Friday 22 June 2012

Just Greedy

It has been revealed that comedian Jimmy Carr has been paying tax at just 1%. Given that he is already a very rich person, it is just plain greedy.   The Prime Minister thinks it is morally wrong, other have said he is acting within the law and if anyone is to be criticised, it is the Government for not closing tax loopholes.
The two views are not mutually exclusive.  In terms of avoiding tax, the arrangement seems little more than fraud.  Mr Carr gives someone else his pay then borrows it back as a 'loan'  - but a loan he won't be asked to repay.

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Food Fraud

Anyone with a unwheming belief in the power of the free market ought to take a look at "Swindled - The Dark History of Food Fraud from Poisoned Candy To Counterfeit Coffee" by Bee Wilson.  ISBN-13: 978-0691138206.

Not so long ago, left to the market, Pickles were green from toxic copper, children's sweets gained their bright colors from lead and other poisons, and the white bread of the upper crust was often bleached with alum. 

Nor sadly does government legislation solve everything - Wilson makes it clear that watering down, coloring up, bulking out, and plain poisoning are still with us, as are dyes, flavorings, and the catch all 'additives'. Even labeling is of limited use as it has not been kept upto date.

Advertisers continue to con people with for example highlighting "low fat" while not mentioning the high salt and sugar they have replaced the fat with. Buyer beware indeed !

Friday 1 June 2012

The sex pistols are possibly the most overrated band in history. 

They are trying once again to cash in on the Jubilee as they did in 1977 when it was the Queens Silver Jubilee.

Sadly, their song is utter tripe - "God Save the Queen, Fascist Regime" - well it wasn't and has never been a fascist regime in the UK.  Its a insult to people who have experienced fascism.  Johnny Rotten wanted to call the song after one of the other lyrics - "No Future" - as a prediction it was way out, we now know his future was doing adverts for butter on TV and appearing on celebrity programmes.

As for being anarchist and an anti Christ - not only does it not rhyme, it a slight exaggeration to put it mildly.  Still they have a loyal following amongst people who don't like to think to much. Apparently they are exciting :-O.

I concede happily that a lot of bands latched onto 'punk rock' but the vast majority of these had little in common with the sex pistols and quite often wrote good songs to good music.