tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post559318452012697946..comments2023-05-21T15:20:58.352+01:00Comments on The Untrusted: 04/10/10Montana Wildhackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11409705185204787671noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-12899634159162444092010-10-05T10:17:18.643+01:002010-10-05T10:17:18.643+01:00Think Montana is unwell. :-( Will sneakily try to ...Think Montana is unwell. :-( Will sneakily try to start new thread.thaumaturgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01116351419774991352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-91074448386626336112010-10-05T09:06:31.094+01:002010-10-05T09:06:31.094+01:00Leni:
Morning!
Your question about whether £44K ...Leni:<br /><br />Morning!<br /><br />Your question about whether £44K is inadequate to live on in London is an interesting one. If you have kids/need childcare and run a car and want all the latest gadgets in your house, I think it probably works out as not very much when all is said and done, but neither me or Mr La Rit have ever earned anything like that sum. <br /><br />The most I've ever earned in a paper-pushing job was £26,500 (and that was only for 3 months) most of the time, I've been on criminally low wages or in work for Opera companies and singing freelance which was/is lucrative, but seasonal and very short term.<br /><br />When I first moved to London 20 years ago, waitressing in the trendy restaurants in the West End earned you around £600 per week or approx. £29K p/a(including tips) - but I worked extremely long hours for that - generally 5 p.m to 03.30 a.m. and you can only do that for so long. <br /><br />Mr La Rit has always had more earning power than me and to make a comparison, since finally getting back into work freelance, has earned enough to pay off our rent arrears, to pay the rent and bills - and he's earning £11K less than £44K and after he's paid his tax bill, his income will work out at £30,000 p/a. (after 10 years study and 11 years in work!) IF we were on £44,000 net as a wage for a couple without children, we'd be laughing all the way to the bank, even in London!!! <br /><br />Buying a flat in the current climate remains an impossibility though. 10/12 years ago you could by a large 2-bed ex-local authority flat in a lowrise block in Bethnal Green/Hackney for around £90,000. Now you're looking at approx. £275,000 for a ONE bed flat of the same type and in the same area!!!! <br /><br />Private renting is astronomical and we pay £800 per month for a small 2-bed in Brixton (it's approx. 475 sq. ft) Our rent is not average for the area (many flats in slightly nicer blocks/Victorian houses are significantly higher) and if rents were controlled, I would say that £400-500 a month would be a fair rent for this place. Unless we moved right out or went for part-rent, part-buy, we could probably just about afford to buy a flat, but my employment/earning power certainly hasn't been stable enough to deal with the stress of us both being unemployed again - especially as my average wage for the last year and a half has worked out at about £100 per week.La Ritournellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17063786233490946994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-79707608654130371832010-10-05T02:31:31.413+01:002010-10-05T02:31:31.413+01:00The average mortgage repayment for a first-time bu...The average mortgage repayment for a first-time buyer in London who can find a 25 per cent deposit is £1,240 a month — more than half the average wage, research reveals today.<br /><br />Realpricecomparison.com found that the lowest average repayments are in Barking and Dagenham, at £760 a month, followed by Newham, Bexley and Waltham Forest where monthly mortgage payments are £821, £851 and £860.<br /><br />The most expensive borough, Kensington and Chelsea, has an average monthly mortgage repayment of £3,062.<br /><br />Paul I found these figures from Feb. this year.Lenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01755748505260253288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-6751512883126972552010-10-05T01:58:33.294+01:002010-10-05T01:58:33.294+01:00Paul
help me out here please.
on the threads ab...Paul<br /><br />help me out here please. <br /><br />on the threads about CB cuts lots of posters claim that k44 salary is inadequate if you live in london. <br /><br /><br />Can this be true ? How then do folk on minimum wage or just above manage ?Lenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01755748505260253288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-29938708758712128652010-10-05T01:06:29.773+01:002010-10-05T01:06:29.773+01:00Leni -- great serious work there . More ahead . X...Leni -- great serious work there . More ahead . X !frog2https://www.blogger.com/profile/03808681023731196968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-42870291822436426822010-10-05T01:01:25.923+01:002010-10-05T01:01:25.923+01:00Paul
the hearing of appeals in this area is in Sw...Paul<br /><br />the hearing of appeals in this area is in Swansea - in a 2nd floor room. Twice I have accompanied people to an appeal, on neither day was the lift working. <br /><br />being alert to the machinations I made it clear that the person I was with could not climb stairs easily. In one case the appeal committee came out to watch - on the second they agreed to change rooms. <br /><br />In both these cases the people had physical ailments - those with MH problems would find it harder. <br /><br />Travelling to the appeal venue will present problems for many - they may need help. It is inadvisable to drive yourself for instance. <br /><br />The stats do suggest that appearing in person has better results than simply writing.Lenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01755748505260253288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-39313320356646413622010-10-05T00:50:37.851+01:002010-10-05T00:50:37.851+01:00One too many can't there !One too many can't there !Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11865148437450521947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-20162542995368031312010-10-05T00:49:19.673+01:002010-10-05T00:49:19.673+01:00Leni
You obviously know about the excellent Benef...<b>Leni</b><br /><br />You obviously know about the excellent Benefits and Work website.Well even they are now recommending that people turned down for ESA should demand an oral hearing on appeal rather than a paper one as i discovered on <a href="http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-appeals" rel="nofollow">this link.</a> So what happens to all those sick and disabled people who either can't physically can't attend a hearing themselves and/or get someone to represent them?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11865148437450521947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-86386100277233340722010-10-05T00:44:15.327+01:002010-10-05T00:44:15.327+01:00Dave:
It's very true. It makes me wonder as t...Dave:<br /><br />It's very true. It makes me wonder as this was being put in place 2 years before the Economic crisis.... it's very subtle and very obvious at the same time and before you know it.... all gone. I believe more and more that this was an engineered collapse between Govts and Banks....<br /><br />Anyway am going to say Bonsoiree ;)<br /><br />Pooped.<br /><br />Talk more about this tomorrow?<br /><br />:-)La Ritournellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17063786233490946994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-22203993505867939622010-10-05T00:04:47.094+01:002010-10-05T00:04:47.094+01:00La Rit -- That re-applying for your own job shit i...La Rit -- That re-applying for your own job shit is something i have raised here in the 3 months or so since I found this place . Nobody reacted , maybe becos they thought it was " normal" . Like yellow stars .<br /><br />It was obvious to me 2yrs ago when my lung-cancer dying friend at the NHS Purchasing Central had to do it that it was a totally evil idea .<br /><br /> Takes time for things to sink in !frog2https://www.blogger.com/profile/03808681023731196968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-30414414971353048792010-10-04T23:54:01.131+01:002010-10-04T23:54:01.131+01:00DavefromFrance:
Do you know, I'd buried it un...DavefromFrance:<br /><br />Do you know, I'd buried it until recently. It was so distressing, I'm sure the experience aged me. <br /><br />Ironically, 10 years ago I fairly won an Unfair Dismissal case - was in the Unison at the time and I was bloody lucky that I had the Regional Union rep on the case as the local rep was on long term sick leave)<br />He was so dedicated and brilliant, I can only liken it to being the equivalent to being a 'sleb and having the money to pay for a top lawyer - all for about 5 quid a month!!<br /><br />I have friends who have been fucked over recently and who never joined a union. They are pretty much out on their ear without the safety net of a permanent contract. One friend who's worked at Birkbeck for about 15 years in the same job is now on a non-permanent contract after failing to get his own job after being forced to re-apply, only to see it given to someone from a completely unrelated work background who has no knowledge of what the job entails.... hmmmmm....La Ritournellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17063786233490946994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-2292446385953703252010-10-04T23:50:58.790+01:002010-10-04T23:50:58.790+01:00La Rit -- my deepest, and most angry, sympathies t...<b>La Rit --</b> my deepest, and most angry, sympathies too . That awful feeling of being completely powerless when you've been screwed , and knowing full well that the weasels will never be punished is a tough one .<br /><br />What to do? <br /><br />The extreme is " V For Vendetta" , but that is curiously rare in real life . <br /><br />Maybe it"s because people are too busy just surviving or rebuilding their lives, OR because they privately don't believe <i>that</i> much in Capital Punishment ? I know of someone who had the guns lined up, but couldn't in the end bring themselves to commit 'tyrannicide' on the Shah of Iran . <br /><br />Between doing nothing and taking the fuckers out, there is a Third Way !frog2https://www.blogger.com/profile/03808681023731196968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-26408338293861033762010-10-04T23:45:23.932+01:002010-10-04T23:45:23.932+01:00Chekhov
A certain man/woman/transexual, whose nam...<b>Chekhov</b><br /><br />A certain man/woman/transexual, whose name i won't reveal but who hails from Scunthorpe' also suggested once that erecting a paywall at CIF might be the only way of preventing from posting those s/he considered to be 'undesirables'.-Which i suspect would include everyone who posts on the UT.<br /><br /><b>Leni</b><br /><br />Great post from you on the Harker thread.Tip hat.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11865148437450521947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-73313160779862790252010-10-04T23:39:43.640+01:002010-10-04T23:39:43.640+01:00Leni
They all remind me of the clumsy shapes we u...Leni<br /><br />They all remind me of the clumsy shapes we used to make with left over raw pastry when we were kids.Sheffpixiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09683877609100026566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-11846360233573391092010-10-04T23:36:32.538+01:002010-10-04T23:36:32.538+01:00chekhov
Can't be bothered to read it - perhap...chekhov<br /><br />Can't be bothered to read it - perhaps they could pay us for each postLenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01755748505260253288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-59858767757963270482010-10-04T23:34:33.555+01:002010-10-04T23:34:33.555+01:00Just watching Osborne - for my sins.
Has this ge...Just watching Osborne - for my sins. <br /><br />Has this generation of politicos been cloned from a fauly rubber mould ? I have never seen such a collection of featureless faces - lacking definition and any trace of personality. <br /><br />It is rather frightening.Lenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01755748505260253288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-35739385982653374372010-10-04T23:34:14.469+01:002010-10-04T23:34:14.469+01:00Btw: some plank suggested charging a pound a post!...Btw: some plank suggested charging a pound a post!<br />err.."comment is free"<br /><br />"We are all in this together"= "We are all millionaires and we only got our wealth by screwing poor people so we will continue to do so."chekhovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12579841013364541334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-17945209266301028122010-10-04T23:28:12.383+01:002010-10-04T23:28:12.383+01:00Dve
Salamanders ! What joy, I love them.
They a...Dve<br /><br />Salamanders ! What joy, I love them. <br /><br />They are believed in some parts of France to drink cow troughs dry - due to the fact that during times of draught they move in looking for water. So many legends about them . <br /><br />So many different types - axalotls too.Lenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01755748505260253288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-90669446684550106212010-10-04T23:25:54.510+01:002010-10-04T23:25:54.510+01:00Thauma/Shaz:
It was shit.
Can't tell you ho...Thauma/Shaz:<br /><br />It was shit. <br /><br />Can't tell you how much I wanted to wipe the floor with those lying, overpaid shits in the NHS and got them disciplined or sacked for lying and bring the NHS into disrepute - but it would have been far worse if I'd pursued to Tribunal and lost my case on a technicality. I'd have been humiliated and landed with a bill for 10 grand when we were facing eviction and god knows what else.<br /><br />And some people wonder why I'm angry!!!!!!La Ritournellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17063786233490946994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-31543097281519138522010-10-04T23:24:31.901+01:002010-10-04T23:24:31.901+01:00"Help us improve the debate on Cif We're ..."Help us improve the debate on Cif We're encouraging more writers to respond to comments and trying out a new open thread format. What do you think?"<br /><br />Cue an avalanche of comments calling for the moderation to be sorted.<br /><br />How long will it take for these fuckwits to work out what is wrong with CIF?chekhovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12579841013364541334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-30788537053673545282010-10-04T23:24:00.017+01:002010-10-04T23:24:00.017+01:00I see we finally got Cif's definitive article ...I see we finally got Cif's definitive article on the deprivation and poverty the cuts will cause - Harker speaks for the nation.Lenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01755748505260253288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-33281130343848596252010-10-04T23:15:34.422+01:002010-10-04T23:15:34.422+01:00Monkeyfish - " Drive back was a bastard, mind...<b> Monkeyfish - " Drive back was a bastard, mind..couldn't see a fuckin thing." </b><br /><br />I always know I'm really drunk ( rather than just technically so ) when there are two white lines in the middle of the road , and I have to close one eye ... but there's nobody else about round here at that time of the morning, so I'm not a public danger ! I hope Peter will call in ?<br /><br /><b> La Rit, James Dixon's mum plus partner, and others with similar cases ...</b> -- my thoughts are with you all. The real evil bastards, or some of 'em, are the senior management and their Personnel stooges who carry out these policies. <br /><br />Over the past thirty or so years we have seen a decline in the ethical quality of so many who reach the top in a number of professions and jobs . There always were of course some real shits, but now they seem to be a majority ? Wacobloke round at CiF, a senior legal adviser and all-round good bloke, noticed this in one context of the top people at Arthur Andersen over his career. My sister's last temping job in the NHS ( efficient PA/Sec, I guess £18k ) was to take minutes of Steering Groups, arrange 'diaries" for an almost-completely incompetent on £50k+, and train up its successor! Not the first time she's worked under wankers , the worst was a totally incompetent weasel of a Director of a big Sixth Form College on £100k, and that was well over ten years ago . God knows what the pay, AND fucking pension, is now . She could afford to resign from the NHS non-job. And did. <br /><br />On a brighter note I saw my first really brilliantly coloured <br /><a href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/spotted-salamander/" rel="nofollow"> salamanders </a> today. We were moving a woodpile, and found two. The smaller was about 10cms and scuttled off, but we thought the biggie at 20cms+ was dead . No photo unfortunately because too involved in lifting it to safety, when it did crawl away, but it had elongated yellow blobs, as much colour as the black rest of it .<br /><br />I hope we hadn't injured it moving the logs .frog2https://www.blogger.com/profile/03808681023731196968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-64827080055102036272010-10-04T22:56:25.092+01:002010-10-04T22:56:25.092+01:00Just read the Harker piece - what a total tool!!
...Just read the Harker piece - what a total tool!!<br /><br />Leni - Good post btw.<br /><br />Will now have a shufti at SerotaSheffpixiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09683877609100026566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-68523120168774893252010-10-04T22:50:44.727+01:002010-10-04T22:50:44.727+01:00Just read Harker and Serota
both should spark a G...Just read Harker and Serota<br /><br />both should spark a Gogarty...that they don't is a mark of just how far moderation and disillusionment have changed the place.Harker, in particular should rightfully be dogged for the rest of his career by that fuckin thing..he should be all over the tabloids...people should shout at him across the street and ask if he can spare a few quid for their kid's clarinet lessons..what a fuckin tool...and...I can finally say I have concrete evidence for my long held and oft quoted views on the true face of Guardian style 'equality and fairness'...worst thing is, he was just bright enough not to mention the au pair...that would have been the glitter on the cherry on the icing..what a cunt..Private Eye ought to do a pull-out souvenir centre spread...or a Calendar of memorable quotes<br /><br />Serota's made 'luvvies' for certain.monkeyfishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04117567260726533116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141707904735688626.post-38789654699574761742010-10-04T22:41:49.002+01:002010-10-04T22:41:49.002+01:00I see Harker's been given the UT 'duffing ...I see Harker's been given the UT 'duffing up' he so richly deserves.The guy's a fucking plank.I mean what reaction was he expecting coming up with a piece of dross like that.And if anyone has now got a taste for blood Oliver Letwin has also written a piece which is just as dire.Suspect the 'crapometer' will be in overgear at CIF in the coming months.I wonder what will be next.Polly moaning about the 'servant ' problem in Tuscany.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11865148437450521947noreply@blogger.com