I love recessions, or so you would believe if you agreed with Sunny Hundal.
Sunny recently wrote a post for Labour List entitled: The reality of Gordon Brown’s spending: Black Labour can’t re-write history I wrote a comment on the post stating that Sunny was wrong and why he was wrong.
I was told by Sunny that it was a 'ridiculous attack' and that it was implied that I love recessions. For a start, it wasn't an attack. It was a comment pointing out that he was wrong and why he was wrong. Do I love recessions? Does anyone love recessions? The answer to that is no. However, I realise the value that come out of recessions, like an innovated economy and an eradication of the weak(er) sections of the economy. This creates a more balanced economy. Good things, no?
Instead, Sunny would probably seek to spend and spend and spend, ignoring the fact that recessions are actually healthy for an economy and perpetuating any future crisis.
Anyway, the argument is purely academic as one cannot change the course of history. One can, however, change the course of the future.
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Thursday, 1 December 2011
My Day as a Union Activist
On the 30th November 2011, I began the process to
Unionise my workforce. The process was started in the morning of that day. I
arrived into work to the sound of colleagues discussing the strikes by public
sector workers. Like many in the private sector, the perception of the public
sector was negative.
After listening to their concerns I suggested that perhaps the
reason why the public sector had better working conditions was because it was
unionised. Having listened to my arguments about the positive effects of trade
unionism, and specifying the negative ones too, I had a willing recruitment
pool. Over the course of the day, I had got three of my colleagues to join a
trade union. The goal is to have a fully unionised workforce by the end of the
year.
“Why unionise a workforce?” I hear you ask. Well, as someone
with a fairly important remit in a SME unionising the workforce would appear on
surface to be self-defeating. On the contrary, a unionisation of the workforce has
lots of benefits. Many trade unions provide members with healthcare schemes,
death in service benefits etc. We provide all those benefits too. Membership of
a trade union also provides access to extra training, yet necessary training,
such as first aid certificates. These services either cost SMEs or the
individual lots of money. Money saved can then be ploughed back into
remuneration for employees, either in increased wages or better employer
contributions to pensions.
Industrial action is incredibly unlikely as the ownership is
not divorced from the management and management is not divorced from the
workforce. The (re-)unionisation of the private sector is often overlooked for
reasons I am ignorant of, but it has benefits for everyone including employers.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Why TfL Might not be so bad
As an adopted Londoner (I use the London greeting of "f*** off" more than necessary) I have grumbled a lot about TfL. Tubes and buses run late, by a few minutes, the drivers are paid more than me for an easier job and I pay a lot for travel - admittedly infrequent travel but travel nonetheless.
I have had problems with the night buses in that they don't arrive when they are scheduled to and somehow they can drive past full when you're quite near the start of the route. To a country boy this is baffling - full buses?!
Tubes... the drivers, in my opinion, are overpaid (and I am jealous). The Northern Line is always a constant 30 degrees celsius regardless of season. Trains go through stations declaring 'Not In Service' and yet alight at the station. Trains will also terminate a stop or two from the end of the line - this always confuses me even though I never need to go the end of the line.
Tourists! The bane of any journey. Stopping at the top of escalators to fiddle with their bags or standing on the left hand side of the escalator. Even though they are only indirectly linked to the problems of TfL, they are a problem nonetheless.
So, I've listed the things that annoy me about TfL. Now for some good things.
As mentioned earlier, I'm from a provincial city - we'll call it "Exeter" for arguments sake. Now, Exeter has a public transport system provided by Stagecoach and First Great Western. Be careful you don't splutter what ever it is you're drinking over your computer, but that is the sad nature of the system.
I was at home over the weekend and, as someone who doesn't drive, relied on public transport. Buses are expensive, more so than London, infrequent and smaller than the latest bus model that services the streets of London. Trains are even worse! Top it all off, there is no Oyster Card system which means that passengers are inconvenienced as someone fishes in their wallets, purses and pockets for change. My time is precious and it was squandered in a wasteful orgy of inefficiencies. I still resent this.
On Sunday evening/night my train from Exeter to Paddington broke down outside Westbury. The train, if you're unfamiliar with the line, was supplied by First Great Western - the great practitioner of railway failure. What should have been a 2.5 hour journey was magically transformed into a 6 hour journey getting into Paddington just in time to catch the last tube home. Credit to TfL - everything arrived on time and without glitch. I was very grateful at some time past midnight to not have any further problems with transport.
The announcement lady on the tubes and buses amuses me with her posh accent, until she gets to Canning Town that is.
By all means complain about TfL but always remember that even on its worst day, TFL is by far better than any other transport service in the country.
I have had problems with the night buses in that they don't arrive when they are scheduled to and somehow they can drive past full when you're quite near the start of the route. To a country boy this is baffling - full buses?!
Tubes... the drivers, in my opinion, are overpaid (and I am jealous). The Northern Line is always a constant 30 degrees celsius regardless of season. Trains go through stations declaring 'Not In Service' and yet alight at the station. Trains will also terminate a stop or two from the end of the line - this always confuses me even though I never need to go the end of the line.
Tourists! The bane of any journey. Stopping at the top of escalators to fiddle with their bags or standing on the left hand side of the escalator. Even though they are only indirectly linked to the problems of TfL, they are a problem nonetheless.
So, I've listed the things that annoy me about TfL. Now for some good things.
As mentioned earlier, I'm from a provincial city - we'll call it "Exeter" for arguments sake. Now, Exeter has a public transport system provided by Stagecoach and First Great Western. Be careful you don't splutter what ever it is you're drinking over your computer, but that is the sad nature of the system.
I was at home over the weekend and, as someone who doesn't drive, relied on public transport. Buses are expensive, more so than London, infrequent and smaller than the latest bus model that services the streets of London. Trains are even worse! Top it all off, there is no Oyster Card system which means that passengers are inconvenienced as someone fishes in their wallets, purses and pockets for change. My time is precious and it was squandered in a wasteful orgy of inefficiencies. I still resent this.
On Sunday evening/night my train from Exeter to Paddington broke down outside Westbury. The train, if you're unfamiliar with the line, was supplied by First Great Western - the great practitioner of railway failure. What should have been a 2.5 hour journey was magically transformed into a 6 hour journey getting into Paddington just in time to catch the last tube home. Credit to TfL - everything arrived on time and without glitch. I was very grateful at some time past midnight to not have any further problems with transport.
The announcement lady on the tubes and buses amuses me with her posh accent, until she gets to Canning Town that is.
By all means complain about TfL but always remember that even on its worst day, TFL is by far better than any other transport service in the country.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Comic Sans Must Die
Comic Sans must die. I say this, not in passing reference to
Romeo Must Die, because it must. It has the power to convert a professional
message into an inane message that I don’t want to pay any attention to. I
honestly thought that Comic Sans was only used by school children to emulate
their own writing. How wrong was I?! Very. It seems that reputable companies
use Comic Sans. Naming no names – they’re a few clients and suppliers of ours
that use the cursed font.
Ban it, kill it, anything, just get rid of it.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Death by Buffet Food
For the past few weeks I have been attending a few
networking events due to work. While I don’t mind the events, I feel that I
could die a slow and rather boring death on buffet food.
At the first event, an IBM event that had a lot of free
stuff I could potentially set up my own computer related store, I thought that
the smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels were a nice accompaniment to the beef
and horseradish Yorkshire puddings and cheese and tomato sandwiches.
At the second event, a luncheon (so said the invitation) to
meet NHS Professionals, a similar buffet was served – in that the bagels and
Yorkshire puddings were replaced by sandwiches. I thought that, being Central
London, the same caterers had been used.
At the third event, an event not even in London but in
Woking, similar fillings were again served. I’m not a fan of Salmon as it is –
anyone who knows me well knows that I hate river fish – but food is food. After
all, there’s only so much horseradish I can consume before I start feeling
queasy, and Tomato and Cheese is a standard and rather dull addition to my
plate.
The only food stuffs that altered drastically at the events
were the desserts. At the first event I avoided the funny looking jellied
custard dessert and concentrated on grapes. At the second they didn’t even
provide desserts! At the third, I had a delightful carrot cake – by far the
best catered dessert.
Desserts aside, I would like some diversification in the
savoury line-up of the next buffeted event I attend. My staple diet must
consist of more than Salmon, Beef and Cheese if only for the sake of my poor palette.
Friday, 16 September 2011
Office for National Statistics - frustrating beyond belief
As a fairly frequent user of the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) website I was excited when they announced a new website for the service. In reality, however, the website is worse than the original. It is no longer navigable and any search for data usually results in a head attempting to go through a desk.
I'm not a web designer and thus have no constructive suggestions concerning the navigation of the website. But the new website does come with its own user manual!
In regards to the datasets I have a huge problem. They are not uniform and thus don't make sense, not to me and probably not to anyone else other than the person who created them. I've been advised to use American sites for UK economic data. Good advice, except I require detailed statistics beyond GDP, CPI, RPI, etc. I need the Labour Force Survey and Consumer Trends Survey.
The variables, especially in the Consumer Trends Survey, are jumbled. Seasonally adjusted variables are mixed up with non-seasonally adjusted variables. Sectors are seemingly grouped together until you find financial services lumped with pet food right at the end. When dealing with variables numbering more than 1000 it's frustrating. Nay, it is infuriating!
In regards to time-series, records for some things (according to ONS) begin in 1948. For the majority the data begins in the 1990s. As a past user of historical data I know for a fact that most of the data which supposedly starts in the 1990s actually begins before 1948.
Access to historical data is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. The Universities who hold the data are becoming more and more tight fisted in who accesses it. As a proponent of open government and transparency, my task of monitoring long term trends is hindered. I cannot, therefore, hold governments to account based on comparative data due to dwindling access. When the coalition government announced that they were opening the data vaults I rejoiced. However, I foresee that they will fail in this because their statistical service is not all that open or easily accessed.
If the government is to pursue its policy of open government it must first overhaul the ONS. Make the website navigable and, for pity's sake, make the datasets uniform.
I'm not a web designer and thus have no constructive suggestions concerning the navigation of the website. But the new website does come with its own user manual!
In regards to the datasets I have a huge problem. They are not uniform and thus don't make sense, not to me and probably not to anyone else other than the person who created them. I've been advised to use American sites for UK economic data. Good advice, except I require detailed statistics beyond GDP, CPI, RPI, etc. I need the Labour Force Survey and Consumer Trends Survey.
The variables, especially in the Consumer Trends Survey, are jumbled. Seasonally adjusted variables are mixed up with non-seasonally adjusted variables. Sectors are seemingly grouped together until you find financial services lumped with pet food right at the end. When dealing with variables numbering more than 1000 it's frustrating. Nay, it is infuriating!
In regards to time-series, records for some things (according to ONS) begin in 1948. For the majority the data begins in the 1990s. As a past user of historical data I know for a fact that most of the data which supposedly starts in the 1990s actually begins before 1948.
Access to historical data is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. The Universities who hold the data are becoming more and more tight fisted in who accesses it. As a proponent of open government and transparency, my task of monitoring long term trends is hindered. I cannot, therefore, hold governments to account based on comparative data due to dwindling access. When the coalition government announced that they were opening the data vaults I rejoiced. However, I foresee that they will fail in this because their statistical service is not all that open or easily accessed.
If the government is to pursue its policy of open government it must first overhaul the ONS. Make the website navigable and, for pity's sake, make the datasets uniform.
RWC11 Predictions
Looking at the statistics of past world cups, I have come up with a prediction for the Rugby World Cup.
QF1 France v England
QF2 Australia v Wales
QF3 New Zealand v Scotland
QF4 South Africa v Ireland
Winners of the Quarter Finals: France, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
SF1 France v Australia
SF2 New Zealand v South Africa
Winners of the Semi Finals: Australia and South Africa
Final: Australia v South Africa
Winner: Australia
Play-off France v New Zealand
Winner: New Zealand
QF1 France v England
QF2 Australia v Wales
QF3 New Zealand v Scotland
QF4 South Africa v Ireland
Winners of the Quarter Finals: France, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
SF1 France v Australia
SF2 New Zealand v South Africa
Winners of the Semi Finals: Australia and South Africa
Final: Australia v South Africa
Winner: Australia
Play-off France v New Zealand
Winner: New Zealand
Monday, 29 August 2011
The Subject of Taboo: Abortion
As a Catholic I can't say I agree with abortion. Every life is sacred, and that's also why I don't agree with the death penalty. Whilst I disagree with abortion, I also respect the opinions of those who do and understand that in some cases abortion is viewed as a necessary.
Personally, I don't like my taxes going to the provision of abortion. I didn't like them going on the bank bailout and I don't appreciate them paying for the subsidisation of pointless subjects, like golf course management, at educational institutions. But seeing as one can't choose where ones taxes are spent on, due to the purchasing and bargaining power of the collective being more powerful than that of the individual, I would rather see something which I find abhorrent, but also traumatic and potentially dangerous to the two lives at stake (ironic, I know) be carried out in safe, clinical conditions rather than in a back-alley somewhere that could potentially terminate the life of both mother and child.
Now we've established that I find the act of abortion abhorrent, I find the late termination of foetuses at risk of 'physical or mental abnormalities' more so. In a world were equality is thrown around so much that it is at risk of losing its meaning, we are actually living in a very unequal world. To say that a person with disabilities is just as equal as someone without disabilities is disgusting considering they're not treated equally before birth. To give special consideration for late term abortion 'if there is substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped' is admitting that equality is as meaningless as it has become.
Personally, I don't like my taxes going to the provision of abortion. I didn't like them going on the bank bailout and I don't appreciate them paying for the subsidisation of pointless subjects, like golf course management, at educational institutions. But seeing as one can't choose where ones taxes are spent on, due to the purchasing and bargaining power of the collective being more powerful than that of the individual, I would rather see something which I find abhorrent, but also traumatic and potentially dangerous to the two lives at stake (ironic, I know) be carried out in safe, clinical conditions rather than in a back-alley somewhere that could potentially terminate the life of both mother and child.
Now we've established that I find the act of abortion abhorrent, I find the late termination of foetuses at risk of 'physical or mental abnormalities' more so. In a world were equality is thrown around so much that it is at risk of losing its meaning, we are actually living in a very unequal world. To say that a person with disabilities is just as equal as someone without disabilities is disgusting considering they're not treated equally before birth. To give special consideration for late term abortion 'if there is substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped' is admitting that equality is as meaningless as it has become.
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Monty
It is with great sadness that the first post for this blog is about the late Monty - my dog.
On Friday, 5th August, I had a phone call notifying me that my dog had weeks to live. On Tuesday, 9th August, I received the worst phone call of my life - he had to be put down. On Wednesday, 10th August, he was put down.
It was not a distressing experience for him, he simply went to sleep never to wake. I know that it was for the best - at nearly 14 years of age he had lived a long and fruitful life, and had declined recently and rapidly with kidney failure. On the day he was calm and accepting - the old dog which I had known since I was 10 was ready to leave. We took him to the vets, having arrived early we took him to a spot under some trees - sun shining beautifully and dappled under the cover of trees. He stopped, laid down and enjoyed being scratched under his chin and behind his ears. The vet, kindly, came out to us to administer the anaesthetic and that was it.
Monty came into my life several months after a set of tragic circumstances whereby a previous dog was run over. As a West Highland Terrier pup he was a white ball of fluff with black eyes and a black nose who attacked feet playfully - an act that he stopped doing in his last months. He filled a terrible void and loneliness that only dogs ever can.
As he grew up he became a solid teddy bear of a terrier - friendly will all, apart from cats, rabbits, birds and generally anything which he considered food. He quickly gained the nicknames 'Pig' and 'Hoover' as his nose was constantly seeking food to eat. As he got older he was struck by deafness and blindness, but his nose compensated for the lack of his other senses and he was pretty much the same dog as he had always been.
He would bark at animals on the TV and for the last 20 mins of a film, yet he would calmly watch the Rugrats on HIS seat - God help anyone who sat on his seat for he would sit on them and give them filthy looks whilst doing so. He really was a character. A stubborn, miserable, dour, good-natured character - a typical Scot.
Most of all he was a friend and companion. Throughout the bad news and tragedy that life throws at us, he would be there with a nudge from his snout and a lick on the face - of course he would expect to be scratched under the chin, taken for a walk or given some food in return. The first time I came back after going to University he ignored me and stormed off in a huff. About 30 minutes later he had forgiven me for abandoning him and was genuinely pleased to see me whenever I came back from University.
The last 2 years had been particularly bad - he had gotten old over night. No longer a dog you could play fight with or take for long walks. He was very much concerned with sniffing and having cuddles - still very much interested in food though. About 3 months ago he was diagnosed with kidney failure - given a special diet to see him through for another year or so. He would have his moments when he was the young puppy of all those years ago, but most of the time he was an old man who was not quite with it - would lose sight of us on a walk, even though we were within metres of him - that was very distressing.
Admittedly, I am not very good when it comes to the deaths of dogs. I can sit through a funeral without crying, but with a dog's death I am a wreck. My Granddad said: because you own a dog you are responsible for it, it is dependent on you and the attachment between man and dog is perhaps stronger than the bonds between humans. I think he is right - I felt awful all those years ago going off to University, because I was abandoning my dog. For the first time I couldn't take him with me.
On Wednesday I was feeling awful because I knew that I would never see him again, but the glimmer of hope was that I wouldn't see him suffer any more - a very thin, ill dog who would not eat, drink, walk or go the toilet was at the end. With hindsight it becomes apparent that he knew it was the end - but it never makes it easier.
Monty, 1997 - 2011, dog, companion and friend. Forever loved.
On Friday, 5th August, I had a phone call notifying me that my dog had weeks to live. On Tuesday, 9th August, I received the worst phone call of my life - he had to be put down. On Wednesday, 10th August, he was put down.
It was not a distressing experience for him, he simply went to sleep never to wake. I know that it was for the best - at nearly 14 years of age he had lived a long and fruitful life, and had declined recently and rapidly with kidney failure. On the day he was calm and accepting - the old dog which I had known since I was 10 was ready to leave. We took him to the vets, having arrived early we took him to a spot under some trees - sun shining beautifully and dappled under the cover of trees. He stopped, laid down and enjoyed being scratched under his chin and behind his ears. The vet, kindly, came out to us to administer the anaesthetic and that was it.
Monty came into my life several months after a set of tragic circumstances whereby a previous dog was run over. As a West Highland Terrier pup he was a white ball of fluff with black eyes and a black nose who attacked feet playfully - an act that he stopped doing in his last months. He filled a terrible void and loneliness that only dogs ever can.
As he grew up he became a solid teddy bear of a terrier - friendly will all, apart from cats, rabbits, birds and generally anything which he considered food. He quickly gained the nicknames 'Pig' and 'Hoover' as his nose was constantly seeking food to eat. As he got older he was struck by deafness and blindness, but his nose compensated for the lack of his other senses and he was pretty much the same dog as he had always been.
He would bark at animals on the TV and for the last 20 mins of a film, yet he would calmly watch the Rugrats on HIS seat - God help anyone who sat on his seat for he would sit on them and give them filthy looks whilst doing so. He really was a character. A stubborn, miserable, dour, good-natured character - a typical Scot.
Most of all he was a friend and companion. Throughout the bad news and tragedy that life throws at us, he would be there with a nudge from his snout and a lick on the face - of course he would expect to be scratched under the chin, taken for a walk or given some food in return. The first time I came back after going to University he ignored me and stormed off in a huff. About 30 minutes later he had forgiven me for abandoning him and was genuinely pleased to see me whenever I came back from University.
The last 2 years had been particularly bad - he had gotten old over night. No longer a dog you could play fight with or take for long walks. He was very much concerned with sniffing and having cuddles - still very much interested in food though. About 3 months ago he was diagnosed with kidney failure - given a special diet to see him through for another year or so. He would have his moments when he was the young puppy of all those years ago, but most of the time he was an old man who was not quite with it - would lose sight of us on a walk, even though we were within metres of him - that was very distressing.
Admittedly, I am not very good when it comes to the deaths of dogs. I can sit through a funeral without crying, but with a dog's death I am a wreck. My Granddad said: because you own a dog you are responsible for it, it is dependent on you and the attachment between man and dog is perhaps stronger than the bonds between humans. I think he is right - I felt awful all those years ago going off to University, because I was abandoning my dog. For the first time I couldn't take him with me.
On Wednesday I was feeling awful because I knew that I would never see him again, but the glimmer of hope was that I wouldn't see him suffer any more - a very thin, ill dog who would not eat, drink, walk or go the toilet was at the end. With hindsight it becomes apparent that he knew it was the end - but it never makes it easier.
Monty, 1997 - 2011, dog, companion and friend. Forever loved.
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