EU referendum, brexit and the aftermath

Hah, true.

Now if they only would pick some fruit instead of take their pension :P

Also. Sault St Marie. You've truly been to Canada.

Ha, that's basically a cosmopolitain suburb compared to some places. You should try Wawa and Timmins

Canadian food related anecdote. When we were cycling across Canada we had stopped in a town not far out of Saskatoon and were really wanting some fresh veg. We stopped in the only grocery store in town to find a fairly limited range. We picked up some leeks that had been cut into 3 and shrink wrapped. The checkout cashier a) had no idea what they were and b) couldn't find them on the drum mounted reference chart to know that price they were. The supervisor came to help them out and finally found them on an addendum chart entitled "Ethnic Foods". I've never felt further away from home.

Poutine is not food

Edit- late to the party, as ever.

Poutine is, or at least should be, the sort of regrettable foodstuff that you buy on the way home from a night on the pop. It's exactly the sort of greasy, salty carbfest that is ideal for soaking up excess booze and serving as a comfortable pillow while you fall asleep watching a documentary on the history of sculpture by Romanian miners only to wake up later in a shame haze to find the TV inexplicalby tuned to Babestation.

Alas Canadians have never really grasped that you aren't supposed to order poutine before you start drinking.

interdast rate cut.

pensions now worth even less. but check out all this sovereignty!

Sovereignty, is that a fags brand? Lots of gold on the box, but it's still bad for you ;)

Japan managed with 10 years of 0 interest, but that's completely differently governed to put it mildly.

I'm going to borrow ALL the money. Who wants a ride in my Lambo?

jokes on them I have no pension!

or savings.

or mortgage.

weeps

Japan's old age care system works by the young looking after the old, I think. Every time you look after an old person, you get care tokens that you can use in your old age to get looked after.
I think. This is a hazy memory of some editorial I read.

"The benefits system is also too inflexible to deal with short term jobs."

Valid point, but that's the challenge: to make it easier for the unemployed to take on such work and then sign back on once it's finished. I'm not advocating that people with families, mortgages, etc. are press-ganged into such jobs, but there is a transient domestic working force for whom such work is suited - students for instance.

I picked fruit for a bit as a student - hated it. Strawberry picking was close to back-breaking, just because you needed to be hunched over all day. Plum picking was wasp central, but a bit easier. Good perks though - being out in the sunshine, eating enough fruit to give you the shits.

Yep I think we agree there.

If such work had flexible times/end to end sequencing (eg one month potatoes, then you're on to apples or whatever) and somewhat predictable pay, combined with better working tax credits/dole flexibility it would suit more people.

But if you ask "the market to sort it" then you get this...

That's not a bad idea actually, saving while avoid all the issues with money saving and making it very specific on how to spend :)

"The benefits system is also too inflexible to deal with short term jobs."

Valid point, but that's the challenge: to make it easier for the unemployed to take on such work and then sign back on once it's finished. I'm not advocating that people with families, mortgages, etc. are press-ganged into such jobs, but there is a transient domestic working force for whom such work is suited - students for instance.

Universal basic income would solve this.

It's a really good thing for society in general too - the young being more involved with the elderly makes for greater understanding of cross-generational issues - fucking Brexit, for example - as well as helping out with the devastating loneliness suffered by the old. And the young can benefit from the oldies' life experience too.

Was coming to say just this.

There's an older people home in The Netherlands that has free housing for students.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/dutch-retirement-home-offers-rent-free-housing-students-one-condition/

Yep, that too! I'm eagerly awaiting how that works out in Finland/Canada states and so on.

i just want to know who'll be harvesting my rhubarb in the future,
or is this going to be another 'pick your own' enterprise.

"It's exactly the sort of greasy, salty carbfest that is ideal for soaking up excess booze and serving as a comfortable pillow while you fall asleep watching a documentary on the history of sculpture by Romanian miners only to wake up later in a shame haze to find the TV inexplicalby tuned to Babestation."

amazing

Thanks

I guess I don't need to point out the obvious parralel with voting Brexit.

expect to see 'poutine' on the school menu from septembre..

in other news, bank of england govenor is canadian right?
expect future £1 coins to sport the loony bird
and £2 coins to be called toonies..

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the loony bird

It's just a loon, or possibly a loonie. Not ever a "loony bird". Ever.

I read an interesting article from the Dutch FNV union that the 'A1 agreement' (for short team cheap working from abroad in the EU) is much abused.

Polish welders get £1 an hour in real wage, then a top-up for work, but it means the employer barely pays any tax into the tax pot and the worker doesn't build up any social insurance via the government.

That's a real problem. Somebody in the EU commission proposed to change it, but Poland etc. voted against as it suits them. Work for their people at the cost of others. Of course an amendment can be tabled via the EU commission but you need to get enough states behind you.

Like democracy then. But I can imagine some people are pissed about this losing their jobs and it IS an EU mechanism. [though has the last UK gov ever proposed amendments or complained about it? Answers on a postcard but I'm nearly willing to bet money they didn't...]