UK budget 2015 & In my lifetime Paris 1968

I'm not a fan of UK Chancellor George Osborne and am not totally sure if his motives are more political than they are altruistic with his first 'solo' (non-coalition) budget  but believe that the direction of travel outlined does have some potentially good outcomes.

Looking back on UK Government since 1939 there has been it appears looking back a high degree of intervention while this may be explainable it is perhaps not always the best method of allowing most of us to lead our own lives. (I can see an argument that even until near the end of the Thatcher Governments the UK was living in quasi- communist society)

The idea which this budget seems to challenge is that employers can (still even with a minimum wage) choose to allow the state to pick up the slack normalises an overarching 'dependency' culture epitomised  by such things as 'working credits' the idea that of a 'living wage' 'seems morally correct  for employers and it is a matter of some shame that some employers should dispute the idea.

A burning issue?

It does not to me that in a liberal society is should be necessary for those working 30+ hours a week should require tax credits and moves to end this by requiring employers to pay a living wage seems logical - of course it is not as simple as this and there are area that need addressing alongside this imperative but a good first step.

Paris 1968

Bauhaus-ian

Really excellent radio documentary  Philosophy in the Streets (from BBC World Service) that highlights much of what has been covered during Structuralism section on 20th Century Philosophers  in recent City Lit course - Paris was the centre of Philosophy - Sartre, Foucault and others on the streets! A month of unrest where ideas mattered - that is revolutionary.

What history teaches us should not be ignored and the idea of Philosophy being quite so exciting is tangible in this re-telling of May 1968

 

1 week more for Framing Course and Ten Years After

Final project, you need to get them facing in

Getting close to the end of the Framing course at RACC, teacher Sue is very helpful, approachable and insightful too - she made the point that our framing is unlikely to compete with commercial operations, now heavily capitalised with expensive gear - what it gives us is a chance to make something- unusual and pleasurable these days.

Final project is I hope a framed photographic triptych - also going to try a 'V' cut to go  around a picture too.

10 Years After 

It was where I worked 7/7

As well as being a progressive band successful in the 1970's Ten Years After is an opportunity to look back with some perspective.


I was working at BT Tower in the centre of London when the awful events remembered, ten after were commemorated yesterday.


Little was really known of what had happened and after some time we were advised to make our way home - I ended up walking 5 or 6 miles as no public transport was running in the centre of London, it was affine day and I also recall attending a meeting at London Studios the previous day and thinking, specifically  that all was well for a time.






Reading three short articles in 'Time Out' as I travelled back from town on the tube Tuesday afternoon I found that  the recollections of what happened actually brought tears to my eyes.


What I would say is that one effect of the killings in London on me was to try and do more things and experience more with my finite time - the challenge that I fall short on consistently in life  is  'engaging' in so many ways- it is too easy to abstract oneself and walk  by.

An end to Philosophy (of the 20th Century) at City Lit and Ealing's new landmark -

I'm not sure if it felt closer to 'Last of the Summer Wine' than  Habermas's Public Sphere when a subset of our Philosophy class shared a sandwich and a beverage shortly after our final session today.

So it was at a Paul's Cafe in The Kingsway that we chatted in and it was certainly a Public Sphere but think I detected  a flavour of Pseuds corner as we spoke about the importance of Radio 3 and a halcyon past where Joe Public spoke about contemporary poets in their local public house.

It's a shame that we left it until our last lesson to chew the fat over what the class and we were about - certainly I learnt (yet again) that we shouldn't always stick with our first judgments and assumptions.

Quite a disparate group of individuals including a former  Deputy Director of DFID Overseas Territories and the Caribbean , a former Wonga official (Head of Legal and Regulatory) and a Physicist turned Academic Historian (looks like an interesting paper)- along with myself.

I'm not sure what we all hoped to get from the course but some of us will undoubtedly remain with what Scott Biaggi the teacher called with a wryness 'an affliction'.

For me the course did not make me think that a breakthrough was made in the last 100 years or so and that in fact it was in many ways the Philosophy of the Ancient Greeks that was being revisited and that the territory they defined remains coherent and the guiding lights of Socrates, Aristotle and Plato can still teach us much of the subject

[We did manage to relive albeit briefly the delight of Derek Jewell's Sounds Interesting ] .

Ealing's new landmark  and Festival time

Walking back this afternoon noticed what an extraordinary  view the new Apex in Ealing will have and also see that a very dry Walpole Park is preparing for its' various festivals.

Quite impressive view ?

Festival fence and tents

The vagaries of Twitter & Haven Green gets a 'Saturday Soak'

Oh no my shoes'll get wet

Yesterday we spent a few hours in Ealing had a really nice Prix Fixé lunch at Italian restaurant Osteria del Portico - we've been going there for quite a few years and so far it's not let us down - the open area just of the High Street and nice team there make it one of life's pleasures on a sunny Saturday (late) lunchtime .

A nice place for a summer lunch

Ahead of lunch I was dispatched to the car with shopping duly placed in back seat of the car - the car meant a traverse of Haven Green - strangely when we passed on our way to the shops we didn't notice the big pool of water across the green - going back I did see the water and took a few pictures that I later twittered - well it's got a lot of retweets likes etcetera, far more than some pictures of mine which I think were more memorable - but I guess it's the nature of the image ands the interest.

[Seems that the problem was a water leak as per Ealing Today - with my pictures]

Pleased to say that The Misogynist finished - really well executed story with a theme that's worthy of consideration - give it a read if you think it might be your sort of thing.

Soggy cycles

Thank goodness it didn't happen on a weekday - all hell would have broken loose



Oh my goodness - a very Wet Haven Green