I knew things were bad but this… August 14, 2007
Posted by krisN in Rants, Thoughts.add a comment
I just stumbled on this article from Time magazine. I’ve known for a while that being poor in the US is harder than here in the UK although I never truly understood why. I remember seeing an episode of Morgan Spurlock‘s show 30 days in which he challenged people to do various things out of the norm of their lives for 30 days, this particular one involved him and his fiancé spending 30 days working minimum wage jobs. It really shocked me to see how difficult it was to live on that little money and the strain it had on them as well as how a small event can completely screw them over money wise. I’m pretty sure in the show they both worked two minimum wage jobs and it was still a very close thing. Now the thing that shocked me most about the article wasn’t reading about the worst jobs in America (although that was pretty bad in itself) it was the discovery of the minimum wage in the US, it’s never something I’d looked up so I never knew what the minimum wage actually was until now.
Wow. $5.85. Lets just compare that to the UK, here the minimum wage is layed out like this:
* £5.35 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
* A development rate of £4.45 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive
* £3.30 per hour for all workers under the age of 18, who are no longer of compulsory school age.
(Source: HM and Customs National Minimum Wage)
Before even converting the currency thats $0.50 more, I think we’ll work in pounds since its less converting. Currently (according to Xe.com) $5.85 = £2.80, that is £0.50 an hour less than I would get paid, right now, as an (almost) 17 year old. That translates to a whole £1000 when spread accross a year and at my age that minimum wage isn’t designed to be enough to support someone with their own rent, bills and food. I think I’d always known being poor was hard in America, but this…this is just silly. It seems so wrong somehow that a country so founded on the “American Dream” can basically crush people like this. It’s all very well people getting out of poverty themselves but how can they do it? Seriously. How is it even possible? It’s a wonder survival is even possible really yet people struggle on. And you’ve got to remember that these people are the ones on the tills in the supermarkets or handling your dry cleaning, they’re not lazy and they are probably having to work extra hours just to get by.
It wasn’t that long ago that I basically decided that I didn’t think it was personally worth it for me to bother with a soul crushing job down in one of the shops. I don’t think I’m really the kind of person who can just take that, well, not without needing to and at the moment, I don’t need to. I’d like more money sure, but I think I do have enough. Now that I look at this my own arrogance seems shocking, here I am complaining about that (and being lazy) when there are people working full time for 50p less an hour than I would be getting (more than that actually, since most places pay above minimum wage). People who are struggling to survive. Really, I don’t know how you can possibly justify that. I don’t claim that escaping and making yourself rich is still not possible but it would take a very rare luck and talent that most people don’t have and denying others the possibility to live a live free from the constant fear of financial problems hardly goes about damaging the wealth and well-being of the rich. Hell, giving these people a bit more of a chance might even enrich the economy and actually enhance your country.
Disclaimer: I know that such direct comparisons don’t really work properly as cost of living depends on many factors but I have always been under the impression that living in America is expensive. Also, I know this post is pointless and won’t affect anything but I’ve always believed in standing up for things, regardless if you’re even in the right country to be counted.
The left and the right seem all confused August 4, 2007
Posted by krisN in Rants, Religion, Thoughts.1 comment so far
Recently I was thinking about all this and I realised how stupid this all is. It really makes no sense. Now, basically, liberals are generous and promote freedom whilst conservatives are selfish and seek more control. Neither of those ways are inherently good or evil but that’s essentially what we’re dealing with. In America it generally seems to be the liberal atheists versus the religious right(basically all Christians). This really seems quite strange to me.
Fuck – internet a danger earlier than I expected July 17, 2007
Posted by krisN in Entertainment, Happenings, Internet, Rants.1 comment so far
Just got home and spotted that Harry Potter 7 has been leaked onto bit torrent. That really makes my fucking day.
I had already planned it out, I wouldn’t dare look at the internet once the book was out, or even leave the house, or anything for fear of getting hit with a spoiler. Now I have to live in fear until I can finally get my hands on it, or I torrent the book and start reading. But I really don’t want to do that.
It was only just a couple of days ago that I read that it was surprising it hadn’t been leaked yet and now it has. I’m not sure that there is anything I can do without finding spoilers. There are fucking bastards on the internet and given that this is the last book there are going to be some uber ripe and juicy spoilers just ready to spread onto the net. I really don’t know what I’m gonna do.
Not to mention people are going to start shouting random fake spoilers, at least if you know that no one other than Rowling knows the spoilers you don’t have to worry about random people making comments as you know its all bullshit. Now anything could be true but its not even going to be as fair as that. Enough people will say the real spoilers that it will be obvious.
AGGGHHHH.
I really don’t know what to do here, I don’t want the book spoiled but at the same time I don’t want an internet lockdown for the rest of the week. I’m not sure anything is safe, I can’t stumble or look at digg or anything. It’s all at risk now.
Damn it.
If only nobody cared I wouldn’t be at risk.
And yes, I am writing as though it is some kind of contagious disease – because it is. You only have to look once and that’s it everything gets ruined, its like how you can’t un-see anything (and hence why you should never click any links), you can’t un-read anything either, or un-hear for that matter.
I feel like I can’t do ANYTHING. There’s a reasonable chance that people at school will have found the spoilers, probably just to go around shouting them just to fucking piss people off.
I can’t even do things that would normally take my mind off impending doom such as play Wow, or…yeah…browse the internet.
I guess I either have to accept that its going to be ruined for me, hide till it comes out or torrent it and do nothing but read until I finish it. UGGHH!
That is really not the kind of decision I want to be making.
I really don’t give a fuck about Madeline June 12, 2007
Posted by krisN in Happenings, Rants, Thoughts.1 comment so far
I was talking about this earlier today because the village where I live has posters up about her disappearance, however long ago it was. This kinda pisses me off on a few different levels.
- I seem to remember at the beginning of this whole media frenzy it was mentioned that she had been left alone whilst the parents were having a meal. Woah, wait a minute right there! The parents just went off and had a meal whilst they left their four year old alone in the hotel room? Right from that minute I felt it would be very difficult to feel sympathy for these parents. I still feel that way now.
- Shit happens all the fucking time, there really is no reason whatsoever why this particular case deserves so much attention, along with all the other stuff the parents have gotten out of it (I can’t really give examples other than a visit to the Pope but since they got that I think they probably got more).
- Since they going and visiting the Pope, who can do fuck all about finding their daughter, I can’t really come to any other conclusion other than they are enjoying the attention from the media and the apparent privileges that come from that. I personally find that sickening.
- I’m generally quite apathetic to the suffering of individuals unless I know them. You might think this as harsh but I more see it this way: I can’t be sympathetic to all the bad shit going on for the millions of people I don’t know, at least if I care about none of them I’m not discriminating. Worrying about individuals in such a manner doesn’t do anything, I can’t help them but maybe I can make a difference in general such as helping to end poverty and improving education. The people around me maybe I can help so they are the only people worth devoting my energy to, not because they are “better people” but because they are people I personally know and care about and more primarily I can actually maybe do something to help.
Ultimately this pretty young white girl thing just pisses me off. The media will keep it up until more people change their attitude and see how much bullshit it is.
Christian aid week – seems kinda ironic May 17, 2007
Posted by krisN in Rants, Religion, Thoughts.2 comments
Before I start, yes, ok, Christian aid is a UK charity but I think what I’m about to say is about a general problem.
This week is Christian aid week. I know because I saw a sign outside one of my local churches, they tend to have varying signs telling me to read the bible or whatever and they are usually pretty cheesy. When I saw this one I couldn’t help thinking about the irony of Christian aid, surely without taking from poor people over hundreds of years these churches would never have come into being. Surely these grand buildings are no more than a tribute to hundreds of years of theft not to mention all the other crap that Christianity has been a part of.
Ok, so, maybe they have changed their ways (which I do believe is the case) and now they are trying to make up for the mistakes of the past by doing something really good, which is commendable and…well…Jesus would be proud I’m sure. But having just read this post on God is for suckers I really can’t help thinking that this is really just a really half arsed attempt.
“According to our estimates, annual giving to U.S. protestant churches is $93 billion.” (Source)
$93 billion. That is a lot of money full stop but that’s every single year. According to wikipedia “War on Want estimates that US$45.7 billion would be required for 62 countries to meet the Millennium Development Goals“. Mega church construction currently stands at $28 billion annually and that is set to rise by 2010 to $40 billion.
So if the US, instead of building mega churches for a couple of years perhaps you could spend that money on stopping poverty, making sure that everyone in the world has enough food to eat. Perhaps you could do some real good around the world, maybe you could even try and be a bit more like Jesus, instead of just slagging off gay people and picketing about abortion.
You might call me hypocritical because I’m not out there doing a load of charity work but lets face it I don’t have the means to gather $40 billion. The church does, not only does it have the means it is already in excess of that every year. Just think of the amount of good this money could do for people who really have nothing? Surely even if you don’t agree with my stand point on religion you can see that this money could do a great deal more if it was used to relieve debt and poverty.
I really doubt that anything this radical and good would ever happen but the next time someone talks about the amount of good Christianity has done I would challenge them to think of the amount of good Christianity could do but doesn’t.
Lacking the words 