Happy Friday!

Inane and Orwellian: a Queen’s speech to improve the life of Boris Johnson

British Gas hires more staff to deal with rising number of struggling customers

Sinn Féin’s victory won’t bring a united Ireland right away – but it’s getting closer

‘Declare it to a doctor, and it’s over’: Ukrainian women face harsh reality of Poland’s abortion laws

Overturning Roe v Wade will destroy our civil rights – so don’t ask us to be ‘civil’

 I am all for civility, of course I am. Here’s the thing though: civil rights have never been won by grovelling at the feet of people who hate you and saying, ‘Please sir, can I have a few more rights?’

The Institutionalist’s Dilemma

A Cage by Another Name

Researchers Pinpoint Reason Infants Die From SIDS. Amazing what science and determination can do.

‘Every time I find a new sibling, it’s like I’m ruining their life’: the fertility doctor who went rogue

A fresh approach: cut food bills by growing your own fruit and veg. Some of this advice is pretty good. I love growing both carrots and potatoes but far more cost effective are things like salad and soft fruit (this is why have I eight blueberry bushes, two blackcurrant bushes, a boysenberry bush, two beds of raspberries, and the reason for adding strawberries last year and small blackberries this year) but if you’re thinking about this, think about space and what you like to eat. I remember at the height of the lockdown, explaining to a lovely couple that while a square meter bed, can provide quite a lot of food it wouldn’t feed them and the lead time for salad is five to six weeks. Also if you have nothing set up, the savings to your food bill have to be set against the cost of set up. Ma and I budget £100 a month for the plot and that’s not just for growing, it also helps with the cost of processing. We make pesto and while it’s marginally cheaper than buying it, I do need to buy the other ingredients and pay for the energy to store it. So it may just be more cost effective to pay for one jar, than having to spend the equivalent cost of 10 or 20 jars in one hit. Having said that, growing, processing, cooking and eventually eating food from your garden, is beneficial for more than just your budget, but if you’re really pushed for cash, it’s probably not a solution.