BA cross

BA have got themselves into some trouble last week over preventing a member of staff from wearing a cross to work, or did they? Is perhaps the truth that it is the media falling over themselves to be even handed that have instead dug a hole, got someone to kneel down behind the company and pushed BA into it.

Fact is, as the BA reps have pointed out repeatedly, they have a uniform policy against the wearing of any jewelry at work, and a necklace with a cross on it is when all is said and done jus that - jewelry. Wearing a cross is not a core aspect of being a Christian or a Catholic for that matter.

I wonder sometimes if there aren't people who go looking for things to be offended about.

Update - BA have decided to 'review' their uniform policy. I think for commerical reasons they had to do this but the media have created a dangerous precedent here. As noted on HIGNFY, someone could ask to wear a dead goat around their neck and as it is part of their personal interpretation of their faith, in this case Satanism.

Let's give it back

I'm struck at budget time with how proud the minister appears to be that he took in more money than intended as if he has somehow created more money (which as minister he can do but that fuels inflation), when it fact he has simply taken more of the public's money out of circulation than he had actually intended.

I can't help but feel that there is something wrong about the smugness involved in all this. Given that much of the increase this year is as a result of house prices running ahead of where they were expected to, it seems doubly cruel.

My suggestion would be why don't we do what the US federal government does and issue rebates or one off increases in tax credits when this happens? That way we would all share in the wealth that results from our economic activity.

Boot camps and bright coloured hoodies

Odd that all this bruhaha has blown up on monday about 'boot camps' as I was asking mates of mine over the weekend how come no one had come up with a 'make the little feckers break some rocks' type hard time proposal. Of course, as someone pointed out the last thing you want to do is take a nasty piece of work and make them a more physically fit, nasty piece of work.

Now, I'm pretty sure that I'm not being bugged by Billy Timmins, but it was somewhat coincidental. There again, if I was being bugged they might have stayed around as the idea we came up with was making those guilty of anti-social but non-violent offenses clean chewing gum off the pavement of our city streets in bright pink overalls on weekends using plastic utensils. And then take pictures and display them in public places. (OK, the pink overalls is my late addition to the idea)

Basically, make them feel bad, embarrass them, make fools of them. Anything, but make them feel like big lads because they got nicked.

L'etat c'est everyone else

I've a personal view that when someone says 'the state' should do or pay for something that it is useful to substitute the words 'everyone else' for 'the state' and see if the idea still makes since. Try it at home, it's free and makes some things that are on initial viewing quite complicated seem a lot more straightforward.