After some eye troubles at the weekend I was booked into Kidderminster hospital with a detached retina in one eye. The operation apparently went well but for the next couple of weeks I'm pretty much blind in that eye.
Hopefully the jobcentre will accept "can barely read or write" as a good reason die not pursuing jobs as diligently as normal
I have now been unemployed for 3 months, by the rhetoric of most government politicians I am some sort of lazy soul who simply isn't looking hard enough as such let me elucidate those who have never had to look for a job in their lives (i.e. most government politicians) or deal with the many ways of searching for one.
Huzzah unemployment is down with less young people signed on and there are more private sector jobs being created every day. Proof, if proof were need, that the Conservative economic policies are working. Really?
Take the new apprenticeship scheme, a government funded package aimed at 16-19 year olds and pays half the minimum wage. Anyone think they count towards the unemployment figures?
But what about all these jobs? Awesome except most are part-time shift work. There's nothing wrong with shift work, however there does seem to be a problem with employers who offer it.
I'm not talking about the government's current "gosh we must do something about this" zero hour contacts, but something more insidious.
Three tales to tell that were simply offered to me with no pushing, I'll start with the shortest I've already told in another entry.
A gentleman working morning shifts applies for extra work doing afternoon shifts elsewhere, the new company expects him to quit his morning job.
A young mother working at a food retailer drops her children at school, works her shift, collects her children, goes back to work more. She's told she's not "committing enough" and is fired.
A lady workng for a different food retailer on an 8-hour week is told which days she'll be working 4-hours for, is called up at various times to cover other shifts. If she can't "there are plenty of other people who can".
A part-time job that doesn't offer enough to live on and excludes the ability to get another complimentary part-time job.
That's what this government is crowing about.
The headline news this morning was the multi-million trust-fund owner and tax-break giver George Osbourne stating that they'll be no money for nothing under their administration. They're going to make the long-term unemployed do community work.
What I find annoying anything about this is that they're partially right, but due to their indulgent background and rigid dogma they're doing it wrong.
First up is the non-explicitly stated, but easily-inferred, assumption that these people can't get jobs because they're lazy so let me tell you a tale.
A friend of mine works part-time and, coincidentally, also does voluntary community work. He was looking to supplement his earnings with another part-time job that complimented his existing employment. He applies for suitable positions and gets asked: "So you'll be giving up your other part-time job then?".
Why this question? Because they don't just want him to work the stipulated hours they want to be able to whistle and have him run.
Take my position - I've 20 years of IT and office admin experience and I can't get a job. Why? Well I saw one company advertising for an Admin post, an IT post, a Marketing post and for a PA. No that wasn't four jobs, that was one job combining skills that don't normally go together. I've applied for jobs that turn out to be nothing like what's been advertised and for ones in which I've been deemed too old and/or overskilled.
If it's a choice between employing someone young that you're not legally obliged to pay as much as someone older; or someone with no skills (or long-term unemployed) who has to take whatever shit the job shovels at them who would you take?
Yet according to good old George this is all our own fault. But is there a way around this, possibly.
Consider the local councils creating two 4-hour shifts a day over the whole week. Someone doing three shifts for the ~£70 a week in benefit would be on minimum wage. Given that technically they're already paid by the government why not work for the government?
As the local councils are already cutting staff etc. it's not really going to affect full-time staff and may require more managerial positions to oversee the 'community' workers. At the same time we'll see a reduction in litter, graffiti as well as tidier verges etc.
Except that's not going to happen as that would be an expansion of government over private enterprise. Far better to make people work for free for privately hived off services and charities than for the public sector.
In 2011 I noted that Christmas now started in October because of all the "[holiday] starts earlier every year" comments.
September 11th and Christmas stuff is now out, yeesh
As mentioned previously due to the lack of parking at my training facility I've been having to catch the bus into Kidderminster from Stourport, it's been a while since I've had to do this for an extended period and it's led me to note a few things.
There are no return tickets anymore.
It used to be I'd travel in and then just want to return. I'd ask for a return and get a ticket that was punched to prevent reuse. Now I get an "Adult Day Saver" that gives me a whole day of being able to travel around on the bus.
Except I don't want to, and I doubt anyone who uses the bus to commute does either. I'd love to see the figures for how many of these tickets get used more than once.
Competition doesn't work
It should. Unlike trains that need to leave a massive gap between them there's nothing to stop buses following each other, it's the lack of information that renders this useless.
There are two main franchises in my area Diamond and Whittles, a day ticket with Diamond costs £2.60, with Whittles it's £2.30. They both arrive at my stop approximately 5 minutes apart. So if the Diamond arrives first I should decline it and wait for the Whittles.
However I have no information as to whether the Whittles service is running or even if I've just missed it, given the timeframes involved if I have to wait for the next 'cycle' I may only just make it in on time. I therefore pick the first to arrive.
However having done so I am now tied to that company, my day saver ticket is not redeemable with the other franchise.
Bus companies do not like day saver passengers.
Waiting to return with my Diamond ticket the correct Diamond service arrived, this was closely followed by the equivalent Whittles who upon seeing the Diamond was already there simply drove past. Had I a Whittles ticket I'd have been stuck.
Buses always have right of way
At least according to their drivers anyway. The route I was on always took me past the new council building. I've watched several times as the bus I was on pulled out to overtake a parked car while there was an oncoming vehicle, I've watched them pull out into traffic without indicating, I've watched them pull over without indicating. They've switched lanes on islands with no acknowledgment of traffic on either their left or right and pulled out onto said islands when they clearly haven't enough time.
All this in the certain knowledge that they are big and the other vehicle will stop.
Week tickets are a con for business use
If I were working a standard week catching the Whittles bus it would cost me £2.30*5 or £11.50. A week ticket costs £12. Supposedly though this would work with either company so some benefit there.
All the rolling stock is different
How hard is it to make a bus? It's a box with seats, yet I've not been on two alike. Some have more jump seats at the front, some have two levels, some have three levels. All have poles and bells at different places.
There are some benefits
For example the ability to take in your surroundings. Most notably driving past that massive overgrown concrete slab opposite the new council building that might well be ideal to turn into a Traveller site housing caravans. Odd that I don't recall seeing that as being one of the potential sites.
A week's worth of training over and I pray to gods that the accrediting body involved has nothing to do with the education of this country's children.
"It is i--------t that employees keep their workplaces c-----"
That should be "important" and "clean" rather than "importantt" and "clean-" oh so many of those.
A whole morning being told that something is the responsibility of both employer and employee and the multiple-choice question asks who is responsible? The answer, of course, being the employer, contradicting everything in the teaching materials.
The teaching material listed three statistics regarding a subject and then had a question regarding a fourth unmentioned one.
One module explained the acronym SMARTER another related module then asked what the acronym SMART meant, the ER being suddenly deemed unimportant.
The course was also obviously designed as a company aid as we were constantly being exhorted to explain how things were done in our "company"; a little difficult in a group of the unemployed.
Amusingly the actual teaching of the course was fine, though on occasion it did rattle through a bit too quickly. In group round-robin events the next task would often be described as the last member was just finishing their turn.
That all said I did learn a few new things, just not that much, and hopefully I'll get some pretty pieces of paper out of it.
Ah the opportunity to learn new skills and gain qualifications. It all promises to be so fun and them devolves into endless PowerPoint presentations. Well at least mine wasn't like that although rather simplistic questions to answer with only a little learning so far.
The main problem I had was with the initial organisation. Contrary times on the documentation, a singular instruction with two options, and zero information on access our structure until I and the others turned up.
[Bit I missed - got back home to a letter thanking me for my intention to attend the training]
There's no parking for trainees, we're expected to park our cars all day on the pay and display at about £4 a time, actually I lie we're expected to take public transport for which we can claim the money back. That's great for me provided they don't start digging up outside the old British Sugar site past which 90% of the buses travel. So I cadged a lift in and took the bus back, only to find no bloody roadworks. Bet they'll start tomorrow when I do try to catch the bus in. Oh but can I get a return before 9am? Never used to be able to, but with all the competition has that changed? Either that or a week card.
So with no idea as to catering, so many places kick you out, I brought nothing with the determination to grab a burger and drink and ready outside in the fine weather.
Since when did a cup of coffee cost more than the actual meal? Yeesh! Given my proximity I thought it would be nice to sit by the canal. Ha yeah right take my pick from the zero number of seating areas arrayed along the wide grass verges. I ended up propped against a bridge wall.
It's just a joke if this were Stourport I'd be spoiled for choice as to where I could eat my lunch from pretty much any location in town. Kidderminster's a hell hole.
Either sit in the hot confines of a café or restaurant, a bench in the middle of the busy town, or just try to make do. It's not designed for people to enjoy.
A phone call in the middle of eating asking about my computer and that it was infected by a trojan horse and could I get in front of my computer
"No it's not" I replied "How did you get this number?"
"It came up a part of the server report"
"No how did you connect my IP address to this number?" Given that my land line doesn't have broadband and isn't even with the same company
"You've registered this number"
"With whom? Also as it's a dynamic address the only easy you could connect it up is via my ISP whom you have not mentioned"
"It's part of the server report"
"What server?"
"The World Wide Web server"
"There's no such thing, who are you what company are you from?"
"As I said the World Wide Web"
"There's no such entity"
"So what does www mean on the Internet?"
"That's just an address protocol it's not an entity it's not a company, who are you?"
"I think you should just hang up sir"
"Why don't you?"
"I can't"
Wow has it really been that long since I've published anything? Okay there's been a lot going on which has kept me busy, I resigned from my job so I've been job hunting and jumping through hoops for the job centre. More to come
I had 'fun' at the end of the last financial year with HMRC's Basic PAYE Tools package, but with all the updates and feedback surely this time will be better?
Sigh
I go through the checkboxes again and yes the P11s are done as is the P32. As before I leave one box unchecked and as before it complains that I haven't selected Yes or No for a completely different question that only has a "Yes" option - excellent start.
The software tells me that it this process will produce the P14s and P35 and on I continue.
At the first checklist - "Have you produced the P14s?"
Well no, the software has just told me that it will be producing them. Oo Catch-22 to continue and produce the P14s I need to confirm that I've produced the P14s.
One phone call later to someone helpful and it turns out that the paper copies of the P14 (which you shouldn't need as everything gets filed online) takes its data from the P11s so you can fill them in if you've completed the P11s, which has been done. When submitted online the programme generates the P14s needed for submission, but it won't produce something you can print out per se instead saving it as a CSV file.
So the P11s, P32 and P35 are produced in a format that the software offers me the chance to print, but the P14s aren't.
Oh well it's better than it was.
I've just had to fill in a details form for a third-party mandate on a business bank account and got stuck quite quickly due to the atrocious wording being presented to me, try this for yourself:
Lidl's the cheap store, the one that I was told was "filled with chavs and gypos" (at least around here) that you only go to if you're desperate and every other store is shut and then only maybe; and I love it.
A friend is looking to buy a new laptop and as the guru I was asked my opinion; I'm always happy to help but dealing with laptops can now end up a lot like dealing with questions along the lines of "Exactly why does my beef lasagne contain horsemeat?"
The order that I notice people evaluate laptops by is Brand, Spec, Physical Appearance, but in reality it should be the opposite and here's why.
Another vacated property means another electricity bill. The trick on their part is that as we're out of contract they can bill us the massive out-of-contract rates until it gets finalised. In this instance being charged 20p per kWh for both night and day rates.
The first bill arrives post contract. It's been estimated that this empty unit used 100 night units @20p and 400 day units @20p as well as 50 night units at the new contract price of 10p and 400 day units at the new price of 15p.
Nuh-uh we used 50 night units and 300 day units. A new invoice is sent and we're credited out 100 night units @10p and 500 day units @15p. Can you see the flaw?
We were charged for the 50 night units we used at 20p (£10)* and then an additional 50@20p and 50@10p (£15 total) and credited 100@10p (£10)
We were charged for the 100 day units we used at 20p (£20) and then an additional 300@20p and 400@15p (£120) and credited 700@15p (£105)
Or £30 over
At least when I pointed this out they instantly saw it and another new invoice is on its way. Given the way Electricity Suppliers change prices mid-invoice I do wonder how many in the same situation would just note the credit and think it okay.
*although some of those might have fallen into the new period
Drove past this morning and they were taking down the sign at the Total garage in Stourport; drove past again and it's now an Esso.
If I got this right the independent at Dunley is now a Total; the Total in Stourport is now an Esso; the Esso that was next to the Shell is now a block of retirement apartments and the Shell is still a Shell. Shell that was next to the Esso in Vale Road is now a block of retirement apartments and the Esso in Vale Road is still there. So two Essos in Stourport. Wheeee!
All in all ready for the Tesco and its petrol station... whenever any of that's going to arrive
What with all the wrong-doings being levied at the press it would seem to be an odd question to ask whether the industry requires regulation, however given the exact nature of the wrongdoings it's rather more pertinent that it first appears.
I've just been told a tale of parking at night in Worcester. It seems in a least one car-park (Copenhagen Street) the charges have been altered for a particular period. For 1 hour the charge is £1.20, but for the period 7pm-9pm the charge is only £1.00.
So if you arrive between 6pm and 7pm and wish to use the car-park until 9pm how much do you pay?
Hmm so iGoogle will be going at the end of the year and now Google Reader will be departing in July. Given that I have no use for Google+ and redirect gMail to the address I actually want to use I'm wondering exactly why Google should be my start up page any more?
I've now switched over to Feedly which happily imported my feeds and seems easy enough to use and has more features.
Oh what fun! After my backup drive (that contains my PS3 save data) failed now it appears the hard-drive in my PS3 has gone the same way. At least I managed to snag the save files onto a different drive before this happened.
Anyhow there I was trying to play Dragon's Dogma and it kept freezing, to the extent that even holding the power button did nothing and it required a full power off at the socket. Then finally it rebooted to tell me the file system was corrupt and needed checking. 100% later and it failed to reboot nor would it power off. Repeat, repeat. Enter Safe Mode look to rebuild the PS3 database, Preparing... and nothing.
Fortunately I've still my hard-drive from my previous defunct YLOD PS3 which happens to be exactly the same size. Now all I need is the time and daylight to switch them over and see what happens.
Update - Well the good news is my PS3 appears to be working. The bad news is that neither of the non-destructive techniques worked so I had to do a full restore to factory defaults.
Heh Borderlands 2's initial load is faster now. As of yet I've not tried Dragon's Dogma. I'll give it a week with B2 then try Kingdoms of Amalur if all seems healthy I'll install DD and if it falls over again at that point I'll know where blame can most likely be placed.
Two hours to sync my trophies though; yeesh!
