Monday, 16 June 2008
Saturday, 14 June 2008
Signs Your Sweetie May Cheat!
Signs Your Sweetie May Cheat!
Gilda Carle
Most of us – even the not so jealous types—know that feeling of, “Is my sweetheart really working late…or could this person be two-timing me?” I’ve counseled many individuals dealing with this concern, so let me share my knowledge with you about the signs that someone is cheating (or seriously contemplating it). Use this information and insight – and either stop worrying or have a serious talk with your partner!
Sign 1: Your sweetie keeps you a secret from his/her family & friends
Cheaters keep you in the dark while they play in the light. Your relationship won’t work if you’re getting what I call the Shadow Treatment. The Shadow Treatment means that you are often kept waiting in the wings, while your mate is out socializing. Think about it: Are there gatherings of friends, family reunions or workplace parties that you are not invited to? Do you only meet some of your honey’s network of friends? If you are kept on the sidelines, there’s probably a good reason. Maybe your sweetie is on the prowl for someone else. Or perhaps there is already someone else and so your role in his or her life can’t be made public. Anytime you are kept on the fringes once you believe you are an exclusive couple, be suspicious. And know that the only way to end Shadow Treatment is to stop accepting it. Once you challenge it, you will either be fully accepted in your sweetheart’s life…or know it’s time to leave.
Sign 2: Your sweetie is emotionally absent
Cheaters conceal their emotional whereabouts so they can be evasive about their physical whereabouts. Love is exhausting when you have to pry the truth out of a partner.
Consider this story: After enjoying a platonic friendship for a decade, Margaret and Roy began dating. Roy was a traveling sales manager. While he was on the road, Margaret heard from him only occasionally. But he continued to say he wanted to spend more time with her—which he never did. Margaret was obviously a low priority for him. She was shocked to learn he had another girlfriend across the country.
An emotionally absent partner may say what you want to hear, but will not change his or her actions—unless he or she wants to. Saying the right thing and doing the right thing are very different. If your honey talks a good game about spending more time with you and paying more attention to you but never delivers—look out! This person may be juggling multiple relationships.
Gilda Carle
Most of us – even the not so jealous types—know that feeling of, “Is my sweetheart really working late…or could this person be two-timing me?” I’ve counseled many individuals dealing with this concern, so let me share my knowledge with you about the signs that someone is cheating (or seriously contemplating it). Use this information and insight – and either stop worrying or have a serious talk with your partner!
Sign 1: Your sweetie keeps you a secret from his/her family & friends
Cheaters keep you in the dark while they play in the light. Your relationship won’t work if you’re getting what I call the Shadow Treatment. The Shadow Treatment means that you are often kept waiting in the wings, while your mate is out socializing. Think about it: Are there gatherings of friends, family reunions or workplace parties that you are not invited to? Do you only meet some of your honey’s network of friends? If you are kept on the sidelines, there’s probably a good reason. Maybe your sweetie is on the prowl for someone else. Or perhaps there is already someone else and so your role in his or her life can’t be made public. Anytime you are kept on the fringes once you believe you are an exclusive couple, be suspicious. And know that the only way to end Shadow Treatment is to stop accepting it. Once you challenge it, you will either be fully accepted in your sweetheart’s life…or know it’s time to leave.
Sign 2: Your sweetie is emotionally absent
Cheaters conceal their emotional whereabouts so they can be evasive about their physical whereabouts. Love is exhausting when you have to pry the truth out of a partner.
Consider this story: After enjoying a platonic friendship for a decade, Margaret and Roy began dating. Roy was a traveling sales manager. While he was on the road, Margaret heard from him only occasionally. But he continued to say he wanted to spend more time with her—which he never did. Margaret was obviously a low priority for him. She was shocked to learn he had another girlfriend across the country.
An emotionally absent partner may say what you want to hear, but will not change his or her actions—unless he or she wants to. Saying the right thing and doing the right thing are very different. If your honey talks a good game about spending more time with you and paying more attention to you but never delivers—look out! This person may be juggling multiple relationships.
Sign 3: Your sweetie says he or she wants a no-strings-attached romance
If someone says, “I don’t want a commitment,” take them at his or her word. Don’t fall into that “I’ll be the one to change all that!” trap. Cheaters rebel against control and might even have an affair to spite a partner who wants to rein them in.
Too often people ignore the clear message a potential date sends them. If someone tells you, “I’m not into serious relationships,” “I won’t give up my freedom,” “I’m not ready to settle down,” or anything resembling that, take a giant step back! He or she is clearly telling you, “I want to play the field.” If you pursue the person anyway, hoping for an exclusive relationship, you may find yourself two-timed and broken-hearted. Never push people into a situation they don’t want to be in. Never pursue a committed relationship with someone who tells you he or she doesn’t want one.
Sign 4: Your sweetie admits to cheating on exes—and justifies the betrayals
Cheaters rationalise their behaviour to let themselves off the hook. The way they justify their actions tells much about their character.
Listen to the excuses for past cheating your sweetie uses. Here are a couple I’ve heard from clients in my therapy practice over the years:
• “My ex was abusive because of a drinking problem, so I deserved to see someone kinder on the side.”
• “My father cheated on my mum, so cheating on my girlfriend is how I’m working through my past.”
Everyone has a tale to tell. But are these rationalizations—or any rationalizations-- acceptable to you? A person who admits to infidelities in the past and explains them away has a good chance of straying again. He or she has not taken responsibility for past actions, nor worked through the issues involved.
Sign 5: Your sweetie has never been without a mate
Cheaters won’t ride solo…ever! Leaving one romance and hopping into a new one--or having simultaneous affairs at once--doesn’t leave time for assessing whatever went wrong. They don’t bother with introspection; their focus is squarely set on pulling new people into their orbit.
If you are dating a person who shares a romantic history that always involves finding a new partner before breaking up with the current partner, take heed. This person may think of their mates only as void-fillers. Filling a void is never a basis for lasting love.
If someone says, “I don’t want a commitment,” take them at his or her word. Don’t fall into that “I’ll be the one to change all that!” trap. Cheaters rebel against control and might even have an affair to spite a partner who wants to rein them in.
Too often people ignore the clear message a potential date sends them. If someone tells you, “I’m not into serious relationships,” “I won’t give up my freedom,” “I’m not ready to settle down,” or anything resembling that, take a giant step back! He or she is clearly telling you, “I want to play the field.” If you pursue the person anyway, hoping for an exclusive relationship, you may find yourself two-timed and broken-hearted. Never push people into a situation they don’t want to be in. Never pursue a committed relationship with someone who tells you he or she doesn’t want one.
Sign 4: Your sweetie admits to cheating on exes—and justifies the betrayals
Cheaters rationalise their behaviour to let themselves off the hook. The way they justify their actions tells much about their character.
Listen to the excuses for past cheating your sweetie uses. Here are a couple I’ve heard from clients in my therapy practice over the years:
• “My ex was abusive because of a drinking problem, so I deserved to see someone kinder on the side.”
• “My father cheated on my mum, so cheating on my girlfriend is how I’m working through my past.”
Everyone has a tale to tell. But are these rationalizations—or any rationalizations-- acceptable to you? A person who admits to infidelities in the past and explains them away has a good chance of straying again. He or she has not taken responsibility for past actions, nor worked through the issues involved.
Sign 5: Your sweetie has never been without a mate
Cheaters won’t ride solo…ever! Leaving one romance and hopping into a new one--or having simultaneous affairs at once--doesn’t leave time for assessing whatever went wrong. They don’t bother with introspection; their focus is squarely set on pulling new people into their orbit.
If you are dating a person who shares a romantic history that always involves finding a new partner before breaking up with the current partner, take heed. This person may think of their mates only as void-fillers. Filling a void is never a basis for lasting love.
Sign 6: Your sweetie tells lies about little things
Cheaters lie about everything, which leads you to question their truth from their fiction. When the need to embroider overshadows the desire to be honest, the relationship becomes a sham.
Craig’s friend set him up on a blind date with divorcee, Alice, who was a top attorney in town, with no children. Each time they were together, Alice described her interesting caseload. Craig was fascinated--and falling hard. He was so caught up in her charismatic personality that he chose not to focus on the fact that some of her stories contradicted themselves, and that Alice seemed to change certain details as she got further into her story sharing. One day, the local newspaper featured someone who had been indicted for impersonating an attorney. He was shocked to find that it was Alice, and that she was a wife and mother, as well! Alice had lied to both Craig and his friend.
If you are dating someone who seems to be untruthful about mundane topics – where he or she had lunch, what he or she is doing on Sunday morning—take note. The lies probably run deep.
Cheaters lie about everything, which leads you to question their truth from their fiction. When the need to embroider overshadows the desire to be honest, the relationship becomes a sham.
Craig’s friend set him up on a blind date with divorcee, Alice, who was a top attorney in town, with no children. Each time they were together, Alice described her interesting caseload. Craig was fascinated--and falling hard. He was so caught up in her charismatic personality that he chose not to focus on the fact that some of her stories contradicted themselves, and that Alice seemed to change certain details as she got further into her story sharing. One day, the local newspaper featured someone who had been indicted for impersonating an attorney. He was shocked to find that it was Alice, and that she was a wife and mother, as well! Alice had lied to both Craig and his friend.
If you are dating someone who seems to be untruthful about mundane topics – where he or she had lunch, what he or she is doing on Sunday morning—take note. The lies probably run deep.
As my Gilda-Gram warns, “Without truth, there is no love.”
Sign 7: Your sweetie brags about his or her sex appeal
Cheaters are insecure, and need to attract constant attention on the side. They flaunt their popularity in attempts to boost their own low self-esteem. Let me give you an example: Marilyn met a “hot guy” on a singles cruise, and the pair became inseparable for the week. When they returned home, they spoke to each other constantly. He sent her a plane ticket to visit him. While together, Hot Guy boasted that he was his town’s “go-to” guy for all the lonely women. Instead of Marilyn reading that as a sign to stay away, she interpreted his description of himself as “cute.”
Visiting her two weeks later, he said he was available throughout the week—except for a lunch date he had with a woman he had just met. Marilyn found that peculiar, but said nothing. After a dinner party, he detailed how many women had come on to him. Marilyn began feeling disrespected and put down. Finally, after crying herself to sleep, she told Hot Guy he was too hot for her.
If a partner boasts how in demand he or she is, recognize how insecure he or she really is—and steer clear. This person probably needs more ego-stroking than any one person can provide…and will look where he or she has to in order to find it.
So now you know the signs that indicate that maybe your sweetie isn’t such a sweetie after all.
Sign 7: Your sweetie brags about his or her sex appeal
Cheaters are insecure, and need to attract constant attention on the side. They flaunt their popularity in attempts to boost their own low self-esteem. Let me give you an example: Marilyn met a “hot guy” on a singles cruise, and the pair became inseparable for the week. When they returned home, they spoke to each other constantly. He sent her a plane ticket to visit him. While together, Hot Guy boasted that he was his town’s “go-to” guy for all the lonely women. Instead of Marilyn reading that as a sign to stay away, she interpreted his description of himself as “cute.”
Visiting her two weeks later, he said he was available throughout the week—except for a lunch date he had with a woman he had just met. Marilyn found that peculiar, but said nothing. After a dinner party, he detailed how many women had come on to him. Marilyn began feeling disrespected and put down. Finally, after crying herself to sleep, she told Hot Guy he was too hot for her.
If a partner boasts how in demand he or she is, recognize how insecure he or she really is—and steer clear. This person probably needs more ego-stroking than any one person can provide…and will look where he or she has to in order to find it.
So now you know the signs that indicate that maybe your sweetie isn’t such a sweetie after all.
Life and love are all about learning. Remember this Gilda-Gram: “Everyone who touches you, teaches you.” Instead of getting bummed out about a cheater who stole your heart, think of what you learned, and how your experience got you to grow. Your new insight will arm you to attract someone more trustworthy in the future.
Source: msn uk
Friday, 13 June 2008
Queen dons a headscarf for Mosque visit/Have the Brits gone mad ?
The Queen made a rare visit to a mosque yesterday, donning a headscarf alongside the wife of Turkey’s President to tour the crypt and caverns of an historic Islamic shrine.It was also the first formal solo outing for Hayrünnisa Gül, the country’s controversial “first lady”, who accompanied the Queen around the Green Mosque and tomb of Sultan Mehmet I on the second day of the Queen’s state visit to Turkey.
Mrs Gül wore the full Turkish headscarf while the royal hairline was hidden by a piece of chiffon. Mrs Gül is the first presidential wife to wear the scarf, infuriating generals and establishment leaders desperate to maintain the nation’s secular character.
Mrs Gül wore the full Turkish headscarf while the royal hairline was hidden by a piece of chiffon. Mrs Gül is the first presidential wife to wear the scarf, infuriating generals and establishment leaders desperate to maintain the nation’s secular character.
The Green Mosque is one of a tiny number to be visited by the Queen during her 55-year reign. The gesture will be appreciated by many in Turkey as the country, a secular state with a resolutely Muslim population, tries to persuade Western neighbours that Islam and EU membership can coexist.
Read more on Times online
Is Britain in moral decline?
Source: The Telegraph
There's a crisis on our streets, especially in London, and it has nothing to do with the cost of housing. As the blame game is played out between ministers and bankers over why mortgages are suddenly much more expensive, the price of life in parts of Britain's inner cities has hit rock bottom.
Forget, for a moment, that the property market is dying, and look instead at the number of murders through unprovoked attacks by amoral teenagers demanding a perverse "respect". While we obsess about a rise in payments to the building society, the society we have built is falling apart.
There's a crisis on our streets, especially in London, and it has nothing to do with the cost of housing. As the blame game is played out between ministers and bankers over why mortgages are suddenly much more expensive, the price of life in parts of Britain's inner cities has hit rock bottom.
Forget, for a moment, that the property market is dying, and look instead at the number of murders through unprovoked attacks by amoral teenagers demanding a perverse "respect". While we obsess about a rise in payments to the building society, the society we have built is falling apart.
Read more on The Telegraph
Moral Decline Of Great Britain
Thursday, 12 June 2008
The Koh-i-noor Diamond
In April 2002, a few days after the death of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, her crown was taken from behind its ultra-high-security armoured glass in the Tower of London and carried in open view through the streets of London, surmounting her coffin as it processed from St James's Palace to Westminster Hall. It remained there during her Lying-in-State as members of the public filed past to pay their last respects to the Queen Mother, the last Empress of India.Interestingly enough, she had only ever worn this crown once, 65 years earlier, at the Coronation of herself and her husband, King George VI, in 1937. The largest and most important jewel in this crown is the priceless Koh-i-noor Diamond, which had been presented to Queen Victoria by Lord Dalhousie in June 1850. This followed the British annexation of the Punjab, India, after the British had defeated the Sikhs. From that date the diamond became part of the British Crown Jewels.
The Origins of the Koh-i-noor
Some say that the Koh-i-noor was originally found more than 5000 years ago, and is mentioned in ancient Sanskrit writings. Devout Hindus claim that it was once worn by the great god Krishna, but was stolen from him as he lay sleeping. By contrast, another source has it that the diamond was discovered in a river bed in 3200 BC. The first reliable evidence of it, however, is in the writings of Babur, the founder of the Mogul Empire, who names this diamond as part of the treasure won by Ala-ud-deen (Aladdin) at the conquest of Malwah in 1304 AD. The Moguls acquired the diamond in 1526.
At that time it was said to weigh 793 carats, but through some incredibly ham-fisted cutting and polishing by a jeweller named Borgio it was reduced to 186 carats. Borgio had been working on it for years, but so enraged was Aurungzebe (the Emperor at the time) at the result that he confiscated all Borgio's worldly goods and contemplated executing him as well.
How the Koh-i-noor Got Its Name
The Koh-i-noor remained with the Mogul emperors until 1739, when Nadir Shah of Persia, the conqueror of India, got hold of it after laying siege to Delhi. According to legend it was a member of the harem of the Mogul Emperor Mohammed Shah who told Nadir Shah that the jewel was kept hidden in the Emperor's turban. So, at a victory celebration, Nadir used a cunning ploy. He suggested that he and the Emperor partake in a well-known Oriental custom whereby the two leaders would exchange turbans. This would symbolise their close ties and eternal friendship. For the Mogul to refuse would have been a great insult to the conqueror. Later that night, when Nadir Shah unfolded his host's turban he duly found the gem, and cried out 'Koh-i-noor', which means 'mountain of light'. Nadir Shah then brought the jewel back with him to Persia.
From Persia to Afghanistan to India
After the death of Nadir Shah the Koh-i-noor came through devious means into the possession of Ahmed Shah, the Lord of the Royal Treasury and an Afghan chief. Then Ahmed Shah, after a series of long and fierce battles, established himself in Kabul as King of Afghanistan, and held on to 'the great diamond' as a symbol of his authority. Through various subsequent upheavals and rebellions the diamond came back into the possession of the Indian princes, until the annexation of the Punjab secured it for the British.
The British
The British colonial officials found the Koh-i-noor in 1849, in the treasury of the Punjabi capital, Lahore. They confiscated everything they found in the treasury as compensation for having to fight against the Sikh army, who didn't think much of the British claims to power in India.
Sir John Lawrence, Governor General of India, used to tell the story of how the Sikhs handed the diamond to him in a plain old battered tin box, which he then forgot about. Weeks later London was asking him if he had any idea where the diamond was. He replied in the negative. Then came a second, more urgent letter, in which London expressed a desire to present the jewel to the Queen. Following another negative reply, the Prime Minister himself, Lord Palmerston, sent a plea. Sir John searched high and low but couldn't find it, until one of his servants remembered there was 'a bit of glass in an old tin box'. Luckily the servant was the sort of person who never throws anything away, and eventually discovered it in the tool-shed. There it was, not even wrapped - the most famous gem of India, the fabled Koh-i-noor, the 'Mountain of Light', the jewel to die for (and very many unfortunate people had done just that). And Lawrence didn't have the faintest idea what it was.
The Curse of the Koh-i-noor
The British were rather disappointed at the lack of 'fire' in the diamond, and so they decided it should be re-cut to make it more brilliant. This further reduced it from 186 carats to its present size of just under 109 carats. Over centuries of murder and mayhem, brutality and torture - not to mention deceit and duplicity - the stone had long carried with it a curse that misfortune would always befall its owner, though any woman wearing it would remain unharmed. There was some talk of whether Queen Victoria would return the stone because of the curse. Defiant as always, however, she was adamant it should instead be re-cut and set in a tiara along with over 2000 other royal diamonds.
In 1911 a new crown was made for the coronation of Queen Mary, with the Koh-i-noor at its centre. Then in 1937 the stone was transferred to another new crown, this time for the coronation of Elizabeth (later to become the Queen Mother) as Queen Consort and Empress of India.
Read more about this and the Conflicting Claims
This is A DTC FILM: the animated story of the world's most famous kohinoor diamond, that begins in a prehistoric volcano near golconda in south india, moving up from ancient mine slave to his master and the first ever recorded owner was mahlak deo, the raja of malwa in the year 1305 and so on, down the mughal dynasty, the persian empire, the sikh rulers, the queen of the british empire, playing musical chairs down her long family tree and finally ending up at the tower of london, where the kohinoor is on display today. the animation style used is inspired by ancient indian cave art that used simple lines with dramatic punctuations to illustrate the high points.the story of a diamond that lives beyond every one of its owners, beyond generations, beyond family trees, beyond empires and beyond millenniums. a diamond is forever.
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
In God's Name
Dispatches: In God's Name
Channel 4 Monday 19 May 2008 8PM
As the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Bill continues its way through Parliament, David Modell follows some of the leading members of Christian pressure groups as they attempt to win converts and convince MPs to base laws on Biblical beliefs.
Hard-line Christian activists are now mobilising believers in an attempt to make an impact on society nationally. Followers believe abortion and homosexuality should be illegal, there should be no sex before marriage and that the law of blasphemy should be strictly enforced.
They say the Bible is the definitive word of God and is literally true and are intolerant of other faiths. The film follows well funded and politically active Christian groups and shows them emerging as a significant voice in British politics.
Channel 4 Monday 19 May 2008 8PM
As the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Bill continues its way through Parliament, David Modell follows some of the leading members of Christian pressure groups as they attempt to win converts and convince MPs to base laws on Biblical beliefs.
Hard-line Christian activists are now mobilising believers in an attempt to make an impact on society nationally. Followers believe abortion and homosexuality should be illegal, there should be no sex before marriage and that the law of blasphemy should be strictly enforced.
They say the Bible is the definitive word of God and is literally true and are intolerant of other faiths. The film follows well funded and politically active Christian groups and shows them emerging as a significant voice in British politics.
Sunday, 1 June 2008
ENGLISH LGE
The English language has been shaped by a number of other languages over the centuries, and many English speakers know that Latin and German were two of the most important. What many people don't realize is how much the French language has influenced English.
Bill Bryson calls the Norman conquest of 1066 the "final cataclysm [which] awaited the English language." When William the Conqueror became king of England, French took over as the language of the court, administration, and culture - and stayed there for 300 years. Meanwhile, English was "demoted" to everyday, unprestigious uses. These two languages existed side by side in England with no noticeable difficulties; in fact, since English was essentially ignored by grammarians during this time, it took advantage of its lowly status to become a grammatically simpler language and, after only 70 or 80 years existing side-by-side with French, Old English segued into Middle English.
Vocabulary
During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were adopted into English, some three-fourths of which are still in use today. This French vocabulary is found in every domain, from government and law to art and literature - learn some. More than a third of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French, and it's estimated that English speakers who have never studied French already know 15,000 French words.
Pronunciation
English pronunciation owes a lot to French as well. Whereas Old English had the unvoiced fricative sounds, (as in thin), and (shin), French influence helped to distinguish their voiced counterparts,(the), and (mirage), and also contributed the diphthong (boy). (at is voiced/unvoiced/fricative?)
Grammar
Another rare but interesting remnant of French influence is in the word order of expressions like secretary general and surgeon general, where English has retained the noun + adjective word order typical in French, rather than the usual adjective + noun used in English.
Bill Bryson calls the Norman conquest of 1066 the "final cataclysm [which] awaited the English language." When William the Conqueror became king of England, French took over as the language of the court, administration, and culture - and stayed there for 300 years. Meanwhile, English was "demoted" to everyday, unprestigious uses. These two languages existed side by side in England with no noticeable difficulties; in fact, since English was essentially ignored by grammarians during this time, it took advantage of its lowly status to become a grammatically simpler language and, after only 70 or 80 years existing side-by-side with French, Old English segued into Middle English.
Vocabulary
During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were adopted into English, some three-fourths of which are still in use today. This French vocabulary is found in every domain, from government and law to art and literature - learn some. More than a third of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French, and it's estimated that English speakers who have never studied French already know 15,000 French words.
Pronunciation
English pronunciation owes a lot to French as well. Whereas Old English had the unvoiced fricative sounds, (as in thin), and (shin), French influence helped to distinguish their voiced counterparts,(the), and (mirage), and also contributed the diphthong (boy). (at is voiced/unvoiced/fricative?)
Grammar
Another rare but interesting remnant of French influence is in the word order of expressions like secretary general and surgeon general, where English has retained the noun + adjective word order typical in French, rather than the usual adjective + noun used in English.
For the close minded british and the ignorant : these are the French Words and Expressions in English
Brits in Babylone
Panorama investigates allegations of violent brutality by British Military Forces in Irak (Part 1 of 3).
VIOLENT BRITAIN HAS TORN FAMILY APART
Monday May 26,2008By David Pilditch
THE grieving family of murdered Harry Potter star Robert Knox yesterday blamed violent Britain for the tragedy which has torn them apart.
The young actor’s heartbroken parents broke down and wept as they paid an emotional tribute to the son they described as “an angel on earth without wings”.Devastated Sally and Colin made an emotional appeal for an end to the scourge of knife crime in Britain.Robert, 18, paid with his life after stepping in to protect his brother Jamie, 16, from a crazed knifeman.Sobbing uncontrollably Colin, 55, said he hoped his son’s role in Holly-wood blockbuster Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, to be released in November, would help highlight the tragedy of violent crime.He revealed the bitter irony that the last conversation he had with Robert was about the danger of knives on Britain’s streets.He said: “There’s a lot of fear out there and someone has to change the way we think. With knives there are no winners and only losers.“Rob was so popular because of his role in Harry Potter. If that serves the purpose, then hopefully Robert will have done something else exceptional in his short life.”Robert was killed and three other youngsters stabbed after the group of friends were confronted by the attacker outside the Metro Bar in Sidcup, Kent. It is believed Robert was trying to defend his brother after a row broke out over a stolen mobile phone.
Source: Express uk
Britain battles drunk and violent youth
Posted Thu Aug 16, 2007 9:32am AEST Updated Thu Aug 16, 2007 10:48am AEST
British police are concerned drunken youth violence is intensifying. (Getty Images: Christopher Furlong)
One of Britain's top police officers has called for urgent moves to stem a rising tide of youth violence after a 47-year-old father of three was kicked to death by a group of young drunks.
The man, a company director from Warrington in north-west England, had tried to remonstrate with the group when he saw them damaging a vehicle and other property outside his home.
It was the latest in a series of violent, and frequently deadly, attacks by abusive, drunk young people in Britain.
"We cannot have a society where adults feel scared to go out and challenge youngsters up to no good," chief constable of Cheshire Peter Fahy said.
"Every night of the week Cheshire officers are engaged in a constant battle against anti-social behaviour and alcohol-induced violence ... it breeds fear and isolation."
Hardly a day goes by in Britain without another alarming report of alcohol-fuelled teenage violence.
While the phenomenon of unruly - some say feral - youth is hardly new in Britain, there are concerns the social breakdown is intensifying, as those involved get younger and the violence seems to worsen.
Taking responsibility
Mr Fahy's comments were widely applauded on news programs and radio call-in shows on Wednesday, but the Government did not immediately respond to his suggestion the drinking age be raised from 18 to 21.
The Sun newspaper, the country's most-widely read, ran an editorial saying it was time for parents to take responsibility.
"Should parents be arrested if they let their kids run wild? Should benefits be reduced or even stopped for those who won't work?" the paper asked.
"It is another signal that the 'Great' is going out of Great Britain."
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged a decade ago to be "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime", and later pioneered the introduction of so-called ASBOs (anti-social behaviour orders) to try to control unruly youths.
But 10 years on, statistics show scant improvement.
Sociologists say British youth do not spend enough time with adults, spending free time with friends unsupervised.
Julia Margo, a researcher at the IPPR think tank, says European young people spend much more time under supervision.
"Our young people drink more and take more drugs than others partly because they can," she said.
"Young people need to interact with adults to socially develop, and those that spend time away from adults will more rapidly fall into bad behaviour, or very bad behaviour."
- Reuters
British police are concerned drunken youth violence is intensifying. (Getty Images: Christopher Furlong)
One of Britain's top police officers has called for urgent moves to stem a rising tide of youth violence after a 47-year-old father of three was kicked to death by a group of young drunks.
The man, a company director from Warrington in north-west England, had tried to remonstrate with the group when he saw them damaging a vehicle and other property outside his home.
It was the latest in a series of violent, and frequently deadly, attacks by abusive, drunk young people in Britain.
"We cannot have a society where adults feel scared to go out and challenge youngsters up to no good," chief constable of Cheshire Peter Fahy said.
"Every night of the week Cheshire officers are engaged in a constant battle against anti-social behaviour and alcohol-induced violence ... it breeds fear and isolation."
Hardly a day goes by in Britain without another alarming report of alcohol-fuelled teenage violence.
While the phenomenon of unruly - some say feral - youth is hardly new in Britain, there are concerns the social breakdown is intensifying, as those involved get younger and the violence seems to worsen.
Taking responsibility
Mr Fahy's comments were widely applauded on news programs and radio call-in shows on Wednesday, but the Government did not immediately respond to his suggestion the drinking age be raised from 18 to 21.
The Sun newspaper, the country's most-widely read, ran an editorial saying it was time for parents to take responsibility.
"Should parents be arrested if they let their kids run wild? Should benefits be reduced or even stopped for those who won't work?" the paper asked.
"It is another signal that the 'Great' is going out of Great Britain."
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged a decade ago to be "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime", and later pioneered the introduction of so-called ASBOs (anti-social behaviour orders) to try to control unruly youths.
But 10 years on, statistics show scant improvement.
Sociologists say British youth do not spend enough time with adults, spending free time with friends unsupervised.
Julia Margo, a researcher at the IPPR think tank, says European young people spend much more time under supervision.
"Our young people drink more and take more drugs than others partly because they can," she said.
"Young people need to interact with adults to socially develop, and those that spend time away from adults will more rapidly fall into bad behaviour, or very bad behaviour."
- Reuters
Source: abc Australia
Binge-drink Britain
Doctors claim Government's lost control of binge-drink Britain The British Medical Association said the booze epidemic was causing a health nightmare and called for sweeping new measures.
It blamed cut-price alcohol for intensifying the misery and demanded an end to cheap supermarket deals.
It also said taxes on alcohol should rise and the drink-drive limit cut.
The calls come in the wake of the Mirror's Can It! Stop Kids Boozing campaign.
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's head of science and ethics, said: "We see first-hand how alcohol destroys lives. It causes family breakdowns, is a major factor in domestic violence, ruins job prospects, is often related to crime and disorderly behaviour and it kills.
Britain's Streets of Booze
From weddings to funerals, casual meetings to formal dinners, alcohol is used to brighten almost any social occasion. But there is a darker side. It can also destroy lives.It is cheap, it is readily available and it is wrecking lives. Super-strength lager, containing around 8% alcohol is, for many of Britain's alcoholics, the drink that starts and finishes every day.
Read more on BBC UK
Binge Britain
"YEP IM HOPING WHEN IM OFF THE LEGAL AGE i will get drunk party hard and RAVE lol RAVE RAVE RAVE woooo" Ben 12 years old
Britain keeps going out on the piss. Tony Blair has labelled binge drinking - generally defined as necking twice the recommended daily number of units, four for men, three for women - as 'a new British disease'. For once this does not appear to be spin. The statistics speak for themselves: each year 14 million working days are lost due to alcohol abuse. Half of all violent crime - around 1.2m incidents a year - is attributed to binge drinking. At weekends 70 per cent of all admissions toA&E are the result of boozing. A study just released found that two-thirds of all ambulance calls on Friday and Saturday nights in London are alcohol related, costing the service nearly £20m. Bingeing accounts for 40 per cent of all drinking occasions among men and 22 per cent among women and the numbers are rising all the time, particularly in the 18 to 24-year-old group.
Read more on The Gardian UK
Friday, 30 May 2008
Average supermarket shop is up 5.8 per cent
The cost of the average supermarket food shop was 5.8 per cent higher in May than at the beginning of the year, and will continue to rise, according to a study.The cost of fruit and vegetables has risen the most, up 16 per cent since January, according to retail analysts Verdict.
The price of branded goods increased more than supermarkets' own brand ranges, while the cheapest ranges saw little change, the report said.
Verdict said retailers were absorbing some of the price rises.
Neil Saunders, consulting director of Verdict, said: "Although the price of goods is rising, the UK's grocers are helping to mitigate price rises."
Consumers spent 13p in every £1 on food, meaning a 5.8 per cent increase in prices since the start of the year was "particularly painful".
"Such rises, combined with hikes across other areas of household expenditure, are squeezing the amount consumers have to spend on things like leisure activities and on other retail goods, " the report said.
"For many people it also means that inflation feels far higher than the Government's official rate."
It forecasted strong food price inflation throughout this year and in 2009.
The research was based on a "typical basket" of 100 grocery items.
Source: MSN BIZ UK NWS
Flower Duet / BA
BA passengers face higher fuel surcharges
British Airways is to increase its fuel surcharge on all tickets from next week.
The airline said that from Tuesday June 3 the surcharge for short-haul flights will increase by £3 per flight to £16 per flight.
The surcharge for long-haul flights of less than nine hours will increase by £15 per flight to £78 per flight.
The surcharge for long-haul flights of more than nine hours will increase by £30 per flight from to £109 per flight.
BA said it would also increase its fuel surcharges by similar levels in markets outside the UK.
On Wednesday, Sir Richard Branson's airline Virgin Atlantic announced fuel surcharge rises, although the carrier said that those sitting at the front of the aircraft would face higher charges than those in economy-class seats at the back.
In recent weeks airlines have announced cutbacks in services because of the sky-high oil prices while some carriers, including some operating between the UK and the US, have gone out of business.
BA's latest fuel levy hike comes just a month after the carrier last raised its surcharge.
The airline added on £3 to each short haul flight, £10 to a long haul flight of less than nine hours and £15 for a flight longer than nine hours from May 2.
Earlier this month BA warned it would have to spend an extra £1 billion on fuel this year if prices remained at the US$120 a barrel mark.
Full year fuel and oil costs - which comprise about a quarter of the airline's expenses - topped £2 billion during the past financial year to March 31.
Oil prices are still hovering around the $130 and showing no sign of settling back.
Source: MSN Biz News UK
Business class airline Silverjet - the inside story
This is last year
then 30.05.2008
Thousands hit by grounded airline
Business-class only airline Silverjet called in administrators as thousands of air passengers had their travel plans wrecked when the airline stopped flights.
Around 7,000 UK and 2,500 non-UK customers were affected as funding problems led to the suspension of services by Silverjet.
Silverjet later said "with deep regret" it had appointed Begbies Traynor as administrators after failing to secure funding.
Silverjet's collapse follows that of Stansted to USA all-business class carriers Eos and MAXjet. All three were to a large extent victims of the sky-high rise in aviation fuel prices as well as the downturn of economies on both sides of the Atlantic.
Former Silverjet chief executive Lawrence Hunt said: "It is with deep sadness that I make this announcement today.
"The Silverjet team has worked exceptionally hard to try and turn this situation around, however with the time available, we were unable to secure the funding required to continue our operations."
The carrier, which began services in January 2007, flew from Luton airport in Bedfordshire to New York and Dubai.
Its last plane left Dubai for Luton at 7.30am on Friday but five further flights were cancelled.
Angry passengers arrived at Luton only to find their plans in tatters, while Silverjet's 300 employees were left with an uncertain future. Some passengers were not covered by Civil Aviation Authority-run bonding although both British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Dubai-based carrier Emirates offered special deals for stranded or future-flight Silverjet passengers.
Silverjet failed to secure a vital new multi-million pound funding package. Its shares had been suspended since last week. Mr Hunt apologised to customers and told them Silverjet would not be able to offer any refunds.
source: msn news uk
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
English Footbal culture says a lot about the English culture itself; a country of 12 year old kids
This is an excellent post of John Nicholson on UK MSN SPORT , it says it all...
So: What Terry`s Tears Said About Us ( or about Britain)
"There can be few blokes who really are 'a man's man' who would not have felt a degree of nausea, if not outright contempt at the waterfall of John Terry's tears last Wednesday. But his display served a very good purpose. It illustrated exactly what is wrong at the core of English football.
As England's national side comes into focus again this week, there is much Fabio Capello can learn from Terry's emotional breakdown. Let's get this right, if you are weeping so uncontrollably for so long just because you have lost a football match, you are emotionally immature; you are a boy in a man's body. I cried like that when England drew with Poland in 1973 and thus failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup. I was 12. .
Few of us go through life without an occasional watery eye - more usually born of joy rather than disappointment - but we reserve the proper out-and-out crying for life and death matters, not for football. If you are crying that much about football, what on earth are you going to do if, God forbid, a real tragedy strikes you? Where is left to go emotionally? It's bitterly ironic that the press are still so intent on painting Terry as a specifically English icon and hard man when the traditional English way is the exact opposite of his behaviour.
The traditional English way is the stiff upper lip; emotion is expressed only in private and if shared then only with loved ones. Publicly expressed emotion is for the weak and the self indulgent. It is certainly not the sort of thing leaders of men indulge in. It is undignified and shows lack of character. And yet we are told he is still 'England's lion'.
The same things were said about Tony Adams even when his life was in a mess and he was a raging alcoholic. Why are these type of people so many English fans heroes? Is dysfunction attractive? Is it now the norm? Let's not kid ourselves, we have a real problem here. Other sports just don't do sobbing losers.
There seems to be something about English football culture that suspends the participants adulthood, trapping some in Peter Pan teenage world. Too many players today behave like petulant children. When you see Rooney, his face looking all pink and bee-stung with rage at some perceived injustice hunting down the ball angrily, you see a teenage boy who has lost control. Ashley Cole's 'I-turn-my-back-on-you' behaviour looked like a parody of a twelve year-old that won't go to his bedroom.
This type of behaviour is emotionally dysfunctional and certainly not the sort of thing a man in his mid twenties should be doing on a football pitch. Where is their self control? While footballers have always lost their temper, and occasionally have had a whack at each other, the sort of over-wrought emotion expressed by some of today's prima-donnas is not the kind of Francis Lee punching Norman Hunter anger.
It's mere childish, self-centred emotionalism. Having everything done for you and earning inconceivably huge amounts of money must all contribute to this fantasy cartoon world at the centre of which is their own glorious self and their own fabulous ego. When something happens to shatter this illusion, is it any wonder they go off the edge? England players are widely regarded as having a psychological problem playing for the national side now, and it isn't too fanciful to tie the character of these mannish-boys into their on-pitch failures. Too many of England's players are not sufficiently emotionally developed to cope with high pressure situations such as the Croatia game, and especially penalty shoot-outs.
Add to that the selfish need to try and maintain their over-inflated personal legend status and you end up with players charging around trying to be the super hero or simply going missing altogether. Team work goes out of the window and individualism takes over. It is significant that during the Portugal game at the last World Cup, Owen Hargreaves was many people's man of the match and of the tournament. He kept his head when everyone else was losing it, kept disciplined in his role and was the only one to score a penalty. He was far more disciplined and in control than those around him.
Hargreaves is not a product of English football culture. He is a product of German football. That can't be a total co-incidence. (Interestingly, after a season in the Premier League, he is starting to show signs of indiscipline and petulance - perhaps learning it as the 'right' way to react from the likes of Rooney) In Germany which is the most successful European nation there has always been more maturity to most players. They have always seemed less hysterical, more firm minded and have had more good old fashioned bottle. If we had 11 Hargreaves that day, we would almost certainly have prevailed. But we didn't and once again we saw Terry in full self-pitying, weeping mode again. Hargreaves didn't cry but he had given more than anyone. This is instructive. The German team ethic has dominated over the personal desire for glory and that's how it should be. It works, as three Euros and three World Cup wins show. It is only through teamwork that the individuals can shine. That's how Greece won in 2004. It doesn't guarantee victory - Germany lost to an equally tough-minded, resolute Italian side in the 2006 semi-final - but it gives you a much better chance.
England's failure in the now distant past has been caused by lack of tactical awareness, by lack of fitness, by lack of basic good skill and by poor management. England's failure in this century has included all of these elements but with this new crippling emotional self-centredness thrown in as well. On top of that there's a whole strand of English popular culture which absolutely worships them for their fame and money. I imagine them to be the sort of people who watch 'Katie & Peter' and who go on reality shows because they 'really, really want this' whatever the 'this' is. They copy David and Victoria's hair cuts and buy Heat and Hello. And on top of that there's the press and TV media which takes good English players and over indulges their talent and exaggerates their capabilities because it sells well to a section of the public that is far too eager for heroes to worship.
If Capello wants England to succeed this all needs to be tackled head-on. He has already talked about player's mentality not being right; that they lack self belief despite being at the peak of the domestic game. And yet continental players are also subjected to the same culture when playing in England but often deal with it better. This is just a subjective opinion and it's a bit of a generalisation that I can't back up with hard fact but it's always seemed to me that the overseas players who play in the Premier League are by and large far more intelligent people, far more rounded than many of their English counterparts.
Put crudely, we produce Steve McClarens while Italy produces Fabio Capellos. When you hear men like ex Chelsea defender, Marcel Desailly, or current stars like Fabregas, Torres and Toure they come over as people who are to some degree sophisticated; for a start they're often bi-lingual. Clearly there are examples to contradict this but it does seem to be a generalization which has substance. Perhaps this is why these men don't end up in the Priory and don't generally behave like Motley Crue let loose at the Playboy Mansion, as desirable as that might be. The game is producing largely uncultured boys without the intelligence, education or incentive to grow up. There's far too much emphasis on that favourite of the phone-in passion, and not enough on perspective. Capello has to select a team on the basis of strength of character and attitude as well as on ability. We need players who are calmer, more rational and less prone to believing their own hype; players who are not so wrapped up in themselves; players who don't cry when things go wrong. In an era of shallow emotion, celebrity culture and rampant self indulgence, this seems unlikely but we should all fervently hope that it does because if it doesn't I shall scream and scream until I'm sick. "
Source of article: John Nicholson UK MSN SPORT of today
Sunday, 25 May 2008
The Rise of the Politics of Fear, or the lies about the so called'War on Terror'
BBC made.
The Power of Nightmares:
The Rise of the Politics of Fear (2004)
Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)
The Power of Nightmares:
The Rise of the Politics of Fear (2004)
Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)
"This documentary offers a remarkable insight into the reality of our current fear induced climate. Adam Curtis chronicles the rise of neo-conservatism and the resulting change in the world's political agenda orchestrated by those who place their trust in the philosophical ideal of the necessity of evil to unite a country. The filmmaker manages to successfully pluck apart the myth of the reality of there being a logistically organized terror network, let alone one that is managing to orchestrate terror attacks from a cave in the remote mountains of Afghanistan. His arguments are backed up by some eye opening interviews with authorities on the field of Islamic fundamentalism, members of the US government and members of the US judicial system. These insights are parred with concrete, startling facts and the result is a program that manages to shake us awake making us aware of a far more realistic terror threat namely that of psychological warfare carried out by the powers that be, accompanied by a sensationalist media frenzy
Watch the film here: http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/power_of_nightmares.php
Saturday, 24 May 2008
"What is it that Mr Balls has that you do not....?"
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith stood stony-faced today as she was berated by the leader of rank-and-file police officers over her handling of police pay.
Police Federation chairman Jan Berry accused the Home Secretary of "betraying" the police service.
She also ridiculed Ms Smith - as the two women shared a stage at the federation's annual conference - for her admission that she took cannabis in her youth.
Mrs Berry said: "Your recent crimes have been more for the serious fraud office than the drug squad."
The Home Secretary looked uncomfortable as she faced 1,000 delegates. Mrs Berry praised the politician for facing the conference, but added: "I am sure ... you felt like reaching for a stab proof vest and perhaps slipping into old habits and lighting up to calm your nerves."
Ms Smith at first smiled at the comments but later turned stony-faced at the criticism levelled by the police leader.
"Your decision not to honour the pay award was a breach of faith," said Mrs Berry.
"It was a monumental mistake, and I don't say this lightly when I say you betrayed the police service."
Mrs Berry received a standing ovation from delegates, with the Home Secretary joining the gesture.
The federation chairman had pledged that delegates would be "professional and courteous" to the politician, who was given a brief round of applause as she stood to deliver her speech.
The long-running row over pay peaked in January as an estimated 22,000 officers marched on Westminster, after the decision to introduce a 2.5% pay rise in stages, effectively reducing the overall award to 1.9%.
Yesterday's vote was a step towards the first police strike for nearly 90 years.
Ms Smith responded with a series of improvements to police remuneration and announcements on funding and policy.
Speaking about the row over pay, she said she stood by her decision despite the anger it caused.
Read more on the Metro.co.uk article
Some recent british history
This film tells the extraordinary story of the high society court case that scandalised society, electrified the nation and changed the course of British history.
In 1954, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and Peter Wildeblood were convicted of homosexual offences. But the trial lead to the Wolfenden Committee and its landmark recommendations for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Britain. Mixing drama with documentary testimony, this moving film brings to life the extraordinary events of the trial.
In 1954, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and Peter Wildeblood were convicted of homosexual offences. But the trial lead to the Wolfenden Committee and its landmark recommendations for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Britain. Mixing drama with documentary testimony, this moving film brings to life the extraordinary events of the trial.
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