Well, I have had a busy day debating and writing about same sex marriage. Two articles have been posted (first, a letter to Andrew George MP, and the second a response to one of the commenters on the original thisiscornwall page). I am appalled that such bigots exist in my region, but perhaps, should not be surprised. Where Christianity exists, bigotry will follow. Go vote up my comments here.
There was also one of those 'lighter moments' pieces that the BBC runs occasionally. It would appear that the Queen's Bentley limousine wouldn't start when she came to leave church. It was a good job Bishop Cottrell was at hand to administer some divine vehicular maintenance.
After posting yesterday's Daily Digest, I considered the fact that - considering I don't post this until quite late in the day - perhaps the following day's tide times might be more useful to people. Done and done.
Showing posts with label Cornwall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cornwall. Show all posts
Monday, 14 January 2013
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Daily digest - Sunday, 13 January 2012
Some of you may have noticed that I have let loose a guest poster here. I have no idea what I have let myself in for. His name is +Mark Tonner and he will be interjecting on matters that he may claim concern him, but in reality they do not. I view this experiment as an exercise in how to deal with trolls, hostile comments and account hackers. One never knows, he might actually post something of note, but in the meantime, please feel free to engage with him at your peril. He has already apologised.
Also new today is 'Verse of the day' from BibleGateway.com, which I shall be applying to a strictly scientific process (faith) to rate on the 'Inspirationometre™'. Each days verse will be judged on its value to my understanding of the meaning of life, morality and the level of engagement it has instilled. Each grade awarded is measured against the centi-inspirationometre. The higher the measurement, the higher its value to myself (and maybe to all of God's creation).
In addition to this, I shall be enticing my local readership more, by offering a weather and tide report each day. Again, a lot of what I am putting out - especially for local matters - have a lot of relevancy to my own day-to-day life; dog walking on Long Rock beach being one of them.
Posts today include a hilarious video from The Young Turks, about how passengers dealt with a drunk man who had threatened to choke them on a flight from Reykjavik to New York, and another video by William Tapley - a Christian numerologist - who argues that God allowed the 20 children at the Sandy Hook shootings to die. Not much worth reporting on today, unfortunately.
Also new today is 'Verse of the day' from BibleGateway.com, which I shall be applying to a strictly scientific process (faith) to rate on the 'Inspirationometre™'. Each days verse will be judged on its value to my understanding of the meaning of life, morality and the level of engagement it has instilled. Each grade awarded is measured against the centi-inspirationometre. The higher the measurement, the higher its value to myself (and maybe to all of God's creation).
In addition to this, I shall be enticing my local readership more, by offering a weather and tide report each day. Again, a lot of what I am putting out - especially for local matters - have a lot of relevancy to my own day-to-day life; dog walking on Long Rock beach being one of them.
 |
| Long Rock beach with St Michael's Mount in the background |
Posts today include a hilarious video from The Young Turks, about how passengers dealt with a drunk man who had threatened to choke them on a flight from Reykjavik to New York, and another video by William Tapley - a Christian numerologist - who argues that God allowed the 20 children at the Sandy Hook shootings to die. Not much worth reporting on today, unfortunately.
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Daily digest #2
Well, I didn't quite get the feedback I was looking for yesterday, in fact I got no feedback at all. Nevertheless, I shall continue with this new style of blogging for the meantime, because it suits my present needs. If you hate it, though, please let me know.
I managed to squeeze out a blog post on the issue of dog fouling in Cornwall and a few ideas on how to counter it, and today I got another post out on the Whitehouse's response to the 50 states that posted petition to secede from the union, and a comparison with what is happening in the UK both internally and externally.
Build A Death Star I am no fan of Star Wars - I haven't even seen any of the films - but I am a fan of science fiction and more so in science reality. Blurring the two is exciting and truly awe-inspiring. I would rather build a Borg cube - as it is described in Revelation, but a Death Star is kinda cool too.
What about a USS Enterprise, or a Millennium Falcon? And I suppose I ought to mention the T.A.R.D.I.S. of Dr Who; it would certainly be a wonder of modern achievement but it does look kind of dull from the outside.
If you want the U.S. Government to support the construction of the Death Star, keep hassling the them. They clearly want to do this. They simply lack the cojones.
There appears to be an outright statement of intent coming from the Republicans in America, a quick Google search for 'Republican civil war' returns some 36,000 hits on the UK site.
Civil war is - at the least - an act of insurgency, so the question need be asked; Should registered Republicans be named as enemies of the State?
If Republicans were speaking the way they are in Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan or Iraq about the USA, they would be killed without a trial. If they gathered guns to fight Obama in Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan or Iraq about the USA, they would be killed without a trial. What action should be taken against these Republican insurgents that speak this way about their Government and threaten taking up arms against it on American soil?
I used to be a Republican leaning type. In some ways I still am (a fiscal conservative, if not a small Government conservative), but having spent more time actually paying attention to US current affairs, I find it hard to believe I was ever so naive.
The second any Republican movement fires a shot in anger against their own Government, it should come down on it with all the force and venom that has been inflicted on those it has attacked abroad. It is, after all, their very freedom that is at stake.
What do you think of the new approach? Is there anything you would like me to approach with more consideration? What else on this site do you think needs changing? Leave a comment below to let me know.
n.b. I am working on a new site that will further delineate between my increasingly diverse interests, but for the time being this blog will have to suffice. I'll let you know more when the roll-out date approaches.
I managed to squeeze out a blog post on the issue of dog fouling in Cornwall and a few ideas on how to counter it, and today I got another post out on the Whitehouse's response to the 50 states that posted petition to secede from the union, and a comparison with what is happening in the UK both internally and externally.
| Atheism / Secularism | Local /Cornwall |
| Why I don't care if Jesus existed or not Not the first time I have heard this said, and I have to admit, it is a sentiment I also hold/ The fact that one person existed out of the probable 100 billion that have ever existed is of little consequence to me. Jesus may have been a real and existent person, or he may not have been. The evidence for his existence, though, is conspicuous by its absence, or it lies in texts that are generally considered to be forgeries or latter-day interpolations by those that would seek to give Jesus more historical weight than he deserved. No, the reason why I don't care whether he existed or not is because his existence is not particularly relevant to the miracles ascribed to him. It is this that interests me. How can any person do any of the following: Control of Nature 1.Calming the storm – Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:37-41; Luke 8:22-25 2.Feeding 5,000 - Matthew 14:14-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14 3.Walking on water - Matthew 14:22-32; Mark 6:47-52; John 6:16-21 4.Feeding 4,000 – Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-9 5.Fish with coin – Matthew 17:24-27 6.Fig tree withers – Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-25 7.Huge catch of fish – Luke 5:4-11; John 21:1-11 8. Water into wine – John 2:1-11 Healing of Individuals 1.Man with leprosy – Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-44; Luke 5:12-14 2.Roman centurion’s servant – Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10 3.Peter’s mother-in-law – Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:30-31; Luke 4:38-39 4.Two men possessed with devils – Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-15; Luke 8:27-39 5.Man with palsy – Matthew 9:2-7; Mark 2:3-12; Luke 5:18-26 6.Woman with bleeding – Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48 7.Two blind men – Matthew 9:27-31 8.Dumb, devil-possessed man - Matthew 9:32-33 9.Canaanite woman’s daughter – Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30 10.Boy with devil - Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:17-29; Luke 9:38-43 11.Two blind men – including Bartimaeus - Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43 12.Demon-possessed man in synagogue – Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37 13.Blind man at Bethsaida – Mark 8:22-26 14.Crippled woman – Luke 13:10-17 15.Man with dropsy – Luke 14:1-4 16.Ten men with leprosy – Luke 17:11-19 17.The high priest’s servant – Luke 22:50-51 18.Nobleman’s son at Capernaum – John 4:46-54 19.Sick man at the pool of Bethsaida – John 5:1-15 20.Man born blind – John 9:1-41 Raising the Dead 1.Jairus’ daughter – Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56 2.Widow’s son at Nain – Luke 7:11-17 3.Lazarus – John 11:1-44 New Research Links Spiritual-Not-Religious to Mental Disorder In the British study, SBNRs (spiritual but not religious) were found to be significantly more likely to be drug-dependent (77%) and to suffer from phobias (72%) or anxiety (50%). No wonder they’re significantly more likely (40%) than the religious to be being treated with psychotropic drugs. Read the abstract here. | Zilch UK launches the first ever national survey on attitudes to fines for littering Yesterday, I posted a blog about dog fouling and put forward a few suggestions on how to tackle it. Today, Twitter user, Leave only a shadow, tweeted me with the following: @tris_stock Got a view of whether people should be fined for littering Express that view here http://ow.ly/gKHgrThe link at the end goes to a survey on littering in general, but I made a comment informing them that I also included dog fouling as a litter problem. Buyers in Devon and Cornwall struggle to pay deposit on new homes It should come as no surprise to anyone, but a report released today by Lloyds TSB reveals that 'second steppers' on the property ladder are unable to do so because they lack the necessary equity in their current properties to place the deposit on their desired property. The average cost of a 'send step' property is estimated to be £219,647, but the real problem - apart from this being an enormous amount of money considering the wage levels in Cornwall - lies in the fact that their equity in their current home accounts for just 7% of the asking price of a typical 'second-stepper' home, compared with 42% in 2005. The average required for this 'second-step' is currently at 34%. The bank has created an "annual affordability measure" which sets average equity as a ratio of average earnings. The South West is one of the worst affected, with a measure of 5.7 times the average gross annual full-time earnings for 2011, compared to 3.3 in 2002. Only the South East, at 6.3, and London, at 6.1, were worse. All this is compounded in the fact that first time buyers are unable to get on the property ladder because the houses that once would have been available to them, have now been cut off by the inability of present owners to 'buy-up'. Cornwall on snow and ice weather warning for the weekend 
Yellow Warning of Ice
12 Jan 2013, 15:00
Issued at - 11 Jan 2013, 12:10
Valid from - 12 Jan 2013, 15:00
Valid to - 13 Jan 2013, 12:00
Outbreaks of rain, sleet and some now will gradually clear southwards during Saturday night, and with temperatures falling rapidly through the evening and night, there is a risk of icy surfaces. he rain, sleet and snow may linger in parts of southern England well into Sunday morning, by which time it will be light and mainly falling as snow. While local accumulations of up to 2 cm of snow are possible on some higher level loads, it is the risk of ice which is expected to present the main problem.
The public should be aware of the risk of disruption to travel.
The public is advised to take extra care, further information and advice can be found here.
|
Miscellaneous
What about a USS Enterprise, or a Millennium Falcon? And I suppose I ought to mention the T.A.R.D.I.S. of Dr Who; it would certainly be a wonder of modern achievement but it does look kind of dull from the outside.
If you want the U.S. Government to support the construction of the Death Star, keep hassling the them. They clearly want to do this. They simply lack the cojones.
Civil war is - at the least - an act of insurgency, so the question need be asked; Should registered Republicans be named as enemies of the State?
If Republicans were speaking the way they are in Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan or Iraq about the USA, they would be killed without a trial. If they gathered guns to fight Obama in Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan or Iraq about the USA, they would be killed without a trial. What action should be taken against these Republican insurgents that speak this way about their Government and threaten taking up arms against it on American soil?
I used to be a Republican leaning type. In some ways I still am (a fiscal conservative, if not a small Government conservative), but having spent more time actually paying attention to US current affairs, I find it hard to believe I was ever so naive.
The second any Republican movement fires a shot in anger against their own Government, it should come down on it with all the force and venom that has been inflicted on those it has attacked abroad. It is, after all, their very freedom that is at stake.
What do you think of the new approach? Is there anything you would like me to approach with more consideration? What else on this site do you think needs changing? Leave a comment below to let me know.
n.b. I am working on a new site that will further delineate between my increasingly diverse interests, but for the time being this blog will have to suffice. I'll let you know more when the roll-out date approaches.
Friday, 11 January 2013
#Cornwall: Dog fouling - prevention and punishment.
As a new owner of an English Springer Spaniel puppy, the issue regarding dog fouling on parks and pavements has become all the more real to me of late. Laws have been in place since 16 July 2010 to deal with the problem, but little seems to be done to enforce them.
Cornwall Council has a county-wide approach to this problem, where offending owners are fined if caught. Their website states:
Wadebridge has recently made an effort to both educate the public and enforce it, and I applaud their efforts so far. If only Penzance's councillors would do the same. The problem with the article, though, is that it intimates that the commitment to this crack-down (where the police will accompany them) will be limited to one single day. I will be interested to see how this awareness drive reaches its goals. At least they are trying.
As part of my manifesto for the local elections in May, I propose that together with my local community group, Neighbourhood Together Partnership, we organise a team of residents that walk around the ward and carry out a number of functions in a largely unofficial manner.
When I used to live in Sweden, my community there had a similar project. Teams of two people would work out routes where they would engage with the people they encountered and chatted with them about community problems, thoughts and solutions. They would use the time they would have otherwise spent on after dinner walks and dog exercising to present a visible community presence. So that everyone knew who they were (and not just some random vigilante or weirdo). They were issued with distinctive yellow jackets to protect them from the Nordic elements, and so that they were instantly recognisable. For their own protection, their routes were recorded and backed up by the local police.
It struck me as quite bizarre that these little twosomes were hanging around with the local oiks and simply having a chat and a laugh with them, but why should that be? Their sheer presence created a deterrent because they all knew that whatever mischievousness they might have been up to could be reported back to their parents if they weren't careful. But I digress.
Wadebridge has authorised 6 people to carry out the on-the-spot fines for dog fouling, so why do we not train a group of enthusiastic volunteers to do the same in our own communities? There are other benefits too. It serves as an important tool for 'neighbourhood watch' where the police work closely with the community to reduce crime. More than that, it is a good excuse for people to get out and get a little exercise Needless to say, it helps gel community spirit, simply by having people working together from the same community and engaging with one another.
The best thing, though? The cost. This sort of group costs very little to set up. There are already people that are concerned enough to volunteer their time to community awareness (at least in my area), and whatever equipment is required for the visible presence could be funded by insurance sponsorship, community grants, proceeds from dog fouling fines or any number of ways. It really is a simple solution to quite an array of community issues.
Having spoken to a number of people on this very subject myself, a recurring theme appears to be bringing back the dog licence. I think this is a great idea. It instils a sense of responsibility into the dog owner, gives the issuing authority a good idea of the dog population and its condition and the monies raised from the fees could be put directly back into the communities in the form of training, awareness and emergency veterinary costs, amongst other things. Undoubtedly, veterinary practices would support such an enterprise, and could become contracted licence issuers when owners take their dogs for an annual check-up. The details need to be honed, but I feel the idea is strong and there would be a great deal of support for such a move.
So what can we do right now?
Here is my check-list of activities to encourage responsible dog ownership:
Write to the 'Dog Welfare and Enforcement Service' at Cornwall Council and ask;
Set up an on-line poll.
That is just off the top of my head, but I am sure people have other ideas that will benefit dogs, dog-owners, communities and local authorities, so please add your suggestions in the comment box below.
It is late here now, so I shall have to write my letter when I have more time. I have to walk the dog now!
If you would like to report a dog fouling incident to the council, click here to fill in their on-line form here. Or if you find your dog waste bin is full please contact the Refuse and Recycling Department on 0300 1234 141. There is also the issue of whether or not you can walk your dog on certain beaches. Check here to find out which are suitable, and at which time of year.
Cornwall Council has a county-wide approach to this problem, where offending owners are fined if caught. Their website states:
Failing to clean up after your dog has fouled will result in a fixed penalty being issued - which is for £80 (reduced to £50 if paid within 10 days) or prosecution where if found guilty you would face a maximum fine of £1000.This is all well and good, but what is the council doing to enforce it, and how often is someone caught offending?
Wadebridge has recently made an effort to both educate the public and enforce it, and I applaud their efforts so far. If only Penzance's councillors would do the same. The problem with the article, though, is that it intimates that the commitment to this crack-down (where the police will accompany them) will be limited to one single day. I will be interested to see how this awareness drive reaches its goals. At least they are trying.
As part of my manifesto for the local elections in May, I propose that together with my local community group, Neighbourhood Together Partnership, we organise a team of residents that walk around the ward and carry out a number of functions in a largely unofficial manner.
When I used to live in Sweden, my community there had a similar project. Teams of two people would work out routes where they would engage with the people they encountered and chatted with them about community problems, thoughts and solutions. They would use the time they would have otherwise spent on after dinner walks and dog exercising to present a visible community presence. So that everyone knew who they were (and not just some random vigilante or weirdo). They were issued with distinctive yellow jackets to protect them from the Nordic elements, and so that they were instantly recognisable. For their own protection, their routes were recorded and backed up by the local police.
It struck me as quite bizarre that these little twosomes were hanging around with the local oiks and simply having a chat and a laugh with them, but why should that be? Their sheer presence created a deterrent because they all knew that whatever mischievousness they might have been up to could be reported back to their parents if they weren't careful. But I digress.
Wadebridge has authorised 6 people to carry out the on-the-spot fines for dog fouling, so why do we not train a group of enthusiastic volunteers to do the same in our own communities? There are other benefits too. It serves as an important tool for 'neighbourhood watch' where the police work closely with the community to reduce crime. More than that, it is a good excuse for people to get out and get a little exercise Needless to say, it helps gel community spirit, simply by having people working together from the same community and engaging with one another.
The best thing, though? The cost. This sort of group costs very little to set up. There are already people that are concerned enough to volunteer their time to community awareness (at least in my area), and whatever equipment is required for the visible presence could be funded by insurance sponsorship, community grants, proceeds from dog fouling fines or any number of ways. It really is a simple solution to quite an array of community issues.
Having spoken to a number of people on this very subject myself, a recurring theme appears to be bringing back the dog licence. I think this is a great idea. It instils a sense of responsibility into the dog owner, gives the issuing authority a good idea of the dog population and its condition and the monies raised from the fees could be put directly back into the communities in the form of training, awareness and emergency veterinary costs, amongst other things. Undoubtedly, veterinary practices would support such an enterprise, and could become contracted licence issuers when owners take their dogs for an annual check-up. The details need to be honed, but I feel the idea is strong and there would be a great deal of support for such a move.
So what can we do right now?
Here is my check-list of activities to encourage responsible dog ownership:
Write to the 'Dog Welfare and Enforcement Service' at Cornwall Council and ask;
- How many dog enforcement officers there are covering the areas that affect me?
- Where can I find information on the number of offences committed and fined/prosecuted?
- What is the legal requirement for someone to act as a proxy dog enforcement officer, able to issue on-the-spot fines?
- If a community group were formed to patrol a given area, what support could the council offer such a group to assist in their work?
- Does the council have the authority to pass a law (or by-law) regarding the issuance of dog licences, and are there any plans to do so?
I think I will be copying this letter to my local MP, town councillor and the local paper too. Can't do any harm.
Write to my local veterinarians and ask for their opinion on the above letter, and they have any salient advice or suggestions?
Set up an on-line poll.
That is just off the top of my head, but I am sure people have other ideas that will benefit dogs, dog-owners, communities and local authorities, so please add your suggestions in the comment box below.
It is late here now, so I shall have to write my letter when I have more time. I have to walk the dog now!
If you would like to report a dog fouling incident to the council, click here to fill in their on-line form here. Or if you find your dog waste bin is full please contact the Refuse and Recycling Department on 0300 1234 141. There is also the issue of whether or not you can walk your dog on certain beaches. Check here to find out which are suitable, and at which time of year.
Daily digest #1
Atheism and secularism are still my raison d'être for my blogging, but my interest in local politics and current affairs is in the ascendant right now (I plan to run for either the local town council or the county council in the May elections), so I shall be producing a daily post that lists the issues that are important to me from both subjects side by side and will let my reader be the judge of what it is you wish to read and how you would like me to proceed with it. If there is anything listed below that you would like me to expand upon, please leave a message in the comments. Likewise, if there is something you feel I have missed, please bring to my attention below and I shall try my best to squeeze out a post on it.
I suppose there is a degree of laziness in this approach, but I prefer to see it as a method of sorting out the wheat from the chaff and actually giving my reader some feedback on what it is they want to see here, so please do let me know what you think.
| Atheism / Secularism | Local /Cornwall |
| How to make the UK a secular state By RobertCallan316 posted on January 11, 2013 02:58AM GMT "There's not many things that I can say that I'm not proud of being a British citizen. This country has done me well as a 19 year old atheist but the one thing that deeply saddens me is that we are not a secular state, and still have bishops of the church of England having a say in issues that should be kept separate from them. What can the British people who believe this to be wrong do to try and put a stop to this so we can truly say that we promote reasonable thinking and in the UK?" There are some good answers in the comments section. Here's mine; "I particularly like comments #1, #2 and #5, but the crux of the matter is, what are you prepared to do about it? It is all well and good saying what you want and demanding it from your political representatives, but there is no substitution for becoming the leading voice in the field you wish to influence. Obviously, we cannot all do that, but it is not for the lack of opportunity. Myself, I will be running for councillor in either my local or county elections in May this year. I have no idea how successful my campaign will be, but I am sure that in getting the word out to people I know I am making a bigger impact on the electorate than any party political wonk that you could hope to have represent you. You appear to know what you want, make a stand and explain your position to the largest number of people that will listen. It's hard work, but imagine the satisfaction of garnering even a minority share of the vote. It will make it all worthwhile" Famous Christians - Martin Luther  Rosa Rubicondior is one of my favourite bloggers. She consistently turns out well-researched and concise posts on biblical criticism. This post is the second of her - what I presume will be a recurring theme - 'Famous Christians'. The first post in the series confronted theist's claims that Hitler was an atheist, by quoting a number of his clearly Christian/Catholic line of thinking. | New supermarket will pay £250,000 for Penzance's improvements "Am I reading this correctly? Penzance businesses are being asked to part with an extra 1- 2% on top of their business rates? Or is it taken from that they already pay? Apropo the £249,500 from Sainsbury's; 1. On what will the £130,000 be spent on town improvements? 2. What 'events' will benefit from the £25,000? 3. Who or what will be marketed and promoted with another £25,000? 4. What will a £49,500 town centre co-ordinator do, and how will this person be selected? 5. Notwithstanding its name, what will be the objects and methodology of a Business Improvement District (BID)? It's great seeing these sort of numbers coming towards Penzance town centre, but what do they all mean exactly. At present they seem like nothing more than sound-bites." Call to restrict numbers of second homes "Like Mr Wallis, I have no particular objection to second/holiday homes but feel that with the housing waiting list being at the level it is, there is a need to balance the books. Homes lying empty for the majority of the year - whilst not immoral by any means - is not conducive to a thriving community. By making second/holiday home owners apply for some sort of planning permission, the council has the opportunity to have some control over how housing needs are managed. Private homes that are occupied are not affected at all. If a second/holiday home is found to be empty for the greater part of the year, owners should - at least - be encouraged to rent it out on a more regular basis so that the communities in which these properties exist don't wither and die in the quieter times of the year. Perhaps the council could offer owners an incentive to rent out their properties for a 12 month period, so that in the short term, at least, people will have somewhere to call home. Housing is perhaps the biggest challenge facing Cornwall, and from where I sit it appears to be an almost insurmountable problem in the short-term. The council must outline a definitive, coherent, sustainable and environmentally-conscious plan for the next 20-30 years if the problem is to be faced at all." Town gets tough on dog mess in parks "As a new owner of an English Springer Spaniel puppy, the issue regarding dog fouling on parks and pavements has become all the more real to me of late. Laws have been in place since 16 July 2010 to deal with the problem, but little seems to be done to enforce them." See my whole post |
Miscellaneous
I have other interests beyond these two main subjects, of course, so I shall place funny, interesting or sometimes downright weird links here.
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I particularly like the idea of 'container villages' (I shall write a more in-depth post about this sometime in the future), but for now here is a link to what can done with the humble shipping container.
This article by the Oxford University Press explains 'suppletion', where the future, present and past tenses of verbs can take on quite different forms from one another.
A good case in point (as the cartoon above shows. You may need to click to embiggen to see it in better detail.) is why is the past tense of 'go', 'went' rather than 'goed'?
What do you think of the new approach? Is there anything you would like me to approach with more consideration? What else on this site do you think needs changing? Leave a comment below to let me know.
n.b. I am working on a new site that will further delineate between my increasingly diverse interests, but for the time being this blog will have to suffice. I'll let you know more when the roll-out date approaches.
Friday, 14 December 2012
#Cornwall Council bleeding the poor for nearly 5 x our weight per capita.
According to the excellent Guardian Data site, Cornwall Council's demand that I - and the other poorest people in the county - pay 25% of my Council Tax Benefit, means that those that are not in receipt of benefits escape any and all of the cuts that central Government has made whilst the poorest have to pay approximately five times the amount per capita of the county.
Let me clarify:
Let me clarify:
- My contribution to CTB under the Council's plans mean that I will be paying an extra $246 per year.
- Set against the £48 the cuts will cost me, this represents bad value for money.
- At 5 times the cost of the cuts, I am subsidising those that can afford to pay.
- The contribution made by those who are not in receipt of CTB will be exactly £0 per year.
- Set against the £48 the cuts will 'cost' then, this represents robbing the poor to pay your own debt.
- By not paying anything to counter the cuts, those that can afford to pay are off-setting their financial losses against those that have nothing.
Seriously! What is wrong with people? How can this be a difficult concept to get your head around?
The poor do not have any money, because they are poor. Cornwall Council thinks that it is the poor that are best suited and funded to bail their national party's mess. Well, let me just say this.
"Over my cold, dead body!"
Explain to me how the poor pay for the entirety of the cuts and those that are not considered poor enough to warrant getting CTB at all pay nothing? NOTHING?
Other posts in the series
- Do you get Council Tax Benefit in #Cornwall? Then bloody well read this and do something about it.
- #Cornwall Council's Cabinet is broken. Not to worry; I've reported it. #BloodFromStone
- #Cornwall Council Cabinet decision gets locals commenting. Not #BloodFromStone at all.
- Idiot quote from #Cornwall Council leader, Jim Currie
Join the Social Network Pages
- Facebook The Great Cornwall Council Poverty Tax
- Twitter using the #BloodFromStone hashtag
- Google+ The Great Cornwall Council Poverty Tax
Idiot quote from #Cornwall Council leader, Jim Currie
“While we recognise that this recommendation will cause difficulties for some people in Cornwall, the stark truth is that the Council does not have the money to pick up the bill for this”-Jim Currie. Conservative Leader of Cornwall Council
Why is this idiotic? Because he thinks the poorest people in the county do have the money to pick up the bill.
Here is a question for Mr Currie:
Considering I have a negative annual income, and that I suspect that you do not, who is better situated of the two of us to 'pick up the bill', as you put it?This isn't empty rhetoric. I want an answer, Mr Currie.
Other posts in the series
- Do you get Council Tax Benefit in #Cornwall? Then bloody well read this and do something about it.
- #Cornwall Council's Cabinet is broken. Not to worry; I've reported it. #BloodFromStone
- #Cornwall Council Cabinet decision gets locals commenting. Not #BloodFromStone at all.
Join the Social Network Pages
- Facebook The Great Cornwall Council Poverty Tax
- Twitter using the #BloodFromStone hashtag
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Do you have a message for our illustrious Leader? Please leave a comment below. I will be emailing him a link at jcurrie@cornwall.gov.uk
#Cornwall Council Cabinet decision gets locals commenting. Not #BloodFromStone at all.
"Okay. I have found the words.
Cornwall Council is spinning this story to make you feel bad for them being short-changed from central Government's deep pockets/long arms ratio, but it is downright insulting of them to suggest that they don't feel the Cornish tax payers should shoulder that burden, only to then put that burden wholly and directly on the county's poorest people. It is shockingly arrogant beyond belief.
In fact the money they stand to make from this little enterprise actually exceeds that they claim is the shortfall; all at the expense of the poor. I applaud their cheek, if nothing else. 25,000+ more homeless.
And to all you nay-sayers below; do you really think there are enough jobs to go around to save this situation? Really? What about those of us that are on ESA or DLA? Should we just be thrown in the bin along with the tightly squeezed toothpaste tubes? There's no paste left, and no method to obtain any more.
A number of you here will recognise me from my posts regarding religion. Clearly that is not my only area of activism, and I shall not be taking this lying down. At the following link, you will find a post I have quickly hashed together with why this deal sucks for me personally (it is my blog after all), followed by a checklist of what the other 25,000+ people that will be affected by this recommendation can do to stop it.
http://www.mygodlesslife.com/2012/12/do-you-get-council-tax-benefit-in.html
I have a readership of some 5,000 a month, over 8,000 social network contacts, am already in contact with The Cornishman, and my local Cornwall and Penzance Town councillor (who has already committed herself to voting against the recommendation - thanks Ruth Lewarne). And I am a long way from over yet; we have a month to mobilise.
Andrew George MP will be next. Perhaps he would like to join the Facebook or Google+ groups 'Great Cornwall Council Poverty Tax', or start Tweeting with the #BloodFromStone hashtag to highlight the issue. Whatever, I and a great many people like me will be marching on Truro in the run up to the Full Council meeting at 10:30am on January 15th to remind the Cabinet that there is a local election coming up on May 2nd, and that their seats are not granted to them by fiat.
Just so people know where I am coming from, on Monday I shall be standing in front of Penzance Town Council to make my pitch for why I should be considered for the co-option of the vacant councillors position in Penzance's Promenade Ward. I look forward to seeing some support at 7pm on Monday 17 December 2012 in The Guildhall, St John’s Hall.
It is all too easy to bend over and let the Government bite you on the ass, but when we turn around and bear our teeth, democracy assures us there will only ever be one winner."
Other posts on the Great Cornwall Council Poverty Tax:
#Cornwall Council's Cabinet is broken. Not to worry; I've reported it. #BloodFromStone
I love modern technology, especially when it means I can contribute to making my community a better place to live. FixMyStreet.com is just one such enterprise that makes bringing a problem to the attention of your local council so much simpler.
Here in Cornwall, we have a great deal of problems with the council itself, so where better to raise the issue than with a site dedicated to getting them to solve local issues. I decided to do just that.
Here in Cornwall, we have a great deal of problems with the council itself, so where better to raise the issue than with a site dedicated to getting them to solve local issues. I decided to do just that.
I wonder how long it will take to fix it, there is only one month left to go before it is too late.
Please remember to share and promote this import issue. It could mean the difference between 25,000+ people having a roof over their heads.
Do you get Council Tax Benefit in #Cornwall? Then bloody well read this and do something about it.
In a press release from Cornwall Council today - and despite having just rejected a similar 30% recommendation earlier today - the Council cabinet has announced that it plans to...
If you are considered one of the poorest working-age people in the county, and you currently receive a full 100% rebate on your council tax,it is you that will start paying 25% of your total council tax bill.
Let's put this into perspective, shall we? I'll take my circumstance as an example.
This is my income/expenditure:
Employment Support Allowance: £3,692
These are my basic outgoings:
Gas & Electric: £592
(both increasing by 7.8% in 2013)
Water: £300
Food: £2080
Pet costs (food and insurance): £217
Mobile: £384
Broadband: £204
Total: £3777
So at the end of each year, and before I have to worry about council tax, I have no less than:
Let me stress that amount:
Assuming that regardless of any other discounts I receive, and that the council is telling the truth when they say they 'support the proposal to reduce the maximum entitlement to council tax benefit to 75%', I should expect a bill of no less than £246.90 for my band 'A' property. This leaves me one simple question that anyone who is in a similar position to myself must ask the Cornwall Council cabinet?
I suggest you do much the same as I have; take an hour or two out of your day to work out your income expenditure for the year, find out how much Cornwall Council expects you to pay in council tax and follow the instructions below.
...support a recommendation that all working age recipients of council tax benefit [have] to pay an additional 25% contribution towards council tax.
Let's put this into perspective, shall we? I'll take my circumstance as an example.
This is my income/expenditure:
Employment Support Allowance: £3,692
These are my basic outgoings:
Gas & Electric: £592
(both increasing by 7.8% in 2013)
Water: £300
Food: £2080
Pet costs (food and insurance): £217
Mobile: £384
Broadband: £204
Total: £3777
So at the end of each year, and before I have to worry about council tax, I have no less than:
- £85 p.a.
Let me stress that amount:
After having paid only those bills that are necessary or I am contracted to pay, I am left with a negative amount of money.Earlier today, I was forced for the first time in my life to accept the generosity of my community, and take an emergency package from the food bank. It was inundated. I shall be putting my name forward as a volunteer now.
Assuming that regardless of any other discounts I receive, and that the council is telling the truth when they say they 'support the proposal to reduce the maximum entitlement to council tax benefit to 75%', I should expect a bill of no less than £246.90 for my band 'A' property. This leaves me one simple question that anyone who is in a similar position to myself must ask the Cornwall Council cabinet?
Given my circumstances, where do you suggest I find the money to pay a council tax bill?I don't just mean that metaphorically. Actually ask them!
I suggest you do much the same as I have; take an hour or two out of your day to work out your income expenditure for the year, find out how much Cornwall Council expects you to pay in council tax and follow the instructions below.
So what can I do?
Lots of things- Work out the combined annual income from all sources (after tax) for your household. (benefit rates. Jobcentre Plus can also help you with this; inundate them with requests and jam up the system)
- Work out your expenditure for a one year period for your household. You may run a car, or own a TV (I can't afford one) or have other expenditures that I do not have. Try to be as thorough as possible, but don't lie; you won't need to.
- Work out how much your full council tax bill here, and deduct 75%. This will leave you with a good approximation of what Cornwall Council expects the county's poorest to stump up.
- Find out who your local Cornwall County councillor is here, and email them with your income/expenditure, your estimated council tax bill and ask them (politely) how they are going to vote at the Full Council meeting at 10:30am on 15th January, 2013, reminding them that the local council elections are on the 2nd May, 2013.
- Using the same link, write to your Member of Parliament with a similar email/letter,, and that you will not support them if nothing is done.
- Most importantly, write to the cabinet of Cornwall Council (Yes, I know there are 10 of them, but the same letter can be repeated) informing them of your plight and that you simply do not have the money with which to pay.
- If you like to write a lot, express your disgust at the situation by writing an article on the ThisIsCornwall site (login required). A mention in the letters column of your local paper is just as good. Do you have a blog? Use it. Telephone any journalists or media types you might know. Phone into Radio Cornwall, Pirate FM or any other local radio station. Anything! Just get your voice heard.
- Leave a comment on the ThisIsCornwall news item on the subject.
- If you really want to go to town, you can contact all 123 councillors!
- Sign the Cornwall Council on-line petition (coming soon), and share the address on your social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+)
- Speak to your friends, family, neighbours and work colleagues - anyone that will listen - and let them know what they stand to lose.
- Join the dedicated social media pages on Facebook, Twitter (Use the #BloodFromStone on your Tweets about the subject) and Google+.
- Attend the Full meeting of Cornwall Council at Truro (15/01/2012) where the final decision will be made. I shall try to organise a car pool, march (any other ideas?)
- Let everyone know your thoughts in the comments below.
This is just a beginning, people. I am nowhere near done yet.
In order to make sure you keep up to date with events, you can also click on the little red RSS link on the right. I get most of my traffic from Reddit, please share this post by adding it to PenzanceLocalPolitics (coming soon) and any other subreddits you feel would get the most attention.
Finally, thanks for your time. See you Truro on the 15th January.
Latest posts on #BloodFromStone
In order to make sure you keep up to date with events, you can also click on the little red RSS link on the right. I get most of my traffic from Reddit, please share this post by adding it to PenzanceLocalPolitics (coming soon) and any other subreddits you feel would get the most attention.
Finally, thanks for your time. See you Truro on the 15th January.
Latest posts on #BloodFromStone
Thursday, 29 November 2012
My application for co-option position to Penzance Town Council councillor for Penzance Central ward
I recently saw on Facebook that Penzance Town Council were looking to fill the position of Town Councillor for the Penzance East ward. It being too close to warrant an election, they are looking for suitable people to fill the void until the elections proper in May. Here is my application. Don't laugh.
Dear Simon,
It was nice to meet you in Waves on Tuesday, and after having read all the literature I was handed, I should like to formally put my name forward to be considered for the co-option position of town councillor for Penzance Central.
In support of my application, as was suggested, I offer a brief introduction.
Due to the religious and social mores of the time, I was born in Devon, but came to Cornwall as soon as my grandparents could tolerate my illegitimacy. Despite this early handicap, I consider myself every inch a Cornishman with a history of otherwise unbroken west Cornwall ancestry that stretches back to the 15th century.
My father's work took the family around the UK for the rest of my childhood, affording me the experience of schooling in Scotland and the home counties. I left school with mediocre O'level and CSE results and proceeded to work, ostensibly, in warehousing and distribution until an opportunity to move to Sweden came about that was impossible to turn down.
Whilst in Sweden, my career moved to construction and the installation of marble internal floors and stairs. Towards the end of my 7 year stay I also worked as a project manager for a train manufacturer. During my stay, I was awestruck at the efficiency and apparent ease in which the government and its instruments carried out its work, and upon my return to the UK in 2008 I started to look at how I could contribute to emulating the Scandinavian model here in Cornwall.
This activity initially moved me to blogging and Internet activism - something I still continue to do - but in the light of the current position at Penzance Town Council, I feel now is the time to 'step up to the plate' and get on with the business as it happens on the front-line.
I am presently on ESA for an anxiety issue generally brought about by the very inadequacies I deal with each day in relating to the business of British society as a whole, so I regard this application as a form of therapy and pro-active stance to right the perceived 'wrongs' that the general public appear to hold for reasons to distrust politics. I want to bring the public back into local politics.
Sometimes described as somewhat wordy, I have a tendency to encapsulate complex ideas in concise sentences; something I feel a time-pressed town council should appreciate. My political compass points me towards a liberal/libertarian position that transcends party politicking, preferring to concentrate on resolving problems common to us all rather than creating a wall of partisan bureaucracy the ends are the means.
I suppose if I were to put forward my primary objective for my application, it would simply be to represent the interests of as many of the ward as is possible, emphasising community, growth and sustainability.
There is only so much I can put here for you to get a thorough understanding of who I am and what it is I want to achieve so I would very much welcome the opportunity to speak with both yourself and the council and make my case in person.
I know of no impediment to my application, so I hope that we shall meet again in the very near future to discuss whatever steps are to be taken next.
Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kind regards,
Mr Tris Stock
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Oh, the irony
Source: The Cornishman
In a letter sent out this week, from Mike Peters, highways manager for Cornwall Council, businesses were told to remove signs from outside their premises because they are an obstruction to shoppers. I can't imagine why this might actually be a problem...
In a letter sent out this week, from Mike Peters, highways manager for Cornwall Council, businesses were told to remove signs from outside their premises because they are an obstruction to shoppers. I can't imagine why this might actually be a problem...
 |
| Hmm... |
Friday, 10 February 2012
Guesthouse owners lose appeal over gay couple ban | This is Cornwall
Guesthouse owners lose appeal over gay couple ban | This is Cornwall
This story seems to have been running for years. These two clowns live about three miles away from me, and run the guest house my grandfather used to frequent many years ago.
I hate the fact that homophobia and intolerance still exists in this country, but I guess the prevalence of traditional Christian values are still used to justify such behaviour.
With any luck, this will be the last I hear of the story.
I hate the fact that homophobia and intolerance still exists in this country, but I guess the prevalence of traditional Christian values are still used to justify such behaviour.
With any luck, this will be the last I hear of the story.
Two Christian guest-house owners who were ordered to pay damages after refusing to allow a gay couple to stay in a double room lost their appeal today.
The challenge by Peter and Hazelmary Bull, who run Chymorvah House in Marazion, Cornwall, was rejected by three judges in the Court of Appeal in London.
They had appealed against a conclusion by a judge at Bristol County Court that they acted unlawfully when they turned away Martyn Hall and his civil partner Steven Preddy in September 2008.
Judge Andrew Rutherford ruled in January last year that the Bulls had breached equality legislation and ordered them to pay the couple a total of £3,600 damages.
The appeal judges heard that the Bulls thought any sex outside marriage was a “sin”, but denied they had discriminated against Mr Hall and Mr Preddy, from Bristol.Tris Stock is a secular atheist, sceptic, pop-philosopher and writer trying very hard to build up a following with a view to one day make an income from doing what he loves. Please follow him on Google+, Twitter and Facebook.
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Ignorant and proud of it - Trevor Zwingli opines on the rejection of science.
Source: Western Morning News
We are all used to reading the insane rantings of north American theist's proclamations on wilful ignorance, but it still shocks me when I see evidence of it here in my backyard of the 'Old Country'
Our anonymous writer (he has now revealed his identity as Trevor Zwingli of the Tremough Catholics) appears to be rather bored of learning and understanding the world we live in. Here, for you all to enjoy, is the article in full, complete with my responses. I urge you to comment yourself.
In a forlorn attempt to improve my education, a friend regularly pops round with a pile of back copies of a magazine called New Scientist. They invariably have clever and colourful covers asking things like "Is Time Travel Possible?", "Can we Build a Brontosaurus?" or "Will Man Live Forever?"
Sadly, the answer to all these questions is always an emphatic NO. Sadder still, to reach this conclusion you have to wade through pages of gobbledegook understandable only by the sort of chap who wears sandals and socks and still lives with his mother.
However, it's good to know that people who have difficulty forming relationships have somewhere cosy to discuss quarks, neutrinos and the Higgs Boson Particle. After all, you never see them down the pub.
But this indulgence is rapidly turning to horror as you notice how fascination with the arcane is seeping out from publications like New Scientist into the media as a whole. Coverage of such things as the arts and history – even light entertainment – has been replaced with matters scientific.
Comedy panel shows all must now have a technological bent and every time someone notices something odd happening with a sandwich in the canteen of the Cern large hadron collider it dominates headlines. The schedules are packed and it will be only a matter of time before peak viewing is dominated by Kirstie Allsopp splitting the atom in a folksy, accessible way.
All through, the message comes across clear as "Hey! isn't science interesting? Isn't it fun?" to which the answer again is an definite "No!"
Riding the crest of this assumed wave of interest is a simpering weed called Prof. Brian Cox who obviously took his chair as a result of research into zit cream and having a whining northern accent. He is science's answer to gardening's Alan Titchmarsh and once he has appeared in front of the cameras he is presumably sucked back into the same oily tube from which he was squeezed. On his very debut he joined the Ron Bendell "Don't you want to hit him in the face with a shovel?" hall of fame.
As BBC budgets are trimmed – entailing vast cuts to local radio, regional TV and the rest – Cox is always there, delivering a piece to camera outside an observatory in Chile spouting on about his interest in black holes and the wonders of delving into dark matter.
His preoccupation – and that of the legion of cohorts dragged out from the bowels of laboratories across the world to back him up – always seems to be the origins of us all, the Big Bang and how little gizmos flying around the cosmos affect you, me and the fundamentals of creation.
Once, of course, these things were all left to theologians although that's terribly non-PC these days. Now, exponents of the new beliefs are free to ponder the imponderable and come up with the explanation of life, the universe and everything.
But what, I wonder throughout, has any of this got to do with the price of fish? Yes, bearded men looking at screens may have tracked down the tiny neutrons that enabled the formation of the Crab Nebula but how should that alter my life? Does that knowledge help any of us, at any time, drag ourselves through the day?
All of it, as archbishops, popes and ayatollahs before have found, is irrelevant tosh and does nothing to make the world a better place.
Good science must surely lead to practical good rather that highfalutin conjecture. Do new thoughts about the origins of the Solar System help us provide sewage systems that could save thousands in the slums of India? Do theories about the first few seconds after the creation save millions from malaria?
We already have all the understanding of the basics we need to make a happier, comfier world but instead billions are spent on meaningless research while millions starve – and folk shiver in front of gas fires they can't afford to switch on while their licence fees are spent sending Prof Cox to sit in front of yet another radio telescope. But clearly the nerds have taken over. Our tiny bit of spare cash goes to the new elite and our tiny bit of leisure time is filled by the same people telling us how fascinating it all is. New Scientist should be placed on the top shelf along with other publications of interest to people who need to get a life.
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