deanb Posted November 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 hah. Cameron want's to put unemployed into community service. Isn't that what we put criminals into? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8878040/Jobless-to-be-forced-into-community-work.html Just speak your mind Cameron, not all of us have dads who can get us into Eton n get us set up off the bat. Ever thought of coming down here to gutter level and having a good look at how the job centre works? Cos a few weeks oggling at it I'm sure all the thoughts passing through my head on what's broken and can be fixed will soon pass through your head too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 loving the loaded poll question: " No, the government needs to do more to help them, not force them to work for free" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Well we're scrapping the VAT exemption from the channel islands and reducing the cost from 18 to 15 at the same time. That's going to be interesting for the jersey merchants. Actually the life in the uk test is pretty easy but the answers in the thing are pretty outdated. I've gone through the stuff out of curiousity and I've got to admit that most people would know jack. But there were some interesting statistics such as only 25% of children come from single parent homes, much lesser than you'd imagine the way media portrays it and these were statistics from 2009. In the 1980s it was primarily people from the US, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. We only have 8.3% of the population from 'Ethnic Minorities' as per 2001 so it's impossible for 4.2 to be Muslim considering that's greater than all the Asians themselves put together back then. It'll be interesting to see the 2011 census changes as we've got a lot more global migration this decade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 The following is personal experience and opinion: It's got nothing to do with being from Eton and everything to do with people thinking that they are too good for certain jobs. I finished Uni with a law degree, came home, had no job, applied to some solicitors, some retailers, some supermarkets. My first job: Getting up a 4am to do stock counting at Sainsbury's. It was shit. I hated every minute of it, but, I am way too proud to sponge off the state. I've had more jobs than I can count over the years, from cleaning fryers in a cafe to silver service in 5* Hotels. I've delivered hire cars and sandwiches, done data entry, worked in building insurance, and in pubs. I have never been out of a job since I was 16 unless it was by choice. My sister has the same problem as a lot of these people. She wants to work in media and so refuses to get a "crappy job" in a shop. The result is that when she goes for a media job she rocks up with a degree and a blank CV. So she never gets the jobs she wants and the cycle continues. There are jobs in tanning factories (leather, not sun-tans) that are horrible, smell bad, and are bloody hard work, but usually (unsurprisingly) have vacancies. Anyone who doesn't have a job needs to lower their "standards". Around this time of year there are always a glut of jobs going in retail for the Christmas rush. If you can't find work, then I honestly believe you just aren't trying hard enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 I'm sure there are some who don't mind living off welfare but I don't think that's the case for everyone. I respect that it's your own experience but that's just what it is. Not everyone's experience is the same. I actually linked this the other day, but I present #2 here: http://www.cracked.com/article_19468_5-logical-fallacies-that-make-you-wrong-more-than-you-think_p2.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 It's for people who haven't worked for two years. Anyone who is vaguely employable will have been able to find _some sort of job_ in that time. I work in an area that has Christmas employees and seriously - if you can walk in without dragging your knuckles across the floor you can get a job. People get paid as much to sit at home doing chuff all as they would to be working minimum wage and some people are not ashamed to be doing exactly that. If they are dossers then they bloody well should be forced to work. I resent working in my crappy minimum wage job to pay for a bunch of lazy arseholes to sit on their lazy arseholes all day. If they can't manage that and are genuinely unemployable by the private sector then why shouldn't they earn some of the money we are giving them by doing government paid work? They wouldn't mind if they have any sort of decency and work ethic. If they are genuinely looking for work and for whatever reason they have not managed even to find a job in two years then why would they mind doing this? They should be the sort of people who would feel guilty for taking JSA so would be glad to feel they are earning it. The only people who should have a problem with this is the people who have some sort of messed up belief that they deserve to be paid to sit at home. Trust me there are plenty of those around. The only reason they want to get off JSA is if it is to go on to incapacity benefit, which is even more of a free ride. If these people put as much effort into finding honest employment as they did into screwing over the tax payers they would probably be millionaires. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted December 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16224394 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Yes I understand that we're technically a Christian nation what with the Church of England n all but I think it's pretty damn wrong in this day and age to suggest that morality requires religion, even worse to imply Christianity of all religions is the one to go for. Bit like communism, yeah on paper it looks a good idea, in practice... I'm not offended that he'd put one religion above any other, I'm just offended at the implication that it's a lack of religion that has led to "broken britian". Maybe if they didn't rely on mythical beings in the sky and did some proper politicking instead? The last PM to introduce The Lord into his political life took the UK to war with Iraq, which is precisely why "politicians shouldn't 'do God'". I'm fine if Queen Liz wants to stand up and say something, she's head of the church after all. And I'm fine for PM to acknowledge the historical significance of the King James Bible. But it's exactly that, it's historical. It's a 2000 year old book and largely outdated as far as modern morals and values go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 It's pretty damned wrong in any day and age, and any country, to suggest that religion has a monopoly on morality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 I'd hate it to look like I'm showing any support for Cameron, but the legal system is based on Christian values. In that sense, it is a moral guide. Then again, who says morality appeared with Christianity... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted December 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2011 Well since we can take a pretty good stab in the dark that various rights and wrongs were not etched upon a slab of stone by a firey bush we can have a fair guess that many of them preceded Christianity. It's just that on top of these each religion brings in their own little rules. Such as don't eat cows, stone people to death, don't harm any living thing, spaghetti bolognese is the child of the creator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 I'm not offended that he'd put one religion above any other, I'm just offended at the implication that it's a lack of religion that has led to "broken britian". Pretty much agree with this. I don't really mind which imaginary friend helps you out when you're feeling low, but to suggest that being more religious will make us somehow better people is utter tosh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted December 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18914 lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted January 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 http://yfrog.com/z/g0dpmp Maybe of interest. In other news: http://www.dignityindying.org.uk/news/general/n327-as-experts-recommend-parliament-addresses-the-issue-of-assisted-dying-new-poll-finds-majority-of-public-want-mps-to-engage.html http://www.campaignfordignityindying.org/pages/blog/490/awaiting_the_commission_on_assisted_dying_s_report_.html Seems to be a bit of a progress maybe coming in regards to euthanasia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Interesting The Grauniad is so much higher up the list than the Observer as they're sister papers. No surprise about the BBC though. I hope they don't mess about with its budget too much. Also surprised the ITV news is ahead of Channel 4 as it is a lot more sensationalist which I cant help but think makes it seem less trustworthy. I think of it as the Daily Mail of TV news. I'll seriously stockpile tablets for when I get old/terminally ill if they don't have anything in place by the time the inevitable comes around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 So I'm to understand our Dear Prime Minister has pissed off an entire country. Scotland of all nations. So what exactly is going on? I'm to understand Scotland is wanting independence from the union, but Cameron put some kind of ultimatum on it of 16 months which both Scottish and English MPs are not happy with. There was something about the Olympics committee which certainly threw a spanner in my understanding of it all. May I ask: What would Scottish independence mean. For them and UK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Scotland and Texas are the same person? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDex Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 May I ask: What would Scottish independence mean. For them and UK? I can't say I'm even a passing expert on UK politics but from my understanding, Scotland already have a well established government so I can't see there being a huge difference, other than financially for either side if Scottish indepedence was granted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yeah I was wondering for like borders, money wise, political relations, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) Doesn't Scotland already have a well-defined border? I'm not clear on exactly how the UK is set up, but I was under the impression that the various countries had well-defined borders and were semi-sovereign, kind of like states in the US. If Texas ever actually does secede the border wouldn't change short of the US invading or vice-versa (or I suppose some kind of treaty, but something tells me if Texas seceded they wouldn't agree to any reduction in borders, there'd be a war over it). Edited January 10, 2012 by TheMightyEthan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes it has a border, it's just there's no border control or much, you just drive past a "Welcome to Scotland" sign n voila. It's all Britain, it's assumed you've got a britsh passport or some thumbs up for being in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I think a lot of people (especially the English) would be surprised by the amount of hatred and resentment many Scots feel toward England. E.g. if England play Germany at football, there will be a lot more Germany fans than England one north of the border. At the moment you can move freely about the nations, you wouldn't be emigrating if you moved to Scotland and wouldn't need permission - they could introduce immigration quotas but I don't believe they could apply to English or Welsh people as we would all be EU members, but it would still require paperwork which it doesn't now. I can't imagine anyone going over to the Euro at the moment. That would be seriously bonkers and it would be unlikely to go to the trouble of creating an entirely new currency. My guess is they would keep the pound with an eye to moving over to the Euro when it is more stable. The biggest thing I would worry about is the North Sea Gas and Oil. I would hope that would not go entirely to Scotland, but other than that I would be happy for them to go. I have a feeling that be careful for what you wish for would be an appropriate phrase for them were it to go ahead. It is such a small country, I don't think they realise how insignificant they would be and don't appreciate what they get from being part of a bigger political power. I certainly hope Wales never fully devolves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Oh I'm aware of the resentment. Though the scots I know in person are all generally fine n dandy. I do have a feeling Scotland isn't aware of how small it is. It's got a 10th of the population for one. Their economy does rely somewhat on oil, which won't be there forever. Moving to the Euro I'd guess would be suicide. The bonus for mainland countries moving to the Euro is that it simplifies intra-border buying/tourism/etc. But scotland is bordered with England which uses the pound. Wales I've a feeling has no option in the matter, it's part of England if my history serves me well. Though I've a feeling Wales enjoys the status quo. Scotland has a brand up its backside n always will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes it has a border, it's just there's no border control or much, you just drive past a "Welcome to Scotland" sign n voila. It's all Britain, it's assumed you've got a britsh passport or some thumbs up for being in the UK. Well yeah, that's how it is here too between states. So you were asking about the practicals of what would happen at the border, rather than where the border would be, I didn't get that at first. It would surely take them a while to lock it down, assuming they even wanted to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yeah sorry. I knew it had a border n where it is n such. I guess It never crossed my mind that that's how my query could be interpreted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Scotland has more devolved powers than Wales, but isn't more it's own country than Wales is. They are both 'proper' countries, whatever that may mean. The commonly held myth about Wales being a principality and not a proper country is not true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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