I am really trying not to be a politics bore, but our personal tax system really needs sorting out. It is costly to run, labyrinthine in its complexity, and affords far too many opportunities for intrepid (rich) taxpayers to avoid paying their fair share. The same goes for our benefits system, which is so complicated
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Pedigree pet food syndrome
For many years now, I have suffered from Pedigree pet food syndrome. I discovered it many years ago, and in the grand tradition of such things, as the discoverer, I named it. My discovery was made while I was reading about Pedigree pet foods, hence the eponymic nature of the syndrome. I was working as
No cycling
The approaching warmer weather has reminded me about the ridiculous no cycling policy that exists along most of Bournemouth’s promenade during July and August between the hours of 10am and 6pm. As far as I can make out, it exists solely to protect the children of beach hut users when they rush from the huts
Random musings about bikes and cycling
OK I admit it, I am basically a fair weather cyclist. I should qualify that by saying that I am a rain-averse cyclist: I do my best to avoid cycling in the rain. Windy and cold is ok. The little wet drops are definitely not. Anyway, cycling has come back onto my radar because a
MPs expenses and writing style
Well, I was going to tell you today about my amazing vision for solving the MPs expenses scandal, but current events have overtaken me, and we now know what is going to happen. So, I will not tell you about my grand scheme to reuse part of the Olympic village for MP accommodation after 2012;
Time for a new voting system
After all the sleaze that has been reported in recent years, the UK parliamentary system has come under a lot of scrutiny. A set of changes has been proposed to the way in which MPs operate, and in a future post I will put my opinion forward. However, today I want to propose a way
The home working myth
I’m sitting here in the office of a company for whom I am working as a contract technical writer, covering maternity leave. I am facing the window, which is good for taking the regular breaks from the monitor screen that are recommended by the health and safety guidelines. When I look out of the window,
Relaxing reminiscences
I was daydreaming today and I found myself reminiscing about my previous life. I daydream a lot these days, partly because I find myself in an odd situation: being paid to do not very much. Yes, it is nice work if you can get it, but believe me, it is not all it has been
Schrodinger’s cat – a new interpretation
One of my work colleagues was wondering where her cat disappears to when he goes walkabout, sometimes for several days at a time. After a great deal of thought, I realised that it was simply a variation on the strange world of quantum mechanics. In case you don’t know, Schrodinger was an eminent physicist who