Phone mast allergy 'in the mind'

Dozens of people who believed the masts trigger symptoms such as anxiety, nausea and tiredness could not detect if signals were on or off in trials.

But when they believed the signal was on they reported more distress - indicating a psychological problem.

Via BBC

Interest rate raise ?

The UK economy grew at a faster than expected rate in the second quarter of 2007, increasing the chance of further interest rate rises to curb inflation.

More ...

Lambeth Country Show at Herne Hill

Lambeth Council is gearing up to host the borough's ever popular and biggest outdoor festival – the Lambeth Country Show. The show will run from 11am to 7.30pm Saturday 21 July and Sunday 22 July in Brockwell Park and is free to enter.

More info

2 years of vinegar crisps

I remember when I was a young teenager; my cousin did a trip to England. When he came back he talks about all the English delicacies: jelly, vinegar on chips and crisps. A long time ago… Now I'm 29 and today I've been living for 2 years in London.

2 years later, a lot of beers, wine, shots. Probably over the 1092 annual -21 weekly- recommended limit. I’m in London...

So I arrive the 18 of July 2005, 11 days after the 7/7 and 3 days before 21/7. I was renting a small room in Cricklewood, North London. Not really a nice place. I spent august in the internet coffee next door looking for a job. August was desperately quiet. 2 interviews that went nowhere - one because I was French and there was too many French there ... I was starting to despair, my money was melting like an ice cube in a microwave. Then came the first week of September, I spent it in interviews. At the end of the week I had a job beside St James Park. What a relief!

With a job everything is easier, you meet a lot of new people, you can go out more - you've got money and a bank account -. That's when I start enjoying London, discovering the real craziness of this place.

The main event milestone
- First job September 2005
- In January 2006 pulled Girlfriend
- In February 2006 I moved to Brixton, in a nice flat with a roof terrace. Was great, close to work with loads of shop around.
- In July 2006 I started a new Job. With a great increase in salary. Could not refuse, was then working in Farringdon.
- In February 2007 I moved to Herne Hill with Girl Friend.
- In July 2007, I'm starting next week in Canary Wharf at a big investment banking company.

In numbers - from the July 2005 to the 20th of July -
2 years
3 Jobs
+78% increase of my gross salary from my first job here
+150% increase of my net salary after all taxes from my last job in France
3 flats
too much alcohol
15% House Price Inflation in the UK
4.53% Real House Price Inflation in the UK
+10Kg of weight
1 Girlfriend
1 trip in ambulance
3 injuries - foot, back, finger -

Galloway ate too much oil

George Galloway should be suspended from the House of Commons for 18 sitting days, the Standards and Privileges Committee recommended today.

The MP for the Respect party was criticised by the committee over his conduct which was aimed at “concealing the true source of Iraqi funding” to a charity he set up and failure to co-operate with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

It backed a finding that there was “strong circumstantial evidence” that his Mariam Appeal received cash from the UN’s Oil for Food Programme “with Mr Galloway’s connivance”.

It said that the MP had been “complicit in the concealment of the true source of the funds” and had “damaged the reputation of the House” - and said that he was “clearly irresponsible” in refusing to look into the source of substantial donations to the fund. ...

More: Galloway faces 18-day suspension from Commons

The growth gap between the USA and Europe due to IT ?

Why some do I.T. better
Although this literature is in its early stages, the research suggests that other organisational and managerial factors - which cannot be studied in isolation - interact with the use and the effects of IT on productivity, The bulk of the evidence from firm-level, microeconomic studies is that IT does have an economically and statistically significant impact on productivity but this varies dramatically between firms. Having the right organisation is important in getting the most out of IT investment. Organisational differences lie behind US versus Europe productivity performance – US firms are better placed to take advantage of IT. This could be due to their ability to reorganize more quickly because of lighter labour regulation.

Via Vox EU

UK warning on sub-prime mortgages

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is to take action against five brokers that sell sub-prime mortgages.

Following a review of the market, it said some mortgage lenders and brokers offer loans to people who should not be given them.

Via BBC.

Just think abount what is happening in the USA and could not happen in the UK because there was no subprime problem...

Hundreds stuck in Tube derailment

Hundreds of passengers were stranded in a tunnel when a Tube train derailed during the morning rush-hour in London.

- The train is late... It's probably because it's raining.

The service of First Capital Connect has been really poor the last 3 days. I just wrote an email to complain.

"Hello, I just want to complain about the quality of service the last
days - 05/07/2007-. I take the 8.28 from Herne Hill and yesterday I
ended up taking the 8.51 because as the 8.22 was cancelled the 28 and
43 were full !. And this morning the 8.28 was a 4 couches ! how
ridiculous, ended up crunched in the 8.43 ! Not talking about the
signal failures all day 3 days ago.

What is the reason for such bad service? And don't present me your
performance indicator. it has nothing to do with what user
experiences. It give the same weight to peak trains and off peak
trains, and does not consider central London station.

Why is it that southestearn train works fine and yours aren't ?

Regards"

Probably useless, and I'm expecting a classic bullshit answer. Is there any FCC user group? I'm sure nobody involve in the FCC deal has ever take the train...