November 12, 2010
I would urge you to read and act upon this
My friend Purlpower's post on her situation with regard to the ludicrous way decisions are made about benefits. Warning this post will make you angry. Do what Purlpower says and sign everything she points you to. Now.
Posted by glittrgirl at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)
November 7, 2010
The jobless. Treat 'em tough. Unpaid forced labour. Yeah. Right.
The current UK government astounds me.
The latest 'jobs' strategy is to force the unemployed to do 'community work' at peril of losing their benefits for three months.
This, in my opinion demonises being unemployed. It puts jobless people in the same social place as offenders - being forced into doing 'work' for no minimum wage, at peril of losing freedoms, privileges, or indeed the benefits that allow them to eat. And search for work.
The number of unemployed people is set to rise dramatically in the UK, not least by the huge reduction in the numbers of civil servants (nearly half a million to go). To reduce people who find themselves without work to the same status as the tiny numbers of people who play the system and choose not to work, or to the status of offenders, is nothing short of ridiculous.
Most people who lose their jobs do not become long term unemployed out of choice. Being out of work is not generally a lifestyle choice. Neither is it an offence to be without work. But people out of work for more than 12 months will become even more stigmatised by being seen out in the streets, picking up litter, gardening, or clearing ponds. Like being in a chain gang. Identifiable. Out there. For all to see.
People without work lose their self esteem and confidence. They do not need to be seen by their friends and neighbours, pointed at for being out of work for more than 12 months. They (I) need help, confidence building, encouragement.
If there is work out there, no matter what it is, people should be paid at least the minimum wage for doing it. Not be forced to do it for free, at penalty of losing the tiny amount of money they are granted in benefits which is barely enough to live on.
And if doing at least 30 hours of community work (forced labour?) a week, how are these people supposed to do the amount of job hunting they are required to evidence every time they go to sign on? Looking for work is a full time job in itself. It takes a great deal of time and effort to produce tailored CVs for every job you go for, not to mention writing letters, making phone calls and attending interviews. All of which are very difficult when you have been rejected several times.
I simply cannot see how this is going to 'help' people back into work. This policy is a huge stick, which treats people like naughty children, punishing rather than helping them or encouraging them, or paying them the minimum wage for work.
Work is work.
Labour is labour.
Whether it is a 'job' or not.
If there is work, people should be paid for doing it. And paid at least the minimum wage.
Full stop.
The government has already said it is going to make sure that there is no financial advantage in remaining on benefit rather than working. This new policy is completely focussed on the few, rather than the more than 5 people on welfare going after every vacancy.
I am seething this morning. The government said it was going to be radical. It is. Radically old fashioned right wing conservative in its nasty pontificating extreme. Anyone who voted Lib Dem must be holding their heads in shame - your party has completely sold out. Unemployment and student fees are just two recent examples where you have gone against what was in your manifesto. Sell out. Complete sellout. I didn't vote for this government, and I did not vote for the party which is now, in my opinion, dead, having got into bed with the Tories at the tiniest promise of playing at power. The Tories are treading all over the Lib Dems, who are now totally emasculated. And this country is set to return to the Thatcher years which saw production and the heavy industries that gave places like the North East an identity ripped to pieces. I can only hope that the protest, radicalism, creativity and attitude which came out of the Thatcher years reappears soon. Though I suspect that as a nation we are now far too complacent.
Posted by glittrgirl at 12:09 PM | Comments (6)
February 22, 2010
Normal service will resume soon
Work is manic. Little time to do much apart from keep the flat clean and tidy, and try to keep myself healthy.
And then a camera failure.
So no pics.
Replacement camera - pics soon. Of knitting.
Give me a couple of days and I will post again with more arresting content.
Of course Scumkitten may treat you before then, but as we work for the same organisation, she is just as manic as me. But she has a working camera..... And is much more erudite then I when she applies herself to fiction. But we are both busy with earning pennies right now....
Posted by glittrgirl at 11:19 PM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2009
What next?
You already know - my sister lost her soulmate. That is so bad it is beyond bad.
Today my dad was involved in a RTA. He. Was. Not. Responsible. Really it was not his fault. He is fine. We are all kind of OK.....
Can anything else happen?
Can it? Really??? Please don't. Not to any of us. We Have. Had. Our. Fill. OK????
PLEASE let me have something nice to talk about. It has been too long.
PLEASE??????
Posted by glittrgirl at 11:13 PM | Comments (1)
September 4, 2008
Feeling fluey
I have returned from Prague with a cold. Well, it feels more like flu. Aching bones, hacking cough, shakey, temperature up and down, earache, sore throat, runny nose..... Pretty crap all round. And it looks like I will miss the iKnit London event...... Boo hoo.
Posted by glittrgirl at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)
July 22, 2008
From independent rebel to 'aspirational' wannabe TV?
Channel 4 has been bugging me for a few years. You can't turn the channel on now, it seems, without facing either Big Brother, dodgy, yelling documentaries, or programmes entitled 'My sister has three penises'. It seems that other people have issues with it- an interesting article in The Guardian by George Monbiot, on Channel 4's imbalanced programme production when it comes to environmental issues:
Why does Channel 4 seem to be waging a war against the greens?
Posted by scumkitten at 12:06 PM | Comments (1)
February 26, 2008
Wind
The wind has caused some roof tiles to come off and land two floors down. There was hazard tape round my building when I got in from knitting at 9.25pm and some ridge tiles on the path outside my flat. The roof tops my flat. So I guess most of tomorrow morning will be spent sorting out how it will get fixed - If the 85mph winds forecast for early in the morning don't cause more damage... I suspect a sleepless night is in order. Sigh.
Posted by glittrgirl at 9:50 PM | Comments (0)
December 15, 2007
Brrrr.....
It is cold here in the North East at the moment - averaging about 3C, which is chilly when it is as damp as it is here.
My boiler ceased to work on Thursday evening. I have just had the nice man from British Gas here, who had a good rootle about and diagnosed a burnt out circuit board. He can't get me another one until Monday. So I am without heat or hot water.
I could be really annoyed about this, so close to the festive holidays and all that, or, more temptingly, I could use it as an excuse to be an utter slob. No baths or showers until Monday! I secretly enjoy getting good and grubby, just so that I can really appreciate it when I eventually get really clean.
And the warmest places to be in my little flat will be bed (Yay! Hours and hours and hours under the duvet), or in front of the oven with the fan going at full blast - or hours and hours and hours of roasting things and baking.....
And drinking a lot of soup to stay toasty. Good job I made that large pan of tomato and tangerine earlier.
And wrapping myself in knitted shawls and scarves to stay warm.... I could wear every knitted item I own, all at the same time and be really snuggly!
Right now I am of to Argos to buy a small heater - no doubt I will have to fight Greebo for prime toe toasting position.
I used my time in the flat this morning whilst waiting for the BG man profitably, and you may be pleased to learn that photography has taken place. Therefore I shall post pictures either later today or tomorrow.
In the meantime I get to wear a woolly hat all day and all night.....
Posted by glittrgirl at 12:22 PM | Comments (2)
October 29, 2007
Say No to Badger Culling in the UK...
Badger, Dachs, Wikipedia Commons
1. There is no conclusive proof that badgers are the original carriers of the disease. Rats also carry Bovine TB.
2. Research has shown that culling of badgers pushes the disease outside the affected area into farms that had previously not suffered any cases.
3. Research has shown that better management of herds has a much greater affect on reducing the disease in comparison to culling of badgers (40% to 19%)
4. There are only 300 000 badgers left in the UK. The return to culling would have a devastating effect on this population.
5. Removal of any indigenous creature that has not outgrown its niche will have a knockon effect on the rest of that niche.
6. UK badgers are different to the continental Eurasian badger in a number of ways. If the UK badger dies out (which reducing its population may well cause in the long term), then we will not be able to 'replace' it.
7. Many scientists think that the endemic nature of Bovine TB is due to the crowded and stressful conditions that cows in the UK are kept in: large herds, kept indoors during Winter, forced lactation for dairy cows. This pysiological stress will have an effect on the immune system, leaving herds susceptible to the disease and providing the conditions for transfer. I would rather pay more for my milk!
If you would like to sign an online petition stating your opposition to the proposed culling, then go to:
Online Petition to Oppose Badger Culling to register your protest.
You can also email the PM directly on this matter:
Posted by scumkitten at 11:29 AM | Comments (1)
February 3, 2007
How frustrating?
My Rowan mag 41 is stuck in my post box.
Stuck.
Well and truly jammed.
The postie has pushed the damned thing so far that the flap would close, which would be great - protecting it from the rain and all that, but it's not raining.
And the mag is jamming the lock to get into the box, preventing me from retrieving the tantalising object. I have spent half an hour finger wrestling over 120 leaves of high quality 150 gsm satin finish fine paper, which, believe me, makes for a very tough spine to negotiate via a narrow letter gap.
I am so annoyed.
Annoyed I say.
And frustrated. So very, very, very frustrated.
10.50 stirling worth of Rowan patterns will not be worth having - IF I can ever get the bloody thing out.
I intend to complain in the strongest terms to Royal Mail, let me tell you.
Grrrrrrrrrrr.
Posted by glittrgirl at 10:28 AM | Comments (4)
December 31, 2006
Please forgive me...
The Scream, E. Munch
Posted by scumkitten at 12:08 PM | Comments (4)
September 1, 2006
Pimp My Snack under Attack
BOO! BOO! BOO to you, VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.! You should be ASHAMED of yourself. What mean-spirited, small-minded behaviour. You are nasty, bad people. You make the world a worse place to live in. I wouldn't be surprised if you also sold powdered milk to third world mothers, developed F1 male sterile crop seeds and had a side line in gunrunning.
Because that is what your sort of company does.
And HURRAY! for Pimp My Snack for their spirited defence against corporate greed and nonsense. Even if it doesn't get them anywhere. I also have never seen 'Pimp My Ride'. See, evil, greedy corporate pigdogs, not everyone watches your crap! I'd rather look at a picture of a giant home-made custard cream than watch your show! Is that your problem? Are you jealous?
That's all I have to say on the matter.
Posted by scumkitten at 2:33 PM | Comments (1)
May 30, 2006
If you believe in freedom of expression
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
If you believe the internet is one of the most powerful inventions of the digital age, if you believe it has the potential to empower and educate, to cross cultural boundaries and create global communities; if you believe it offers the means for any individual with access to a computer and a gateway to the internet to communicate in a free flow of information and ideas with others across the world; if you believe the interet should be a a force for political freedom, then sign the Amnesty International pledge at http://irrepressible.info/.
Undermine censorship by publishing irrepressible fragments of censored material on your own site (we have just over there >>>). There is guidance on how to do this on the irrepressable website.
Posted by glittrgirl at 10:38 AM | Comments (1)
May 25, 2006
Boy, oh boy am I glad I made up a word
BANG!
Turned Down. Flat.
Beaver related names are OK despite their pejorative connotations for women. Anything with Terrorist in it's title isn't. What's that all about? I know that the ultimate decision is Amy's, but really. It's just a word. No more offensive than beaver. And PC to the point of .....
If ANYONE is offended by our title, them PLEASE, tell us here why (comment). If you have a good reason, we'll change our blog. Mind you. It will have to be a DAMNED convincing reason. We are not easily swayed.
And we are angry. Damned angry. But we still gave money to breast cancer, and we are, right now, Knittivists. Which is cool, and OK but NOT what was requested. Grrrrrr.
Posted by glittrgirl at 10:37 PM | Comments (16)
February 23, 2006
Arse
One of my weapons against impending arse-spreadage (I have lost 9 lbs since christmas, 14 more to go to my ultimate aim) is dark, dark chocolate. Strange but true. One square of the 75% stuff and I am a satisfied bunny. Sainsburys do a good Belgian dark chocolate, 72%, acceptable fruitness. I thought I had bought some this lunchtime, to have a square a day as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
But no, the barstewards had put the Belgian MILK chocolate in the box for the dark chocolate. I'm still jetlagged. I didn't realise. I've already eaten FOUR squares. I'm going to give it away to Wendy downstairs. She'll eat it. Happily.
Arse (in more than one sense of the word.)
Posted by scumkitten at 2:56 PM | Comments (0)
February 4, 2006
Apologies and recriminations
Firstly, apologies to Glittr and all her hard work on this fantastic duel blog: my absence over the last few weeks has annoyed me, so I hope it hasn't annoyed anyone else. In fact, I'm imagining that no one has really noticed, as Glittr does such a good job of putting up oddities for our amusement :)
This is just a quick heads up to say 'hi' and I haven't abandoned you all- the last month has been ridiculous for a number of reasons. I have a two week snowboarding trip coming up (leaving tuesday) and as a result of too much greed and laziness over the last year, finally realised at christmas that I was too heavy for my snowboard. Lord.
Anyway, 4 weeks later, and I can happily say that I am now 9 lbs lighter, don't need a new snowboard and can happily jet off to the mountains knowing that I am not going to snap anything other than my own bones.
So, the result of this determination to rid myself of lard has seen me spending most of my spare time skipping or running or cycling or wobbling around on a skateboard, all in an attempt to shift fat and get fit for the holiday. Seems to have worked.
In addition to the above, I'm doing some consultancy work at the moment, in my spare time (don't worry, inland revenue, I'll be in contact once my contract has been approved) when I am not trying to keep fit. Therefore, I have NO spare time! No knitting, no blything, no blogging. And I miss it. Fingers crossed that when I am back from hols I might have something to show for myself.
So, Glittr, my good friend, keep up the good work and keep the blog warm for me until I return... ;)
Posted by scumkitten at 11:28 AM | Comments (1)
December 24, 2005
Cashmere woes and some yarn to make it better.
A little tight fitting...
Any suggestions?
Quick, show some wool to make things better...
Posted by scumkitten at 4:10 PM | Comments (1)
December 13, 2005
Like, Sprout Pizza, Dude!
Like, sprout pizza, dude!
Posted by scumkitten at 1:58 PM | Comments (1)
November 10, 2005
More comic political noodlings
Many, many things get me seething (I wish I were buddha calm, but I'm not. I do try, but still, nope, not calm), a big section involving the politics of both the U.S. and the U.K.- whether U.S. poodle or as much to blame for the state of the world, I don't care, we are still right there in the mix, meddling. So I'm always up for a bit of neo-con mocking, provided here by Phil Angelides, the Democrat's candidate for California Governor.
Go to Arnolds Neighborhood for their little ditty. Can you imagine if U.K. politics went down this road?
p.s. I love the Cheney monster. Never has a man been so properly depicted.
Posted by scumkitten at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2005
Oh Dear.
This is what I have to deal with at work sometimes:
"...knowledge loss will take place when a contradiction that should have been dealt with by Socratic negotiation or pluralist toleration, has been violently resolved by the supression of one side of the contradiction." (Parker, 2004)
Any clues? It's in a report on Education for Sustainable Development, which I have at least some understanding of. I'm only a poor geneticist. Be gentle with me.
Posted by scumkitten at 4:14 PM | Comments (3)
March 30, 2005
Research and Banana Daiquiris: Truer Than Life
As a few of you may know, I had the misfortune of spending 9 good years of my life locked in several evil laboratories with misfits and social inadequates. My escape was shifty and (some might say) a mere move sideways into Educational Development (always with the capitals!), but at least the people I work with now know how to eat with their mouths closed and (generally) use deodorant (or wash regularly).
I am now sharing these excerpts from an article in the UK Times Higher Education Supplement (Laurie Taylor, March 25, 2005) because it made me spit my coffee all over my keyboard- I am probably the only person in the world who finds this funny due to my Colditz-like escape tunnel from the world of academic research into the world of academic teaching... but here we have a description for a procedure used to deliver objective indices of research inactivity in academics....
Academic Assessment
Volume 13. March 2005
Method
Academics believed to be "research inactive" are invited into the laboratory where they are promptly undressed and strapped to an experimental table. Two small electrodes are surgically inserted into the septal region of their hypothalamuses and they are then exposed to a series of research and non-research stimuli. All electrical activity elicited is recorded on the Research Resonance Meter.
Trial One: Subliminal Proper Names
Max Planck, Hilary Swank
Madonna, Madam Curie
Albert Einstein, Billy Eckstine
Isaac Newton, Olivia Newton (John)
Niels Bohr, Neil Diamond
Trial Three: Subliminal Photographs
Particle accelerator
Deckchair
Superconductive undulator
Common vibrator
X-ray generator
Banana daiquiri
Comparative examination of the elctrical activity (flickers) generated by the research-orientated stimuli and the non-research orientated stimuli yields the following RI categories:
5-10 flickers Research Flaccid (capable of resuscitation)
Fewer than 5 flickers Research inactive (no evidence of research interest)
Not even a flicker Research dead (transfer to teaching only)
Conclusion
More research needed.
Posted by scumkitten at 9:09 AM | Comments (1)
January 27, 2005
Quick Rant
Sorry if this isn't appropriate to a Knitting Blog..
(and I am aware of the foolish juxtaposition of politics, death and handicrafts (which is why I haven't spouted off before) and other peoples' opinions of Michael Moore, and no, I haven't just started thinking about these issues- I think about them often and with much angst- and I am also aware that really, no one cares what I think- disenfranchised? Moi? Yes)
...but I have just watched Farenheit 9/11 and I am reminded of why we no longer live in a democracy and how much I HATE so many of the people involved in the decision of going to war (and staying there), with their smug faces and their money-making schemes...
Saving the people of Iraq, MY ARSE!
Ah. I'll stop now. [/rant].
p.s. these are the thoughts of Skitten, not Glittrgirl... (she may have these thoughts, but she isn't typing them right now. Sorry Glittr!)
p.p.s. I'll probably delete this tomorrow, like the good little English citizen I am, in case I OFFEND anyone.
p.p.p.s. AND Another thing.... Just because I seriously object to the invasion of another Sovereign country for dubious and ever changing reasons does not mean that a) I'm all for terror (apart from knitting terror, of course) or b) that I don't feel for and support the many individuals, both armed forces and charity and aid workers who are out there doing a damn hard job. Just thought I'd add that in case anyone got the wrong idea and started yelling at me (which has happened before. In Colorado. Hmm).
Posted by scumkitten at 11:47 PM | Comments (5)
December 13, 2004
Skitten Spits:
about the fact that my only decent local yarn shop (well, ok, corner of a department store) is going to close in less than a month. What am I going to do? This is going to have serious implications with respect to my sanity. On the plus side, I will have more money and my boyfriend won't think I am mad.
Don't ever bother coming to the south west for yarn. We are an (almost) officially yarn-free zone here.
p.s. I am very, very sorry to see the lovely ladies who serve behind the counter go too- they were great, always friendly and happy to chat about knitting related stuff. Never, ever underestimate the importance of stuff.
Posted by scumkitten at 2:43 PM | Comments (3)
