High, Lows and crazy systems….

Ending the week with a blog before heading into town for Brighton Psychefest – various bands playing multiple venues.

Thoroughly enjoying not looking at Twitter (currently known as X) although haven’t yet gone the full hog and deactivated my account. Also noted with interest the arrest of some bloke who runs Telegram. With any luck we will start to see some sensible regulation of social media platforms who have always (to me at least) trodden a dubious path of claiming not to be publishers of content.

Am sure the companies are going to fight back – pretending their issues are around defence of free speech and / or civil liberties and / or over-reach by the government – but it does seem to me that there does need to be a proper system of regulating the media (in all its forms) within the modern context.

There’s a similar debate to be had I think in the suggested approach that our Government may take to banning smoking in outdoor public spaces. I have never been a smoker, welcomed the banning of indoor smoking inside public spaces. There were clear health impacts of secondary smoke inhalation – not to mention it being really annoying to stink of other people’s fags. I am also very supportive of the proposals to incrementally increase the legal age of tobacco purchase – which seems a sensible way of modifying some behaviours. But the proposals (if they come to fruition) would seem to be government over-reach into adult life.

Have started an engagement evaluating the Changing Futures Programme in Sussex and its impact upon ‘system level’ changes in governance, strategy and partnerships in local approaches to better coordinating the care, support and treatment of those working with or those experiencing multiple compound needs. Been good to get stuck back into some systems work after a fairly leisurely summer and to thinking about various absurdities, interfaces, dependencies etc. Watched from the side-lines this week as one of our daughters house move chain collapsed when one of the buyers pulled out on the day everything was supposed to complete. Time, money and emotional investment throughout a chain comes to nothing when the ‘cash buyer – going to rent it out’ pulls out. There’s a system that needs some attention.

Musically been busy – saw Thomas Dolby for the first time in 40 years (underwhelming), supported by Martin McAloon (challenging) and The The on a pre-tour warm up show / public rehearsal (incredible).

Also was lucky enough to witness a very comfortable Spurs win to get the season underway.

And if anyone is looking for a book recommendation – I’ve just finished Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism. Short, accessible and really enraging – not unlike my good self.