves. Risky with hot liquids in my opinion. I do not think it would attract women nor should it. Things are getting worse if you have a coffee and a smiling blonde snuggling into you, and you need more snugness to the extent of needing this garment.  Heaven preserve us! Buy second hand central heating or use a blanket!

Brrr-Bikini

TODAY, PARKED ON SAUCHIEHALL STREET WAS A MOBILE BILLBOARD ADVERTISING A PARTY AT A CITY NIGHTCLUB.

It states:

“Free entry in beachwear before 11.30pm”

Let me remind you that this is Glasgow city centre in the wettest April on record, which is also windy and cold.  I know there’s a recession on, but really!

Things are getting worse when people to turn up and queue outside this nightclub in a bikini or trunks simply to gain free entry.

Wheelchair Stairs?

I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE A DISABLED ACCESS THAT INVOLVED A FLIGHT OF STAIRS.

Naturally, I took a photograph to show you all. Please double click on the image to see an enlarged version.

Not only is this disabled access a narrow passage which could prove restrictive to anyone coming the other way, but the entire building is atop one of the steepest hills in the city centre.

Things are certainly getting worse when signs are simply put up to comply with some obscure bit of legislation.

Flying Tyres

A SIGN CAUGHT MY ATTENTION WHILE GETTING NEW TYRES.

It was the bottom entry on the list of inclusions — Nitrogen inflation.

I had never heard of that — I always assumed that car tyres are filled with common or garden air.  Nitrogen gas just seemed a tad excessive.  I looked it up on Wikipedia when I got home, and sure enough, Nitrogen is used — for aircraft!

“Aircraft tires are usually inflated with nitrogen or helium in order to minimize expansion and contraction from extreme changes in ambient temperature and pressure experienced during flight…
…The use of an inert gas for tire inflation will eliminate the possibility of a tire explosion.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire#Inflation_pressure

Things are definitely getting worse when a common, everyday car tyre gets filled with Nitrogen gas! The world has gone mad!

Bigotry Still Rife

THE MAIN HEADLINE IN A MAJOR SCOTTISH BROADSHEET NEWSPAPER CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.

“Hostility to Catholics is
‘deep, wide and vicious’”

Things are not getting better on the bigotry front here in Scotland, and that is a real shame. What can be done about this?  All we do is read articles in newspapers about how bad things are or how things are getting worse. Articles such as these:

• Council to Stem Bigot Parades, Clipped News, 2009-08-19;
• Bigotry Now All Over The Country, Clipped News, 2006-11-29;
• Glasgow Bigotry Alive and Kicking, Clipped News, 2004-11-23.

Let us not forget one of our own, high-hitting posts, IHF (I Hate Football), Getting Worse, 2 February 2008.

Some people still blame the segregated schools, but that is a red herring (see How To Manage Racism, Sectarianism and Sexism, RT1, Monday, 19 February 2007), because it seems that keeping religions and cultures apart is the best way, and that forced integration is making things worse.

Maybe the way forward is to celebrate differences and similarities, emphasise rather than hide, be proud of whatever it is you are, and keep away from “the other side” for as much as is humanly possible. It seems to work for the GAY and Lesbian community, or at least it is working better than it is for the rest of us in terms of sexism, racism, and sectarianism.