Music at work

Just read this BBC News story about the PRS fining Wiltshire Police for listening to music and not paying the royalties. A PRS spokesman is quoted as saying:

Any use of music in a business or commercial premises requires, by law, a licence from PRS.

It also states that the fine is for a period following a warning about the use of music.
I can understand a strict policy where copyrighted music is played in public areas, such as shops, and gyms and of course in connection to live performances and radio. But I'd be reasonably surprised if a police force is playing music in this way. More likely having the radio on in the canteen or a CD player in an office for quiet night shifts etc...

So what does that mean for other businesses. I was unpacking boxes the other day for my friend's workplace. As we were doing this away from other people working and it is a fairly dull task, we tuned into Radio 2. Are we putting our employers at risk of a fine? Could a business be fined for its employees listening to their generic mp3 players to aid concentration? Will professional drivers have to turn off their vehicle radios, at least when on a business site?

The PRS generally do a valuable job for musicians and songwriters in this country, but pursuing any organisation that owns a CD player strikes me as petty and unenforceable.

Working Dolly's Shifts

This has been a good week. Certainly much better than expected.
On Monday I got a call in the afternoon saying did I want to cover a shift on Tuesday. On Tuesday I got a call from a friend asking if I'd work at his office on Wednesday, On Wednesday he asked for Thursday, and Thursday for Friday. So having been expecting to do 2 hours work this week, I've done about 40 now. And probably more next week...

For my friend I'm doing IT type work, which is something that I have little experience of above individual user. (And it's been a while since I've used Windows much). I have to be told how to do everything, but the tasks are pretty repetitive, so once I know what I'm doing I can just plough on with it, meaning the more skilled people can plough on with the more challenging work.

As for searching for more permanent work, it's not going well, my laptop is damaged which is an excuse for not doing as much as I should, along with being busy. I've seen a job, in a role I'm not overly keen, but reasonably paid, and permanent. Problem I have with it is that it's half an hour away from my parents (by car). Moving back to that area is in mind very much a backward step for me, and chances are I'd spend a few months at parents as well. My parents are really the only link I have left in that part of the country, and while it's not a million miles from where I live now, I'm beginning to feel settled here...

My budget

Ok, so I've just received my pay from mt casual work over March. £837. I have to make that last last till 8 May. (Well I'm expecting about £40 come in from some work elsewhere too). I'm not very good at budgeting.
I don't know how to do it, but I've promised my parents that this month I should not need bailing out. It really does not help that my biggest expenditures are towards the end of the pay month (rent and a loan repayment).
Having had a run of busy days I've spent an awful lot on grabbing food on the run. It's hard to prepare food when you're home for less than 6 hours a night. But I must get this sorted....