Things that annoy you ?

[Spindles]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-19384548

This annoys me.

[kaosmark2]

I generally agree with what you're saying.

The reason I picked up on the FSS is that I worked in the industry for several years, and have 1st and 2nd hand knowledge of both the FSS and a private company. Neither was particularly pleasant to work in, but the FSS' quality and efficiency was, in general, pretty awful, while the private company was efficient, just full of back-stabbing c**ts.

And regarding the employment thing, most FSS employees have found work for the various private sector companies. Not just the scientists either, the admin staff etc. have because it's a big advantage to the private companies to employ someone who already has security clearance.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I was talking to my neighbour a couple of weeks ago (one of the generation who can be summed up by the phrase "Your grandad didn't vote for fascists, he shot them") and he describes it as being a process that started in the 1970s, where companies were being divided up and bought and sold so you could no longer tell who owned what and who profitted or was calling the shots, so you could no longer follow the money.

In the 1980s share ownership was pushed at all levels from the government to the media (Privatisation being the obvious example), this has continued to the level we are at now, where a company could be seen as being a wholly uk company, but the vast majority of shares owned by corporations or individuals outside of the country. Thus, when profits are divided up they are walking straight out of our country. We do not benefit. Sadly with talk of "stakeholder society" in '97 the idea of share ownership was pushed further as being some sort of miracle that could ensure we could ALL get in on the party, which of course, we cannot.

The principle of business is that for every profit there must be a loss, for every winner there must be a loser. Economists try and convince us that we are not working from a finite pot of resources, this is not the case.

There needs to be a global rebalancing, WE are the people who won the lottery by being born into a wealthy nation and we are the ones who inevitably have to pay, because we have, whether we accept it or not, been living wealthier lives for too long at the expense of others.

Your last paragraph is the absolute truth. To believe in nations is to believe in a principle lost a generation or more ago, global corporations have more impact on our economy than the decisions of government, The only people who do not understand this are the people who believe the financial crash of 2008 was the fault of Gordon Brown, whilst simultaneously ignoring the preceding crashes of US banks, the knock on crashes of global banks and then our own. Gordon Brown was not responsible for the irresponsible lending of US banks, nor the wholesale theft of vast sums of money, sums greater than the wealth of nations, from several key institutions which have never been recovered nor those responsible brought to justice.

The only answer that nations could really come up with is that of countries like Ecuador or Iceland, to stick 2 fingers up to global capitalism and make the decision to protect householders, not bondholders.

[Spindles]

Indeed mr Blair, or is it that globalisation should also be an understanding that a nation doesn't need to be responsible for every aspect of economic production, maybe we should accept that there are some things that other economies can do better/cheaper and view this as co-operation rather than competition. I do not pretend to have the answer, but I would rather pay a small chinese business a quid than a big american one 20 for the same product when the only part the large global business played was to have the money to buy lots and repackage them, redistributing my 20 quid among printers, packaging companirs and marketing companies.

mr Rufus, I am lucky there, I have had neighbour problems in the past.

mrs Kaosmark2 (I am right you are a mrs, right? I am sure I read that, would hate to make that mistake again, on the internet everyone is a default male to me until proven otherwise, I can't work it out from tone). That's the part of the picture I don't have, of course, how many were re-employed in the private sector and whether those responsible for failure were re-employed' whether those responsible for success were, whether those who were considered trouble makers were, etc...

On a lighter note, here is an article from the bbc about a speech given by a conservative which broadly represents my views on part of the answer, but from the perspective of the party of the right..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19389204

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

On a lighter note, here is an article from the bbc about a speech given by a conservative which broadly represents my views on part of the answer, but from the perspective of the party of the right..

http://www.bbc.co.uk...litics-19389204

[Spindles]

What's good for the goose....

[kaosmark2]

mrs Kaosmark2 (I am right you are a mrs, right? I am sure I read that, would hate to make that mistake again, on the internet everyone is a default male to me until proven otherwise, I can't work it out from tone). That's the part of the picture I don't have, of course, how many were re-employed in the private sector and whether those responsible for failure were re-employed' whether those responsible for success were, whether those who were considered trouble makers were, etc...

[Spindles]

Gnah! So sorry! I was sure I'd read a post which suggested you were a mother. Now I feel like a git. As I say, impossible to work out through tone, so everyone is a default male til shown otherwise. My apologies (to be honest I personally wouldn't be bothered if people thought I was female, it's happened before online, but not nearly as often as people deciding I'm dutch)

Cheers for the insight.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

With reference to public services and the quality of service, I can only see the situation with many clients getting worse. Many departments have adopted a more commercial model of operation, especially with the use of call centres. Decisions rarely have any contact with their clients and I think they feel less accountable due to that. Although a total pain in the arse I think there was some benefit in been able to turn up at a benefits office first thing in the morning with a payment problem, sit around and get hassled all day, but walk out with that problem solved.

[Spindles]

"The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword" - Ned Stark.

[Spartacus Mars]

I do not pretend to have the answer, but I would rather pay a small chinese business a quid than a big american one 20 for the same product

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Even if the Chinese product is produced that cheaply through slave labour in atrocious working conditions?

[Spindles]

I don't have the facility to prove or disprove whether it is. I have, however, bought 2 USB OTG leads direct from China for a quid when I could have paid alot more for a packaged product which would have been undoubtedly purchased from the same source and sold for a higher price, either option would have the same result it could be argued, but buying the packaged, Belkin branded product would have fallen foul of paying rich people to support this. I chose to pay my money directly to the means of production in the manner best available to me (ebay/amazon respectively) which allow chinese companies to sell directly to me.

If you purchase technology products you are accepting that there is a chance that you are contributing to low wages/poor conditions in the far east. I don't think anyone sat discussing this on a web forum can claim to not be guilty there to some extent.

I build all my own PC's rather than pay apple/HP/Packard Bell/Dell to do the same and apply a markup, I own android tablets rather than apple, try to do what I can to be ethical, but I do not delude myself that I am not contributing at all.

The only way to be 100% certain, unfortunately, is to head down unabomber lane and give up on everything except pencil and paper. I don't expect I'll be doing that.

As ever, I am sure that we broadly agree, from what I have read.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Having real problems with my eldest son. The second day he should have gone to register at college and is still in bed after 4 :-(. Seriously the only time he has left the house since May is to go with me the 80 yards to the shops. I think something is going to give and it will be me.

[Spindles]

I synpathise (but do not suffer to that extent) mr R. My own son (20 today, bless him) has the motivation and get up and go of a hackysack and trying to get him to do anything (either for himself or for me) can be frustrating at times. I try to stay calm (as combative attitude can lead to a cycle of recrimination between child and parent) and explain that stuff needs to get done, then reinforce that with thanks or reward when it is done, rather than start from the basis of being angry that it isn't.

That's not easy, but I always think of myself having the same issues when a younger man (the same) and how my parents dealt with it (badly) and then do basically the complete opposite to them. I have better results because all the conflict did was put me on the defensive and therefore less likely to do whatever was asked of me.

*edit* I would also add that I do not always succeed in getting him to do whatever it is. I have a failure rate of probably 50% but a screaming row rate of 0%. I still think that is better results than getting someone to do things 100% of the time, when you want them done, but end up with someone who hates you for your methods.

Edited August 28, 2012 by Spindles

[feral chile]

Having real problems with my eldest son. The second day he should have gone to register at college and is still in bed after 4 :-(. Seriously the only time he has left the house since May is to go with me the 80 yards to the shops. I think something is going to give and it will be me.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

i know this is something you'll have already considered, giving your training, - there's definitely not an underlying depression there?

[Spartacus Mars]

I blame the parents...

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I blame the parents...

[LondonTom]

Girls...well people in general to....You think you had a nice weekend with them at a festival, then two days latter they text you to say that would rather spend the next festival alone than with you as they would enjoy it more if we done our "own thing"....I get maybe wanting more space, hell i did at times as I enjoying getting drunk and throwing shapes at a festival instead of watching shit comedians and acts but I stood there and appreciated as I thought its what she wanted to do. But to suddenly less than a week before not want to go with me at all?! wtf!!

[Spindles]

Heh, sounds like you couldn't win.

I have been to festival with friends and had similar problems with people getting a bit arsey about feeling obliged to see stuff they didn't want to or miss stuff they did. I got with my kids these days and they know from the outset that everyone is free to do their own thing or stick together. I like the green fields, my son likes the big stages, there's not much compromise you can get there so seperate ways it has to be.

Look on the bright side...at least you got to go to a great festival

[grumpyhack]

We go as a gang (old lads away time) and would hate to go with partners as you feel a bit of an obligation to keep them company/watch some of the acts together. As a group of self-sufficient males we can each go and do our own thing though periodically we'll meet up when there's someone/something several of us want to see.

[feral chile]

We go as a gang (old lads away time) and would hate to go with partners as you feel a bit of an obligation to keep them company/watch some of the acts together. As a group of self-sufficient males we can each go and do our own thing though periodically we'll meet up when there's someone/something several of us want to see.

[LondonTom]

Heh, sounds like you couldn't win.

I have been to festival with friends and had similar problems with people getting a bit arsey about feeling obliged to see stuff they didn't want to or miss stuff they did. I got with my kids these days and they know from the outset that everyone is free to do their own thing or stick together. I like the green fields, my son likes the big stages, there's not much compromise you can get there so seperate ways it has to be.

Look on the bright side...at least you got to go to a great festival

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Right. This is his final day to get sorted, so it's fingers crossed. I have removed all excuses that could be used to not turn in and I will be going in with him. A little annoyed have having to treat an 18 year old like this.

I have found it really difficult to relate to all the kids as I have supported them through college. The eldest did not finish studies until he was 20, and the same will happen with my youngest son. I have not been in the same position of being reliant on my parents. I left home at the earliest opportunity. It has caused some issues with the kids, especially when they act immature. FFS at the age my son will be when he leaves college I had been living with his mum for 2 years. Even at his age of 18 1/2 she had been living with me for over 6 months. I sound like an old man when I say things like this to the kids

Just really hope that he does go in to college as his Plan A, as I just don't think he will cope with Plan B or C.