Archive for April, 2009
Friday, April 17th, 2009
Here are a few little ‘gems’ from Judy Viitanen and the PRimage team. They help us … hope they help you too!
Remember the purpose of life is to develop loving relationships.
Remember the total result of all of your ambition is to be happy in your own head.
Listen to those older than you are. They’re getting fewer in number every day.
If you can’t be with the one you love; love the one you’re with
Giggle with children.
Read every day. But not out loud.
Write little e-mail notes saying nice things to good friends expecting nothing in return.
Cry during movies. But only during the soppy bits. And do it quietly.
Stuff happens - true contentment comes from reacting positively to it.
Happiness only comes when you accept the things you cannot influence.
Make friends with freedom and uncertainty.
Separate opinion from fact but don’t let facts get in the way of a good story.
And finally, not our words, but a quote from ‘Desiderata’, by Max Ehrmann – which Judy finds an inspirational, simple and positive credo for life:
“With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy”
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Communications, Family, Lifestyles, PRimage press releases, Social Issues | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
This was sent to us …. and caught our fancy! 
Stand up to be seen,
Speak up to be heard,
Shut up to be appreciated.
Posted in Blogging, By the way, Communications, Lifestyles | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
With the fallout continuing over the Number 10 email scandal, today’s papers are full of comment. Judy Viitanen believes that the Prime Minister should take personal responsibility for the smears. Mr Brown’s handwritten letter is totally inadequate as an apology. For sure there appears to be an unacceptable culture in Downing Street which seems to find it a natural element of the political scene for plotting personal slurs aimed at Opposition politicians. This is wrong and corrupt! What is also wrong is that it appears that the website set up to smear Tory MPs about their health, family and sex lives was registered to a House of Commons address.
Posted in Business, By the way, Communications, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
Here are the health news bytes that caught the attention of Judy Viitanen and the PRimage team in recent days. If you would like to know more, or to receive our daily PRimage News Bytes Profiler, please contact judy@primage.org
Nurses should cold call patients
Triple-combination therapy for smokers
HPV vaccine for 18-25s pressure
Lupus risk from birth control pills
NHS ‘can’t meet home births demand’
Patient satisfaction depends on expectation not care
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Children's Health, Consumers, Healthcare, Lifestyles, NHS, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacy, Social Issues, Women's Health | No Comments »
Thursday, April 9th, 2009
Enjoy the holidays - but don’t eat too much chocolate!
Posted in Blogging, By the way, Leisure Market, Lifestyles, PR, PRimage press releases, Social Issues | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
It seems that Brown and co are planning more ‘green economy’ initiatives and measures in the coming budget: it seems we can expect an announcement for trials of electric cars!
There is also talk that that the Budget is likely to disappoint savers - because the Chancellor has rejected a Tory plan to abolish basic rate income tax on savings income, even though the cost of the scheme has fallen from several billion pounds to as little as £300m. Seems like a bad decision to PRimage. We’ll see …
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Consumers, Economy, Environment, Financial, Lifestyles, Political Scene, Public Affairs | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
More bleak economic news today; with RBS announcing that they are to cut 9,000 jobs - estimates from the National Institute of Economic and Social Reform showed the economy shrank by 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of the year. Consumer confidence is being badly hit - figures from Nationwide Building Society show that the index of confidence fell in March to January’s record low of 41, after rising to 43 in February, with 66 per cent of people saying there were few jobs available, from 64 per cent in February.
And the news is not much brighter ‘across the pond’ - with US business confidence in the same woeful state as the UK. The Business Roundtable’s quarterly CEO Economic Outlook Index fell to minus 5 in the first quarter, the first negative reading in the survey’s six-year history and down from a fourth-quarter reading of 16.5. Evidently a reading below 50 means that chief executives expect contraction rather than growth.
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Consumers, Economy, Employment, Financial, Lifestyles, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues, USA | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
Judy Viitanen and the PRimage team are not surprised that the public uproar over MPs’ expenses is continuing. An opinion poll in today’s Times confirms the huge public backlash – with the Populus survey revealing that over two thirds of voters think that all or a majority of MPs abuse their expenses and allowances, and a third think their local MP does. PRimage agrees! In our view, this situation with regards to MPs expenses is totally wrong - and even more so at a time of huge economic downturn, with many families and businesses in the UK struggling to manage during these recessionary times.
Commons leader Harriet Harman said yesterday the government would be “taking action soon” on the - although reforms are not expected until the autumn. Given the strength of public opinion on this corrosive issue, Judy believes action should be taken now … especially as there are almost daily revelations. Housing minister Margaret Beckett has joined the list of MPs under fire for her claims, and according to news reports this morning, Gordon Brown has claimed more than £17,000 in second-home allowances despite living in a grace-and-favour apartment in Downing Street.
What’s your view? How do you feel about the fact that “the richest member of the cabinet”,Northern Ireland secretary Shaun Woodward, claims every penny of the second home allowance as well as having access to the most expensive grace-and-favour property in government! Please post a comment. �
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Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Communications, Consumers, Economy, Family, Financial, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues | No Comments »
Monday, April 6th, 2009
In our review of the weekend’s papers the PRimage team were interested to read further revelations and exposures over the ongoing saga over MPs’ expenses claims … so now the transport secretary Geoff Hoon is under fire. Who else is going to come under the spotlight Judy Viitanen wonders?
It was revealed that Hoon used his parliamentary allowance to run his constituency home while living rent-free in a government-owned Whitehall apartment and renting out his London flat. Home secretary Jacqui Smith, who was criticised for much of last week over her husband’s use of the allowance to claim for watching two pornographic films, was under the spotlight again. It was reported she had claimed for a £304 barbecue and garden patio set as part of her second-home allowance …. very important items to help her in her constituency duties!? … Chancellor Alistair Darling is also under scrutiny, after it emerged he has claimed thousands of pounds on his family home while renting out his privately-owned London flat and living in a grace-and-favour flat in Downing Street. We also noted that Tory leader David Cameron has sought to embarrass Gordon Brown over his expenses bill by pledging he will not claim the second home allowance if he ever moves into Number 10.
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues | No Comments »
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
Here are a few of the health headlines which have caught the attention of Judy Viitanen and the PRimage team. Hope they interest you. If you would like to know more about our daily News Bytes Profile, please contact judy@primage.org.
Over-40’s health check
1.5% pay rise for dentists and doctors
Pubs must offer smaller glasses of wine
Sisters ‘make people happy’
PCTs fail to raise awareness of Diabetes
Polypill could soon be a reality
Bowel cancer levels soar among under-30’s
Shopping spress linked to ‘time of the month’
Welsh medics want free prescriptions for English
Many over-45’s ignore STI risks
Warning on prostate cancer screening
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Children's Health, Communications, Consumers, Family, Food and diet, Healthcare, Leisure Market, Lifestyles, Market Research, Media, Men's Health, NHS, News Bytes, PR, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacy, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues, Women's Health | No Comments »