3/12/9 dial codes

 

If Oftel is seriously working in our interests, then they should use the opportunity presented by the need to re-organise phone number allocations.

The existence of the website    http://www.saynoto0870.com   proves the  public concern over the abuse of these numbers by large commercial concerns.

As a personal example; I called a particular widely used organisation, on such a number, and was put through to an operator, seemingly in India.

After the usual interrogation, I was put on hold for a period of time, which suggested that my operator had phoned up someone else to re-present my query.

Not a great problem. A few extra minutes wasted out of my life and additional itemised 80p on my phonebill.

I appreciate the viewpoint of these organisations , wishing to cut the cost of dealing with the public, but why should the  General Public have to pay for their poor management systems.

Systems,  which not only treat us with contempt but charge us for it.

The refusal of Oftel to have a system whereby the first digit entirely signifies the category of the call (e.g. 07….= mobile,     08… = free,    09….= charges apply) shows that they do not have our interests at heart, at present.

27/11/9 CIA miffed

So Alan Johnson has decided that there is “nothing incompatible” between extradition and Gary McKinnon’s human rights.
What about a sense of fairness, or natural justice, or, God forbid, a slight touch of resentment at the Yanks jerking our chain. The man is one of us. i.e. British.
Apparently it is harder for one State in America to extradite someone from another State, than it is for the Yanks to decide that they want to give a Brit a good kicking.
Are the yanks threatening to punish us, if we don’t give him up?
Did we sign over to America the same abject judicial subservience as we have ceded to all our European partners, who can, apparently, demand that our police arrest and and deliver in chains any British National, who has the misfortune to be resident in this country.
The moral seems to be to nip across The Channel and claim asylum.
Alan Johnson, as Home Secretary, has the power to obtain a Royal Pardon, even for genuine criminals.
Surely, Tony Blair’s Government can’t have been so crass as to fail reserve similar powers, as a Sovereign right,in its Terrorism Legislation.
Even in cases of extradition claims against the likes of Bin Laaden, our Home Secretary, should, surely, have a power of veto.
This “hack” was comparable to catching your next door neighbour snooping around your living room, after you’ve been out and left your front door wide open.
It’s not on a par with the actions of spies, such as Robert Philip Hanssen or being caught with a shoeful of explosives.
This is just some stuffed shirt Yanks, who’ve had their dignity affronted, by a damn Limey .

27/11/9 robo-ref

Your Chief Sports writer, John Dillon takes a very limited view of what he terms “a man in a TV Truck”.
In fact his argument is neatly summarised by the accompanying cartoon. The portrayal of a Chelsea player, having an air-punching rant, may well be valid but it does not constitute a fully thought out argument.
Those of us, who also watch Rugby’s Super League, have seen The video ref concept work.
True, there will still be decisions that can be disputed.
In Super League, the players usually represent a physically, bigger threat, to a human ref, but he is backed up by a few extra weapons. He can dismiss a player from the field for 10 mins., for an individual rant. He can march a team back 20 yards, repeatedly.
A few extra’s might be needed, such as: converting a free kick into a penalty and Converting a 10min. sin-bin into a straight red for persistent confrontation.
 Bear in mind that a team, which has only seven players left on the pitch, automatically forfeits the match.
Admittedly some teams have got away with extreme abuse for so long that they will take time to grow accustomed to a stricter regime. Nevertheless, a new respect for the ref can be supported and gain support.
Players would eventually welcome the opportunity to play in an unbiased game, because they are innately sportsmen and have only learned this behaviour, because of their club’s financial imperatives.
Thierry Henri will suffer for what was an instinctual reaction of a highly competitive personality; whereas a video ref would have dealt him a red card and global commiseration.
Ireland would have had their rightful place in the World Cup and the only losers would have been Platini and FIFA, who would have lost a few Euro’s.

1/12/9 quangoes

I doubt if David Cameron will actually get rid of any Quangoes.
Consider why Quangoes exist.
Previous to Quangoes, all functions were carried out by Civil Servants, directly responsible to a Government Minister, who was answerable to the House of Commons for any malfeasance, incompetence etc.
Consider the latest flurry of complaints against hospital trusts. In one such case, the Minister questioned was able to disown responsibility by stating that he had sent the Trust a “strong” letter, reminding them of their legal duties.
Consider how Politicians have been able to distance themselves from the debate on bank charges, protected by the intercession of the FSA.
Nobody “important” gets a big enough share of blame to warrant action. Nobody gets sacked. Nobody goes to prison.
Incompetence in office can go unchecked.

A lesson that has not been lost on Social Services, with their multi-disciplinary panels, acting as a sort of Worker’s Quango.

 

Quangoes are too important to politicians and their friends. David Cameron can’t get rid of them and, still, expect to keep the support of his hangers-on.

 

1/12/9 salaries

As of October, the minimum wage is set at £5.80 per hour. Equivalent to a salary of just less than £12,000 p.a., a similar level that debars one from claiming job-seekers allowance.
In terms of jobs at the local job centre, someone with a H.G.V. licence merits about £8.00 per hour, or £16,000 p.a.
At present the national pay scale for unqualified teachers is around £15,000.

Starting salary for qualified teachers is £21,000 (graduate level)
Ignoring those, who are elected to office, how can a person, who has successfully claimed unfair dismissal, on the basis of being of “low intelligence”, merit a salary of £18,000 p.a.?
What sort of job merits paying a “thicko” such a generous (by working class standards) salary?

What special skills/qualifications does this job require?

Democracy

One thing that Hitler and Blair have taught us is that power may be achieved through the ballot box but democracy never has been.

Idealism has to be put aside, until after you have the power to afford it.

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QuickPoll

Is “big state” the problem or the solution to society’s ills?

 QuickPoll

north-west alliance

This link is for an election campaign for Socialist parties, intending to contest the next election. I only got it because of a personal email.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocZXFF6O3OI

The lack of publicity that these groups are getting means that they will be unlikely to get many votes and unseat New Labour in Wigan. Unless the situation changes significantly, I will probably vote UKIP, even though they seem to be right-wing (but left of New Labour). I want New Labour out but I don’t want Tories in. At present Ukip seems to be the only viable, high visibility option.

Roger Taylor – the unblinking eye

Looks like taylor (from Queen) has joined me in the grumpy old men’s club.

http://www.youtube.com/user/queenofficial#p/u/0/K8ZtaDOniZ0

OUT NOW! Roger Taylor – The Unblinking Eye (Everything Is Broken)

25/11/9 brighter borough funding

Posted on WEP website in response to attack on Councillor Brierley for not agreeing to donate “Brighter Borough” funding to British Legion.

It is wrong to deny appropriate funding to our armed forces.
It is wrong to underfund those organisations and facilities that support British soldier’s, sailors and aircrew, who have been damaged in our name.
It is wrong that requests for aid need to be made.
I buy my poppy with a feeling of anger that my taxes are being used to fund unnecessary foreign adventures, unnecessary political jaunts such as G20 soiree’s (white truffle’s at £50,000/kg served at recent troughing), unnecessary foreign aid, unnecessary renaming of Ministries etc. etc.
This is a national disgrace.
At a local level, we have Lord Smith arranging that Wigan mortgages its future to a £217 million civic centre, whilst allowing a claim to be made against individual Councillors’ brighter Borough funding.
Ther name of the fund gives away its purpose. It’s a token sum, allocated to Councillors to help “brighten” their own ward. It’s the only money, where non-New-Labour Councillors have any say in how it’s spent. Each Councillor has control over about £5,000.
How far can that go?
A pelican crossing costs about £30,000.
If I were a Councillor, I would need to think very hard about the best use of such a small sum. I certainly wouldn’t be committing it to something that should be getting properly funded, at a national level, no matter how worthy it might be.
I’ll be standing for CAP in Abram ward.
That’s Abram, Platt Bridge, Bamfurlong, Bickershaw and Lower Ince. Even the cost of a Xmas tree for each of those neighbourhoods would be almost prohibitive.
Check out the Xmas lights at Platt Bridge; all four of them, outside the Labour club (you’ll need to look hard)