Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Smacking Children

No I don't agree. I do think they need discipline, and by that I mean it in its true meaning.
How may parents make threats "do that and I'll..." or "don't do that or I'll..." but fail to carry out the threat. Be consistent and mean what you say. Also set examples, be rigorous and stick to it. Some ties it is hard work yes, they drive you to despair but eventually they learn the rules and why they must be obeyed. Start immediately - its not funny when they're small (it may be but don't let them know and don't let them get away with it). Even babies know if you really mean it. They try it on to test you.

If your children misbehave - yes it IS your fault. You didn't set the rules and abide by them YOURSELF!

Saturday, 28 January 2012

Hester's Bonus

Hester's bonus is a big issue, but if you accept that RBS has been bailed out by billions from the Government - you and me, its peanuts. He has a contract and gets paid for his job. I'd expect to get paid what I was promised, surely if the rules have been broken that's another thing.

When will we get our money back. Milllions of pensioners depend on savings for income but get less than 3% interest form the likes of RBS etc. Inflation is 5% - do the arithmetic.

Cameron and co could help by taking the 20% tax off savings interest. OR pay a "real" interest rate. Its our bank after all.


Thursday, 26 January 2012

Benefits - To Cap or Not?

No doubt there are some Benefits claimants who do not deserve their inflated claims. However is it fair to cap them regardless?

If you work can you get more money because of your Circumstances? don't be silly.

If you can't afford something you do without, or borrow, but then you have to afford the repayments - your choice.
SO why should "we" yes we the Tax payers, pay out more and more depending on the Claimants circumstances - big house, high rent 27 kids etc assuming that the person is not disabled/ill etc.?

There has to be a limit, because "WE" can't afford it. There is only so much money and the Bankers have robbed us of most of it.

Bear in mind that benefits are tax free so you must Gross up what they get by around a third to make it what you or I would have to earn before deductions to get that figure, also remember - no expenses, no cost of travelling to WORK. No time spent away from your house/family earning your money. Just sit back and it comes to you.

One exception - if you are working you pay National Insurance (I have for over 30 years) and haven't claimed anything for over 20years. So if I lost my job - no income - I would like to Claim on my Insurance (NI). So i would expect something back for all those premiums I had paid so at least for a while (say a year) I would expect my Benefits to relate to my earnings - say two thirds.

Finally - make Benefits Taxable. OK, if its less than your Tax allowance you pay no tax - no problem but those on vast sums have to pay tax - its only fair.

What do you say Cameron/Osborne?

Saturday, 21 January 2012

Thursday, 19 January 2012

Kobo - alternative to Kindle?

http://www.kobobooks.com/ereaders

Is this a good alternative to the Kindle? I understand the Kindle "locks you in" ? This must get you ALL the free books cheaper?

Pays your money takes your choice eh.

Saturday, 14 January 2012

Gove plans ICT overhaul in schools

Michael Gove has announced an overhaul of ICT teaching in schools.
He obviously doesn’t understand ICT does he.
There are basically 3 aspects to ICT
1. Hardware/connectivity
2. Applications development
3. Applications training/use
In my experience (over 25 years) in IT I have gleaned that most people know just enough about applications to do their job. Most IT training in schools covers this aspect but even now we get the majority of people e in work barely know the rudiments of using their IT. WE have become accustomed to setting educational standards required to be competent in a job, e.g. Minimum 5 GCSEs including English and Maths. I wholeheartedly agree that there should be an IT GCSE as a minimum standard. Currently we have the e ECDL, if only this was the minimum, it would be a huge step forward.
Now regarding the other 2. How many people have passed their Driving Test and can get from A to B without understanding the laws of Thermodynamics that power their engine? Yes – its not necessary, unless you are a car designer. Thus we have the dilemma what exactly is IT and how do we wan to teach it. The teachers must have the knowledge.
Programming and development. From my experience schoolchildren cannot be taught this but what they can be taught is maths/science and logical thinking.
Let me illustrate.
Do you know what an IP address is? Does 10.211.5.7 mean anything to you? How does your computer know how to connect to the Website when you type in www.website.com – it could be anywhere in the world!
10.211.5.7 is an IP address (Internet Protocol). The number is unique to a device (in the world) and consists of Decimal numbers representing Binary Octets. 255=11111111 in Binary. 256(dec)=100000000 (in Binary). Computers work in Binary which represents on/off. You may have heard of 8, 16 or 64bit systems. What is a Megabyte of RAM? Hence you see Mathematics is key to understanding this. How to work in number bases.
Behind the computer on your desk there are a vast army of people all over the world (and many in your business) controlling how these systems all hang together and ensuring that you can access your bank account online, watch your TV programme or simply get the loaf of bread to your corner shop. IT is behind all this. But its not Microsoft Excel that does it, or anything you’ve probably seen on your PC. I know because I do it. How can schools teach this? Simply they can’t. But they can teach logical thinking, Boolean Algebra, set theory, understanding statistics, databases etc.
Bottom line the best education is good old Mathematics and science for the 21st Century but the kids need a good ability to read, write and do arithmetic.

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

More IT Education needed?

This makes me cross.

Yes IT skills could improve but only a minority will be high flyers.

Did you know over a fifth of school leavers are officially illiterate! Yes in 2012!

Surely this is tantamount to child cruelty? Letting them leave school unable to do the basics and with NO qualifications.

Why doesn't the Government pledge "no one will be illiterate i the 21st Century" in the 5thrichest economy in the World?

scandalous. Tony Blair pledged to eliminate Child Poverty but we are still saddled with Educational Child Poverty.

It can be done. My Wife has taught in Special Needs education for years and only the smallest minority are unable to be educated. Those with the worst disabilities, but it is expensive. BUT surely we can afford it with the will. Look what we waste as a society on Food and drink, not to mention smoking. What is more important our children or our selfish gluttony?

How can kids be expected to apply for jobs if they can't read a paper or a bus timetable? Think about it.

Monday, 9 January 2012

Worrall Thompson

So be honest, who hasn't wandered out of a shop to find some small item in their bag that hasn't gone through the till? Sometimes 2 go through and only one gets scanned. "Bogof" you say. Do you rush back to pay? NO!

That's shoplifting!

But they can afford it you argue. Its still criminal.

However I do feel when I've spent over £100 at Tescos they could give me a discount of some sort? Some times they give you a voucher for 5p a litre off petrol if you spend £50 +, so why not 2 vouchers if you spend over £100?

Thursday, 5 January 2012

Wind!

When are these winds going to subside?

Trouble is stuff in garden is disappearing. Bin day today. So many Bins blown over and rubbish scattered.

Stuff seems to gather somewhere. Well it Must be somewhere - where?

Is there an island in the pacific piled high with Bins, crisp packets etc? I wonder.

Like power cables. Every appliance comes with a cable. When you disconnect and move them, come to reconnect and you're always 1 short!! Where do they go? Is there a Bermuda triangle island full of "kettle leads".

Its a mystery.