money

Blogs are the new fourth estate.

(i.e. 'first estate' is religion, 'second estate' for modern times is government and justice system, 'third estate' is the people, the 'fourth estate' is the watchdog over these things)

Blogs are doing (albeit exposing, exploring, holding institutions to account) what the papers should be doing but aren't.

Money, money, money.

Which will sell their paper; a sensationalist story or a more boring one that's no less important but doesn't have human interest, self interest or a story that comes from a press release (from the very institution they should be holding to account) giving journalists an easier time???

(I do not wish to demean journalists; they have their own constraints they must work within)

In my opinion, we (the UK, Europe, USA) have not struck the right balance between free market vs regulation. (Aha, that old chestnut!!. Read Das Kapital yourself - I ain't spouting it here!!

http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/

I see it's transcendance down to my own situation with my mother, i.e. my utter disappointment with the mental health services; who do little, change little for my mother, have been found to be obstructive and patronising. Their excuse being to not create a dependency on anything at all, (drugs, home help, talking to someone) i.e. "feel like committing suicide?", "living in absolute hell daily?", "shaking with anxiety?" We won't do anything for you when you feel your worst, no, we'll just do nothing. Well, when CAN anyone have drugs, have home help, talk to someone then? When they're OK? When it's too late? When you're dead? OUTRAGEOUS!!
Why? Because it boils down to money, honestly, it does - I'll expand when I can articulate my thought process more clearly.

My concluding point is that blogs are not all money-driven, they are driven by thought, passion, compassion, anger, reason, the need for debate, sorrow; and sometimes if it is just 'feeling' driven - all the more effective it is at getting to the crux of a matter.

So there.

OK, so the pros and cons, just to put it on 'paper', of the following are:

A) RTW ticket:
On this you select flights to/from several countries you want to visit, you pay before you go and can change dates. The ticket must be used 12 months from 1st departure flight.

Good quality/ value companies I would recommend are:

1. www.travel-nation.co.uk (as good as below travelbag and cheaper!)
2. www.travelbag.co.uk (v well-travelled and so well-informed staff slightly higher prices)
3. www.roundtheworldflights.com (good basic sort of co)

Pros -
1. Great cos you know how much money you have left to play about with while away
2. Fairly good value
3. Have proof of onward travel when entering other countries
4. You feel like it's all organised and you only have to waoory about what you gonna do when you get there.

Cons -
1. If decide that don't want to go/ can't go to one or two of the destinations, you can't get refund; you have to take the flights
2. If you want to be away for more than a year, you can't as it's only valid for 12 months
3. Miss out on spur-of-the-momentism

B.)Only buy outward ticket, buy others on the way during travelling: Say you arrive in Thailand, and are bowled over by the charm of Laos, but need proof of your onward journey - simple, just buy a refundable flight while in Thailand, from Laos to wherever!

Pros -
1. Absolute FREEDOM!!! So you don't pass up any opportunity cos you gotta catch that flight you bought earlier! And the things that are waiting to discover you, you're likely to experience, cos you haven't planned too much!

Cons -
1. May be a bit more expensive way to do it than RTW, though i've heard it can be cheaper to buy flights once you're there - as local travel agents know the best deals in their area better than a UK one. ( You always have back up of credit card, which can be repaid once back in the job market. This also assumes you want to return to the commercial 'survival of the fitest' frenzy...)
2. More open to scams perhaps???!

I want to choose (B.), though as I have little debt (except student loan), the credit cards were for emergency use where debit cards wouldn't work, and could be paid off from my back up funds, but if back-up funds are exhausted, cos I bought flights etc, then I can't pay off the credit cards, damn, damn, damn....

Aaaaah (Brainwave!!) Mr. Manager HSBC likes me, he speaks French and has helped me out in much more impoverished studenty times, aaah!!! Yesss, a visit to the bank is due, for a look at the old overdraft facility... still has to be paid back though... but no time constraint.... hmmm.

Erk!

For some reason the Student Loans Company in the UK decided to sell its debt (i.e. half my loans and other's loans too) to another company. This from my point of view is a pain in the rear.

I receive no deferment form from either company.

I call up the trusty original Student Loans Company and they say 'It's on its way Miss' (that's what I like to hear!!)

I call up the second company - Honour Student Loans 'Oh Miss, you have to send in and have your deferment application approved before the month is up if you don't want the first payment to be taken from your bank account this month'

'Oh, OK, and if I get the form back off to you filled in as soon as I receive it, how long will it take to process the form?'

'Oh, at least 4 to 5 weeks'

'So you're saying, even if I do what I'm supposed to, you still take payment, even though I'm entitled to a reasonable chance to defer my payments?'

'Uh, yes'

'And that also means everyone's in the same boat?'

'Uh, yes'

'I know I'm OK to let this one pass by, but what if others are in serious financial difficulty?'

'.....'

'You do realise that that is not fair? It's probably also a breach of compliance with FSA regulations'

'....'

'I realise this is a learning curve for the company and they would want to know to improve for next time, so do you have a name I can write to?'

'Uh, no'

'Fine, a project manager maybe?'

'Uh...I'll just put you on hold.........uh no'

'OK then YOU must have a boss?'

'Uh, no' (Eh? What...?)

'Look, this isn't a complaint about you, I just think it would be to the benefit of everyone if someone there was made aware of this appalling situation'

'There's nothing I can do'

No there isn't, you don't know how true that is.

Hey ho!