What’s Up
US Primaries – Harmless or Dangerous?
On my way into work this week, I was listening to an interview on Radio 4.
The interviewee was talking about the US primary candidate elections and was singing the praises of the US system for it’s ability to make politics “Exciting to the masses”. he even favoured the idea of a similar system in the UK, which he felt might re-engage people in the political process.
Hmmm….
Last night I was sitting at home, watching an interesting political performance…
+23Rant: British Gas (it’s all cash! cash! cash!)
Friday’s announcement that British Gas is increasing it’s prices by 15% would have been a bit easier to swallow, if it wasn’t for the increase in February 2007, the 12.4% increase in September 2006 and the 14% increase in 2005.
This represents an overall increase of 61% in the last 3 years, with a 37% increase in the last year alone.
+21Happy New Year(?)
Well – that’s 2007 done and dusted. A mixed year for us and many of my friends have said the same.
A few high moments, mixed with a fair number of lows, with a large dollop of indifference and daily grind/slog (especially in the 2nd half of the year).
Meanwhile there are a few ominous rumblings for 2008. The fallout from the Northern Rock fiasco and the impact of the credit crunch both continue to make headlines, as the one or two of the better known high street stores such as Marks and Sparks report some fairly bleak results as shoppers begin to half-heartedly attempt to rein in their spending.
+14Rant: 2012 Olympics Carnival Goes Critical
Insane!
That’s the only adjective to describe today’s news in the Evening Standard (and briefly on the Beeb before it seemed to mysteriously vanish!) that “The organisation in charge of keeping the costs of the 2012 Olympics down is to receive a £10 million bonus in recognition of its success”.
OK…let’s just rewind slightly…
Did I imagine it or isn’t the Olympic budget currently under scrutiny – largely because the estimated cost has exploded to a gobsmacking £9.3 billion – more than 4 times the original estimate (with 5 years still to run)?
+13Rave: NOT a stairLIFT to Heaven!
Well…last night’s Led Zep gig was a bummer to miss (even with all the anti-touting procedures) and on the whole the reviews are pretty good.
The video clip on the Beeb’s website looked awesome.
Gone of course is Robert Plant’s screaming vocal, and from all accounts the band’s more legendary excesses have been replaced with requests for cups of tea. But the band doesn’t seem to have lost any of it’s showmanship and raw, growling sound.
Jimmy Page’s recent finger injury seems to have recovered well and he certainly proved that his talent remains undiminished by time. Likewise, John Paul Jones’ amazing musical versatility has definitely improved with age and Jason Bonner did his dad proud.
*sigh* wish I was THERE.
+15HMRC Database Fiasco – you couldn’t make it up!
In a recent post, I asked if Americans were truly the most stupid people on the planet.
They may well be, but when it comes to incompetence, it appears that some folks here in Britain are not far behind, at least in the “Whoops! Apocalypse” stakes.
And at least the American morons tend to do us all the dual favours of:
+24Are (some) Americans the most stupid people on the planet?
Posit: How can a country that has given (or made major contributions to) so many technological marvels to the world also be capable of producing morons in ever-increasing numbers and seemingly ever more stupid?
Especially when there are lots of firearms lying about the place.
Take the recent case of the 66 year old man from Washington who injured himself in both legs after attempting to loosen a stiff wheel-nut…by blasting it with his shotgun.
+16