@WhatNowDoc

Squeezing joy out of this amazing upside down life, however long or short. Love Justice Music Art Trees Earth. Memoir https://nitter.cf/t.co/nmPSWX4OPY

The Weald, Anglo-Saxon England
Joined February 2013
Waking thoughts: Live and let live. Be nice. If you can’t be nice, at least do no harm. Love yourself, first and then you can love your family and friends. Help others when you feel you can. Protect others, if you can but don’t be in a hurry to rescue. Think first. Speak your own truth. Listen to others. Recognise a wrongun and don’t be afraid to say so. There is only one human race, there is no racism. There is prejudice and there is bigotry, and they are different. Human beings are tribal and we need to learn to be good neighbours. Cultures are just what some people are used to, we never stop learning but some have more learning to do. People in authority are there because no one else wanted the job - as much as them. Ask yourself why. They’re just people with a job. Pay your way, nobody owes you anything. Don’t ask what your government can do for you, they’re not your friend. Demand excellence in return for pay. Bring children into this world, there has never been a better time. Teach, love and protect them, they are YOUR children. If you want to keep a secret, don’t tell anyone. Trust in yourself, everyone else must earn it. Value truth, honesty and loyalty above all else. Even if you don’t like it. If you’re seeking truth, keep looking. People who’ve been doing something for a very long time are not necessarily experts, they may just lack imagination. Expertise is a demonstrable skill. What can’t be done, is merely another challenge, not a roadblock. You can carry on, because that’s what we do. Control is fleeting and illusory. Relax. No fear, no guilt, no regrets, look forward. If you feel you need faith, put faith in yourself and ask your friends to help. Do not fear death. Plan for it, because nobody gets out of this, alive.
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It’s difficult to decide whether I share these things out of a sense of incredulity or could it be something base as vanity? Most people never live to hear these things said of them because of the way things happen. I’m sure they are still said and written just not whilst the person who is their subject is still around to hear it. Maybe that’s the problem with us humans. Maybe that’s the thing we have to fix. We need to get better at telling each other what we mean to each other we need to get over these senseless humilities that we keep to ourselves. I’m sharing this one because what a little breath I had has left me with these words. I think there are people around each one of you who feel the same way about you. I implore them to say them sooner rather than later. I must now sleep. Here’s a message one of us should hear during their lifetime: Robin, writing this which I know all of us are feeling and hopefully not jumping ahead of your health issue but as this tender time draws near, we know your thoughts will be wrapped around the family you love so deeply. That is exactly where they should be. But I am sure we all want you to know this too: we are with you. As your dearest friends—the ones who have shared a lifetime of laughter, adventures, tears, impossible moments, and unforgettable memories—you are forever woven into our hearts, just as we know we are forever etched into yours. Friendship like ours does not end at the shoreline of this life; it simply changes its horizon. May you never doubt how deeply you have been loved, or how your life has shaped ours. Every smile you gave, every kindness you offered, every joyful memory we carry has become part of who we are. You leave footprints not behind you, but within us Souls that meet in truth and grace are never torn apart; They simply learn to speak in light, from heart to faithful heart. So, as you move gently into this quiet passage, may you feel surrounded by peace and held by the love of everyone whose life you have touched. We will be beside you in spirit, carrying our gratitude, tenderness, and everlasting affection with us. Wherever the path leads, you will never be alone. Thank you, Robin, for the extraordinary gift of your friendship. It has been one of the great blessings of our lives. With all our love, now and always.
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This is more worrying to me than just about anything I’ve read this year. I hope I’m wrong.
Reports coming from the Saudi opposition indicate that a violent clash is escalating between Mohammed bin Salman and his brother Khalid bin Salman, the Minister of Defense, and that the dispute between the two men has now reached a very advanced stage, with direct exchanges of accusations regarding responsibility for the military situation that Saudi Arabia has arrived at in its confrontation with the Houthis. Mohammed bin Salman recently conveyed to Khalid bin Salman a message stating that he had trusted his brother and placed him in the Ministry of Defense to build a strong army capable of confronting the Houthis, but after years at the head of the ministry and spending hundreds of billions on the military institution, he has failed to do so. Mohammed bin Salman accused his brother Khalid bin Salman of administrative corruption and embezzlement of funds, and accused him of turning the Saudi army, despite all that was spent on it, into a junk army incapable of confronting the Houthis. Khalid bin Salman responded to his brother Mohammed bin Salman that the responsibility does not fall on him, but on MbS himself, and that MbS is the one who plunged Saudi Arabia, due to his misjudgment, into a reckless war with Yemen from the very beginning. And according to what has reached from the Saudi opposition, Khalid bin Salman told his brother that MbS, no matter what reforms he carries out and no matter how much money he spends on the Saudi army, will not be able to make this army capable of confronting the Houthis, because the problem started with the decision itself and the way MbS entered the war, and his refusal to learn from Yemen's history and the nature of wars there. The conflict between the two men has now reached its utmost extreme, and is no longer just a dispute between the Crown Prince and the Minister of Defense over war management, but has begun to transform into a conflict within the royal family itself. There are real factions within the House of Saud, with part of the princes standing behind Khalid bin Salman and supporting him, while the other part stands behind Mohammed bin Salman, meaning that the dispute between the brothers has begun to turn into a broader conflict within the family over responsibility, influence, and the future of power. And the most dangerous aspect is that the conflict may not stop at exchanging accusations. Information coming from Saudi Arabia speaks of the possibility that MbS will attempt to remove KbS from the MoD and hold him responsible for the military failure, and in response, there is talk that KbS may act before being removed, and that the clash between the two men could reach, in its worst phases, an attempt at a military coup against MbS led by KbS, relying on his position at the head of the MoD and the princes who stand behind him. This conflict comes at a time of extreme sensitivity for Mohammed bin Salman. The New York Times confirmed in September 2026 that the Crown Prince personally asked Donald Trump to intervene militarily against the Houthis, and that he contacted him requesting assistance to stop their advance, while Reuters also confirmed that Saudi Arabia requested American military support after the Houthis' significant advance, and that the attack revealed intelligence failures and erroneous Saudi calculations. As for KbS, he entered the heart of the military institution years before taking over the ministry. He was appointed Dy. Minister of Defense in February 2019, and immediately began working in his new position, then was appointed MoD on September 27, 2022, on the same day that MbS became Prime Minister. In other words, MbS himself is the one who gradually placed his brother in the heart of the military institution and then handed him the MoD in full. And since KbS took over the MoD, the funds have by no means been scarce. The Saudi military sector was allocated 259 billion riyals in the 2023 budget, 269 billion riyals in the 2024 budget, then 272 billion riyals in the 2025 budget, and 240 billion riyals in the 2026 budget. That is, the total military allocations during these four years amounted to approximately 1.04 trillion Saudi riyals. And it is precisely here that the importance of the clash between the brothers lies. MbS is effectively saying that he granted his brother the ministry, time, and money to build the military force he wants, then today accuses him of failure, corruption, embezzlement of funds, and turning the army into a junk army. And KbS responds to him that money and weapons cannot fix MbS's original mistake, and that the one who dragged Saudi Arabia into this war and misjudged Yemen and the Houthis from the beginning is MbS himself. And with other princes entering the line of conflict, the dispute is no longer just a question of who failed in managing the MoD, but has become a conflict within the center of rule itself, and its outcomes could be far more dangerous than just a change of minister.
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Incidentally, my wife has almost lost all of her marbles and I am struggling with it.
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I’ve been trying to think how to keep up with keeping so many different people up to speed as I know they want me to, even those who are fed up with being reminded of it. Well, I was saving one special one for when I felt I could think clearly enough to do it justice. They will know who they are, I’m going to share it with everyone because it applies to so many at one level or another. So here: I’ve been so busy today, without moving from this chair, just dealing with everything to do with keeping a body alive on an average day….plus conversations like these. Most are quick and simple to respond to with an emoji/comment or two. This isn’t that and needs more. I don’t know what. That was such a special letter. My sister. ♥️ This Huckleberry Finn period watching all the dress rehearsals of my funeral, the opportunities we’ve all had to share thoughts and feelings. It’s felt precious, special, generous. At the same time, tortuous. Whilst you were fighting the same demons hoping to live, here I am knowing I don’t have long, there is no alternative outcome, I’d just like it to pass unremarkably and with as little pain as possible. Simon has given me one of those huge motorised chairs that moves every way, he and James set it up in the conservatory yesterday, I sat in it for the first time at 9am after a delicious and so rare sleep (following Escape from Alcatraz) from 23:50 - 07:40 hrs 🤗😎👏🥳🥂 The next thing I knew, it was 15:20 hours. Oh my god, did I need that. Both of them. I have my drain, it’s crude but the 300 ml of gunk it lugs around is better out than in. If only I could breathe freely enough not to fear a walk to the toilet. Bedtime soon. James and tonight’s carer have set the bed up for me, bugger, I wonder if they closed the curtains…..I can’t walk that far. Did they close the window? I can’t keep repeating instructions to everyone because I can’t talk enough for lack of breath. That young US surgeon who wrote a book on his own year of lung cancer, Kalaninski, When Breath Becomes Air. That’s what he was referring to. Thank you for such beautiful messages. Thank you for being my Sister. I’m so sorry to have put everyone through all this. It’s bad enough suffering it oneself. I’m not brave, this is like an appointment you’d rather not keep, but you made a promise. ♥️ Thanks also to my brothers. ♥️
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Who amongst my friends is an expert in employment law and has successfully brought claims against employers for constructive dismissal. My DMS are wide open. I will accept anybody who is responding constructively to this request thank you. 🙏 @AllisonPearson @BarristersHorse @SBarrettBar @La
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As I usually do, I concur with BH on these matters. I see no palatable solutions, only terrifying potential for a mega disaster. I have one cowardly comfort, it won’t be my problem. 🫣
The political left get what they want: vacuous virtue signalling. The political right get what they want: highlighting two tier justice and the unfairness of it all. Us? Well our views clearly mean nothing. I'm deeply saddened that a country once considered one of the most liberal and welcoming has been reduced to this by politicians of all stripes taking the pee in regard to those tolerant values. Polite discourse requesting restraint on immigration has led nowhere and promises of immigration control have been broken spectacularly for over two decades. It's now race to the bottom stuff, with a stagnating economy and rising unemployment, there's no bandwidth left to accommodate more and more migrants. Distributing them to the shires will engage an otherwise sleeping cohort of people, not ordinarily known for protesting. Those old enough will recall the Poll Tax Riots and how it was intrinsic to the downfall of a tin eared government, too long in power to properly sense the mood of the nation. We're at that point again: the political class are talking to themselves, unwilling and probably unable to address the things that really matter to people. I can no longer bear to listen to them, hence my presence on X has diminished because I often can't bring myself to engage in the bs. We slide steadily into more frequent, mass civil disobedience, and 'they' fiddle whilst Rome burns.
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I. Am. Out. 🎉🥂😰😱 My escape route…. You would not believe what I had to go through to get out of here with their agreement AND with my own plans in place. If I have the energy I’ll detail over the next couple of days. I’ve acquired a lot of understanding that could be useful.
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Jesus Christ! It’s a fucking madhouse in here. In an hour or so we enjoin the NHS in a battle to break out of here. It’s not the staff, it’s the patients…..
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The bloke next to me is now having a telephone conversation with his daughter, yes I have both sides of the conversation. It’s 10:30pm FFS !
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Ready for action! What a place, I want to go play!
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Interesting process. They have everything here that modern day radiology has thus far conjured. Mine of course, the last procedure of the day, Friday, statistically the worst time to have any surgical procedure - and survive. Luckily, Charge Nurse Chester, is Mr Health & Safety. He almost refused to take me to radiology because the bed I have didn’t have a correctly fitted stand for the IV and using a separate mobile version was hazardous….. Staff routinely go around pilfering equipment like this. Chester took the team through Atul Gawende’s checklist and now I feel reassured I won’t be a Friday evening statistic.
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Too much information? Last minute decisions. And my fat, steroid swollen little feet with the Petechiae spots…..
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Yay! Six minutes in….looking good. Now it’s gone, we’re down to Radiology, transfusion complete. Going in for the procedure any minute now…..
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It’s 15:30 hrs I’m getting anxious. I have to have a platelet infusion before the procedure, so I don’t bleed out. We did bloods this morning, the platelets are ready. I’ve got my infusion machine by my bed….where are they? Don’t back out now for god’s sake, it’s bloody Friday! 😬😥🫣😥
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I love this! 👏👏👏😂😂🥂
My mother has been my biggest supporter from day one, no matter how crazy my ideas sounded. ~Elon Musk.
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I hope this will be seen to be the defining image of the epoch. The alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.
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Robin Redmile-Gordon retweeted
Elon Musk was seated at President Trump’s table at tonight’s State Dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping. The boys are back 🇺🇸
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Aaaaand I’m off! To pastures new and unknown, my mobile home piled high with my rapidly grabbed necessities. And here we are in this oasis of quiet calm and darkened light. Quelle difference! Now I feel like the intruder but I can see how people may actually rest here, and feel better. Mind you, it is five in the morning and my unslept brain of what, 72 hours or more feels more like a drunk than a sentient creature.
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Well look at me in my cool makeover pad. Whilst I was having an explosive but highly rewarding and relaxing time in the very private surroundings of the loo, the bed fairy replaced my rack with a rather cool electric model sitting close enough to the ground for me to be able to scale its face and lie down, with electric adjustments! Also my fan, essential for anyone in hospital. 😎
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I mean, he’s not wrong is he? What have we got? Some ageing Oasis fanboy that was in government, once, somewhere and thinks moving Downing St to his home town makes life better for someone apart from himself….oh, and he did once go to NYC for a beano.
He was up working before sunrise in DC. Got on the plane to New York at 6am. Addressed the world at the U.N. Singed America’s deal with Greenland. Negotiated for 3 hours with the Iranians. Hosted 10 Gulf countries for a peace summit. Met with Zelenskyy to end Ukraine war. Met with Venesuela’s President to ink largest oil and minerals deal in world history. Hosted Shield of the Americas meeting with 20 other nations. Dinner at the U.N. with 17 separate pull aside meetings. Fly back to DC at 1AM. Back at work today before sunrise. All this man does is work for America. I don’t care what the media or polls say — I’m proud Trump is my President 🇺🇸
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