baldysblog.co.uk

Archive for the ‘Community’ Category

Every now and again and generally in the Telegraph, some daft old fool will prattle on about how “grammar schools were wonderful and just what the country needs today…” or some other such and similar drivel which would be okay if even slightly true but as it isn’t, it is not even worth a debate.

As a working class lad who attended a Catholic grammar school in South London during the late 50s, early 60s, I remember it with fondness and was grateful for the experience. However, one should not get sentimental over them, they were a product of their time and that time has now well and truly passed.

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The “in between Christmas and the New Year” does produce some interesting if rather odd articles in the “Media” that are not current news and have been sitting on some Editor’s shelf, waiting to be trotted out for times such as this “holidays and no actual staff currently working…” The following article about building a Heathrow replacement in the Thames Estuary being a prime example: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/nicholas-faith-boris-island-must-never-be-able-to-get-off-the-ground-6281804.html

But all that said, it did provoke a mild stirring in the grey cells and some following thoughts…

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I must start by declaring that I am a thief of other’s intellectual property but whilst I do not know the photographer of the above picture I give full honour to them. However,  in ‘mitigation’ of my offence, I offer the following: It is a brilliant picture and whether intended or not, achieves a similar level in its own right because of the detail in the characters to the best of the Hogarth prints and as a statement on our current society.

Obviously the topic is the Public Sector strikes over changes to their pension ‘entitlements’ and as someone who sold pensions during the 1980s in the private sector when only people well beyond 40 could “envisage the whole idea”, I can hardly believe in this strike. This strike is not about pensions, it is about FEAR of the immediate, not the long term future !

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I will start by saying that having been born and brought up as a Roman Catholic, I have a strong aversion to abortion whilst accepting that there may well be cases where Doctors might consider it an appropriate “therapy”. But that said, if life is sacrosanct then mealy mouthed descriptions of exactly when an embryo becomes “real” do rather leave me cold.

The perception of ‘exception’ fades into insignificance when in the UK there are 200,000 abortions a year which apparently represents 20% of all pregnancies resulting in a “termination”, yet another mealy mouthed description. However, having made my position clear, I also think that it is a major mistake to present the arguments against abortion in a typical ‘Pro-Life’ fashion, that will never work in this society people need a broader base upon which to form an opinion.

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Obviously with the recent riots, one can expect an awful lot of chair squirming and finger pointing as people try to avoid any blame. Although I can ridicule politicians as easily as the next person, I was delighted with both David Cameron and Ed Miliband albeit for different reasons.

Cameron for avoiding that all too familiar “We will hold a Public Enquiry” so much beloved of all Governments caught out by unexpected events and wanting to kick things into the long grass plus for Miliband him accepting that some degree of blame is attached to the Labour years in Office for the attitudes that seem to have taken root so, well done to both of them.

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There are three stories that I want to connect together or, reflect on in this blog, the Student Riots and Gilmour, The Tottenham Riots and Black People and finally, the Financial Crisis and in my view what ties them altogether is combination of things, a totally unrealistic collection of mindsets, expectations or lack of and the here and now.

If you believe that ideas can change this World, now more than ever newer and better ideas are needed is my view. In one sense and although they are certainly of very different scales, what strikes me strongest about all them is the pettiness and foolishness that encompasses all three, there are no grand themes to be seen in any of them.

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Actually, Prince Philip is not Greek, born in Crete yes but his family was of Danish origins. There was on the BBC a rather splendid programme on his life and times, “The Duke at 90″, well worth watching.

There are not words enough to celebrate this most splendid man on his 90th birthday except to say, a Very Happy Birthday and thanks for great service to Queen and Country. In addition, greatest thanks for never being “politically correct” and having an obvious great sense of humour, you have always been a total tonic for the majority of us, long may you continue to be so otherwise we will be stuck with the mealy mouthed of this world.

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Although it doesn’t matter too much today which Newspaper or “Other Media” outlet you choose, they all feed at the same “Handout Trough” rather than gathering too much original material. I was amused to see some froth concerning “First Time Buyers” and “House Prices” in most of them following a couple of recent “Reports” on house buying. This likely hardly surprising as the authors mostly live in and around London where property prices, will always buck the trend national trends.

However, even in London when you have bought on a “New Frontier of Gentrification” as most media people have/will, the desperate urgency of there being first time buyers available so that you can sell (dump the shit) and therefore “Move On Up”, must be a major concern to them. Otherwise, they get stuck in some Hell Hole in Hackney (or similar), with their kids getting beaten up by those of the local drug dealers/pimps and to them most importantly, there being no capital appreciation either !

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A need to save money for old age: “Britons need to save £16,700 more per year to live comfortably, cover long-term care costs, and pay back debts in their retirement.” was a Telegraph headline. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/savings/8501286/UK-faces-9-trillion-savings-shortfall.html

The first thing to note is obvious, just who apart from the very rich, could actually save that amount of cash when an ‘average wage’ is likely only £23-25,000 pa ? Frankly and regardless of the actual amount of money required, I don’t see that as any kind of surprise. When it comes to retirement income, no one has been talking let alone acting sensibly. The discrepancy between the intent and the actual delivery, just doesn’t match up and frankly, never will either as things stand, we need to look at the ‘problem’ differently…

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Yes, I guess that was the ‘moment’ we were all waiting for but, it also represents a Hope, A Hope for national renewal so, let’s just wish them both and us too, “All the Best !”