Tuesday 30th December 2014

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:04 pm

All a bit of a pantomine for the leader of the Greens.

Natalie Bennett 'Oh no I didn't'.
Guido Fawkes, Nigel Farage & The Economist 'Oh yes she did'.

The contentious reported comment/reportage:

“The world is sodden with stuff, it cannot have more stuff,” said Ms Bennett.
Yet they do not appear to have considered what that would mean for billions of the world’s poorest people, almost none of whom live in Britain.
When Bagehot suggested to her that there was a problem with this, Ms Bennett said he was worrying too much: to be poor in India wasn’t so bad as to be on benefits in Britain, she suggested, “because at least everyone else there is poor too”.

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/2 ... _privet_o_" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 50573.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:07 pm

Can anyone explain to me ... simply please ... how I can routinely get to look at Guardian comments in the non beta version? I see that parkin has posted a link to a non beta version of the comments on the politics blog today ... what a relief. So there seems to be a way of doing it.

On the rare occasions I take a look at the politics blog now ... what pisses me off most is that I can't recommend any of the comments in the Beta format. I click and nowt happens. Is this because I have not sworn undying allegiance and group discipline (a la SNP) via Guardian 'membership' or simply that Beta doesn't work with my equipment (laptop - 2 years old)?

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:11 pm

It's in the Pub Rebecca

http://flythenest.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=242" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:12 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:Can anyone explain to me ... simply please ... how I can routinely get to look at Guardian comments in the non beta version? I see that parkin has posted a link to a non beta version of the comments on the politics blog today ... what a relief. So there seems to be a way of doing it.

On the rare occasions I take a look at the politics blog now ... what pisses me off most is that I can't recommend any of the comments in the Beta format. I click and nowt happens. Is this because I have not sworn undying allegiance and group discipline (a la SNP) via Guardian 'membership' or simply that Beta doesn't work with my equipment (laptop - 2 years old)?

Try this.

http://flythenest.org/viewtopic.php?p=9080#p9080

In fact Beta is just shit. I had to use the non beta version to post from my mobile device.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:13 pm

I presume the technique can be used for viewing any Guardian article, not just the AS blog.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:13 pm

No fan of the Greens, but think she might have been rather maliciously quoted there. Note only a tiny bit of it is actually a quote, and she could easily have said something sensible about relative poverty. If nearly everyone has a fridge freezer, then that will affect the way food is marketed- you probably won't have a market selling fresh food cheaply near you and people without fridge freezers are stuck. If everyone is too poor to afford one, then there probably will be a market selling exactly that. So in that sense, if everyone is poor, then things are better.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:14 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:Can anyone explain to me ... simply please ... how I can routinely get to look at Guardian comments in the non beta version? I see that parkin has posted a link to a non beta version of the comments on the politics blog today ... what a relief. So there seems to be a way of doing it.

On the rare occasions I take a look at the politics blog now ... what pisses me off most is that I can't recommend any of the comments in the Beta format. I click and nowt happens. Is this because I have not sworn undying allegiance and group discipline (a la SNP) via Guardian 'membership' or simply that Beta doesn't work with my equipment (laptop - 2 years old)?

I can't answer your first request.

You're not allowed to comment in beta format unless you're logged in on a beta format page. To be logged into beta format & to be logged into non-beta format require you to log into each.

I hope I've not led you astray & if I've made an error, anyone, please let me know.

xx
JA

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:15 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:No fan of the Greens, but think she might have been rather maliciously quoted there. Note only a tiny bit of it is actually a quote, and she could easily have said something sensible about relative poverty. If nearly everyone has a fridge freezer, then that will affect the way food is marketed- you probably won't have a market selling fresh food cheaply near you and people without fridge freezers are stuck. If everyone is too poor to afford one, then there probably will be a market selling exactly that. So in that sense, if everyone is poor, then things are better.

I can see why some politicians insist on recording interviews, then they can prove what they actually said.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:16 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:No fan of the Greens, but think she might have been rather maliciously quoted there.

You're probably right, Tubby.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:17 pm

yahyah wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:No fan of the Greens, but think she might have been rather maliciously quoted there. Note only a tiny bit of it is actually a quote, and she could easily have said something sensible about relative poverty. If nearly everyone has a fridge freezer, then that will affect the way food is marketed- you probably won't have a market selling fresh food cheaply near you and people without fridge freezers are stuck. If everyone is too poor to afford one, then there probably will be a market selling exactly that. So in that sense, if everyone is poor, then things are better.

I can see why some politicians insist on recording interviews, then they can prove what they actually said.

Exactly.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:48 pm

Thank you all re the Beta ... not sure how I'll fare with that but I'll have a go. And presumably even that fix will be denied us when the entire site shifts to Beta come 5th January ....?

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 6:58 pm

yahyah wrote:All a bit of a pantomine for the leader of the Greens.

Natalie Bennett 'Oh no I didn't'.
Guido Fawkes, Nigel Farage & The Economist 'Oh yes she did'.

The contentious reported comment/reportage:

“The world is sodden with stuff, it cannot have more stuff,” said Ms Bennett.
Yet they do not appear to have considered what that would mean for billions of the world’s poorest people, almost none of whom live in Britain.
When Bagehot suggested to her that there was a problem with this, Ms Bennett said he was worrying too much: to be poor in India wasn’t so bad as to be on benefits in Britain, she suggested, “because at least everyone else there is poor too”.

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/2 ... _privet_o_" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 50573.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think you can be 100 percent certain she said that, and she isn't entirely wrong.

The issue with happiness isn't poverty (above subsistence level) it is inequality. If everybody is poor nobody knows anything different and society functions.

However where you have inequality the people at the bottom resent those at the top, keep going you get revolution. India is an awful example as it has huge inequalities.

The whole argument is bogus because the green position on too much stuff is untenable in the modern world. If we all stop buying stuff we enter a bastard world wide recession and we all become unemployed, civilisation collapses. No sane person would vote for that.

Now the Greens would say if we carry on buying more stuff we will screw the planet and the result is the same. They might annoyingly be right about that. However fundamentally the Green solution to sustainability requires a lot less people being a lot poorer and consuming a lot less (they might also be right about that). But vote Green, become poor explains why they have a limited appeal.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 7:08 pm

Of course if Bennett had downed a G&T and said "I am not bothered about the poor in India, as long as they don't come here they aren't my problem."

Farage would presumably be declaring her a genius.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 7:11 pm

Is there, anyone, apart from an ever narrowing clique who gives a **** what Tony Blair thinks these days?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... blair-test" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 7:29 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Is there, anyone, apart from an ever narrowing clique who gives a **** what Tony Blair thinks these days?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... blair-test" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 7:32 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:Can anyone explain to me ... simply please ... how I can routinely get to look at Guardian comments in the non beta version? I see that parkin has posted a link to a non beta version of the comments on the politics blog today ... what a relief. So there seems to be a way of doing it.

On the rare occasions I take a look at the politics blog now ... what pisses me off most is that I can't recommend any of the comments in the Beta format. I click and nowt happens. Is this because I have not sworn undying allegiance and group discipline (a la SNP) via Guardian 'membership' or simply that Beta doesn't work with my equipment (laptop - 2 years old)?
Try this.

http://flythenest.org/viewtopic.php?p=9080#p9080

In fact Beta is just shit. I had to use the non beta version to post from my mobile device.

I suspect with the Beta you have to log in before you can recommend...At least that's what I've found the few times I've bothered.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 7:36 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Is there, anyone, apart from an ever narrowing clique who gives a **** what Tony Blair thinks these days?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... blair-test" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/2 ... on-dont-go" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Having read that I'm quite happy. Traditional Labour voters aren't going to side with Blair over Miliband if the former describes Labour under the latter as farther to the left.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 7:40 pm

Care to predict who each of the contributors predict will be PM?

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehous ... -election/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 7:47 pm

StephenDolan wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:Is there, anyone, apart from an ever narrowing clique who gives a **** what Tony Blair thinks these days?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... blair-test" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.economist.com/news/britain/2 ... on-dont-go" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Having read that I'm quite happy. Traditional Labour voters aren't going to side with Blair over Miliband if the former describes Labour under the latter as farther to the left.

Indeedy! Makes you all the more determined to work for a Labour victory when cretins like McElvoy bristle with indignation at Miliband daring to veer from the so called middle ground, by the way, does anyone know where the fucking middle ground is these days, Lib Dems, nope, One Nation Tories, nope, no longer exist in any form, Blair has worked hard as middle easy envoy, he should take a holiday, West Indies are nice this time of year.. (Sarcasm alert)

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 7:53 pm

StephenDolan wrote:Care to predict who each of the contributors predict will be PM?
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehous ... -election/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

while James Delingpole explains grassroots Ukippers are disconcerting anti-intellectual , incapable of engaging on policy — but he still has high hopes for the party in 2015.

Delingpole was going to run for them IIRC but seems to have backtracked away - presumably because he didn't like what he saw.

If not even an utter loon like Delingpole thinks they're capable of engaging with policy one wonders what on earth a sensible chap like Carswell thinks he's doing.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 7:56 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:Is there, anyone, apart from an ever narrowing clique who gives a **** what Tony Blair thinks these days?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... blair-test" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.economist.com/news/britain/2 ... on-dont-go" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Having read that I'm quite happy. Traditional Labour voters aren't going to side with Blair over Miliband if the former describes Labour under the latter as farther to the left.
Indeedy! Makes you all the more determined to work for a Labour victory when cretins like McElvoy bristle with indignation at Miliband daring to veer from the so called middle ground, by the way, does anyone know where the fucking middle ground is these days, Lib Dems, nope, One Nation Tories, nope, no longer exist in any form, Blair has worked hard as middle easy envoy, he should take a holiday, West Indies are nice this time of year.. (Sarcasm alert)

McElvoy is an odious Tory, who knows why the Guardian employ her. The economist article is far more interesting - it shows Blairism isn't popular any more.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 8:02 pm

I can see I made a typo I that last post, easy as opposed to east, bloody phone, all the same, it can stay.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 8:11 pm

Is this a piss-take?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... nhs-survey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 8:22 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Is this a piss-take?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... nhs-survey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That was ComRes not ConHome?

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 8:26 pm

StephenDolan wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:Is this a piss-take?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... nhs-survey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
That was ComRes not ConHome?

ComRes are known as comedy results for a reason.

This is rather at odds with more reputable pollsters on policy.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 8:35 pm

What a load of old Billy Bollocks that poll is.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 8:36 pm

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 15: WILTSHIRE
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2014/12/3 ... um=twitter

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 8:39 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Is this a piss-take?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... nhs-survey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

: poster3789450.jpg (93.53 KiB) Viewed 8491 times

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 8:41 pm

: B6F6Fv-CAAAgS8e.png (157.88 KiB) Viewed 8490 times

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 9:15 pm

Returning to the world of stupid aviation reporting by Calder yesterday. This is the best rant I have seen on the subject from
PPRune.

Ian W

Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Florida and wherever my laptop is
Posts: 467
Quote:
Originally Posted by slats11
Then there is MH370. The cost of the search thus far is massive. The human cost to the relatives of not knowing what happened is incalculable. Against this, so what if it is a 1 in a million event. And that is before you consider the possibility that real time tracking (if unable to be turned off) may have prevented MH370 in the first place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cee cee
If the device cannot be turned off, what if it malfunctions and catches on fire, or shorts out the main power bus, taking out all the other equipment?

If it can be turned off, then what is the point? If MH370 was caused by malicious agent(s), the only reason inmarsat tracking worked was because it was a new thing that has not been done before. If anyone wants to vanish an aircraft now, you can be sure that they will pull the breaker to the sat comms.
Please can we get off this hamster wheel?

Aircraft leave the factory with adequate tracking/position reporting capability. Widebodies all have FANS 1/A which provides for ADS-C, CPDLC and ACARS messaging. ADS-C links could have been set up to Air France from AF447 but they were not by human decision as the Senegal system did not have ADS-C. (ADS-C can be active to up to 5 ground agencies). So all that was available were ACARS reports which are through a message switch with no prioritization so the reports can come in at random times. It was a human decision not to provide tracking information the aircraft itself had tracking capability with ADS-C.

All narrow bodies leave the factory with ADS-B. MH370 had the capability to be tracked using ADS-C and ADS-B and it was also in (albeit poor) secondary radar cover. ADS-C and SATCOM were turned off by human decision at the airline. It had Rolls Royce engine tracking capability but this was turned off by human decision at the airline. It had Boeing continual health monitoring capability but this was turned off by human decision at the airline. MH370 had ADS-B and secondary radar transponder - but these transponders were apparently turned off by someone in the cockpit who was unaware of the INMARSAT handshake to a SATCOM on standby.

8501 had ADS-B and was using it along with SSR, both these appear to have worked adequately to identify the likely crash site. It is arguable whether a SATCOM, ADS-C capability should be fitted to such relatively short water crossings as this one and the Gulf of Mexico. But as we have seen the wreckage is where it was expected from the last known ADS-B position report - so there is no real benefit from ADS-C.

In short. there is no need for clever devices, new avionics, gizmos from Radio Shack... ALL aircraft have tracking capability. All that is needed is regulation that mandates aircraft operators use the tracking capability that is already on the aircraft.

Guess what - mandates are already in place for use of ADS-C, ADS-B and SSR.
Indeed expect these mandates to require retrofit to all the older airframes within the next 5 years.

Tracking exists, it works, aircraft can be tracked with an accuracy of a runway width if necessary anywhere in the world.

So please stop trying to propose more expensive** hardware be fitted aircraft to replicate what is already completely adequate tracking capability.

/rant

** Yes it may be available for $5 from Radio Shack and on every smart phone on the planet. But if you want to put it in an aircraft it is expensive as it has to be certified as not interfering with anything else on the aircraft. Multiply its cost by at least 1000 possibly 10000 if it is radiating radio signals and linked to the aircraft power or <gasp> has a rechargeable battery.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 9:28 pm

Ah, Simon Calder, "travel expert". I ate some cheese once, does that make me a cheese expert?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 9:29 pm

More "Project Fear", no doubt.

Don't worry, the left wing SNP will tell those wage cutters where to go!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 9:30 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:More "Project Fear", no doubt.

Don't worry, the left wing SNP will tell those wage cutters where to go!

Our fuel bills won't go down.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 9:50 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Our fuel bills won't go down.

Talking of which, wasn't there some "stabilizer" thing the Tories were supposed to do, whereby prices went up and taxes on fuel came down.

Government- bit harder than it looks.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 9:52 pm

On the oil price drop...I noticed the Scottish Secretary telling the Scots that the SNP got its figures badly wrong and thus would be in serious trouble on their revenues...I wondered whether this might persuade any voters that the SNP can't be trusted?

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 10:00 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Ah, Simon Calder, "travel expert". I ate some cheese once, does that make me a cheese expert?

Well yes, if you can find somebody to pay you to write about cheese.

I say, are you perhaps a Tory MP, or a Lib Dem ex con, or perchance a member of the media establishment, or vaguely associated with a minor royal?

If so, why not dust of your cheese related CV and send it to that nice Mr Rushybridger.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 10:06 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:On the oil price drop...I noticed the Scottish Secretary telling the Scots that the SNP got its figures badly wrong and thus would be in serious trouble on their revenues...I wondered whether this might persuade any voters that the SNP can't be trusted?

Jim Murphy needs to be saying that very loud.

Nice to see Alistair Carmichael getting stuck in.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 10:09 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Ah, Simon Calder, "travel expert". I ate some cheese once, does that make me a cheese expert?
Well yes, if you can find somebody to pay you to write about cheese.

I say, are you perhaps a Tory MP, or a Lib Dem ex con, or perchance a member of the media establishment, or vaguely associated with a minor royal?

If so, why not dust of your cheese related CV and send it to that nice Mr Rushybridger.

Sadly, unlike Mr Calder, I do not come from a family of writers who are able to give me an entrée into the publishing world, so my cheese related musings will have to remain unpublished.

discordantharmony · Post by **discordantharmony** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 10:17 pm

Hello everybody.

Have been wanting to send a message for a while but am not very good at writing in comparison to other posters here. In my head you would all be A+ whilst I on a good day I would probably be a D-!!

I was struck recently regarding the rise in prosecutions for begging throughout the UK. As I mentioned some little while ago I was homeless myself for a while a few years back so thought that I would share my thoughts on this if that is OK.

Some people have lived on the streets for years, I was fortunate to be only on the streets for around 8 months though probably a further year of 'sofa-surfing' immediately prior to that. Before that I had a decent job, nice house, car, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH and then the house of cards spectacularly fell down (If you're gonna screw up do it in style

).

Interesting article yesterday in the local paper:

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... ss-8351756

Are there people on the streets who beg that have homes and get benefits? YES.

Are there people on the streets that do drugs / alcohol? YES.

Are there people in work who fiddle their expenses for a little extra cash even though they have a good paying job? YES.

Are there people in work who drink alcohol / do drugs? YES.

Perception in a lot of ways becomes more of a reality to people than the reality itself. When I worked I can honestly say that I drank a hell of a lot more than I ever did when I was homeless and yes I did occasionally become a little creative whilst doing my monthly expenses.

Earlier this year I was in the WRAG group of ESA and was encouraged to become ‘self employed’ busking and ‘Hey don’t worry cos those tax credits and housing benefit will see you OK’. Pity nobody told HMRC who after 3 months rejected my claim for tax credits. This led to a further 4 month period before I got my new claim for ESA sorted out though I am still in the assessment phase. Whilst waiting for that it was a short period of soup kitchens again. Almost without exception everyone in the queue was there through genuine financial hardship, people waiting for their claim to come through, a few having been sanctioned. Certainly nobody was in that queue as a lifestyle choice.

The above is purely anecdotal but from the people that I met in the last few months the numbers have gone up and there is less help from council or third party agencies to help people. I certainly feel very lucky for the help that I have received through the council and Housing Association to get my benefits sorted out out and yes they managed to even get me help for my mental health problems (Yes, I forgot to mention that I’m as mad as a box of frogs

). As the situation is at the moment I can only foresee the levels of support being offered to people only reducing in the medium to long term and that upsets me and I think that it truly should worry everybody.

Apologies for way too long ramble of words........

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 10:26 pm

discordantharmony wrote:Hello everybody.

Have been wanting to send a message for a while but am not very good at writing in comparison to other posters here. In my head you would all be A+ whilst I on a good day I would probably be a D-!!

I was struck recently regarding the rise in prosecutions for begging throughout the UK. As I mentioned some little while ago I was homeless myself for a while a few years back so thought that I would share my thoughts on this if that is OK.

Some people have lived on the streets for years, I was fortunate to be only on the streets for around 8 months though probably a further year of 'sofa-surfing' immediately prior to that. Before that I had a decent job, nice house, car, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH and then the house of cards spectacularly fell down (If you're gonna screw up do it in style ).

Interesting article yesterday in the local paper:

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... ss-8351756

Are there people on the streets who beg that have homes and get benefits? YES.

Are there people on the streets that do drugs / alcohol? YES.

Are there people in work who fiddle their expenses for a little extra cash even though they have a good paying job? YES.

Are there people in work who drink alcohol / do drugs? YES.

Perception in a lot of ways becomes more of a reality to people than the reality itself. When I worked I can honestly say that I drank a hell of a lot more than I ever did when I was homeless and yes I did occasionally become a little creative whilst doing my monthly expenses.

Earlier this year I was in the WRAG group of ESA and was encouraged to become ‘self employed’ busking and ‘Hey don’t worry cos those tax credits and housing benefit will see you OK’. Pity nobody told HMRC who after 3 months rejected my claim for tax credits. This led to a further 4 month period before I got my new claim for ESA sorted out though I am still in the assessment phase. Whilst waiting for that it was a short period of soup kitchens again. Almost without exception everyone in the queue was there through genuine financial hardship, people waiting for their claim to come through, a few having been sanctioned. Certainly nobody was in that queue as a lifestyle choice.

The above is purely anecdotal but from the people that I met in the last few months the numbers have gone up and there is less help from council or third party agencies to help people. I certainly feel very lucky for the help that I have received through the council and Housing Association to get my benefits sorted out out and yes they managed to even get me help for my mental health problems (Yes, I forgot to mention that I’m as mad as a box of frogs ). As the situation is at the moment I can only foresee the levels of support being offered to people only reducing in the medium to long term and that upsets me and I think that it truly should worry everybody.

Apologies for way too long ramble of words........

That was neither too long, nor rambling. Thank you for sharing those thoughts, they cut right to the heart of the issue imo. I hope 2015 is a better year for you, and for all here.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 10:32 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Is this a piss-take?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... nhs-survey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Someone's just noticed that the firm who commissioned it is Incisive health...co-founded by one of Lansley's advisers.

http://www.incisivehealth.com/people.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bill is a former policy special adviser at the UK Department of Health. He was one of the leading architects of the reforms to health and social care and has a unique understanding of the pressures that influence or impede change in the NHS. The Health Service Journal has twice named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the NHS.

I'm shocked, shocked etc...

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 10:37 pm

Labour hits out as Andrew Lansley confirms nomination for top UN job
Appointment to humanitarian role would betray the world’s most vulnerable people, says shadow minister

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... manitarian

Edited to add, It takes jobs for the boys to a whole new level, doesn't it.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 10:37 pm

Can't help thinking that the deeply unimpressive David Lammy has his eye more on 2016 than 2015 with this, his latest whine?!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 50913.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 10:46 pm

I reckon the Gaurdian must have hired in moderators from Tory central office - they allow an obvious troll to prattle away for 2 hours solid on that NHS poll but suggest he's a troll...and it gets zapped.

Earlier there was a PT article on Margaret Hodge...oh my, the comments. This is the pick.

ardennespate
30 December 2014 12:20pm

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Margaret Hodge is a colossal, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, scrounging parasite. One responsible for ignoring endemic child abuse across the whole of the borough in which she was Queen. I mean, leader.
Hero? She's one of the most digusting dung beatles in the House of Parasites.

I'm guessing that the right wing loons must have had their foot troops out today - every comment like that recommended like mad.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 11:01 pm

Knighthood for Theodore Agnew.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 11:01 pm

Words fail me...

I just opened the lNY Honours List and whose name is at the top of the Knighthoods.

Theodore AGNEW, DL For services to Education.
(East Somerton, Norfolk)

One for the chums of Gove.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 11:03 pm

A knighthood for David Amess?

Scuse my French but what a fucking joke that is!

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... t_2015.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 11:10 pm

Some guy has had a gong, Shanahan or something for services to welfare reform..

Decrepit, discredited pile of steaming shit, half a century past it's sell by date.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 11:12 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:Words fail me...

I just opened the lNY Honours List and whose name is at the top of the Knighthoods.

Theodore AGNEW, DL For services to Education.
(East Somerton, Norfolk)

One for the chums of Gove.

Before his chain are cleared of cheating Ofsted too.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 30 Dec, 2014 11:13 pm

For once Danczuk is on the money.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014 ... se-inquiry