Monday, February 27, 2006
If Tony were Jesus (What would Jesus Do?) P1 The Widow's Mite
If Tony were Jesus (What would Jesus Do?) Part One, The Widow’s Mite
The Scene; an office, sometime not very close to 0AD.
A rather middle-aged T’Jesus has just returned from lunch.
T’Jesus; That was rather good. But I really shouldn’t have had those extra honeycakes- got to watch that waistline!
He pats his stomach comfortably and turns his trademark beam on the apostle waiting by the desk in a pose reminiscent of a civil servant. Civil servant apostle nods in eager agreement.
T’Jesus: Very productive though. Peter Shipowner was there, and John Bath Robe Designer.
He frowns slightly.
TJesus: Oh, and a woman, runs one of the GT 100 companies. Can’t remember her name, nice legs though. And she clearly liked yours truly!
The beam gets wider.
T’Jesus: I managed to get a promise; well a definite indication anyway, from Peter that he will put some money into the new synagogue. I think I got him up to 10%. He wants full control over the rabbi selection, but that’s not unreasonable. After all it’s a lot of money for him to commit.
CSApostle looks doubtful for a moment, but T’Jesus isn’t looking. The Great Man has frowned.
T’Jesus: Which reminds me, Peter wanted to know what we were going to do about Gift Aid. Apparently it doesn’t work with these new Mid Lake schemes. You know the ones; Ch’Mary sorted one out for us a couple of weeks ago; save a fortune in Inheritance Tax. Anyway he says we need to tweak the Gift Aid; too restrictive at the moment. No good for donors using complex financial products. Talk to him and get me some proposals by next week.
CSApostle is scribbling notes and nodding.
T’Jesus looks down at the papers on his desk.
T’Jesus: Good, the donations stats. You see, CSDisciple, this clearly justifies our focus on the really big donors. Look at the percentage takings. This is how to really help the needy; make it easy, in fact make it beneficial to the super rich to donate money and take advantage of their business expertise by encouraging them to retain control over the results. Take this Andrew guy who put the money into that school last year. Fish worshipper, got full pro-fish curriculum in place. Nutty as a fruitcake, but the kids in that school have new desks, new chairs, hell, even new abaci, and that’s really making a difference to their quality of learning. And when you really think about it, fish, God, they’re not that far apart. Kids get a great school, Andrew gets 40% tax back and the chance to spread the fish message, and we get a diverse culture. Everybody wins!
His pleasure is suddenly dimmed and a finger jabs at the end of a list of figures.
T’Jesus: Hey, what’s this about? VSDC? What is it and why is it producing less than 0.001% of total donations?
CSDisciple hastens to explain
CSDisciple: That’s a relief that’s been around since John the Baptist’s time. Very Small Donation Credit. It’s designed for the extremely poor. They give something to charity and they get a gold star. Enough stars and they get a commemorative loaf of bread.
He pauses reflectively
CSDisciple: The original idea was that they kept it on display, but they all eat them. The scheme is very popular; there is a lot of appetite for making donations among the target audience, but because they are, after all, very poor, the total takings from the scheme are always low.
T’Jesus’s frown has turned thunderous.
T’Jesus: What sort of administration costs are we looking at? This is exactly the sort of inefficiency and bureaucracy that needs to go. Piddling little schemes that bring in virtually nothing. We have a duty to those in need, a duty to maximise the amounts we raise for them.
He stands up, looks decisive and determined.
T’Jesus: Abolish the VSDC forthwith! The administrative savings can go towards the amendments to the Gift Aid scheme. We have a mission, CSDisciple, a mission to feel the hungry by incentivising the rich! And by God I will do it! I come to bring a New Heaven and a New Earth!
CSDisciple bursts into spontaneous applause
FADE
Part 2 The Good Samaritan follows shortly
The Scene; an office, sometime not very close to 0AD.
A rather middle-aged T’Jesus has just returned from lunch.
T’Jesus; That was rather good. But I really shouldn’t have had those extra honeycakes- got to watch that waistline!
He pats his stomach comfortably and turns his trademark beam on the apostle waiting by the desk in a pose reminiscent of a civil servant. Civil servant apostle nods in eager agreement.
T’Jesus: Very productive though. Peter Shipowner was there, and John Bath Robe Designer.
He frowns slightly.
TJesus: Oh, and a woman, runs one of the GT 100 companies. Can’t remember her name, nice legs though. And she clearly liked yours truly!
The beam gets wider.
T’Jesus: I managed to get a promise; well a definite indication anyway, from Peter that he will put some money into the new synagogue. I think I got him up to 10%. He wants full control over the rabbi selection, but that’s not unreasonable. After all it’s a lot of money for him to commit.
CSApostle looks doubtful for a moment, but T’Jesus isn’t looking. The Great Man has frowned.
T’Jesus: Which reminds me, Peter wanted to know what we were going to do about Gift Aid. Apparently it doesn’t work with these new Mid Lake schemes. You know the ones; Ch’Mary sorted one out for us a couple of weeks ago; save a fortune in Inheritance Tax. Anyway he says we need to tweak the Gift Aid; too restrictive at the moment. No good for donors using complex financial products. Talk to him and get me some proposals by next week.
CSApostle is scribbling notes and nodding.
T’Jesus looks down at the papers on his desk.
T’Jesus: Good, the donations stats. You see, CSDisciple, this clearly justifies our focus on the really big donors. Look at the percentage takings. This is how to really help the needy; make it easy, in fact make it beneficial to the super rich to donate money and take advantage of their business expertise by encouraging them to retain control over the results. Take this Andrew guy who put the money into that school last year. Fish worshipper, got full pro-fish curriculum in place. Nutty as a fruitcake, but the kids in that school have new desks, new chairs, hell, even new abaci, and that’s really making a difference to their quality of learning. And when you really think about it, fish, God, they’re not that far apart. Kids get a great school, Andrew gets 40% tax back and the chance to spread the fish message, and we get a diverse culture. Everybody wins!
His pleasure is suddenly dimmed and a finger jabs at the end of a list of figures.
T’Jesus: Hey, what’s this about? VSDC? What is it and why is it producing less than 0.001% of total donations?
CSDisciple hastens to explain
CSDisciple: That’s a relief that’s been around since John the Baptist’s time. Very Small Donation Credit. It’s designed for the extremely poor. They give something to charity and they get a gold star. Enough stars and they get a commemorative loaf of bread.
He pauses reflectively
CSDisciple: The original idea was that they kept it on display, but they all eat them. The scheme is very popular; there is a lot of appetite for making donations among the target audience, but because they are, after all, very poor, the total takings from the scheme are always low.
T’Jesus’s frown has turned thunderous.
T’Jesus: What sort of administration costs are we looking at? This is exactly the sort of inefficiency and bureaucracy that needs to go. Piddling little schemes that bring in virtually nothing. We have a duty to those in need, a duty to maximise the amounts we raise for them.
He stands up, looks decisive and determined.
T’Jesus: Abolish the VSDC forthwith! The administrative savings can go towards the amendments to the Gift Aid scheme. We have a mission, CSDisciple, a mission to feel the hungry by incentivising the rich! And by God I will do it! I come to bring a New Heaven and a New Earth!
CSDisciple bursts into spontaneous applause
FADE
Part 2 The Good Samaritan follows shortly
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Shiver
The question is not one of individual liberty vs the state but of which approach best guarantees most liberty for the largest number of people. Tony Blair in today's Observer.
The disintegration of society aside, it's been a good day. My employers took a full 6 months to sort my pay rise out so that now that it has arrived it is in a meaningful lump sum. So we splurged a bit at HMV (with my new SU card) and I now have a rather strange looking PS2 game to play called Ico, as well as a copy of Batman Begins and some random stuff. I play very few computer games (well, none, actually) so this is an experiment.
I did go in search of a cool mobile phone, having decided that this would be a warm fuzzy thing to get, but having decided on one, talked to the shop people and to my mobile provider, the latter has now agreed to stick the truly cool and shiny one (a Motorola V3i if that means anything to anyone) that I wanted in the post for me in exchange for another 18 months of my custom and £4 postage, and most importantly no change in number. I find the economics of mobile phones utterly bizarre.
Mostly though we're getting a new colour printer because our current one prints in mainly pink. I will never get used to the idea that Caylus rules are multicoloured rather than fetching but unclear pink and white. I tried persuading both PC World and Comet that they might reduce the price to somewhere near the mail order one but they weren't biting, so mail-order it is.
We watched Porco Rosso last night. What on earth was that all about? It was very good, but it seemed to be missing most of the vital plot elements that I felt it was only reasonable to expect. We might well watch Pom Poro tonight, which looks equally bizarre but in a rather different way.
The disintegration of society aside, it's been a good day. My employers took a full 6 months to sort my pay rise out so that now that it has arrived it is in a meaningful lump sum. So we splurged a bit at HMV (with my new SU card) and I now have a rather strange looking PS2 game to play called Ico, as well as a copy of Batman Begins and some random stuff. I play very few computer games (well, none, actually) so this is an experiment.
I did go in search of a cool mobile phone, having decided that this would be a warm fuzzy thing to get, but having decided on one, talked to the shop people and to my mobile provider, the latter has now agreed to stick the truly cool and shiny one (a Motorola V3i if that means anything to anyone) that I wanted in the post for me in exchange for another 18 months of my custom and £4 postage, and most importantly no change in number. I find the economics of mobile phones utterly bizarre.
Mostly though we're getting a new colour printer because our current one prints in mainly pink. I will never get used to the idea that Caylus rules are multicoloured rather than fetching but unclear pink and white. I tried persuading both PC World and Comet that they might reduce the price to somewhere near the mail order one but they weren't biting, so mail-order it is.
We watched Porco Rosso last night. What on earth was that all about? It was very good, but it seemed to be missing most of the vital plot elements that I felt it was only reasonable to expect. We might well watch Pom Poro tonight, which looks equally bizarre but in a rather different way.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Political correctness gone mad!
I've always wanted to be able to say that with a straight face. And now, thanks to Mr Livingstone, I can.
If KL had been rude to an employee then I would have more sympathy with the result. People are entitled to not be bullied or harrassed by their bosses, and it's part of the organisation's responsibility to deal with that when it happens. But being rude to a journalist, while frequently unwise, is more like insulting your boss than your subordinates.
I was going to say that I think we are excessively sensitive about the Holocaust, but even that is likely to result in accusations of insensitivity. What Ken said had nothing to do with the actual events of the Holocaust. He wasn't accusing the journalist (who presumably was not in his 70's or 80's) of being in any way involved. What he was doing was using the powerful and graphic image of a concentration camp guard, and the image of mindless co-operation with evil that that brings up, to put the guy down. Images get into the language, powerful ones get in there better. We can't ban them from our minds and our speech, or at least not forever, and there's probably no reason why we should.
It wasn't polite. Calling someone a witch, or Attila the Hun, or a raving lunatic isn't polite either. Accusing them of being like any of the above is slightly less rude, as I believe Ken did to his journalist.
If enough people were offended no doubt Ken's vote will go down accordingly. Democracy is a great system, supposedly. Maybe we could try it sometime.
Other news- none. Played some games on SpielByWeb. Saw some friends, which was good. May be going to Disneyland Paris in Easter with sisters and offspring- jury still out on that one. Will probably take a day off disneying to go to Paris with Son, which will be interesting. Frantically busy at work due to Finance Bill, about which I may not speak on pain of death. Off to tackle the Greeks and Conic Sections shortly. Don't like the cold.
If KL had been rude to an employee then I would have more sympathy with the result. People are entitled to not be bullied or harrassed by their bosses, and it's part of the organisation's responsibility to deal with that when it happens. But being rude to a journalist, while frequently unwise, is more like insulting your boss than your subordinates.
I was going to say that I think we are excessively sensitive about the Holocaust, but even that is likely to result in accusations of insensitivity. What Ken said had nothing to do with the actual events of the Holocaust. He wasn't accusing the journalist (who presumably was not in his 70's or 80's) of being in any way involved. What he was doing was using the powerful and graphic image of a concentration camp guard, and the image of mindless co-operation with evil that that brings up, to put the guy down. Images get into the language, powerful ones get in there better. We can't ban them from our minds and our speech, or at least not forever, and there's probably no reason why we should.
It wasn't polite. Calling someone a witch, or Attila the Hun, or a raving lunatic isn't polite either. Accusing them of being like any of the above is slightly less rude, as I believe Ken did to his journalist.
If enough people were offended no doubt Ken's vote will go down accordingly. Democracy is a great system, supposedly. Maybe we could try it sometime.
Other news- none. Played some games on SpielByWeb. Saw some friends, which was good. May be going to Disneyland Paris in Easter with sisters and offspring- jury still out on that one. Will probably take a day off disneying to go to Paris with Son, which will be interesting. Frantically busy at work due to Finance Bill, about which I may not speak on pain of death. Off to tackle the Greeks and Conic Sections shortly. Don't like the cold.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Old games
My games collection is getting older, at a rate rather faster than the rest of the Universe. Just bought a copy of Judge Dredd on Ebay (we do have a copy but the cards got eaten by the rubber bands- never, boys and girls, leave rubber bands around game components) and Dune via BGG. Now all I have to do is find another 5 players with a spare day for Dune.... Must find some more things to sell- my "free" Paypal money is running out.
Son and I went for a long walk to country pub yesterday- it is half term. He enlightened me as to the current groupings in his school. I'm sure we were never this organised- there were the popular ones (who were always thin, at least until they got pregnant), and everyone else, who vaguely split off into hippyish (dope) and rockish (dope and alcohol) and others (alcohol) but without any real firm identification into groups.
Not like that these days- there are Chavs and Goths and Skaters and Boffs. Son is now irretrievably classified as Boff since publicly running a D&D game. I remember thinking that Goths were a passing fad- 1983-4 ish? I guess black clothes and eyeshadow will never lose its appeal. I'd have been a jolly good Goth if only they'd arrived a few years earlier, but I'd probably still have avoided it on the grounds that I might get it wrong.
Talking of Skaters, I have been watching a surprising amount of the Winter Olympics, which shows how little else there is on. Far more entertaining that the frankly dull field and track events of the Summer one. And the Germans' kit is wonderful- orange and lime green.
Finished the last Sanctuary book (actually there's one more that I haven't bought yet). After 15 or so books I felt like coming up for air a bit- borrowed a Dianne Wynne Jones for a distinctly different tone. The new anthology has a suitably dark background but the new writers haven't quite got the sheer nastiness of C J Cherryth for instance. Raymond Feist in Sanctuary doesn't really work. Beloved's been picking up the new RPG books as well; probably not one to run for Son for a year or so yet.
Few more days till Serenity is out- I shall break my resolution and buy it straight away (probably from the tax avoiding Play.com) since Son is waiting eagerly to see it.
First OU tutorial on Saturday. I've got a bit bogged down with greek proofs- must have another go this evening while others are out (and before House starts).
Son and I went for a long walk to country pub yesterday- it is half term. He enlightened me as to the current groupings in his school. I'm sure we were never this organised- there were the popular ones (who were always thin, at least until they got pregnant), and everyone else, who vaguely split off into hippyish (dope) and rockish (dope and alcohol) and others (alcohol) but without any real firm identification into groups.
Not like that these days- there are Chavs and Goths and Skaters and Boffs. Son is now irretrievably classified as Boff since publicly running a D&D game. I remember thinking that Goths were a passing fad- 1983-4 ish? I guess black clothes and eyeshadow will never lose its appeal. I'd have been a jolly good Goth if only they'd arrived a few years earlier, but I'd probably still have avoided it on the grounds that I might get it wrong.
Talking of Skaters, I have been watching a surprising amount of the Winter Olympics, which shows how little else there is on. Far more entertaining that the frankly dull field and track events of the Summer one. And the Germans' kit is wonderful- orange and lime green.
Finished the last Sanctuary book (actually there's one more that I haven't bought yet). After 15 or so books I felt like coming up for air a bit- borrowed a Dianne Wynne Jones for a distinctly different tone. The new anthology has a suitably dark background but the new writers haven't quite got the sheer nastiness of C J Cherryth for instance. Raymond Feist in Sanctuary doesn't really work. Beloved's been picking up the new RPG books as well; probably not one to run for Son for a year or so yet.
Few more days till Serenity is out- I shall break my resolution and buy it straight away (probably from the tax avoiding Play.com) since Son is waiting eagerly to see it.
First OU tutorial on Saturday. I've got a bit bogged down with greek proofs- must have another go this evening while others are out (and before House starts).
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Second try..
Blog A was fatally flawed so Blog B has come in to fill the gap. Normal service will be resumed shortly.
