Psychiatrist - Greek for 'Couldn't make it as a real Doctor'

Lifted almost whole from The Register (which is in theory a tech geek newspaper but in reality the only daily I'd buy if it hit the newstand)


Academic reviewers at the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research, based at Boston University's Medical Center, have responded to the British trick-cyclists. They say that a sudden cut in old-timers drinking would probably cause a lot of dangerous health problems:

It should be made clear that 65-year-olds are healthier than people of that age a generation ago - age-specific disability rates are decreasing, not increasing.

[A recent study] showed a direct dose-response relation between alcohol consumption and risk of death in women aged 16-54 and in men aged 16-34, whereas at older ages the relation is U shaped ... The authors state that their data suggest that women should INCREASE their intake to 3 units a day over age 75, and men rise from 3 units a day up to age 54 to 4 units a day up to age 84.

The [UK psychiatrists'] report was conspicuously lacking in a discussion of the important role that moderate drinking can play in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, diabetes, dementia, and osteoporosis. Advising healthy people aged 65 years or older who are moderate, responsible drinkers to stop drinking or to markedly reduce their intake would not be in their best health interests, especially in terms of their risk of cardiovascular diseases ... the absolute risk for cardiovascular diseases increases markedly with age, and therefore the beneficial or protective effect of light to moderate drinking on cardiovascular diseases is greater in the elderly than in younger people.

And there are in fact many other benefits of an occasional tipple when one finds oneself getting on a bit - in fact some of the worst scourges of the elderly are alleviated. 

Evidence is also accumulating that shows that the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia is lower among moderate drinkers than among abstainers. Neurodegenerative disorders are key causes of disability and death among elderly people. Epidemiological studies have suggested that moderate alcohol consumption, may reduce the incidence of certain age-related neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease. Regular dietary intake of flavonoid-rich foods and/or beverages has been associated with 50% reduction in the risk of dementia, a preservation of cognitive performance with ageing,a delay in the onset of Alzheimer's disease and a reduction in the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

If this wasn't enough, the fact is that a drop of booze now and then just makes life more pleasant.

Scientific data are consistent in demonstrating that quality of life is better and total mortality is lower among moderate drinkers than among abstainers.

Indeed, taken overall, if the UK government as a whole - and trick-cyclists advising their patients in particular - actually wanted to help older folks to live pleasanter, healthier, more fulfilling lives they would in fact advise them to drink more, not less.

[A recent study] showed a direct dose-response relation between alcohol consumption and risk of death in women aged 16-54 and in men aged 16-34, whereas at older ages the relation is U shaped ... The authors state that their data suggest that women should INCREASE their intake to 3 units a day over age 75, and men rise from 3 units a day up to age 54 to 4 units a day up to age 84.

Full details of the damning critique responding to the psychiatrists' poorly-informed and silly recommendations can be found here at the website of the Boston University School of Medicine.

Let me give you some advice

Dear chancer of a Counsel's Clerk

If you are going to send me a cheeky email trying to get an £800 uplift om fees do not be surprised that I send you an indignant, "you'll have grand and like it sonny!" reply.

And If you are going to follow that up with a haughty "well this necessitated us actually doing something other than trying to convince you that you should settle the file" type email then maybe your offer to meet in the middle should be the same as the fee we agreed 3 weeks ago rather than £200 below it.

I'd have never got away with that with Chambers in Manc or even the accursed Smog.

Schmuck!

On Theodore Roosevelt

Must be President some day. A man you can't cajole, can't frighten, can't buy.

Bram Stoker, novelist, upon meeting Roosevelt in New York City in 1895,

Litigation funding attracts PE interest - LITIGATION TO DER NATION!

from Financial News

Bramden Investments, which typically invests between £250,000 to £10m in start-up companies in the UK, Europe and US, is providing around £20m in funding to a new litigation funding vehicle, Vannin Capital.


Vannin is seeking to profit from a new type of asset class, by paying the costs of legal claims in return for between 25% and 45% of the spoils. It was founded by solicitors Nick Rowles-Davies, Matthew Cox and William Evans at the beginning of the year, although Rowles-Davies has only just launched the firm full time after quitting his position as a partner at West End law firm Bridgehouse Partners.

Litigation funding is a small but fast growing investment class that promises high returns that are not dependent on favourable economic conditions. Legal disputes tend to increase during recessions.


There are currently only a handful of major players in London, including Aim-listed Burford Capital and London-based Harbour Litigation Funding, which have attracted a mix of institutional and wealthy private investors.

tech boom -> property boom -> social media boom -> litigation boom = harvest time at Sumo's dispute farm, assuming of course investors are cognisant of litigation risk and don't swamp litigators with too much of the kind of bureaucratic mess 3rd party funders like to swamp litigators with.

Firms have a lot to learn from the Restaurant biz

I was out for a fairly snazzy lunch the other week, food was good but service was excellent, absolutely made the meal. Mrs Sumo raves about it, slags off other snazzy restaurants what she drags me to when she is sick of just having steaks. 

It dawned on me, while supping on a braised shin of beef, that the restaurant was not cheap, was closed on a weekend, had good food but on its own no better than a slew of other generic places and yet was full on a weekday afternoon, was booked for weeks in advance and had me thinking I would come back here. 

The service made it, attentive, knowledgeable staff, specialised in their tasks, friendly yet professional, immediately available yet not hassling you. That is the absolute blue print for any Law Firm. 

There is no excuse for a firm to fail. Study a top flight restaurant and apply it. It's a simple formula it just takes a bit of a culture shift and a realisation that you are providing service and it is not you who is important. 

Oh you are fcuking kidding me you fcuks!

Apparently growth in the Uk is stuttering because of the Royal Wedding? a big tawdry pile of shitt that is basically an excuse to manufacture a pile of tawdry shitt to flog to tourists is responsible for the Uk's economic woes. 


Do fcuk off


That is some weak reporting even for the increasingly vapid Spazygraph