Delicious LiveJournal Links for 7-16-2009

[andrewducker]

• Killings are lowest in 20 years
  Overall crime is down by 5% and violent crime has fallen by 6%, and gun crime has seen a 17% fall. Rape is up, as is burglary and mugging/picking pockets.
  (tags: crime UK)
• Ireland outlaws blasphemy
  Gah!
  (tags: ireland law religion blasphemy)
• Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
  From the people that brought you Pride And Prejudice and Zombies...
  (tags: funny book JaneAusten)
• When people complain about needing a criminal records check before being allowed to work with children
  Get them to read this...
  (tags: Child_abuse children law UK crime)
• X-Men Universe Relationship Map
  Dashed line indicates one of the parties is from an Alternate Universe
  (tags: comics relationships funny comic xmen visualization)
• Just what is a big salary?
  Which tells me the figures on my poll are for people who are paid normal salaries - and doesn't include self-employed people (i.e. contractors and the like). Read the comments - and feel your brain melt!
  (tags: money statistics)
• Researchers use light to move physical objects
  A team of Yale University researchers has discovered a repulsive light force that can be used to control components on silicon microchips, meaning future nanodevices could be controlled by light rather than electricity.
  (tags: light physics science)
• The myth of the chemical cure
  A mental health expert talks about psychiatric drugs and what they really do. Hint - they don't fix you, they put you in an altered state that you may prefer to your natural one.
  (tags: depression bbc psychology drugs serotonin health)

Comments

[broin.livejournal.com]

Or to put it another way, I worked in a financial department of a large, governmental organisation. There were no background checks to see if I tended to nick things.

[andrewducker]

I had to tell my employers about any "unspent" convictions I had. It was on the job application form. Did you not?

[endless-psych.livejournal.com]

Well they took it on trust that you would tell them. I doubt many, if any, employer (outside of certain occupations) actually bothers to check.

[broin.livejournal.com]

That's different to being checked. I didn't have to pay anyone to prove to the world I was honest.

[andrewducker]

Aaah, that I can see as a problem. I'd be more in favour of the employer paying, obviously.

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

in my experience, they do. I've had all sorts of checks run on me by various investment banks. They pay.

[broin.livejournal.com]

From The Reg:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/17/crb_enhanced_vetting_trouble/comments/

"I help run a childrens drama group and we will need to spend ~£640 to get our adult helpers registered under the new scheme, where will we get the money from?"

[andrewducker]

Tough. If they're going to be spending a lot of time with kids then they need to be checked. If they need to put their prices up then that's life.

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised. I work in a large, governmental organisation and I had to undergo many background checks.