Yes.
We even get food thrown in!
Today, for instance, my boss’s boss celebrated an anniversary of his joining the company. He brought cakies!
Life, surely, cannot get any better than this.*
* There is no question mark.
(Sit down, I hurt my back on Thursday so I’ve time to write whilst I’m recovering. I’m in a foul mood too.)
To prove a point, this:
Why have I voted Liberal Democrat (LibDem) all of my life?*
I actually believe in the party’s central principle of fairness, equality, of not pandering to vested interest … and, before you ask, I’ve read up on their principles, their national, regional and local manifestos. That explanation might be enough for you, most folk, however here goes …
I first voted for the party because my mum and dad did. Upbringing has a major effect on character and aside from my many character flaws (see my wife, children, cats, friends, colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances, etc. for the big list) I think I’m a fair advert for the way my parents lived their lives. When I stopped voting LibDem because mum and dad did I started voting thus because I made a decision to.
Two party politics fails to address the essential problem with a system centred around, er … two party politics. Extremes. We bounce from once set of divisive policies to another, always ultimately at the expense of the very people adding their ‘X’ to the ballot paper. People believe change is good, so vote for the opposite party to the one they believe is causing their woes. There’s never been a middle, sane, ground.
My LibDem votes, while not exactly wasted, didn’t seem to me to make much of a difference to my day-to-day life, but I lived in hope.
And then, before the seemingly-interminable preamble to the last General Elections hit the mainstream media, there was sanity. An alternative that was germinating in the minds of the public. The Liberal Democrats. My chance to make a difference had arrived! Voting was no longer enough, I wanted to join the party and, in a small way, help out locally. So I did. Join. Helping out? We weren’t given the opportunity …
Now, the local party when I was a member was and, in my opinion still is, extraordinarily badly run. They’ve missed pretty much every opportunity to engage with voters when opportunity’s there staring them in the face, knocking on their door and [insert other metaphors for the bleedin' obvious here.]
Social media and the web, these days, can play a massive part in helping the general public shape their views on politics. A few clicks and, if interested parties have done their jobs, opinions can be formed. Knowledge, as they say, is power.
The links to Heywood & Middleton’s LibDem party site, for instance, lead to its host’s holding page. Pisspoor.
So … The recent local election candidate had no leaflets published, and had, along with every other candidate/councillor/human being zero presence on even the local party’s web site. I asked her for her ‘manifesto’ for local politics and, receiving none (though she welcomed questions,) suggested she complete a pitch on an independent local news site.
At the time of asking only 5 of the 19 LibDem candidates had ‘pitches’ (brief bios, manifestos) published. Not even the party leader’s husband, I believe an ex-councillor and once-aspiring MP had one! Pitiful. Last time I looked there were 7, including our local candidate. Yay, she listened! Here’s her ‘pitch.’
It’s actually worth a read and converted me from being ‘not bothered’ about voting to, well, I voted for her. What else could I do but place my mark in the ‘right’ place?
This ward had 175 LibDem votes, down from last year’s 511. Not a single LibDem candidate got elected. There’s 5 left in the town. Obviously related to the backlash against the national party, but testament to the obscurity of the candidate and the running of the campaigns. It’s a shame, but obvious even to me that things would go this way.
Last year’s candidate, by the way, is now in London, apparently pursuing a career that, I suspect, would have taken him away even if elected as a local councillor here.
Here’s the thing … Why should I, as a concerned amateur, have to point out the obvious … that publicity has a direct influence on the electability of every candidate. Knowing nothing about someone doesn’t exactly endear one to them.
So, I did my best, I got involved.
Where did it get me?
My integrity and party loyalty was, on Twitter, called into question by the local Liberal Democrat party leader. She called me a liar for alluding to the local party’s previous inadequacies, accused me of using an email she sent me (detailing the candidate’s political CV) against the party. I’d already thanked her for it and used nothing from it. Nothing.
She accused me of not being a true Liberal Democrat, of using abusive language … and mentioned to Tim Farron MP, Liberal Democrat Party President, that I’m a disenchanted ex-member of the party. That last bit is indeed true. Very true.
Tim Farron, by the way, is very, very effective in his use of the media, is approachable as @timfarron on Twitter and comes across as being deeply committed to his party’s success. He appears to understand the modern world. To my chagrin I voted for his opponent, Susan Kramer: a candidate unencumbered by the demands of also being an MP, and endorsed by more LibDem people that I respected than Tim. If I then believed she’d do a better job than Tim is doing now she’d have been utterly awesome! (Yes, I’m struggling to seamlessly inject an unjustified Kung Fu Panda reference here.) But, and apologies for the convoluted nature of this paragraph, that’s that digression over …
My disenchantment is pretty much all the local party’s fault but, of course, the national party’s failure to pull the plug on this unholy alliance with the Conservatives has played a big part. I placed a bet that they’d see sense and provoke a General Election due before the end of 2011. But no, I lost my stake.
Despite that I still vote Liberal Democrat.
Now an attack on my political record is a bit rich coming from someone who initially stood as a candidate for the Conservatives and changed parties after her election. It wouldn’t have stopped me voting for her though, even as an aspiring MP …
People change their views, it’s what reasonable people do, adapting to changing circumstances. Most people though, essentially the great unwashed multitudes of sheep, stick with something all their lives because of some misguided notion that, eventually, ‘their’ party will generate a utopian ideal specifically tailored to them.
So, back to where I started. I’m proud to have voted Liberal/Liberal Democrat all my life*. I voted for (Sir) Cyril Smith and, when Liz Lynne was parachuted into Rochdale from ‘the south’ despite my obvious ’safe seat’ reservations I voted for her too. ‘Big’ Cyril gave his recommendation.
I’ve voted for LibDem party candidates at every single opportunity*, in Spotland Ward and here in Norden … wherever eligible to, I have.*
So, should I vote Liberal Democrat at the next Council elections? I believe it’s the local party leader’s turn for re-election. My gut feeling is no, I won’t vote for her, not in a month of Thursdays! Why the hell should I?! Maybe, if she did me a favour and changed parties, it’d make things so much easier.
Whatever, we’ve got a year for her to change my mind.
Ok, enough of this politics crap, I really don’t like its nasty taste.**
–
* Technically speaking I’ve voted for the Liberal Party too. I’m, depending how you slice life, currently in my mid-forties and thus old enough to remember the merger with the SDP. I once voted Green, when everyone else was talking about doing so and then subsequently did. I’ve missed voting maybe twice, apathy is an extremely powerful force. I am, ultimately, uniquely qualified to talk about my voting past in a way no-one else can.
** I reserve the right to blog/tweet about local politics at any point in the future.
I no longer want a Raspberry Pi. The gloss, directly attributable to the pisspoor manner of its launch (see the rest of the web,) has worn off. Promises were made but none, as far as I can see related to the launch, were kept.
Maybe, when the thing’s evolved a bit, I’ll reconsider.
Or maybe I’ll get a takeaway delivered from Raj’s Palace, Rochdale …
I want a ‘Raspberry Pi’ computer. If you want to know what one is, there’s no better place to start than here:
http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs
If you want to know why I want one, it’s complicated. Start with my forum self-introduction, here:
http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/general-discussion/introduce-yourself/page-18/#p24449
The bottom line: Everyone needs a hobby.
Why was North Manchester General Hospital’s single new working hours meeting held by the RCN’s ‘representative’ at 5-7pm on a Wednesday? To reduce attendance? Well, it worked!
No letters were sent by the RCN. Because not enough people attended the management’s decision will probably be passed by default.
Is this acceptable?
Ah, no.
What am I talking about? The Pennine Acute Trust’s decision to impose a daily 15 minute unpaid break on its nursing staff and, crucially, to add an hour to night shifts.
I’m qualified to ask because it directly affects my working day.
My wife works nights. If she works a night shift right NOW preceding a weekday I’m 30 minutes late to work.
It gets worse.
She works night shifts to eliminate childcare costs and so she can take our oldest daughter to school and pick her up later. That will be impossible if the new shifts are implemented. We are singularly unimpressed that Pennine Acute Management’s management/accountants/HR drones haven’t thought of real people with real lives. Or maybe they just don’t care?
Maths follows:
My wife would leave home 30 minutes earlier and leave work 30 minutes later. Add the consequent increase in her rush-hour commute time and I’ll be 1-1/4 hours late into work, not impressing my employer. To make the time up I won’t leave work until 5:45pm, and will see my children for a total of … ahhh, what’s the use?!
RCN, be very very ashamed of your incompetence and continuing failure to adequately represent your members and their families’ best interests.
Pennine Acute Trust, perhaps it’s best for you that I don’t wish to put precisely what I think of your management philosophy in writing.
[edited 2011-12-29 removing inaccuracies referred to in my subsequent comments]
This rambling post IS about the guy from Apple Computer.
The full stop in the title is important for 2 reasons: the first being to separate it from my previous similarly-titled post, and the second being purely symbolic.
I’ve owned 3 Apple devices. The first, a G3 Macintosh PowerBook laptop, was stolen from my home. I still own the other 2: a G4 PowerBook laptop bought in November 2004, and a 1st generation 4GB iPod Nano.
The G4 PowerBook, though lagging behind current minimum standards, has been extraordinarily reliable, needing only one new battery, and the iPod’s only fault has been its lack of a user-replaceable battery.
They just work, unlike all the previous computing devices/music players I’ve owned. I got my 1st computer around 1981/82, a Sinclair ZX81, and topped out at DAT (digital audio tape) so believe I know what I’m talking about. Yeah, ok …
Why have I never had an iPhone, you may ask? Cost, pure and simple. Having a young family and massive, crushing mortgage debt focusses the mind somewhat away from luxuries. My current phone’s an HTC Salsa, very reminiscent of the iPhone in so many ways.
So, the future:
Why? Every computer operating system, smart phone and music player currently available takes its lead from Apple’s iconic products but all fail to ‘just work’ in the same way as Apple’s thoughtful, considered designs.
Steve Jobs is widely credited as being the driving force behind it all, it made him a multi-billionaire, respected worldwide for his visionary abilities … and yet he still died yesterday at only 56, from pancreatic cancer.
My legacy won’t be as big.
iBye sir.
I have a new Google+ account which I may use as a blog substitute in the future. A representative post follows:
No, it’s not a post about the Apple icon.
I changed jobs, going to work with those nice people at the most excellent Farrel Limited, part of the HF Mixing Group.
OMG!!1ponies!!!1 (or is that more of a slashdot theme?)
From @bazbt3 (me on Twitter, in case you hadn’t noticed):
I finally have a shiny new @Fark basic account. It’s not news, it’s #Fark c) http://www.fark.com/
From @fark:
@bazbt3 Finally, damn you!
From @bazbt3:
@fark I’ll probably allow the same timescale before I subject myself to public ridicule for the lameness of my, er … wit & flaming skills.
I don’t belive attempting to get a post greenlit or commenting on any will top this, but the juggernaut IS now rolling …
Considering I’ve been a lurker on the Fark web site since its founding 180 years ago and only yesterday (April 1st 2011) decided to sign up, I’m impressed. I don’t believe I fit the Fark demographic so I’m doubly impressed. I thought posting Facebook and Twitter messages about my toddler’s poo (long story) was the pinnacle of my social networking achievements but the tweet from (someone at) @Fark tops the lot*.
That said, whoever replied to me and favou (the ‘u’ is most important) rited both my tweets (remember how transient a medium Twitter is before you look for them) must have had way too much beer last night. Or not enough. (There may be a middle ground?)
Thanks.
* Not, obviously, including the btinternet.chatter newsgroup (restricted and now defunct) or my past involvement in #Gravityhelp.
6 years ago, before I moved in with the lovely vibrant woman who later became my poor unfortunate downtrodden wife, I had had no pets in my life. Friends and neighbours had them but my parents just never got around to it, and I simply never asked.
My wife had ‘inherited’ 5 cats by various means and I naively assumed that my learning curve would be complete when they stopped scratching me as I tried to steal their food.
No. Obviously. Der!
We now have one left, Loki. You can stop reading now if you want to read about pizza-stealing kittens. Though I reserve the right to opine about the like in the future this post isn’t the pleasantest I’m ever going to write.
Marble was the first to ‘leave us’ at, I think, 5 years old. He became very ill very quickly and we were advised it would be in his best interest to avoid more suffering.
Nothing, nothing , NOTHING prepared me for being a partner in making the joint decisions to have the vet put Marble, then later as old age took its inevitable toll, Mary, Gizmo and Nelson to ’sleep’. The gory detail, naah, I’ll spare you that at least …
Each decision was RIGHT, not necessarily taken at EXACTLY the right time, but there’s nothing on this earth that focusses the mind more than looking into the eyes of someone who trusts you the whole 100%, when you know what’s about to happen is simultaneously the rightest and wrongest thing you’ll ever ask to be done.
Love does that. Or is it necessity?
So, anyway, why this, and why now?
I have a couple of friends who are facing ‘it’ all over again. All my sympathies are with them right now and in the immediate future – there’s not a card or a word or a Facebook button to press or any social media device to use that will make what they’re going through any easier.
I’m questioning the wisdom in my posting this right now in case they see it and … well, you probably know why I have second thoughts … but I HAVE to do it. For me.
Cathartic, my arse.
