The following extract from an FT comment today really says much about the
way the world thinks today, alas:
"THE SHORT VIEW
MARKET COMMENT BY JOHN AUTHERS
Vice beat virtue in 2006. Putting your money into sinful industries such as tobacco, alcohol, gambling and arms beat the market comfortably. In the US, the Vice Fund, which invests only in these sectors, is up 23 per cent for the year. The Ave Maria Catholic Values Fund, which excludes companies that violate Catholic doctrine, is up only 13 per cent. How did this happen? Charles Norton, Vice Fund manager, told the Financial Times’ US edition (interview at [url=http://www.ft.com/wealth)]www.ft.com/wealth)[/url] that the gambling industry had a banner year – Las Vegas Sands was up 150 per cent for the year at one point. Altria, the world’s biggest tobacco producer, is the fund’s biggest holding and has gained 24 per cent this year. In general, he described vice stocks as defensive as consumers continue to spend money on sinning even in hard times. So vice should not be an unsustainable boom... "
Perhaps as a result (so I like to think anyway) my investments are c.15% down this year.
However the
FT today also had a piece about about possible web winnersfor 2007.
Possibility number two, is Nicetech-type software. One of my holdings is
in an odd British company called ZYZGY (LSE/AIM: zyz). ZYZ has a large investment in Nicetech of Cambrridge UK
The FT says
"...A second convergence that could provide fertile ground for the next user-generated internet craze is the one that is starting to bring together the worlds of web-browsing and videogames. The result: virtual worlds such as Second Life, where users are represented by fictional characters or avatars. This is partly just a product of an “arms race” between websites trying to build their own online communities, says Mr Levchin. With too many sites competing for attention, those with the best three-dimensional graphics should stand out. However, it also represents a variation on the social networking craze. Appearing in the guise of an avatar leads to different forms of online behaviour, says Geoff Yang, a venture capitalist who was an early backer of MySpace and is now an investor in the virtual world, Gaia. Unlike MySpace, “where you talk about the real world, this is a fantasy role-playing thing, or a Disneyland,” he says. It is too early to predict whether any of the virtual worlds will become a true mass-market hit. Despite recent media infatuation, Second Life still has only a small active base of users and has suffered growing pains. The extent of the experimentation underway in these alluring virtual worlds, however, suggests this may be the place for the next craze..."
The Second Life web craze was much criticised during the recent Jesuit Directors of Work
conference but many disagreed with the criticisms as well.
Reading a good novel can be a form of escapism and sometimes with the state of the real world, a little escapism may be no bad thing. Hopefully however my pension investments
will in 2007, escape from their downward trend.
A very Happy and prosperous New Year to all or any who read this.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Happy Christmas 2006
I hope everyone (anyone?) who reads this blog has a very happy holy
Christmas 2006 and much good fortune and peace in 2007.
On this Christmas Eve, the world is looking in a decidedly negative
shape. Presidents and prime ministers in the West are
looking less and less like leaders who seek to
inspire the people to put the
message of Christmas into practice, with the humility and
insight of Kings Balthasar, Melchior and Caspar
but more and more with the self centredness and arrogance of
King Herod, of old.
Maybe we the people, need to inspire our leaders
so that love and compassion flow from the people upwards
rather than looking to such enfeeebled leaders, to guide
us through their example.
Christmas 2006 and much good fortune and peace in 2007.
On this Christmas Eve, the world is looking in a decidedly negative
shape. Presidents and prime ministers in the West are
looking less and less like leaders who seek to
inspire the people to put the
message of Christmas into practice, with the humility and
insight of Kings Balthasar, Melchior and Caspar
but more and more with the self centredness and arrogance of
King Herod, of old.
Maybe we the people, need to inspire our leaders
so that love and compassion flow from the people upwards
rather than looking to such enfeeebled leaders, to guide
us through their example.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Christmas Wedding and the Light - The Fog and the Dark
Yesterday 22nd December 2006, two voluntary helpers from HCPT Group 35
were married. Their Nuptial Mass was celebrated by Phelim McGowan SJ,
whose ability to combine prayer with informality, occasion with welcome and
jokes with solemnities,
created a holy and memorable liturgy for them and everyone present. It was
lovely too to have a break from Christmas caroling, through the singing
of hymns that Group 35 usually sings with teenagers
in The Rotundes de Jeunesse in the Lourdes Prairie during April.
The wedding mass ended and the crowds gathered outside the Church in the
light of the day.
The reception was as convivial as one would expect. Neil and Felicity
had booked Pembroke Lodge in London's Royal Richmond Park. Normally the
view across London from there is amazing. Yesterday however the
fog which had for 3 days substantially restricted London's Heathrow airport,
limited vision to about 19 yards ahead. Richmond Park unusually for
London, has no artificial lighting, is home to 750 wild deer and has
iron wrought gates, over 20 feet high which are locked shut at sundown.
When after much good company, food, drinks and speeches
the time came for us to leave, it was pitch black, freezing cold
and everything was shrouded in dense fog. Trying to find our car was
quite humorous really as it is a VW. All modern VWs look the same
in the dark and they are usually alarmed...
Eventually we found the correct VW.
Driving through the intense dark and fog was very atmospheric
but the possibility of one of the many deer leaping out of the
blackness into our path was not a little unnerving.
Eventually too we found Richmond gate and a gatekeeper to let us
out on our way. The sodium lit streets of Petersham seemed
rather tame by comparison. Modern urban society loses some significant
contact with nature, by the prevalence of so much electric
street lighting.
Felicity and Neil's wedding and their wedding vows yesterday
reminded
mrs maytrees and myself of our own wedding years previously,
which is another cause for celebration.
were married. Their Nuptial Mass was celebrated by Phelim McGowan SJ,
whose ability to combine prayer with informality, occasion with welcome and
jokes with solemnities,
created a holy and memorable liturgy for them and everyone present. It was
lovely too to have a break from Christmas caroling, through the singing
of hymns that Group 35 usually sings with teenagers
in The Rotundes de Jeunesse in the Lourdes Prairie during April.
The wedding mass ended and the crowds gathered outside the Church in the
light of the day.
The reception was as convivial as one would expect. Neil and Felicity
had booked Pembroke Lodge in London's Royal Richmond Park. Normally the
view across London from there is amazing. Yesterday however the
fog which had for 3 days substantially restricted London's Heathrow airport,
limited vision to about 19 yards ahead. Richmond Park unusually for
London, has no artificial lighting, is home to 750 wild deer and has
iron wrought gates, over 20 feet high which are locked shut at sundown.
When after much good company, food, drinks and speeches
the time came for us to leave, it was pitch black, freezing cold
and everything was shrouded in dense fog. Trying to find our car was
quite humorous really as it is a VW. All modern VWs look the same
in the dark and they are usually alarmed...
Eventually we found the correct VW.
Driving through the intense dark and fog was very atmospheric
but the possibility of one of the many deer leaping out of the
blackness into our path was not a little unnerving.
Eventually too we found Richmond gate and a gatekeeper to let us
out on our way. The sodium lit streets of Petersham seemed
rather tame by comparison. Modern urban society loses some significant
contact with nature, by the prevalence of so much electric
street lighting.
Felicity and Neil's wedding and their wedding vows yesterday
reminded
mrs maytrees and myself of our own wedding years previously,
which is another cause for celebration.
Friday, December 22, 2006
2006 Office Christmas Party
Work Christmas parties can be awkward affairs.
On the one hand not going at all, especially for senior staff, is hardly sociable
but on the other, they can involve so much artificial bonne homme and alcohol
that their after effects can seem far from festive.
Yesterday's lunchtime Christmas party of the newly merged PWW firm,
was the best I have ever attended in over 35 years of office life.
The venue was at the City of London Cutlers' Hall, which
has its origins in cutlery and sword making. The Cutlers' Hall was atmospheric
and festooned with Christmassy decor as well
as some magnificent silver swords (and cutlery).
We had the Hall to ourselves.
The 80 PPW people
including 6 guests, sat around a horseshoe shaped table.
There was a grand pianist in attendance.
The P&B Methodist tradition of Grace Before Meals was adopted as whole heartedly
by the Catholic WW contingent. Party hats and Christmas crackers
plus good food and drink would have ensured success anyway but
someone had an idea that we should sing.An idea that would not normally have appealed to
me very much. Nonetheless a few partners and staff were
volunteered to form a choir and we were away with a gusto.
Even staff who were Muslim or of other non Christian faiths,
or none, were soon swept up in the spirit (Spirit?) of the occasion,
singing eg "Away in a Manger" as enthusiastically as the most
earnest of the Christian staff.
Interspersing the carols with
popular non religious songs eg from The Sound of Music and having
a very talented pianist willing to take up the challenge
of so adlib or was it adhoc, a choir, made the party really fun and a lovely
way to begin the Christmas holidays.
I especially liked the mix
of festival and respect for the Christmas message.
On the one hand not going at all, especially for senior staff, is hardly sociable
but on the other, they can involve so much artificial bonne homme and alcohol
that their after effects can seem far from festive.
Yesterday's lunchtime Christmas party of the newly merged PWW firm,
was the best I have ever attended in over 35 years of office life.
The venue was at the City of London Cutlers' Hall, which
has its origins in cutlery and sword making. The Cutlers' Hall was atmospheric
and festooned with Christmassy decor as well
as some magnificent silver swords (and cutlery).
We had the Hall to ourselves.
The 80 PPW people
including 6 guests, sat around a horseshoe shaped table.
There was a grand pianist in attendance.
The P&B Methodist tradition of Grace Before Meals was adopted as whole heartedly
by the Catholic WW contingent. Party hats and Christmas crackers
plus good food and drink would have ensured success anyway but
someone had an idea that we should sing.An idea that would not normally have appealed to
me very much. Nonetheless a few partners and staff were
volunteered to form a choir and we were away with a gusto.
Even staff who were Muslim or of other non Christian faiths,
or none, were soon swept up in the spirit (Spirit?) of the occasion,
singing eg "Away in a Manger" as enthusiastically as the most
earnest of the Christian staff.
Interspersing the carols with
popular non religious songs eg from The Sound of Music and having
a very talented pianist willing to take up the challenge
of so adlib or was it adhoc, a choir, made the party really fun and a lovely
way to begin the Christmas holidays.
I especially liked the mix
of festival and respect for the Christmas message.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
NHS in Poor Health?
The UK has for the whole of my lifetime been blessed by the institution
commonly known as the NHS which provides everyone with healthcare,
free at the point of delivery.
The NHS is still the heart of the nation's healthcare but the heartbeat
does not seem as regular as it once was, despite the £millions being
thrown at it by the current Labour government. In fact the NHS still
provides some excellent services and there are many wonderful
staff at all levels.
My own experience of the NHS in March 2005, led me to post the following
praise on Sharecrazy:
Our children bought Mrs maytrees a couple of cinema
tickets for a mothers' day pressie. We went to
the local cinema and had some non alcoholic
drink in its coffee bar while waiting for the film start
time.
I began to feel faint and an ambulance was called.
the two ambulance crew could not have been more attentive
but I was wheeled out like Jo's disabled friend
in a wheelchair with oxygen to the ambulance where they
recommended casualty at St Georges NHS hospital.
On arrival there I was whisked into a state of the art
bay and attended to immediately by a large team of medics
etc - blood tests heart tests Xrays etc etc.
They then decided to keep me in overning "for observation".
Went to a small ward with constant supervision more tests etc.
Later to a slightly larger one when after NHS breakfast
a team of medics may be about 9 came round the bed. I assumed
most were students but they said not - they were the normal
medic team headed up by consultant down to
registrar etc. Each then personally introduced him/herself.
Diagnosis was merely very low blood pressure and a
tiny bit aenemic so I was discharged.
All free enthusiastic clean attentive service
with no waiting - I'm sure there are many more stories
like this.
NHS is great when the chips are or maybe down.
Even in other cases I'm sure it does its best.
Politicisation of NHS should be discouraged.
More TX and fewer moans should be encouraged"
However I have since learned from patients, NHS workers,
visitors and others that when the chips are not down,
the NHS service
can be far from excellent, as the following illustrate:
One junior NHS admin worker told me that he booked interpreters
at the request of a medic. The medic some while later came back to him
and asked for more interpretation services but to include one
interpreter that the medic had particularly liked. When asked by the NHS
admin worker for a name or reference or description of the interpreter
he sought, the medic said that he did not know but insisted that the
junior worker should be able to trace him. The admin time and
expense spent on performing such detection work might
have suceeded eventually, but hardly an efficient use of precious NHS admin time.
One elderly patient said that he was told that he would be discharged
from his hospital bed the next day at 8:30am and (as he had fractured bones)
would be minibussed home. He duly got ready at 8am. Was then told that
he would not be discharged until his medication was ready. He limped down
a couple of floors to the bus waiting room where others in similar condition
were all hanging around for the same reason. The medications were only
dished out 4 hours later so that those elderly
disabled patients who boarded the hospital bus had spent five hours
waiting around aimlessly without being provided with information let alone a meal.
More caring hospital administration could surely have either have arranged the medication
the night before or for the patients to have been given lunch first and
dicharged afterwards?
Despite the applicability of "Use it or Lose it" to elderly
people, he has yet to be contacted by the NHS about post
fracture physiotherapy or even given any information
or reassurance about such arrangements. Used car salesmen
can have bad reputations for poor after sales service and the NHS needs
to appreciate the importance of good admin in this area too.
A patient told me of nurse call button being pressed on his ward with
no discernible response for long periods. On one occasion
an elderly c. 94 yuears old confused patient, had urinated over his bedclothes
during the long wait.
When the nurses eventually arrived instead of apologising they berated him for the extra work that created.
MRSA has been well known as a problem for the UK NHS
One lady told me via another bulletin board that:
"But on my visit to my friend, I had witnessed something terribly bad, and had been wondering I should write about it since.
The woman was around 40-ish, so must have had some experience on home making...include cleaning!
She emptied the black bag by removing it from its holder and refitted it back. Then without washing her gloved hands, she squeezed out a cloth from a bowl on the trolley, and went and wiped the tap handle, etc, and the wash hand basin with it.
I was imaging the bugs being deposited there, as her wash cloth had been contaminated by her hands which must have picked up from emptying the thrash bin bag!
Then she'd dropped the cloth back into the bowl, and pushed the trolley carrying the cleaning stuff out of the ward, presumary into another ward and repeating the same procedure.
After touching and handling the thrash black bag and holder, she should have washed her gloved hands before touching anything or squeezing the cloth from the washing bowl! Such practices must be addressed, but how?
I am still shocked that from the same health authority, we could have such contrasting standards. Those cleaning staff at the hospital I was in, were so excellent and not here.
But even in the same hospital, proffesionism, courtesy and kindness vary with different individuals!
In my vast experience as a patient in the last four years, I had found night staffs worked the hardest and were the kindest.
I often felt so sorry for them as they were often short staff and more emergencies were at large at night.
Just a thought on nurses stations! they should not be in the middle of the unit, except for the central one, where only one person needed to mind it, and that could the ward clerk on office hours and the person in charge at other times.
And there should be a desk in a corner of every ward, where a nurse (there were five on the days of my visits), can sit and keep an eye on every patient, when they are not busy doing routine work.
On most of my visits, they were often sitting at the central nurses station, looking rather bored and disinterested!
And I am not speaking for a few ocassions as I visit people in hospital quite often. I have seen them to be most busy from 7am to before lunch and after 9 pm. There rotas could take into account of these periods and have less staff on (quieter times!)
There are some excellent people in the NHS: really proffessional, hard working, kind and compassionate and truly caring. But like in all things it is the luck of the draw when one gets bad and good services.
I wish we can order our needs for hospital treatment, so that we can go for it, like with super markets!
I'd always picked times when professional, nice and kind checkout staff were there.
Ocassionally, I had experienced those. whose hearts were not on the job!
So it's good when one's luck is always there."
The pay of nurses for example will never be enough but many of the problems
will not be resolved by money alone.
Hospital Admin is to many end users anyway, in need of a radical
shake up to give priority the clients that is the patients not just
say in A&E or in Surgery etc priority but also at the points of discharge
admission, waiting room comfort and after discharge admin. Staff morale needs to be boosted and maybe more customer
care training provided from the top down wards.
I could go on and on but this has already become my longest blog post so far so I will stop now. The gist anyway is hopefully clear enough.
commonly known as the NHS which provides everyone with healthcare,
free at the point of delivery.
The NHS is still the heart of the nation's healthcare but the heartbeat
does not seem as regular as it once was, despite the £millions being
thrown at it by the current Labour government. In fact the NHS still
provides some excellent services and there are many wonderful
staff at all levels.
My own experience of the NHS in March 2005, led me to post the following
praise on Sharecrazy:
Our children bought Mrs maytrees a couple of cinema
tickets for a mothers' day pressie. We went to
the local cinema and had some non alcoholic
drink in its coffee bar while waiting for the film start
time.
I began to feel faint and an ambulance was called.
the two ambulance crew could not have been more attentive
but I was wheeled out like Jo's disabled friend
in a wheelchair with oxygen to the ambulance where they
recommended casualty at St Georges NHS hospital.
On arrival there I was whisked into a state of the art
bay and attended to immediately by a large team of medics
etc - blood tests heart tests Xrays etc etc.
They then decided to keep me in overning "for observation".
Went to a small ward with constant supervision more tests etc.
Later to a slightly larger one when after NHS breakfast
a team of medics may be about 9 came round the bed. I assumed
most were students but they said not - they were the normal
medic team headed up by consultant down to
registrar etc. Each then personally introduced him/herself.
Diagnosis was merely very low blood pressure and a
tiny bit aenemic so I was discharged.
All free enthusiastic clean attentive service
with no waiting - I'm sure there are many more stories
like this.
NHS is great when the chips are or maybe down.
Even in other cases I'm sure it does its best.
Politicisation of NHS should be discouraged.
More TX and fewer moans should be encouraged"
However I have since learned from patients, NHS workers,
visitors and others that when the chips are not down,
the NHS service
can be far from excellent, as the following illustrate:
One junior NHS admin worker told me that he booked interpreters
at the request of a medic. The medic some while later came back to him
and asked for more interpretation services but to include one
interpreter that the medic had particularly liked. When asked by the NHS
admin worker for a name or reference or description of the interpreter
he sought, the medic said that he did not know but insisted that the
junior worker should be able to trace him. The admin time and
expense spent on performing such detection work might
have suceeded eventually, but hardly an efficient use of precious NHS admin time.
One elderly patient said that he was told that he would be discharged
from his hospital bed the next day at 8:30am and (as he had fractured bones)
would be minibussed home. He duly got ready at 8am. Was then told that
he would not be discharged until his medication was ready. He limped down
a couple of floors to the bus waiting room where others in similar condition
were all hanging around for the same reason. The medications were only
dished out 4 hours later so that those elderly
disabled patients who boarded the hospital bus had spent five hours
waiting around aimlessly without being provided with information let alone a meal.
More caring hospital administration could surely have either have arranged the medication
the night before or for the patients to have been given lunch first and
dicharged afterwards?
Despite the applicability of "Use it or Lose it" to elderly
people, he has yet to be contacted by the NHS about post
fracture physiotherapy or even given any information
or reassurance about such arrangements. Used car salesmen
can have bad reputations for poor after sales service and the NHS needs
to appreciate the importance of good admin in this area too.
A patient told me of nurse call button being pressed on his ward with
no discernible response for long periods. On one occasion
an elderly c. 94 yuears old confused patient, had urinated over his bedclothes
during the long wait.
When the nurses eventually arrived instead of apologising they berated him for the extra work that created.
MRSA has been well known as a problem for the UK NHS
One lady told me via another bulletin board that:
"But on my visit to my friend, I had witnessed something terribly bad, and had been wondering I should write about it since.
The woman was around 40-ish, so must have had some experience on home making...include cleaning!
She emptied the black bag by removing it from its holder and refitted it back. Then without washing her gloved hands, she squeezed out a cloth from a bowl on the trolley, and went and wiped the tap handle, etc, and the wash hand basin with it.
I was imaging the bugs being deposited there, as her wash cloth had been contaminated by her hands which must have picked up from emptying the thrash bin bag!
Then she'd dropped the cloth back into the bowl, and pushed the trolley carrying the cleaning stuff out of the ward, presumary into another ward and repeating the same procedure.
After touching and handling the thrash black bag and holder, she should have washed her gloved hands before touching anything or squeezing the cloth from the washing bowl! Such practices must be addressed, but how?
I am still shocked that from the same health authority, we could have such contrasting standards. Those cleaning staff at the hospital I was in, were so excellent and not here.
But even in the same hospital, proffesionism, courtesy and kindness vary with different individuals!
In my vast experience as a patient in the last four years, I had found night staffs worked the hardest and were the kindest.
I often felt so sorry for them as they were often short staff and more emergencies were at large at night.
Just a thought on nurses stations! they should not be in the middle of the unit, except for the central one, where only one person needed to mind it, and that could the ward clerk on office hours and the person in charge at other times.
And there should be a desk in a corner of every ward, where a nurse (there were five on the days of my visits), can sit and keep an eye on every patient, when they are not busy doing routine work.
On most of my visits, they were often sitting at the central nurses station, looking rather bored and disinterested!
And I am not speaking for a few ocassions as I visit people in hospital quite often. I have seen them to be most busy from 7am to before lunch and after 9 pm. There rotas could take into account of these periods and have less staff on (quieter times!)
There are some excellent people in the NHS: really proffessional, hard working, kind and compassionate and truly caring. But like in all things it is the luck of the draw when one gets bad and good services.
I wish we can order our needs for hospital treatment, so that we can go for it, like with super markets!
I'd always picked times when professional, nice and kind checkout staff were there.
Ocassionally, I had experienced those. whose hearts were not on the job!
So it's good when one's luck is always there."
The pay of nurses for example will never be enough but many of the problems
will not be resolved by money alone.
Hospital Admin is to many end users anyway, in need of a radical
shake up to give priority the clients that is the patients not just
say in A&E or in Surgery etc priority but also at the points of discharge
admission, waiting room comfort and after discharge admin. Staff morale needs to be boosted and maybe more customer
care training provided from the top down wards.
I could go on and on but this has already become my longest blog post so far so I will stop now. The gist anyway is hopefully clear enough.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
C21st and Family Life in London
My quip at last week's Jesuit Directors' of Works conference on the quoted;
"the family that prays together stays together", adage, was that our
family clearly needs to stop praying. There are 3 adult children and one
seventeen year old still living at home with us parents as a family, in a
house which is getting no larger. Surely the oldest would want out by now?
Mrs maytrees and I were married living in our own home and with children when we were the same ages our oldest two.
The are great advantages of course in having one's own community life
at home and mealtimes especially, are never quiet - two of the grown up children
have Masters degrees in psychology. Nonetheless most young adults in their
mid twenties seek independence so why so many maytrees' stay-at-homes?
A major problem is the cost of housing. Our first house in London cost
£8,500 at a time when our joint salaries were under £3,000, so the home cost
then 1971, about 3 times our joint salary.
Back of an envelope figures for today are:
Young graduates can expect to earn say £20,000 as a start. 2X£20,000=£40,000
3X£40,000=£120,000, whereas even the most modest London house price
is about double that ie £240,000.
More to the point, the previous 3 times joint salary house price, did enable
the housing costs to be met, by one salary earner when family life with children began. One salary then, had to cover housing costs based on 6 times that annual
income.
At the same stage today in 21st century London, one salary earner of a
recently married
couple whose family life begins to embrace children, would need to
meet housing costs based on 12 times the family's income if the other
erswhile salary earner stays at home to become a full time mother.
Virtually impossible and renting rather than buying, a home is hardly
less expensive at present.
The consequences then are
either like the maytrees' household, more adult children stay longer
in their parental homes; or young husband and wife
both remain full time workers even
after their own family life begins to embrace children;
or more live single lives in smallish flats.
For those whose family life is virtually non existent
or unbearable, sleeping rough may beckon or endeavours to
evade the huge responsibilities by escapism through eg drugs or crime.
Other more intriguing outcomes could be that smallish communities Israeli Kibbutz-style could develop
but there is little sign of this so far or more
could travel and/or work with the relief of poverty in the third world.
The huge cost of housing then impacts on family life and the social structures
of Society yet government initiatives, such as abolishing tax relief on
home purchase loans , increasing Council taxes, letting married
couples taxation assistance wither on the vine and providing no
incentives for full time parenthood, all serve to make the impact
far worse.
The Churches do wring their hands about all this but seem to do little
to initiate or catalyse change.
"the family that prays together stays together", adage, was that our
family clearly needs to stop praying. There are 3 adult children and one
seventeen year old still living at home with us parents as a family, in a
house which is getting no larger. Surely the oldest would want out by now?
Mrs maytrees and I were married living in our own home and with children when we were the same ages our oldest two.
The are great advantages of course in having one's own community life
at home and mealtimes especially, are never quiet - two of the grown up children
have Masters degrees in psychology. Nonetheless most young adults in their
mid twenties seek independence so why so many maytrees' stay-at-homes?
A major problem is the cost of housing. Our first house in London cost
£8,500 at a time when our joint salaries were under £3,000, so the home cost
then 1971, about 3 times our joint salary.
Back of an envelope figures for today are:
Young graduates can expect to earn say £20,000 as a start. 2X£20,000=£40,000
3X£40,000=£120,000, whereas even the most modest London house price
is about double that ie £240,000.
More to the point, the previous 3 times joint salary house price, did enable
the housing costs to be met, by one salary earner when family life with children began. One salary then, had to cover housing costs based on 6 times that annual
income.
At the same stage today in 21st century London, one salary earner of a
recently married
couple whose family life begins to embrace children, would need to
meet housing costs based on 12 times the family's income if the other
erswhile salary earner stays at home to become a full time mother.
Virtually impossible and renting rather than buying, a home is hardly
less expensive at present.
The consequences then are
either like the maytrees' household, more adult children stay longer
in their parental homes; or young husband and wife
both remain full time workers even
after their own family life begins to embrace children;
or more live single lives in smallish flats.
For those whose family life is virtually non existent
or unbearable, sleeping rough may beckon or endeavours to
evade the huge responsibilities by escapism through eg drugs or crime.
Other more intriguing outcomes could be that smallish communities Israeli Kibbutz-style could develop
but there is little sign of this so far or more
could travel and/or work with the relief of poverty in the third world.
The huge cost of housing then impacts on family life and the social structures
of Society yet government initiatives, such as abolishing tax relief on
home purchase loans , increasing Council taxes, letting married
couples taxation assistance wither on the vine and providing no
incentives for full time parenthood, all serve to make the impact
far worse.
The Churches do wring their hands about all this but seem to do little
to initiate or catalyse change.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
The Republic of Nice; the Jesuit Directors of Work Oxford Conference
Attending the Conference organised for Jesuit Directors of Work over a weekend timed to include the feast day of St Edmund Campion SJ,
the famous English Jesuit
Catholic Martyr (December 1st) was a great privilege. The Anglican Chaplain
of St Johns College Oxford, Edmund Campion's old College, kindly agreed
to Catholic Mass being celebrated in the College chapel; a wonderful Mass
and the hymns and prayers were interspersed by some personal thoughts (of mine)
about how those responsible for enacting the Statutes Of Superstitious Uses
which outlawed the celebration of Holy Mass in England, might have turned in their
graves only a couple of generations back, at the knowledge of such a celebration
taking place.
The conference seminars were full of fascinating stuff.
One Jesuit talked brilliantly about a massive multplayer online game (MMOG)
in which a virtual world - he called the Republic of Nice - was
created. One MMOG he mentioned is called "Second life". In this,
pretend lives largely mirroring the easy side of real life are
created by the players, of whom appararently there are millions.
His view I think, is that these
virtual nice lives, are filling voids left in people's
real lives by the absence of space for god, faith and the transcendental; ie
the absence of any inner, spiritual life; although he did
then also pose the question about whether the latter too might
be virtual - that is where faith and hope come in.
His view of internet and the world wide web then also seemed to be negative
so provoked much thought and discussion. Though many
including myself, disagreed with him, he deserves full marks for
holding attention and inspiring debate.
There was a talk from the Jesuit Refugee Service, whose work (largely unsung)
for refugees, is now so well thought of, that the JRS has been accredited with
observer NGO status at the UN.
One case study which struck a poignant chord with me was how Beaumont
College was closed down by the SJs in 1967. A point of that talk was
to illustrate the difference between the attitude of
Catholic religious orders towards lay collaborative ministry
in '60s, with that prevalent today at the begining of the 21st century;
opaquenss and transparency come to mind. But like one of
the long since deceased Jesuits named, the talk brought tears
to my eyes as I had been a boy at that College in those
difficult but amazing years between 1962 and 1967.
The conference was also a time for ordinary conversations.
A brief word with the Provincial on the coach enroute to St John's College,
a quick coffee with my parish priest; some chat with
local school heads and a chaplain. A very amusing after dinner speech
from an American Jesuit and exchanges of views with other lawyers
governors, heads and deputies of Jesuit schools in the UK,
made for a very fruitful and stimulating week end.
Two personal thoughts:
1. Though I would not wish the job on anyone, the current SJ Provincial
would make a great Archbishop of Westminster - a Cardinal for
the Church in England of today. His ability to switch from a personal,
one to one, conversation to an inspiring public talk; his ability to
be stern but compassionate; his knowledge of matters theological
and undoubted love of God, all surely make him a great Catholic leader.
I hope to look back at this blog
in the years ahead and be able to say "you saw it here first".
2. Quiet reflection at Sunday Mass this morning, back in the parish
reminded me that Faith is godcentric and that it is important
for men and women in the pews to avoid going down the cul de sac
of the cult of personality or celebrity, which is all too prevalent in the secular life - yes "Heat" magazine and the like, were discussed as
well during our all too brief times together at Oxford.
Thank you.
the famous English Jesuit
Catholic Martyr (December 1st) was a great privilege. The Anglican Chaplain
of St Johns College Oxford, Edmund Campion's old College, kindly agreed
to Catholic Mass being celebrated in the College chapel; a wonderful Mass
and the hymns and prayers were interspersed by some personal thoughts (of mine)
about how those responsible for enacting the Statutes Of Superstitious Uses
which outlawed the celebration of Holy Mass in England, might have turned in their
graves only a couple of generations back, at the knowledge of such a celebration
taking place.
The conference seminars were full of fascinating stuff.
One Jesuit talked brilliantly about a massive multplayer online game (MMOG)
in which a virtual world - he called the Republic of Nice - was
created. One MMOG he mentioned is called "Second life". In this,
pretend lives largely mirroring the easy side of real life are
created by the players, of whom appararently there are millions.
His view I think, is that these
virtual nice lives, are filling voids left in people's
real lives by the absence of space for god, faith and the transcendental; ie
the absence of any inner, spiritual life; although he did
then also pose the question about whether the latter too might
be virtual - that is where faith and hope come in.
His view of internet and the world wide web then also seemed to be negative
so provoked much thought and discussion. Though many
including myself, disagreed with him, he deserves full marks for
holding attention and inspiring debate.
There was a talk from the Jesuit Refugee Service, whose work (largely unsung)
for refugees, is now so well thought of, that the JRS has been accredited with
observer NGO status at the UN.
One case study which struck a poignant chord with me was how Beaumont
College was closed down by the SJs in 1967. A point of that talk was
to illustrate the difference between the attitude of
Catholic religious orders towards lay collaborative ministry
in '60s, with that prevalent today at the begining of the 21st century;
opaquenss and transparency come to mind. But like one of
the long since deceased Jesuits named, the talk brought tears
to my eyes as I had been a boy at that College in those
difficult but amazing years between 1962 and 1967.
The conference was also a time for ordinary conversations.
A brief word with the Provincial on the coach enroute to St John's College,
a quick coffee with my parish priest; some chat with
local school heads and a chaplain. A very amusing after dinner speech
from an American Jesuit and exchanges of views with other lawyers
governors, heads and deputies of Jesuit schools in the UK,
made for a very fruitful and stimulating week end.
Two personal thoughts:
1. Though I would not wish the job on anyone, the current SJ Provincial
would make a great Archbishop of Westminster - a Cardinal for
the Church in England of today. His ability to switch from a personal,
one to one, conversation to an inspiring public talk; his ability to
be stern but compassionate; his knowledge of matters theological
and undoubted love of God, all surely make him a great Catholic leader.
I hope to look back at this blog
in the years ahead and be able to say "you saw it here first".
2. Quiet reflection at Sunday Mass this morning, back in the parish
reminded me that Faith is godcentric and that it is important
for men and women in the pews to avoid going down the cul de sac
of the cult of personality or celebrity, which is all too prevalent in the secular life - yes "Heat" magazine and the like, were discussed as
well during our all too brief times together at Oxford.
Thank you.
More on Health and Complacency
Only a couple of weeks back a theme for my weekly
blog post was on taking good health for granted.
Mum age 90 and Dad age 86 have both enjoyed such rude health
(with a few exceptions) that I have been taking.
their good health for granted as well. Last week
dad broke his hip and was taken to hospital. Mum's
email to the family says it all:
"
Frank went into hospital yesterday, having slipped on a wet leaf while going into the garden to show where the ladder was to one of the two workmen, checking the central heating.
After the fall, Frank laid on the stone floor in the damp and rain for nearly an hour (we gave him cushions where practical and covered him with a blanket ) until the ambulance finally turned up with 2 girls.. good drivers and nurses.apparently ..did all the right things, except that they couldn't lift him. and had to get the workmen in the house( still ineffectively trying to mend the central heating) to lift him over the garden step and on to the stretcher...(Manpower!! necessary still!!) OK from thereon as all the machinery, lifts etc. worked well and the A& E dept at the local hospital St. Helier... Kathy has volunteered to do our shopping and offers of every kind from transport and bed lifting have come in from everybody. ... All your best wishes and offers of help have been passed on to him which we shall repeat when Steph and I go there today. Meanwhile, very sincere thanks to everybody for everything. LOL MUM/JENNIE and STEPH at the OLD WALLINGTON BASE"
Upon visiting him in hospital his spirits are a high as ever despite the undoubted pain.
The NHS staff are wonderful and although the ward is a little spartan the facilities
are more than adequate despite the UK media column inches decrying the state
of the National Health Service.
blog post was on taking good health for granted.
Mum age 90 and Dad age 86 have both enjoyed such rude health
(with a few exceptions) that I have been taking.
their good health for granted as well. Last week
dad broke his hip and was taken to hospital. Mum's
email to the family says it all:
"
Frank went into hospital yesterday, having slipped on a wet leaf while going into the garden to show where the ladder was to one of the two workmen, checking the central heating.
After the fall, Frank laid on the stone floor in the damp and rain for nearly an hour (we gave him cushions where practical and covered him with a blanket ) until the ambulance finally turned up with 2 girls.. good drivers and nurses.apparently ..did all the right things, except that they couldn't lift him. and had to get the workmen in the house( still ineffectively trying to mend the central heating) to lift him over the garden step and on to the stretcher...(Manpower!! necessary still!!) OK from thereon as all the machinery, lifts etc. worked well and the A& E dept at the local hospital St. Helier... Kathy has volunteered to do our shopping and offers of every kind from transport and bed lifting have come in from everybody. ... All your best wishes and offers of help have been passed on to him which we shall repeat when Steph and I go there today. Meanwhile, very sincere thanks to everybody for everything. LOL MUM/JENNIE and STEPH at the OLD WALLINGTON BASE"
Upon visiting him in hospital his spirits are a high as ever despite the undoubted pain.
The NHS staff are wonderful and although the ward is a little spartan the facilities
are more than adequate despite the UK media column inches decrying the state
of the National Health Service.
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