Archive for November 2014

What Matt Taylor should have said

I’m here to say that I’m sorry.

Sorry for being the lead scientist in charge as the Rosetta mission reached its goal.

Sorry for having the temerity to think that a one-of-a-kind item of clothing made by a talented friend (who, by the way, just happens to be female) was suitable to celebrate this auspicious day.

Sorry that a scientist turned journalist is less interested in humanity landing a probe on a comet after a journey time of 10 years, 8 months and 13 days and a project which can trace its origins back to the questions raised by the bypass of Halley’s Comet in 1986 than in what I wore.

Sorry that the time and effort that thousands of talented men and women put in to making this moment happen has been overshadowed by someone complaining about a piece of cloth.

Sorry that rather celebrate what we have achieved here someone felt the need destroy the jubilation surrounding this historic achievement by focusing on something so insignificant.

For all of that I apologise.

Thank you.

At the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month

Poppies

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

In the last 12 months the following have died in the service of their country:

  • Thomas, Oliver
  • Walters, James
  • ulkner, Spencer
  • Chauhan, Rakesh
  • Clarke, Thomas
  • Moralee, Adam
  • Holloway, Richard
Image taken from Clear Inner Vision

List of British military deaths in Afghanistan since 2013-11-11 courtesy of the BBC

National Minimum Wage v’s Living Wage (2015 Edition)

So the Living Wage folks yesterday told us that for 2015 the Living Wage (outside of London) is £7.85/hour.

Running the numbers and comparing them to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) of £6.50/hour we get the following:

NMW LW
Gross Pay (£) 12,675.00 15,307.50
Income Tax (£) 535.00 1,061.50
Employee’s National Insurance (£) 566.28 882.18
Employer’s National Insurance (£) 651.22 1014.51
Nett Pay (£) 11,573.72 13,363.82

The difference between the Nett LW and the Gross NMW is £688.82 per annum. Over a year (52 x 37.5 hour weeks = 1950 hours) that is an extra 35p per hour – or £1 less than the LW.

Raise the NMW wage to £6.85/hour, the starting rates of Income Tax and National Insurance to £12,675 and, hey presto, we have the so-called Living Wage.

Simples.