Jimmy Leach
Jimmy Leach is editorial director for digital for The Independent.
There's always the Twitter option
There's always the Twitter option
In conclusion to the 11/11/11/11/11/11 piece that I wrote on 31 October, citing the strangely constant presence of the numbers 11/11 in my life, I’d like to tell you what has happened since.
On Monday just gone, at 11am I had a minor operation. My husband and son dropped me off and wandered around the surrounding park while I was inside. Matthew looked at his watch in nervous anticipation of when I would be finished, and saw it was 11:11:11.
Turning up today for my doctors appointment on the 11th of the 11th at 11am I was greeted with a message on a dry erase board “Mr. – is expecting 11 patients today”. It was somewhere around that moment that the sick feeling in my stomach began and I can safely say it has only worsened as the day has gone on.
To summarise without giving the dreaded Too Much Information, as a result of today’s examination I am booked in for an operation in two weeks, and in addition to that I also had a biopsy done, the results of which will also be ready in around two weeks time. On the plus side I have been vindicated that there is actually something wrong with me and I am not imagining my myriad of health problems, and on the minus side… well, there is actually something wrong with me!
Today also marks the closing date for the Austrian holiday competition I am entered in, my ravenous entry being entitled “I WANT IT ALL”, for which I am suitably ashamed, but what can I say, I wrote it in a moment of truth. It is also a National Lottery day so I had to (of course) go buy 11 tickets. You, dear readers, will of course be the 11th to know if I win.
Of course, of greater importance, today is Armistice Day. I have a great respect for all who have valiantly fought, and wish to say thank you to those who are here in body and those who have already died. My father fought in Vietnam and my Grandpa (now deceased) in World War II. I am acutely aware of the millions of soldiers who have died not only in the last century, but in all that came before; and it is on their backs that I stand. Also not to be forgotten are the women who have given their lives and lifeblood in the name of freedom. Many women have of course actively fought, and never more so than today. But of equal importance are the women who have selflessly sent their precious sons, husbands and brothers off to battle, and those who worked tirelessly to care for the wounded; seeing sights that would make today’s horror movie buffs turn green with sickness.
There was a time when people did not have the sense of entitlement that we have today. People simply did what had to be done, and were ground down in the process; hopefully to regenerate into something stronger and more beautiful when it was all over.
It is on this day then, the 11th of the 11th, that I will sincerely pray to whatever trickster has forced these numbers to my attention. I hope that I am here to take care of my son for all of his life, that he never suffers as those who have gone before him have, and that I am somehow able to contribute to making the world a safer, better place before I exit it.
On Monday just gone, at 11am I had a minor operation. My husband and son dropped me off and wandered around the surrounding park while I was inside. Matthew looked at his watch in nervous anticipation of when I would be finished, and saw it was 11:11:11.
Turning up today for my doctors appointment on the 11th of the 11th at 11am I was greeted with a message on a dry erase board “Mr. – is expecting 11 patients today”. It was somewhere around that moment that the sick feeling in my stomach began and I can safely say it has only worsened as the day has gone on.
To summarise without giving the dreaded Too Much Information, as a result of today’s examination I am booked in for an operation in two weeks, and in addition to that I also had a biopsy done, the results of which will also be ready in around two weeks time. On the plus side I have been vindicated that there is actually something wrong with me and I am not imagining my myriad of health problems, and on the minus side… well, there is actually something wrong with me!
Today also marks the closing date for the Austrian holiday competition I am entered in, my ravenous entry being entitled “I WANT IT ALL”, for which I am suitably ashamed, but what can I say, I wrote it in a moment of truth. It is also a National Lottery day so I had to (of course) go buy 11 tickets. You, dear readers, will of course be the 11th to know if I win.
Of course, of greater importance, today is Armistice Day. I have a great respect for all who have valiantly fought, and wish to say thank you to those who are here in body and those who have already died. My father fought in Vietnam and my Grandpa (now deceased) in World War II. I am acutely aware of the millions of soldiers who have died not only in the last century, but in all that came before; and it is on their backs that I stand. Also not to be forgotten are the women who have given their lives and lifeblood in the name of freedom. Many women have of course actively fought, and never more so than today. But of equal importance are the women who have selflessly sent their precious sons, husbands and brothers off to battle, and those who worked tirelessly to care for the wounded; seeing sights that would make today’s horror movie buffs turn green with sickness.
There was a time when people did not have the sense of entitlement that we have today. People simply did what had to be done, and were ground down in the process; hopefully to regenerate into something stronger and more beautiful when it was all over.
It is on this day then, the 11th of the 11th, that I will sincerely pray to whatever trickster has forced these numbers to my attention. I hope that I am here to take care of my son for all of his life, that he never suffers as those who have gone before him have, and that I am somehow able to contribute to making the world a safer, better place before I exit it.
To these ears the last Hot Chip record, Made in the Dark, was a bit of a disappointment; they seemed to run out of steam a bit after 2006's excellent The Warning. It will be interesting to see how they fare with their new record which is due in February. Can they regain the freshness they had in '06? The new album is called One Life Stand, which is a nice name, so that's a good start I suppose.Today the band put out the first song from the album, which you can get as a free download if you splash out on a pre-order for the LP on their website. However, the song, "Take It In", is turning up around the web too - though some links will probably disappear soon enough.
I particularly like the deadpan lead vocal and the metallic electro riff that propel the song. Hopefully it augurs well for the rest of the record.
OK so I am a bit behind in regard to my blogs about what went on in the last week, all I can say is I’M SORRY LOL...I hope that through the next lot I will be able to catch you guys all up on the goss...
So if you haven’t seen the latest vid then to let you know what happened, we flew from Quito - Ecuador to Cartagena via Bogota - Colombia and when we landed I knew that I had finally made it to Paradise...I mean the humidity of the place just hit you from the time you hopped off the air-conditioned plane, the heat that I had really longed for was finally here...
So we made our way to our hostel which was located in the town of Bocagrade - Cartagena, I had found this place on the internet and from the photos and what I had read it sounded like a pretty cool place to chill while in Cartagena...we arrived to the hostel with no one at reception, which was just a desk in the corner of the open planned lounge that led to the spiral steps...a German guy who was also staying there said that the guy who was looking after the place had went out in town for the night (which always seemed to be the case as we had witnessed over the next couple of days LOL) and that he didn’t know when he would be back, but if we wanted to we could crash in his dorm room because there was no one else there...so that’s what we did, I mean it was 1am and we didn’t want to look around. We threw our gear into the room and headed to the shop down the road and who popped up whilst buying some beer - the overweight smelly sweaty guy who was suppose to be at reception LOL...all was good with him though because he didn’t really care… so just left us at the hostel and off he went again...was this just the most laid back attitude that I was going to find here in Colombia, well yeah it really was...
One of the things that I highly recommend to anyone who is heading to
As the bus cruised around different parts of the town more and more people jumped on board and more and more rum and coke came around LOL...this was one hell of a TOWN TOUR I can tell you that...the best thing about it is that there are at least four other Chiva busses, so there are more drunken people out there...
We drove around for about 45mins and then we made it to our first destination where everyone got off the buses and just partied for about an hour and a bit in a section of the old town that looked out to the beach...even better than the bus because there were little bands waiting and playing away, then out came some Colombians and started putting on a small dance show and of course there was the 'Sloth' that I so drunkenly talked about in the clip (I don’t remember that part by the way LOL) it was weird but pretty cool weird, and I know I said it before but I never thought I’d be holding a sloth before holding a monkey so I’m sure you can understand where I was coming from aye LOL...
So it was back on the bus and off around the town again, taking in every drunken moment... We arrived at our final stop which was a nightclub, but I won’t say anymore because I was too drunk to know... all I remember is getting off with the rum and coke bottles in my hand, drinking the entire lot outside the club, heading in for another drink and then waking up in bed the next morning...a successful night? I would say so LOL...
It is exactly a year since I was abroad, in Belgium on the Ypres salient where my paternal Grandfathers eldest brother's luck ran out in the pre-dawn darkness in 1915. Why should a bullet shot by a German (or Bulgarian or Turk?) miss my Grandfather yet kill the man beside him? Happenstance or guardian angels take your pick. I visited nearly all the cemeteries on the salient, one struck me as unique. A line of gravestones with titles, double-barrelled surnames and ranks of at least divisional level. A book enlightened me, there had been a direct hit by German artillery on H.Q. Colonel The Honourable Tarquin Fortesque-MacCorquodale lies forever beside Private Bill Kelly. Land fit for heroes? We are still waiting. Was Hill 60 worth dying for in droves? According to my photograph it seems not, a small contour line on a map.
The introduction of FIND (Facial Image National Database) and MIDAS (Mobile Identification At Scene). The obscenity of war weighed against the increasing obscenity of peace. What, finally, was all that loss of life about in 1914-18? Or the continuing conflict in Afghanistan?
(Antoninus) "Do you think we could have won?" (Spartacus) "When just one slave says No the state starts to fear. The beauty of it was that tens of thousands said No". In November 1987 I marched against the N.F/B.N.P holding a "ceremony" at the Cenotaph. How far have we come in twenty years?
The introduction of FIND (Facial Image National Database) and MIDAS (Mobile Identification At Scene). The obscenity of war weighed against the increasing obscenity of peace. What, finally, was all that loss of life about in 1914-18? Or the continuing conflict in Afghanistan?
(Antoninus) "Do you think we could have won?" (Spartacus) "When just one slave says No the state starts to fear. The beauty of it was that tens of thousands said No". In November 1987 I marched against the N.F/B.N.P holding a "ceremony" at the Cenotaph. How far have we come in twenty years?
David Cameron went on the attack over youth unemployment at Prime Minister's Questions this afternoon. (The Commons went back to the future, holding the session at its old time of 3pm instead of midday because of this morning's Armistice Day service at Westminster Abbey). Unusually, the Tory leader didn't hit the target. His script may have been written before today's jobless figures, which were not as bad as predicted and still left the number of 18-24 year-olds out of work below one million. Ministers can't crow about that but are privately delighted the rise in unemployment is slowing so quickly.
The two leaders traded predictable insults. Cameron accused Gordon Brown of living in a "parallel universe" and quoted from a leaked government document suggesting the skills budget would be cut. Brown said of Cameron: "Every time he mentions policy, he loses it." The most interesting thing was that Brown's lines were sharper than usual. He spoke more slowly than he usually does in PMQs and avoided a shouting match, perhaps learning a lesson from his successful press conference yesterday. Labour MPs cheered him on -- genuinely, not just going through the motions. One even told me afterwards that yesterday and today we had witnessed a "new Gordon Brown." Interesting. We shall see.
The two leaders traded predictable insults. Cameron accused Gordon Brown of living in a "parallel universe" and quoted from a leaked government document suggesting the skills budget would be cut. Brown said of Cameron: "Every time he mentions policy, he loses it." The most interesting thing was that Brown's lines were sharper than usual. He spoke more slowly than he usually does in PMQs and avoided a shouting match, perhaps learning a lesson from his successful press conference yesterday. Labour MPs cheered him on -- genuinely, not just going through the motions. One even told me afterwards that yesterday and today we had witnessed a "new Gordon Brown." Interesting. We shall see.
Well, I have been here in Istanbul for two days now and I LOVE it here! It's absolutely beautiful, the people are amazing (well aside from some of the heckling men) and there is so much to do in so little time! The other day, we went to the bazaars. Any excuse to go shopping is all I need... thank god I ran out of cash... it was cool though, bought some jewellery and souvenirs fro mi amigos. Later that night we hit the town... OMG I'm still recovering! Turkish people are very social people and they are not afraid to have a good time! We went to this one main street where there were a line of barsm restaurants and shops. Saffron and I chose this great place to eat and as we were sitting down, we noticed we were the only girls in the whole place! Hahaha... talk about being the odd ball out, I never felt so stared at in my whole life. It was hysterical though. Every time we glanced around the place, all eyes were on us... We had to take some funny pics of them too... How could I resist??? The food was amazing too. We had some Turkish tea on the house and enjoyed some local cuisine. It was a great night!
We leave tomorrow for Greece.. woo hoo! OMG I can't wait, so today I'm just going to be a typical tourist and wander around, map camera and all, and check this place out some more. I'm also on a mad hunt to find an adaptor for my PSP player... you would think they would sell those around here! Ahhh... so that's my main mission... I'll keep you posted! I think I may have to check the airport gift shops, I think I'll have better luck there!
Just watched the crazy weirdo local challenge. Amy and I had a blast making that... dude it's not like we were short or nyone... We had our fair share to choose from! My favourite would have to be the dancing Egyptians... Hahahahaha! The best part is that they actually do a dance for everyone... I could just imagine them rehearsing and trying to be one-take wonders... Oh man they are great!
Europe, as you can imagine, is amazing! I have never been to Turkey and I'm so glad I'm here! If you guys ever decide to come, you must! Don't forget to check out the Turkish baths here too... they are beautiful. There's a men and women section. You seriously get pampered and she about four layers of skin after they scrub you down. I haven't had the chance to go yet... I plan on it! I was a bit weirded out at first when reading about it, 'cos you literally are sprawled out on a marble slab with a towel covering your bum, while a woman is hosing you down and then gives you a massage. Sounds tempting right? Hehehe... it's worth a shot!
Oh and because it's so cliche here, I had to try a Turkish Delight... not a huge fan of it... unbelievably sweet and a weird texture, yuck!
We leave tomorrow for Greece.. woo hoo! OMG I can't wait, so today I'm just going to be a typical tourist and wander around, map camera and all, and check this place out some more. I'm also on a mad hunt to find an adaptor for my PSP player... you would think they would sell those around here! Ahhh... so that's my main mission... I'll keep you posted! I think I may have to check the airport gift shops, I think I'll have better luck there!
Just watched the crazy weirdo local challenge. Amy and I had a blast making that... dude it's not like we were short or nyone... We had our fair share to choose from! My favourite would have to be the dancing Egyptians... Hahahahaha! The best part is that they actually do a dance for everyone... I could just imagine them rehearsing and trying to be one-take wonders... Oh man they are great!
Europe, as you can imagine, is amazing! I have never been to Turkey and I'm so glad I'm here! If you guys ever decide to come, you must! Don't forget to check out the Turkish baths here too... they are beautiful. There's a men and women section. You seriously get pampered and she about four layers of skin after they scrub you down. I haven't had the chance to go yet... I plan on it! I was a bit weirded out at first when reading about it, 'cos you literally are sprawled out on a marble slab with a towel covering your bum, while a woman is hosing you down and then gives you a massage. Sounds tempting right? Hehehe... it's worth a shot!
Oh and because it's so cliche here, I had to try a Turkish Delight... not a huge fan of it... unbelievably sweet and a weird texture, yuck!
The coveted prize of a turnip wedged onto a six inch rusty nail will be won by the artist who shows the least effort possible.
“Whilst the motto of the Turner Prize appears to be ‘We know its art, but is it shit?’ the Turnip Prize clearly states its motto as ‘We know its shit, but is it art?’” according to the competition’s website.
Previous winners include ‘Nothing’, which was just that, ‘Alfred The Grate’, a fire grate with two burnt loaves, and ‘Bird’s Flew’, an empty nest containing flu medicine.
Marks are awarded against the following criteria:
1.) Lack of effort
2.) Alliteration or pun used in title
3.) Is it shit?
1.) Too much effort
2.) Un-publishable title, justification or pseudonym
3.) It is not shit enough
I would like to announce my retirement from international football.
Although the possibility of playing in the World Cup in South Africa is tempting, I feel it is the right thing to do.
Years of smoking and my general lack of fitness (I haven't kicked a football in about three-months) have obviously played a part in my decision but more than anything, I want to concentrate on giving my all for The Independent.
In no part was it influenced by the fact I had about a one-in-a-million chance of actually being a part of the squad.
As I'm sure Luke Young does, I wish Fabio Capello and the England team every success for the future.
Although the possibility of playing in the World Cup in South Africa is tempting, I feel it is the right thing to do.
Years of smoking and my general lack of fitness (I haven't kicked a football in about three-months) have obviously played a part in my decision but more than anything, I want to concentrate on giving my all for The Independent.
In no part was it influenced by the fact I had about a one-in-a-million chance of actually being a part of the squad.
As I'm sure Luke Young does, I wish Fabio Capello and the England team every success for the future.
There's something benevolent looking about Arab football proprietors dressed in their robes. Benevolent is certainly the way Manchester CIty fans have come to view Sheikh Mansour al bin Nahyad, so much so that the Blue Moon site has justifiably helped raise money to pay for a banner at Eastlands thanking him for his efforts.
In part, this image is built on the legend that the Sheikh has bought the club to promote Abu Dhabi across the world. Far from it. City's tour has provided the chance to dig around a bit at the whys and wherefores of the purchase and the most significant fact we learn is that the Sheikh's purchase was actually an opportunistic one. The club was put up for sale by an owner wanting out in a real hurry and he decided that it was, as they will tell you out here, a good "private equity play." Comparing the motives to Abu Dhabi's Formula 1 ambition or even their hosting of next season's World Club Cup is "over complicating things." They are state-funded ventures with broad economic aims.
Among the many qualities of these excellent businessmen is their appreciation that City need to keep in touch with their real people and fans during this big adventure. That's why there'll probably be no naming rights deal anytime soon and certainly no arabsareus@eastlands stadium. But that's not to say that this private equity player is at the club in perpetuity. In June, the petroleum company here which the Sheikh chairs made a £1.46m profit when it offloaded Barclays shares in one of the deals of the downturn. City are a business project still - and there'll be no emotion if selling is good business. Trying to get an on the record conversation with Garry Cook out here and if it comes will be looking for his perspective. You'll read it here...
Among the many qualities of these excellent businessmen is their appreciation that City need to keep in touch with their real people and fans during this big adventure. That's why there'll probably be no naming rights deal anytime soon and certainly no arabsareus@eastlands stadium. But that's not to say that this private equity player is at the club in perpetuity. In June, the petroleum company here which the Sheikh chairs made a £1.46m profit when it offloaded Barclays shares in one of the deals of the downturn. City are a business project still - and there'll be no emotion if selling is good business. Trying to get an on the record conversation with Garry Cook out here and if it comes will be looking for his perspective. You'll read it here...
Google has launched a global archive of its “Doodles”, the cutesy re-designs of its logo that appear on the search engine’s homepage to mark events or holidays. Browse them at google.com/logos or see highlights here tinyurl.com/yjdmsje.
Trailer glory
The keenest gamers who queued to get their hands on the release of the year probably called in sick yesterday. Check out the official trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to see what all the fuss was about.
Waster of space?
This spoof Facebook profile packs all the worst bits of social networking into page, from dumb-arse ads (“tase the goat and win $5,000) to lame updates (“JennyGurl has become a level 12 elder in Mafia Whores)
tinyurl.com/y9veus3
Flock and awe
Amazing home video from Denmark shows a giant, shape-shifting swarm of starlings. There’s no commentary from Attenborough or close-ups but the grainy footage is no less mesmerising than an clip from the BBC’s Life.
tinyurl.com/ygpf9zx
Trailer glory
The keenest gamers who queued to get their hands on the release of the year probably called in sick yesterday. Check out the official trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to see what all the fuss was about.
Waster of space?
This spoof Facebook profile packs all the worst bits of social networking into page, from dumb-arse ads (“tase the goat and win $5,000) to lame updates (“JennyGurl has become a level 12 elder in Mafia Whores)
tinyurl.com/y9veus3
Flock and awe
Amazing home video from Denmark shows a giant, shape-shifting swarm of starlings. There’s no commentary from Attenborough or close-ups but the grainy footage is no less mesmerising than an clip from the BBC’s Life.
tinyurl.com/ygpf9zx
The bright stars of glittery universities will soon be out of sight for those who are financially in the gutter.
The recession has inadvertently underlined in thick, red marker pen some of the mistakes within our education system. Now that the United Kingdom has been in the red for six consecutive terms, new questions must be brought to the table: are we returning to the elitist chapter of our academic history (albeit with an American business model), or can we turn a new leaf altogether?
Tony Blair’s New Labour mantra in 1996, “Education, education, education”, has correlated with the 21st century’s most notable increases in tuition costs: annual fees were introduced, doubled, and will soon top the £5-7,500 benchmark. There are two engines at work in ‘University factories’, and their cogs can sometimes be out of sync, which causes friction. Directors are in charge of ‘rust-prevention’ using liquid assets, while teaching staff check for quality control. So university bank accounts are happy to oblige Blair’s dream that half the population should 'buy' degrees, while lecturers are bemoaning the levels of intellect as a result.
The turn of the decade has heralded ‘Change’ as its buzzword. World Skills, directed in London by Chris Humphreys, is humming the same innovative tune as it prepares for a panoply of skills across all sectors – including IT and hairdressing – to be represented in its 2011 fair. According to Mr Humphreys, the UK's leading expert on employment, unemployment and skills: "We put far too much emphasis on academic skills…every young person in the UK deserves the chance to smile at their own success, and our system doesn’t give them that." Humphreys wants to give young entrepreneurs an opportunity to beam the shining torch of success that is potentially ablaze in all the hearts of Britain’s youth: "Because to be honest with you, we will get the change if the young people do first. Everyone else will follow because their power and their voice, their decision-making, actually will make the difference."
For cynics, this convention could be the UK’s way of showcasing itself as the second biggest 'change-monger' on the globe…after America. But pushing vocational education seems a reasonably pragmatic modification to strive for, especially if it took place alongside a well-implemented return to apprenticeships (not everyone can be an entrepreneur). Within university degrees, subjects could also be divided along ‘vocational’ (Business studies) and academic distinctions (Philosophy and English) and priced accordingly, rather than on the brand power of each institution.
‘Meritocracy’ is another concept very proudly appropriated as the foundation of all Western democratic societies. Our MPs enjoyed a free university education, since they enrolled at a time when the supply of courses on offer still outweighed demand. Now that education is such a valued commodity, seen as a means to an end, youngsters are willing to make sacrifices to one day ‘smile at their own success’. Worryingly, conservative policy seems to be hinting at the right course of action here: abolishing student fees and reducing the number of people who enter higher education. Of course the risk is hidden between the lines: ‘reducing the number’ would favour private school candidates over the 'bog standard' majority.
A society based on merit cannot realistically exist when bright children have to attend secondary schools that can't provide the learning environment required for success. You would need to have attended a school similar to the one featured in Kidulthood to understand how deep the intellectual vacuum in comprehensives can be, as hours of the curriculum are wasted (through necessity) on keeping the peace with A LOT of discipline. While we wait for a wider societal change to miraculously happen, why not let the poor bright children go to free grammar schools with an 11+ system? Why hold all children back in the name of equality, while those who have rich parents can get ahead? The government wants to extend compulsory academic education until the age of 18 by 2013, despite the fact that bullying on the playground is already so out of control, and many pupils are simply not interested in traditional academic paths.
Class structures in the UK are set in stone, and the deeply ingrained delusion that degrees reinforce equal standards needs to be weeded out. The ‘G5’, or top five universities within the Russel group, are currently conversing in secret lobbies to pressure the abolition of the government’s capped fees. They claim to require more private funding to maintain their excellent teaching standards, which will render the gulf between elite and average universities even wider. Ivy envelops buildings with a protective layer so that redbrick universities don’t suffer any damage from bad weather; the reputations of Oxford and Cambridge are too big to fail in recessionary climates. The Imperial, LSE and UCL alumni flourish with roots that are built to last: they are the envy of those with no ivy. Students graduating from old polytechnics are being run into the mud, since the rest of society tarnishes the yellow-bricked walls of their institutions with contempt.
The financial crisis has given more transparency to people's understanding of the world: it is now clear that societal structures are built of air, founded on speculation, and sustained with empty promises. Universities, which are run like businesses, market slogans to promise futures that they cannot deliver. If respected universities impose astronomical fees as done in the USA, then those lower down the league tables will do the same to make their courses appear as desirable. Should these institutions not focus on teaching apprenticeships instead? The only skill they seem to rub off onto their 'customers' at present seems to be that of ‘selling oneself’: aggrandising achievements by turning one's curriculum vitae into embellishments of little veritas.The recession has inadvertently underlined in thick, red marker pen some of the mistakes within our education system. Now that the United Kingdom has been in the red for six consecutive terms, new questions must be brought to the table: are we returning to the elitist chapter of our academic history (albeit with an American business model), or can we turn a new leaf altogether?
Tony Blair’s New Labour mantra in 1996, “Education, education, education”, has correlated with the 21st century’s most notable increases in tuition costs: annual fees were introduced, doubled, and will soon top the £5-7,500 benchmark. There are two engines at work in ‘University factories’, and their cogs can sometimes be out of sync, which causes friction. Directors are in charge of ‘rust-prevention’ using liquid assets, while teaching staff check for quality control. So university bank accounts are happy to oblige Blair’s dream that half the population should 'buy' degrees, while lecturers are bemoaning the levels of intellect as a result.
The turn of the decade has heralded ‘Change’ as its buzzword. World Skills, directed in London by Chris Humphreys, is humming the same innovative tune as it prepares for a panoply of skills across all sectors – including IT and hairdressing – to be represented in its 2011 fair. According to Mr Humphreys, the UK's leading expert on employment, unemployment and skills: "We put far too much emphasis on academic skills…every young person in the UK deserves the chance to smile at their own success, and our system doesn’t give them that." Humphreys wants to give young entrepreneurs an opportunity to beam the shining torch of success that is potentially ablaze in all the hearts of Britain’s youth: "Because to be honest with you, we will get the change if the young people do first. Everyone else will follow because their power and their voice, their decision-making, actually will make the difference."
For cynics, this convention could be the UK’s way of showcasing itself as the second biggest 'change-monger' on the globe…after America. But pushing vocational education seems a reasonably pragmatic modification to strive for, especially if it took place alongside a well-implemented return to apprenticeships (not everyone can be an entrepreneur). Within university degrees, subjects could also be divided along ‘vocational’ (Business studies) and academic distinctions (Philosophy and English) and priced accordingly, rather than on the brand power of each institution.
‘Meritocracy’ is another concept very proudly appropriated as the foundation of all Western democratic societies. Our MPs enjoyed a free university education, since they enrolled at a time when the supply of courses on offer still outweighed demand. Now that education is such a valued commodity, seen as a means to an end, youngsters are willing to make sacrifices to one day ‘smile at their own success’. Worryingly, conservative policy seems to be hinting at the right course of action here: abolishing student fees and reducing the number of people who enter higher education. Of course the risk is hidden between the lines: ‘reducing the number’ would favour private school candidates over the 'bog standard' majority.
A society based on merit cannot realistically exist when bright children have to attend secondary schools that can't provide the learning environment required for success. You would need to have attended a school similar to the one featured in Kidulthood to understand how deep the intellectual vacuum in comprehensives can be, as hours of the curriculum are wasted (through necessity) on keeping the peace with A LOT of discipline. While we wait for a wider societal change to miraculously happen, why not let the poor bright children go to free grammar schools with an 11+ system? Why hold all children back in the name of equality, while those who have rich parents can get ahead? The government wants to extend compulsory academic education until the age of 18 by 2013, despite the fact that bullying on the playground is already so out of control, and many pupils are simply not interested in traditional academic paths.
Class structures in the UK are set in stone, and the deeply ingrained delusion that degrees reinforce equal standards needs to be weeded out. The ‘G5’, or top five universities within the Russel group, are currently conversing in secret lobbies to pressure the abolition of the government’s capped fees. They claim to require more private funding to maintain their excellent teaching standards, which will render the gulf between elite and average universities even wider. Ivy envelops buildings with a protective layer so that redbrick universities don’t suffer any damage from bad weather; the reputations of Oxford and Cambridge are too big to fail in recessionary climates. The Imperial, LSE and UCL alumni flourish with roots that are built to last: they are the envy of those with no ivy. Students graduating from old polytechnics are being run into the mud, since the rest of society tarnishes the yellow-bricked walls of their institutions with contempt.
Young people need to be told a few truths, and given realistic goals instead of being promised glamorous careers in 'vague futures' that blot out the realistic ones available now - before the years of debts are accumulated. The screen of smoke and mirrors surrounding further education is ultimately counter-productive for the economy, since no one seems to know which skills to hone into for the benefit of society at large. Top unis should stay selective in their intellectual criteria for admittance, but not close their doors to candidates from lower socio-economic backgrounds: a fact concomitant with US-style fee impositions. State schools will require change from the bottom up if every pupil is to have an equal chance of access and consequent success in life. Pupils need to know that 'The University of Life' (developing skills outside of traditional academia) can make for a far cheaper and more appealing CV.
Should you further your education? These girls have degrees, experience, and a can-do attitude. Yet the 'real world' seems to hold mixed views over their academic achievements.
Constant rejections from jobs and prolonged unemployment is likely to impact on morale. Afterall, a GDP deficit in six consecutive terms might easily change the definition 'recession' into 'depression'. Research carried out at Bristol University on ‘The Wage Scar from Youth Unemployment’ revealed that youth unemployment increases a person’s chances of future unemployment up to 10 years later, and guarantees a ‘wage scar’ of between 10%-15% by age 42. It would seem therefore that the best predictor of an individual's future risk of unemployment is their past history of unemployment. *names were changed as interviewees wished to remain anonymous
Redundancies keep mounting as unemployment escalates to heights of 7.9% in the UK. The recession may have reached its peek, but companies traditionally still shed workers after they have returned to growth. Sectors most affected have been business, finance, and construction: mostly male-lead industries. As a result, many women have become the sole breadwinners in their households (whether willingly or not, they have always been a favourite for short-term, part-time contracts). The two girls I spoke to represented yet another group: young people. For them it was hard to even get their foot in the door.
There are now 946,000 young people out of work in the UK, and their prospects do not look promising. With the budget deficit going through the roof, a pension crisis looming ahead, and an extra £40 billion of taxpayers’ money going to RBS and Lloyds this November, a whole generation will have to foot the bill for decades to come. Yet at the moment, one in five graduates cannot even find work: the first rung on the employment ladder is slippery, since companies are stepping up the competition in every recruitment round.
Charlotte Edwins* just completed her MA in English literature at Queen Mary, University of London. (Having obtained a 1st in her BA.) She is looking for work to fund her future studies, with her CV boasting extensive experience in finance, retail, as a student ambassador, and even in the police force. She told me about how the recession has tripped her up:
"It was my impression that you did a degree to get up on the career ladder. Unfortunately I have done four years and two qualifications but I am having to start at the very bottom".
Charlotte is understandably frustrated: she has applied to at least 15 jobs since September, been contacted for only one interview, and the job that was earmarked for an internal candidate!
Young people have always been among the most vulnerable groups in times of economic hardship. Their lack of training, skills and references make them less attractive to prospective employers, especially when waves of more experienced workers are flooding the reserve labour pool. Charlotte’s future plans hardly seem surprising therefore: she now wants to stay in education for good, and become an English lecturer. Statistics indicate that BAs are no longer a passport into well-paid employment, even outside the realm of academic careers. Among those who graduated in 2005 with postgraduate qualifications, 85% had been in graduate level jobs since leaving university compared with 56% of those with just a bachelor’s degree.
Unpicking which sectors will value further education can be a thorny business however. Post-grad student Victoria Chan* graduated from Oxford University with a 2:2 in Engineering, then went on to Imperial to do an MA in Engineering in Medicine, before completing a PhD in Biomechanics/Bioengineering. When she started the PhD she expected to be head-hunted for a job. She explains what actually happened:
"A lot of the time, PhDs are competing with fresh grads for places and companies do not consider the PhD to be an advantage. In fact I was told outright by Deloitte that they would hire someone with a 2.1 over me, regardless of the institution that I went to or the 2 further degrees that I held. I was gutted!"
She had been looking for work since October 2008, and was finally hired by Detica in September 2009.
The shortfall of entry-level jobs is making competition for vacancies more fierce, and young people increasingly frustrated with the arduous application process. On top of that, and as with most women in the labour market, Charlotte has found herself applying for jobs that offer little protection and no long-term prospects:
"The applications are horrendously long and boring, about eight pages for a simple admin role. They take around one to two full days to finish. Employers expect ridiculous things, like extensive experience in administration (usually over five years), which immediately cuts out all graduates. They offer no benefits, no pensions. They want more and more for less money and on a short contract. The world of work is becoming more like a one-night stand and less like a marriage if you know what I mean!"
Constant rejections from jobs and prolonged unemployment is likely to impact on morale. Afterall, a GDP deficit in six consecutive terms might easily change the definition 'recession' into 'depression'. Research carried out at Bristol University on ‘The Wage Scar from Youth Unemployment’ revealed that youth unemployment increases a person’s chances of future unemployment up to 10 years later, and guarantees a ‘wage scar’ of between 10%-15% by age 42. It would seem therefore that the best predictor of an individual's future risk of unemployment is their past history of unemployment.
Charlotte reflected on the psychological impacts of this worrying trend:
"I had a mini break-down, which basically involves feelings of hopelessness and a general lack of self-worth. The only thing that stopped me from leaving the country was seeing a lecturer yesterday about doing a PhD. It's embarrassing to go from heading towards a career path to doing nothing all day. I have a few friends on the dole but to be honest it's not something I can face doing right now. Going to a seedy office to sign a piece of paper and say I am completely unemployable for £50 a week is beyond my pride level."
Both Charlotte and Victoria now have debts of over £20,000 to pay back to student loans, overdraft facilities and other sources of funding. Their situations represent a discrepancy between what people are promised before they start their BAs, and what they are faced with after they graduate. Ultimately, these girls have benefited from their degrees in getting one step closer toward their final goals. But countless other graduates in the UK have found themselves in dead-end cul de sacs, with crippling debts and no graduate-level salaries to steer themselves out with. It's inevitable that many regret having taken the path into university. The long-lasting consequences of a recession that has pushed so many into the margins should urge schools, sixth-form colleges and the media to engage in a more honest discourse with young people before they start, with regards to the value of a good institution and the weight that subjects can hold. Nobody told 'Generation Y' that the subjects they picked would pigeon-hole them so stringently when faced with the realities of an increasingly competitive labour market.
It’s funny. We moaned about the monopolistic traits of Microsoft and now it looks like the distraction this caused the global technology giant has resulted in it paying the price of losing focus on the battle for what is perhaps the greatest prize of all – the mobile internet.
Google recently bought the leading mobile advertising provider, AdMob for $750 million (£450 million) in a bid to extend its dominance of the internet advertising market into the mobile arena.
Today, Google sits in a similar position to Microsoft. The business model of the Silicon-Valley-based technology behemoth may be different to its rival but it is driven by the same desire to preserve the underlying business model of online advertising. Google has become perhaps the most powerful technology company of the decade. Why? Google has the purse strings to the internet. But thus far Google has not been feeling the same sort of regulatory heat – as a result of its market dominance – which has so dogged Microsoft in the past.
Google is moving across the internet at great pace, delivering even more broader services that provide us 'the public' and corporations with the ability to do business and get all kinds of information from the internet. The acquisition of AdMob – which underlines Google’s intention to play a greater role in advertising and search on the mobile platform – should therefore come as no surprise.
Two drivers exist for such a play. First, the world is becoming ever more mobile and this technology now enables the mobile platforms to be far more versatile and useful in our lives – thanks to the iPhone, and its competitive followers. Secondly, the web is now being redesigned to be affective on mobile devices, making this little platform so powerful in our daily lives. Now we can really do business and get the kind of information that we need to run our lives from a 'phone'! Moreover, we can even create and edit documents on a mobile. Perhaps the greatest attraction for Google, is that the internet and mobile platforms are inextricably linked in terms of advancement, reward and success.
Google has an open operating system for mobile devices called Android, which unlike OS X iPhone – Apple’s operating system for the iPhone – is available to use free of charge to any mobile operator. Now with the acquisition of AdMob and its search technology – which underpins 95 percent of its revenues – Google has the ability to preserve and grow its advertising revenues. This is a cunning and obvious play for Google.
The big problem is independence in the world of online and mobile advertising. Pricing, market access, regulation and choice are under scrutiny and skewed towards Google’s goals. This is an industry worrying problem that will no doubt see further allegations by Google’s competitors that it is applying ‘monopolistic’ traits.
Will such criticism stop Google? I doubt it. Will the acquisition of AdMob make a difference on mobile advertising? Absolutely. Can Google afford to avoid the law suits and the distraction that so plagued its arch rival Microsoft? Lets wait and see. The saga continues…
- Location:United Kingdom, Keynsham
The Monday morning shiur with Rabbi Ziskind three weeks ago began with Genesis, naturally, and the words, 'everything, everything comes from G-d.' Rabbi Ziskind has the kind of voice that could lull a person into placid acceptance of even the most scalding of tragedies, and every week we leave his presence breathing more deeply, determined to make the world a better place by elevating ourselves into people highly tuned to the frequencies of spiritual life, swelling with consideration for others and intent on doing pure good in every single encounter we have with another being.
Despite this Monday morning cloud-float of grace, I spend a large percentage of the rest of the week wondering why certain things happen and even though I know I'll never understand why because there might not be a why, it doesn't stop me pondering in the quiet hours. ( Read more... )
Hit "fullscreen" and turn the sound up for Ataque de Pánico! a remarkable sci-fi short from a Uruguayan special effects house. It shows giant robots invading Montevideo and combines the low-fi aesthetic of District 9 with a 28 Days Later soundtrack.
Night and clay
Brooklyn four-piece Grizzly Bear’s latest music video, a psychedelic riot of colour and stop-animated Plasticine, is probably best viewed late at night under the influence of something – anything. Ready, Able is here:
The way you wore
In case you missed it when the British Film Institute released this fascinating look at London life circa 1927, BoingBoing has posted the early colour footage. Two things stand out: the grubbiness of buildings and the sheer number of hats.
Trench connection
This rather smart website from Burberry celebrates its famous trench coat with a digital array of photos. Submit your own coat-wearing image or flick through the work of the project’s first contributor, the thesartorialist.com street photographer Scott Schuman. Artofthetrench.com
Night and clay
Brooklyn four-piece Grizzly Bear’s latest music video, a psychedelic riot of colour and stop-animated Plasticine, is probably best viewed late at night under the influence of something – anything. Ready, Able is here:
The way you wore
In case you missed it when the British Film Institute released this fascinating look at London life circa 1927, BoingBoing has posted the early colour footage. Two things stand out: the grubbiness of buildings and the sheer number of hats.
Trench connection
This rather smart website from Burberry celebrates its famous trench coat with a digital array of photos. Submit your own coat-wearing image or flick through the work of the project’s first contributor, the thesartorialist.com street photographer Scott Schuman. Artofthetrench.com
Liberal Democrat MP and shadow transport secretary Norman Baker has a knack of asking questions that show how clueless ministers are. He has asked Paul Clark, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Transport (about whom I have written before in a blog entitled Stupid and Pointless):
Clark replied:
It's the usual cop-out answer, but does the minister of state really not know how many letters he has received from MPs on each of these issues? Is there not a file or some type of monitoring system? Could someone not have a quick count without incurring disproportionate cost? If these letters are not held centrally, where are they held?
I think we will have to add clueless to stupid and pointless.
what representations he has received from hon. and right hon. Members of each party in favour of (a) a third runway at Heathrow Airport, (b) a second runway at Gatwick Airport, (c) further expansion of Stansted Airport and (d) a new airport in the Thames Estuary.
Clark replied:
No central records are held on any such representations and to search for the information would involve disproportionate cost.
It's the usual cop-out answer, but does the minister of state really not know how many letters he has received from MPs on each of these issues? Is there not a file or some type of monitoring system? Could someone not have a quick count without incurring disproportionate cost? If these letters are not held centrally, where are they held?
I think we will have to add clueless to stupid and pointless.
"I thought the police were there to help people" (Insp Truscott replies) "I don't know who could have been filling your head with such ideas". Thus Joe Orton in "Loot" commenting on a not dissimilar Britain. P.C Jones has been involved in more than one case of "dealing with muslim members of the public" most recently Babar Ahmad and prior to that a 16 year old Kuwaiti. P.C Jones (42 and still a constable, not exactly setting the world of law and order alight is he?) along with the aid of half a dozen colleagues somehow managed to subdue these desperadoes on two separate occasions and opined "Where is your God now?" The same place he was earlier Jonesy, obviously you are not destined for the Theology faculty at Oxbridge.
In a world where Shami Charkrabarti can cosy up to ZaNuLabour under the guise of aiding "Liberty" is it now time for some of the philosophy of Illya Ehrenburg?
In a world where Shami Charkrabarti can cosy up to ZaNuLabour under the guise of aiding "Liberty" is it now time for some of the philosophy of Illya Ehrenburg?
A wee lecture about the history of the brand, that's been paid for by a brand trying to reinvent itself (Black Magic), but it's quite interesting nevertheless. Although it does seem to insist that brands are manufactured, that is, that they are based on physical products. In the world this brand (The Independent) is in, its more about the intangible nature of our brand - less about the physical newspaper, and more about its presence in less tangible, digital arena.
Still worth a watch, the man cares.
Still worth a watch, the man cares.
Baltimore really has become a punching bag here. London's mayor weighed in yesterday on months-old comments from a politician that parts of Britain were becoming like the Baltimore depicted in "The Wire." Not sure what sparked this response so long after the original comment, though it should be noted that pieces by Mark Hughes about his stay in Baltimore began running this week in the Independent.
"It is far, far more dangerous in Baltimore than it is in London, especially for gun crime," Johnson said. Of course, he's absolutely right - guns are scarce in the UK and the blight and poverty are not nearly as pervasive as in Baltimore. But it says something about politics here that such a comparison would even be made in the first place, and that officials feel compelled to dignify it with a response.
By the way, Mark and I did a round of radio appearances today, on six different stations, including the BBC's Today program. Here is the link to that interview (scroll down to the very bottom).
"It is far, far more dangerous in Baltimore than it is in London, especially for gun crime," Johnson said. Of course, he's absolutely right - guns are scarce in the UK and the blight and poverty are not nearly as pervasive as in Baltimore. But it says something about politics here that such a comparison would even be made in the first place, and that officials feel compelled to dignify it with a response.
By the way, Mark and I did a round of radio appearances today, on six different stations, including the BBC's Today program. Here is the link to that interview (scroll down to the very bottom).
Not directly related to local democracy, I know, but I’ve written a post here on Slugger O’Toole responding to an Irish republican about how far the wearing of a poppy can be seen as an endorsement for the actions of the British state.
It raises important questions about the legitimacy of democracy and I hope you find it interesting.
Originally published at Local Democracy. Please leave any comments there.
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