2p won't buy Brown a ticket to No 10
I don't get it.
This seemingly hailed, at least initially, 'masterstroke of political theatre', that left all and sundry gasping, was almost immediately seen for what it was and is now confirmed to be a hollow sham just a few days on.
In my line of work you keep in work by promising with professional caution, and then delighting with even better delivery. Dazzling with smoke and mirrors is bad enough when there is no substance, but is a major backfire when it turns out to be a botched attempt to conceal a failing patch-job on already straining band-aids.
This has served to do nothing but dismay, and further hold up today's political process as a piece of theatre dispensed for and only savoured by those players and favoured critics allowed within the venue, and either dismissed or despised by those outside in the real world.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Recycling is all the rage
At least I can do it with my posts, too
I want a year off paying any taxes
I was listening to a BBC Budget follow-up... and the 'performances' I heard, from both sides of the table (we pay the BBC salary bill, too), support your notion.
To be fair, much can be laid at the door of the facile demands of soundbite media, where interviewers get constrained and now savvy politicians can use the ridiculous timeslots to say nothing, not answer or duck and run to best advantage.
Dismissing the talentless robots put forward by the Conservatives and Liberals. I think I could have drummed up more coherent counter-argument from my kids' playground. There was such fertile ground for opposition to shine and show government failings and where they would make a difference. Sadly, rehashing outdated (things can change in minutes and you need to move fast to react) spin-meister training may seem like good micro-management, but doesn't do much beyond making them seem like only being worried about being on-script.
But Mr. Brown....
He was allowed to waffle out facts ... over and over and over again... that neither answered the questions nor excused the positions the country finds itself in.
This... government has had a long time more to do what it said it wished to do. Not only has it either not done it, but in many cases has changed its tune to suit.
In fact the only real achievement, supported by Mr. Brown's own testimony, has been to pour money into black holes, and/or employ legions more people to help gobble this money up to little or no result.
As just one example, to a challenge that most people, including Doctors, find the NHS to be in a dire state despite the multi-billions lavished upon it, we were treated to a time-consuming rumbled drone of figures and excuses about 'modernisation'.
And whoever thought up the nonsense of consuming precious challenge time with 'listener questions' should be shot. One, isolated, cock-up is legitimately and reasonably dismissed as not something he has heard about, but write in and it will be dealt with. When.. in another ten years?
At least Mr. Brown's red to green deep nostril investigations showed a commitment at least to recycling.
That's my 2p worth anyway.
I want a year off paying any taxes
I was listening to a BBC Budget follow-up... and the 'performances' I heard, from both sides of the table (we pay the BBC salary bill, too), support your notion.
To be fair, much can be laid at the door of the facile demands of soundbite media, where interviewers get constrained and now savvy politicians can use the ridiculous timeslots to say nothing, not answer or duck and run to best advantage.
Dismissing the talentless robots put forward by the Conservatives and Liberals. I think I could have drummed up more coherent counter-argument from my kids' playground. There was such fertile ground for opposition to shine and show government failings and where they would make a difference. Sadly, rehashing outdated (things can change in minutes and you need to move fast to react) spin-meister training may seem like good micro-management, but doesn't do much beyond making them seem like only being worried about being on-script.
But Mr. Brown....
He was allowed to waffle out facts ... over and over and over again... that neither answered the questions nor excused the positions the country finds itself in.
This... government has had a long time more to do what it said it wished to do. Not only has it either not done it, but in many cases has changed its tune to suit.
In fact the only real achievement, supported by Mr. Brown's own testimony, has been to pour money into black holes, and/or employ legions more people to help gobble this money up to little or no result.
As just one example, to a challenge that most people, including Doctors, find the NHS to be in a dire state despite the multi-billions lavished upon it, we were treated to a time-consuming rumbled drone of figures and excuses about 'modernisation'.
And whoever thought up the nonsense of consuming precious challenge time with 'listener questions' should be shot. One, isolated, cock-up is legitimately and reasonably dismissed as not something he has heard about, but write in and it will be dealt with. When.. in another ten years?
At least Mr. Brown's red to green deep nostril investigations showed a commitment at least to recycling.
That's my 2p worth anyway.
Just what we needed
The world's poshest farm shop
The planet can now breathe easier.
Even though most farm shops hereabouts are usually on the farm, though to be fair they don't provide too many yoga mats. I'd drive to London to get mine but unlike the clientele above, would probably need a C-charge sticker for my 4x4, if I could afford one.
Are JCB's exempt?
The planet can now breathe easier.
Even though most farm shops hereabouts are usually on the farm, though to be fair they don't provide too many yoga mats. I'd drive to London to get mine but unlike the clientele above, would probably need a C-charge sticker for my 4x4, if I could afford one.
Are JCB's exempt?
The enemy of my enemy
Storm in a TV studio
'We should complain, loudly and aggressively, every time we catch the Corporation being lopsided. Believe me, they really will listen.'
Can't speak for the EU aspect, but I have complained to the BBC several times recently, loudly if politely, every time they have engaged in dire standards of journalism and plain twisting of facts to suit editorial agendas. In one recent episode, they selected just one sentence of three that I sent in as comment, which turned what I said through 180 degrees.
Believe me, when you do fire off a serve they have a vast funded empire of munchkins who will indeed send you placatory emails that they are listening, checking and, eventually, don't see the problem but thanks for writing. To insist on a follow up you can't reply directly, but have to restart the process all over again.
Even the cosy, pointless Newswatch, which gets junior management up at dawn at the weekend to sulkily say 'maybe we need to do better' or 'no, we've checked (probably with the complaints dept. munchkins) and it was all fine' in reply to prime time transgressions, at least tries... a bit. But what they choose to share, or not, is down to internal decision... of the BBC.
Who monitors the complaints department? Like so much spun and hyped in politics and business these days, there is no point in listening if you have no intention of hearing, much less acting.
'We should complain, loudly and aggressively, every time we catch the Corporation being lopsided. Believe me, they really will listen.'
Can't speak for the EU aspect, but I have complained to the BBC several times recently, loudly if politely, every time they have engaged in dire standards of journalism and plain twisting of facts to suit editorial agendas. In one recent episode, they selected just one sentence of three that I sent in as comment, which turned what I said through 180 degrees.
Believe me, when you do fire off a serve they have a vast funded empire of munchkins who will indeed send you placatory emails that they are listening, checking and, eventually, don't see the problem but thanks for writing. To insist on a follow up you can't reply directly, but have to restart the process all over again.
Even the cosy, pointless Newswatch, which gets junior management up at dawn at the weekend to sulkily say 'maybe we need to do better' or 'no, we've checked (probably with the complaints dept. munchkins) and it was all fine' in reply to prime time transgressions, at least tries... a bit. But what they choose to share, or not, is down to internal decision... of the BBC.
Who monitors the complaints department? Like so much spun and hyped in politics and business these days, there is no point in listening if you have no intention of hearing, much less acting.
Friday, March 23, 2007
The Tooth Hurts
Re-cycle of Life
Though you are too polite to mention it here, I am not and will add that the irony of your dental dilemma is all the more painful in the knowledge that via his salary and, possibly, ministerial perks, we the taxpayers funded Mr. Brown's private cosmetic visit to let him sell his visions to us more palatably.
Though you are too polite to mention it here, I am not and will add that the irony of your dental dilemma is all the more painful in the knowledge that via his salary and, possibly, ministerial perks, we the taxpayers funded Mr. Brown's private cosmetic visit to let him sell his visions to us more palatably.
Colour him bad.
How red is Brown?
As we are working our way through the rainbow, I had initially thought that my feelings on Mr. Brown's conversion from Red to Green had been analysed for what it was already, but it seems it was to depths I would not wish to fathom.
For those perhaps more interested in the environmental aspects of this newer, kinder, gentler, more treehugging Green pol, may I invite you here
At least he seems keener on recycling than I thought.
As we are working our way through the rainbow, I had initially thought that my feelings on Mr. Brown's conversion from Red to Green had been analysed for what it was already, but it seems it was to depths I would not wish to fathom.
For those perhaps more interested in the environmental aspects of this newer, kinder, gentler, more treehugging Green pol, may I invite you here
At least he seems keener on recycling than I thought.
Next!
FOR sale: 5,000-odd mannequins, no heads or legs. All serious offers considered. Please contact Simon Wolfson, Next Plc, Leicester. Next is chucking out the old and bringing in the new. In an attempt to reverse falling like-for-like sales we are promised new ranges, new stores, a new logo, new adverts and even trendy new carrier bags. Not forgetting of course 5,900 new mannequins.
I'm guessing that this is one company not likely to be trumpeting the CSR greenwashing efforts this fiscal then?
If they can't sell them, we could still help find a home - JunkkYard.
I'm guessing that this is one company not likely to be trumpeting the CSR greenwashing efforts this fiscal then?
If they can't sell them, we could still help find a home - JunkkYard.
It's not what you know. It's how the media sk... screws it
I maintain a watching brief on the Sky Big Idea website. There are still some who use it, and they are on the whole a nice, talented, well-informed bunch. They also have little love for TV reality shows, and Dragon's Den in particular.
So let's see if and where this goes...
I just watched BBC Breakfast TV where, for the first time in the history, all the Dragons in the BBC show's Den had unanimously backed... a standby plug.
I was just wondering how this differed from Karl's show winner back in November?
They had the lady Dragon on to show how serious and professional they were, but when the subject of patent protection came up it seemed to veer from vague to simply not answering the key question of whether this idea was protected, and to what level, if at all.
I also noted that the inventors have signed over 50% of their concept to a collection of ego-driven, competitive money-folk. An interesting recipe.
How this one pans out I will await with interest.
But in wishing these guys and the planet well, why to I get the feeling the only real winners, if any, will be the TV show ratings and its 'stars' profiles.
ADDENDUM: The inventor, Karl, has replied, I'd say in remarkably placid terms. I felt less conciliatory process.
Miffed?! I'd be livid!
The TV stations, from 'entertainment' shows like DD & TBI, but also news, must bear some responsibility for the state of genuine invention and product development here.
For the sake of their own odd agendas in the case of the former, and the cause of co-promotion (in the case of the BBC with the latter), pure bad practice and sloppy reporting is letting genuine stories about potentially significant developments get sidelined (or worse, in your case, barred for no better reason than it has been 'seen' before).
This not only does not serve the interests of contributors like you, but is also not helping viewers gain access to the best information to the options out there.
Thanks to the Sunday Times I am looking at 'the next big thing' in this arena - the Bye Bye Plug - which is apparently going to help me go green and save money.
Maybe it will... I don't know. But I have bought all that I have seen advertised and am/will be testing them to try and produce an objective report. Let me know when yours is ready.
I'm fed up with editors and PR people controlling the access to objective information that I need to lead a greener lifestyle, as opposed to genuine, fact-based investigative reporting.
This is a country in the thrall of 'talk' hype and spin, when more than ever we need to reward 'walking the walk' substance.
So let's see if and where this goes...
I just watched BBC Breakfast TV where, for the first time in the history, all the Dragons in the BBC show's Den had unanimously backed... a standby plug.
I was just wondering how this differed from Karl's show winner back in November?
They had the lady Dragon on to show how serious and professional they were, but when the subject of patent protection came up it seemed to veer from vague to simply not answering the key question of whether this idea was protected, and to what level, if at all.
I also noted that the inventors have signed over 50% of their concept to a collection of ego-driven, competitive money-folk. An interesting recipe.
How this one pans out I will await with interest.
But in wishing these guys and the planet well, why to I get the feeling the only real winners, if any, will be the TV show ratings and its 'stars' profiles.
ADDENDUM: The inventor, Karl, has replied, I'd say in remarkably placid terms. I felt less conciliatory process.
Miffed?! I'd be livid!
The TV stations, from 'entertainment' shows like DD & TBI, but also news, must bear some responsibility for the state of genuine invention and product development here.
For the sake of their own odd agendas in the case of the former, and the cause of co-promotion (in the case of the BBC with the latter), pure bad practice and sloppy reporting is letting genuine stories about potentially significant developments get sidelined (or worse, in your case, barred for no better reason than it has been 'seen' before).
This not only does not serve the interests of contributors like you, but is also not helping viewers gain access to the best information to the options out there.
Thanks to the Sunday Times I am looking at 'the next big thing' in this arena - the Bye Bye Plug - which is apparently going to help me go green and save money.
Maybe it will... I don't know. But I have bought all that I have seen advertised and am/will be testing them to try and produce an objective report. Let me know when yours is ready.
I'm fed up with editors and PR people controlling the access to objective information that I need to lead a greener lifestyle, as opposed to genuine, fact-based investigative reporting.
This is a country in the thrall of 'talk' hype and spin, when more than ever we need to reward 'walking the walk' substance.
If you want to do it right...
Yesterday I went to the Homebuilding & Renovating Show at the NEC... as invited press! Wooooo.Pretty worth it. My main port of call was the Eco Homes section, which amounted to about a hundred booths.
Unsurprisingly, many were the same as last year. And I was reminded how many of them did not take me up on an offer of free publicity via our diRE:ctory, on site reviews and newsletter mentions since then. The offer still stands, but I am buggered if I am spending any more time chasing folk to offer them a chance at selling their stuff for free.
I was also struck how broad the definition of 'eco' can be. I guess it's fair enough, but I sailed past an awful lot of stands pushing bazzillion £ oak beamed houses. Not my bag.
What was worth it was stopping at the B&Q stand, which was hosting wind turbines from Windsave. Now, I have been dubious to date about some aspects of micro-generation, especially home wind turbines, and had a lot of questions.
Many of these were answered by their sales manager Anya, but she was very keen that more were addressed by technical experts, as one of their frustrations has been the way some media have not understood, or wanted to understand that there are many complex issues at play here.
I am therefore hoping they will take me up on my invitation to come and survey my home for suitability, and provide fair estimates of the ROI's (financial and enviROI) as to how worth it to us it will be. Not only that, we are planning to use a few other homes in Ross as examples to see how things change in even a small area, depending on local conditions.
The rest of the show... well, OK. But hardly worth the shoe leather. What was a surprise was a few other eco outfits had decided not to be in the 'zone'. Not sure that was a good idea. Apparently the majority of the visitors to the show came first and foremost for the eco section, and as it is a big show, one may miss other areas if time is tight.
One such was nuaire, who were showing a technology that was a bit different from the horde of other solar guys, and which caught my attention. Basically an air driven system, not dissimilar I believe to that of our Solarventi dehumidifier here at Junkk Towers. I look forward to sussing out its merits.
I also had a interesting chat with the technical sales manager of lighting specialists Snaplite, who had a lot of great information on what is real and what is bogus in low energy lighting. My report on this area is looking more and more like it will be a worthy journey.
Then I passed by FiberTech, which has a great UV cured patch for exterior plastics repair called 'Rapid Repair'. I have a sample and now need to find a broken gutter to test it on. Will report back.
And finally REHAU. I mention them because they not only have a load of fingers in even more eco-pies, but also they are based in... Ross-on-Wye. And that appeals to me in more ways than you can imagine. I just love the notion of having a core of technical experts literally right next door to bounce stuff off with.
There may be more to come. I have a stack of guff a foot high to wade through. And will likely enjoy every minute.
The Won't Budg... et
Wednesday, 21 March, 2007
Yesterday I was listening to the Jeremy Vine show Budget follow-up... and the 'performances' I heard, from both sides of the table, had me wishing for Jeremy Paxman to be in the chair.
Though, to be fair to Mr. Vine, much can be laid at the door of the facile demands of soundbite media, where interviewers get constrained and now savvy politicians can use the ridiculous timeslots to say nothing, not answer or duck and run to best advantage.
In Eric Morley, Miss World style, let me in reverse order dismiss the talentless robots put forward by the Conservatives and Liberals. I think I could have drummed up more coherent counter-argument from my kids' playground. There was such fertile ground for opposition to shine and show government failings and where they would make a difference. Sadly, rehashing outdated (things can change in minutes and you need to move fast to react) spin-meister training may seem like good micro-management, but doesn't do much beyond making them seem like only being worried about being on-script.
But Mr. Brown....
He was allowed to waffle out facts ... over and over and over again... that neither answered the questions nor excused the positions the country finds itself in.
It is a possible failing of our political system that some parties have only 5 years to effect real change, but you work with what you have got.
This... government has had a long time more to do what it said it wished to do. Not only has it either not done it, but in many cases has changed its tune to suit.
In fact the only real achievement, supported by Mr. Brown's own testimony, has been to pour money into black holes, and/or employ legions more people to help gobble this money up to little or no result.
As just one example, to Mr. Vine's challenge that most people, including Doctors, find the NHS to be in a dire state despite the multi-billions lavished upon it, we were treated to a time-consuming rumbled drone of figures and excuses about 'modernisation'. You can't blame pre-1997 any more Mr. Brown!
And whoever thought up the nonsense of consuming precious challenge time with 'listener questions' should be shot. One, isolated, cock-up is legitimately and reasonably dismissed as not something he has heard about, but write in and it will be dealt with. When.. in another ten years?
And thus he managed to tell the interviewer wordlessly that he was busy and had enough and that was that. What a waste of space.
And speaking of waste, well, the environment, which is my core interest, I came back last night to a post on my site from a reader which sums up how green this budget was (noting some other great points above):
"I'd like to share the fantastic increase in the budget for microgeneration grants administered via the Low Carbon Building Fund. From £6Mill to £9Mill - brilliant!... that'll make a massive difference! Here's where it will go - half to employ more administrators and bean counters with gilt-edged pensions and half (I hope!!) to those concerned (albeit well entrenched) consumers who would like to do their bit.
So now the LCBF grants will run out at 11:45 on the morning of the first working day of each month rather than at 10:30? Fat lot that goes towards helping. Uncle Gord might as well have stuck two fingers up to the electorate .... or did I blink and miss him doing just that?"
That's our 2p worth anyway.
Telegraph - Budget has left us no better off say 7 in 10
A letter in the Telegraph:
Sir - Well done, Mr Brown. Yet another nail in the coffin of the British farmer - £400 a year to tax our Land Rover. What a good idea. I'm sure my husband will be delighted when I tell him we are selling the Land Rover to become "greener" and save ourselves £400 a year and suggest he gets around the fields to feed our 400 ewes on his bicycle, or perhaps a Smart car would fit the bill?
Unlike many of the owners of 4x4s, we rely on our Land Rover to get around the farm and for hay deliveries, which is one of the things we do to diversify. Perhaps we should get out of farming altogether, so that we can import all our food, and use lots of planes to get it here. Very green, very environmentally friendly.
Yesterday I was listening to the Jeremy Vine show Budget follow-up... and the 'performances' I heard, from both sides of the table, had me wishing for Jeremy Paxman to be in the chair.
Though, to be fair to Mr. Vine, much can be laid at the door of the facile demands of soundbite media, where interviewers get constrained and now savvy politicians can use the ridiculous timeslots to say nothing, not answer or duck and run to best advantage.
In Eric Morley, Miss World style, let me in reverse order dismiss the talentless robots put forward by the Conservatives and Liberals. I think I could have drummed up more coherent counter-argument from my kids' playground. There was such fertile ground for opposition to shine and show government failings and where they would make a difference. Sadly, rehashing outdated (things can change in minutes and you need to move fast to react) spin-meister training may seem like good micro-management, but doesn't do much beyond making them seem like only being worried about being on-script.
But Mr. Brown....
He was allowed to waffle out facts ... over and over and over again... that neither answered the questions nor excused the positions the country finds itself in.
It is a possible failing of our political system that some parties have only 5 years to effect real change, but you work with what you have got.
This... government has had a long time more to do what it said it wished to do. Not only has it either not done it, but in many cases has changed its tune to suit.
In fact the only real achievement, supported by Mr. Brown's own testimony, has been to pour money into black holes, and/or employ legions more people to help gobble this money up to little or no result.
As just one example, to Mr. Vine's challenge that most people, including Doctors, find the NHS to be in a dire state despite the multi-billions lavished upon it, we were treated to a time-consuming rumbled drone of figures and excuses about 'modernisation'. You can't blame pre-1997 any more Mr. Brown!
And whoever thought up the nonsense of consuming precious challenge time with 'listener questions' should be shot. One, isolated, cock-up is legitimately and reasonably dismissed as not something he has heard about, but write in and it will be dealt with. When.. in another ten years?
And thus he managed to tell the interviewer wordlessly that he was busy and had enough and that was that. What a waste of space.
And speaking of waste, well, the environment, which is my core interest, I came back last night to a post on my site from a reader which sums up how green this budget was (noting some other great points above):
"I'd like to share the fantastic increase in the budget for microgeneration grants administered via the Low Carbon Building Fund. From £6Mill to £9Mill - brilliant!... that'll make a massive difference! Here's where it will go - half to employ more administrators and bean counters with gilt-edged pensions and half (I hope!!) to those concerned (albeit well entrenched) consumers who would like to do their bit.
So now the LCBF grants will run out at 11:45 on the morning of the first working day of each month rather than at 10:30? Fat lot that goes towards helping. Uncle Gord might as well have stuck two fingers up to the electorate .... or did I blink and miss him doing just that?"
That's our 2p worth anyway.
Telegraph - Budget has left us no better off say 7 in 10
A letter in the Telegraph:
Sir - Well done, Mr Brown. Yet another nail in the coffin of the British farmer - £400 a year to tax our Land Rover. What a good idea. I'm sure my husband will be delighted when I tell him we are selling the Land Rover to become "greener" and save ourselves £400 a year and suggest he gets around the fields to feed our 400 ewes on his bicycle, or perhaps a Smart car would fit the bill?
Unlike many of the owners of 4x4s, we rely on our Land Rover to get around the farm and for hay deliveries, which is one of the things we do to diversify. Perhaps we should get out of farming altogether, so that we can import all our food, and use lots of planes to get it here. Very green, very environmentally friendly.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Let the flames begin!
Budget 07: mean not green
I have long since ceased to try to understand, let alone believe, and much less be convinced by anything the current crop of politicians and self-appointed green elite 'commentators' have to say about where we've been, are and could/should be going.
As this blog testifies, it has made not one whit of difference to entrenched positions which, by my estimate square up as about the population of tube-proximate, cycling Islingtonistas in the ecofacist pro camp, vs. the rest of the country's Daily Mail/Sun reading (well, you know what I mean) big-oil funded, Ch4 watching (and believing... how dare they) climate deniers... as a 'no' then.
So if, like me, you think there is a smidge of an issue here, and the best way to sort it is by persuasion and willing cooperation of the masses, I'd say we need a new broom pronto to sweep clear the whole sorry 'I care/know better than you lot'... pronto.
IMHO:)
I have long since ceased to try to understand, let alone believe, and much less be convinced by anything the current crop of politicians and self-appointed green elite 'commentators' have to say about where we've been, are and could/should be going.
As this blog testifies, it has made not one whit of difference to entrenched positions which, by my estimate square up as about the population of tube-proximate, cycling Islingtonistas in the ecofacist pro camp, vs. the rest of the country's Daily Mail/Sun reading (well, you know what I mean) big-oil funded, Ch4 watching (and believing... how dare they) climate deniers... as a 'no' then.
So if, like me, you think there is a smidge of an issue here, and the best way to sort it is by persuasion and willing cooperation of the masses, I'd say we need a new broom pronto to sweep clear the whole sorry 'I care/know better than you lot'... pronto.
IMHO:)
I may not agree...
What's the point of Channel 4?
'the propoganda that was The Great Global Warming Swindle.'
In passing, I am presuming that to be a typo (mea cupla, hourly) and not, in fact, a new word meaning it's well proper'.
However, I am very keen to learn more on the outcome of all the serious consequences being threatened here and there - 'Wunsch is reportedly considering [my emphasis - what the heck does that mean?] a complaint to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom' - to justify that rather, shall we say 'one-sided' view above of what was, shall we say, another, if alternative 'one-sided view'.
One man's big oil denier is another's ecofascist 'n all.
Balance, Grasshopper, balance, is how to win minds.
'the propoganda that was The Great Global Warming Swindle.'
In passing, I am presuming that to be a typo (mea cupla, hourly) and not, in fact, a new word meaning it's well proper'.
However, I am very keen to learn more on the outcome of all the serious consequences being threatened here and there - 'Wunsch is reportedly considering [my emphasis - what the heck does that mean?] a complaint to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom' - to justify that rather, shall we say 'one-sided' view above of what was, shall we say, another, if alternative 'one-sided view'.
One man's big oil denier is another's ecofascist 'n all.
Balance, Grasshopper, balance, is how to win minds.
Who does he think the press is working for?
Set information free
It's a very good, more than fair question.
One you could ask one of your colleagues a few pages over who I just took to task on her blog, who seems to think investigations into fraud should cease when they become 'boring'. Sounds like Lord G would agree. Bore it down and bury, hmnn?
Call me old-fashioned, but I like my press feisty, factual, fanatical and fair. And tenacious (no f'in that, sorry).
It's a very good, more than fair question.
One you could ask one of your colleagues a few pages over who I just took to task on her blog, who seems to think investigations into fraud should cease when they become 'boring'. Sounds like Lord G would agree. Bore it down and bury, hmnn?
Call me old-fashioned, but I like my press feisty, factual, fanatical and fair. And tenacious (no f'in that, sorry).
Lions led by donkeys, fed by jackals
Mr Brown’s long fuse
Au contraire. As we were obviously watching another performance entirely.
As I watched BBC's Breakfast's morning cuddlefest analysis, a series of taking heads, whilst happily agreeing that it was a massive nothing at best, and con at worst, all agreed that it was politically 'brilliant'.
When are those who work in Westminster, and those who work at feeding off them, grasp that the rest of the population can figure out that if it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, looks like a duck and stinks like a duck, we can probably assess it for the duck it is.
Time to get back to politicians who stand for something more beyond getting into or staying in office, and a complete purge of the whole Pundit Zero class with highly vested interests, and careers, in making it all seem like anything other than another catwalk run by the latest naked emperor.
ps: All that simply means I agree. Chance of showers to come.
Au contraire. As we were obviously watching another performance entirely.
As I watched BBC's Breakfast's morning cuddlefest analysis, a series of taking heads, whilst happily agreeing that it was a massive nothing at best, and con at worst, all agreed that it was politically 'brilliant'.
When are those who work in Westminster, and those who work at feeding off them, grasp that the rest of the population can figure out that if it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, looks like a duck and stinks like a duck, we can probably assess it for the duck it is.
Time to get back to politicians who stand for something more beyond getting into or staying in office, and a complete purge of the whole Pundit Zero class with highly vested interests, and careers, in making it all seem like anything other than another catwalk run by the latest naked emperor.
ps: All that simply means I agree. Chance of showers to come.
What a waste
Call for council tax rise - and a charge for emptying your bin
"But Sir Michael said with local government facing huge EU fines for missing waste targets "a charging regime would act as a powerful incentive" on householders to recycle."
No, it may act as a powerful DISINCENTIVE NOT TO, and is certainly passing the burden for meeting administrative targets onto those who are meant to be served. And pay for the 'privilege'.
Another nail in the 'fine first, figure out solutions later' coffin of what's being achieved by 'green' policies we are being subjected to these days.
"But Sir Michael said with local government facing huge EU fines for missing waste targets "a charging regime would act as a powerful incentive" on householders to recycle."
No, it may act as a powerful DISINCENTIVE NOT TO, and is certainly passing the burden for meeting administrative targets onto those who are meant to be served. And pay for the 'privilege'.
Another nail in the 'fine first, figure out solutions later' coffin of what's being achieved by 'green' policies we are being subjected to these days.
Ask. Don't Tell.
I'm on a ro... mission:
Noted that Declan asked the 'enviro question' of the BMI boss regarding the impact of increased flights as a result of new regulations.
And noted that the airline industry takes this issue very seriously (where have we heard that before.. ad nauseam).
But as to the answer that he (the BMI guy) doesn't think it will adversely affect the contribution of greenhouse gasses to climate change, [MY QUESTION:] does the BBC think leaving it at that is adequately dealing with this as a major aspect of news issue, on the day the budget is discussed for its green influence?
Noted that Declan asked the 'enviro question' of the BMI boss regarding the impact of increased flights as a result of new regulations.
And noted that the airline industry takes this issue very seriously (where have we heard that before.. ad nauseam).
But as to the answer that he (the BMI guy) doesn't think it will adversely affect the contribution of greenhouse gasses to climate change, [MY QUESTION:] does the BBC think leaving it at that is adequately dealing with this as a major aspect of news issue, on the day the budget is discussed for its green influence?
Nice one BIll
I usually lump him in with the blonde as the bouffant, however in the spirit of fair critique as my concern is the lack of fact in news these days:
'I have to give a big up to Bill.
He was the only one who kept trying to point out the facts to what sounded like the most nonsensical Westminster insider hype worship I have ever heard on Mr. Brown's budget, from the Lib Dem spokesperson and Telegraph columnist.
I don't want this country, or its economy, run by people who play silly games and only admire those who do so well at the expense of substance, and certainly not commentated upon by those who have lost touch with how the normal, working person exists and views things'
Let's see if one of those get a mention!
'I have to give a big up to Bill.
He was the only one who kept trying to point out the facts to what sounded like the most nonsensical Westminster insider hype worship I have ever heard on Mr. Brown's budget, from the Lib Dem spokesperson and Telegraph columnist.
I don't want this country, or its economy, run by people who play silly games and only admire those who do so well at the expense of substance, and certainly not commentated upon by those who have lost touch with how the normal, working person exists and views things'
Let's see if one of those get a mention!
Just the facts
My discourse with BBC Breakfast over the standard of their features and reporting continues, as summarised by this, which with luck will speak (write) for itself (I could have added that this black vs. white issue was left unresolved by the blonde and bouffant 'hosts', who just giggled):
I just saw your regular medical feature Doctor directly contradict the BUPA representative.
And he in reply told her she was wrong.
I do trust by the next screening 'we' will know who, if necessary via the moderators.
Otherwise what is the point of such news?
I doubt it will get read out at all, but if it does one can only wonder which sentence they will choose this time to suit their odd notion of truth.
I just saw your regular medical feature Doctor directly contradict the BUPA representative.
And he in reply told her she was wrong.
I do trust by the next screening 'we' will know who, if necessary via the moderators.
Otherwise what is the point of such news?
I doubt it will get read out at all, but if it does one can only wonder which sentence they will choose this time to suit their odd notion of truth.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
The Nelson Touch..
..a patch from a more jaundiced eye?
Brit's Eye View: U.K. climate politics heating up
It is worth remembering that, like many cultures, there are always a few alternative ways something can get taken, depending on the point you are looking from.
In the UK, it often seems there is what happens in the corridors of power and the surrounding London C-zone (in London the C is for congestion charge, but some may say it could also stand for ‘centric’, the way the city’s young, non-parent, tube, bus and flat-road blessed cyclopaths seem to view things) that takes in the media and urban luvvies.... and the rest of the country.
For sure, the environment is BIG. Certainly in government - we just had another budget where they stuck it to those 4x4s again, which will really make a difference to those in the City earning a bazzillion trading carbon credits when it comes to the annual upgrade to a wind-powered Cayenne, but may make it a bit harder in countryside where folk are still running 30 year old Land Rovers. Remind me again, how much of a car’s carbon is in manufacture?
Glad the EU is agreeing to stuff anyway. Well, the leaders are not agreeing to very much they are asking the rest of us to do, if Mr. Baroso's defence of his Touareg is anything to go by. And our dear leader, and equally dear leader of HM’s Opposition seem to have a small problem with the whole not flying thing if it applies to making THEIR lives nicer, easier and/or more profitable. Like the rest of us were doing it, especially on business, because we just love sucking up the bird flu from row 22.
And as to targets, we have enough for even an NRA Glee Club to go ape over. Hitting them... not so good. But we got ‘em. Squillions! And even more folk to assess, measure, interpret, committee, file, report, fine, explain, excuse, fly to Bali to discuss and all round not do very much but add to the demands on the public purse to keep a load of folk in green-gold until Armageddon.
Now I don’t want to get into a ‘Big Oil denier/Eco-Nazi who said what and is funded by whom’ quote-fest, but I would like to know who the ‘most commentators’ were who welcomed this package. ‘Cos I don’t recall it being quite as all round rosy and unequivocal as that. At least outside the C-zone, and even a few media guys from within that seemed a little less than impressed with how recognition of a need ever seems to turn into effective action.
Yes, stuff needs doing. And to ensure it gets done right, what it is needs to be agreed. Sadly, and it pains me to say this, this does necessitate some KPIs, but here is where think-tanks, government, eco-activists, business, the media, the public and real life may start to diverge.
Me, I just want what’s best for my kids and their kids, so all I really care about is the enviROI, the return that the planet gets on any efforts made to reduce man’s impact upon it (if indeed there is any, or whether it is necessary or not to mitigate a possible natural influence... or not). Been there. Got the blog-flames and a nifty hemp T-shirt that says “Make sure your footprint isn’t a CarbCon one’.
Chancellor Gordon Brown, who MAY be Prime Minister from June unless I have missed something, does have a fondness for decrees. Not so popular with the British public though, such things. And as pointed out, there is theory and there is practice, and who is in office and who is not. Plus who has retired with a nice index-linked, gold-plated pension, and who is mopping up afterwards.
Unless I was only reading subversive underground literature, Enviro Minister David Miliband’s floated ideas on personal carbon allowances were more of the lead balloon variety, being meant for no more than a toe dip and not exactly floated very high at all. And the guns seemed pretty well out for it even with the wee outing it did have.
A bit like those punted by David Cameron, the Conservative leader and, possibly, next leader of the land if the current polls are anything to go by. Both see carbon allowances and trading as a wheeze, and it is easy to see how they would appeal to those with mates in London, and being immune from the consequences of their actions ’because they are busy and important’. Just ask how the old road pricing went down. No problem in London. Not so great where folk have 50 mile round trips daily in the provinces.
I am also unclear as to how the science is getting... any clearer. The IPCC report rated two days in the broadsheets and barely got a mention in the tabloids. A few niche TV media had a stab. Then along came the Channel 4 documentary (mentioned in these pages), and fewer people think climate is an issue than did before. And that wasn’t many. Most think it’s a big con to squeeze taxes in the name of green to prop up runaway public spending and ministerial pensions and pointless campaigns from overfunded comms budgets.
If big companies are getting serious, it’s only because they don’t like the look of the fines coming, or see money in the marketing. Major retailers like Tescos are struggling to explain how a wind-turbine on a trial store’s roof makes up for concreting over most of the country with car parks to sell Spanish strawberries in foam packs. Especially as the former will boost profits anyway. Meanwhile Richard Branson is still spinning how sending billionaires up on a column of greenhouse gasses for their own inter-stellar Kodak moment is offset by his air fleet not yet being on biodiesel. And Stuart Rose of M&S has ordered a hydrogen-powered Beemer which will need a truck to follow it with refills. Bless.
Speaking of which, and competition between political parties, it was Mr. Cameron who rather famously cycled to work with his lunchbox following behind in a hybrid Lexus. But at least his wind turbine went up today. I have posed a question online as to its actual enviROI during its lifespan. While I see no problem with forking out extra cash to save the planet, I do have one with churning out superficial guff that will do no such thing. And the spin vs. action surrounding that inner-city propeller blade makes for a worthy metaphor on what we are facing.
I have long been in favour of allowances, but simply can’t see how they are to be managed. Who gets one tax–free flight? Me? Madonna and Guy? What about every Kalahari bushman and Mekong Delta boat lady who didn’t even know they were part of the global reckoning. Or... aren’t they? Is it just for rich folk to trade with each other? Because if 6 billion get one free flight I’d say Ryan Air shares will go ballistic. And the planet will fry in a fortnight.
There’s debate all right. Maybe it’s me, but from deniers and e-fascists on climate change, to politicians trying to score cheap, non-binding e-points, it all seems pretty ineffective stuff. And if it’s passing me by when I care as much as I do, I think it all needs to get a bit more relevant to the rest of the UK population sooner rather than later.
And on the day we see a bunch more taxes go up in the budget, with little to show for it than more beancounters with clipboards, those who are in power, and those in un-elected Quangos doing very nicely from their profligate, unaccountable spending, would do well to remember the people still have a vote.
At least for now.
Nope, still can't see any ships on the horizon quite yet.
ADDENDUM:
Phew. And I thought no one read... or cared... about Little Britain (now a Virgin Atlantic campaign being run in New York under the guise of 'a local initiative'. Go get 'em, Ricardo!).
Heathrow scramble starts as EU agrees historic 'open skies' deal - http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2383920.ece
'European transport ministers took the historic step of approving an open skies pact to liberalise the transatlantic airline market yesterday, triggering a scramble to launch new services from Heathrow to major US cities' - weeeee, more planes! That will help.
Budget 07: mean not green - http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/john_sauven/2007/03/budget_07_mean_not_green_.html - 'The reintroduction of the fuel escalator was the chancellor's only real concession to the environment lobby.' - so, not so green from HMG's next PM then.
Green groups warn of backlash against Budget - http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2377703.ece - kind of does what it says on the tin
'You can't change world by wearing sandals' - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/17/noleary17.xml - Luckily, the heads of EU government feel his pain
I'd go on, but then Mr. cc would mock me for my awesome length, and I am feeling Friday fragile.
It would still be nice to get an answer to my question, though:)
I'd like to understand how this CarbCon trading thing works.
No, really.
Brit's Eye View: U.K. climate politics heating up
It is worth remembering that, like many cultures, there are always a few alternative ways something can get taken, depending on the point you are looking from.
In the UK, it often seems there is what happens in the corridors of power and the surrounding London C-zone (in London the C is for congestion charge, but some may say it could also stand for ‘centric’, the way the city’s young, non-parent, tube, bus and flat-road blessed cyclopaths seem to view things) that takes in the media and urban luvvies.... and the rest of the country.
For sure, the environment is BIG. Certainly in government - we just had another budget where they stuck it to those 4x4s again, which will really make a difference to those in the City earning a bazzillion trading carbon credits when it comes to the annual upgrade to a wind-powered Cayenne, but may make it a bit harder in countryside where folk are still running 30 year old Land Rovers. Remind me again, how much of a car’s carbon is in manufacture?
Glad the EU is agreeing to stuff anyway. Well, the leaders are not agreeing to very much they are asking the rest of us to do, if Mr. Baroso's defence of his Touareg is anything to go by. And our dear leader, and equally dear leader of HM’s Opposition seem to have a small problem with the whole not flying thing if it applies to making THEIR lives nicer, easier and/or more profitable. Like the rest of us were doing it, especially on business, because we just love sucking up the bird flu from row 22.
And as to targets, we have enough for even an NRA Glee Club to go ape over. Hitting them... not so good. But we got ‘em. Squillions! And even more folk to assess, measure, interpret, committee, file, report, fine, explain, excuse, fly to Bali to discuss and all round not do very much but add to the demands on the public purse to keep a load of folk in green-gold until Armageddon.
Now I don’t want to get into a ‘Big Oil denier/Eco-Nazi who said what and is funded by whom’ quote-fest, but I would like to know who the ‘most commentators’ were who welcomed this package. ‘Cos I don’t recall it being quite as all round rosy and unequivocal as that. At least outside the C-zone, and even a few media guys from within that seemed a little less than impressed with how recognition of a need ever seems to turn into effective action.
Yes, stuff needs doing. And to ensure it gets done right, what it is needs to be agreed. Sadly, and it pains me to say this, this does necessitate some KPIs, but here is where think-tanks, government, eco-activists, business, the media, the public and real life may start to diverge.
Me, I just want what’s best for my kids and their kids, so all I really care about is the enviROI, the return that the planet gets on any efforts made to reduce man’s impact upon it (if indeed there is any, or whether it is necessary or not to mitigate a possible natural influence... or not). Been there. Got the blog-flames and a nifty hemp T-shirt that says “Make sure your footprint isn’t a CarbCon one’.
Chancellor Gordon Brown, who MAY be Prime Minister from June unless I have missed something, does have a fondness for decrees. Not so popular with the British public though, such things. And as pointed out, there is theory and there is practice, and who is in office and who is not. Plus who has retired with a nice index-linked, gold-plated pension, and who is mopping up afterwards.
Unless I was only reading subversive underground literature, Enviro Minister David Miliband’s floated ideas on personal carbon allowances were more of the lead balloon variety, being meant for no more than a toe dip and not exactly floated very high at all. And the guns seemed pretty well out for it even with the wee outing it did have.
A bit like those punted by David Cameron, the Conservative leader and, possibly, next leader of the land if the current polls are anything to go by. Both see carbon allowances and trading as a wheeze, and it is easy to see how they would appeal to those with mates in London, and being immune from the consequences of their actions ’because they are busy and important’. Just ask how the old road pricing went down. No problem in London. Not so great where folk have 50 mile round trips daily in the provinces.
I am also unclear as to how the science is getting... any clearer. The IPCC report rated two days in the broadsheets and barely got a mention in the tabloids. A few niche TV media had a stab. Then along came the Channel 4 documentary (mentioned in these pages), and fewer people think climate is an issue than did before. And that wasn’t many. Most think it’s a big con to squeeze taxes in the name of green to prop up runaway public spending and ministerial pensions and pointless campaigns from overfunded comms budgets.
If big companies are getting serious, it’s only because they don’t like the look of the fines coming, or see money in the marketing. Major retailers like Tescos are struggling to explain how a wind-turbine on a trial store’s roof makes up for concreting over most of the country with car parks to sell Spanish strawberries in foam packs. Especially as the former will boost profits anyway. Meanwhile Richard Branson is still spinning how sending billionaires up on a column of greenhouse gasses for their own inter-stellar Kodak moment is offset by his air fleet not yet being on biodiesel. And Stuart Rose of M&S has ordered a hydrogen-powered Beemer which will need a truck to follow it with refills. Bless.
Speaking of which, and competition between political parties, it was Mr. Cameron who rather famously cycled to work with his lunchbox following behind in a hybrid Lexus. But at least his wind turbine went up today. I have posed a question online as to its actual enviROI during its lifespan. While I see no problem with forking out extra cash to save the planet, I do have one with churning out superficial guff that will do no such thing. And the spin vs. action surrounding that inner-city propeller blade makes for a worthy metaphor on what we are facing.
I have long been in favour of allowances, but simply can’t see how they are to be managed. Who gets one tax–free flight? Me? Madonna and Guy? What about every Kalahari bushman and Mekong Delta boat lady who didn’t even know they were part of the global reckoning. Or... aren’t they? Is it just for rich folk to trade with each other? Because if 6 billion get one free flight I’d say Ryan Air shares will go ballistic. And the planet will fry in a fortnight.
There’s debate all right. Maybe it’s me, but from deniers and e-fascists on climate change, to politicians trying to score cheap, non-binding e-points, it all seems pretty ineffective stuff. And if it’s passing me by when I care as much as I do, I think it all needs to get a bit more relevant to the rest of the UK population sooner rather than later.
And on the day we see a bunch more taxes go up in the budget, with little to show for it than more beancounters with clipboards, those who are in power, and those in un-elected Quangos doing very nicely from their profligate, unaccountable spending, would do well to remember the people still have a vote.
At least for now.
Nope, still can't see any ships on the horizon quite yet.
ADDENDUM:
Phew. And I thought no one read... or cared... about Little Britain (now a Virgin Atlantic campaign being run in New York under the guise of 'a local initiative'. Go get 'em, Ricardo!).
Heathrow scramble starts as EU agrees historic 'open skies' deal - http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2383920.ece
'European transport ministers took the historic step of approving an open skies pact to liberalise the transatlantic airline market yesterday, triggering a scramble to launch new services from Heathrow to major US cities' - weeeee, more planes! That will help.
Budget 07: mean not green - http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/john_sauven/2007/03/budget_07_mean_not_green_.html - 'The reintroduction of the fuel escalator was the chancellor's only real concession to the environment lobby.' - so, not so green from HMG's next PM then.
Green groups warn of backlash against Budget - http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2377703.ece - kind of does what it says on the tin
'You can't change world by wearing sandals' - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/17/noleary17.xml - Luckily, the heads of EU government feel his pain
I'd go on, but then Mr. cc would mock me for my awesome length, and I am feeling Friday fragile.
It would still be nice to get an answer to my question, though:)
I'd like to understand how this CarbCon trading thing works.
No, really.
I won't be the first...
All homes energy efficient within decade says Brown
'Based on consultations with banks and building societies, he said measures to lower a household's carbon footprint had the potential to create a market for a range of new "green" financial products'
Nice idea.
http://www.globalideasbank.org/site/bank/idea.php?ideaId=6038
'Based on consultations with banks and building societies, he said measures to lower a household's carbon footprint had the potential to create a market for a range of new "green" financial products'
Nice idea.
http://www.globalideasbank.org/site/bank/idea.php?ideaId=6038
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