In todays news...

[Horse]

The gut-brain axis - learning more

It's long been said "you are what you eat". More recently, focus is shifting to add " ... and how you digest it."

Yesterday (so sue me), this popped up in the 'recommended' news:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6337651/
The Role of the Microbiome in Asthma: The Gut–Lung Axis

With the 'gut-lung axis' joining (hah!) the 'gut-brain axis' which seems to affect both physical and mental health. Examples:

Parkinson's
https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/news/gut- ... parkinsons

Mental health:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6469458/

[Hot_Air]

It's long been said "you are what you eat". More recently, focus is shifting to add " ... and how you digest it."

Regarding improving my microbiome, my gut feeling is that eating more fermented foods is more palatable than a faecal transplant.

[JackyJoll]

It's long been said "you are what you eat". More recently, focus is shifting to add " ... and how you digest it."

Regarding improving my microbiome, my gut feeling is that eating more fermented foods is more palatable than a faecal transplant.

I don’t think you were supposed to eat that faecal implant.

[Count Steer]

The gut-brain axis - learning more

It's long been said "you are what you eat". More recently, focus is shifting to add " ... and how you digest it."

Yesterday (so sue me), this popped up in the 'recommended' news:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6337651/
The Role of the Microbiome in Asthma: The Gut–Lung Axis

With the 'gut-lung axis' joining (hah!) the 'gut-brain axis' which seems to affect both physical and mental health. Examples:

Parkinson's
https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/news/gut- ... parkinsons

Mental health:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6469458/

Isn't just the gut apparently. There may be aspects of the mind in other organs too. Heart transplant patients (some) report behavioural changes that may be associated with the donor. We're a gestalt entity!

https://theconversation.com/what-medica ... ransplants

Not sure it's the finest example of research though.

[Saga Lout]

...

It's long been said "you are what you eat"...

Many years ago I saw an ad for a Roy Chubby Brown DVD. They showed a clip of him saying "You are what you eat. I suppose that makes me a ,,," and they cut it there so I never found out what it made him.

[Count Steer]

...

It's long been said "you are what you eat"...

Many years ago I saw an ad for a Roy Chubby Brown DVD. They showed a clip of him saying "You are what you eat. I suppose that makes me a ,,," and they cut it there so I never found out what it made him.

Complete turd?

[Horse]

The first line gets attention:

https://theconversation.com/what-medica ... nts-246063

"From vegetarians craving meat to changes in sexual preference, some organ transplant patients report changes to their personality reflecting those of the organ donor."

Although, later, some of this is recognised as anecdotal. That said, AFAIK there's currently no scientific test for vegetarianism

[Cousin Jack]

That said, AFAIK there's currently no scientific test for vegetarianism

Or sexual preference.

[Horse]

That said, AFAIK there's currently no scientific test for vegetarianism

Or sexual preference.

Yup.

But it would be one heck of a claim to make on a whim.

[JackyJoll]

That said, AFAIK there's currently no scientific test for vegetarianism

Or sexual preference.

If you can wank thinking about Theresa May, you’re not a homosexual.

[Cousin Jack]

That said, AFAIK there's currently no scientific test for vegetarianism

Or sexual preference.

If you can wank thinking about Theresa May, you’re not a homosexual.

If you can wank thinking about Theresa May you are not human!

[Mr. Dazzle]

She's no Maggie, that's for sure.

[JackyJoll]

She's no Maggie, that's for sure.

Oh you shouldn’t have said that! Phoar!!

[Saga Lout]

I think most people would agree that we need a civil service. I also think most people would agree that we need the army, navy and air force. But do we really need four times as many civil servants as members of the armed forces?

The Civil Service, cut back drastically during David Cameron’s time as prime minister, is now four times the size of the British Armed Forces for the first time. Britain has a public payroll of 543,000 full-time mandarins and 137,000 regular troops.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/20 ... -pay-rise/

[Count Steer]

I think most people would agree that we need a civil service. I also think most people would agree that we need the army, navy and air force. But do we really need four times as many civil servants as members of the armed forces?

The Civil Service, cut back drastically during David Cameron’s time as prime minister, is now four times the size of the British Armed Forces for the first time. Britain has a public payroll of 543,000 full-time mandarins and 137,000 regular troops.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/20 ... -pay-rise/

LOL at the Bellylaffs 'full-time mandarins'. Have they ever visited somewhere like a Tax Office, Passport Office or the DVLC? Clerks, phone jockeys and keyboard clackers....and there doesn't appear to be enough of them. There might me a squad of mandarins in Whitehall but the bulk of it isn't quite so exotic.

[Saga Lout]

I think most people would agree that we need a civil service. I also think most people would agree that we need the army, navy and air force. But do we really need four times as many civil servants as members of the armed forces?

The Civil Service, cut back drastically during David Cameron’s time as prime minister, is now four times the size of the British Armed Forces for the first time. Britain has a public payroll of 543,000 full-time mandarins and 137,000 regular troops.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/20 ... -pay-rise/

LOL at the Bellylaffs 'full-time mandarins'. Have they ever visited somewhere like a Tax Office, Passport Office or the DVLC? Clerks, phone jockeys and keyboard clackers....and there doesn't appear to be enough of them. There might me a squad of mandarins in Whitehall but the bulk of it isn't quite so exotic.

I'm sure a lot of them, maybe as many as half of them, are doing useful work enforcing the regulations. The rest are busy thinking up new regulations. Anybody think we need more regulations?

[Count Steer]

I think most people would agree that we need a civil service. I also think most people would agree that we need the army, navy and air force. But do we really need four times as many civil servants as members of the armed forces?


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/20 ... -pay-rise/

LOL at the Bellylaffs 'full-time mandarins'. Have they ever visited somewhere like a Tax Office, Passport Office or the DVLC? Clerks, phone jockeys and keyboard clackers....and there doesn't appear to be enough of them. There might me a squad of mandarins in Whitehall but the bulk of it isn't quite so exotic.

I'm sure a lot of them, maybe as many as half of them, are doing useful work enforcing the regulations. The rest are busy thinking up new regulations. Anybody think we need more regulations?

Median age, 44, median salary equivalent to ~£19/hr. Not sure that puts them in the 'thinking up new regulations' bracket.

An awful lot of them spend their time doing and undoing the changes that successive governments impose and, I'd guess much of that is computing. I'm not convinced the workforce is as top heavy as the Bellylaff wants us to think. I wouldn't mind if more humans were on the other end of the phone/Internet when I try and contact eg the Tax Office tbh.

[Horse]

I think most people would agree that we need a civil service. I also think most people would agree that we need the army, navy and air force. But do we really need four times as many civil servants as members of the armed forces?

The Civil Service, cut back drastically during David Cameron’s time as prime minister, is now four times the size of the British Armed Forces for the first time. Britain has a public payroll of 543,000 full-time mandarins and 137,000 regular troops.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/20 ... -pay-rise/

Although I've been aware of the gradual reduction in armed forces numbers, I was unaware of CS numbers.

Interesting graph from here:

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org. ... ff-numbers

Screenshot_20241222-124722.png (290.43 KiB) Viewed 135 times

I'm slightly surprised that it's the Telegraph identifying the pre- post- Cameron difference as it seems the relentless increase is post-referendum. Was this requirement foreseeable? Probably, since one of the stated benefits was tearing up EU legislation and developing our own replacements.

But back to the armed forces. Why choose them as a comparison?

[Cousin Jack]

I agree we need less CS and less government.

The problem is that also means less winter fuel payments, less benefits generally and less help for anyone too ill/lazy to help themselves. Less everything

I can live with that, but Joe Public would have apoplexy.

[demographic]

So, I keep seeing people complaining about "Two Tier Policing" and last night there was an example of what I would call two tier policing where a particular group gets special treatment when they are alleged to be doing something illegal.