I had a run in with the business's bank the other day.
I run separate sterling, dollar and euro accounts so that I don't get tied up in too much foreign exchange nonsense. As it happened, due to VAT crap with HMRC I needed more pounds for a short period. I didn't want to convert dollars as I would need to change them back to dollars in the not too distant future with all the exchange rate costs and losses.
Easy I thought. A job for an overdraft. So I asked the bank for a £20k overdraft. No problem as I had way more dollars than is guaranteed by the Government. But no the bank insisted they needed my personal guarantee for a business overdraft. No problem I said but I wanted a personal guarantee from the bank directors for my dollars not covered by the Government.
Oddly enough the bank directors seem rather less confident in their business than I do in mine. So I ended up converting to dollars to pay a VAT bill that was refunded to me a few weeks later.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Monday, 31 October 2011
Jeez!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-15519226
North Yorkshire chief constable admitted gross misconduct in helping a relative during a recruitment drive.
The police authority refused to renew his fixed term contract which expires in May 2012.
He will receive a payout of £200,000.
Home Office regulations require senior officers to be compensated if they are unable to complete 30 years' pensionable service.
Mr Maxwell would only complete that period if he stayed in the force until 2013.
Simple, demote him and give him a broom until his 30 years are up. And change the regulations.
Monday, 24 October 2011
Oh, to live in a democracy
One issue I feel strongly about is the EU. So today's debate in the commons on having a referendum on the EU is of great interest to me.
Whether you are for or against the EU is beside the point. 99.5% of you can lobby your MP and make your views known, and you never know it might even make the tiniest bit of a difference to the outcome.
On the other hand the good burghers of Buckingham are disenfranchised. We can lobby our MP as much as we like and, unless there is a tied result, the person elected to represent our interests doesn't even get to vote.
Whether you are for or against the EU is beside the point. 99.5% of you can lobby your MP and make your views known, and you never know it might even make the tiniest bit of a difference to the outcome.
On the other hand the good burghers of Buckingham are disenfranchised. We can lobby our MP as much as we like and, unless there is a tied result, the person elected to represent our interests doesn't even get to vote.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Recent events
I have not commented on recent events because of the torrent of words that have flooded out of and continue to flood out of the MSM and the blogosphere.
I will however discuss one small point. During the riots I heard comments along the lines of do parents know where there kids are. It is clear that many of the kids are "feral" and out of control. What hasn't been asked is how many of the parents, usually singular, are anything other than "feral" themselves.
The malaise is multi generational and not limited to the current batch of young men and women.
One small snippit in today's paper struck me. This was about a 15 year old boy accused of raping a 13 year old. "The teenager was bailed to go back to his children's home". The home is in loco parantis and responsible for the upbringing and behaviour of the boy. Will the responsible adult be disciplined for failing to ensure their charge was not rioting? Is there even such a thing as a responsible adult?
Until we punish public employees who fail to do their jobs then there is no chance of any improvement in any field of society.
I will however discuss one small point. During the riots I heard comments along the lines of do parents know where there kids are. It is clear that many of the kids are "feral" and out of control. What hasn't been asked is how many of the parents, usually singular, are anything other than "feral" themselves.
The malaise is multi generational and not limited to the current batch of young men and women.
One small snippit in today's paper struck me. This was about a 15 year old boy accused of raping a 13 year old. "The teenager was bailed to go back to his children's home". The home is in loco parantis and responsible for the upbringing and behaviour of the boy. Will the responsible adult be disciplined for failing to ensure their charge was not rioting? Is there even such a thing as a responsible adult?
Until we punish public employees who fail to do their jobs then there is no chance of any improvement in any field of society.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Doctors
Just rang my doctor to make an appointment. I can't make the appointment until tomorrow morning as the first available are on Monday and the appointments can't be made more than 48 hours in advance. I have to ring at 8:30 on the dot or I'll be too late to book one.
That's got to be another stupid government target.
That's got to be another stupid government target.
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Another Little Ice Age?
Scientific opinion is shifting:
"If we are right, this could be the last solar maximum we'll see for a few decades," Hill said. "That would affect everything from space exploration to Earth's climate."
A quote from a meeting of the American Astronomical Society. See:
http://www.space.com/11960-fading-sunspots-slower-solar-activity-solar-cycle.html
"Currently, the sun is in the midst of the period designated as Cycle 24 and is ramping up toward the cycle's period of maximum activity. However, the recent findings indicate that the activity in the next 11-year solar cycle, Cycle 25, could be greatly reduced. In fact, some scientists are questioning whether this drop in activity could lead to a second Maunder Minimum, which was a 70-year period from 1645 to 1715 when the sun showed virtually no sunspots.
"We expected to see the start of the zonal flow for Cycle 25 by now, but we see no sign of it," Hill said. "The flow for Cycle 25 should have appeared in 2008 or 2009. This leads us to believe that the next cycle will be very much delayed, with a minimum longer than the one we just went through."
Hill estimated that the start of Cycle 25 could be delayed to 2021 or 2022 and will be very weak, if it even happens at all."
"If we are right, this could be the last solar maximum we'll see for a few decades," Hill said. "That would affect everything from space exploration to Earth's climate."
A quote from a meeting of the American Astronomical Society. See:
http://www.space.com/11960-fading-sunspots-slower-solar-activity-solar-cycle.html
"Currently, the sun is in the midst of the period designated as Cycle 24 and is ramping up toward the cycle's period of maximum activity. However, the recent findings indicate that the activity in the next 11-year solar cycle, Cycle 25, could be greatly reduced. In fact, some scientists are questioning whether this drop in activity could lead to a second Maunder Minimum, which was a 70-year period from 1645 to 1715 when the sun showed virtually no sunspots.
"We expected to see the start of the zonal flow for Cycle 25 by now, but we see no sign of it," Hill said. "The flow for Cycle 25 should have appeared in 2008 or 2009. This leads us to believe that the next cycle will be very much delayed, with a minimum longer than the one we just went through."
Hill estimated that the start of Cycle 25 could be delayed to 2021 or 2022 and will be very weak, if it even happens at all."
Friday, 3 June 2011
Is the West free?
/quote
A flashmob in Washington has felt the full force of the law, by being forcibly arrested by police - for dancing in public. They'd gathered at the Jefferson Memorial in defiance of a ban on dancing at the monument. Among those held were RT America presenter Adam Kokesh, who says he was slammed to the ground by officers. The ban came in during 2008 when an activist sued police for arresting her for public dancing. The group say they were paying tribute to her as a champion of the First Amendment, guaranteeing freedom, and in response to US District Judge John D. Bates' ruling that denounced dancing on the site.
/end quote
The Americans can go over board but it couldn't happen here could it?
http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/latest-news/press-release.asp?id=2233
/quote
POLICE in Birmingham have obtained a dispersal order for the city centre.
...
Under the order, officers will have the power to move on any group of two or more people deemed to be acting anti-socially. Officers can also arrest anyone in breach of the order.
/end quote
So if the police decide a couple bopping in th street in Brum is anti social they can be dispersed or arrested.
And some people think the west is free :(
h/t to Captain Ranty and OH.
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