Grotesque Protest

It's hard to ignore the evidence of police brutality at the recent student protests. The myriad of accounts of that day point towards some very dubious practices by the police.

Some of the student protestors are of course partially to blame for the violence. Those responsible should be held to account. Those police committing acts of brutality should also be taken to task.

At subsequent protests, individuals should think about using covert camera's and recording equipment to capture any illegal acts to help the police on two counts. Firstly to tag the troublemakers wanting to disrupt peaceful protest but also to weed out the police officers using disproportionate force.

Undercover reporters should have been in the middle of the student protests. Perhaps next time, the main networks will ensure they have wide eyes on the proceedings.

The students are right to demand their right to peaceful protest. The police are right not to accept violence from the crowd. Individuals on both sides need to take responsibility for their own actions.

Needed:
Recording equipment.
Wireless real time upload.
Balanced reporting.

A week in Politics

A Productive Week

As I approached the offices of Heart FM earlier this week I was very hopeful I would get a question in to the Prime Minister. Then as I turned the corner I realised the true scale of the operation.

There were around a hundred people queuing to get on the bus. I hadn't expected this at all. My opportunity to get my killer question in looked diminished to say the least.

After being frisked and having my I.D checked I stood outside and looked around. Two sniffer dogs were under the bus I was about to board and two suits with dead eyes were scanning the crowd getting on the bus. Quite possibly secret service. The suits not the dogs.

Then we boarded the bus and with the help of a police escort, we were on our way to 'the secret location'. This turned out to be the George Spencer College in Stapleford.

Fortunately I got to ask my burning question.

I wanted to know how David Cameron's ambitions for the 'Big Society' could be squared with the voluntary sector suffering 70% of cuts in Nottinghamshire.

In my own organisation, we've crunched the numbers and we know this would mean the end of Framework services in Nottinghamshire.

Now more than ever these services are needed. With cuts to public services and redundancies looming for public sector colleagues, our remit is to keep people in their own homes and keep people away from mortgage repossession.

The spin off from asking the PM a fairly decent question while the national media looked on has been helpful so far.

Sky news broadcast my question on their prime time news. The Evening Post featured the story on pages 1 ,2 and 3 and on Friday I interviewed on radio Nottingham.

The upshot of all this is still uncertain. I want Nottinghamshire County Council to publicly commit to cutting the SP budget by under 12%. This, following the guidance of central government.

There's a lot of negotiation to be had yet though so I would encourage restraint from colleagues who may wish to take a more militant line. We are still in with a chance of resolving this quietly and diplomatically.

Save Framework. Save the voluntary sector in Nottinghamshire. Save services to vulnerable people.

Spectacular and Catastrophic Arrogance

Praise be. My calls for religious institutions to develop tolerance for those with alternative lifestyles has come to pass.

But wait. They must have misread my email. I didn't ask that they tolerate (shield?) predatory and dangerous schedule 1 offenders.

Channel 4 news (15th Sept 2010) aired a well researched convincing piece of journalism which suggested the Catholic Church is too slow to deal with child abusers in it's ranks.

In addition, it seems that a number of criminally convicted 'holy men' still enjoy the grace and favour of the church. This includes retaining their elevated title as Monseigneurs.

Here is an institution which is trying to apply usual levels of prevarication and obfuscation to a subject matter which demands so much more. A catastrophic failure is taking place right now.

The Pope arrives at our shores in his capacity as head of state. But what kind of 'Country' is Vatican City?

It appears this particular sovereign state is putting it own self interests above the welfare of children. Surely as a strategy for longevity it's a little bit flawed. Are they trying to doom themselves?

So I don't entirely blame the Catholic Religion. After all, if I'd behaved the way they have, I'd want to put myself out of your misery too.

Papyrus the Virus

I despise paper. Its very existence bothers me. Each and every piece of A3, 4 and 5 I see lying on a table are little reminders to me of one thing; I am hopelessly inefficient.

Only I'm not.

Granted, where paper is concerned I am a studied buffoon. I can pick up a piece of paper, walk down a straight corridor and by the time I reach the end, I've lost it.

My suffering lasted years. Lost annual leave requests and missing supervision notes and the like gave me a regular dose of humiliation. Weekly filing regimes would turn into exponential dead time drudgery.

Back then, I laboured under the misapprehension that it was just part of any job to deal with paper. The daily grind. Well it's not.

I have now rejected paper in the workplace. However, I had a stroke of luck. I was fortunate to have a leak in my office when I first started my current job. It meant that I had to clear all the files out of there. The fusty smell of wet paper still hangs in the air to this day. I like it too. It smells like the corpse of Papyrus, the Greek god of Humiliation.

So here's your top ten tips to topple paper worship:

1) Have a handy leak in your office to get rid of all the nasty paper. Last thing on Friday, soak everything you can. When Monday arrives you can breathe in that fusty goodness.

2) Banish paper from coming in to your office. (I admit it, I have ONE lever arch file to store signed contracts)

3) Get rid of your printers. (I do not possess a printer at work or home) Buy a scanner instead.

4) Never use the photocopier.

5) Change every system that is within your power to require digital submission.

6) You are not a postman. "No! I am not delivering your stupid paper to head office"

7) Never pick up meeting minutes or the inevitable inch thick 'bundle' of stupid paper.

8) Flog and maim the most severe and wanton wood wasters. (reams of single sided photocopying churning out, results in a crack-like induced psychosis for me)

9) Ask for a digital copy of everything. If it's unable to be provided by a subordinate, sit patiently in silence until they realise you're waiting for them to say yes.

10) Do not keep information from any source that you are unable to digitally store.

And finally. The most important really.

Buy an iPhone.

Interesting. The French ban the Burqa and the Niqab. One intention of this blunt piece of legislation to protect the rights of women. President Sarkozy asserts that these garments are symbols of servitude and will not be tolerated in France.

No doubt this will cause controversy and result in constitutional challenges. The very plausible claim that it infringes an individual's human rights is a powerful argument but it's not powerful enough. The need of women in general to be supported to have equal rights and opportunities must outweigh any individual objections.

It is true that some women who wear this clothing, are absolutely clear that they do so by choice. Although I'm tempted to throw in an argument regarding the Stockholm Syndrome, I wont.

I think an individual's belief has to be accepted, respected and weighed up. But what then? What is the greater good (or the lesser evil) here?

The objection to this decision by a minority should not deter France from making this decision. The subjugation of women should not be tolerated by any nation. Decisions by governments are never palatable to everyone. This one, blunt though it is, and unsatisfactory in many ways, is still right and the French should be supported.

A word of caution though. The French should go no further than banning clothing that covers a persons face. The human face is a window on the world, a swiss army communication tool, a liberator. Everything else, neck down, is a lifestyle choice and should be left well alone.

As Wittgenstein said, 'The face is the soul of the body'. Surely, we should all have the right as humans to bare our soul...

Burqa -
http://www.google.co.uk/m/search?site=images&gl=uk&client=safari&source=mog&hl=en&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g6-k0d0t0&fkt=2604&fsdt=9480&q=burqa

Niqab- http://www.google.co.uk/m/search?site=images&source=mog&hl=en&gl=uk&client=safari&q=niqab

Hijab-
http://www.google.co.uk/m/search?site=images&gl=uk&client=safari&source=mog&hl=en&q=hijab+styles&resnum=1&ei=r_Y8TIDWDdufjAePmKSpAw&ved=0CAwQ1QIoAA

Oh to be English.

Let me be absolutely clear from the outset. If I reference 'the X factor' later on, I'm not talking about anything to do with the witless cretin that is Simon Cowell. I'm talking about an unknown ingredient; a mysterious chemical reaction and if we're lucky, a happy accident.

We all know why the England football team were recently so unsuccessful. Deep down, we all know it.

Instead though, we intellectualise it. It was Fabio's fault; if he'd put Gerrard in the middle it would have all been fine. Or; the players, they're not passionate enough, they're overpaid, they're not good enough. All rubbish.

We can win. We are good enough. It's not Capello's fault and Gerrard can play on the left. Gerrard could play right back if he needed to. Remember Istanbul?

There is something that has not been considered. We're trying to avoid playing our own game. As a country our citizens have no idea what it means to be English and similarly our footballers are trying play another country's game.

Surely the path to true enlightenment is understanding, acceptance and application. So let's work on understanding our own nature, accepting it and then applying ourselves.

In pure footballing terms, we all need to start loving the hulking great centre forward and trust our instincts to hit long hopeful balls as much as possible. Embrace the fact that we really can't be bothered to dribble our way out of defence like the Italians. We are just going to lump it forward and trust that the big man will knock it down for a quick easy goal.

The spirited performance comes out every now and again. When it does we are so surprised. England 5 - Germany 1. We catch a fleeting glimpse of how we want England to really play and we like it. We like it because we are being ourselves. We are connecting. The chemical reaction, the happy accident.

The X factor. (Simon Cowell is still a parlous twat)

Rapid Vapid Consumerism

I'm going to avoid talking about the subject matter for as long as possible. I have to. If I peak too soon, I will quickly reach disdain. Disdain wouldn't be so bad but it quickly progresses to anger before a 'low mood fugue' sets in. I'm therefore prolonging the period before I sink into a state of resignation that 'all is not well with the world'.

For some people nothing and everything is ever enough. Grand gestures are required. A friend of a friend told me that his girlfriend had indicated that he spend at least £3000 on an engagement ring. Apparently, it was the 'done thing'. There was even a handy formula for him to follow ...two months salary or £3000, whichever the higher amount.

They are no longer together.

Should we not all be satisfied with a rusty curtain ring instead of a big rock? The important things in life are not enriched solely by grand gestures; they develop out of thoughtfulness, appreciation and common human kindness. Have this as a bedrock first and then throw in a few grand gestures (when you know you don't NEED to)

Ok I've deviated long enough. Consumerism. The throw away waste culture we all inhabit sickens me. It has turned people into Dawn of the Dead mall zombies. Stumbling, brainless from one disposable product to the next, never satisfied, never satiated of the desire to throw away and replace or buy crap for sake of buying crap.

I submit that consumerism has in it's own way contributed to a deterioration in the skills necessary for a meaningful connection with another human being. Those most affected either see their relationships as entirely disposable and replaceable or they see a demonstration of human kindness needing a pound-sign attaching, to give it some relative meaning for them.

The important things in life are un-consumable. My mum sums it up the best. Pointing to her heart... "Jono, it's what's in here that counts."

Management Types - No#47

The Knee-Jerk

The Knee Jerk is generally weak, feeble and listens to everything everyone tells him.

The latter part of the aforementioned is generally a very good thing. Listening is a particular skill which will serve anyone well. Interestingly, the vast majority of people NEVER actually listen.

Sometimes I'm the same. I'm so caught up in 'delivering my message' or 'getting across my point' that I forget to process properly what another person is actually saying to me. But I'm better than most. I know this for a fact because my 'balls up' ratio is within normal parameters.

Unfortunately, however precious the skill of listening is, it is certainly not at all wise to act upon every piece of new information. The Knee-Jerk does this.

Repeat Knee Jerkers run the very real risk of turning into No#52's... Flappers. And there's only one thing worse than a Flapper, the dreaded and universally despised No#101.. the Happy Flapper.

The voice was there in my head. Quietly repeating. "this is a mistake.. This is not the correct course of action.. You don't need to do this". Over and over it repeated. The unfortunate thing was, it was drowned out by a louder voice. An incessant drone, dramatised to the hilt.

Now I realise, the case had been overstated. The case for the prosecution was flawed. I questioned, I sought clarity, I accepted and I took action.

I just didn't listen to my voice.

Television. Drug of the nation.

When I was a kid, TV was my life. I was a serious cathode ray addict. I must have been because I can remember specific episodes of Sapphire and Steel. And boy, was that hard to watch.

These days I don't watch that much of it. About six weeks ago Virgin Media sent me a new 'smart card' to plug into the virgin set top. I haven't plugged it in. Nor have I taken the Set top box out of it's wrapping. That arrived in February.

Come to think of it I don't have a house phone either. I used to have it plugged in until I made one long local call that cost me 15 quid. No more. It's unplugged. Better still no one can ring me. That is of course unless they have my mobile. Suits me fine.

Anyway i'm straying of my point now. Television is a drug. Drugs are bad. Ergo Television is bad. But this is not quite correct. Like anything, too much is bad for you but a little of what you fancy does you good.

Now I'm contradicting myself. Let me start again.

We all have our addictions. We all do some things too often for our own detriment. Right now it's my iPhone. I use it for everything. Work, rest and play. Eventually there will be a support group I can join, I'm sure.

So what's yours?

What are YOU doing too much?

Weeding out the weed

Having toyed with the concept of being a smoke free zone, I have finally taken the plunge.

If anyone had said to me twenty years ago that I would waste in excess of 20k on useless white tubes which had the effect of depressing mood, shortening lifespan and giving me a permament fuggy aura, I would have thought they were crazy.

I fell into that trap. No more though. I'm on the path to freedom. My addiction will be conquered forever and my faltering self respect restored.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating though.

For now, British American Tobacco, Gallaghers and other death stick purveyors.. Go fuck yourself.

FaceDown FaceBook

I'm on the brink. I'm teetering on the edge. As much as I love keeping in touch with those far and wide, I'm considering pulling the plug.

I'm spending too much time on FB It's starting to become a daily feature. Ostensibly there is nothing wrong with this; keeping in touch with friends is good right?

No argument from me there. I really like the contact. I just can't help wondering why lots of people play games all the time, and then share the fact that they're playing games all the time.

I'm a scramble addict. Late night scramble. But you'd never know it. I choose not to pollute the newsfeed..

I'm fairly tight on my privacy settings and I usually check them on a regular basis. I share a lot with my friends but I'm very careful not to give any rights to external websites.

That said, My natural scepticism kicks in when I hear that Facebook 'takes privacy very seriously'. If that were completely true, there would be a catch all 'share nothing' button. There isn't.

So what to do? Shall I press the nuclear button and disappear forever? I know that if I do that, there are many individuals whom I am unlikely to hear from again.

I suppose there is always Twitter.