Gordon Brown will unveil tax breaks for households generating their own green energy as he uses his eleventh budget to challenge the environmental credentials of David Cameron's Conservatives by proposing incentives to tackle climate change.
Whitehall sources said last night that Mr Brown is likely to encourage people to install solar panels, wind turbines and other carbon-free sources of energy in their homes by exempting from income tax any money made by selling excess power back to the national grid.
http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2037404,00.html
What an utterly pointless move to make, and I hope it's not the headline green legislation unveiled in the Budget as it's not even worthy as a teaser.
A move worth making would be to offer big fat domestic subsidies on the purchase and installion of solar panels, wind turbines and other carbon-free sources of energy.
Any income made by selling excess power back to the national grid from those domestic sources is likely to be PIN money and the tax it's exempt from, peanuts.
Monday, March 19
Thursday, February 8
Snow! Snow! Snowman!
The creation of a rather large snowman.
Now it just needs a light dusting of fresh, fluffy snow to cover up all the dirty, mucky slush and thedacs Snow! Snow! Snowman! will be a gorgeous God of the winter.
Snow! Snow! Snow!
The much awaited heavy snowfall arrived this morning as predicted (Well, heavy for England anyway!) and, as also predicted, chaos has descended on the country.
C attempted (Bravely? Forlornly? Not so smartly?) to drive to work at 6.30 this morning. At around 7.10 she called home in tears, unable to move and having barely got a third of the way to work. She was so scared with the car sliding all over the road, but she managed to turn around and come home. Work can wait.
C is home safely now. A is off too, we heard on the local radio that her school (Along with virtually every other in MK) is closed so a joyful snowball fight erupted in the garden and the street between her and D (Who couldn't get to work either...ahem!).
D won!
Friday, February 2
thedacs plan for tolerance and understanding between Muslims and the English
Every Mosque must, by law, be twinned with a CoE Church and mutual goodwill visits undertaken. Nothing stops a fiery sermon against the kaffirs and infidels as well the little white-haired old lady from down the street dishing out tea and cakes.
Wednesday, January 31
England/Britain
I think it's slightly ironic that the debate over inclusiveness and intergration into Britishness is rearing its ugly old head again, when the very idea of Britishness itself is becoming frayed and will, sooner rather than later, unravel completely.
Although many minorities have felt excluded from their Englishness and felt compelled to embrace their Britishness, understandable enough when the St Georges Cross was the banner only for skinheads, racist hooligans and the far-right, it may be no bad thing for inclusion if the UK was to break up.
Aside from the tiny far-right and the oddballs of shows like 100% English (Same thing?), I would contend that the majority of the English are not inherently racist or overly nationalistic and (As long as the major demographic changes in English populations are still taught in schools) are all too aware of their nations historically impure pedigree to adapt to and absorb a different cultures and races.
Whether the same can be stated across Britain is a different matter (Part of that issue may be that it hasn't been tested across the other home nations as it has in England for generations) and perhaps the downing of the flag of Empire would be a good symbol of our intention to forge modern England.
Awaits historical examples of English brutality...
Although many minorities have felt excluded from their Englishness and felt compelled to embrace their Britishness, understandable enough when the St Georges Cross was the banner only for skinheads, racist hooligans and the far-right, it may be no bad thing for inclusion if the UK was to break up.
Aside from the tiny far-right and the oddballs of shows like 100% English (Same thing?), I would contend that the majority of the English are not inherently racist or overly nationalistic and (As long as the major demographic changes in English populations are still taught in schools) are all too aware of their nations historically impure pedigree to adapt to and absorb a different cultures and races.
Whether the same can be stated across Britain is a different matter (Part of that issue may be that it hasn't been tested across the other home nations as it has in England for generations) and perhaps the downing of the flag of Empire would be a good symbol of our intention to forge modern England.
Awaits historical examples of English brutality...
Brilliant!
Two pupils who drew a giant penis on a school lawn using weed killer two years ago can still admire their work from satellite photos now posted on the internet.
Despite the school re-seeding the area, the penis has turned up on satellite image search engines because a photo was taken before the new grass could conceal the appendage.
Lifted from the Guardian Unlimited site
Those lads should be legends in their former school and if they don't grow up to be the greatest artists of the 21st Century then what is the point in life eh?
Tuesday, January 30
Super Casino
Britain's first super-casino will be opening in Manchester
The allowance of super-casino's has absolutely sickened me and is a disgusting indictment of a political party with the poor and dispossesed at its core. Any good work/legislation that New Labour implemented has been blown away by this simple act of bending over for pure greed. Directorships on the boards of gaming companies for the Ministers while addiction, poverty and family break-up awaits those Labour purport to represent.
The allowance of super-casino's has absolutely sickened me and is a disgusting indictment of a political party with the poor and dispossesed at its core. Any good work/legislation that New Labour implemented has been blown away by this simple act of bending over for pure greed. Directorships on the boards of gaming companies for the Ministers while addiction, poverty and family break-up awaits those Labour purport to represent.
Motivation
It's a funny old thing, motivation.
Usually i'm quite tight with its worst enemies - procrastination, laziness and uninterest - but a few things recently have started to inspire me to become motivated. I would have said more motivation but that would erroneously suggest that I had some motivation to begin with.
Making a trip to our area office in Oxford yesterday and seeing how they do much of the same work, has led me to changing a few practises in the office today. Firstly, it's shown up how on some things we aren't always matching the National Standards that we should be, secondly that some of the things we do are actually very good. Thirdly, it always helps to discuss issues/problems/similarities/best practise with others doing the same job as you (Especially when you're working alone much of the time) and lastly, it's made me realise that there is opportunity within this organisation. The restructuring in the very near future should be a chance to take up those opportunities.
Since our manager is leaving next week however, and it will just be two of us running this scheme, i'm not sure how much momentum we'll make on getting closer to the Standards. I'll give it a go though, even if I am just the junior staff here.
So that's the work side of motivation aided and abetted by yesterdays visit and put into practise a bit today. Which is good, since while doing the job expected of me, I tend to spend too much time pissing around on the internet.
What's helping the motivational side of personal things is not just that thedacs as a family are bloody gorgeous and great (We're having a great time at home recently) but that we're in control financially. Don't confuse that with being in the black, although it is only a matter of months now that C has beaten her demons, confronted and taken control of her finances.
No, what's helped the motivation on the home front is the decision we made to get a second shed.
Not the most glamourous of news by any means, and possibly even confusing to you, but it opens up another world of opportunity. Namely the chance to use it solely as a studio for art, which D needs to take up again on a regular basis. It will allow thedacs to expunge their creative drive, double-up as the smoking shed and even hopefully lead to another avenue of pin money.
We shall see....
Usually i'm quite tight with its worst enemies - procrastination, laziness and uninterest - but a few things recently have started to inspire me to become motivated. I would have said more motivation but that would erroneously suggest that I had some motivation to begin with.
Making a trip to our area office in Oxford yesterday and seeing how they do much of the same work, has led me to changing a few practises in the office today. Firstly, it's shown up how on some things we aren't always matching the National Standards that we should be, secondly that some of the things we do are actually very good. Thirdly, it always helps to discuss issues/problems/similarities/best practise with others doing the same job as you (Especially when you're working alone much of the time) and lastly, it's made me realise that there is opportunity within this organisation. The restructuring in the very near future should be a chance to take up those opportunities.
Since our manager is leaving next week however, and it will just be two of us running this scheme, i'm not sure how much momentum we'll make on getting closer to the Standards. I'll give it a go though, even if I am just the junior staff here.
So that's the work side of motivation aided and abetted by yesterdays visit and put into practise a bit today. Which is good, since while doing the job expected of me, I tend to spend too much time pissing around on the internet.
What's helping the motivational side of personal things is not just that thedacs as a family are bloody gorgeous and great (We're having a great time at home recently) but that we're in control financially. Don't confuse that with being in the black, although it is only a matter of months now that C has beaten her demons, confronted and taken control of her finances.
No, what's helped the motivation on the home front is the decision we made to get a second shed.
Not the most glamourous of news by any means, and possibly even confusing to you, but it opens up another world of opportunity. Namely the chance to use it solely as a studio for art, which D needs to take up again on a regular basis. It will allow thedacs to expunge their creative drive, double-up as the smoking shed and even hopefully lead to another avenue of pin money.
We shall see....
Monday, January 29
Friday, January 26
Don't shope stoned
D - This is my advice, drawn from bitter-sweet experience after a day off smoking weed and shopping today, don't shop stoned.
It's expensive!
I had every intention of spending roughly £200 today, due to a £100+ gas bill, £40 to clear the credit card (Until the 2 new phones appear on it next month!) and a budget of £50 to spend at an art supplies shop in Bletchley that was closing down tomorrow. As it happened, I spent £6 under budget at the art shop, although I did pick up a nice lengthy strectched canvas and two very dear acrylic brushes that balance very weightily in the hand.
I would have been chuffed with that layout at the beginning of the day, but in the half hour spare we had after dropping A off at school and the art shop opening, C & D decided that a nice spliff was in order. So C rolls a strong one and we troop out to the shed to smoke our little minds away. We than have a choice to relax for a bit or go out and both of us realise the danger of crashing on a sofa and monging for the next two hours, so we head out into the bright, oh so bright, world of fresh air and other people. To Bletchley. Hey ho it's where the cheapo shops are and we stocked up on some other bits so it was an enjoyable experience, even if the old town of my birth is a desperately poor area from another world compared to the brash and smooth Milton Keynes.
Either way, we both spent a good few pounds and came home for a cup of tea and a joint. This was after scoffing a massive chunky Yorkie Chrimbo bar that was on sale somewhere. Then the expensive choices were acted upon to due C's encouragement and D's future finances. It was after looking in the Argos catelogue for an easel (The art shops choice started at £50) that caution was thrown to the wind on the back of a 6 Month Buy Now Pay Later offer and the easel was joined by a swish purple iron (With ceramic plate. Ooooh!) and a fucking metal shed!
That was a bruising £234 in all. Add the other £200 and my happily stoned self happily racked up a days spending of a thumping £430! Ouch! It hurt to absorb that financial pain all within a few hours, but the opportunies, joy and creativity to be unleashed by the art materials, easel and, when it finally gets delivered in over a months time, the shed-cum-studio will be more than worth the expense.
In fact, as I was stoned off my head for most of the time, it was a really fun day!
It's expensive!
I had every intention of spending roughly £200 today, due to a £100+ gas bill, £40 to clear the credit card (Until the 2 new phones appear on it next month!) and a budget of £50 to spend at an art supplies shop in Bletchley that was closing down tomorrow. As it happened, I spent £6 under budget at the art shop, although I did pick up a nice lengthy strectched canvas and two very dear acrylic brushes that balance very weightily in the hand.
I would have been chuffed with that layout at the beginning of the day, but in the half hour spare we had after dropping A off at school and the art shop opening, C & D decided that a nice spliff was in order. So C rolls a strong one and we troop out to the shed to smoke our little minds away. We than have a choice to relax for a bit or go out and both of us realise the danger of crashing on a sofa and monging for the next two hours, so we head out into the bright, oh so bright, world of fresh air and other people. To Bletchley. Hey ho it's where the cheapo shops are and we stocked up on some other bits so it was an enjoyable experience, even if the old town of my birth is a desperately poor area from another world compared to the brash and smooth Milton Keynes.
Either way, we both spent a good few pounds and came home for a cup of tea and a joint. This was after scoffing a massive chunky Yorkie Chrimbo bar that was on sale somewhere. Then the expensive choices were acted upon to due C's encouragement and D's future finances. It was after looking in the Argos catelogue for an easel (The art shops choice started at £50) that caution was thrown to the wind on the back of a 6 Month Buy Now Pay Later offer and the easel was joined by a swish purple iron (With ceramic plate. Ooooh!) and a fucking metal shed!
That was a bruising £234 in all. Add the other £200 and my happily stoned self happily racked up a days spending of a thumping £430! Ouch! It hurt to absorb that financial pain all within a few hours, but the opportunies, joy and creativity to be unleashed by the art materials, easel and, when it finally gets delivered in over a months time, the shed-cum-studio will be more than worth the expense.
In fact, as I was stoned off my head for most of the time, it was a really fun day!
Thursday, January 25
PS3 launch date announced
March the 23rd has been announced by Sony as the launch date for the long-delayed PS3 in Europe.Gamers in Japan and the US have long been able to get their grubby little mitts on the console, now it seems that the eager British gamer will have just under two months to start saving the whopping sum of £425 for the PS3.
thedacs made a decision late last year that the PS3 would be their next console of choice, however since that announcement of our own we might have changed our minds.
The Nintendo Wii appears to be a completely different way of gaming, and far more inclusively fun for all, than sitting slumped in a chair staring gormlessly at a screen for hours on end. It's a gaming method that seems to find approval from traditional non-gamers and helps to keep the gamer active while burning off those excess calories.
All the reports of broken windows, smashed televisions and black eyes though have put a bit of doubt in our minds, especially as our front room is absolutely tiny!
In all honesty thedacs probably won't buy any console until the second half of the year at the earliest. Finances are always tight after Chrimbo (In fact the gas and electricity bills have arrived today and yesterday, so that's the price of the Wii already earmarked!), we have other technology to buy first and let's be honest, we're not massive gamers anyway.
Wednesday, January 24
Britishness is withering
According to the Social Attitudes survey, four in 10 people in England now regard themselves as solely or primarily English rather than British.thedacs would probably see themselves as one of those 4.
Ten years ago I would have seen myself as British no problem. Over that decade though, it's been a steady progress to seeing myself as English. Probably due to the constant denigration of 'Britishness' rather than devolution (Which means bugger all to me really, although the West Lothian Question and it's related issues are becoming more important).
Unfortunately, for him anyway, Chancellor (Soon-to-be Prime Minister) Gordon Brown has chosen this moment to launch an assault on behalf of Britishness and British values in the wake of the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union between England & Scotland. Ironic really considering many of his supporters take great pleasure in claiming (Sneering) that Britishness doesn't exist or is irrelevant. Brown has left it far too late. The cat is out of the bag and the concept of Britain is starting to lose any allure. Brown sucking up to the English by 'supporting England' in sporting competitions will only make him look more foolish.
I have no problem with Scottish or Welsh independance. Having grown up around Celts and having a soft spot for them (Even got some Scots blood as it happens) I would wish them well in going it alone (All the way to the EU) and hope the ties we have remain pretty strong.
But i'm an Englishman, and would really rather like to go it alone ourselves now thanks.
Adopted
thedacs have been adopted by a cat.
In thanks, we are to feed & home her.
We have named her Meg.
Scruffy, Dusky and Kismet don't like her. Yet.
In thanks, we are to feed & home her.
We have named her Meg.
Scruffy, Dusky and Kismet don't like her. Yet.
Tuesday, January 23
Milton Keynes is 40 today!
Hurrah!
The glorious city is officially 40 years old today.
Having lived here for 31 years (Give or take a few years spent living & travelling abroad) D has seen the city grow from a small town into a thriving city of different cultures, races and faiths while still maintaining the fantastic green open spaces that make MK the envy of other urban areas.
C & A, as residents for the last five years, absolutely love the place and, like many immigrants, will happily settle down to plant some roots in a very un-English city.
Happy Birthday Milton Keynes!
Monday, January 22
Bungles Bugle
Another decent week in the Fantasy Premier League for thedacs team, Bungles Bugle.
The Gameweek score of 44 points wasn't a particuarly good tally, although considering the average score over the million-plus teams in the game was a measely 31 points, it was enough to ensure that Bungles Bugle continued their recent upwards progress in the player rankings.
Indeed, as the graph above shows (Gameweek on the horizontal axis, Rank up the vertical) Bungles Bugle have broken back into the top 200,000's! In fact their precise Rank is 278,502nd. Rough calculations tell us that score is in the top 25% of players, which isn't bad considering the slow start to the campaign (Due to laziness/forgetfulness).
We're gonna push on over the remainder of the season and look for a spot next in the top 250,000 players and by the games climax, the top 10% of Fantasy Premier League players!
Credit to our score this week goes to: The Liverpool trio (Gerrard, Carragher & Finnan) for half of our points, with an excellent contribution from Hunt of Reading. Honourable mentions to Barry and Carsley for solid performances.
New Mob II
We've figured out the message alert/tone now thanks. Well, I say 'we' but really it was A, who figured it out in about 3 seconds and then told us that it's not surprising since we're adults and shouldn't be expected to know how to work new technology.
Cheek! We know plenty about new technology, we grew up with ever-changing technology just as she is. We also rolled our eyes at clumsy-fingered, slow-brained adults too, remember the old jokes about adults not being able to use the VCR? Now we're seen as obsolete!
So we locked her under the sink for the weekend!
Cheek! We know plenty about new technology, we grew up with ever-changing technology just as she is. We also rolled our eyes at clumsy-fingered, slow-brained adults too, remember the old jokes about adults not being able to use the VCR? Now we're seen as obsolete!
So we locked her under the sink for the weekend!
Friday, January 19
New Mob
Both D & C have bought new mobiles, his and her versions of the Motorola L6 (Well, one of them is pink so that must be his - Boom! Boom!) on Pay-As-You-Go tariffs.
These are nifty little phones with cameras and Bluetooth, priced very nicely at less than £50 a piece from the Phones4U website.
We have a couple of problems though. Firstly, we can't change the sound for the incoming message alert for some reason and secondly, we can't transfer any pictures/videos onto the PC.
The first problem might just be because we're idiots and have missed an obvious menu, but i'm not convinced of that. A is itching to get her hands on the phones (She is jealous as they're better than hers - which was previously the best phone thedacs had) and 'help' us find out how, but we're being shitty and not letting her. She's been a naughty girl recently (Sat her first detention yesterday - for which she was punished last week) and it won't do her any harm to be temporarily shut out.
The second could be because the Bluetooth adaptor for the PC no longer works, yet the L6 was recognised by it and all set up, it just wouldn't transfer the files. We've tried a mini-USB cable but the software downloaded from the Motorola site doesn't seem to work properly. The obvious answer might be something as simple as ensuring the phone is fully charged before any connections/transfers can be made.
Any answers, please let us know.
These are nifty little phones with cameras and Bluetooth, priced very nicely at less than £50 a piece from the Phones4U website.
We have a couple of problems though. Firstly, we can't change the sound for the incoming message alert for some reason and secondly, we can't transfer any pictures/videos onto the PC.
The first problem might just be because we're idiots and have missed an obvious menu, but i'm not convinced of that. A is itching to get her hands on the phones (She is jealous as they're better than hers - which was previously the best phone thedacs had) and 'help' us find out how, but we're being shitty and not letting her. She's been a naughty girl recently (Sat her first detention yesterday - for which she was punished last week) and it won't do her any harm to be temporarily shut out.
The second could be because the Bluetooth adaptor for the PC no longer works, yet the L6 was recognised by it and all set up, it just wouldn't transfer the files. We've tried a mini-USB cable but the software downloaded from the Motorola site doesn't seem to work properly. The obvious answer might be something as simple as ensuring the phone is fully charged before any connections/transfers can be made.
Any answers, please let us know.
Wednesday, January 17
Panic Alarm....Custody
Panic Alarm....Custody
Panic Alarm....Custody
Pause...
Panic Alarm....Custody
Panic Alarm....Custody
That's all i'm hearing at the moment as I sit in my little office. A clear, level and slightly robotic voice repeating the same three words in a rythym that probably doesn't reflect the atmosphere in Custody where the panic alarm has just been slapped by someone needing assistance. Life in a Police Station eh?
Panic Alarm....Custody
Panic Alarm....Custody
Panic Alarm....Custody
That's all i'm hearing at the moment as I sit in my little office. A clear, level and slightly robotic voice repeating the same three words in a rythym that probably doesn't reflect the atmosphere in Custody where the panic alarm has just been slapped by someone needing assistance. Life in a Police Station eh?
It's all gone!
It's all gone! The last of our weed was smoked last night (In the newly cleared shed/soon-to-be mini artist studio) and gave a brief little buzz for C & D before bed.
An order is in for more but we don't hold out much hope for a speedy delivery. Which is a bit of a fucker really, since we're desperately trying to hold off from smoking the fags and, although it wouldn't be recommended by your Doctor, having a spliff or two in the evening helps thedacs get through the rest of the day without sucking on a cigarette.
An order is in for more but we don't hold out much hope for a speedy delivery. Which is a bit of a fucker really, since we're desperately trying to hold off from smoking the fags and, although it wouldn't be recommended by your Doctor, having a spliff or two in the evening helps thedacs get through the rest of the day without sucking on a cigarette.
Tuesday, January 16
Inflation UP!
Inflation has hit it's highest level in 10 years and it seems that Gordon Brown has had a direct hand in pushing it up with his fuel-duty rise in December.
Add that to the rise in interest rates last week (Standing now at 5.25%) and it starts to look a bit gloomy on the old economic horizon for many of us.
Of course, the macro-economic figures will not be a problem and the Government will continue to blow their own trumpet using those stats, but when it comes to a personal level the future doesn't look so golden for most people.
The best way to illustrate that is with the ONS's personal inflation calculator. Even by using the Governments own spending patterns based on households included in their annual survey of family spending, the BBC has found that all but one have a personal inflation rate over and above the official figure of 3.9% RPI (That rate is now at 4.4%).
The future may still look rosy for those whose wealth is going crazy, but in unbalanced Britain, the majority at the other end of the wealth gap are finding it wise, even imperative, to cut back on all unneccessary expense. How that will play in an economy founded on debt and consumerism remains to be seen.
Add that to the rise in interest rates last week (Standing now at 5.25%) and it starts to look a bit gloomy on the old economic horizon for many of us.
Of course, the macro-economic figures will not be a problem and the Government will continue to blow their own trumpet using those stats, but when it comes to a personal level the future doesn't look so golden for most people.
The best way to illustrate that is with the ONS's personal inflation calculator. Even by using the Governments own spending patterns based on households included in their annual survey of family spending, the BBC has found that all but one have a personal inflation rate over and above the official figure of 3.9% RPI (That rate is now at 4.4%).
The future may still look rosy for those whose wealth is going crazy, but in unbalanced Britain, the majority at the other end of the wealth gap are finding it wise, even imperative, to cut back on all unneccessary expense. How that will play in an economy founded on debt and consumerism remains to be seen.
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