I saw Robert Peston quoting a member of the public, saying "...why should bankers get paid so much money when I haven't had a pay rise for a long time, things are getting more expensive and I'm in lots of debt. They don't deserve it..."
Well I tell you something...they do! There is a growing sense of socialism and the feeling of "it's not fair" brewing at the moment. This is following a few decades of centre-right policy and society aligning with an overall desire to work for, and take personal responsibility for, our own wealth. But things are tough now - we are in the midst of an era of austerity, unemployment is at a new peak and the press love sending shock waves of fear through our communities...
The tragic thing is that this new found sense of socialism reminds me of the way children at school expect their teacher to support them wholeheartedly when things are bad...but when things are good, the student will turn on the teacher. In other words, it seems to me that society is saying "woe is me, the world is unfair, someone help me and lets punish those in a better position"...simply because things are difficult. And Robert Peston is loving it... The fact of the matter is that the people that complain do not have the intelligence or strength of character to succeed in the banking world. It is tough. Bankers in the top positions have made many personal sacrifices that many people would not be prepared to make. Fine, we can challenge their judgement when it comes to gambling our country into a financial mess and question their personal values when it comes to friends and family. But we all must take responsibility for our own decisions and follow our innate drive. Therefore, to non-bankers who believe Robert Peston is speaking on their behalf, I say...you could have applied to Goldmann Sachs or Barclays but you chose not to. Get over it. And even if you did work for one of the banks, you would probably not have survived. It's not in your nature to succeed in the banking environment. It is not safe, cosy, warm and friendly. Bankers put up with this because there is a large financial reward. It suits only a small minority of people.
Things are tough but don't try to blame others without taking a look at yourself first. And more importantly, don't listen to Robert Peston or any of his sensationalist bollocks. He has been the worst thing for this country for over 3 years and is milking the system and other peoples' misery. He is no different to Bob Diamond or Steven Hester if you actually think about it. Cut throat, highly successful, unpleasant.
Showing posts with label insane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insane. Show all posts
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
BAA snow team ready for action
This press release from BAA is too funny (see here).
As their airports come to a massive stand still, I cannot believe they still have the gaul to keep this press release on their home page. It goes like this:
TITLE: Heathrow's army of snow ploughs stretch their wings as snow bites
DATE: 29 November 2010
The cold snap may have only just bitten but Heathrow's snow team has been working for months to ensure the UK's hub airport will once again be prepared for the onset of winter.
With an extra half a million pounds invested in equipment this year, Heathrow’s airside department run constant checks of runway and taxiway areas, applying de-icing and of course clearing any snow and debris away.
Heathrow's specialist teams - which includes 50 highly trained staff and more than 60 hi-tech vehicles - have been preparing since the end of last winter to do everything they can to minimise delays in the face of wintry conditions.
The airport employs a fleet of snow ploughs and de-icing vehicles to clear and prepare runways and taxiways at the airport's specialist snow base which sits in between the two runways. Heathrow's airside operations teams have spent the summer refreshing their training with plans being discussed with airlines, baggage handlers and air traffic control to ensure a coordinated response.
While London may have run out of grit last winter, Heathrow is determined that it doesn't run out of the highly concentrated de-icing fluid it uses on the runways (grit is not used as this could get into engines). That's why the airport now has an innovative computer system that remotely measures how much de-icer is left - to ensure restocking can take place when required. To minimise the impact on the surrounding greenery, the chemical bi-product - glycol - is also recovered by a host of new recovery vehicles, ensuring more waste de-icing liquid can be removed effectively from the airport.
To ensure it has the most up-to-date weather predictions, Heathrow uses the Met Office’s OpenRunway system which offers 24 hour access to measurements including air and runway temperatures, wind and visibility, all vital in determining the right time to apply anti or de-icer.
Key Heathrow snow facts:
•Heathrow was the only major airport in the UK to not close last winter
•There are over 60 vehicles and 50 staff keeping the runways clear
•An extra £500,000 has been invested this year in snow-fighting technology
•Heathrow has storage for 500,000 litres of de-icing fluid
•Each de-icing vehicle can hold a massive 60,000 litres and it takes around 25 mins to de-ice each runway
•Liquid de-icer used on the runway and taxiways is effective for longer and ensures that grit doesn't cause damage to engines.
Colin Wood, Director of Airside, said: "As the world’s busiest international airport it's absolutely vital we are well prepared and our team do an excellent job often in quite severe conditions. While we stayed open last winter, we won’t rest on our laurels and promise that we'll be ready, waiting and doing everything we can to make every journey better for our passengers."
As their airports come to a massive stand still, I cannot believe they still have the gaul to keep this press release on their home page. It goes like this:
TITLE: Heathrow's army of snow ploughs stretch their wings as snow bites
DATE: 29 November 2010
The cold snap may have only just bitten but Heathrow's snow team has been working for months to ensure the UK's hub airport will once again be prepared for the onset of winter.
With an extra half a million pounds invested in equipment this year, Heathrow’s airside department run constant checks of runway and taxiway areas, applying de-icing and of course clearing any snow and debris away.
Heathrow's specialist teams - which includes 50 highly trained staff and more than 60 hi-tech vehicles - have been preparing since the end of last winter to do everything they can to minimise delays in the face of wintry conditions.
The airport employs a fleet of snow ploughs and de-icing vehicles to clear and prepare runways and taxiways at the airport's specialist snow base which sits in between the two runways. Heathrow's airside operations teams have spent the summer refreshing their training with plans being discussed with airlines, baggage handlers and air traffic control to ensure a coordinated response.
While London may have run out of grit last winter, Heathrow is determined that it doesn't run out of the highly concentrated de-icing fluid it uses on the runways (grit is not used as this could get into engines). That's why the airport now has an innovative computer system that remotely measures how much de-icer is left - to ensure restocking can take place when required. To minimise the impact on the surrounding greenery, the chemical bi-product - glycol - is also recovered by a host of new recovery vehicles, ensuring more waste de-icing liquid can be removed effectively from the airport.
To ensure it has the most up-to-date weather predictions, Heathrow uses the Met Office’s OpenRunway system which offers 24 hour access to measurements including air and runway temperatures, wind and visibility, all vital in determining the right time to apply anti or de-icer.
Key Heathrow snow facts:
•Heathrow was the only major airport in the UK to not close last winter
•There are over 60 vehicles and 50 staff keeping the runways clear
•An extra £500,000 has been invested this year in snow-fighting technology
•Heathrow has storage for 500,000 litres of de-icing fluid
•Each de-icing vehicle can hold a massive 60,000 litres and it takes around 25 mins to de-ice each runway
•Liquid de-icer used on the runway and taxiways is effective for longer and ensures that grit doesn't cause damage to engines.
Colin Wood, Director of Airside, said: "As the world’s busiest international airport it's absolutely vital we are well prepared and our team do an excellent job often in quite severe conditions. While we stayed open last winter, we won’t rest on our laurels and promise that we'll be ready, waiting and doing everything we can to make every journey better for our passengers."
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The RMT: a bunch of idiots causing another tube strike
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (The RMT) who represent workers of the London Underground have decided to cause more disruption to the Capital by ordering another tube strike (see here). These people are idiots. It all comes down to plans by TFL to cut 800 kiosk job. Basically, in the modern era (today) people tend to buy and renew their tickets at machines...technology rules! And as a result, fewer staff are needed to serve customers. The RMT say that a reduction in kiosk staff will lead to safety issues at stations. This may or may not be true but...
1) At a time when job cuts and 'austerity measures' are a part of everyday life
2) Technology has been shown countless times to replace the need for human participation
3) The tube is a poorly managed and badly functioning service
...I have no sympathy or respect for anyone remotely involved in the strike. If taking the tube was a pleasant experience and the system 'worked' - no delays, no over crouding, no line closures - I would have sympathy. As things stand, and I think I speak for all 9+ million Londoners - the RMT can go fuck themselves.
To leave you with an anecdote, a kiosk staff at my local tube station was working on Sunday and said she was extremely (and unusually) busy. She actually told me that normally on Sundays she has nothing to do! If I were a properly run, commercially sensitive, customer focussed business, I would make her redundant - and all the other people in a similar position. Simple economic sense. More profit means more to invest to improve service... That woman could work as a bus driver or behind a till in McDonalds.
1) At a time when job cuts and 'austerity measures' are a part of everyday life
2) Technology has been shown countless times to replace the need for human participation
3) The tube is a poorly managed and badly functioning service
...I have no sympathy or respect for anyone remotely involved in the strike. If taking the tube was a pleasant experience and the system 'worked' - no delays, no over crouding, no line closures - I would have sympathy. As things stand, and I think I speak for all 9+ million Londoners - the RMT can go fuck themselves.
To leave you with an anecdote, a kiosk staff at my local tube station was working on Sunday and said she was extremely (and unusually) busy. She actually told me that normally on Sundays she has nothing to do! If I were a properly run, commercially sensitive, customer focussed business, I would make her redundant - and all the other people in a similar position. Simple economic sense. More profit means more to invest to improve service... That woman could work as a bus driver or behind a till in McDonalds.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tuition fees protest
The people who caused the violence at the protest about tuition fees (see here) have demonstrated that they do not have the intellect or personality to deserve a state subsidised education. You earn the right through your intelligent use of actions to claim support and passage through life. Education is about intelligence. Intelligence makes use of discussion, reason and empathy to seek its ends. Not violence which is the art of the cave man.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Animal rights, human wrongs
Animal testing is contentious. Responsible practices are essential and animal cruelty is disgusting. But true animal testing, the use of animal models to test medical treatments in development that could help mankind, is essential. How else would the average lifespan of people in Europe be 70 plus years? Treatments for the world’s most prevalent diseases have all had, at some stage of their development, tests in animals and animal cells. Fact.
It is therefore delightful to see the news that five callous, sadistic and malicious animal rights campaigners have been jailed (see here). The group intimidated individuals from Huntingdon Life Sciences by delivering false letter bombs, amongst other disgraceful activities. Hopefully time in prison will allow them to reflect and develop a more balanced view of the world. Hopefully they will have a headache and take an aspirin.
It is therefore delightful to see the news that five callous, sadistic and malicious animal rights campaigners have been jailed (see here). The group intimidated individuals from Huntingdon Life Sciences by delivering false letter bombs, amongst other disgraceful activities. Hopefully time in prison will allow them to reflect and develop a more balanced view of the world. Hopefully they will have a headache and take an aspirin.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Psychiatry behind the holocaust. Seriously?
The Church of Scientology - spiritually grounded religion or money sucking cult? As an open minded athiest living outside the great ol' US or A it doesn't really affect me. However, the rapid proliferation of religion, new religions which have a mantle of cultishness and are highly publicised through affiliation with world-famous followers, requires some attention and some thought. So my question is this: is there substance to Scientology?
The 'Citizens Commisson on Human Rights' is a division of the 'Church' which positions itself as a "nonprofit mental health watchdog". The CCHR set up a museum in Hollwood in 2005 with the title of the exhibition: Psychiatry: An Industry of Death. The amazing thing is that the museum makes the claim that psychiatry is responsible for the Holocaust. See the link to the tour of the museum (see here). Here is the page from wikipedia (see here).
So I'm happy to be open minded but this all sounds stupid. In life, if someone wants to be taken seriously, they act seriously. Dedicating a museum to the theme that psychiatry caused the holocaust is stupid. I am left with one opinion of Scientology.
I prefer the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (see here).
To anyone interested, here is a link to Anonymous, the Scientology protest group (see here). For the record, I'm not a member or an active protester. I just think that Scientology is stupid and potentially harmful - in many many ways.
The 'Citizens Commisson on Human Rights' is a division of the 'Church' which positions itself as a "nonprofit mental health watchdog". The CCHR set up a museum in Hollwood in 2005 with the title of the exhibition: Psychiatry: An Industry of Death. The amazing thing is that the museum makes the claim that psychiatry is responsible for the Holocaust. See the link to the tour of the museum (see here). Here is the page from wikipedia (see here).
So I'm happy to be open minded but this all sounds stupid. In life, if someone wants to be taken seriously, they act seriously. Dedicating a museum to the theme that psychiatry caused the holocaust is stupid. I am left with one opinion of Scientology.
I prefer the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (see here).
To anyone interested, here is a link to Anonymous, the Scientology protest group (see here). For the record, I'm not a member or an active protester. I just think that Scientology is stupid and potentially harmful - in many many ways.
Friday, February 26, 2010
God for the weekend
Ever wanted to try god for a no-purchase-necessary, no-strings-attached weekend? Well, now you can. In Austria, a monastery is offering men the chance to be a monk for a weekend - for absolutely free! It's part of a recruitment drive to offer up a 'try before you buy' opportunity to people interested in monkism.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8525741.stm
Absolutely brilliant! It's putting religion up there with Easy Jet, Starbucks and McDonalds. I'm not religious but I say BOGOF. Do the monks get loyalty points or bonus prayer time if they recommend a friend?
Becomming a monk - a pretty fundamental life changing event - should really be handled more responsibly. Think of all the depressed people looking for meaning in their lifes - a quick weekend introduction to god in a peaceful, calm sanctuary will naturally appeal. These people could be making impulsive, life changing decisions while in a weakened mental state. This seems more like a tactic used by a religious cult than one of the major, venerable, global religions. It also seems a bit desperate. A quick, accessible fix.
If a religion wants to earn respect and include the 'right' people into its community, there has to be a more responsible way. This is the blatant commoditisation of god.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8525741.stm
Absolutely brilliant! It's putting religion up there with Easy Jet, Starbucks and McDonalds. I'm not religious but I say BOGOF. Do the monks get loyalty points or bonus prayer time if they recommend a friend?
Becomming a monk - a pretty fundamental life changing event - should really be handled more responsibly. Think of all the depressed people looking for meaning in their lifes - a quick weekend introduction to god in a peaceful, calm sanctuary will naturally appeal. These people could be making impulsive, life changing decisions while in a weakened mental state. This seems more like a tactic used by a religious cult than one of the major, venerable, global religions. It also seems a bit desperate. A quick, accessible fix.
If a religion wants to earn respect and include the 'right' people into its community, there has to be a more responsible way. This is the blatant commoditisation of god.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Guns and alcohol
A new law has been passed to allow people in Arizona to bring their guns into bars and restaurants. The new law is supported, as you would expect, by the NRA.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33074414/ns/us_news-life/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31683427/ns/us_news-life/
While people carrying guns are not allowed to drink alcohol in these bars, there is surely something wrong here?
The American attitude to guns is what it is - people demand the right to carry / own a gun to protect themselves. This is a cultural thing, most prominent in certain areas - and whether you agree or disagree, it's a fact - much like the English like to play cricket and lose and the French like to write philosophy and be depressed. American politicians will naturally support the right to carry guns because they, as American citizens, will also share the desire. OK - agree or disagree it's a fact. But surely allowing guns to be carried in places where the social facilitator leads, in excess, to bad judgement, emotional inconsistency and physical impairment, this new law is surely insane.
I believe in the right to choose but politicians are there to help ensure our choices fall within a responsible framework. Do these politicians know nothing? Have these politicians not seen Bowling for Columbine?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33074414/ns/us_news-life/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31683427/ns/us_news-life/
While people carrying guns are not allowed to drink alcohol in these bars, there is surely something wrong here?
The American attitude to guns is what it is - people demand the right to carry / own a gun to protect themselves. This is a cultural thing, most prominent in certain areas - and whether you agree or disagree, it's a fact - much like the English like to play cricket and lose and the French like to write philosophy and be depressed. American politicians will naturally support the right to carry guns because they, as American citizens, will also share the desire. OK - agree or disagree it's a fact. But surely allowing guns to be carried in places where the social facilitator leads, in excess, to bad judgement, emotional inconsistency and physical impairment, this new law is surely insane.
I believe in the right to choose but politicians are there to help ensure our choices fall within a responsible framework. Do these politicians know nothing? Have these politicians not seen Bowling for Columbine?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
