IMMIGRATION CLERKS TO GO ON STRIKE ?

Some immigration sorts are going on strike because they don't like the fact that their pension and other arrangements are to be changed. They maintain that they deserve what many other hard-working folk see as inappropriately generous pension arrangements. They maintain this along with other Public Sector colleagues even in this appallingly dodgy financial situation.  They can't see, or maybe understand, what is happening elsewhere in the world  - and in Europe in particular. 


The general public is actually rather tired of the poor performance it sees in the Public Sector; and it's tired of the cheeky bleats for better wages, pensions, working hours and so on.  Now I don't doubt that some of them probably deserve more equitable treatment when the relativities of the whole of the Public Sector are considered together. Possibly, for example, in some Teaching and Police disciplines. But for heaven's sake if a part of the Public Sector wants something then it must surely earn respect from the general public first. Can the immigration service actually claim such a thing ?


Well let me think.....Letting a banned extremist into the country is not an action which commands respect. It's sloppy and it's stupid. It's another apparent example of incompetence or naivety. But then why should we be surprised ? Remember those fly on the wall programmes dealing with aspiring immigrants?  How easy it seemed to be to pull the wool over the eyes of our immigration people and be granted a temporary 24hour "pass" to see the internet girlfriend.  On the immigration grounds, it seems, that it would be rather unkind not to let them do so !!  Of course the "pass" is conditional upon returning to the airport 24 hours later to catch a flight home.......oh yeah.......sure. Parliamentary question anyone ?

PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS TO STRIKE

Well what does it take for Public Sector workers to realise that they are not exactly liked by anyone other than themselves?  The Private sector quite naturally envies public sector pensions, the length of their working week, and their holiday entitlements.  And who in the Public Sector would like to compare their general level of sickness absence with that of the private sector?  Oh no !!! Do I hear my public sector colleagues mumble the word "stress"? Well guess what ? Stress also exists in the private sector where frankly in my observation it is greater and more prolonged.

Make no mistake the perception of many a normal fellow is that public sector workers are already an over-paid, under-worked, under-performing bunch with disproportionately generous pension arrangements,  who on the whole are responsible for a scandalous waste of tax-payers money given the overall benefit derived. That is the perception and it's only reinforced by any amount  of whimpering.

For example take the MOD.  I've no idea whether servants in the MOD will join the strike but if they do they should bear in mind that Lord Levine has described that particular bunch as bedevilled by weak decision-making and poor accountability with insufficient focus on affordability and proper financial management ( or words to that general effect ). Heaven forbid ! What has been going on ?  This suggests that not only are the numbers of staff excessive but that quality is also lacking.

I'm going to hazard a guess that similar deficiencies could be found to a greater or lesser extent in pretty much every government department, in hospitals, throughout the education system, in the police and fire services, the courts and job centres (?!),  prisons and no doubt others.

If this country is going to avoid going down the drain along with several of its inefficient and / or lazy European bedfellows it will have to pull itself together. Whether or not we like it this surely means doing everything possible to stop any scandalous waste of taxpayers money ?  Given that striking workers are not paid by their employer perhaps Thursday's planned strike will be the start of an inadvertent step in the right direction.

U.K DROUGHT - HOW CAN GARDENERS COPE ?

How can cope with a hose pipe ban ? Quite frankly who gives a fisher's tit ?  ....Maybe gardeners I suppose but very few others.

Look guys, if you haven't got enough water my suggestion is to preserve all you have including everything that currently goes down the kitchen sink.  You might also contemplate going entirely organic and using the households surplus urine as foliar feed.   It's recycling at its best and would bring on the vegetables a treat.  Probably a good idea to keep it off the cucumbers ......at least for the time being.

Distribution is of course so much easier for those living in houses where access to an open bedroom window  would ensure, for a healthy person,  that not a drop goes to waste.  Bungalow dwellers might revert to the chamber-pot principle and redistribute later, preferably on a calm day, using a garden spray or watering can.

....can I get back to my wine now please ??

COMPULSORY MOTORCYCLE TUITION FOR CAR DRIVERS

I've lost count of the times I've heard car drivers curse cyclists or motorcyclists.  How many of them have any idea what it's like to use a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle as an alternative form of transport ?

Would they be confident enough to retake and pass the car drivers test let alone something as difficult as the motorcycle test ? How many of them actually engage brain and open eyes when driving their car?  Often the "car" is a large environmentally unfriendly 4x4 with a "green" parent behind the wheel off on the the school run.

Well I don't drive an environmentally unfriendly 4x4 but otherwise, until recently, I was probably one of those many car drivers who have scant understanding of what it's like to use a motorcycle.  That is until I decided to take the Driving Standards Agency(DSA) motor cycle test. And so now I have no doubt whatsoever that the roads would be a lot safer if anyone applying to take the DSA test for a car or something larger, had first to pass the motorcycle test.

Disagree?  Well if you do why not treat yourself to a motorcycle Compulsory Basic Training course; it's the first, and easiest, of four steps on the way to a motorcycle licence. Then read this again.

VINCE CABLE - BUSINESS SECRETARY

I can't help but wonder whether it's time for Vince to spend a little more time at home.  He has a knack of upsetting people; most recently the Unions.  Not really the best group of people to upset if you're the business secretary !!

It may not be so much what you say, Vince.....although on this occasion it most certainly is......but more so how you say it ?  I'll be honest, Vince, dynamic is not a tag I'd attach to you.  Apologies but to me you often look as though a phone call to the Samaritans is just a few minutes away.  It's time to have a rest, Vince before things get out of hand.  You're a thoroughly nice person who can do without the hassle.  Take a rest ........or get a makeover.  

UNANSWERABLE QUESTION IN AS-LEVEL EXAM

So pupils taking a business studies paper were distraught because information required to produce the answer was missing. Nice one.

It beggars belief that the tossers at the exam board could allow such a thing to happen.  And they have the audacity to say that the question accounted only for a few marks from eighty or so total. They have apologised.  That's nowhere near good enough.

Incredibly they say they have a robust process for ensuring that none of the students are disadvantaged as a result of the exam board mistake. Shame they don't have a robust process for making sure the questions are sensible. In the context of their mistake where's the need for a "robust process"?  Just scrub the question, mark the students on what remains, give yourselves a good smacking, and for heaven's sake try a bit harder next time.  You are supposed to be adults after all. And by the way no bonus and no pay increase for such abysmal performance.

IMF BACKS UK ECONOMIC POLICY

Well there you go, Ed (Balls not Miliband).  As I predicted yesterday the IMF have this morning backed the Chancellor's stance: no change of direction currently necessary.

But after all it's just a matter of opinion based on interpretation of collected data ( much of which is probably  inaccurate ) - so it's even more complicated for groups of economists to interpret.

So, Ed we're back to which bunch of economists do I go with ? Given that, as an average man on the street, I know bugger all about economics  I'm going to go with the bunch I most trust.

So would that be the IMF, or would it be your lot, Ed?
Answer :See yesterday's blog.    

JUNE 2011 - BALLS CRITICISES THE CHANCELLOR

I know some say he's a thoroughly nice chap ( however my feelings were expressed in an earlier blog  ) , but Ed Balls would do well to learn to be constructive in his criticism.  This is important because he rarely appears  to break cover unless its to say something falling under the head of "criticism". 

Now bless Ed, he says that if a plan is not working, then a Chancellor should change course.  The thing is, Ed, when talking about such complex things as the economy, it's a matter of opinion whether something is working or not.  Show me one group of economists saying one thing and I'll show you another group of economists saying another.  They're a bit like lawyers in this respect.  It's opinion see?  So you might not think its working, but the Chancellor might think it is.  Ed, I'm going to side with the Chancellor on this one and not you.  Sorry but I just find it hard to trust what you say.

URGENT - KEEP OFF THE BEANSPROUTS

Well, not wishing to sound smug, but an earlier blog of mine did question the German assertion that the nasty E-coli epidemic was all Spain's fault.  Thank goodness Guernsey gave up growing the large variety several years ago or they might also have been in the frame.

So now it seems that German home-grown bean sprouts are the cause.  Uh huh ?! How soon I wonder before the reassurance that you are not at risk unless you have consumed several pounds of the things.

So let's see: Spain is suing Germany over lost sales; Russia has banned Spanish toms and will shortly ban German bean-sprouts; which leaves Germany to look for friends to ride out the storm.......
 
Oh how far reaching the effects might be for voting in next year's Eurovision song contest.

HYPNOTIST "KNOCKED OUT" DURING ACT

Well it sounds strange doesn't it?  Three people under the spell on stage, and this fellow trips over one of their feet and knocks himself out !  Now are you're thinking what I'm thinking ?.....How do we wake the poor souls up again?  ............well no what I was actually thinking is that this is just a cunning stunt from this artist to draw attention to his act. And if so it's worked to an extent because if nothing else I'm writing about it.

Of more interest would be what might have happened if the unfortunate fellow had actually snuffed it with the three volunteers still under his influence as it were.  Well, so they say,  his cohorts have got a recording which can be used in just such a circumstance.  Nice eh? Sounds a bit tricky to me.  " When I count to three you will all wake up as though nothing has happened. " Just suppose the recordings didn't work;  or maybe had an unusual or surprising effect !!  On wonders how long these hypnotic spells last.  Could another hypnotist put things right? Apparently not.

This all suggests that unless taken out of the trance by the practitioner inducing it, then the subject could be wandering around in an hypnotic state for the rest of his or her life.  Which makes me wonder how many of our  MP's, quite innocently (forgive the use of the word in this context), might be in such a state;  how many of our Local Councillors,  Industry leaders, Military personnel - the list is endless.  Could this be the reason so many things seem to be screwed up ??

MP's CAN'T STAND THE PACE

So according to the Hansard Society the 227 new intake MP's are working an average of 69 hours per week - and evidently they are finding it a struggle !!  Join the real world where 69 hours per week can be seen as an easy week.  And one wonders exactly what they classify as "work".  Is it work as most of us see things ?  Or is a lot of the work time taken up with chatting to other members, or maybe even to Constituents?  And how long do they spend completing and then checking over their expenses ( a new system which it seems they are dissatisfied with....wonder why) ?  And their salary ?  Well about £65,000 p.a. and they voted not to take a 1% pay rise this year !!! Tell that to the thousands of people in the real world who either haven't got a job, or have taken a pay cut.

THERE'S A LOT OF IT ABOUT.......

E.coli.  Not something to joke about.  Already it seems 18 have died and around 1500 are infected.  The common link appears to be that all the poor souls live in, or have travelled to, Germany.  And initially a suggestion the infection came from Spain transported on the skins of Cucumbers.  Well I'm not entirely sure that was the case. And having first been so assertive about it, the German authorities now appear to be revising their stance.

The infection is new according to the Robert Koch Institute ( thankfully one "k" and a "c" rather than two "c's" and a "k" ) and could well last for months.  The Russians have banned all the stuff and Spain are now seeking compensation from the E.U ( N.B. not the German Government who seemed to have stoked things up for the rest of us ) .   Ah.......happy times.

RESIDENTIAL CARE ABUSE

Reading of the disgraceful abuse of vulnerable patients filmed by the BBC at a Bristol residential care hospital I quite frankly wondered how the evil bastards seen dishing out the abuse live with themselves.

Evidently the hospital owners have apologised and suspended a dozen or so employees.  Oh well that's alright then ?  Do they think they are any less responsible for the abusive behaviour than those dishing it out at the sharp end ?

Let's ask ourselves why it takes undercover reporters to expose the sort of behaviour that any even half-responsible or mildly interested owner or manager would disallow ?  Should we wonder to what extent cost,..... .....sorry greed, ..... is an issue here ??  Is the taxpayer really charged £3,500 per week for each of the unfortunate patients ?  If so there can be no excuse for overworked, under-trained  or under-paid staff;  no excuse for poor food or conditions.........I reckon there's much more to this than has yet come out. It's absolutely indicative of another disgraceful waste of taxpayers money on top of everything else ?

In a nutshell it appears to work like this: give us £180,000 odd each year  - more if we can screw it out of you - and we'll make sure your son, father, daughter, whoever,  is subjected to disgraceful treatment by the evil bastards we've employed or secured through an agency,  for so long as we're not caught out......and if it's up to the Regulators to catch us ....... well we'll take that chance !!   Suckers ?