Ranty rant rant!

 

I read the news today, oh boy! There’s a song in there somewhere! Two items caught my attention and annoyed me. The first is the taxing of broadband, apparently there are plans to make the tax law before the next election, they’re gonna put a tax of 50p a month for every fixed line telephone. Whilst I realise that 50pisn’t a great deal, it’ll just about get you a mars bar these days, when you consider that we pay BT or other land line provider every month/quarter and the fee includes VAT then pay the broadband provider every month, also including VAT they now want to tax us again. So what’s next? Tax us for using shopping trolleys? Or perhaps an entry fee to the supermarket? For those people who get there phone line and broadband from the same provider it means they’re going to be taxed for virtually the same product 3 times. Does that seem right to you? So go in to Sainsbury’s and pay to use the trolley, pay for your shopping but you also have to pay to take it out of the shop. Minister for Digital Britain says that everyone with a fixed line will have to pay the tax. From what I understand, a tax is a compulsory payment that failing to pay can result in a prison sentence, for 50p? So if the entire country say “bugger off I ain’t paying”, are we all going to end up serving time? I know that it totals £6 a year but to me it’s the principle of the thing.

The second piece of news that annoyed me is the possibility of paying for BBC I-player; do the words “license fee” not apply here? The BBC is funded by the license payer; therefore we’re already paying for I-player. Apparently it’s been recommended that a charge of up to £2 per show be applied, so once again we’re possibly going to be asked to pay for something twice. Perhaps we should charge the BBC for taking the money from us.

On a lighter note, I'm off to astronomy club tomorrow night and there’s a possibility that an old friend called Sue may be there. I haven’t seen sue for about 5 years so it’s going to be nice to see her and catch up on how she’s taken to life in the US. The possibility of seeing sue again has started me thinking of old friends that i have lost contact with. There are a few that i would love to meet up with again, in particular the old Tunnel Rats. The thought of us scrambling around in the building and tunnels around Dover always brings a smile to my face, ok so some of the holes we used to crawl through may have shrunk and i may not be as bendy as i was, but I'm sure that I'd find a way in. I think i may have to take Trudes and Ben to my old play ground, maybe not to crawl through the holes but it’s a nice place to go for a picnic and a gentle wander, i also think DWTP would enjoy a chance to run around like a thing possessed.

Work was good again today, it’s nice to be able to smile and have a laugh again with the guys.

So tomorrows plan is to spend the day with Trudes and doogs then drop in to see Sue for a while then jump on the bus up to Ashford for astronomy club. Saturday is shop day, i really need to start the guys on mission based games such as objectives and capture and hold, still all in good time.

So i shall close today's rant and wish you well, if i get chance I'll put a post up tomorrow when i get home. hopefully it wont be a rant! :-D

TTFN