先日18日に行われた2010年ワールドカップ（Ｗ杯）の欧州予選プレーオフ、フランス対アイルランドの第2戦で、フランスが延長戦の末、ティエリ・アンリのハンドで得たゴールで1−1の引き分け、ワールドカップ行きのチケットを手に入れた件で、「正義感の強い」イギリスメディアは連日大騒ぎだ。スポーツ欄だけではなく、ニュース欄でも大きく取り上げている。このハンドはビデオで見ても明らかにハンドなのに、レフェリーが見逃した。アイルランドサッカー協会（IFA）は国際サッカー連盟（FIFA）に抗議、再試合を申請したが、FIFAは却下、フランスサッカー連盟（FFF）も拒否した。全て予想された結果だ。アイルランドも勝ち目なしと、早々に諦めたようだ。試合の後、インタビューを受けたフランス人ジャーナリストは、ワールドカップでは大きなお金が動くし経済効果も大きいので、FFFは絶対再試合を受け入れないと断言していた。その通りだった。これが逆の立場だったら、どうなっていただろうと思う。

当のアンリはハンドは認めてるけど、審判の責任だからと謝ってないし、「再試合がフェア」と言ってるけど、それもFIFAが再試合拒否の裁定を出してからだ。代表辞退も考えたらしいけど、結局辞めないし。自分のイメージ挽回のために、口先だけで適当に言い逃れて、ほとぼりが冷めるのを待ってるんだろう。

八百長とまでは言わないけれど、都合のいい結果を正そうとしないその後のFIFAの対応が、やはりスポーツも所詮ビジネス、影響力のあるサッカー強国に有利な世界なのねと思わせる一件だ。The Sunday TImesで、興味深い「陰謀説」記事を見つけた。元フランス代表のミシェル・プラティニ欧州サッカー連盟の会長の手引きによって、今回のプレーオフは、強国に有利になるように、くじ引きではなく、世界ランキングの高い国と弱い国が当たるシード方式を採用したと言われている。強国に有利になるようにしているのには、高額のテレビ契約料やスポンサーの思惑も絡んでいるのかもしれない。また、プラティニ会長もFIFAのジョセフ・ゼップ・ブラッター会長も、ビデオ判定導入には何故か消極的だ。確かに、偶然にしては、なんだかうさんくさい。

フランスとイギリスのメディアの論調の違いも面白い。フランスは自国チームのふがいなさを酷評しつつも、FIFAやFFFの決定には異議はないようだ。かたやイギリスメディアは、「Cheat（いかさま）」「Fallen Idol（堕ちたアイドル）」等と手厳しい。これはアングロサクソンとラテンの価値観の違いか。ルールや公正さを重視するアングロサクソンに比べ、ラテン人は自分が良ければ全て良し、「運も実力のうち」「神様の思し召し」「ラッキー♪」って感じだろう。

またイングランド人には、この1件が、1986年ワールドカップ準々決勝で、マラドーナの「神の手」ゴールで、イングランドがアルゼンチンに敗れた悪夢を思い起こさせる。自国のことでないのに今回の大騒ぎは、このことも多いに関係してるのだと思う。

フランスは、対戦相手が多少なりとも自制心のあるアイルランドで良かったと胸を撫で下ろしてるだろう。これがエジプトやアルジェリアが相手だと大変なことになっていたかもしれない。サッカーの世界での権力のなさでワールドカップ行きを逃した、アイルランドチームが本当に気の毒だ。

There has been a huge media frenzy in UK about the Thierry Henry’s ‘Hand Of God’ during Ireland vs France World Cup 2010 play-off on November 18th and it’s aftermath: since France won a ticket to South Africa with 1-1, thanks to Henry’s ‘cheating’ act. UK media with “strong sense of mission to pursue justice” have been putting up big articles about  this incident, not only in sports sections but also in general sections, everyday since then. You can see clearly that it was handball, but the referee missed to see this crucial foul or chance to correct the mistake. Irish Football Association (IFA) demanded a rematch, but FIFA and the French Football Federation (FFF) said ‘NO’ – but it is all expected. IFA seems to give up already because they know that it is a fight they will never win. After the game, a French journalist who was interviewed by BBC said that FFF would never accept a replay, because big money and industries involved and economic effect would be enormous. He was right. But what it would happen, if France lost with Irish footballer’s  handball – would FIFA give the same judgement?

Henry admitted his handball but never say sorry. He said that replay would be fair for Ireland but AFTER FIFA and FFF refused a rematch. It was reported that he considered quitting “Les Bleus” but he decided to stay anyway – all talks doesn’t convince me if he is truly remorseful, but I believe he is saying whatever to repair his image and just waiting for everyone to forget about his ‘mistake’

I don’t call it setup, but FIFA and FFF’s reluctance  to correct their convenient result is truly disappointing, and now I strengthen my belief that soccer is just another business, and always a stronger with bigger political power wins – fair play is a mere myth for important games like this. I read an interesting article by the Sunday Times “Conspiracy or coque up?” The play-offs were seeded on the basis of world rankings in favour of the bigger nations, and it was reported that the proposal to introduce seeding had come from UEFA (president is former French player Michel Platini). Why? Could it be related to the advance long-term television contracts, or the influence by one of a big sponsor which will possibly gain huge profit if France win? For some reason, Platini and FIFA president Sepp Blatter are said to be reluctant to introduce video technology, which can bring fairer judgement – why? Maybe a coincidence, but all these things sound pretty dubious.

Also it is very interesting to see the different stances between British and French media. Though French media criticizes their team done terrible in the game but they don’t attack the FIFA and the FFF of their judgement. On the other hand, British media is harsh on Henry as ‘cheat’ or “fallen idol,’ as well as on the FIFA. Probably this is due to the difference in Anglo-Saxons and Latins mentality: in compare to Anglo-Saxons’ values in fairness and justice, Latins would just think, “luck is also a part of his ability” “miracle” “godsend” – they would never criticize someone who give them a jackpot, even though from a devil.

In addition, for English, this incident reminds them of the nightmarish Hand of God goal, scored by footballer Diego Maradona during the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter final Argentina vs England – probably it explains why British media is so obsessed with this incident which is not related to their own team.

French must be happy that the opponent was Ireland – if it was Egypt or Algeria, it would be a huge riot!

I am extremely sorry for Ireland who lost a chance to go to World Cup, due to a lack of political power in football world, rather than their lack of ability. Shame on Henry, shame on France, and shame on FIFA!

Even though decorations have been up around Morecambe and Lancaster since late October, now is about the time of year when the rest of us will be looking forward to Christmas.  Like most people I do enjoy the atmosphere around Christmas; putting up the tree, buying everybody gifts and going on festive nights out, but it always leaves a big hole in my wallet.  This year, on average we are expected to spend around an extra £400 each on presents and food than we would in other months, which seems a lot just for one day.  Maybe we should all look at how to use our money more wisely and spend it on something that will benefit us all year round.

Lots of us spend more on Christmas than we do on protecting our family finances should our income stop due to accident, sickness or death.  Taking out income protection or life cover can sometimes feel like a bit of a depressing task, because we don’t want to think about bad things happening, but how would we feel if the worst happened and we discovered we weren’t properly covered?  Money is the last thing that I would want to be worrying if I wasn’t able to work because I was sick.

We usually find the money to buy everyone presents for Christmas Day, yet don’t always feel we can find the money to ensure our income is fully protected for the whole year, at what could be a similar cost.  I’m hardly about to go and spend the money I have for my girlfriend’s Christmas presents on buying myself life cover and income protection policies.  I don’t think a few policy documents under our tree would look very festive, nor do I think that saying ‘Santa Clause must be feeling the effects of the credit crunch too’ will pass as a valid excuse.  I do however believe that we should prioritise when budgeting and make sure that we can earmark some of our money to give ourselves and our family what they really need instead of what they want.  We buy people presents to make them happy, but surely the best present you can give to someone is security should we not be able to provide for them anymore.

A couple of years ago we may have thought that we had a good safety net should we be off work sick or die, having gained equity in our homes during the boom days of property prices.  Now that property prices have fallen, that safety net has been taken away from us.  Even when we did feel safe, I don’t think many people would have been very happy at the prospect of downsizing because they were unable to keep up with mortgage repayments.  We don’t know if, or when something bad might happen and how we will be able to cope financially with the change in income.  It’s a big gamble that we’re taking if we decide that we’d prefer to spend excessively on material things, rather than making sure that our finances will be ok should we not be able to work.

Taking out long term protection is very important. Although we may have a false sense of security, not many of us are ever well off enough to take the risk.  If you would like to review your protection needs you should consult an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA).  Kieron Bassett Financial Services are an Independent Financial Advisers and we are open six days a week.  Contact the office on (01524) 832057 or via e-mail info@kieronbassett.com to arrange an appointment.

Jason Hinde CertPFS

23^rd November 2009

Die Karakök Autonome ist neu Mitglied der FdA (Forum deutschsprachiger Anarchistinnen und Anarchisten) sowie der IFA (Internationale der Anarchistischen Föderationen).

http://www.fda-ifa.org 

http://www.iaf-ifa.org

Tonight, Ireland play France in Paris in a world cup play-off game, 1-0 down from the first leg. Irish people take solace where they can, so how about this.

The first time Eire, or the Republic of Ireland played France in France was in 1937, in the same stadium where Harold Abraham’s deeds inspired Chariots of Fire. In 1937 there were two football associations on the island of Ireland, as there is today, but the Northern Ireland football team was, at that time, known as Ireland. Players from the island could play for either team.

On May 23, 1937 Eire played in front of nearly 17,000 fans and took the lead on 52 mins with a goal from Belfast man Davy Jordan who had moved from Ards to Wolves. Six minutes later Johnny ‘Jackie’ Brown met a dropping ball on the volley and drove it home. The game ended 0-2 to Eire, and Jackie Brown headed home to the Castlereagh Road in Belfast. He was a Protestant, from the heartland of Protestantism in Belfast – the East. He had worked in William Ewart’s linen mill before becoming a footballer. And after retiring in 1951 he got a job down in Harland and Wolff, and died tragically young.

When he and fellow Belfast Celtic player Davy Brown were transferred to Wolves thousands accompanied their horse-drawn carriage to Belfast Dock where they boarded the boat to England.

How things have changed.

Here’s hoping the spirit of Johnny ‘Jackie’ Brown haunts the French again tonight.

Generalkonsul Andrej Grosow beim Eintrag ins Gästebuch mit Claudia Bittner, Anette Wirth-Hücking, Birgitt Aßmus, Siegfried Balleis, Karl-Dieter Grüske, Wolfgang Beck

Erst seit September ist Andrej Grosow Generalkonsul der Russischen Föderation in München, und schon nimmt er sich vier Stunden Zeit, um Erlangen und vor allem seine Partnerschaft mit Wladimir kennenzulernen. Protokollarisch beginnt so eine Visite natürlich im Rathaus, im Besprechungszimmer des Oberbürgermeisters, wo sich neben dem Rektor der Friedrich-Alexander Universität, Karl-Dieter Grüske, auch fast alle Fraktionen die Ehre geben. Wegen Krankheit entschuldigen lassen mußte sich freilich ausgerechnet  Bürgermeisterin Elisabeth Preuß, von Amts wegen und mit ganzem Herzen zuständig für die Internationalen Kontakte. Voll des Lobes für den Gast und das Team vom Generalkonsulat wegen der stets reibungslosen und unbürokratischen Ausstellung der Visa war Siegfried Balleis und berichtete dem Diplomaten nicht nur von dem intensiven Austausch mit Wladimir, sondern auch der engen Zusammenarbeit der Siemens AG mit Rosatom und anderen russischen Partnern. Auch Magnifizenz Karl-Dieter Grüske ließ es nicht bei der Schilderung der Kooperation mit den beiden Wladimirer Hochschulen bewenden, sondern sprach auch von den gut 500 Partnerschaften der FAU mit Forschungseinrichtungen in mehr als 60 Ländern, darunter natürlich viele in Rußland. Besonders interessant dabei die mit dem Bayerischen Laserzentrum, angesiedelt in Erlangen, im Herbst in St. Petersburg vorgenommene Gründung eines Partnerinstituts. Sogar auf die aktuellen Studentenproteste und deren Hintergründe kommt die Sprache. In jedem Fall viel Gesprächsstoff, viele Gründe für den Gast, Erlangen bald wieder einen längeren Besuch abzustatten.

Generalkonsul Andrej Grosow im Hof der VHS mit der Wladimir-Runde

Nach dem Mittagessen mit Stadträtin Birgitt Aßmus empfing Reinhard Beer, stellvertretender Leiter der VHS, den Diplomaten im Club International zu einer Gesprächsrunde mit Aktiven aus der Partnerschaft. Hier lernte Andrej Grosow eine Auswahl der Gesichter der Partnerschaft mit Wladimir kennen und eroberte mit seiner offenen und interessierten Art in perfektem Deutsch sein Publikum im Handstreich. Aus der geplanten Stunde wurden rasch eineinhalb Stunden, obwohl es allen Akteuren von Jürgen Üblacker, Direktor des BRK Erlangen-Höchstadt, über Uwe Wissendheit vom Fraunhofer Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen, Heinz Römermann vom Institut für Fremdsprachen und Auslandskunde oder Brunhild Schneider-Jonitz, Präsidentin des Soroptimist-Klubs, und Karin Günther, Vorsitzende der Erlanger Fotoamateure, gelang, sich bei der Darstellung ihrer Projekte kurz zu fassen. Besonders freute sich Andrej Grosow, der früher das Deutschlandreferat im Außenministerium geleitet hatte, über Pawel Bondarjew, der sich zur Zeit mit einer Polizeigruppe in Erlangen zum Austausch aufhält und die Partnerschaft aus Wladimirer Sicht vorstellen konnte. Ein Kreis schloß sich hier zum Empfang im Rathaus: immer wieder Dank für das Entgegenkommen bei der Visaerteilung. Andrej Grosow sähe, wie alle Anwesenden, die Visumspflicht jedoch am liebsten aufgehoben: “Wir drängen Deutschland immer wieder, völlige Reisefreiheit herzustellen. Wir sind bereit dazu. Schreiben Sie nach Berlin, verlangen Sie die Aufhebung der Visumspflicht zwischen unseren Ländern!” Nach diesem Aufruf und dem Gruppenbild, auf dem nur Fritz Wittmann, der Weltkriegsveteran und Friedenssoldat, der heute Geburtstag feiert, und Wolfram Howein, Revisor des Erlangen-Hauses und Projektkoordinator des “Blauen Himmels”, fehlen, weil sie ihr Gespräch nicht abbrechen wollten, enteilte der Generalkonsul zu seinem nächsten Termin nach München – mit dem Versprechen, bald wieder nach Erlangen zu kommen. Willkommen und добро пожаловать в Эрланген!

The concept of equity release is now firmly established. It allows people over 55 to turn their equity into accessible cash, or buy an income without having to sell up or pay anything back during their lifetime. Interest is rolled up and the loan is repaid when you die, or go into care with the house being sold. The market continues to be innovative even with the testing conditions we find ourselves in, with lenders allowing equity release for holiday homes whether let or not and buy to lets. These schemes could prove attractive to many buy to let investors and second home owners who have bought their houses some years ago. They are probably sitting on substantial profits and may want to release their gains. Unfortunately, if they do sell they will have significant capital gains tax to pay. Therefore it could make sense for them to consider equity release as a means of extracting capital without having to sell and pay the capital gains tax. They can raise anything from 16% to 52% of the value of their properties depending on age. For example a 64 year old could raise 25% of the value of their buy to let property. Interest is then rolled up and although not actually paid, I believe this can be offset against their rental income with no capital gains to be paid on death. If inheritance tax is due on death, the mortgage that has accrued can be set against the estate and reduce the tax to be paid making the whole process very tax efficient. These equity release schemes are not only suitable for people with existing properties that want to access capital, but could be used for people who want to purchase a buy to let or holiday home. For example, if you are seventy five and want to buy your holiday home of your dreams for £150,000 but only have £100,000 available with no appetite to make mortgage payments, then this scheme could help you achieve your goal. Another example of this scheme in action could involve a seventy one year old with £60,000 in savings attracting very little interest and thinking of purchasing a buy to let property. However, the basic buy to let property in the area costs £90,000 so there is a shortfall of £30,000. Fortunately, this scheme would allow this money to be raised with perhaps an income of £5,200 per annum based upon average rents in our area. In addition, less tax would be payable due to the mortgage being tax deductible. Based upon the £60,000 invested, gross income could be 8.66% if the property is fully let and before expenses, with also the possibility of capital growth on the investment. However, as always there are no free lunches, and although these schemes offer a no negative equity guarantee, and allow purchasing or remortgaging properties in a tax efficient manner there are drawbacks. Firstly, it is costly to borrow when compared with ordinary mortgages with rates charged at 7.25%, and secondly the interest charged will eat into your estate reducing the amount to be inherited. This area of equity release is complex, therefore it is essential to seek independent financial advice. Kieron Bassett Financial Services have two Independent Financial Advisers. Contact us on (01524) 832057, via e-mail, info@kieronbassett.com, or log onto www.kieronbassett.com/cms. Kieron Bassett CertPFS 16th November 2009

The Irish Football Association settles former chief executive Howard Wells’s unfair dismissal case with a substantial payout…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: soccer shirts. The blog is also related to: italy soccer.

http://www.archaeologists.net/modules/icontent/inPages/docs/archaeologicalsalaries.pdf

I will leave people to read it.

It is quite far-reaching and will be open to (indeed it welcomes) debate.

In a nutshell, the Council decided to not allow ROs to reduce salaries, but will work on a system of Pay Bands rather than minima ( I would say a bit like the overlapping bands of BAJR) and finally that in 2010-2011 there will be no increase in pay rates.

That simplifies a complex document – so do please take the time to read it before commenting.

Come here to join the debate

http://www.bajrfed.co.uk/mod/vanillaforum/vanilla/comments.php?DiscussionID=135

Pay deals in the UK could come under renewed pressure next year despite signs of an economic recovery, a new study has warned.

According to the Labour Research Department (LRD), a significant number of long-term pay deals are set to expire next year and this is one of several factors that will place downward pressure on salaries.

It found that one in seven deals in 2010 will be long-term arrangements, compared to one-quarter of settlements in 2009.

Lewis Emery, the LRD’s pay and conditions researcher, believes a number of other factors could keep pay deals on the low side next year, despite signs of growth since April.

He said: “At least four crucial questions overshadow the chances of continuing pay growth: Will current pay freezes be lifted? What kind of pay offers will employers make with fewer long term deals setting the pace? Will Retail Price Index inflation return? And most decisively of all, what will happen with public sector pay?”

Recently, research by Incomes Data Services revealed that a third of businesses have imposed a pay freeze so far during 2009.

http://www.lrd.org.uk/issue.php?pagid=1&issueid=1345

However, averaged over the whole year, however, the picture does not look quite so bleak. From August 2008-July 2009, 30% overall received less than a 2% rise, including cuts and freezes, covering almost one-third of the workforce; however, a significant 22% (over one-fifth) of deals were for 4% or more, covering 13% of the workforce. This leaves over two-fifths (41%) of deals achieving between 2% and 3.99%, applying to almost half (49%) of workers.

So I would suggest a wait and see – Lets wait until April 2010 and see where we are as an industry, before saying freeze. I don’t feel we know enough… and given that the planned return in the main VAT rate to 17.5% from January 2010 would affect us all. Continued weak or frozen wage growth would imply a squeeze on disposable incomes (which for a 15k a year – working every week! – is already non-existent) , potentially undermining prospects for consumer spending and an economic recovery in general. Accommodation? Travel? lots to mull over. AND this is complicated.

I don’t have a full handle on this yet, so perhaps the IfA could comment more on the statement

Where did this come from, as it seems to have taken up a Council Meeting, and must have origins

At the end of each month, if we’re lucky, some of us will have had more money go into our bank account than has gone out.  It’s good to have extra cash in case of an emergency, but once we get more than we know what to do with we’ll sometimes blow it on things we don’t really want or need.

If your mortgage allows, it might be worth considering paying more than your normal instalment each month.  We don’t usually consider a mortgage to be a savings product, but by paying it off quicker it has a similar effect to your overall financial position as saving at an interest rate equal to that of your mortgage.  There are another two bonuses that come from making overpayments.  The first is that on average you should end up remortgaging fewer times in your life, which means you won’t have to fork out for as many arrangement, valuation and solicitors fees.  It also means that you’ll be applying for a lower loan to value mortgage each time, possibly making you eligible for the better deals as the equity in your property rises.  Having too little equity in your home has been a real problem in the last year with the recent fall in property values.

A variation of this idea is the offset mortgage, whereby your bank account is linked to your mortgage account and interest is calculated on the difference between the two balances.  The product we’ve all probably heard of is ‘the mortgage shrinker’ from the One Account, and while it is not quite as magical as the man off the television makes it look, it could he an attractive option for some people.  The offset mortgage however, requires a lot of self-discipline and would not be suitable for many.

With the recent fall in interest rates, some people may have seen their repayments fall dramatically and are enjoying the extra money they have in their pocket.  However maybe this is the time when they should take advantage of being able to reduce the outstanding balance.  Interest rates won’t stay low forever and people may be kicking themselves when they do rise because they never took advantage of the opportunity to get their outstanding balance down.  It may not seem like the most exciting thing to do with your extra cash, but at least it means you wouldn’t feel the pain as much if interest rates were to go back to the levels they were at a few years ago – or even worse if they rose to double figures like they were at during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

Before you start increasing your mortgage payments you should look at all your debts, credit cards and overdraft facilities and pay them off in order, starting with the one with the highest rate of interest attached to it.  Some people, without thinking about it, will have a debt of say £1,000 on a credit card and have £1,000 sat in a savings account.  By leaving it like this, they are basically throwing money down the drain.

It’s good to review your financial arrangements regularly to ensure you make the most of your money and it may be worthwhile contacting an Independent Financial Adviser who specialises in mortgages to help you obtain the mortgage that is most suited to your needs.  Kieron Bassett Financial Services has two Independent Financial Advisers.  Contact us on (01524) 832057, via e-mail, info@kieronbassett.com, or log onto www.kieronbassett.com/cms.

Jason Hinde CertPFS

9^th November 2009

Koleksi terbaru IfaShoes

anda harus terdaftar menjadi member IFA

Hub member atau Depot IFA terdekat.

When buying anything from a car to a kitchen we tend to find that we have to pay extra for a certain trim or finish.  It can be annoying to find that what you would have regarded as standard is classified as an extra.  So often we find ourselves having been attracted to a product because of its price, having to pay so much in extras that a previously more expensive product that incorporates the extras now appears to represent good value.  Unfortunately by the time we have discovered this we may have already committed to the product with all the extra costs.  So we end up perhaps not getting such a good deal after all.

Obtaining a mortgage can be a similar experience in terms of coping with extra costs and charges that are added to the loan.  Therefore it is important that as much groundwork is done as possible before committing to a loan to help avoid making expensive mistakes.  To assist you it could be worthwhile using an Independent Financial Adviser to help you obtain a number of quotes so that you can examine all the pros and cons of each deal.   

Things to look out for having already selected whether you are opting for a fixed or variable rate are booking fees.  These are fees lenders charge to buy into the mortgage and costs can vary from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand pounds.  So it is imperative that you weigh up these figures.  It may make sense to select a mortgage deal that has a much higher interest rate than the best headline rate because the higher rate is offset by a much smaller arrangement fee.  Also when paying your booking /arrangement fee it is worth considering whether you want the fee added to your loan or subtracted from it.  Most lenders tend to add it to the loan, and in fairness most borrowers prefer this as it increases cash flow.  However if you have spare capital available it is worthwhile considering having the fee deducted from the loan, as you can make savings on interest charges during the term of the loan.  

Other additional charges to consider include the cost of valuations and charges levied for insuring your property elsewhere.  Some lenders will grant you a free survey and others will charge you hundreds for a survey.  I believe that many lenders deduct a large administration fee from the survey, and that this is the reason why survey fees are so high with many lenders.  With regard to buildings cover some lenders are happy for you to make your arrangements and charge no fee whilst others will make you pay for not insuring with them.  Even when you come to pay your mortgage off you are not free of fees with some lenders charging over £200 more than others for closing down the mortgage.

Finally it is important to know the basic terms of the loan as to whether it is portable or not.  I am getting the feeling that some old practises are resurfacing with a few lenders not allowing portability of your loan.  This means that you will have to pay a penalty on your existing mortgage if you are in a deal, and then take out a new one with the extra setup costs.  So before committing to any mortgage product it is worthwhile working out all the underlying costs of the mortgage.  This will ensure that the market leading rate that attracts you does not have any nasty surprises.  To help you achieve this you should consult an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA).  Kieron Bassett Financial Services are an Independent Financial Advisers and we are open six days a week.  Contact the office on (01524) 832057 or via e-mail info@kieronbassett.com to arrange an appointment.

Kieron Bassett CertPFS

2^nd November 2009

Treadmill of Life

For those of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook you know that I use the treadmill and on more than one occasion my 94 lb Doberman has tried to join me. Too bad there isn’t someone filming to catch the two of us flying through the air. Oh and did I mention that I text, tweet and email while walking? I’m very surprised my blackberry still functions AND I don’t have any broken limbs!

Yesterday I listened to a “webshop” by Dina Dwyer Owens, Chairwoman and CEO of The Dwyer Group and Chairwoman of IFA (International Franchise Association). Dina shared a small portion of a workshop she conducts with her team and franchisees. Her approach is to set “target goals” by turning dreams into targets. She provided activities for us to distinguish our values, principles and character traits setting us on a course to write our own rule book for life.

I sat down with my homework and the first thing I realized is that I need to get off the treadmill of life that leads nowhere and set a direction. I preach to my franchisees about priorities, goals and time management when too often at the end of the day I am exhausted and I am too tired to spend time on me or my family.  I tell myself that I don’t have time to go to the movies, read a book, have dinner with friends or even make the bed in the morning! When in reality I haven’t carved out my life goals.

I know what my professional goals are now all I need  is align them with my life goals!

Secret for you: Dina does email when on the treadmill too! But she has a handle on her life and professional goals

PORDENONE
14 NOVEMBRE 2009 ore 17.00 P.tta Cavour
per la campagna DAY OF ACTION promossa dall’IFA (Internazionale di Federazione Anarchiche)

NO BORDER DAY

contro i CIE (prigioni per immigrati senza permesso di soggiorno)
contro il Pacchetto Sicurezza, il reato di clandestinità
contro le Ronde verdi, nere e militari

PER LA LIBERA CIRCOLAZIONE DELLE PERSONE, PER LA SOLIDARIETA’ FRA LE GENTI, PER UN MONDO SENZA MURI NE’ FRONTIERE E LIBERO DA OGNI FONDAMENTALISMO DI CHIESE, IDEOLOGIE E STATI

proiezioni Audio/Video – microfono aperto
performance/installazione “abbattere le frontiere”
materiale informativo – sound system

Coordinamento Libertario Regionale

Our first season started very well for us as we secured a league 1 place after finishing 5th in the qualifiers group H.  We continued to impress as we secured 7th place in League 1 – Zone B of the Intense Football Association (IFA), thus avoiding relegation in our very first season.  Which was a tremendous effort and a testament to the incredible skills and coaching abilities of one Andy Nguyen.

A reporter asked the manager what was his plans for next season and could we expect a similiar performance?  Andy replied “The team did an excellent job this season and they all should be congratulated but unfortunately there are some players that are getting way too old and I’m looking to bring in some younger talent so that this team can keep on performing for many seasons to come”.

Well there you have it, wise words from a wise man.  Come back next time as we discuss AAndy United’s transfers of the season and some future transfer rumours.

FAIR TRADING Organised by Messe Berlin GmbH, IFA is now the world’s biggest consumer electronics and appliances trade show, covering 121,000m2 of display space and hosting 1164 exhibitors. While in Berlin, Pauline Herbst spoke to Messe Berlin CEO Raimund Hosch.

Ask Raimund Hosch what the most enjoyable part of his job is and he replies: “What I love most is what I have done this morning – staying in touch with the exhibitors, watching how the show is turning out and seeing that my exhibitors are satisfi ed with their orders. An international trade show is such an exciting business.”
What’s not apparent from this seemingly casual response is how gruelling “staying in touch” with over 1000 exhibitors is. NZ Management just managed to catch up with Hosch in between a carefully coordinated schedule where he visited a host of stands.

Read more (NZ Management online)…

This lovely beach will be transformed into an African village for non-stop fun. Priests and Priestesses will be available for divination in the Olokun shrine at the back of the coconut grove.

Come join the fun at Suntan Beach in Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria, October 20th and 21st as we celebrate the Goddess of Riches, Mama Olokun, with dance troupes, boat regatta,  art competition, beach soccer, traditional Yoruba games, crafts, songs, masquerade, cultural talks, foods and more.

I spent the day with protesting farmers. It’s a habit of mine. Whenever I hear of a protest happening someplace I always go down for the craic. You might think this the attitude of a bandwagon revolutionist, and you might be right. In this case, however, the label doesn’t hold, as I find it very hard to muster much sympathy for the farmers’ plight.

Ok, the whole 20 cent per litre of milk, or whatever it is that Glanbia gives them, is hardly fair. But it’s difficult to believe they’re so hard up when they’re parading brand new tractors through half the country. As one guy said to me today, “if they sold all the tractors they could clear the national debt.”

And the IFA are seemingly aware of this contradiction. One of today’s protesters is a friend of my brother. He told me the farmers were instructed to take their oldest, dodgiest tractors to the protest, only some didn’t pick up the message. Incidentally, my brother’s friend is not a farmer. He just works for one occasionally. He was working today. He was actually being paid an hourly rate to attend the protest (and I very much doubt that was declared and taxed accordingly). I ask you, how badly can they really be doing if they can pay people to protest on their behalf?

I ran into John Deasy during my adventure, and he expressed his absolute support for the farmers. “It was farmers who kept this town alive during the 80s,” he told me. Bullshit, of course. This particular town was kept alive by two pharmaceutical plants and a Waterford Crystal factory, but he did get me wondering about certain politicians who are champion the farmers’ cause. I saw placards today stating: “Rural TDs defend farmers,” which I misread as, “Rural TDs depend on farmers,” which few would doubt is true. I can’t help but suspect this is an issue for political reasons rather than unjust milk prices.

A reader brought this article to my attention: http://www.icis.com/blogs/green-chemicals/2009/08/ It says that the International Fragrance Association plans to begin voluntarily disclosing the ingredients used in the industry. Since it’s voluntary, I doubt they’ll disclose anything that may harm their bottom line, but we’ll see.

On a personal note, my recovery time is way shorter after exposure, especially since I figured out the best thing to do is rest, no matter what. I think with rest and continued avoidance, I may heal enough to re-enter society within the next year. Realistically, I know I’ll probably have symptoms for a long while, if not the rest of my life. But I hope if I listen to my body and give her the support she needs to heal, it will eventually be a problem I used to have.

We are proud to announce the Re-Bath and More has won the 2009 Franchise of the Year Award!  Read the press release, below:

Accepting the Award

“PENNSYLVANIA FRANCHISE OWNER RECOGONIZED FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO FRANCHISING

Named Franchisee of the Year by the International Franchise Association

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 21 – Re-Bath franchisee Jon Witmer of Lancaster, Pennsylvania was honored last week by the International Franchise Association (IFA) with its annual Franchisee of the Year Award.  Franchise owner-operators representing nearly 23 franchise systems were recognized during the IFA’s 10^th Annual Public Affairs Conference for their outstanding performance and the contributions they have made to enhance the growth and development of franchising. 

“The IFA is proud to recognize the outstanding efforts of Jon Witmer with the Franchisee of the Year Award,” said IFA Chairwoman Dina Dwyer-Owens. “The franchising community is an important component of the U.S. economy due to the hard work of these exemplary individuals who have helped bolster the growth of the industry.”

The Franchisee of the Year Award is a major component of the IFA’s Public Affairs Conference. During the two-day event, Sept. 14 and 15, over 400 franchise industry leaders met with over 200 congressional offices about issues important to the future of franchising such as healthcare reform and access to credit. The event is supported by founding sponsor ADP Small Business Services.

Members are highlighted the economic impact of franchising. According to a study conducted for the IFA Educational Foundation by PricewaterhouseCoopers on the economic impact of franchising, there are more than 900,000 franchised businesses in operation across the country which are indirectly responsible for providing 21 million jobs and generating $2.3 trillion in economic output. In Pennsylvania, 35,735 establishments directly provide 836,500 jobs and contribute 11 percent to the U.S. economy.

“By putting policies in place that promotes more lending, franchise businesses can provide better jobs that help the economy recover at a faster pace,” Dwyer-Owens said. 

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About The International Franchise Association

The International Franchise Association, the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising, is the preeminent voice and acknowledged leader for the industry worldwide. Approaching a half-century of service with a growing membership of more than 1,300 franchise systems, 10,000-plus franchisees and more than 500 firms that supply goods and services to the industry, IFA protects, enhances and promotes franchising by advancing the values of integrity, respect, trust, commitment to excellence, honesty and diversity. For more information, visit the IFA Web site at www.franchise.org.”