Good News stories

[Serial_Apologist]

Getting my errands and the Christmas provisions done the past few days has been rather a trial due to problems with a duff knee/leg(very painful and not working reliably - cause as yet unknown) but having to take the car rather than use the bus* had an unexpected bonus outcome yesterday. Lidl had one of their 'waste not' boxes left on the packing shelf and a cursory look at the contents prompted me to buy it, knowing that not only could actually get it home(not possible when using the bus), but that there would be plenty to share with my friend as well. She has been having a difficult time the past 4 years or so and I often share surpluses from my garden or from these £1-50 boxes.
This one was a real bumper of a box - part I imagine of their pre-shutdown clearout. No partridges in a pear tree but:
1 large spring cabbage, 1 large head of broccoli, large bag of sweet potatoes, 1kg net yellow peppers, 500g punnet white grapes, large pack blueberries, 500g tray organic vine tomatoes, 1 aubergine, 1kg bag carrots.
When I dropped it off this morning it turned out the timing couldn't have been better; she was having a rough time and the box shareout meant not having to think what she needed and organise getting it.

* having just got the route past my road restored after a 10 week closure, the congestion is so bad at the supermarket drop-off that it is being missed out and the next stop is being used instead, which is quite a walk away even before the walking to and round the three shops, and a bit too much of a facer with a loaded shopping trolley to drag back to the stop(no seat for recovery either) as well.

Well done Odders - and what a kind feller you are! I've just walked home with my penultimate pre-Christmas shopping essentials, pleased as ever with myself for planning for the usual last-minute rush by building up enough provisions bit by bit, going to the 5 items or less counter rather than the self-checkouts, which I detest. Tomorrow just a couple of items obtainable from the nearby corner shop is all that's needed until the New Year..

[gurnemanz]

I read in a garden related article in the Guardian yesterday that 'solstice' comes from 'sol stit' in reference to the pause that was observed in ancient times before the times of sunrise and sunset began to change.
.

Presumably a period beween two solstices could be called an interstice. Some good news at the moment would be an armistice in certain parts of the world.

[Serial_Apologist]

Presumably a period beween two solstices could be called an interstice. Some good news at the moment would be an armistice in certain parts of the world.

I reckon you're taking the pice!

[oddoneout]

Well done Odders - and what a kind feller you are! I've just walked home with my penultimate pre-Christmas shopping essentials, pleased as ever with myself for planning for the usual last-minute rush by building up enough provisions bit by bit, going to the 5 items or less counter rather than the self-checkouts, which I detest. Tomorrow just a couple of items obtainable from the nearby corner shop is all that's needed until the New Year..

I'm lucky that I only have myself to cater for and so it's been easy, even with the limitations mentioned, to make sure I have all that's necessary. The local Aldi introduced self serve checkouts recently, and I have found that, unlike the others I have(under protest) encountered, they work OK. There are only 6, and there is always someone immediately to hand to help - partly I think because their system of price reduction needs staff input, so customers can't DIY. I still choose the human operated ones most of the time, but as I only ever have a few items if there are a lot of loaded trolleys at the checkouts I do sometimes take that option.
If Tesco(which I only use for the gluten-free items I need) tries to queue manage by directing me to the self-serve I always make sure the assistant 'helps', aka does it for me, by saying(truthfully as it happens, since they can play up even when I am doing it 'right', under supervision) that they often don't work when I use them.

[Serial_Apologist]

In case no one else heard the following true story on the news, here it is.

A woman dials 999. The telephone conversation proceeds calmly as follows (in so many words):

"This is the police 999 emergency service. How can I help you?"

"Pizza delivery".

"is it a pizza delivery or police assistance you want? If it's the police, say 'yes'"

"Yes"

"Are the people actually on your premises? If they are, say 'Pepperoni"; if not, say "Cheese".

"Pepperoni"

"Are there children there, and are they being threatened?"

"Yes".

"Right, we'll get somebody with you right away".

In my view the woman police receptionist's response was exceptional and should be deserving of some form of official recognition.

[smittims]

I agree. That could so easily have gone wrong and resulted in a tragedy. Let's hope it's taken up and included in training sessions.

[Pulcinella]

I consider this a good news story, though I know that others hereabouts shudder at what they fear are the 'implications'.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/21/digital-passports-among-ids-to-be-available-in-uk-government-app

[teamsaint]

I consider this a good news story, though I know that others hereabouts shudder at what they fear are the 'implications'.

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...government-app

Well there you go.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c87rgj4e0rzo

Which eloquently makes a point, I feel.

This move needs, as a bare minimum, very careful working out, and the toughest possible safeguards, because there is no route back.
I don’t think we will get either of those things, unfortunately.

[oddoneout]

I consider this a good news story, though I know that others hereabouts shudder at what they fear are the 'implications'.

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...government-app

Even before you get to the 'implications' there is the not inconsiderable problem of it being a government IT project... The introduction of e-visas and the digitising of the likes of biometric residence permits hasn't exactly gone swimmingly.

[smittims]

I've always been vehemently against Identity cards , as I feel they alter irrevocably the relationship between the citizen and the state. This is potentially disastrous and was concealed or avoided by the advocates of the idea. I was also surprised to see a Labour government behind the idea, since many of their supporters are strongly in favour of civil liberties. Much of the opposition to the government restrictions of 2020 came from the further- left.

And I felt the arguments in favour to be specious. Identity cards would not decrease crime or terrorism in any way. Some if not most of the 9/11 hijackers and the 7/7 terrorists wer legally in the USA and Britain respectively, while criminals are surely not likely to leave their ID cards behind at the scene of a crime.

I've never had a passport so I'm relieved at the thought that digital passports are unlikely to cause me any bother. But they do extend the compulsion to have a mobile phone or a smart phone. Already several organisations woill not let you arrange an appointment (British Gas, for istance) unless you give a moibile phone number, land lines not allowed.

[teamsaint]

I've always been vehemently against Identity cards , as I feel they alter irrevocably the relationship between the citizen and the state. This is potentially disastrous and was concealed or avoided by the advocates of the idea. I was also surprised to see a Labour government behind the idea, since many of their supporters are strongly in favour of civil liberties. Much of the opposition to the government restrictions of 2020 came from the further- left.

And I felt the arguments in favour to be specious. Identity cards would not decrease crime or terrorism in any way. Some if not most of the 9/11 hijackers and the 7/7 terrorists wer legally in the USA and Britain respectively, while criminals are surely not likely to leave their ID cards behind at the scene of a crime.

I've never had a passport so I'm relieved at the thought that digital passports are unlikely to cause me any bother. But they do extend the compulsion to have a mobile phone or a smart phone. Already several organisations woill not let you arrange an appointment (British Gas, for istance) unless you give a moibile phone number, land lines not allowed.

All in accord with my thoughts pretty much, though I do have a passport !!
the Times and others in the centre have been using Digital ID as a form of soft racism…” we need this so that we know who is in the country” which is just a more “ acceptable “ version of the small boats stuff that is in The red tops very often.
As you suggest, realignment of our relationship with the state should be done with the greatest possible care, and with the status quo as the default option .

Your point about govt and tech is important. The recent hack of Blue Yonder demonstrates , if proof were needed, how vulnerable even big corporations are, one way or another.