The Lifechannel

I went into the Doctors today. A few months ago a screen was installed in the waiting room. Today it was active. All it played was public service infomercials. All the time, endlessly and I would imagine for as long as the surgery is open. This "service" is run by an operation called the Life Channel: their website is at  http://www.thelifechannel.com/ if you fancy having a look.


Now elsewhere in the blogosphere there are an increasing number of mumblings about the number of government-sponsored advertisements on radio and TV at the moment.

Well, lifechannel is yet another outlet for government propaganda, whether its the new onslaught against drinkers, or blatant misrepresentation about how flexible the NHS is (yeah right!).

However, there's more: lifechannel seems to be installed in schools as well as doctor's surgeries. Is it really right that such a service is installed in schools? I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be.

I'm also pretty sure that taxpayer's money shouldn't be spent on this sort of unneccessary  expense in the middle of a financial crisis. This government is literally throwing money away. I would rather live my life without these expensive intrusions, thank you very much.

Of course, with little digging, it gets worse: there's a link on the lifechannel website, to another called "The Community Communication Network.

 

Yet another waste of money.

Not only that, but very big brother: the government sponsoring the installation of video screens spouting what amounts to propaganda almost 24 hrs a day, at your expense. This is as big a waste of money as the DfID.

Are you happy about that? I'm sure as hell I'm not.

Brit Assassins

So, a hit squad alledgedly from Israel, kills a Hamas official.

Sounds way too simple: either these people cocked up and were detected (which is the last thing a hit squad wants), or there's something else going on which the media have missed. Why use British (and Irish) Passports? Then, why do it in a completely overt way? What's the message being sent here?

This can hardly be a warning to Hamas: they're used to assassinations on their people by Israel. No, there's something else going on here. Its too unsubtle by far.

I'm not convinced its Mossad, nor am I convinced its Israeli in origin.

Inflation Gathering Pace: Was 2.9%, Now 3.5%

After a nice relaxing Valentine's weekend away with Mrs D, it seems the first bit of news to catch my refreshed eye is this report by the BBC.

I said well over a year ago we were headed for hyper-inflation. I may well be proved right. Like I said in my last post on the subject, the BAnk of England only have mechanisms to influence inflation, they can't act directly.

So, given the Bank of England will be writing a letter to the government explaining the failure to contain inflation to the 2% target, I wonder if it'll also contain dire arnings for future inflation trends and any advice on government action they may be necessary?

I'm sure now that VAT will go up to 20% in the next few months. Probably after the election as the established parties don't want a murderous electorate attacking them as they're canvassing for votes.

But there you go: more TAX, this time to curb spending and lower prices. Of course it won't be the governments fault for printing 200 billion phoney pounds, there'll be some other reason. I suspect even us, the public may be framed for the crime.

Anyone that lived through the seventies will already be having that sense of deja-vu, as well as planning their emigration to a warmer climate where heating doesn't matter. Those of us left to stick it out will be able to look forward to higher priced goods, more expensive food and prohibitively expensive fuel bills.