SkyDrive Users: Act Now to Keep Your Free 25GB

As you may or may not know, SkyDrive is Microsoft's free cloud-storage system, which until today gave 25GB of free storage.

However, from today, only 7GB comes free, with a £6/year cost for an extra 20GB.

Do not panic though, because if you've used SkyDrive before today (that includes all you Windows Phone users), you can keep your 25GB free for life. You do need to opt in, which you can do here... so get on it!

As a sidenote, they've also released their Windows and Mac apps today too, which are very good - they make your SkyDrive appear as just another folder on your computer - except it automatically syncs to the cloud. I've been trying it out, and it's very awesome.

Debenhams Redundancies: What You Need To Know

It was announced today that around 230 people will lose their jobs at Debenhams' call centre in Taunton, as the operation is relocated to Leeds.

Given that the company is, in my opinion, a bunch of heartless, slave-driving vultures, I have no hesitation in suggesting that they will not be providing the best possible care for their soon-to-be-ex-staff.

With that in mind, here's what you need to know if you're about to get handed your P45.

First off, know your rights. You are entitled to statutory redundancy pay - even if they offer you your old job, but in Leeds. I suspect this is the first slimy trick they may try - "But you can keep your job if you move to Yorkshire" or even "But it says in your contract we can relocate you". Moving you to Leeds is not a "reasonable distance" - Bridgwater would be - but Leeds isn't, so you're not "refusing a reasonable offer of work", and as such are not forfeiting your right to redundancy pay.

Next up, your health is a main concern. There's an organisation called the Retail Trust - they can offer you free advice, support, and even counselling if you want it. It's completely free for everyone working for a retail organisation, so that means YOU. Did I mention it's free? Check out www.retailtrust.org.uk for more information. They're very helpful, so it's worth giving them a call.

Remember that the Citizen's Advice office is always a good source of information, as is DirectGov - the latter being particularly good for redundancy rights and process information.

Get your CV out there right now. Remember, you're going to be up against 230 other people flooding the labour market, looking for jobs. However, on the positive side (and it is important to try and look positively on the situation), now might be the ideal time to evaluate your surroundings in life - decide if this was the "kick up the backside" that you were waiting for, in order to pursue your dreams - maybe to go travelling, take up a course of education, or just have a little bit of a time out.

And above all - start stealing office supplies. Go on, courier an empty parcel from the office, leave the tap running, or call an international phone number from your desk phone on your last day, leave it off the hook, and walk out. Anything you can do that unnecessarily costs the company money will make you feel better.

Oh, and please remember to click the Facebook button at the bottom of this post to add this to your wall - I'm sure your friends will find it useful, and if you've got any other useful info, post it below in the comments.

Rant: How the UK Rewards Mediocrity

There's something that annoys me. In fact, it's annoyed me for a while, but it's beginning to annoy me more and more each day - my reasons for that will become apparent shortly, so read on.

This thing that annoys me, is how the UK is set up to be too cushy on underachievers. The population of the UK can be, roughly, divided into three sections. The employed, the unemployed who are actively looking to become employed, and the unemployed who are quite happy to leech off the system.

With times getting harder, the recession beginning to bite, and prices going up across the board, the employed aren't getting any help. There are many out there, myself included, who are earning just enough to be ineligible for any kind of state help. However, we're still expected to content with increases in food, utilities, and most recently fuel. The latter of these being very important to actually get to work if, like me, you don't happen to live in a city with a solid public transport infrastructure.

I don't have a problem with the unemployed who are seriously looking for work. Please note that this group does NOT include those who claim their Jobseekers' Allowance each week, while "feigning" the act of applying for a job by filling in applications for jobs they know they won't get, just to keep the Jobcentre happy and keep the dole money flowing. Those, however, who are seriously getting out there and trying their hardest, I applaud them for doing their utmost to step back up into work, perhaps after being made redundant, and I am all for the state helping them out financially in the meantime.

It's the latter of the three groups that annoys me the most. These people know that they have to "apply" for three jobs a week to keep getting their benefit - so they will, quite often, send in such shockingly bad CVs that they are humorous. I've even seen one with a cover letter (well, a cover post-it) asking to be rejected in writing, so they could prove to the Jobcentre that they were trying, and continue claiming their welfare payments.

The bottom line is, that it's currently quite profitable for people to stay at home and make a "living" out of NOT being employed. They get their rent paid for, their council tax paid for, and a nice fortnightly cash payment to spend as they wish. This is where it cuts deep. I have seen many bank statements of people who live perpetually on benefits as a career choice, and more often than not, there are large direct debits to Sky (often in excess of £50 monthly), an expensive mobile (which will usually be around the £30 a month figure), and then debit card payments in betting shops and off licenses.

I work my ass off, day in, day out. I do not mind my tax money going to help people who need it. What I DO object to is my tax money ending up being used to buy booze and smokes, satellite TV and high-end mobiles, and so on, for a group of lazy little shits, whose only purpose in life seems to be to sit on their butt watching Jeremy Kyle (while aspiring to be a guest on it themselves), while popping out more babies to claim more child benefits.

I would love to see the government stop paying benefits in cash - and instead adopt the American system of food stamp cards, that will only allow certain things to be purchased - healthy food, utilities, and other essentials. If someone on welfare tries to buy something like, say, some beer, a hot pasty, or something equally un-essential, the cash register simply tells them to put it back.

But of course, this will never happen - because unfortunately these scummy little individuals are allowed to vote - and no government (past or present) has the balls to upset such a large demographic and risk losing at the next election.