Union leaders pay

The Taxpayers Alliance lists the pay of the top UK union leaders. Benefits aside, the range is from £80 - 100K. What should a union leader get? The same as a headteacher, GP? Slightly more than an MP's basic of £70K?

Just what are those Greek austerity measures?

Interesting breakdown of what life on the ground is like in Greece. Although it doesn't go into personal income tax rates.

https://aleksandreia.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/just-what-are-those-greek-austerity-measures/

Greece - D Day

From Graham Summer's Market Forecast:

However, the facts remain the same. The world is awash in garbage debt. The only reason the banks and others haven’t taken the “hit” that they NEED to take is because they’ve bought out the politicians. Put another way, we are seeing clearly that the two primary principles of the West (capitalism and democracy) have both become jokes: alleged “capitalists” like the banks don’t ever actually see losses for mistakes and “democratically elected” leaders are in fact owned outright by the banks via donations/ bribes.

Another great Adam Curtis piece

Syria: The baby and the Baath water


http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/2011/06/the_baby_and_the_baath_water.html

Another week in Libya...

Another £40 million...

Military chiefs have acknowledged that the air campaign would last six months. At this rate, the Ministry of Defence's own estimates will put the cost of war at about £400m, but the expert view is that the figure will top £1bn by September.

potential dangers of electromagnetic fields and their effect on the environment

From Council of Europe draft report on the potential dangers of electromagnetic fields and their effect on the environment. As they say, it 'sounds like a plan'... I wonder what the final report will read like?

8.2.1. set preventive thresholds for levels of long-term exposure to microwaves in all indoor areas, in accordance with the precautionary principle, not exceeding 0.6 volts per metre, and in the medium term to reduce it to 0.2 volts per metre;

8.2.2. undertake appropriate risk-assessment procedures for all new types of device prior to licensing;

8.2.3. introduce clear labelling indicating the presence of microwaves or electromagnetic fields, the transmitting power or the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the device and any health risks connected with its use;

8.2.4. raise awareness on potential health risks of DECT-type wireless telephones, baby monitors and other domestic appliances which emit continuous pulse waves, if all electrical equipment is left permanently on standby, and recommend the use of wired, fixed telephones at home or, failing that, models which do not permanently emit pulse waves;

8.3. concerning the protection of children:

8.3.1. develop within different ministries (education, environment and health) targeted information campaigns aimed at teachers, parents and children to alert them to the specific risks of early, ill-considered and prolonged use of mobiles and other devices emitting microwaves;

8.3.2. ban all mobile phones, DECT phones or WiFi or WLAN systems from classrooms and schools, as advocated by some regional authorities, medical associations and civil society organisations;