'Close your door to the mafia tax collectors in the town hall'
I hear all you say*.
However I am unsure as to the consequences to my liberty and my family's subsequent life should I do as you say.
*especially this: 'Lambeth Council, named by the Audit Commission as one of the worst-performing authorities, is recruiting a £79,000-a-year "Director of Campaigns and Communications", the aim of whose job is to "build a lasting dialogue with our citizens". It is unlikely that any Lambeth citizens would notice if the post were to remain unfilled. Waste is endemic in local government.'
Showing posts with label GO3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GO3. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
I'm glad I got my petition in now
When I did, the site announced that there had already been 1,000, so I see a log jam on the horizon, if not already. It's all about access, and while this looked/s like a great idea in theory, I do wonder how long it is before there is a selection process, which in turn will get hijacked that know how and/or know how to get paid to play the system.
Anyway, here's the next one: No 10 site faces fresh petition
This one is about rubbish taxes, which I have blogged upon already. Frankly the similarities between this and the road pricing one are striking.
It is to be hoped the results will be given worthy consideration by our elected leaders.
Indy: Critics seize No 10's petitions website to slate Government
Speaking of trust in stated aims vs. suspicions of income generation:
Telegraph - Speed cameras fail to halt a rise in fatalities on the roads
Telegraph - Democracy will never be the same again
Telegraph - No 10 site faces fresh petition
Anyway, here's the next one: No 10 site faces fresh petition
This one is about rubbish taxes, which I have blogged upon already. Frankly the similarities between this and the road pricing one are striking.
It is to be hoped the results will be given worthy consideration by our elected leaders.
Indy: Critics seize No 10's petitions website to slate Government
Speaking of trust in stated aims vs. suspicions of income generation:
Telegraph - Speed cameras fail to halt a rise in fatalities on the roads
Telegraph - Democracy will never be the same again
Telegraph - No 10 site faces fresh petition
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Chip & Pain
New e-passport may not travel well
Devilish detail, indeed. I watched this on TV this morning.
And I think I have identified the latest fudge word du jour: 'likely'.
Or in this case, 'not likely', as in the non-answer to the question as to
whether these things will last more than two years, what the US
immigration will do by way of a knock-back if it gets bust en route with
the friendly skies (if not destination), and if not who pays for the fix.
Now, when I buy something, it's good for a year. 3-5 on extended
warranty (surely this is not what they're planni... no, couldn't be). This
is because actuaries have assessed the viable lifespan of the product.
So... for this item I am forced to get, why the 8 year discrepancy? And
why the fudge? Trust is in short supply guys. If you really want to be
sure of that index-linked, gold-plated pension, I'd suggest you make
things work, and have real answers ready if not. Otherwise, what are
you for?
Devilish detail, indeed. I watched this on TV this morning.
And I think I have identified the latest fudge word du jour: 'likely'.
Or in this case, 'not likely', as in the non-answer to the question as to
whether these things will last more than two years, what the US
immigration will do by way of a knock-back if it gets bust en route with
the friendly skies (if not destination), and if not who pays for the fix.
Now, when I buy something, it's good for a year. 3-5 on extended
warranty (surely this is not what they're planni... no, couldn't be). This
is because actuaries have assessed the viable lifespan of the product.
So... for this item I am forced to get, why the 8 year discrepancy? And
why the fudge? Trust is in short supply guys. If you really want to be
sure of that index-linked, gold-plated pension, I'd suggest you make
things work, and have real answers ready if not. Otherwise, what are
you for?
Monday, February 05, 2007
Pick a number.
Sport is usually pretty clear on numbers, at least between 1 & 3.
So the gold for today's 'Ok it's not enviro, but it's how joined up government isn't working in other areas as well, and explains a lot that doesn't happen to save the planet' award is: Olympics funding 'not worked out yet'
What was the pitch we won then? When I did them for ad work they gave us a budget and we said 'for this, you will get this idea, with this great media deal'. Bingo. One second late or a penny over on dleivery and we were toast.
What was to stop us going in with 'every country's athlete will be personally carried in a diamond-studded litter by Ken, Seb, Tessa and Tony, and showered with champagne as they run about - we'll figure out how we'll do it and pay for it later.'
Glad I'm not a London ratepayer. Or play the lottery. Thing is, Junkk.com may be a good cause it's supposed to help.
Nil points.
So the gold for today's 'Ok it's not enviro, but it's how joined up government isn't working in other areas as well, and explains a lot that doesn't happen to save the planet' award is: Olympics funding 'not worked out yet'
What was the pitch we won then? When I did them for ad work they gave us a budget and we said 'for this, you will get this idea, with this great media deal'. Bingo. One second late or a penny over on dleivery and we were toast.
What was to stop us going in with 'every country's athlete will be personally carried in a diamond-studded litter by Ken, Seb, Tessa and Tony, and showered with champagne as they run about - we'll figure out how we'll do it and pay for it later.'
Glad I'm not a London ratepayer. Or play the lottery. Thing is, Junkk.com may be a good cause it's supposed to help.
Nil points.
D2AID2AIS
Not about the environment, but a further example of a trend to very mixed messages, defended with complete and utter nonsense, most likely played up and promptly forgotten by the media:
This Government won't let you take action against criminals
I will watch tonight to see if this is as described.
Assuming it is...
This man still has a job?
This government is still in office?
This will stay in the media... and public... consciousness for how many days?
Meanwhile, I await further news on the kid who has been threatened with fines for not putting the right recycling material in the box while the minister who did the same seemed to be allowed to be confused.
BBC
This Government won't let you take action against criminals
I will watch tonight to see if this is as described.
Assuming it is...
This man still has a job?
This government is still in office?
This will stay in the media... and public... consciousness for how many days?
Meanwhile, I await further news on the kid who has been threatened with fines for not putting the right recycling material in the box while the minister who did the same seemed to be allowed to be confused.
BBC
Friday, February 02, 2007
At least the trains will run on time. If there are any.
One climate post was this: What the world needs now is a green fascist
I had to write:
"Dear Mr. Carr,
I have been meaning to write before, most recently on a good commentary you passed on joined up government, and the media’s role in reporting it – The rising tide of generalisation.
This one has at last moved me to get finger to keyboard in good order.
I do hope what you meant was a 'good authoritarian'. While he skirted pretty close, having lived in Singapore for several years Lee Kwan Yew 'got things done' under that mantle, and got away with few applying the fascist accusation either internally of externally. Indeed the PAP seems to sail along, fairly democratically, under his watchful eye still.
Which is more than I sense happening here (as in this country): http://junkk.blogspot.com/2007/02/this-is-very-likely-one-of-more.html
As you arch an eyebrow at Ms. May's suggestion, so I have, do and will ask how much will be consumed (if not wasted) throwing good money into the globally warming inferno, and to what effect.
I am currently writing to Mr. Miliband and his many other co-green ministers to ask why one of his vastly funded enviro-quangos a) never helped me when it could and should, and b) now seems to be competing with me, using my business plan and taking 'sponsorship' (ie: ad money) to do so, when they originally said they couldn't help me because I was commercial (whilst being free to all, at the same time as funding Tesco and Heinz, when the last time I looked a tin of beans wasn't).
This is one social entrepreneur who is fearing for his sanity, along with his kids' and their kids' chances."
I had to write:
"Dear Mr. Carr,
I have been meaning to write before, most recently on a good commentary you passed on joined up government, and the media’s role in reporting it – The rising tide of generalisation.
This one has at last moved me to get finger to keyboard in good order.
I do hope what you meant was a 'good authoritarian'. While he skirted pretty close, having lived in Singapore for several years Lee Kwan Yew 'got things done' under that mantle, and got away with few applying the fascist accusation either internally of externally. Indeed the PAP seems to sail along, fairly democratically, under his watchful eye still.
Which is more than I sense happening here (as in this country): http://junkk.blogspot.com/2007/02/this-is-very-likely-one-of-more.html
As you arch an eyebrow at Ms. May's suggestion, so I have, do and will ask how much will be consumed (if not wasted) throwing good money into the globally warming inferno, and to what effect.
I am currently writing to Mr. Miliband and his many other co-green ministers to ask why one of his vastly funded enviro-quangos a) never helped me when it could and should, and b) now seems to be competing with me, using my business plan and taking 'sponsorship' (ie: ad money) to do so, when they originally said they couldn't help me because I was commercial (whilst being free to all, at the same time as funding Tesco and Heinz, when the last time I looked a tin of beans wasn't).
This is one social entrepreneur who is fearing for his sanity, along with his kids' and their kids' chances."
Saturday, January 27, 2007
SUBSIDARIAT
No daft pun headline today. Just a word.
I learned of it via a Newsnight promo posting: "A new word entered the lexicon this week. The BBC was attacked by the Editor of the Daily Mail, Paul Dacre, as being part of the "subsidariat" that needs to be cut down to size. He said it's too big, its journalism starts from the premise of left wing ideology, and it's a monolith distorting Britain's media market. Mr Dacre has said no to an interview tonight. But we'll be discussing whether his criticisms of the BBC are justified. "
Needless to say it worked, and I will now be watching on the excellent back-up online download.
Whatever one may think of the Daily Mail, its editor, the BBC and its position as the most dominant force in our country's media firmament, I must say I find it an interesting word, and on balance, a worthy new one.
Because it does rather neatly sum up, and in a subtly pejorative KGB-allusional way a bunch over over-funded, monopolistic and way-too-unaccountable entities who use a lot of our money in ways that are hard to justify.
See, I can usually get it back to the environment.
ADDENDUM - Just watched, and had to comment:
I just watched last night's edition on the PC-feed, and must repeat my commendation for this facility.
However, it did allow me to witness a truly awful QED on the spot I wanted to catch, namely the Subsidiariat story.
I can see how absolute objectivity is nigh on impossible when reporting and/or discussing just about anything, but especially a criticism that is directed so close to home.
But, heavens above, the intro piece was as nasty a piece of sneering, unsubtle 'Yeah... right' (as opposed to 'Yes. Right’ - denuded of contradicting tone as a stenographer's typescript) as I have ever seen.
And hence it blew any chance of me assessing all brought up subsequently in anything but the view that this was indeed going to be addressed by a monolithic, monopolistic, massively-funded, unaccountable, trendy-liberal, never-left-privileged-uni, London-centric, in-crowd, overly-defensive medium. I have to contribute to this!!!!
Oh, and can we try and think beyond popping two extremes (or choosing one feisty and one duffer to suit the agenda in case its live and editing can't do the trick?) into the cockfight ring and feel that has adequately addressed the nuances of any reasonable debate.
Otherwise, loved the show.
ps: to those who read my blog, we’ll soon see how the moderators handle the slight dilemma this contribution may throw up. To be fair, they are a lot better here than the piece's lauded print media in this regard.
I learned of it via a Newsnight promo posting: "A new word entered the lexicon this week. The BBC was attacked by the Editor of the Daily Mail, Paul Dacre, as being part of the "subsidariat" that needs to be cut down to size. He said it's too big, its journalism starts from the premise of left wing ideology, and it's a monolith distorting Britain's media market. Mr Dacre has said no to an interview tonight. But we'll be discussing whether his criticisms of the BBC are justified. "
Needless to say it worked, and I will now be watching on the excellent back-up online download.
Whatever one may think of the Daily Mail, its editor, the BBC and its position as the most dominant force in our country's media firmament, I must say I find it an interesting word, and on balance, a worthy new one.
Because it does rather neatly sum up, and in a subtly pejorative KGB-allusional way a bunch over over-funded, monopolistic and way-too-unaccountable entities who use a lot of our money in ways that are hard to justify.
See, I can usually get it back to the environment.
ADDENDUM - Just watched, and had to comment:
I just watched last night's edition on the PC-feed, and must repeat my commendation for this facility.
However, it did allow me to witness a truly awful QED on the spot I wanted to catch, namely the Subsidiariat story.
I can see how absolute objectivity is nigh on impossible when reporting and/or discussing just about anything, but especially a criticism that is directed so close to home.
But, heavens above, the intro piece was as nasty a piece of sneering, unsubtle 'Yeah... right' (as opposed to 'Yes. Right’ - denuded of contradicting tone as a stenographer's typescript) as I have ever seen.
And hence it blew any chance of me assessing all brought up subsequently in anything but the view that this was indeed going to be addressed by a monolithic, monopolistic, massively-funded, unaccountable, trendy-liberal, never-left-privileged-uni, London-centric, in-crowd, overly-defensive medium. I have to contribute to this!!!!
Oh, and can we try and think beyond popping two extremes (or choosing one feisty and one duffer to suit the agenda in case its live and editing can't do the trick?) into the cockfight ring and feel that has adequately addressed the nuances of any reasonable debate.
Otherwise, loved the show.
ps: to those who read my blog, we’ll soon see how the moderators handle the slight dilemma this contribution may throw up. To be fair, they are a lot better here than the piece's lauded print media in this regard.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Public Swervants
I am writing to David Miliband this week on a few issues (it will be interesting to see the response, if any, that is generated), and again the notion of Kismet pops into my head as I am provided yet more fuel to my fire. A few weeks ago I wrote to the Central Office of Information (COI - who place all the ads telling us what to do, and engage the agencies and media to do it in) via their online site resource:
I am writing on behalf of Junkk.com, which is a website devoted to improving the public's understanding of, and engagement with environmental issues.
I'd would be grateful for the contact of someone at COI Communications to discuss how we could further mutually rewarding synergies.
Someone has now kindly replied, but I'm not sure if he quite realised (or realised all too well), how it would go down:
Your email was forwarded to our digital Media team and their response was if they have a requirement in the further they will be in touch but for now they don't think it's something they would use.
You might want to consider approaching either the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (http://www.defra.gov.uk/) or the Sustainable development Commission (http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/).
He was polite and most helpful and responsive. So I hope my reply was fair in the circumstances:
Thank you for taking the time to reply and the advice given.
I am glad that your colleagues in digital media will be in touch if required, but it's disappointing, not to mention a tad hard to see how a free resource promoting environmental issues is 'not something they would use'. In all my time in agencies, such a gift horse would have been both welcome and enthusiastically embraced on behalf of my clients, in this case taxpayers. I do hope they do not mean to infer it is fruitful to deal with those who would charge like wounded bulls. For my part there was a lot I am sure they could have helped me with in terms of information, press releases, etc.
I am aware of the other two opportunities and they, I presume, in us, having been in touch before. But will persevere.
This is a country in crisis. And a government in disarray, run by self-interested empires with public service and actually doing anything very low on their daily career path targets. Something must change. Or be made to.
I am writing on behalf of Junkk.com, which is a website devoted to improving the public's understanding of, and engagement with environmental issues.
I'd would be grateful for the contact of someone at COI Communications to discuss how we could further mutually rewarding synergies.
Someone has now kindly replied, but I'm not sure if he quite realised (or realised all too well), how it would go down:
Your email was forwarded to our digital Media team and their response was if they have a requirement in the further they will be in touch but for now they don't think it's something they would use.
You might want to consider approaching either the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (http://www.defra.gov.uk/) or the Sustainable development Commission (http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/).
He was polite and most helpful and responsive. So I hope my reply was fair in the circumstances:
Thank you for taking the time to reply and the advice given.
I am glad that your colleagues in digital media will be in touch if required, but it's disappointing, not to mention a tad hard to see how a free resource promoting environmental issues is 'not something they would use'. In all my time in agencies, such a gift horse would have been both welcome and enthusiastically embraced on behalf of my clients, in this case taxpayers. I do hope they do not mean to infer it is fruitful to deal with those who would charge like wounded bulls. For my part there was a lot I am sure they could have helped me with in terms of information, press releases, etc.
I am aware of the other two opportunities and they, I presume, in us, having been in touch before. But will persevere.
This is a country in crisis. And a government in disarray, run by self-interested empires with public service and actually doing anything very low on their daily career path targets. Something must change. Or be made to.
A Kracking Kornucopia of Kismets
Now what could get me so alliteratively inspired?
Well, as I rush to get out the January newsletter, replete with 'the two most important letters I have yet written?' (previous blog), what should pop into my inbox than this:
Junk or treasure?
Before you bin anything, stop! Find out if there is another use for your junk, and save money, time and the planet. Or maybe you have some suggestions for what other people can do with their junk? Browse some whacky ideas at http://www.junkk.com/
For more practical advice, competitions, quiz and discussion forums see:
www.foe.co.uk/living/
Nice of them. Especially as they are one of the activist groups I have more time for. And as is the way, a shall now pop them in my news by way of a dorsal delicacy of thanks. Along with that link above. See how easy it can be:)
But.. whacky???! Us!!?
Well, as I rush to get out the January newsletter, replete with 'the two most important letters I have yet written?' (previous blog), what should pop into my inbox than this:
Junk or treasure?
Before you bin anything, stop! Find out if there is another use for your junk, and save money, time and the planet. Or maybe you have some suggestions for what other people can do with their junk? Browse some whacky ideas at http://www.junkk.com/
For more practical advice, competitions, quiz and discussion forums see:
www.foe.co.uk/living/
Nice of them. Especially as they are one of the activist groups I have more time for. And as is the way, a shall now pop them in my news by way of a dorsal delicacy of thanks. Along with that link above. See how easy it can be:)
But.. whacky???! Us!!?
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