Society

People, politics, tech, money, sport, work and entertainment all intertwine to make up today’s ever-changing, crazy, delightful and frustrating society. The majority of my second-hand-views are about life within our society and, with a left-of-centre stance, there’s bound to be something here that gets your goat. When it does, buy a bundle of tibs, donate one to my charity of choice, Stay Close to Neve, and get it off your chest with a retort – better out than in. Have fun, be good and keep at ‘em.

pick up the phone and vote

Carl - December 19, 2010

What are we all going to do on Saturday nights now that X-Factor and Strictly have run their dubious course? The nation’s collective shock and swift regression into a depressive stupor is almost palpable. Even though the long, dramatic build-up to the crescendo crowning of these ‘stars’ started sometime during the end of the last war the removal of the extravaganza appears to hit many as powerfully as a close bereavement. Whilst I concede the water cooler will never be the same, does it leave you contemplating whether or not it’s just a bit of harmless fun or is it turning us into a nation of celebrity wannabes? The good news is that studies suggest this isn’t the case and that […]

they’ve previous

Carl - December 18, 2010

Americans wouldn’t be stupid enough to vote Sarah Palin into the white house would they? Of course not. That’d be like electing a second rate B-movie actor into the world’s most important position, or a semi-literate ex-drunk megalomaniac who still answered to his father, twice. Uh oh. Even taking into account the above examples there’s never been a politician quite like this hockey-mom and when Palin says she believes she can beat Obama in 2012, it’s not an idle boast. Normal rules don’t appear to apply to the former governor of Alaska. Her endless gaffes (“We gotta stand with our North Korean allies” is only the latest in a long litany), constant self-promotion, on-going family scandals, active involvement with the […]

hearts and minds

Carl - December 17, 2010

Imagine, just for a second if you will, that the UK was invaded and occupied by a military force but you didn’t know the reason why they were there, just pitched up one day, heavily armed and decided to stay. Occasionally, it takes a poll to reveal truths that government policymakers, politicians and media journalists conveniently overlook. Apparently, never has this been more evident than in Afghanistan. A recent survey has found that a mere 8% of individuals in the Helmand and Kandahar provinces had never heard of the 9/11 Twin Towers attack. A similar huge majority could not clearly articulate why US and coalition forces where in their country, more than half oppose military operations and three-quarters believe the […]

does ‘the promise’ live up to its promise?

Carl - December 14, 2010

If like me you’ve been eagerly awaiting Springsteen’s much debated new album to hit the shops then it seems an automatic no-brainer of a purchase. But upon reading David Gingell’s excellent blog the other day I came across his review and it’s put me all in a quandary. Here’s his worthy appraisal and I’ll let you know if I shell out some of the hard-earned and buy it myself for Christmas: “I believe everyone should have a soundtrack to their lives. Maybe a golden period of music continually to fall back on or perhaps a musical genre that has been a backdrop to their ageing process. For me it is an artist that has accompanied me since 1978 and continues […]

you heard it here last

Carl - December 10, 2010

Over the last couple of months I’ve posted on many contentious subjects and it’s always wise to go back, examine how things have turned out and conclude you were right all along, even if you weren’t. Here’s an update on a couple: Boozed up on the cheap – Scotland’s administration failed in their attempt to set a precedent and enforce a minimum ‘alcohol unit’ price. Consequently, the Scotch (sic) will continue to peg it at an alarming rate, A&E departments the country over will remain the war-zones they have become and the Government will continue to subsidise this abuse by an overly-lenient taxation policy. Flag of convenience – God bless Kevin Pietersen. How can I ever have said those harsh […]

count them in, count ’em out

Carl - December 10, 2010

Do you know what, I really don’t know where I stand on immigration. The Liberal within me wants free entry to economic migrants, those seeking political asylum, students entering for a better education, and their dependants. On the one hand, I want Great Britain to be an open, free and welcoming place to those seeking to make their home here. But then there’s the darker side of me that wants to limit access to who absolutely need to come here for safety’s sake and to those who will definitively benefit the economy or society by doing so. This is the side of me that is mindful of the pressure placed upon our social service provision that can be caused by […]

joke of the day

Carl - December 8, 2010

“Phoned the Liberal Democrats office the other day and asked for a copy of their manifesto. They said they’d sold out. I said ‘I know, but can I have a copy of the manifesto?’ ” Boom. Boom. But at least they’re in the news. Exactly where is the Labour party? Yeah, I know Ed Miliband has been off on paternity leave but when’s he due back? Oh, four weeks ago. In the months since ‘Red Ed’ (never has such a strong moniker been less deserved – ed.) was elected Labour’s leader, he has done precious little to bring himself into the public’s consciousness, let alone, God forbid, establish the politically-essential ‘Mili-Brand’. In fact he’s proved to be so invisible both […]

can pay, won’t pay

Carl - December 7, 2010

Have I mentioned that I don’t approve of Sir Philip Green’s tax avoidance measure of paying a £1.2Bn dividend to his Monaco residing non-domiciled wife, Tina? Oh, only a couple of times. And what about Vodafone’s tricky little £6Bn loophole exploitation? Ah, yeah I may have let it slip out once or twice. The latest one in an apparent long-line of such creative corporate measures is Kraft, the new owners of Cadbury, who are allegedly working on a plan to shift key parts of the 186 year old business to Switzerland, which will result in depriving the UK of many tax millions. In a move first devised by Pepsico for its UK subsidiary Walker Crisps, Kraft is reorganising the Bourneville-based […]

we’re doomed, mr. mainwaring, doomed

Carl - December 6, 2010

Turbulent times, these. Irrespective of the colour of our political persuasion we all, either directly or indirectly, have some skin-in-the-financial-game of investments and the subsequent return on that investment. However red we (OK, I) claim to be I am inextricably linked to the free market and my financial worth (and freedom) is undeniably determined by such factors as house prices, interest rates, pension fund returns and Footsie index levels (I’ve always liked the sound of the latter more than its reality). The bad news is that that worth is imminently to take a pounding as a series of financial disasters are about to strike as we email. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t like property developers; they’re just not my […]

i know, i know

Carl - December 2, 2010

OK, I know I promised I wouldn’t mention the ‘people’s royal wedding’ ever again but I can’t hold back on one element which has now raised it’s head on a couple of occasions. No, it’s not the venue, the ring, the bill, the dress or any of that palaver, it’s about the touchy subject of social mobility. Regardless of what happens on the day, does this extraordinary union prove the unthinkable – that true social mobility now exists in today’s society? Unbelievably, it was only one short generation ago when Lady Diana Spencer, the daughter of an Earl, was openly referred to as a ‘commoner’ by the landed and ruling gentry. But, on the face of it, Catherine Middleton appears […]