David Cameron is launching a £2m project to work out how happy we all are.
I suggest he puts the cash back in the Treasury and visits a few pubs and just asks around.
He'll find out soon enough what irks the nation.
"To those who say that all this sounds like a distraction from the serious business of government, I say finding out what will really improve lives and acting on it is the serious business of government," he will say, says the BBC.
I am one of those who will say that, when he says that.
I suspect I will not be alone.
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
New Zealand miners RIP
The deaths of 29 miners in New Zealand is an awful tragedy and seems all the worse for its proximity to the dramatic Chilean rescue story.
Mining can never be an entirely safe business but steps must be taken to keep these accidents to a minimum.
Our thoughts go out to the families involved.
Mining can never be an entirely safe business but steps must be taken to keep these accidents to a minimum.
Our thoughts go out to the families involved.
Proud of the BBC
Musical comedian Mitch Benn has released an homage to the BBC, who pay his wages as Now Show singer songwriter. I'm Proud of the BBC is very reminiscent of Billy Joel's We Didn't Light The Fire apology for the USA.
In the light of constant attacks on the Beeb, which resolutely refuses to defend itself, by the Daily Mail et al this serves to balance things up a bit.
In the light of constant attacks on the Beeb, which resolutely refuses to defend itself, by the Daily Mail et al this serves to balance things up a bit.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Cantona wants a run on the banks
Eric Cantona, the kung fu kicking philosopher footballer turned actor, is proposing a run on the banks to alleviate social strife.
He thinks the banking system is the root of all our problems and if we all withdrew our money simultaneously the banks would collapse and everything would be fine.
He says: "We must go to the bank. In this case there would be a real revolution. It's not complicated; instead of going on the streets and driving kilometres by car you simply go to the bank in your country and withdraw your money, and if there are a lot of people withdrawing their money the system collapses. No weapons, no blood, or anything like that."
There are so many holes in this argument it's difficult to know where to start.
What do you do with your money if you take it out?
Criminals must be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of people roaming the streets pockets stuffed full of cash.
What happens to the people who can't get their money out?
They lose it because their bank will have collapsed. Banks do not have enough cash to give everyone their money. It's the banking business model.
The banks owe billions to the taxpayer, if they collapse they won't be able to pay it back, ever.
Banking panics cause recessions, they don't cure them.
This is a time for calm not panic.
Eric is suffering from delusions of grandeur. Just because he could kick a ball, and a fan, does not mean his social solutions have any value at all. Most of us are intelligent enough to realise that - the rest of society will be at the cashpoints on December 7.
He thinks the banking system is the root of all our problems and if we all withdrew our money simultaneously the banks would collapse and everything would be fine.
He says: "We must go to the bank. In this case there would be a real revolution. It's not complicated; instead of going on the streets and driving kilometres by car you simply go to the bank in your country and withdraw your money, and if there are a lot of people withdrawing their money the system collapses. No weapons, no blood, or anything like that."
There are so many holes in this argument it's difficult to know where to start.
What do you do with your money if you take it out?
Criminals must be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of people roaming the streets pockets stuffed full of cash.
What happens to the people who can't get their money out?
They lose it because their bank will have collapsed. Banks do not have enough cash to give everyone their money. It's the banking business model.
The banks owe billions to the taxpayer, if they collapse they won't be able to pay it back, ever.
Banking panics cause recessions, they don't cure them.
This is a time for calm not panic.
Eric is suffering from delusions of grandeur. Just because he could kick a ball, and a fan, does not mean his social solutions have any value at all. Most of us are intelligent enough to realise that - the rest of society will be at the cashpoints on December 7.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Sarah Palin - grim reality
If I was to say that the person who could be the next leader of the free world has just launched a reality TV show on a channel called TLC you might think I was pulling your leg.
Not so.
Sarah Palin's Alaska shows the Tea Party queen hunting, shooting and fishing in the wilderness state in a thinly-disguised bid to show voters that she's just an ordinary mom.
And in an illuminating piece in today's International Herald Tribune Frank Rich points out that 'her amateurism and liabilities are badges of honor'.
Perhaps she's not as stupid as we thought she was.
But should we be worried that she could be the next president of the United States?
Barack Obama's ineffectiveness, despite going into the job with the best of intentions, suggests the office is one that is dogged by inertia, so maybe not.
The US has a track record of electing presidents not overburdened with intelligence.
As it stands Palin is a shoo-in for 2012.
Not so.
Sarah Palin's Alaska shows the Tea Party queen hunting, shooting and fishing in the wilderness state in a thinly-disguised bid to show voters that she's just an ordinary mom.
And in an illuminating piece in today's International Herald Tribune Frank Rich points out that 'her amateurism and liabilities are badges of honor'.
Perhaps she's not as stupid as we thought she was.
But should we be worried that she could be the next president of the United States?
Barack Obama's ineffectiveness, despite going into the job with the best of intentions, suggests the office is one that is dogged by inertia, so maybe not.
The US has a track record of electing presidents not overburdened with intelligence.
As it stands Palin is a shoo-in for 2012.
Friday, 19 November 2010
Danny MacAskill's back
There's a new video by the extraordinary Danny MacAskill.
This guy is obviously technically brilliant but the most remarkable thing about his stunts is the level of creativity and imagination involved.
And the scenery has got me pining for the glens.
This guy is obviously technically brilliant but the most remarkable thing about his stunts is the level of creativity and imagination involved.
And the scenery has got me pining for the glens.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Freed on appeal - your turn to judge
This policeman, Sgt Mark Andrews of Wiltshire Police, has been cleared on appeal of assault. I'll let you be the judge of whether or not he used excessive force when he put this woman in the cell.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Thames voted worst river
Something called Our Rivers has conducted a poll that concludes that the Thames is the worst river in England and Wales.
It's certainly got them some publicity and picking on the country's major river is guaranteed to get them plenty more than some rural backwater.
It's certainly got them some publicity and picking on the country's major river is guaranteed to get them plenty more than some rural backwater.
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