Morts Musings

So, with the Christmas craziness over, and fast becoming a feint, alcohol blurred, memory, most of us are struggling with the “dog days” of January, & looking forward to a break from silly spending while the finances recover.
Sadly, life just doesn’t seem to work like that, even for those who don’t have to cope with the impending reality of the end of January tax deadline, the marketing men have no intention of letting us, or our bank balances, rest.
You thought you had ’til at least easter before the next celebration of commericalism? Oh no, that’s still several months away, which wouldn’t do at all, you have to spend your money on something between now and then, don’t you now?

The up and coming event I’m talking about is, of course, St Valentine’s Day. You could say that I’m just an embittered single, and maybe I am, but I can honestly say that, even from within relationships, Valentine’s has always been one of those “holidays” which I think is a little messed up, and which seems to be more about retailers trying to cash in, than about any notions of enduring love, or romance.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m quite a romantic, sentimental soul, under all my cynicism & curmudgeonly complaining, but I fail to see why I need to have a day set aside (be it by society, religion, or the power of marketing) to make a special effort for my beloved.
I’m all for romantic gestures, and showing my other half that I care, but I’m quite capable of doing so at any time of the year, & I rather resent the contrived, non-spontaneous nature of what Valentines day has been warped into by commercialism.
I mean, why limit such shows of affection to one, particular, day a year? Call me old school, but I don’t need a special day to buy posh chocolates or flowers for my girlfriend, & there’s not much better than taking a loved one out for a romantic dinner; going through the ritual of enthusiastically approving of all the outfits and dresses which she decides to try on beforehand, and, in the process, trying to gauge whether she’s wearing any of her “special” lingerie under the outfit. Ahem, flippant thoughts of after-dinner events aside, a romantic meal with one’s significant other is hard to beat, and absolutely shouldn’t be a once a year event, likewise with gifts, Valentines flowers are all very nice, but what about the other 364 days of the year?

I wouldn’t mind it if it was something which hadn’t become compulsory, but surely any holiday about love which actually causes relationship problems, if one doesn’t comply fully with what society expects (& mostly this seems to equate to spending money), has become twisted to the point of losing its meaning. So, if you’re attached you pretty much have to spend out, at what’s a fairly tight time of the year for most people, or else risk the righteous wrath of one’s other half.
On the flip side the holiday also serves to remind singles that they’re single and lonely, and, damn it, can you get any of your friends to go out for a few consoling beers? well, not if they’re attached, obviously!

So there you have it, Valentine’s is a rubbish holiday! If you’re single it’s an uncomfortable reminder of loneliness, while if you’re attached, you’ll find expectations foisted upon you, and you’ll be a bad, bad person if you don’t spend, spend, spend for that special day.
Overall the only winners seem to the negligent types, who are seemingly quite content to get all the year’s romance over and done with in one day, and the vendors of Valentine’s related gifts.

It’s been a couple of weeks since my piece about the ethics of Christmas, and with the silly season still ongoing I feel the need to engage in another festive rant.
The post-Christmas sales, or New Year’s sales if you prefer, are another mid-winter tradition which marketing monkeys seem to have convinced us are a must-do holiday event; As if it wasn’t enough that people have been running around like headless chickens throughout December, and in some cases November too: buying gifts for distant relatives, tasty treats for over the Xmas period, and stocking up on essentials, just in case the country grinds to a standstill under a centimetre or two of snow; we’re expected to continue the shopping frenzy through into the new year, as the retailers, who a week earlier were mostly charging us top notch for the pleasure of wading through their crowded stores, in search of that special something, now expect us to go through it all again, as they desperately try to shift all the stock which they weren’t able to sell us in the lead up to Christmas.
However, for all that the stores are still manic to the point of inducing “pedestrian-rage”, at least the New Year’s sales offer some decent bargains, and even an old curmudgeon, like myself, can’t grumble, too much, at a bargain, even if it does mean wading through a sea of vacuous shopaholics!

Still, the sales’ attraction to me is purely pragmatic; they’ve got stuff I want, it’s cheap, I’ll go buy it and then get the hell out of the shops as soon as possible! So it confuses me how the marketing people have yet again managed to hype and glamourize, what should be a series of simple financial transactions into some kind of major must-do holiday event in it’s own right. Are they really that good at their jobs, or are people, in general, just really easy to manipulate? I guess the answer’s a bit of both, but that the latter is especially true if the words “bargain” or “sale” are involved; everyone likes to think they’re getting a good deal, and apparently that extends to buying pretty much anything, even things which we didn’t necessarily want or need!

What I really don’t get is stuff like this! Why on earth would an online multiplayer game feel the need to mimmick real world craziness & hold a holiday furniture sale?! I can see the point of struggling round the shops looking at sofas if you need a real settee, but honestly does your make-believe elven wizard really need a new dining table? I thought these games were meant to be about killing monsters, collecting “phat” loot, & “grinding” for levels? not the finer points of interior design & furniture arranging! Don’t get me wrong I spend a lot of time playing computer games, even these kinds of computer games, and accept that as hobbies go it’s all pretty sad, but surely this is a new nadir in the world of fantasy gaming?!
I’m wondering if the sorts of people who would partake in such a fanatsy furniture sale are just Sims players who’ve gotten lost? Yes, very prejudicial of me, but even geeks need someone to look down on. *grin*

While I’m not about to go into an in-depth analysis of this week’s pre budget report, there are a few of the Chancellors announcements which I feel the need to comment (& maybe even rant) about.

If you’re interested a summary of the the Report’s main points can be found here.

The much speculated upon moves to curb the bonus culture of banks is probably one of the biggest events of this PBR, but in the end were Darlings moves about encouraging the bankers to live in the real world, which most of us mere mortals inhabit, or was it more of a move to placate the public?
There wasn’t a windfall tax on the banks themselves, but bankers’ bonuses over £25k are to be subject to a one off tax of 50%. Yeah, sock it to them Darling!

Actually for all that it sounds good, not to mention fair, when one considers how much of tax payers’ money has been used to aid the banks over the past year or so, the bankers don’t seem to be taking it with good grace. There’s been the predictable wailing and whinging, and threats of taking their business abroad, from some in the industry. I do understand that, to an extent, we have to be careful not to drive the banks overseas; it’s undeniable that the sector does contribute substantially to the UK economy, but at the same time it’s clearly neither sustainable, nor acceptable, to have a system where the bankers run around making risky investments and creaming the profits ’til it all goes wrong, at which point that make contrite noises and go cap in hand to the tax payer.
That can’t be allowed to happen again, and frankly any bank which hasn’t the good grace, to recognise that being based in the UK is to their overall advantage, and engage in a little give and take, is welcome to run off to some unregulated banana republic; Let’s see how willing such countries are to support the banks when it all goes wrong again! Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Even those who are staying are desperately looking for loopholes to try and avoid the bonus tax; apparently the “Investment banking boutiques” are trying to argue that they’re not technically banks, even though some of their bankers are amongst the best rewarded, in terms of bonuses. Well guess what guys, somantics aside, you are exactly the guys that helped kick off the financial crisis, & who the public are pee’d off with! You can argue technicalities all you want, but you’re distinctly “banker flavoured” and you’re precisiely the people that this tax is designed to hit, live with it!
I hope the treasury takes the same attitude. Although full guidelines on the tax are still being ironed out, it at least appears that the treasury’s intent is to prevent the exploitation of such loopholes; lets hope thats how it pans out!

Other tax measures in the PBR include a 0.5% rise in NI, and the basic rate of VAT returning to 17.5%, although on the positive side there is to be a 2% drop in Bingo duty, so it’s not all take, take, take!
Actually, in fairness, there are also to be changes to the NI system so that those earning less than £20k won’t end up paying more due to the announced hike. I do like this move, a lot, it’s almost as if the Labour party have remembered that they’re meant to be the party that doesn’t screw the poor.

There was also some encouraging green measures in the PBR too. There’s to be a “scrappage” scheme for outdated household boilers, as well as £200m of govt money set aside to assist home owners with improving energy efficiency. There are also incentives for green vehicles too, electric company cars are to get a 5 year exemption from road tax, while electric vans are to receive a 100% first year capital allowance. A piece of news which will no doubt make Sainburys, who have recently announced an increase in the size of their fleet of electric delivery vans, very happy; “Every little helps,” as one of their competitors might say.
Any regular reader will know that I’m a fan of the concept of electric vans and cars, so it’s good to see the govt taking steps to encourage their use, even if, so far, those measures only apply to businesses.

Obviously that’s by no means all that the PBR contained, but it’s tone overall seemed to be one of trying to juggle the need for austerity alongside doing enough “headline” stuff to make people happy. Indeed, opposition have already called it a “pre election report”, rather than a “pre budget report, a label which is undoubtedly politically motivated in itself, but which also, probably, isn’t too far from the truth.

So it’s coming up to that time of year again, I know it must be; the infuriating Xmas ads have appeared everywhere, and last week my local high street turned on its Christmas lights, and there was me thinking it was still November.
I’m sorry I know a lot of people love various aspects of the festive season, but really it just doesn’t do it for me, and I think to a large extent my objections are fueled by how commercial it’s all become, and how the marketing monkeys have constructed this idea that you’re abnormal unless you’re spending lots of money on gifts, food & booze.

It’s still over a month to Christmas and the frenzy is already well underway, if it only affacted those who wanted to buy into it I wouldn’t mind at all, but I swear that the population’s stress levels rise noticably during the weeks leading up to the festival. It’s palpable any time you’re out in the street, stressed people running around the shops desperately looking for all those Xmas “essentials” which find their way on to the Christmas shopping list. It seems totally perverse to me, and not at all in the spirit either of a holiday, or of the festival itself- I strongly suspect that JC would be turning in his grave if he could see what’s become of the celebration of his birth!
Even though I wouldn’t label myself as a Christian I still find the way that the marketing men have completely twisted Xmas to serve their purposes to be utterly cynical and distasteful! What’s worse is that they’ve so suceeded in subverting the spirit of the holiday that those who choose not to “buy the hype” get labeled as “scrooges” by those around them. Bah Humbug indeed!

What should be a time to relax, spend some time with those who matter, and maybe, if it is one’s want, to consider matters spiritual, is completely overshadowed by an orgy of spending & stress; No wonder most people need a break by the time it rolls round to December 25th!

The last couple of years I’ve completely opted out of the whole thing, and I have to say they’ve been a couple of the best Christmasses I’ve ever had! Yes, I did get some nice bits and pieces of food & drink in for while the shops were closed, but nothing excessive, and certainly nothing that required the amount of effort which people all over the country seem to spend on preparing the perfect Christmas dinner!
I gave Xmas shopping a miss too, rather than guessing at what my niece and nephew might be into currently, (and possibly for as far in the future as the next 5 minutes,) I decided to give them some cash each. The marketing idiots would have me labelled as “not making an effort”, but actually I look on it as giving the kids the opportunity to buy something they actually want. Yes, it does also save me the pain of running around over-crowded shops trying to find something which they might like, but frankly that just makes it a win-win situation as far as I’m concerned.
Come the day itself I got up when I wanted to, some time around lunch time, and spent most of the day slobbing around in my dressing gown with the house to myself, eating and drinking nice things, as & when I felt like it, & watching whatever TV I wanted to.
Honestly, it was heaven!

This year’s different, I’ve been severely guilt tripped by the folks, and although my immediate reaction to such guilt tripping is to be thoroughly bloody minded, I may actually cave and make the pilgramage to London to catch up with the family; Nothing puts me in a relaxed festive mood more than negotiating London’s public transport network at its busiest time of the year!
Of course that means thinking about what to get various elder family members, & on this I have as little clue as I do when it comes to my niece and nephew. The difference, I suppose, is that with adults you can give them ethical gifts; at worst they’ll be too polite to complain, and best case is that the gift actually makes them feel good, which is probably better than me buying them something I think they might like.
Dunno, will have to have a think, but the charity idea strikes me as a pretty good fall back if I can’t think of anything which would be genuinely useful to them.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen the Govt reject the advice of experts when they fail to come to the conclusion’s which the Govt would like them to, but to me the sacking of Dr Nutt, chair of the Govt’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, last weekend, when he had the termerity to give an expert opinion which contradicts the Govts uninformed, but official, line, sums up the hubris & utter arrogance which have been hallmarks of both the Brown and Blair govts.

It also quite clearly reveals that the govts objections to cannabis and ectasy seem to come down to “drugs are illegal because they’re bad, and they’re bad because they’re illegal”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that these drugs are 100% harmless, but if an expert, whose job it is to know, is stating that they’re less harmful than substances which are legal and freely available then surely that has to be a pretty good arguement for their legalisation?
OK, you could take the opposite tack and say that maybe tobacco and alcohol should be made illegal instead, but apart from being a non-starter in terms of getting the populace to accept such a move, not to mention how much it would cost the exchequer in terms of lost duty, there comes a point where govt has to butt out and let people make their own choices (and take responsibility for them) even if there is some risk involved; Else we’ll eventually end up as a society of joyless wage slaves whose only purpose is to be good little workers. I mean, if you want to start talking about banning anything which is dangerous then lets start by looking at privately owned vehicles; how many deaths and injuries do they cause each year on our roads? By contrast we’re talking about cannabis & ectasy, susbstances which routinely kill less people each year than bed related misadventures!

There’s also the fact that history has shown that prohibition doesn’t work, where someone stands to make a profit you’ll just get a black market economy spring up to meet consumer demand for prohibited goods. As things stand in this country millions of otherwise perfectly law abiding, productive members of society are criminalised because they want, and choose, to smoke cannabis. If the govt truly represented the people they’d accept that for most users cannabis is a relatively benign substance with minimal knock on effects for wider society, and they’d legalise it.
Yes I said legalise it, forget decriminalisation, although it’s often touted as an acceptable method for govt to look the other way and quietly accept that maybe cannabis isn’t such an evil drug after all, decriminalisation is in fact the worst of both worlds from a societal point of view. Users are still forced to interact with the black market, organised criminals, in order to get the stuff, and this has a number of wider implications. It means that there aren’t any safe guards on quality, no product information in terms of the strength of any particular batch, and most importantly of all, money spent on cannabis is going to support organised crime!
On the other hand if it were legalised these issues could all be eliminated; users could be sure they knew what they were getting, and wouldn’t be funding criminals, but on the contrary could be providing revenue for govt.

At a time when we’re being told that, due to the banking bail out, our country is going to be in debt for decades to come you’d think that the govt might be open to new means of raising revenue. The Home Office estimates that in 2006 the UK drug trade was worth between £3.5 and £5.8 billion, not enough to solve the country’s money woes, but getting a slice of any figure which is measured in the billions isn’t to be sniffed at!

Really it seems like a no brainer to me. Now that “the genie’s out of the bottle” it’s never going away, people are going to take these drugs, they’ll find a way to get them because someone else can make money from supplying them. When even the experts are saying that dope is less harmful than substances which society already makes freely available, why can’t the govt just get over the outdated dogma that “drugs are bad m’kay” and do the thing which would benefit everbody except the organised criminals?

This piece in the New Scientist lays out the wider picture, in terms of the govt’s rocky relationship with it’s own Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. There’s also a petition running on the No. 10 site here, if you want to join the call to re-instate Dr Nutt.