Sunday, February 18, 2007

Age and Youth

Pensions
Now I’m fortunate in being someone who can potentially retire at a relatively early age, and to this end I’ve been trying to salt away some funds to make this possible (perhaps) what I’m picking up as I go along this path is that (of course) pensions are costly, and something few want to consider.
The strange thing is that a Labour government is helping those who would save anyway and ignoring a lot of folk who won’t be able to put anything aside until the benefit from their saving is likely to be marginal to put it mildly.
Higher rate taxpayers can get over 40% relief (and often get help from their employers) those on lower incomes often get no pension and are having a struggle to make ends meet anyway.
Not really sure what the answer is and am a little dismayed by people who continually blame the governments (present or past) few want to pay higher taxes even fewer seem to want to assume responsibility for their old age. We need an informed debate and to offer some choices.
Storm over a Smoking Pot
The storm in a teacup over Cameron’s run in with his school authorities seems to have blown over, which as far as I’m concerned is a good thing, with knights McCartney, Jagger and John (Elton) being familiar with mind altering substance of a not altogether legal nature it seems to me we (the body politic) should take a realistic attitude to ‘youthful indiscretions’ I’m unlikely to vote Tory but welcome Cameron as a 21st century leader of a viable opposition.
(Listening to Emotional Rescue by the Stones as I write this, it'd earn Mick a knighthood by itself.)

Second Life
I was listening to Click on this morning and interested to hear talk of Second Life - it's considered Nerdy but as I heard to paraphrase-'try before you criticise' - I'll have a look and report back next w/e.

No comments: