Should Scotland Be Independent?

This year will see the referendum on Scottish independence. Considering the amount of press the issue is getting lately, I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss what this could mean. Should Scotland be independent?

Oliver Rawlings readers you have to understand that this is a somewhat delicate issue. After all the Scots have always been somewhat ambivalent to being a part of the United Kingdom; the rise of the Scottish National Party, who have made Scottish independence a key element of their political platform, tells us this.

However what we have to look at are the financial consequences of such a move. Whilst Scottish independence is certainly an attractive prospect, the reality is that it is going to cost and considering the size of Scotland you have to ask whether it’s a cost they can afford.

Experts are coming out now and predicting that Scottish independence would cost millions of pounds. You can imagine why. There are so many costs that you have to factor in when establishing yourself as a separate nation.

Suddenly Scotland would be completely responsible for building its own army, government, infrastructure etc. There are a thousand costs that are attached to setting up a new nation and the reality is that Scotland would have to find the money from somewhere. Tax revenue may not be enough.

It’s a pattern you see whenever a new country is formed. Look at what happened to the post-Soviet Republics in the early 90’s. They had major economic hardship and the reality is that breaking away from the Soviet Union, as liberating as it was, cost them.

However currency is the issue that is worrying most people. Many in Scotland have said that they would like to keep the pound as their currency. They would certainly have to in the interim regardless, as setting up a new currency takes time and you have to have a transitional stage.

It’s the idea of a shared currency that is worrying economists everywhere. They look to the Euro and what happened there. Many economists say that the shared currency meant that when some nations saw economic hardship, the shared currency dragged others down with it. They point to the recent Eurozone crisis to illustrate the point.

Scottish independence is a tricky subject. At the end of the day it comes down to one question that voters will have to ask themselves. Is separation from the rest of the Union worth the literal cost that it will incur?

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Why Should You Be Using LinkedIn?

Considering how the world of business has changed over the last decade, there are tools becoming more popular every day that you can use to get ahead in the business world. One of these is LinkedIn. So how can you Oliver Rawlings readers use LinkedIn to get ahead in the modern world?

The world of business is not what it used to be. Once upon a time if you wanted to cut a business deal you would go to a trendy bar in the west end. If you wanted to get a job you would scroll the wanted ads in the local newspapers and if you wanted to make contacts you would go through a friend of a friend.

The internet, particularly social media, has changed all this. The internet allow for a greater flow of information than ever before. With the internet you can make a contact in seconds and maintain that contact without ever having to meet face to face (unless you have a video chat on Skype).

This means that the world of business and employment has changed as well. For example if you’re looking for a new job you don’t go to the local newspaper, you go to a job site such as Reed or Indeed. These actually allow greater scope for job opportunities as they allow you to apply for a job anywhere in the world.

This is where social media comes in. Social media really is a wonderful way to make connections anywhere across the world. It’s a versatile medium that allows you to hone in on who you want to talk to and make that connection in seconds.

So it makes sense that you would use social media to post job applications and make business connections. Yet certain social networking sites have different uses. This is why you should be using LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is the professional’s social networking site. It’s where employers are often now posting job opportunities and it is specifically tailored to be used like a CV. You can post your personal information along with any professional experience you have because the features of LinkedIn are designed to allow you to do so.

However it goes much further than this. LinkedIn also has a number of communities and groups that you can join .The great thing about these is that they are geared towards professional industries. This means that you can talk to other professionals, whereas something like Facebook is catered more to socialising with friends.

LinkedIn is the professional social networking site. If you’re looking to get ahead professionally in today’s world, you should be setting up a LinkedIn account the minute you finish reading this sentence. 

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Why Nelson Mandela Was an Icon

We were greeted with the sad news last week Oliver Rawlings readers that Nelson Mandela has passed away. The man had lived a long life; he was in his 90’s. But it’s still shocking news none the less. There aren’t too many people in the world that we would label ‘icons’. However Mandela is certainly one of the ones we would. There are people who seem big, who seem larger than life. These people seem untouchable. They seem like they’ll never die. The legend grows to surpass the person. However there’s a reason the person become a legend in the first place.

So this all leads us to one question? I think I’m preaching to the choir here when I say that Mandela was an icon. Not many people would deny it and those who would, certainly wouldn’t have the courage to do so. However the question we still have to ask was why? Why was Mandela an icon? He certainly lived a life that we would traditionally label iconic. It certainly fits the bill. He was born as a disadvantaged black man in apartheid South Africa. He rose to receive an education and became a professional. He fought the system. He certainly suffered for his principles. He was a man who had leadership thrust upon him but wore it well. He cared until the end.

Whilst these are certainly the ingredients one would use to label a man iconic, I don’t believe they’re what made Mandela one. They are certainly impressive. They certainly speak of a man of great character and humility. However he’s not unique in these traits. There are others who have similar stories. Whilst his certainly would have gained him admiration, it certainly wouldn’t have vaulted him to the status he holds in people’s hearts and minds.

I believe it’s his altruism that makes him an icon. Not many people have that. Mandela was a man who learned to forgive. Mandela could have held a grudge against his oppressors. Amazingly he didn’t. When he was released and everyone else was calling for battle, he held his head. He remembered that despite their actions, his oppressors were people too .They had children. They had hopes and dreams and fears. In my opinion that’s the true measure of a man, not how he treats his friends, but how he treats his enemies. Any man can forgive their friends; can be good to their friends. It takes a special kind of man to forgive his enemies. Not many of us honestly have that pure goodness in us.

And that’s what really vaulted Mandela to the status of icon. People admired his innate ability to be good. It’s as simple as that really. We always want what we don’t have and Mandela could say that he had something in spades that most us don’t have.

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Black Friday Madness Hits British Shores

Anyone who reads the Oliver Rawlings Blog knows that I find modern culture fascinating; some of the things that people do in the modern world defy belief and they make fascinating subjects to debate and analyse.

That’s why the American concept of Black Friday has fascinated me for years. For those of you out there who’ve ever watched an American Thanksgiving special, you’ll know what Black Friday is.  It’s the day after Thanksgiving where American stores put on the craziest, most aggressive of discounts in order to draw in the American shopping public. It always works; after all American’s love a good bargain. It’s basically a day in the year where American companies find new ways to sell stuff. It is a tradition that has been around for years; however it’s only been known as Black Friday for the past two decades. It has now become the most lucrative shopping day of the year.

This is something we’re used to by now; we hear about it every time this time of year rolls around. What we’re not used to is Black Friday hitting our stores. Yes, that’s right; we’ve officially been taken over. It started with Cyber Monday, a similar online tradition to Black Friday where online retailers offer similar types of deals for customers. That one’s gained a little traction over here. Now we’ve got Black Friday. Asda, the supermarket chain owned by American giant Wal-Mart can be particularly noted for putting on Black Friday offers. People have been practically biting Asda’s hands off this year to take advantage of these amazing deals.

On the one hand this is certainly a good thing for our economy. We are only just recovering from the global economic crash that devastated us all in 2008. Consumerism drives the economy; it always has. America has benefitted economically from Black Friday for years; the fact it’s the biggest shopping day of the year means that in this one day alone millions of dollars are injected into the American market every time Black Friday rolls around.

However there is a dark side to it. Every year in America there are always instances of violence attached to Black Friday, without fail. This year alone there were at least two incidents on Black Friday across the pond that involved the use of guns. This year we’ve seen a few incidents of violence here that police have had to come in and sort out. Consumers can get violent when they really want something. Do we really want this spreading over to us?

Whether we want it or not, Black Friday is crossing over to Britain; there’s little we can do to stop it. Progress always brings trouble; however by its very definition it also brings growth and change. Considering the fact our economy is only just beginning to recover, maybe it’s something we need right now?

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Oliver Rawlings Asks Everyone to Remember to Use Technology Responsibly

I think the vast majority of us, especially the author of the Oliver Rawlings Blog, agree that the internet is a wonderful thing. Before the internet, life was so much more complicated; we had to walk to the post office or bank to pay bills, we had to pick up a phone if we wanted a chat with our best mate, we had to turn to an encyclopaedia if we wanted to check something. Now, with the internet, all of this is at our fingertips. Need to pay a bill? Online banking! Want to catch up with a mate in Australia? Skype them! Want to look up the answer to a question on a game show? Wikipedia it! The internet has changed our lives so much we even look for love there these days, however we tend to forget just how dangerous a place it can be, especially for teenagers who haven’t quite learned how to use it responsibly yet.

So why am I bringing this up? It may seem odd seeing as I haven’t been a teenager for a few years now. I’m a (somewhat) functioning adult who knows how to handle myself online. However Iwas on the BBC News website this morning (Monday 21^st October) and I saw an article that highlighted just how much of a problem this is among a younger demographic. The article presents the argument that children between 9 and 11 are engaging in extremely risky behaviour online. It backed this up with survey figures drawn up by ISC2 IT Security Education group, which suggests that these children are playing online games meant for a much older, often adult audience and that many are sharing personal information online.

Also the survey highlighted that 18% of the 1,162 children surveyed said that they had arranged real world meetings with friends online and also that a staggering 55% of children accept cyber bullying as a part of everyday life. For anyone, these figures are shocking. I’m all for young people using the internet; I certainly did, even if it wasn’t quite as advanced back then. But I never used it like this; I was taught how to use it responsibly. The real danger here is twofold. Firstly, this could lead them into real danger, especially as they are the more vulnerable members of society; they don’t know how to handle this sort of thing responsibly. Secondly, they could develop bad online habits; even when you’re my age, agreeing to share all your details online is a bad idea.

I am, as you all know by now, a huge technology enthusiast. I believe it’s a good thing. However, it needs to be used responsibly. I learned how to use the internet, like many of us did, through my IT lessons at school. I learned to be careful, to use this medium responsibly. It seems that maybe the lesson to take from these stats is to start educating kids younger.

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