Stories of seasonal goodwill are increasingly rare these days, especially ones that involve the US postal service, Santa Claus and legendary producer Steve Albini.
So prepare to have your cold, cold hearts melted by this joyous tale. According to the Chicago Tribune, Albini (best known for his work with Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Will Oldham, Shellac, oh you get the idea) loads a van with money, clothes and toys raised each year in a charity drive and dishes them out to cash-strapped families across the city. "There's so much money that it can literally save a family's entire year," Albini told the Tribune.
So why are we telling you now? Because The Man is trying to put an end to this seasonal giving, that's why. Albini knows which families to contact because all letters in Chicago written to Santa are diverted to potential donors in the city. But a change in US policy means that these names and addresses will now be blacked out on "Dear Santa" letters, which, according to the Tribune, means that Albini and his wife, Heather Whinna, "can no longer cull through the thousands of letters that amass each winter at Chicago's post office, looking for the neediest families".
The details of why the policy has changed are a little complicated, and as they involve an alleged paedophile in Maryland, are also not really in keeping with the Christmas spirit. What it does mean is the Albini and Whinna are having to look for ways around this problem in the hope that they can keep giving at Christmas. One word guys: reindeer.
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
...and they want to run the country?
Sky are showing footage of a stunt that the Tories have been performing on Westminster Green this morning. They called it the G8 race to recovery and had runners, dressed up to represent all the G8, ambling towards a finishing line. At the back the UK figure, wearing a Gordon Brown mask, staggered way behind holding a huge pretend iron ball labelled "debt". They were trying to make the point that Britain is the only G8 country still in recession and blaming Brown for running up too much debt.
Unfortunately, they seem to have got debt and deficit muddled up. Britain does have a monstrously large deficit (the amount it is borrowing annually to fund the gap between the amount it is spending and the amount it is raising through taxation). But the debt (the amount UK plc owes because of all the money it has borrowed over the years) is actually relatively low by G8 standards.
Unfortunately, they seem to have got debt and deficit muddled up. Britain does have a monstrously large deficit (the amount it is borrowing annually to fund the gap between the amount it is spending and the amount it is raising through taxation). But the debt (the amount UK plc owes because of all the money it has borrowed over the years) is actually relatively low by G8 standards.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Tiger by the Tail
Tiger Woods has been complaining about celebrity culture in the wake of recent events and revelations.
To a certain extent - he is correct - all things being equal, his business is not our business.
However, things are not equal.
People pay a premium to attend events which feature Tiger Woods, with Tiger getting more than his fair share of those receipts
People pay a premium to watch events on TV which feature Tiger Woods, with Tiger getting more than his fair share of those receipts
People pay a premium to wear his clothes, carry his clubs, play on his courses
These people pay his wages and his sacrifice is...
Wake up Tiger.
To a certain extent - he is correct - all things being equal, his business is not our business.
However, things are not equal.
People pay a premium to attend events which feature Tiger Woods, with Tiger getting more than his fair share of those receipts
People pay a premium to watch events on TV which feature Tiger Woods, with Tiger getting more than his fair share of those receipts
People pay a premium to wear his clothes, carry his clubs, play on his courses
These people pay his wages and his sacrifice is...
Wake up Tiger.
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Cluster Bluster?
A report released by Cluster Munition Coalition members IKV Pax Christi (Netherlands) and Netwerk Vlaanderen (Belgium) has found that 138 financial institutions worldwide still provide over $20 billion to the producers of cluster bombs.
One of the producers listed is Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defence manufacturer who amongst other things produce Trident, Hercules aircraft and Merlin helicopters - all staples of the UK defence forces, and hence funded by the UK taxpayer. I'm not sure what amnesty are actually trying to achieve here - yes cluster bombs are wrong but I find this approach to be misleading. They are quoting huge funding figures which are more likely to be related to work such as space exploration than cluster bombs.
One of the producers listed is Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defence manufacturer who amongst other things produce Trident, Hercules aircraft and Merlin helicopters - all staples of the UK defence forces, and hence funded by the UK taxpayer. I'm not sure what amnesty are actually trying to achieve here - yes cluster bombs are wrong but I find this approach to be misleading. They are quoting huge funding figures which are more likely to be related to work such as space exploration than cluster bombs.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
The end of Whitehall
Back on politics already :-P
Tens of thousands of civil servants may be moved out of London in a dramatic downscaling of Whitehall under Labour plans to cut public debts and instil a culture of "smarter government''.
Leaked sections of a report to be published in a fortnight reveal that the government wants a review into the possibility of relocating some of the 132,000 civil servants and 90,000 employees of "arm's-length bodies" currently based in London and the south-east.
This has been mooted for a while so not really new and perfect common sense. I know our local council has been angling for a civil service department for several months. In this electronic age, the need to have the whole service collocated in London in no longer there, and especially with support services there is clearly a cost benefit.
It will also benefit the sites to where they go, providing a large beacon employer and additional support jobs around it. Places like Mansfield - which lack this kind of large-scale business/department would benefit greatly.
Tens of thousands of civil servants may be moved out of London in a dramatic downscaling of Whitehall under Labour plans to cut public debts and instil a culture of "smarter government''.
Leaked sections of a report to be published in a fortnight reveal that the government wants a review into the possibility of relocating some of the 132,000 civil servants and 90,000 employees of "arm's-length bodies" currently based in London and the south-east.
This has been mooted for a while so not really new and perfect common sense. I know our local council has been angling for a civil service department for several months. In this electronic age, the need to have the whole service collocated in London in no longer there, and especially with support services there is clearly a cost benefit.
It will also benefit the sites to where they go, providing a large beacon employer and additional support jobs around it. Places like Mansfield - which lack this kind of large-scale business/department would benefit greatly.
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Big European Nights?
One of the advantages of following a Championship side is that you see the Premiership for what it is - a cash cow for the benefit of a few - it's not a competition. Derby may not be the best team in the world but they get 33k gates, have mainly British players and are very much party of the community. The league they play in is competitive and they play against similar sides - it's so much more interesting, than having 4 or, yes, 2 teams dominate. I'm from Glasgow so my heart will always be with the Gers but a levelling of the domestic playing field may be just what the Scottish game needs to rebuild.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Weddings
I have become bored with politics. It exists for itself, not for us. So I think I shall now be writing about life, and where better to start than the preoccupation of society with the dream wedding - that most exhorbitant of self-aggrandising exercises. These days so much effort is put into the day that people forget the basics. Is it any wonder that divorce is the logical end-point?
The best way to have a dream wedding is to concentrate your efforts and your energies on the marriage, not the wedding.
Think about the possible highs and lows of the rest of your life, think about how you can benefit from it and how you can overcome trials and tribulations that may come your way. See that together two are greater than one, and then start to think about "the wedding"
It's a marvellous day because of what it is and what it represents. It's not about the bling and the bubbly - it is about you and another person and the rest of your lives. Enjoy :-)
The best way to have a dream wedding is to concentrate your efforts and your energies on the marriage, not the wedding.
Think about the possible highs and lows of the rest of your life, think about how you can benefit from it and how you can overcome trials and tribulations that may come your way. See that together two are greater than one, and then start to think about "the wedding"
It's a marvellous day because of what it is and what it represents. It's not about the bling and the bubbly - it is about you and another person and the rest of your lives. Enjoy :-)
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