Olympic Security Then and Now

Olympic Security or lack of it seems to be the lead story for all the media today. The chosen Security firm seems to have got it wrong and wisely the British Army has been called in to help out and why not? The armed forces are on the taxpayers pay role and are well trained to do an excellent job. 

The media condemnation has been scathing so it is a pity the powers that be did not present the case for the army in a better PR style. The government has taken the only sensible course of action avoiding chaos but perhaps should have presented it in a more positive light. It is a case of doing the right thing but in the wrong way.

After the horror of the Munich Games and to some extent 9/11 security has to be taken into consideration. I am so glad it was not visible at all in 1948 when I attended the Wembley Games at the ripe old age of four. There was little fuss, very little ceremony and yet the whole Games was so memorable even to a tiny child that I have found all other Games lacking.

The Wembley Games were inspiring and held up a spirit of hope that came across in the simplicity of the production. Yes it rained, buckets of rain, England does rain. There was little food and no Olympic Village.  There was no security at all just the normal staff.

Personally I think the UK producers should have planned for a closing roof a la Centre Court at Wimbledon then the rain on the Opening Ceremony problem would not arise. With a closing roof in place one could be quite sure that the weather would remain fine. Yes it would have been expensive but not half so expensive as a wet, washed out Opening Ceremony as that image of UK will be remembered forever.

I only produced one outside event, a mask at Old Government House in Auckland. The fear of rain and the cost of cancellation was the foremost worry. We got away it....JUST.... but I swore I should never do another. A past next door neighbor Michael Mizrahi and Marie Adams, who produce world class open air events have seen so many huge occasions washed out that I admire their perseverance in this area.

By using the army at least the security threat will hopefully be under control and fingers crossed for the rain. I don't want to be a Cassandra and say I told you so.

Myers Briggs Type Indicator and me ENFJ

Take test curtsey of Humanmetrics

I have neer been a fan of personality tests. They are not scientific and are virtually impossible to test. Like marketing, psychiatry,  psychology and alternative medecine these fields are still in the realms of art forms.

It is not that these disciplines do not work, they possibly do but there is no concrete, scientific evidence to back up their claims. Hopefully someday soon someone will invent a method by which these can be tested and produce real, tangible proof.

The BBC World Radio has been running a short series on the topic  of personality tests. It seems that the Myers Briggs Type Indicator test is now very popular among corporations, armies and navies and this test is given to prospective employees to see if they can fit in.  This test is not supposed to be used for this purpose and the type that you are assigned is supposed to make no difference as every type has its merits but, and it is a big BUT, it seems that extroverts are preferred.

You do not have to take the test but your chances of employment diminish. In many offices one is assigned a set of four letters like ENTP, ISFJ and some firms even have these on name tags and doors.

I hate tests of any kind. I loathe them and perform badly but there was one example of this test on line and being semi retired and never ever going to rejoin the work force I thought to hell with this I'll have a  go and see how wrong it can be. I must admit I had no faith in it at all. How can answering about 75 simple questions show one's personality type?

You can see the start of the test above. You have to be truthful and you have to answer all the questions even if they appear ridiculous and you have to want to take it. The first You are almost never late for appointments is a Yes for me as I was in the theatre and one had to be in the theatre before the half which is 35 minutes before a performance.  The habit of being early has stuck. As my husband said Janette you would be early for your own funeral! The second was a Yes, the third a No as I do not watch Soaps.

I did the lot and waited 10 seconds for my profile. It seems I am a ENFJ which is Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. You can read my profile type here if you are interested.

To my horror and surprise the test was surprisingly accurate. Horribly accurate in fact. It knew more about me in those few seconds than many of my friends  have found out in my life. Here is the opening passage:

ENFJs are the benevolent 'pedagogues' of humanity. They have tremendous charisma by which many are drawn into their nurturant tutelage and/or grand schemes. Many ENFJs have tremendous power to manipulate others with their phenomenal interpersonal skills and unique salesmanship. But it's usually not meant as manipulation -- ENFJs generally believe in their dreams, and see themselves as helpers and enablers, which they usually are.

ENFJs are global learners. They see the big picture. The ENFJs focus is expansive. Some can juggle an amazing number of responsibilities or projects simultaneously. Many ENFJs have tremendous entrepreneurial ability.  Humanmetrics

Yes I have had grand schemes that I have had to sell. Running a small professional opera company here in Auckland for 14 years was one of them. I have had to charm tenors, conductors, men in general and town councils to bring this to fruition. I believe in my dreams. I could not sell tobacco, alcohol or Mitt Romney. I had to do this by myself and learned many skills on the way. I can light a theatre, make a tutu and run a cafe on occasions when that area ceased to function. Yes to my surprise I am an entrepreneur.

ENFJs know and appreciate people. Like most NFs, (and Feelers in general), they are apt to neglect themselves and their own needs for the needs of others. They have thinner psychological boundaries than most, and are at risk for being hurt or even abused by less sensitive people. ENFJs often take on more of the burdens of others than they can bear.

I do appreciate people and their talents and I did neglect my own needs. Although I am a good performer for that 14 years I sat on the sidelines only performing when I had to and yes I can be hurt. When I was dismissed from my own production it hurt. Although I was never given a reason for their action I had stood up for the right of chorus artists to be paid and their safety of artists and orchestra by refusing to use real glasses with a revolve and I had chosen each artist to make sure the locals were used few of the cast or staff stood up for me. In fact only four contacted me. That hurt. It was a hurt from which I have never recovered. Needless to say the company that acquired my opera and the profits never employed any of my artists again.

The rest of the profile is equally applicable. Famous ENFJ's include Oprah Winfrey and President Obama.

Lastly although impressed I still have a skeptical outlook on this subject but I must admit for me it was spot on.

Big Ben or Queen Elizabeth Tower?

Now I have heard everything! Our elected MP's have voted to change the name of Big Ben to, wait for it..... Queen Elizabeth Tower!!!!!

I am speechless. It is challenging to find a name that trips off the tongue and everybody knows and everybody loves.  I know for I have been struggling with my names for years. Janette Miller was difficult enough but Janette Heffernan was impossible! I even tried Jan Mila for my company with no success either.

Surely renaming a major national icon to honour a very ordinary but pleasant woman who had the good fortune to win the major prize in the lottery of life is a major mistake.

Big Ben was a visual and audio focal point throughout the miseries and danger of the Second World War. Its chimes became a rallying point for allies in occupied countries and its reassuring sounds said it all. It was comforting and stood for everything the Nazis didn't. You knew where you stood with Big Ben and whose side you were on.

To rename it in honor of a hereditary monarch who has achieved greatness by reigning over us longest seems like outright toadying. Charles I must be laughing his head off.

If the Queen and the royal family knew what was good for them they would refuse the honour. They got away with the expensive shindig of the Jubilee celebrations, shot themselves in the foot with making Kate curtsey to the Royal Princesses of the blood but renaming Big Ben is a step too far.

Well you can rename the Tower, I suppose, but not the clock! That will always be Big Ben!

Vintage Photos Wembley Stadium

Picture: English Heritage/PA

The Telegraph had a photo slide show of vintage ariel photos of England which readers on line have been invited to share.

Many of the photos, which range from 1919 to 1953, were so old and fragile that they were close to being lost forever. Above, the FA Cup Final Wembley Stadium on April 27, 1935. Sheffield Wednesday beat West Bromwich Albion by four goals to two. The Cierva autogyro in the foreground was flown by Scotland Yard, experimenting with air observation to monitor crowds. (Telegraph)


I found the above photo very nostalgic because this is where I spent a large part of my childhood. Yes, I used to run around Wembley Stadium. This was because my grandfather Henry Thorpe was the chief accountant and in 1926 nearly the owner.  I went to the Olympics Opening Ceremony in 1948. I was five.


Ariel photography was very rare up until relatively recently until the advent of Google maps and Earth. It was a bit of a learning curve to get my brain used to seeing objects from the top. I found it hard to find the pyramids. I knew they were on the West Bank but I have never been to Egypt.  Even the Eifel Tower is difficult to pick out from above.


I used to make the drive from Stanmore to Taplow for over twenty five years. I could trace it on a map. Recently on a dull afternoon I tried to do this on Google Earth. It was incredibly difficult and so enlightening. In fact I found it fascinating to see exacty where and in which direction I was going. London is so large there are many areas which I do not know well and to actually see the lay out from the air was mind boggling.


Pilots are used to this but again picking out London Airport from way up in the atmosphere for the first time was challenging. How they do this I can only guess.


Now I am used to looking at the world from above. Google Earth has added vintage photos to ordinary streets and I can relive the days of my youth in Stanmore when our street was lined with elms and oaks that now sadly have been cut down.


Enjoy the photos. 

FDA Warning Rantidine/ PPI

This is a warning to all of you who take anti antacid drugs regularly. You know the sort you buy over the counter at the chemist and supermarket. For years these drugs like Zantac/Ranitidine have been considered as safe as houses but now it seems they are not and the US Federal Drug Administration has delivered a waring that long term use of these drugs can damage your health as  use can lead to diarrhea and the deadly hospital super bug Clostridium Difficile.  You do not want this.

How do I know? Well ten years ago I caught this bug possible because of a hospital stay and use of a Protein Pump Inhibitor for heliobacter. CD nearly killed me. CD kills.

Consequently the hospital docs warned me never, never to use a PPI again EVER! I knew this, I have it written on all  my medical notes, NO PPI's but my GP who has now left for Australia did not think it was of consequence and prescribed one without telling me. I immediately checked on Wikipedia and found it was a PPI and I refused to take it

My oh so clever GP then prescribed Ranitidine without telling me that this was a sort of PPI! He said it was a safe alternative. He warned me I should not get well without it and that I had to take it for at least 6 months. I did not fare well on this drug. I took it for two months because my GP said if I refused to take it he would not treat me. I lost weight even though I was eating over 2000 calories a day and started to have long term diarrhea.

It got to be so bad I returned only to be fobbed off with a slightly lower dose. I felt awful.

It was only after a visit to the hospital dietician who had been very helpful when I was first ill I discovered that Ranitidine was in  a PPI and later that day to my horror I discovered that on the 2nd February this year the US FDA had issued a warning that these drugs can lead to CD. I came off it that night.

My message is  it is vital to check any drug given on Wikipedia or browse for Adverse Drug Effects before you take it. I trusted this doctor but he let me down twice and if I had not found out it could have been serious.  Obviously to be fair a GP cannot know everything. Medicine moves too fast these days but even so this is a serious warning.

Lesson. Only take an anti antacid if absolutely necessary. Even simple ones like Mylanta should be used sparingly and if you do not believe maybe you will believe the FDA

PS Twenty one days later I am feeling better thanks in due to a new diet regime I found on the web Reflux Defense. I have gained weight and slowly recovering.
This is last post on my health.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency the forgotten killer

Must read! Available at Amazon.com

Could it be B12? Yes in my case it was. B12 Deficiency once a major killer is now mainly ignored  by the present day doctors and goes so undiagnosed leaving sufferers with a life of misery and even early death. A simple blood test and a course of cheap safe B12 injections can restore life to normal if diagnosed in its early stages.

Symptoms include fatigue, numbness of hands and feet, memory loss, irritability, depression, gastrointestinal disorders and, in extreme cases, dementia. Barring the last, as the other symptoms are of a general nature and usually ignored, it becomes difficult to detect the deficiency. (Read more at:http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/low-vitamin-levels-making-delhiites-sick/1/200333.html)

I was lucky but it took two months and a hospital stay before my Croatian GP diagnosed my problem. Nobody else had thought of it. A raw spotty tongue, misdiagnosed as Lie Lumps,severe weight loss and increased anxiety should have been major clues to what was wrong with me but for many doctors this rang no bells.

It seems I have been B12 deficient for many years and the lack of it had left me with  serious problems. It has been a long voyage to get the amount of B12 I need back into my system. B12 is completely safe. It is a vitamin and can be bought over any chemists counter. According to the FDA there is no upper limit to the amount of B12 that can be taken as any  B12 the body does not need is removed in one's urine. Bought in bulk B12 costs pennies and it improves the quality of life for millions of people.

Yet in NZ and UK this vitamin is harder to obtain than heroin. It appears that the governments of both countries are not prepared to fund it and many poor who cannot afford to go private are refused. In the UK at the moment there are Bills before parliament to end this situation.

I am lucky. I can fund my own B12 injections and in fact now that my body has enough I can gradually ease off until I get the balance just right for me. Others are not so lucky.

So friends, take my advise and get a vitamin B12 blood test every few years to avoid deficiency and problems. I became very thin and anxious. Because it was left almost too late I shall always have problems but I am alive. I owe my life to my GP who although less than perfect at other times gave me this simple test.

NB Before you go for a B12 test it is important you are not taking any multi vitamin supplements which could effect the results. The Pernicious Anemia Society UK recommends that the level of B12 in the body should be around 450 points and that any result below that means one is deficient. However the Medical Fraternity in some countries who may for financial reasons not wish to fund at that level reduce the levels in UK to 200 and in NZ to 170. In my country one has to be very deficient to get the injections. I was around 150 which is 300 points below what is considered normal. 

The treatment of B12 Deficiency has not changed for 50 years and is now out of date. Everybody is different and has differing needs and with B12 one size does not fit all. I and many other need much more. Fortunately as B12 is so safe one can resort to subcutaneous patches and pills that go slowly into the blood stream but these are not as good as an injection.

The enlightened treatment is to medicate as required and I am lucky as I can do so. 

So if you have any of the symptoms listed above take a B12 test. It could save you from a life of misery.

In Praise of Vitamin B12

On my YouTube Xmas message I ended by saying how much I enjoyed my life and how one never knew what was around the corner. If only I had known! In fact it was a good thing that I didn't know!

I ate some smoked salmon a day before Christmas and I unlocked the genie out of the bottle. It has taken five months to recover and I am a wiser woman as a result.

It is difficult to know where to start. Perhaps I shouldn't but it has taken ages  to get to the stage where I can just about begin to live again. This has been challenging.

My blog has suffered as I have not felt up to writing it. Nobody is interested in the illnesses of others and I have no wish to bore or embarrass so this will be the only reference.

Well that's not quite true because in my next post I shall tell of my adventures with Vitamin B12 and the subsequent of the dangers of Losec and Ranitidine as a warning to others.

Coming back to my blog I find all the formats have changed and I am back to the challenge of new technology. I hope I am up to it.