DEM not gonna CON dis NATION: Rolling UK politics in the short-lived post-Murdoch era

evil, tho

http://www.theonion.com/articles/starbucks-to-begin-sinister-phase-two-of-operation,416/

i was disappointed when someone bought me a starbucks coffee at how notably shit it was, like i would prefer to just be ehhh about them and assume their customers just go for convenience and predictability but honestly

workfare is a piece of shit and i'd be surprised at its continued existence if the great british public weren't fucking swine

http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?page_id=16

almost parodic inversion of 'the dignity of labour'

sin e an rud nua over here as well. Sucks.

somewhere between Keynesianism and the gulags

nb

http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/news/pubs-show-how-they-can-help-to-get-britain-working

i support Tim Martin's "everybody gets pissed" approach to wealth creation

Boycott Workfare do an excellent job of highlighting both the participating employers (when they picketed a bunch of Superdrug branches, Superdrug tried to say they were 'scaring the staff', pathetic 'is it suitable for my servant to read?' bullshit) and the way fitness for work tests will have the sick and disabled working in exchange for their benefits for a potentially unlimited amount of time. Definitely worth a like or a bookmark or a follow.

My own personal favourite irony (and one I've never seen pointed out) is that the MPs who decry the Sky dishes of the undeserving poor the most are the most likely (and accomodating) political slaves of Rupert Murdoch.

6,242 people put their religion down as Heavy Metal in the census
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2012/dec/11/census-data-released-live-coverage?intcmp=122

Hey everyone! The Conservative Party would like to know what you think about benefit reforms:

http://www.conservatives.com/Get_involved/Benefits_HaveYourSay

"Do you think it’s fair that people can claim more in benefits that the average family earns through going to work?"

... nice one

Fucking hell - 'Queen Elizabeth Land'?!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20757382

... cold, frosty and unwelcoming

... distant and dangerous

...full of smelly, formally-dressed waddling things?

... disputed by several nations and at risk from rapid changes in climate

...currently being explored by Ranulph Fiennes

'Queen Elizabeth Land'

Build a few roller-coasters and the tourists will be queueing up round the block (of ice).

The 90-day consultation period before large-scale redundancies can take place is to be cut to 45 days, under government plans.

Employment Relations Minister Jo Swinson said the move was aimed at helping workers and businesses.

workers primarily tho

http://i.imgur.com/tEvwV.jpg

Employment Relations Minister Jo Swinson said the move was aimed at helping workers and businesses.

Well done Jo, vote Lib Dem eh?

My knee jerk response is there must be something bad about it cos tories, but as someone who's been made redundant twice I'm not sure why this is bad? I hated the long consultation periods, fuck 90 days of uncertainty looming over you, just get it fucking over with, give me my redundancy pay and I'll be off to something else.

I'd go with your knees on this one

With your knees or on your knees, it's a' one to yer Tories

90 days > 45 days because a) more money from the company, b) more time to find something else, c) gives enough time for unions to negotiate.

That last one is important. Strike rules require 7 days' notice of ballot, 14 days for voting, then 7 days' notice of strike. With 45 days of total consultation time that doesn't leave a lot of room to try and find a negotiated settlement. Unions would have to try and go from 0 to strike ballot as soon as redundancies are announced, and not many places are that militant.

I guess a) is somewhat understandable, but I don't get b). I read that as a complaint somewhere else. Is it normal to start looking for a new job when you might be laid off in 90 days? Seems like any prospective employers wouldn't look on that very favourably.

Didn't think of c) cos not like there's any union I could join so negotiation's never been an option.

Prospective employers don't need to know that you're looking because you're being made redundant. Concern about the viability of your current employer is a reasonable reason to want to leave a company, anyway.

Also, the guideline for finding a new gig is 30 days searching for every 10k salary you want to earn, so 45 days isn't enough time to find a job > 15k (yes, that's what redundancy pay is for, but it's easiest to find work if you're currently employed).

Seems like every job I went for wanted someone to start ASAP and wouldn't wait 90 days but ymmv.

Anyway, your point c) covers why the tories are in favour of this. Anything to get one over on the unions.

the guideline for finding a new gig is 30 days searching for every 10k salary you want to earn

what the shit

That's the average, apparently. Seems about right in my limited experience.

Actually it was misleading when I said "searching" - time included in interviews is included.

I've never heard this before, but it clicks with my brother going for some megajob, and he's been being interviewed since September ferxsakes.

It sounds about what I'd expect, in this climate at least.

theo walcott is about to face fifty years wandering the desert

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/dec/21/david-davies-gay-marriage-interview

oh my god

OH MY GOD

everything about this interview is a TREAT

where do i even start c/ping

why is he so fixated on erasure

Maybe all this is a long-game PUA 'negging' strategy so Davies can get a date with the bloke from Erasure.

Or more likely: homophobe can't explain why he's homophobic.

Now I've got Boy George's greatest hits, and I love it!

That's like the homophobe's equivalent of a racist claiming that they can't be racist because they own a copy of Whitney Houston's greatest hits.

That interview is 100% Peter Mannion. The interview works even better if you imagine Roger Allam saying that stuff.

come on, Erasure were great

no they weren't, they were terrible. that quote is absolutely amazing though.

Erasure are completely still going you utter bastards.

i was joking, jed is crazy talking

erasure are awesome

who is this
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m15fil3Lw11qdlh1io1_400.gif

"Gonna be a Tory Hero...
 gonna wreck some. lives. to-day!"

Graham Evans, from March last year.