Manx Bean

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly topics get hijacked or go off-piste. Back to Howard's Gong. Is he worthy? Apparently. Is value of the Honours System being constantly de-valued? In my eyes, yes. I really wish people get given these awards for basically just doing the job they are paid to do - often not that well. Let's face it - Howard doesn't need to work - so this past 10 years has been an ego trip, culminating in this CBE. I suspect he was hoping for the Knighthood - thank God he didn't get one, or his already vastly inflated ego would be bursting.

Absolutely! A few decent photos posted on a classified page on Facebook and Bob’s your Uncle. I certainly wouldn’t want to give a penny of my money to an estate agent in this climate.

Is this appropriate do you think? I assume he is not seen as a “flight risk”, but I’m not sure I’d want him let loose for him to disappear into the sunset after being accused of such a serious string of offences against children? http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=62152&headline=Man accused of sexual offences against child is allowed bail to visit his mother in the UK&sectionIs=NEWS&searchyear=2021

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/government-to-ask-tynwald-for-approval-to-borrow-400-million/ I have just read this and two thoughts have struck me: The cunning plan to borrow now whilst interest rates are low rather than take from our Reserves sounds great, but in the next breath he talks about it being a loan for up to 40 years..so what happens when rates climb again? Will it still be cheap? Erm.. Where he says none of the costs will be passed onto the customers (MUA reference), that may be correct - but he of course has skirted around the truth that the taxpay

And if my memory serves me correct, he was caught driving a few years ago on a provisional licence as he had actually never passed a driving test in Ireland, and forgot when he got here. Or something along those lines.

How rife is this at present? - https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/reassurances-estate-agents-are-highly-regulated-after-allegations/ I know I personally experienced this in the late 1980's when having put in an offer on a house that was accepted, I arrived home one day to find a hand-written note through my letter box from the agent say the vendors had accepted a higher offer. I rang the Vendor and they knew nothing about another offer! The irony? It was Cowley Groves....

Bit of a charmer then.

So, a bit like here in the 1980's then?

2 hour flight into the Grand Canyon and back, with dawn breakfast = £130pp. 30 minute flight over a Norwegian Glacier = £95pp Not sure a 18 minute whip around the South Coast compares really?

So, surely the answer is to drive in reverse at whatever speed you like from Patrick to Glen Maye???

He hid it well, didn't he?

In the meantime, David Ashford admits this scandal...how has been allowed to happen? This is tantamount to corporate manslaughter is it not, if people are dying because our health service (with whatever bloody badge you want to stick on it) is letting people die that needn't? https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/wait-for-treatment-increases-for-those-with-most-common-cancers/

You could be right, in which case based on previous initiatives, it may end up being an overly complicated and unattractive proposition, which ends up being very under subscribed and quietly disappears into another budget whilst nobody is looking.

This interesting snippet came out of the Keys yesterday, which seems to suggest we may be looking to throw money into the visitor economy, which is good. Jersey in contrast last year gave every resident a gift card for £100 that had to be spent and redeemed on island, and of course the UK had their own Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. I guess each has their own merit - but equally, the former idea to give discounts to tourists will do less for the economy as it would cost a fraction to fund, and even in a good year tourism accounts for 5-8% of GDP. Its that old saying "you get out what you put in"

I suspect it's perfecting timing -go out on a high and hope his nominations for a Knighthood get submitted ready for the next New Years Honours List.