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Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Brian Moylan's personal experiences: a very powerful blog
Brian's Blog is very powerful. It is located here. Brian is experienced in a huge range of programming languages, and he has been a web developer for nine years. Following a road traffic accident, he has relearnt some of the above.
It has taken me six years to relearn some of the skills for life following a traumatic brain injury which I acquired as a passenger in a car crash. Brian can be contacted by e-mailing brian@brianmoylan.info or @brianfmoylan.
Hi all
As you may be aware, I have suffered a brain injury, not dissimilar to the ones that British (and any nationality's) soldiers may suffer in combat situations. I want to help these people so that is why I have the internet domains braininjury.org.uk and braindamage.org.uk and am keeping hold of them until I have completed the development of a personal project of mine; a web site that is made with the idea of helping other victims of this injury.
It has been a long haul getting from a situation where I was expected to die; the doctors were no doubt disappointed that their medical expertise and prognosis were incorrect ;)
Anyway many "fighters" suffer this injury; I think it used to be called "shellshock" in the olden days (before the munitions were so well designed to kill.)
I am not advocating that weapons should be redesigned to only maim (although such have existed in the past (especially from our fellow human allies?), about how to win a war, cause lots of living wounded on the other side.)
-------
Brain injury is personal to me because:
1) I've suffered one, and am lucky to be able to type this message
2) My uncle Ted, who I knew when I was a kid, had been shot in the head during the Dunkirk evacuations and had to live the rest of his life with a brain injury. Oh how I laugh when I hear from other nationalities that the British were "running away" and my uncle deserved it for being part of the cowardly bunch that the British are.
So please, think about the people who have lived through such an experience and help them when you can.
Over and out
It has taken me six years to relearn some of the skills for life following a traumatic brain injury which I acquired as a passenger in a car crash. Brian can be contacted by e-mailing brian@brianmoylan.info or @brianfmoylan.
Hi all
As you may be aware, I have suffered a brain injury, not dissimilar to the ones that British (and any nationality's) soldiers may suffer in combat situations. I want to help these people so that is why I have the internet domains braininjury.org.uk and braindamage.org.uk and am keeping hold of them until I have completed the development of a personal project of mine; a web site that is made with the idea of helping other victims of this injury.
It has been a long haul getting from a situation where I was expected to die; the doctors were no doubt disappointed that their medical expertise and prognosis were incorrect ;)
Anyway many "fighters" suffer this injury; I think it used to be called "shellshock" in the olden days (before the munitions were so well designed to kill.)
I am not advocating that weapons should be redesigned to only maim (although such have existed in the past (especially from our fellow human allies?), about how to win a war, cause lots of living wounded on the other side.)
-------
Brain injury is personal to me because:
1) I've suffered one, and am lucky to be able to type this message
2) My uncle Ted, who I knew when I was a kid, had been shot in the head during the Dunkirk evacuations and had to live the rest of his life with a brain injury. Oh how I laugh when I hear from other nationalities that the British were "running away" and my uncle deserved it for being part of the cowardly bunch that the British are.
So please, think about the people who have lived through such an experience and help them when you can.
Over and out
Robin Bogg - and the Bogg Society
Robin Bogg's blog I must say is hilarious. It is located here (Bogg's Blub). His profile, presumably not written by himself, is equally amusing.
Robin Bogg is chief executive of BUBB - the British Umbrella Backing Body. BUBB is the membership organisation representing millions of British umbrellas and parasols, and manufacturers and trade bodies associated with them. After gaining a first with dishonours in Greco-Latin at St Bolocs, Oxford, Robin commenced a career as a social activist. For many years he was very active in a range of social activities and gained a reputation as a bit of a card on the now infamous Mansfield/Rotherham whist circuit. Robin first became aware of the value of a good umbrella when he was caught in a shower without one in 1996 and so followed his heart and applied for the role of Spokesman for Spokes at BUBB. Four years later he became chief executive. During his tenure he has successfully raised the profile of umbrellas and the umbrella industry as well as strengthening its influence with government. Always colourful and controversial Robin has gained a reputation for defending umbrellas to the hilt, and indeed the handle. Robin is also chair of Umbrellabuilders, now known as BIB (Brolly Investment Business) a government backed fund which invests in umbrella related enterprise.
Actually, keen observers will notice the remarkable similarity to this blog.
Meanwhile, here is the latest 'offering' from the "Bogg Society".
Robin Bogg is chief executive of BUBB - the British Umbrella Backing Body. BUBB is the membership organisation representing millions of British umbrellas and parasols, and manufacturers and trade bodies associated with them. After gaining a first with dishonours in Greco-Latin at St Bolocs, Oxford, Robin commenced a career as a social activist. For many years he was very active in a range of social activities and gained a reputation as a bit of a card on the now infamous Mansfield/Rotherham whist circuit. Robin first became aware of the value of a good umbrella when he was caught in a shower without one in 1996 and so followed his heart and applied for the role of Spokesman for Spokes at BUBB. Four years later he became chief executive. During his tenure he has successfully raised the profile of umbrellas and the umbrella industry as well as strengthening its influence with government. Always colourful and controversial Robin has gained a reputation for defending umbrellas to the hilt, and indeed the handle. Robin is also chair of Umbrellabuilders, now known as BIB (Brolly Investment Business) a government backed fund which invests in umbrella related enterprise.
Actually, keen observers will notice the remarkable similarity to this blog.
Meanwhile, here is the latest 'offering' from the "Bogg Society".
Monday, 20 September 2010
"Don't lecture us on the economy" by John Ruddy
John Ruddy's Blog is clearly passionate about Labour in his blog, and clearly sets out the stall for what he believes in. It is really easy to read, and is attractively laid out. You can access it here.
Here's his most recent post. You can follow him on Twitter at @jruddy99.
I’m fed up with being lectured on the economy. And by people who either dont know the truth, or dont care. I agree that Labour didnt tell the truth at the last election. We didnt tell people what a great job we had done on the economy in 13 years.
I’m going to giveyou the truth about our economy. All my figures are from the Office for National Statistics, so are totally unbiased. But what would you say if I told you that people were over 30% better off in real terms in 2010 compared to 1997? Well, if you use the figures on GDP at ONS, then in the 1st quarter of 2010, the GDP per capita (the techie term for per person) for the UK was £20,934. What that means is that if all the market value of all final goods and services made within the UK last year were shared out equally amongst every man, woman and child, then everyone would get just under £21,000.
But we’ve just had the biggest recession since the war, right? Well, yes, we have. The second quarter of 2008 was the highpoint. The magic number there was £22,451. Yes, the biggest recession since the 1930′s has only lost us £1500 a year, after allowing for inflation. Suddenly doesnt sound so bad, does it?
Yeah, well, Gordon Brown was an appaling chancellor and a worse Prime Minister, wasnt he? I mean their time in Government was full of mismanagement, wasnt it? Well, the figure for the 1st quarter in 1997 (thats the last time the tories were in office for those younger readers), was £15,930. I bet he hasnt allowed for inflation, I hear you ask. Well, actually that is the inflation adjusted value. In 1997 money, it was only£13,630. So in real terms, people were 31.4% better off in May 2010 than they were in May 2007.
Yeah, but I bet those figures are just down to the massive bloated public sector! I read it in the Daily Mail, so it must be true! Well how about we look at the % of that GDP that was made up of public spending.
Back in May 1997, 42.3% of our GDP was produed by the public sector. Thats the vertical line there on the left. By July 2007, just a few months before Northern Rock got rescued by the Government, that number was 35.5%. So all that massive public sector spending had actually reduced the size of the public sector, relative to the private sector. And as we can see, when the recession hit, and GDP shrank, that had an effect on pushing the graph up. And as people lost their jobs, more money was spent on benefits, and money was spent on keeping people in work. So the graph went up. You can even see the vertical jumps when various banks were nationalised. And when the economy grows, and welfare goes down, the graph will go down. So the quicker we grow that economy, the sooner the public sector will get back to its usual level. Which isnt where we found it.
Here's his most recent post. You can follow him on Twitter at @jruddy99.
I’m fed up with being lectured on the economy. And by people who either dont know the truth, or dont care. I agree that Labour didnt tell the truth at the last election. We didnt tell people what a great job we had done on the economy in 13 years.
I’m going to giveyou the truth about our economy. All my figures are from the Office for National Statistics, so are totally unbiased. But what would you say if I told you that people were over 30% better off in real terms in 2010 compared to 1997? Well, if you use the figures on GDP at ONS, then in the 1st quarter of 2010, the GDP per capita (the techie term for per person) for the UK was £20,934. What that means is that if all the market value of all final goods and services made within the UK last year were shared out equally amongst every man, woman and child, then everyone would get just under £21,000.
But we’ve just had the biggest recession since the war, right? Well, yes, we have. The second quarter of 2008 was the highpoint. The magic number there was £22,451. Yes, the biggest recession since the 1930′s has only lost us £1500 a year, after allowing for inflation. Suddenly doesnt sound so bad, does it?
Yeah, well, Gordon Brown was an appaling chancellor and a worse Prime Minister, wasnt he? I mean their time in Government was full of mismanagement, wasnt it? Well, the figure for the 1st quarter in 1997 (thats the last time the tories were in office for those younger readers), was £15,930. I bet he hasnt allowed for inflation, I hear you ask. Well, actually that is the inflation adjusted value. In 1997 money, it was only£13,630. So in real terms, people were 31.4% better off in May 2010 than they were in May 2007.
Yeah, but I bet those figures are just down to the massive bloated public sector! I read it in the Daily Mail, so it must be true! Well how about we look at the % of that GDP that was made up of public spending.
Back in May 1997, 42.3% of our GDP was produed by the public sector. Thats the vertical line there on the left. By July 2007, just a few months before Northern Rock got rescued by the Government, that number was 35.5%. So all that massive public sector spending had actually reduced the size of the public sector, relative to the private sector. And as we can see, when the recession hit, and GDP shrank, that had an effect on pushing the graph up. And as people lost their jobs, more money was spent on benefits, and money was spent on keeping people in work. So the graph went up. You can even see the vertical jumps when various banks were nationalised. And when the economy grows, and welfare goes down, the graph will go down. So the quicker we grow that economy, the sooner the public sector will get back to its usual level. Which isnt where we found it.
Bryony Victoria's blog: Clegg is achieving great things in government
Bryony Victoria's blog is here. Her Twitter feed is @bryonyvk
“The Lib Dems are achieving “great things” in government, Nick Clegg has told party members” – hmm, interesting statement. Which good things would these be Nick? The £11bn worth of cuts in June’s emergency budget, the extra £4bn worth of cuts to come from the welfare bill, the “VAT bombshell” (your words Nick, before you got a bit of power and did a U-turn)? What other great things has Nick Clegg achieved in government? Even his turn at Prime Ministers Questions was an unequivocal disaster. Forgive me for thinking it just a smidge hypocritical that a man who has basically completely changed his position on nearly every issue since the election can turn around and say his Party are achieving “great things” in government. I think it’s rather going a tad far to believe he is even ‘in government’ to be honest. For all intents and purposes we have a Conservative government; Clegg and friends are just making up numbers.
“The Lib Dems are achieving “great things” in government, Nick Clegg has told party members” – hmm, interesting statement. Which good things would these be Nick? The £11bn worth of cuts in June’s emergency budget, the extra £4bn worth of cuts to come from the welfare bill, the “VAT bombshell” (your words Nick, before you got a bit of power and did a U-turn)? What other great things has Nick Clegg achieved in government? Even his turn at Prime Ministers Questions was an unequivocal disaster. Forgive me for thinking it just a smidge hypocritical that a man who has basically completely changed his position on nearly every issue since the election can turn around and say his Party are achieving “great things” in government. I think it’s rather going a tad far to believe he is even ‘in government’ to be honest. For all intents and purposes we have a Conservative government; Clegg and friends are just making up numbers.
I am told that one of these “great things” is the referendum on AV. Forgive me for not throwing a party straight away. If you really want to reform the voting system then there are much better methods to turn to than AV, the least reforming of voting reforms. I also find it rather incredible that this seems to be such a massive issue for many Lib Dems and was during the election, ‘forget the war, forget the economy, the most IMPORTANT issue is getting a referendum on AV, which is likely to be lost anyway…’ Umm, great, yes. Who cares about the number of unemployed as long as we can rank candidates in order of preference…?
The Lib Dems have gained tiny concessions since the election. None of these can be classed as “great things”. If you’re going to try and make us believe that then at least spin it a bit or look down the camera lens and smile nicely, that had loads of people fooled before the election after all.
Clegg also seems to be doing his best to sell the coalition. Apparently it is the “right thing for now”. Funny, I was under the impression that it was the “only” thing for now because despite having nearly total support from the national press the Conservatives still couldn’t command a majority and could either form a highly unstable and likely to have collapsed by now minority government or go into a coalition with the Lib Dems. It was obvious from even before the event that Nick Clegg had no intention of taking his Party into a coalition with Labour and other minor parties, despite all their arguments that they had to go into a coalition with those big bad Tories because Labour were mean and didn’t want to make a deal, so please don’t stop voting for us please, we had no choice… etc etc.
Nick Clegg can smile and repeat the “great things” line all he wants but if there is any truth to be found in the latest polls then the electorate are not buying it. The latest UKPR polling average has the Lib Dems on just 14%. Unless things improve dramatically and Nick Clegg and his Party actually start achieving great things and perhaps arguing for the things they stood for just a few months ago then the Lib Dems could recover and make a difference. Unfortunately they seem quite content at the moment to be the Tories whipping boys, only without the bond. The point that Nick Clegg seems to avoid is that he had a choice back in May and he still has a choice now. He could stand up to the Tories now and he could have demanded more for the Lib Dems in May, after all the Tories needed him to make up the numbers, but he doesn’t demand more and he doesn’t oppose the things he opposed just a few months ago. He likes where he is and clearly doesn’t want to fall out with his new chums Dave and Gideon. Not really the “new politics” he promised. Lying, hypocrisy and corruption was always around.http://bryonyvictoria.wordpress.com/
Midlothian Council: Benefit Fraud. Michael Grieve's blog.
Michael Grieve's blog is actually well known, but it is always a joy to read, with strong socialist foundations. Here is Michael's post on benefits.
I recently wrote a post on Benefit Fraud and how it was less than Tax fraud. However I wanted to prove the point by looking at one Local Authorities Benefit Fraud Figures for the last 5 years. In order to show that Local Authorities are taking Benefit Fraud serious and are dealing with it and have dedicated hard-working staff who are working to catch the culprits. Therefore this needs support but not changed as it is working.
I did not choose my own Local Authority as it is rather large and covers mainly a rural area of the Scottish Borders. Instead I chose a local Authority I used to work for. Midlothian Council which has a population of 80,941 (2001). This is a Local authority south of Edinburgh it therefore has a large commuter community as well as new industries such as biotechnology and old industrys such as agriculture. The Mining industry has long gone. However there is the Scottish Mining museum and It also has a tourist trade from Roslin Chapel which was in “The Da Vinci Code”. Midlothian is the Second smallest authority in Scotland.
As Midlothian is quite a varied area I felt it was a better place to look at the Benefit fraud. The figures I have are from 2005/06 – 2009/10. In 2005/06 there was £221,696.14 of Benefit Fraud discovered. This was for Housing and Council Tax Benefit. This was for 74 cases of a case load of 14,415. In 2006/07 the Fraud rose slightly to £227,108.42 this was 79 cases of a case load of 18,442. While in 2007/08 the fraud dropped to £176,066.54 this was 67 cases of a caseload of 18,194. In 2008/09 there was a drop again this time to £118,975.58 this involved 56 cases this was of a caseload of 17,855. In 2009/10 there was a substantial increase to £259,277.19 this was for 70 cases of a case load of 20,228. This shows an increase in Benefit Fraud Detection not necessarily an increase in fraud. The number of cases may not be large but the amount of fraud involved is. Credit must surely go to the investigation team. These figure show that fraud is happening however it appears the method of detection is in place and working.
While looking at the benefit fraud figures I also requested the Rent increase figures for Council House rents as Midlothian unlike a number of other local Authorities in Scotland has not created a Housing Trust. The rent increase were on average 5% each year. Council Tax did not increase over the 5 years you will note I sated the number of Benefit cases per year they don’t really have any bearing on the amount of Fraud Cases and the Rent increase and council Tax have no bearing either.
My conclusion after looking at the figures is that the evidence speaks for its self the current set up for Detection Fraud is working. However given the fact that COSLA estimates that 60,000 Jobs are estimated to be lost due to Government Cuts how long this service will detect all the fraud is the only question I am left with.
My Thanks to Midlothian Council Communications Team for Compiling the figures I have used.
Tom Scholes-Fogg would like your views on his blog
Tom's blog is here. He has recently posted this message:
I would like to listen to my readers, hence why i am asking my readers their views of this blog. What do you want to see more or less of? Do you want to read guest articles? Do you want a policy chat forum? The reason i am asking is, we can only work to make the blog better, we were voted No 45 in the Top 100 Labour blogs and the viewing statistics are good for this website.
If you have any views please email me at tscholesfogg@hotmail.co.uk
Thank You.
TSF
TSF
Longdendale: New School axed by Tories.
This blog post first appeared in "Janet Cooper for Longendale". Janet is a Longdendale resident, and the Labour Party's candidate in the upcoming Longdendale by-election.
Janet Cooper met former Education Secretary Ed Balls this week, and raised with him her concerns about Longdendale high school.
Janet put it to Ed, that unless we force the Tories to change their decision on the removal of funding for schools, then local children will miss out on being taught in the highest quality modern facilities.
Janet is leading a petition against such cuts to our children's futures, that will be delivered to local residents in coming days, and we have set up an online poll (on the right hand side of this page), to gauge peoples opinion on this issue.
Janet will be asking our MP, Jonny Reynolds, to raise the petition in Parliament once it is completed.
Janet Cooper met former Education Secretary Ed Balls this week, and raised with him her concerns about Longdendale high school.
Janet put it to Ed, that unless we force the Tories to change their decision on the removal of funding for schools, then local children will miss out on being taught in the highest quality modern facilities.
Janet is leading a petition against such cuts to our children's futures, that will be delivered to local residents in coming days, and we have set up an online poll (on the right hand side of this page), to gauge peoples opinion on this issue.
Janet will be asking our MP, Jonny Reynolds, to raise the petition in Parliament once it is completed.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Welcome to the blog for all great unknown blogs!
This blog is for you if you would like to show off your blog, particularly if you would like to get your blog featured in the Top 100 left or right blogs. There are lots of great blogs bubbling under the Top 300 even, and this blog is to empower those type of bloggers!
Please give details of your blog down here even if your blog is relatively well known, if you would like your blog to be included in this blog especially for bloggers in the UK.
Use the comments function. All comments are subject to an incredibly lax moderation policy which has a prompt throughput!
Please give details of your blog down here even if your blog is relatively well known, if you would like your blog to be included in this blog especially for bloggers in the UK.
Use the comments function. All comments are subject to an incredibly lax moderation policy which has a prompt throughput!
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