Well, I'm a little late for St. Patrick's day, but you really have to hand it to the Irish -- just 60 miles from the greatest colonial power the world has ever seen and yet they have managed to keep their independence, although not without some bitter struggles.
St. Patrick arrived in 423 AD and started converting the locals to Catholicism. (There never were any snakes in Ireland; the myth refers to St. Patrick driving out the pagan religions, represented by a serpent.) By 600 AD, Catholicism was the primary religion, and remains so 1,500 years later.
Although the Normans (under William the Conqueror) invaded England in 1066, it was a hundred years before they took any interest in Ireland. In 1171, the Irish Kings swore fealty to King Henry II, with the Pope legitimizing this by declaring Ireland a "feudal possession of the Papacy under the overlordship of the Lord of Ireland." England then proceeded to ignore Ireland for the next 400 years.
When Henry VIII declared himself head of the Church of England, his claim on Ireland--as a "possession of the Papacy"--was in doubt. He set out to re-conquer Ireland, and have himself declared head of the Irish church as well. However, subduing Ireland took nearly a century (and two more monarchs), and the country remained predominantly Catholic. To counter this, the English encouraged Protestants to emigrate to Ireland, and established Penal laws to disenfranchise the Catholics and keep the Protestants in power.
This, naturally, led to a series of civil wars.
In 1800, the Protestants in Ireland voted to become part of the United Kingdom, and remained so until 1921. When Ireland finally won its independence back, the county of Ulster (which was primarily Protestant) elected to stay with the UK, becoming Northern Ireland. The ruling Protestants continued to suppress the Catholics, leading to an apartheid-like situation which brewed for the next 60 years.
This came to a head in the late 60s, as paramilitary groups like the Ulster Volunteers and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) waged guerilla warfare. As the violence increasingly spread to English soil, the UK introduced internment without trial, banned all marches, suspended and then disbanded the Northern Ireland government, and finally instituted martial law, all of which only served to escalate the violence further. It would be 27 years before a cease-fire could be brokered (the "Good Friday Accord" in 1998) and home rule restored to Northern Ireland. In that time, over 3,000 people were killed in what was sardonically known as "The Troubles."
Since 1999, the unionists and nationalists have shared power in a very fragile relationship. However, the violence isn't over: Just a year ago two British soldiers and a policeman were killed by Republican dissidents. Further, the residents are still divided over whether to belong to Ireland or the UK, so this issue is far from resolved.
Interesting side note: Ireland declared itself neutral in World War II (although many Irish volunteered for British forces, and the Irish government assisted the British in planning D-day). Churchill secretly offered to return Northern Ireland in exchange for Ireland's open support, but the Irish government did not trust Churchill and rejected the offer.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Scottish dogs
I guess I have to be a good UK citizen and give equal time to famous Scottish breeds (and one Welsh):
Corgis are the Queen's favorite, and they now all come stamped "By appointment to her Majesty the Queen."
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Sunday, March 28, 2010
English dogs
No, I'm not referring to the punk band (and odds are, neither were you). I missed Crufts, but with a Scottish terrier taking best in show in New York last month--and English breeds winning the previous four years--I thought I'd post a quick guide to English dogs:
 Airedale terrier |  |  Border collie |
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2 years late
I moved from Los Angeles to England on May 26, 2008. I just found out that on February 26, 2008, England had a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. It was the largest earthquake here in 25 years. I didn't even know England had earthquakes, but it turns out they have them all the time.
Still, the Richter scale is logarithmic, so the Northridge quake was some 50-times stronger then the 5.2 quake, and most quakes here are less than 2.0. And while Britain had 6 quakes in the past 30 days, California had 10 yesterday.
I'm just grateful the quake occurred before I arrived. Otherwise, I would never live it down.
Still, the Richter scale is logarithmic, so the Northridge quake was some 50-times stronger then the 5.2 quake, and most quakes here are less than 2.0. And while Britain had 6 quakes in the past 30 days, California had 10 yesterday.
I'm just grateful the quake occurred before I arrived. Otherwise, I would never live it down.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Bloody Sunday
On May 2, 1970, at Kent State University, the Ohio National Guard was called in to contain a student protest against the American invasion of Cambodia. On May 4, National Guard troops fired into the crowd, killing four and wounding nine others.
On June 13, 1970, President Nixon established the Scranton Commission, which issued its findings in September 1970, concluding that the Ohio National Guard shootings were unjustified and that "The Kent State tragedy must mark the last time...loaded rifles are issued to guardsmen confronting student demonstrators."
Posse Comitatus already prohibits the US military from being used for domestic law enforcement, although there is an exception for National Guard troops under a state governor.
Now compare that to...
On January 10, 1972, in Derry, Northern Ireland, the British Army Parachute Regiment opened fire on a civil rights march. Thirteen people, seven of whom were teenagers, were killed, while 14 more were injured. (One later died.) Five of those wounded were shot in the back.
An inquiry was called and, in April 1972, concluded "there would have been no deaths if there had not been an illegal march."
In January 1998, on the 26th anniversary of what came to be known as "Bloody Sunday," Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a new inquiry. In 2000, the inquiry opened with 116 days of public hearings. The judges retired in November 2004. In February 2008, the Secretary of State revealed that the inquiry was still costing £500,000 (US $750,000) per month. The report was expected in 2008, but on November 6 of that year, the chairman announced the report would take at least another year. In 2009, this was pushed to March 2010. It has not been published yet. The total cost for the inquiry is now over £200 million (US $300 million), more than half of the cost is believed to be legal bills.
The UK still has no restrictions on deploying the military against its own people.
On June 13, 1970, President Nixon established the Scranton Commission, which issued its findings in September 1970, concluding that the Ohio National Guard shootings were unjustified and that "The Kent State tragedy must mark the last time...loaded rifles are issued to guardsmen confronting student demonstrators."
Posse Comitatus already prohibits the US military from being used for domestic law enforcement, although there is an exception for National Guard troops under a state governor.
Now compare that to...
On January 10, 1972, in Derry, Northern Ireland, the British Army Parachute Regiment opened fire on a civil rights march. Thirteen people, seven of whom were teenagers, were killed, while 14 more were injured. (One later died.) Five of those wounded were shot in the back.
An inquiry was called and, in April 1972, concluded "there would have been no deaths if there had not been an illegal march."
In January 1998, on the 26th anniversary of what came to be known as "Bloody Sunday," Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a new inquiry. In 2000, the inquiry opened with 116 days of public hearings. The judges retired in November 2004. In February 2008, the Secretary of State revealed that the inquiry was still costing £500,000 (US $750,000) per month. The report was expected in 2008, but on November 6 of that year, the chairman announced the report would take at least another year. In 2009, this was pushed to March 2010. It has not been published yet. The total cost for the inquiry is now over £200 million (US $300 million), more than half of the cost is believed to be legal bills.
The UK still has no restrictions on deploying the military against its own people.
York in a day and a half
I had a weekend to kill, about £200 in my pocket, and I needed to replenish my soul...so I went to York.
How to describe York? Well, the University of York calls it "a historic European city," which makes me wonder what kind of jobs their English majors get. The York's visitor's bureau describes it as "one of Europe's most inspiring cities," which tells me who is hiring the English majors. York city council says, "York is truly ageless - a city for all time and all people," which is a bit over the top, while Wikipedia states it is "is a walled city situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire," which I guess is a little under the bottom. York was named the "2007 European Tourism City of the Year" but second place went to Gothenburg, Sweden, so I'm not sure how much credence to give it.
I could tell you the history of the town--which is a fascinating strata of civilizations: The Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxon, Vikings, and finally the Normans--but instead I'll try to explain it as I feel it.
Like the Earth spinning at 25,000 miles per hour beneath your feet, time also pins you and drags you forward, unnoticed but inexorably. You don't notice the Earth's rotation unless you're in space; you don't notice time unless you're in York.
Walking along the city walls, the Minster, the Shambles, the river: Somehow, in an infinite-number-of-monkeys sort of way, this city was built, piecemeal, in fits and starts and through many setbacks, to become a perfectly formed jigsaw puzzle, each piece locked in so tightly you can't imagine it being anywhere but York, and you can't imagine York being without it.
The Minster is the second largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe (the first being Cologne, Germany) and was built between 1230 and 1472--yes, nearly 250 years to complete. It is 518 feet long and its three towers are 200 ft high. It is known for its stained glass, some of which are bigger than tennis courts. It is an awesome--and humbling--spectacle.
The Shambles is actually a medieval street. The story is that before indoor plumbing, people threw their waste out the window into the street, so buildings jutted out for sanitary reasons. I suspect it was just an easy way to get a few more square feet without having to pay for the land. In any case, you can see there buildings practically touching, and you have to marvel at the fact that they're still standing.
The Guildhall was, sadly, destroyed by a German bomb in WW2, but it has been beautifully rebuilt and now houses the cheapest marketplace you've ever seen. The guild lords would be horrified.
And runner up for the strangest thing I've seen: A busker playing a piano in the middle of the sidewalk. I gave him a £l just for his audacity.
How to describe York? Well, the University of York calls it "a historic European city," which makes me wonder what kind of jobs their English majors get. The York's visitor's bureau describes it as "one of Europe's most inspiring cities," which tells me who is hiring the English majors. York city council says, "York is truly ageless - a city for all time and all people," which is a bit over the top, while Wikipedia states it is "is a walled city situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire," which I guess is a little under the bottom. York was named the "2007 European Tourism City of the Year" but second place went to Gothenburg, Sweden, so I'm not sure how much credence to give it.
I could tell you the history of the town--which is a fascinating strata of civilizations: The Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxon, Vikings, and finally the Normans--but instead I'll try to explain it as I feel it.
Like the Earth spinning at 25,000 miles per hour beneath your feet, time also pins you and drags you forward, unnoticed but inexorably. You don't notice the Earth's rotation unless you're in space; you don't notice time unless you're in York.
Walking along the city walls, the Minster, the Shambles, the river: Somehow, in an infinite-number-of-monkeys sort of way, this city was built, piecemeal, in fits and starts and through many setbacks, to become a perfectly formed jigsaw puzzle, each piece locked in so tightly you can't imagine it being anywhere but York, and you can't imagine York being without it.
The Minster is the second largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe (the first being Cologne, Germany) and was built between 1230 and 1472--yes, nearly 250 years to complete. It is 518 feet long and its three towers are 200 ft high. It is known for its stained glass, some of which are bigger than tennis courts. It is an awesome--and humbling--spectacle.
The Shambles is actually a medieval street. The story is that before indoor plumbing, people threw their waste out the window into the street, so buildings jutted out for sanitary reasons. I suspect it was just an easy way to get a few more square feet without having to pay for the land. In any case, you can see there buildings practically touching, and you have to marvel at the fact that they're still standing.
The Guildhall was, sadly, destroyed by a German bomb in WW2, but it has been beautifully rebuilt and now houses the cheapest marketplace you've ever seen. The guild lords would be horrified.
And runner up for the strangest thing I've seen: A busker playing a piano in the middle of the sidewalk. I gave him a £l just for his audacity.
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| Click to view all my snaps |
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Fat Duck
Finishing up on our trilogy of British gastronomic delights, I'd like to introduce you to The Fat Duck, in Berkshire, England, named the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine in 2005.
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Tuesday, March 23, 2010
More English foods
Bangers and mash, bubble and squeak, black pudding, and now faggots -- you think you know everything about English cuisine?
- Mushy peas are dried marrowfat peas which are first soaked overnight in water and then simmered with a little sugar and salt until they form a thick grey lumpy soup. Artificial colours results in bright green mushy peas.
- Piccalilli is a bright yellow relish of pickled cauliflower and vegetable marrow (squash) and seasonings of mustard and turmeric. (Pennsylvania Dutch have a similar dish called chow chow.)
- Lancashire hotpot is a casserole dish of lamb or mutton, onion, potatoes, and oysters, left to bake in the oven all day.
- Jellied eels are just that -- chopped eels boiled in a spiced stock that is allowed to cool and set, and can be eaten hot or cold. (In the 19th century, eels were common in the Thames, and were cheap and nutritious. Cooking releases proteins which solidify when cool to form a jelly.)
- Welsh rabbit (not rarebit) is a savoury sauce made from melted cheddar cheese, ale, mustard, ground cayenne pepper or paprika, and Worcestershire sauce, served hot over toasted bread. (Note the name was probably a slur against the Welsh -- in England the poor man's meat was rabbit; in Wales the poor man's meat was cheese.)
- "Toad in the hole" are sausages baked in a Yorkshire pudding batter, served with vegetables and onion gravy.
- Pease pudding (or pease porridge) is kind of like baked split pea soup, using yellow peas, which has the same consistency of hummus. Left-over pease pudding can be eaten hot or cold, just like the nursery rhyme.
Monday, March 22, 2010
English tarts
If you thought scones were an English dessert, you don't know dick:
- Bakewell tart is a small pastry filled with eggs and ground almonds, covered with jam
- Banoffee pie is pastry filled with bananas, toffee, cream and boiled condensed milk
- Bread and butter pudding - not to be confused with bread pudding - are slices of buttered bread scattered with raisins, covered with an egg and milk mixture, and baked. (For bread pudding you use stale bread that is soaked and squeezed dry--but that's a French thing.)
- Christmas pudding (or plum pudding) is usually made with suet (beef fat), dried fruit and nuts, steamed, and served with hard sauce (butter and sugar creamed with rum, brandy, or whiskey).
- Clotted cream is a thick yellow cream made by heating unpasteurised cow's milk and then leaving it in shallow pans for several hours, until the cream rises forms buttery "clots." (It has a minimum fat content of 55%, and is fantastic on scones.)
- Crumble is stewed fruit (such as apples or rhubarb) topped with a crumbly mixture of butter, flour, and sugar and baked until crisp
- Eccles cake is a small, round cake made from puff pastry, filled with currants (small raisins), and topped with demerara (turbinado) sugar.
- Fool is puréed fruit (typically gooseberries) mixed with whipped cream and sugar
- Jam Roly-Poly is a flat-rolled suet pudding, which is then spread with jam and rolled up.
- Mince pies are filled with mincemeat, a preserve containing apple, raisins, sultanas, and spices. These are served in individual portions, and were once banned in England.
- Spotted dick is a pudding made from suet and currants. (The "spotted" part is easy, but nobody really knows why it's called "dick.")
- Sticky toffee pudding is a moist sponge cake, sometimes made with finely chopped dates or prunes, covered in a toffee sauce.
- Summer pudding is stale slices of white bread layered in a deep bowl filled with berries, such as raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, and blackberries, then refrigerated until the fruit juice has soaked into the bread.
- Trifle is made from layers of sponge cake, fruit, thick custard, and whipped cream
- Treacle tart is a shortcrust pastry with a filling of golden syrup (similar to corn syrup), lemon butter, and breadcrumbs, served warm with cream.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
On the train to York
The tracks run both ways, with no indication of which way to go.
The dry stone walls don't care which side you are on.
The cypress block the wind, no matter which way it blows.
The houses stand testament to the sovereignty of man.
History will not be kind.
The dry stone walls don't care which side you are on.
The cypress block the wind, no matter which way it blows.
The houses stand testament to the sovereignty of man.
History will not be kind.
Friday, March 19, 2010
UK charities
I think it's because the country is so small ("about the size of Oregon") that, in some ways, the country feels so cohesive. Or maybe it's because I'm living in London, which dominates the rest of the UK--I'm sure I'd feel different if I were living in Northern Ireland. But I like the idea that the country comes together for certain things, such as Spring, Remembrance (Veterans) day, and Comic Relief.
You probably remember the HBO specials from the mid-80s (plus 1996 for Hurricane Katrina) to support America's homeless, but the idea originated in the UK as an international charity, and has been going strong for 25 years. Along with "Children in Need," it is one of the biggest charity events in the country.
It is celebrated in March as "Red nose day" as people don clown noses to mark the day, with a telethon raising £80 million last year. In 2002, however, they started alternating each year with "Sport Relief" in which people do fundraising events. This year:
You probably remember the HBO specials from the mid-80s (plus 1996 for Hurricane Katrina) to support America's homeless, but the idea originated in the UK as an international charity, and has been going strong for 25 years. Along with "Children in Need," it is one of the biggest charity events in the country.
It is celebrated in March as "Red nose day" as people don clown noses to mark the day, with a telethon raising £80 million last year. In 2002, however, they started alternating each year with "Sport Relief" in which people do fundraising events. This year:
- Comedian (and transvestite) Eddie Izzard ran an astonishing 43 marathons -- 1,166 miles! -- in 51 days
- David Walliams, of Little Britain, cycled from John O'Groats (the northeast corner) to Lands End (the southwest corner).
- Christine Bleakley, a news presenter, water skied (skid?) across the English Channel.
- Helen Skelton, a kids show presenter, kayaked solo 2,010 miles along the Amazon
- Thousands of people will be participating in "mile events" at 16 locations across the UK
Political terms and conventions
OK, this is my last post on politics, I promise. I just find this stuff fascinating.
- Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords make up Parliament, but only members of the House of Commons are referred to as "MPs" (members of Parliament). Members of the House of Lords are usually referred to as "Peers."
- In session, MPs address each other as "The Honourable representative of [constituency]" except for members of the Privy Council (primarily cabinet ministers), who are addressed as "Right Honourable." The 26 bishops who serve in the House of Lords are known as "Lords Spiritual" while the other members are "Lords Temporal."
- In the House of Commons, MPs sit on benches, with the major political party (the "government party") on one side and the major "opposition party" on the other. The party leaders sit on the front bench; their members are referred to as "backbenchers." Members of a third party are referred to as (I kid you not) "cross-benchers."
- Like the US, the UK has "whips" to keep the backbenchers in line, and ensure a quorum for important votes. In the UK, whips are much stronger, and often eject members from the party. When a member is ejected, he usually stays on as a "cross-bencher" to finish their term.
- The major party forms a cabinet, of which the four major offices are the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (equivalent to the Secretary of the Treasury), the Foreign Secretary, and the Home Secretary.
- The opposition party also forms a "shadow cabinet," who would form the cabinet if they were to come to power.
- A voice vote is always taken first, with the Speaker judging the results. If it is unclear -- or the result is challenged -- then a "division" is called, and all of the MPs leave their seats and walk into either the "Aye" or "No" lobby, where attendance is taken. If an MPs wants to abstain from a vote--but have it on record--he has to go into both lobbies.
- Parliamentary sittings begin with the following prayer. MPs stand for prayers facing the wall behind them.
"Lord, the God of righteousness and truth, grant to our Queen and her government, to Members of Parliament and all in positions of responsibility, the guidance of your Spirit. May they never lead the nation wrongly through love of power, desire to please, or unworthy ideals but laying aside all private interests and prejudices keep in mind their responsibility to seek to improve the condition of all mankind; so may your kingdom come and your name be hallowed. Amen."
- In the UK, there is no way to recall an MP and, interestingly, they are forbidden from resigning. However, according to a law from 1707, if an MP is appointed to an "office of profit under the Crown" he was obliged to leave his post, so MPs are appointed "Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds" or "Steward of the Manor of Northstead", obsolete offices of negligible duties but a small stipend from the Queen. On December 17, 1985, when 15 MPs resigned over the Anglo-Irish Agreement, each MP held the office for a portion of the day.
- MPs are given a salary, an expense account to maintain a second home (presumably but not necessarily in London), and a lump sum payment when they leave, to help them "reintegrate" into normal life. However, if they resign before an election, they forfeit that money.
- In 1997, the UK began to "devolve" powers back to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, allowing local parliaments to decide matters other than defence, national security, foreign affairs and the economy. However, England does not have a local parliament, leading to the odd situation where Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (as members of the UK) vote on laws which affect England, but England has no voice in those countries. (This is not unlike Washington DC, which has no state powers so Congress has to vote on all local laws.)
- MPs must swear an Oath of Allegiance to the Queen. There are five MPs, all from Sinn Fein, who refuse to take the Oath and are therefore not allowed to vote.
- Seats in the House of Lords are appointed or inherited, but in 1997 Labour passed a reform bill, ejecting all inherited seats except 92. (I don't know why 92.) The Lords held an election so, ironically, the only elected members of the House of Lords are the ones who inherited their seats.
Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Political parties
IIn 1997, Tony Blair moved "New Labour" to the right in order to wrest power from the Conservatives. Recently, the Conservatives have moved left to try and regain power. As a result, they are both so far into the middle of the road that I'm having a very hard time telling them apart. Last November, BBC News put together a chart on the policy issues:
Now, granted, in the States I usually voted for a third party, but here the major third party is the Liberal Democrats, formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party, and their plan appears to be an unworkable hodge-podge of lofty sentiment: Respecting individual rights while creating a welfare state; support multilateral foreign policy while opposing the War in Iraq, etc.. They want to cut spending by £6.7 billion by abolishing child trust funds, scrapping plans to raise compulsory education to 18, and abandoning the target of 50% in higher education. They want to cut road building while increasing road taxes. They want tax breaks for living healthy lifestyles, 100% carbon-free, non-nuclear electricity by 2050, and zero-carbon emission for all new cars by 2040.
But here's the interesting thing: If there is a hung parliament, the Lib Dems become the kingmakers -- both parties will need their support in order to form a government -- and the one thing the Lib Dems want more than anything else is proportional representation.
Just like the US, elections here are winner-takes-all: Each constituency can only elect one person, and the person with the highest number of votes wins. So even if Lib Dems get 20% of the vote across the country, they may end up with 0 seats in Parliament if they don't win any specific constituencies. Proportional representation -- which is used in Israel and most of Europe -- means that if a party gets 20% of the vote, they get 20% of the seats.
So we'll see how this turns out. I can't vote, of course, but it still promises to be an election to remember.
| Labour | Conservative | How I read it | |
| SPENDING CUTS | Immediate cuts to "low-priority" government programmes. Major decisions on further spending cuts to be made after the election, although more details promised in December's pre-Budget report. No cuts to "frontline" services in health, education and police. | Immediate cuts likely across the board, with exception of health and international development. End Child Trust Funds for all but the poorest. End MPs' subsidised alcohol and food and reduce ministerial salaries. Slash spending on quangos. | Both parties pledge to cut spending. |
| AFGHANISTAN | Will not 'walk away' from mission to build up Afghan forces but wants district-by-district handover to start next year. Urge other Nato countries to send more troops. Warns President Karzai he must end corruption to ensure continued support. Says troops have all the equipment they need. | More tightly-defined campaign mission. Focus on securing military success to keep public backing for war. Government role for ex-army chief Sir Richard Dannett, who has called for more helicopters and equipment. | Both parties support the deeply-unpopular war in Afghanistan. |
| TAX | 50p tax rate for earnings over £150,000. Tax relief on pensions to be reduced for people on more than £150,000 a year from April 2011. | Keep Labour's 50p tax rate for now. Restore pensions and earnings link. No tax credits for families earning over £50,000. Threat to tax bank bonuses. Aim to reverse Gordon's Brown's 1997 "pensions tax raid". Increase tax on alcopops and high strength ciders and beers. | Both parties plan to increase taxes. |
| EUROPE | Back Lisbon Treaty; rejects referendum. | Ruled out Lisbon Treaty referendum but pledged to repatriate some powers from Brussels, introduce Sovereignty Act to assure primacy of UK law and change law to guarantee referendums on all future treaties or transfers of power to Brussels. | Both parties support the EU. |
| IMMIGRATION | E-borders, which tracks all movements in and out of UK, fully operational by 2014. Clear asylum backlog by 2011. Tighten entry restrictions for skilled workers from outside EU. | Keep Labour's points-based migration system but place an annual limit on numbers admitted to UK. Attract "brightest and best" migrants from around the world to UK. New border force. | Both parties intend to reduce immigration. |
| JOBS | All under-25s out of work for a year to be offered a job or training place. More funding for job centres and sixth form education. Create more than 250,000 new green jobs, 10,000 skilled internships for young people, 10,000 job placements in green industries. | Scrap Regional Development Agencies and New Deal for the unemployed. Instead give firms created in first two years of Tory government tax breaks on first 10 staff hired and 20,000 new apprenticeship places for 14-16 year olds. Move 500,000 people off incapacity benefit. Sir James Dyson to head hi-tech export taskforce. | Both parties promise to create jobs. |
| BANKS | Break up taxpayer-owned banks and sell them off. Government forced by law to cut budget deficit every year. Bank bonus legislation pledged. Proposed international transactions tax to create a fund for bank bailouts. Strip "reckless" bankers of future bonuses. | Ban High Street banks from paying out "significant" cash bonuses. FSA's regulatory powers transferred back to the Bank of England. Sell off state-owned banks. | Both parties intend to sell off state-owned banks and restrict bonuses. |
| HEALTH/NHS | End to real-terms increases in funding. Find £15bn to £20bn efficiency savings over next four years. More personalised NHS, targets scrapped, personal health budgets. Abolish GP practice boundaries. Publish data about performance of doctors. New National Care Service for elderly. Phase out of hospital car parking charges for in-patients. | Sticking with Labour's spending plan for 2010/2011 and have pledged to "increase spending" in following years. Scrap targets, reduce bureaucracy and hand more control to doctors and nurses. Performance tables on every medic. Personal health budgets. Residential care costs for the over-65s in England to be paid in return for a one-off £8,000 fee. Cut cost of NHS quangos and management by a third in England. Reform dentistry, starting with the re-introduction of school check-ups. | Both parties promise to increase efficiency and reduce bureaucracy. |
EDUCATION | Save £2bn by axing thousands of senior staff and having "discipline" over teachers' pay. Protect teaching and teaching assistant jobs. Improve school discipline drive. More Trust schools and academies. More sixth form places and apprenticeships. | Allow parents, charities and private firms to set up publicly-funded schools. "Pupil premium" for poorer children. Failing schools to be taken over by academy providers and re-launched. New technical schools in England's 12 largest cities; 10,000 new university places, boost to apprenticeship schemes. | Both parties promise to increase school opportunities. |
| ENVIRONMENT | Cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. Cash for low-carbon industries, offshore wind projects, energy efficiency schemes for homes, firms and public buildings and "green jobs". Build new nuclear plants, raise "billions" to invest in clean coal technology. 'Cycle Hubs' at 10 major rail stations. Invest in electric car technology. | Cut carbon emissions by 60% from 1990 levels by 2050. Scrap Heathrow third runway. Speed up new nuclear plants. Immediately authorise 5 GW of clean coal capacity; build marine energy parks; communities that choose to host onshore wind farms to keep all business rates they generate for six years, replace electricity and gas meters with smart meters; more transparency in energy prices. | Both parties pledge to reduce carbon emissions, build nuclear plants, and support alternative energy. |
| PUBLIC SECTOR PAY | Pay freeze on 40,000 senior public servants in 2010/11. Further 700,000 public sector workers to get rises of between 0 and 1%. Possible £200,000 cap on top public servant salaries. | One year pay freeze on all public sector workers earning more than £18,000 in 2011, except frontline military. No newly appointed public servant to be paid more than the prime minister without Treasury approval. Proposed £50,000 annual cap on newly accrued public sector pensions. | Both parties plan to freeze public sector pay. |
| RETIREMENT AGE | State pension age for men to rise from 65 to 68 between 2024 to 2046. For women it will gradually rise from 60 to 65 over ten years from 2010. | Raise state pension age for men from 65 to 66 from 2016. Pension age for women to rise to 66 by 2022. | Both parties plan to increase the retirement age. |
| DEFENCE SPENDING | Replace Britain's Trident nuclear weapons system, but scale number of submarines back from four to three. | Cut 25% from MoD running costs without reducing frontline troops. Launch immediate strategic defence review, including possible scrapping of £20bn Eurofighter/Typhoon project, £4bn project to build two aircraft carriers and the £2.7bn order for 25 A400 transport aircraft. Would replace Trident. | Both parties plan to reduce military spending. |
| POLITICAL REFORM | Referendum on whether to replace first-past-the-post for Westminster elections with Alternative Vote system. Voters given power to recall bad MPs. Complete process of Lords reform. Bill of Rights and possible written constitution. | Cut the number of MPs by 10%. Public to have a say on proposed bills and to nominate unpopular regulations to be axed. Boost MPs' scrutiny of legislation. Twelve more English cities to be offered referendums on having elected mayors. Hand power back to local authorities. "Sunset clause" to all regulators and regulatory quangos; Publish detailed data on national and local government spending online. | Both parties promise political reform. |
| International development | Meet UN target of 0.7% of GNI on overseas aid | Meet UN target of 0.7% of GNI on overseas aid | Uh… |
Now, granted, in the States I usually voted for a third party, but here the major third party is the Liberal Democrats, formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party, and their plan appears to be an unworkable hodge-podge of lofty sentiment: Respecting individual rights while creating a welfare state; support multilateral foreign policy while opposing the War in Iraq, etc.. They want to cut spending by £6.7 billion by abolishing child trust funds, scrapping plans to raise compulsory education to 18, and abandoning the target of 50% in higher education. They want to cut road building while increasing road taxes. They want tax breaks for living healthy lifestyles, 100% carbon-free, non-nuclear electricity by 2050, and zero-carbon emission for all new cars by 2040.
But here's the interesting thing: If there is a hung parliament, the Lib Dems become the kingmakers -- both parties will need their support in order to form a government -- and the one thing the Lib Dems want more than anything else is proportional representation.
Just like the US, elections here are winner-takes-all: Each constituency can only elect one person, and the person with the highest number of votes wins. So even if Lib Dems get 20% of the vote across the country, they may end up with 0 seats in Parliament if they don't win any specific constituencies. Proportional representation -- which is used in Israel and most of Europe -- means that if a party gets 20% of the vote, they get 20% of the seats.
So we'll see how this turns out. I can't vote, of course, but it still promises to be an election to remember.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
English politics
Election campaigns are in full swing here, so I thought I'd compare US and UK government. Since much of American politics is based on England, you would think the differences would be fairly superficial, but they aren't:
- In the US, a national election is held every 2 years, where the public votes for the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate. Every other election is a Presidential election.
- In the UK, a general election is held when the current Parliament is dissolved by the Monarch at the request of the Prime Minister. The dissolution occurs either when Parliament has passed a "no confidence" vote, or within 5 years after the last election.
- In the US, the House of Representatives has 435 members, apportioned to the states based on population, so California has 53 Representatives while Alaska has 1. Each state is divided into "districts," with roughly equal population, which then elect a single representative. Each member represents approximately 700,000 people, and is referred to as a "Representative" or "Congressman."
- In the UK, the House of Commons has 646 members, which are elected by parliamentary constituencies, which are based on wards, which are based on boroughs. Each member represents approximately 70,000 people, and is referred to as a "Member of Parlliament" or MP.
- In the US, .the party with the most seats in the House of Representatives elects the Speaker of the House, who is third in line for the Presidency. The Vice-President is also a member of the House, but only votes in the case of a tie.
- In the UK, the leader of the political party that gets the most seats in the House of Commons becomes the Prime Minister. Although not directly elected, he usually represents the party during the election. He remains leader until Parliament is dissolved, and there is a new election, or he resigns, and the party elects a new leader.
- In the US, Senators are elected by the public for 6-year terms. There are two Senators per state, regardless of population. Before legislation can be sent to the President to become law, it must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- In the UK, the House of Lords consists of 704 members: 587 are appointed for ife, 92 are hereditary, and 25 are religious appointments. (Before 1999, there were 1,330 members, most of whom inherited the seat.) House of Lords may debate a bill, add amendments, or delay it by up to one year, but they may not block it.
- In the US, the President sits for 4 years, and can be re-elected once. The President is commander-in-chief, and signs all bills into law. He has full veto power over legislation, although Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds majority in both houses. If he dies or resigns, the Vice-President assumes the office.
- In the UK, the Queen is commander-in-chief, but must act according to the Prime Minister's recommendations. The Queen has no authority over legislation, and must remain politically neutral. At the beginning of each Parliamentary session, the majority party writes "The Queen's Speech" outlining the goals for the session, which the Queen must read to the public.
- In the US, the Supreme Court established the power of "judicial review" in 1803, which allows the court to strike down laws it deems as unconstitutional.
- In the UK, the Supreme Court was established in 2009. (Yes, last year.) It is unclear if it has judicial review powers. (Before 2009, the House of Lords acted as the court of last appeal.)
In summary, then, the famous "checks and balances" enshrouded in the US government and based, ironically, on English law, no longer exist in England. Through 1,000 years of history, power has passed from the House of Lords, to the Crown, and now to the House of Commons. The Prime Minister, who isn't elected, acts as party leader and controls all bills, dictates policy to the Queen, and effectively acts as commander-in-chief. It is, by all accounts, a complete shame.
The last election was held in 2005, with Labour winning a third consecutive term under Tony Blair. In 2007, Blair resigned and Gordon Brown became the new leader of the Labour Party, thus inheriting the role of Prime Minister. A new election must occur by June 3, although Brown has not yet set a date. (Update: It is expected to be set for May 6.)
There is concern that no party will achieve a majority of seats, resulting in a "hung parliament," which last occurred in 1974. If that occurs, the Queen will likely invite Brown to form a "coalition government" -- in which he tries to convince members of other parties to support him -- or a "minority government," in which case he will not have the votes to pass most bills. What is likely to happen then, will be a vote of no confidence to be passed, Parliament will be dissolved again, and a new round of elections will occur.
One final note: The name House of Commons does not originate from 'common' people but 'common' land. (Think Boston Commons.)
If you'd like to read a great (yet brief) overview of English government over the past 1,000 years, click here.
- In the US, a national election is held every 2 years, where the public votes for the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate. Every other election is a Presidential election.
- In the UK, a general election is held when the current Parliament is dissolved by the Monarch at the request of the Prime Minister. The dissolution occurs either when Parliament has passed a "no confidence" vote, or within 5 years after the last election.
- In the US, the House of Representatives has 435 members, apportioned to the states based on population, so California has 53 Representatives while Alaska has 1. Each state is divided into "districts," with roughly equal population, which then elect a single representative. Each member represents approximately 700,000 people, and is referred to as a "Representative" or "Congressman."
- In the UK, the House of Commons has 646 members, which are elected by parliamentary constituencies, which are based on wards, which are based on boroughs. Each member represents approximately 70,000 people, and is referred to as a "Member of Parlliament" or MP.
- In the US, .the party with the most seats in the House of Representatives elects the Speaker of the House, who is third in line for the Presidency. The Vice-President is also a member of the House, but only votes in the case of a tie.
- In the UK, the leader of the political party that gets the most seats in the House of Commons becomes the Prime Minister. Although not directly elected, he usually represents the party during the election. He remains leader until Parliament is dissolved, and there is a new election, or he resigns, and the party elects a new leader.
- In the US, Senators are elected by the public for 6-year terms. There are two Senators per state, regardless of population. Before legislation can be sent to the President to become law, it must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- In the UK, the House of Lords consists of 704 members: 587 are appointed for ife, 92 are hereditary, and 25 are religious appointments. (Before 1999, there were 1,330 members, most of whom inherited the seat.) House of Lords may debate a bill, add amendments, or delay it by up to one year, but they may not block it.
- In the US, the President sits for 4 years, and can be re-elected once. The President is commander-in-chief, and signs all bills into law. He has full veto power over legislation, although Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds majority in both houses. If he dies or resigns, the Vice-President assumes the office.
- In the UK, the Queen is commander-in-chief, but must act according to the Prime Minister's recommendations. The Queen has no authority over legislation, and must remain politically neutral. At the beginning of each Parliamentary session, the majority party writes "The Queen's Speech" outlining the goals for the session, which the Queen must read to the public.
- In the US, the Supreme Court established the power of "judicial review" in 1803, which allows the court to strike down laws it deems as unconstitutional.
- In the UK, the Supreme Court was established in 2009. (Yes, last year.) It is unclear if it has judicial review powers. (Before 2009, the House of Lords acted as the court of last appeal.)
In summary, then, the famous "checks and balances" enshrouded in the US government and based, ironically, on English law, no longer exist in England. Through 1,000 years of history, power has passed from the House of Lords, to the Crown, and now to the House of Commons. The Prime Minister, who isn't elected, acts as party leader and controls all bills, dictates policy to the Queen, and effectively acts as commander-in-chief. It is, by all accounts, a complete shame.
The last election was held in 2005, with Labour winning a third consecutive term under Tony Blair. In 2007, Blair resigned and Gordon Brown became the new leader of the Labour Party, thus inheriting the role of Prime Minister. A new election must occur by June 3, although Brown has not yet set a date. (Update: It is expected to be set for May 6.)
There is concern that no party will achieve a majority of seats, resulting in a "hung parliament," which last occurred in 1974. If that occurs, the Queen will likely invite Brown to form a "coalition government" -- in which he tries to convince members of other parties to support him -- or a "minority government," in which case he will not have the votes to pass most bills. What is likely to happen then, will be a vote of no confidence to be passed, Parliament will be dissolved again, and a new round of elections will occur.
One final note: The name House of Commons does not originate from 'common' people but 'common' land. (Think Boston Commons.)
If you'd like to read a great (yet brief) overview of English government over the past 1,000 years, click here.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Procurator fiscal
Now this is interesting: In Scotland, the procurator fiscal is the equivalent of a district attorney -- the public prosecutor who represents the state in a criminal trial. Okay, that's not really interesting, but what is interesting is that until 2003, there was no such equivalent in England.
Historically, anyone could make a criminal charge, but the attorney general could dismiss it. Most prosecutions were conducted by the police although, strangely enough, the officers had to do so as private citizens.
A public prosecution office was set up in 1880, but it only covered major cases; it wasn't until 1986 did the Crown Prosecution Service begin to serve the entire country, and only 7 years ago did it take over full responsibility for prosecutions.
Which perhaps explains why Law & Order UK debuted only last year.
Historically, anyone could make a criminal charge, but the attorney general could dismiss it. Most prosecutions were conducted by the police although, strangely enough, the officers had to do so as private citizens.
A public prosecution office was set up in 1880, but it only covered major cases; it wasn't until 1986 did the Crown Prosecution Service begin to serve the entire country, and only 7 years ago did it take over full responsibility for prosecutions.
Which perhaps explains why Law & Order UK debuted only last year.
Monday, March 15, 2010
A-levels
Education in the States is fairly straightforward:
- Nursery school (or pre-kindergarten) for 3-4 year old
- K-12 (usually referred to as elementary school, junior high, and high school) for 5-18 year olds
- A 4-year bachelor's degree
- A 2-year master's degree
Education in England starts in a similar way:
- Nursery school for 3-4 year olds
- Primary school for 5-10 year olds
- Secondary school for 11-13 year olds
Now it gets weird, because at 14 you start studying for your GCSEs -- General Certificate of Secondary Education. These are specialist subjects of the student's choice, and they can take as many (or as few) as they like, with most opting for 8-10 subjects such as English, mathematics, science, religious education, physical education, citizenship, and a foreign language.
At the end of year 11 (at age 15) you take your GCSEs and are given a grade from A-G, although for all practical purposes anything below a C is a fail. Now this is important because in England, compulsory education ends at 16, and you generally need five GCSEs (with a grade of A–C) to take your A-levels in sixth form.
Still with me?
A-levels is the Advanced Level General Certificate of Education (there used to be an O-level, for ordinary, but that was phased out), and again these are student-selected topics such as English, biology, mathematics, psychology, and the oddly named "General Studies." Typically a student will study for 3 A-levels, as that is the minimum for university admission ("Sixth form" is just a holdover name from a previous education scheme, but there are specialist schools you can go to study for your A-levels.)
After two years of study, students take their A-level exams and anxiously await the results because, at that point, they've already applied to various universities and been made offers contingent on their grades. For example, a university might offer a physics degree to a student if he gets a B in Mathematics, a B in Physics and a C in Computing. A-levels are a national rite of passage, much more so than a high school graduation. (If you don't meet your required scores, you can take the exams again the following year, but that's like taking 12th grade over.)
Interestingly, there is only one private university in England--all of the rest are public institutions, and they all cost exactly the same -- £3,225 (about $5,000) per year, and even that doesn't need to be paid until the student has graduated and attained a certain income level. A bachelor's degree takes 3 years and a master's degree only takes 1, so in England you can have a master's degree in the same time as a bachelor's degree in the US. (I have no idea about PhDs.)
When you get your bachelor's degree, you are classified as either in the "first half" of the class (1st), the "first half" of the second half (2.1) or the second half of the second half (2.2). Oddly, most employers in the UK don't actually care what your degree was in; they just want to know you were 1st or 2.1.
I probably don't need to mention that 4 of the top 6 universities in the world are in England -- and 16 of the top 25 are in the UK -- but here's a scary statistic: Only 50% of students in England continue school past the age of 16. There are plans to raise compulsory education to 18 by 2013, but I have no idea how that's going to affect any of the above.
Now if I could only understand the rules of cricket...
- Nursery school (or pre-kindergarten) for 3-4 year old
- K-12 (usually referred to as elementary school, junior high, and high school) for 5-18 year olds
- A 4-year bachelor's degree
- A 2-year master's degree
Education in England starts in a similar way:
- Nursery school for 3-4 year olds
- Primary school for 5-10 year olds
- Secondary school for 11-13 year olds
Now it gets weird, because at 14 you start studying for your GCSEs -- General Certificate of Secondary Education. These are specialist subjects of the student's choice, and they can take as many (or as few) as they like, with most opting for 8-10 subjects such as English, mathematics, science, religious education, physical education, citizenship, and a foreign language.
At the end of year 11 (at age 15) you take your GCSEs and are given a grade from A-G, although for all practical purposes anything below a C is a fail. Now this is important because in England, compulsory education ends at 16, and you generally need five GCSEs (with a grade of A–C) to take your A-levels in sixth form.
Still with me?
A-levels is the Advanced Level General Certificate of Education (there used to be an O-level, for ordinary, but that was phased out), and again these are student-selected topics such as English, biology, mathematics, psychology, and the oddly named "General Studies." Typically a student will study for 3 A-levels, as that is the minimum for university admission ("Sixth form" is just a holdover name from a previous education scheme, but there are specialist schools you can go to study for your A-levels.)
After two years of study, students take their A-level exams and anxiously await the results because, at that point, they've already applied to various universities and been made offers contingent on their grades. For example, a university might offer a physics degree to a student if he gets a B in Mathematics, a B in Physics and a C in Computing. A-levels are a national rite of passage, much more so than a high school graduation. (If you don't meet your required scores, you can take the exams again the following year, but that's like taking 12th grade over.)
Interestingly, there is only one private university in England--all of the rest are public institutions, and they all cost exactly the same -- £3,225 (about $5,000) per year, and even that doesn't need to be paid until the student has graduated and attained a certain income level. A bachelor's degree takes 3 years and a master's degree only takes 1, so in England you can have a master's degree in the same time as a bachelor's degree in the US. (I have no idea about PhDs.)
When you get your bachelor's degree, you are classified as either in the "first half" of the class (1st), the "first half" of the second half (2.1) or the second half of the second half (2.2). Oddly, most employers in the UK don't actually care what your degree was in; they just want to know you were 1st or 2.1.
I probably don't need to mention that 4 of the top 6 universities in the world are in England -- and 16 of the top 25 are in the UK -- but here's a scary statistic: Only 50% of students in England continue school past the age of 16. There are plans to raise compulsory education to 18 by 2013, but I have no idea how that's going to affect any of the above.
Now if I could only understand the rules of cricket...
Sunday, March 14, 2010
More British colloquialisms
It occurs to me this is a one-way activity: I can share British words and phrases with Americans, but I can't share American phrases with the Brits, because Hollywood has done that for me. (Although I did cause a little confusion yesterday when I said I was "heading out.")
flick=knife
boot sale=flea market (selling goods from the 'boot' of your car)
squidgy=wet and squishy
floppy=relaxed
stroppy=angry or upset
mobile=cell phone
pillion=second seat (or second rider) on a motorcycle
caravan=RV
Static caravan=mobile home
Under the cosh=under pressure, as in a deadline (a cosh is a police baton)
Stoplights here are known as traffic lights, and they have amber lights, not yellow. While that may sound pretty minor, I learned the difference while I was in the middle of a presentation to a client about a 'stoplight report' I was developing. Oops.
flick=knife
boot sale=flea market (selling goods from the 'boot' of your car)
squidgy=wet and squishy
floppy=relaxed
stroppy=angry or upset
mobile=cell phone
pillion=second seat (or second rider) on a motorcycle
caravan=RV
Static caravan=mobile home
Under the cosh=under pressure, as in a deadline (a cosh is a police baton)
Stoplights here are known as traffic lights, and they have amber lights, not yellow. While that may sound pretty minor, I learned the difference while I was in the middle of a presentation to a client about a 'stoplight report' I was developing. Oops.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
English nursery rhymes
I'm sure you've heard of these, even if you didn't understand them:
- Baa, Baa, Black Sheep (c. 1744)
- Georgie Porgie (c. 1850)
- Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (c. 1850)
- Hey Diddle Diddle (c. 1765)
- Hickory Dickory Doc (c. 1744)
- Humpty Dumpty (1803)
- Jack and Jill (c. 1765)
- Jack Be Nimble (c. 1815)
- Jack Sprat (1639)
- Little Bo Peep (c. 1805)
- Little Jack Horner (1725)
- Little Miss Muffet (1805)
- London Bridge Is Falling Down (c. 1744)
- Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary (c. 1744)
- Old King Cole (1708)
- Old Mother Hubbard (1805)
- Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man (1698)
- Pease porridge hot (c. 1760)
- Peter Piper (1813)
- Ring Around the Rosie (1881)
- Rock-a-bye Baby (1765)
- Roses are red (1784)
- Rub A Dub Dub (1798)
- Simple Simon (1764)
- Sing a Song of Sixpence (c. 1744)
- There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe (1794)
- This Little Piggy (c. 1760)
- This Old Man (1906)
- Three Blind Mice (1609)
- Tinker, Tailor (1695)
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (1806)
- What Are Little Boys Made Of? (1820)
Ladybird, ladybird fly away home,Your house is on fire and your children are gone,
All except one,
And her name is Ann,
And she hid under the baking pan.
(c. 1744)
Doctor Foster went to Gloucester,
In a shower of rain;
He stepped in a puddle,
Right up to his middle,
And never went there again.
(Doctor Foster, 1844)
One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a girl
Four for a boy
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told
Eight for a wish
Nine for a kiss
Ten for a bird you must not miss
(c. 1780, a rhyme about magpies)
The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only half-way up,
They were neither up nor down.
(1642)
Do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Do you know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?
Yes I know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Yes I know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane.
(c. 1820)
Oranges and lemons,Oh, and just so you know, Ring around the Rosies is not about the plague.
Say the bells of St. Clement's
You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin's
When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch.
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney
I do not know,
Says the great bell of Bow
Here comes a candle to light you to bed
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!
(c. 1744)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Immigrants
It's amazing where Google takes you sometimes. While reading up on London's economy, I found a fantastic article on immigration, surprisingly published in "Socialist Worker," "a revolutionary anti-capitalist paper in Britain." I encourage everyone to read it, especially those who think there's a difference between being racist and being anti-immigrant.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Mother's day - March 14
Don't worry, you yanks have until May 9, but in the UK 'Mothering Sunday' is the fourth Sunday of Lent, so another floating date to throw in along with Pancake Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday. (I also read somewhere that 'mothering Sunday' wasn't even about mothers, it was about visiting the 'mother church' -- the church you were baptized in -- so who knows.)
Here's a fun fact, though: In 1907, two years after her mother's death, Anna Jarvis embarked on a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the States. She succeeded in 1914 but by the 1920s she had become embittered by the commericialization of the holiday, complaining that too many people sent their mothers a printed greeting card which, she said, "means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world." She trademarked the phrases "Mother's Day" and "second Sunday in May" to stop people from using the terms, and was once arrested for disturbing the peace. She spent her inheritance campaigning against the holiday, never married or had children, and died in poverty.
Enjoy the day.
Here's a fun fact, though: In 1907, two years after her mother's death, Anna Jarvis embarked on a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the States. She succeeded in 1914 but by the 1920s she had become embittered by the commericialization of the holiday, complaining that too many people sent their mothers a printed greeting card which, she said, "means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world." She trademarked the phrases "Mother's Day" and "second Sunday in May" to stop people from using the terms, and was once arrested for disturbing the peace. She spent her inheritance campaigning against the holiday, never married or had children, and died in poverty.
Enjoy the day.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Why is London so expensive?
I mentioned London had dropped from the third most expensive city, to the 16th, but I don't really understood what that means, so I googled it.
Unfortunately, most of the 'answers' were from people who clearly don't understand supply and demand, and believe companies will charge what the market will bear. While that may be true, it is really a symptom more than a cause, and indicates an imbalance on the supply side; if a competitor could charge less, he would do so to increase his business.
The New Economist blamed 9 things compared to the US: Higher taxes, a higher minimum wage, a stronger currency, less economy of scale, less competition, higher property rates, higher transport costs, the growing divide between the rich and poor, and, uh, "weaker consumers."
Unfortunately, again, most of these aren't causes, or are relative to the entire country--and nobody is complaining about how expensive Scunthorpe is. (Well, I'm sure somebody is, but that's not my point.) The gap between the rich and poor is also just silly -- unless they are suggesting it is because there are fewer poor people.
Of course, in London, property rates and transport costs are higher. A few months ago I read an article about a new high-speed train link, and how every minute closer to London increased house prices by £2,000! (Plus Britain is an island, as are several of the other most expensive cities.)
But while I was shopping today, I was thinking about the "weak consumers" argument. That is not to say Londoners are stupid, simply that they value other things above cost. There are discount options, just as there are luxury options, but they choose the "British" options -- stores that have been in business for 150 years. And while they may not be the most efficient, they do have a track record most companies cannot imagine.
And not surprisingly, today I bought my clothes at Marks & Spencer, not Primark.
P.S. One of my favorite comments was on the actual study, suggesting it should be titled, "How much does it cost to live like an American in this city?" In other words, a Big Mac may be expensive in China, but a bowl of noodles is not.
Unfortunately, most of the 'answers' were from people who clearly don't understand supply and demand, and believe companies will charge what the market will bear. While that may be true, it is really a symptom more than a cause, and indicates an imbalance on the supply side; if a competitor could charge less, he would do so to increase his business.
The New Economist blamed 9 things compared to the US: Higher taxes, a higher minimum wage, a stronger currency, less economy of scale, less competition, higher property rates, higher transport costs, the growing divide between the rich and poor, and, uh, "weaker consumers."
Unfortunately, again, most of these aren't causes, or are relative to the entire country--and nobody is complaining about how expensive Scunthorpe is. (Well, I'm sure somebody is, but that's not my point.) The gap between the rich and poor is also just silly -- unless they are suggesting it is because there are fewer poor people.
Of course, in London, property rates and transport costs are higher. A few months ago I read an article about a new high-speed train link, and how every minute closer to London increased house prices by £2,000! (Plus Britain is an island, as are several of the other most expensive cities.)
But while I was shopping today, I was thinking about the "weak consumers" argument. That is not to say Londoners are stupid, simply that they value other things above cost. There are discount options, just as there are luxury options, but they choose the "British" options -- stores that have been in business for 150 years. And while they may not be the most efficient, they do have a track record most companies cannot imagine.
And not surprisingly, today I bought my clothes at Marks & Spencer, not Primark.
P.S. One of my favorite comments was on the actual study, suggesting it should be titled, "How much does it cost to live like an American in this city?" In other words, a Big Mac may be expensive in China, but a bowl of noodles is not.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Cross-town
I've been living in West London since I arrived, which is odd because historically immigrants always start in East London. In fact, I've only been to East London a handful of times -- a festival in Shoreditch, a walk through the Jewish quarter, a visit to Spitalfields market, dinner on Brick Lane.
My company's office is in Islington, which is technically north London but really north-east. I've only been there a dozen times, not often enough to remember how to get there, probably because each time I plug the post codes into the Transport for London journey planner it gives me a different route.
That's not entirely true -- it does give me a consistent route, but it is so ridiculous that I end up making my own. Seriously, here is the route for this 14 mile journey:
1. Walk to St. Barnabas Church (3 minutes)
2. Take bus E2 to Ealing Broadway Station (15 minutes)
3. Take the First Great Western train to Paddington (13 minutes)
4. Walk to Paddington Underground station (7 minutes)
5. Take the Circle Line or Hammersmith & City Line to King's Cross/St. Pancras (11 minutes)
6. Walk to Pentonville Rd (8 minutes)
7. Take bus 476 from Stop K to Bouverie Road (31 minutes)
8. Walk to Stoke Newington Church Street (1 minute)
With connections, that's an hour and 34 minutes, and four changes! However, if I specify I don't want to take the train (too expensive) and I don't mind walking a little further, it will give me different routes which take 5 minutes longer, cost half as much, and only have two changes. (Driving in rush hour would take a similar amount of time.) But it always gives me different routes!
Yesterday it told me to take the Central line to Liverpool St, then a bus up Bishopsgate Road (which becomes Shoreditch High St, Kingsland Rd, then Stoke Newington Rd -- this is, after all, London), right through East London.
As I rode on my first "bendy bus," I had a chance to watch the city wake up, and it was awe-inspiring. Although every block was filled with shops, eateries, pubs, and newsagents, I hardly saw any "high street" chains -- these were all independent businesses, people who came with nothing except the desire and intent to have a better life. The office blocks and public transportation links were thronged with people, ants scurrying about just like myself. Although still cold, it was a clear day and everyone was enjoying the sun.
As I watched this mass of humanity heaving to and fro, and thinking about all of the millions of individual choices that had led us all here, against a backdrop of history that had built such a world-class city, it was both humbling and inspiring. As I came out of this reverie, I saw a street sign that read "Stoke Newington" and I jumped off the bus -- about a mile from my intended stop.
Ah well, I was early, the sun was out, and I happily joined my fellow sidewalk commuters, the "click-clack" of my rolling bag on the pavement a now familiar companion on my life's journey.
My company's office is in Islington, which is technically north London but really north-east. I've only been there a dozen times, not often enough to remember how to get there, probably because each time I plug the post codes into the Transport for London journey planner it gives me a different route.
That's not entirely true -- it does give me a consistent route, but it is so ridiculous that I end up making my own. Seriously, here is the route for this 14 mile journey:
1. Walk to St. Barnabas Church (3 minutes)
2. Take bus E2 to Ealing Broadway Station (15 minutes)
3. Take the First Great Western train to Paddington (13 minutes)
4. Walk to Paddington Underground station (7 minutes)
5. Take the Circle Line or Hammersmith & City Line to King's Cross/St. Pancras (11 minutes)
6. Walk to Pentonville Rd (8 minutes)
7. Take bus 476 from Stop K to Bouverie Road (31 minutes)
8. Walk to Stoke Newington Church Street (1 minute)
With connections, that's an hour and 34 minutes, and four changes! However, if I specify I don't want to take the train (too expensive) and I don't mind walking a little further, it will give me different routes which take 5 minutes longer, cost half as much, and only have two changes. (Driving in rush hour would take a similar amount of time.) But it always gives me different routes!
Yesterday it told me to take the Central line to Liverpool St, then a bus up Bishopsgate Road (which becomes Shoreditch High St, Kingsland Rd, then Stoke Newington Rd -- this is, after all, London), right through East London.
As I rode on my first "bendy bus," I had a chance to watch the city wake up, and it was awe-inspiring. Although every block was filled with shops, eateries, pubs, and newsagents, I hardly saw any "high street" chains -- these were all independent businesses, people who came with nothing except the desire and intent to have a better life. The office blocks and public transportation links were thronged with people, ants scurrying about just like myself. Although still cold, it was a clear day and everyone was enjoying the sun.
As I watched this mass of humanity heaving to and fro, and thinking about all of the millions of individual choices that had led us all here, against a backdrop of history that had built such a world-class city, it was both humbling and inspiring. As I came out of this reverie, I saw a street sign that read "Stoke Newington" and I jumped off the bus -- about a mile from my intended stop.
Ah well, I was early, the sun was out, and I happily joined my fellow sidewalk commuters, the "click-clack" of my rolling bag on the pavement a now familiar companion on my life's journey.
Found this bendy-bus photo on the interwebs
Tidal bore
The Thames is tidal, but it's not a bore.
When the tide comes in, the Thames rises 23 feet at London Bridge, but it is a slow, gradual rise that is hardly noticeable. Some rivers, however, have a "funnel effect," and all that water becomes a wave that pours in twice a day. And when the sun and moon line up, it can be pretty impressive, with a 6 foot wave travelling up to 10 miles.
(Sorry, there are no tidal bores in the continental US.)
When the tide comes in, the Thames rises 23 feet at London Bridge, but it is a slow, gradual rise that is hardly noticeable. Some rivers, however, have a "funnel effect," and all that water becomes a wave that pours in twice a day. And when the sun and moon line up, it can be pretty impressive, with a 6 foot wave travelling up to 10 miles.
(Sorry, there are no tidal bores in the continental US.)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Mementos of life
I just received my lease renewal, marking one year in this flat, even though I've been talking about moving out almost since I moved in. There's nothing wrong with the flat per se; it's just that I took it because it was convenient to the city, but then got a job working from home, and all things being equal I'd rather be in the countryside than the suburbs (and save a few pounds to boot).
As a result, I've done nothing to make it a home. In fact, looking around, you'd be hard-pressed to find any mementos of my life other than a dozen CDs to mark for 20 years of independent living. (And I don't even have a stereo!) Otherwise, most everything I have either doesn't belong to me, or is less than two years old.
Still, what I do own probably says a lot about me:
In fact, I think Jess has done more to personalize my flat -- a painting, a sofa cover, a tablecloth, some cushions, a woven basket -- than I have! My major contribution may be a tea stain on the carpet. (Did I mention I was clumsy?)
As a result, I've done nothing to make it a home. In fact, looking around, you'd be hard-pressed to find any mementos of my life other than a dozen CDs to mark for 20 years of independent living. (And I don't even have a stereo!) Otherwise, most everything I have either doesn't belong to me, or is less than two years old.
Still, what I do own probably says a lot about me:
- Four large houseplants -- plus a bromeliad that's blooming again -- reflecting a love of nature
- A laptop that doesn't always boot, a phone that doesn't always ring, an alarm clock that doesn't always go off, a printer that doesn't print red, and a 10-year-old TV, reflecting my hatred of technology
- A photo Jess gave me of us in Brussels, along with a wood carving she brought me from Namibia, located where I can see them all day
- A set of dishes for three, which used to be a set of four, reflecting my clumsiness
- Three or four sets of bed linen, reminiscent of my B&B days (although I don't iron these)
- Two hypo-allergenic pillows, a collection of asthma and allergy medications, and a large bottle of face cream, because my body is trying to kill me
- Three beat-up suitcases, packed under the bed, reflecting both a history of moving, and a desire to do it again
- Two bicycles, reflecting a desire -- if not the reality -- for exercise
- Six books, which don't actually reflect anything about me because they were all given to me. (I stopped buying books years ago, and most of the books I've read were borrowed.)
In fact, I think Jess has done more to personalize my flat -- a painting, a sofa cover, a tablecloth, some cushions, a woven basket -- than I have! My major contribution may be a tea stain on the carpet. (Did I mention I was clumsy?)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Holy confusion
I tell you, I have nothing but respect for England and its ability to thrive for a thousand years under the most incredible circumstances. But every once in a while, I hit on something that just makes me shake my head and wonder how a small island could make such a cock-up. I understand the US -- with 5 times the population and 40 times the land mass -- occasionally gets things wrong, but for a country that is the size of Oregon to mess things up so badly is incomprehensible.
Take, for example, the UK telephone system. Bell-- an American born in Scotland -- summoned Watson in 1876, and wielding his patents like a club, he built a monopoly that dominated US telecommunications until the federal government broke it up in 1984.
He also established patents in the UK, but in 1880 a court declared a telephone was a telegraph, and a telephone conversation was a telegram, effectively nullifying the patents and opening up competition. (It wasn't until 1951 that the UK acknowledged a telephone was not a telegraph.) Private exchanges popped up, all using incompatible services, until 1912, when the Post Office (which had licensing powers over telegraphs) consolidated all of them, effectively nationalizing telephones. It would remain so until 1980, when it became the first major agency to be privatized under Margaret Thatcher. However, it continued to be a virtual monopoly until 1991.
And what did a single, unified company manage to do in 80 years?
Those "fixed rate" numbers used to allow a company to provide a low-cost call to anyone in the UK, but now they are being used for income -- that is, rather than provide a local number, they provide a fixed rate number and make 5p/minute! I think they get away with it because a lot of people think 08xx is a free call. In fact, the only reason I started looking into this is because I noticed Transport for London (a government agency!) had changed its number from 0207 222 1234 to 0843 222 1234! While perhaps they are just trying to make it cheaper for people from, say, Scotland to check London traffic conditions, I suspect it is a more cynical ploy.
But wait, there's more. Ofcom, the office of communications which now oversees the phone companies, is considering a "sliding scale" for fixed rate services, so 080 would still be free while 082 would be cheaper than 089! Obviously, I don't see telecommunications in the UK becoming any less confusing in the near future.
Take, for example, the UK telephone system. Bell-- an American born in Scotland -- summoned Watson in 1876, and wielding his patents like a club, he built a monopoly that dominated US telecommunications until the federal government broke it up in 1984.
He also established patents in the UK, but in 1880 a court declared a telephone was a telegraph, and a telephone conversation was a telegram, effectively nullifying the patents and opening up competition. (It wasn't until 1951 that the UK acknowledged a telephone was not a telegraph.) Private exchanges popped up, all using incompatible services, until 1912, when the Post Office (which had licensing powers over telegraphs) consolidated all of them, effectively nationalizing telephones. It would remain so until 1980, when it became the first major agency to be privatized under Margaret Thatcher. However, it continued to be a virtual monopoly until 1991.
And what did a single, unified company manage to do in 80 years?
- Area codes (to allow a caller to call another telephone directly instead of an operator) were introduced in 1958, but not completed until 1979! London, naturally, was 01.
- In May 1990 London was split from 01 to 071 (central London) and 081 (outer London), and also introduced "non-geographic" phone numbers, which cost the same no matter where you were calling from.
- On 16 April 1995 ("PhONEday"), the digit "1" was inserted into all UK geographic area codes, so 071 became 0171 and 081 became 0181.
- On 22 April 2000 (the "Big Number Change") London was re-unified under 020. The central 0171 became 0207, while the outer 0181 became 0208, but future numbers could be allocated to either 0207 or 0208 regardless of location. (Many Londoners still think London has two area codes.)
Those "fixed rate" numbers used to allow a company to provide a low-cost call to anyone in the UK, but now they are being used for income -- that is, rather than provide a local number, they provide a fixed rate number and make 5p/minute! I think they get away with it because a lot of people think 08xx is a free call. In fact, the only reason I started looking into this is because I noticed Transport for London (a government agency!) had changed its number from 0207 222 1234 to 0843 222 1234! While perhaps they are just trying to make it cheaper for people from, say, Scotland to check London traffic conditions, I suspect it is a more cynical ploy.
But wait, there's more. Ofcom, the office of communications which now oversees the phone companies, is considering a "sliding scale" for fixed rate services, so 080 would still be free while 082 would be cheaper than 089! Obviously, I don't see telecommunications in the UK becoming any less confusing in the near future.
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