Class in the UK

Class in the UK is an odd thing. The majority of people are proud to be working class and seem to hate those they consider to be middle class and absolutely abhor those they consider to be upper class. This is reflected in TV shows. Nearly all UK TV shows follow the lives of people who the British consider working class. Practically no one on TV comedies or dramas is middle or upper class. What I find odd is that people who are said to be working class are usually not the type to be aspirational, not well educated or interested in being so and have awful social habits. Plenty of poorer people (what the Brits would call working class) in Jamaica are aspirationals, well educated or at least aspire to it and have fantastic social habits. I think us in the UK need to re-think our attitude to class. Surely character and progressive social habits need to be the most important thing. Not how one speaks or where one lives or went to school. We’d all be the better for a change in attitude in this direction. Given the current attitudes, anyone who is aspirational, educated and well mannered is scorned. This is stupid and not helpful.

Citizenship in the UK

A former Attorney General (I think) has written a report that, among other things, suggests kids swear a pledge of allegiance to the Queen.

Of course no one here thinks this is a good idea. The UK is an odd place. British people on a whole don’t like to be demonstrative and they feel pledging allegiance is doing just that.

I don’t agree that pledging allegiance is bad. I am against pledging it in this type of atmosphere and I am most certainly against pledging it to the Queen. Let me explain.

Firstly, the UK is pretty much an identity-less place. There isn’t a positive British culture that can be outlined. There are activities and traits that can be outlined, but frankly, they aren’t flattering. As it is a culture that largely abhors expressing enthusiasm for anything there is a big hole where there could be enthusiastic admiration for doing well and being successful – traits which are admirable in the US for instance. This unwillingness to be enthusiastic and instead to be self-deprecatory therefore leaves an unhealthy dedication to mediocrity on many occasions and doing things downrightly badly on other occasions. Quite frankly though, the British on the whole, are happy with the way they are. I am British and I personally think we could be much better off identifying ourselves with positive traits – the alternative is the moral vacuum that exists now and that is not good for the country. So given this vacuum, now is not the time to be pledging allegiance to some non-existent idea of what it is to be British.

The other part of my argument is that we aren’t citizens; we are subjects – one of the ludicrous results of living in a monarchy. Now the Queen is largely a figurehead – the UK is a constitutional monarchy which means the Queen does not decide how we live. An elected government does that. So pledging allegiance to an old woman who lives an unbelievably wealthy lifestyle at the taxpayer’s (many of them living in financial want) expense is a disgusting concept. If we are to pledge allegiance to anyone it should be to each other. If the UK is to move towards a better sense of self so to speak we have to invest in each other – delight in each others’ triumphs and commiserate in each others’ failures and help each other to do better while not tolerating the general yobbish behaviour that passes for civil society here.

There is a long way to go before we are in a position to pledge allegiance to anyone.

Clinton Must Go for the Democrats to Beat the Republicans. . .But She Won't

Hillary must drop out of the race in order for the Democrats to beat the Republicans. Let me tell you why.

As we all know Bush has made a right dogs dinner of things and by extension, the Republicans are in the doghouse. On the face of it this would mean that theDemocrats are a shoo in for the next election.

The problem we have though is likability and the fact that people are pissed off with Bush more than they are pissed off with the Republicans per se.

The likability issue boils down to this. McCain, the Republican candidate is very likeable - heck, many of the conservatives in his own party hate him. If ever there was a republican that on the fence Democrats and the undecided could vote for it is him. Now people do not like Hillary - for various reasons. However, people just LOVE Obama. Enough polls have already been done that say that if Hillary runs against McCain he has a really good chance of winning but if McCain runs agains Obama, McCain will be crushed.

So it's a no-brainer for the Democrats if it was just down to this. But they can't force Hillary out. The other problem the Democrats have is that the Republicans have already picked their man. So all he has to concentrate on from now until November is attacking the Democrats. Meanwhile, the Dmeocrats will be fighting each other until August. They just cannot afford this.

Hillary is going to stay in the race at the expense of the Democratic party and by extension the US and the world because like it or not, the whole world is deeply affected by who is in the White House. I fervently wish that things hadn't got ugly and that she and Obama could run on the same ticket with him as the presidential candidate and her as the vice predsidential candidate. That would give the Democrats a fantastic chance come November. But just as in 2000 with Nader - personal ambition and delusions about their ability to win - will cost the Democrats the White House - and the world a chance at stability.

God help us all.

Changing Attitudes to Alcohol in the UK?

Good article on the problem of British people’s attitude towards alcohol. Perhaps the tide is turning if columns like this are appearing. Hope so.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/india_knight/article3423652.ece

Renewing Your Mind

I really do recommend the book 'Battlefield of the Mind' by Joyce Meyer. It has really helped me deal with my negative thought patterns and is helping me concentrate on God in order to heal the sickness of negativity I've had for such a very long time.

Joyce is a Christian speaker and author and the book is bolstered by the word of God - it is a great tool.

Maybe some of you have the same problem of negative thinking - if you do and you're interested in dealing with it in a Biblical manner - this is definitely the book for you.

Later.

Efficient Service

Quote from Thalia Lyn at Island Grill:

"If we know 2.25 customers per minute order festival, we can prepare our food without people having to wait for their food," Lyn said of the efficiency programme.

In JA, this generally happens at fast food joints.

Here in the UK when you go into many fast food stores you often have to wait for up to 15 - 20 minutes for your order because they make it from scratch when you order - even if you order a common menu item.

If it can be done in a so-called third world country, why oh why can't it be done here?

Not Enough Hours in the Day

I'm finding it difficult to find the time to do the things I want and it's driving me bonkers. I write - and that's a pretty cerebral activity. My day job requires me to write also - business writing though - and it's not a particularly creative activity. So when I get home, exercise, bathe and eat and pay attention to HRH there's precious little time left, much less brain power.

I was reading a story on the first post.com yesterday that talked about teleworking. It spoke about how 20 years ago people said that in the future people would be able to work from home. However, the reality is in spite of evidence that home working reduces congestion and improves productivity from 20-40% most companies won't let employees work anywhere but in the office.

This attitude is pretty much epitomised by Alan Sugar's attitude (He's the guy that does the Apprentice here in the UK). He stated in the papers last week that people who work from home aren't doing anything.

What a colossally backward atitude! As I mentioned above, studies have been done to show workng from home reduces congestion and improves productivity. Business people and managers are more concerned with their own reputations - 'here are a whole bunch of people who report to me' - and less concerned with productivity and the bottom line.

If people work from home, there's no crowd of people to prove how important they are.

Sick isn't it.

Well, it's for us the workers to set the agenda. Like the article said, talented young people are not willing to accept the status quo and are voting by taking their CVs to where flexible working is accepted.

Later.

Grammies etc.

Watching the Grammies while I work on the computer. Right now Kanye West is on. What a way him full of himself ee doah? Seems like Amy Winehouse has made out like a bandit though. I guess being caught up with all the trouble she has been in hasn’t hurt her chances at winning so many of these major awards. Wonderful message.

Parent to kid: Don’t take drugs; you won’t amount to anything if you take drugs
Kid: Rubbish – I could get a Grammy, hell I could get five!


Oh well.

Having said that he's now singing a wonderful ode to his mother. Great lyrics. So sorry she died.

Same Old Same Old

So the old racists in Spain have been publically attacking Lewis. And again we hear the same old apologies - tired and largely given by people who didn't commit the offence in the first place on behalf of people who aren't remotely sorry.

This time UK offocials seemed really pissed off though and are threatening diplomatic repercussions.

The Spaniards racists are something else. They erroneously claim that Lewis prevented Alonzo from winning the championship and that he bad mouthed him. Neither is true. And so they feel that racialy abusing Lewis is therefore acceptable.

We'll see how this is handled. But it is time white people stood up and joined the civilised human race and not only denounce racism but make their actions back up the sentiment if they really believe it.

Terrible Treatment of the Elderly

Just watched a documentary on Channel Four about how many pensioners in the UK have to choose between heating their homes or eating. It was terrible.

The elderly are often without family willing or able to properly care for them, their pensions are a joke, yet they still get charged extortionate bills like council tax, TV licence if they are under 75 and incredibly high fuel bills.

It breaks your heart. One of the ladies in the show didn't eat for days so she could heat just one room in her house. A man had threatening letters from his power company claiming he owed 200 pounds in arrears, it turns out they misread his meter.

One lady who had been a teacher or a nurse and now needed care because she was ill applied for a reduction in her council tax (this can be around 80 pounds a month - pensioners get about 130 pounds a week) - they turned her down.

It really is terrible. In Jamaica it is bad if you are older and broke and have no family, but in the UK there is the added problemn - and it is a considerable one - of the cold. It gets incredibly cold here. I had no idea how cold it can get, especially in the north. If you don't have central heating it can be awful unless you have free standing heaters and it isn't cheap to heat your home whatever means you use.

The government keeps cutting funding for older people and the problem just gets worse and worse with more and more pensioners each year dying from the cold.

It's time for sensible practices to be put in place to help older peole. Money must be found from other areas (getting false benefits claimaints off so that the true claimants - some of whom don't claim - is a start). But this cannot continue. Your later years should be a time of rest, reflection and pampering by your younger relatives. Not misery, lonliness and poverty.

Men's Magazines

There's a pretty new free men's magazine in the UK called shortlist (www.shortlist.com) It's great - just the type of thing I like to read with interesting and really funny stories, lovely shots of fantastic super cars lots of wicked gadgets and NO stupid fashion articles!

I've had a look at some of HRH's magazines too and again, my type of stuff. I think I've had it with women's mags. Have a look at shortlist especially if you're a bloke - a really good read.

Later

Losing Weight and Google Earth

Why is it so easy to nyam your way to obesity but oh so hard to lose the poundage again?

Man, I having a warm time trying to lose weight I have put on over the past ten years. In my salad days I was a fit and slimmer young beauty. Now it is not pretty when I take off mi clothes. But even after tell myself I won't eat crap again today there I go and do it. I have only recently been successful in putting a stop to the daily sweets and cakes at work. I've been to the gym twice so far this week and hope to keep it up. Let us see if this time there are results. I really feel this is the end of the road.

Been looking at cars lately. HRH has his sights set on ans SUV (yeah yeah, there are other vehicles that have larger engines and emit more than SUVs, look at the emissions, not the chassis). What struck me though was that on the whole car prices have got ludicrously low. And as soon as you drive off the lot you've lost a couple of grand in depreciation. Seriously, a leasing arrangement where insurance and tax is included, seems like a better option.

Tried Google Earth for the first time this week. It wicked yu see! If you haven't had a go, go ahead.

Teenage Pregnancy

Watching a documentary on BBC 3 right now about a young girl of 13 called Kizzy who got pregnant. Quite a poignant programme. She fully acknowledged she made a mistake. Comes from what seems to be a decent christian family. She said she had sex once with a 13 year old boy . The boy won't acknowledge the baby and has gone to live with his grandmother in Essex (Kizzy lives in Devon). The boy's grandmother was rather vituperative and said that Kizzy is basically responsible for he situation and that she is blaming everyone else.

This is obviously ridiculous as Kizzy has repeatedly said she made a mistake. She is thankfully continuing her education and she and her parents agreed to the documentary as a warning to other young girls.

This is in many respects sad but uplifting in other was as she and her family seem to be coping very well in the right way.

Apparently, the UK has he highest teen pregnancy rate in Europe. This in spite of programmes in schools which allow youngsters to access the pill, condoms, the morning after pill and even abortions - WITHOUT having to inform the parents. As Kizzy's father said, it undermines parents. He stated that you as a parent may have certain ways of bringing up your kids according to your faith but all of that is ignored by the schools. He has a point.

He said that in the kids' minds all hey hear at home can be eroded in that hey feel that if they get pregnant school can take care of it. As so it is.

Makes me scared stiff of raising my kids in this country I tell you. Home schooling anyone?

More Power to Oprah!

Just read that Oprah will be getting a TV network called the Oprah Winfrey Network - OWN. It will replace Discovery Health.

What a fabulous opportunity for a potentially decent TV network and one that in addition to offering good content will have the opportunity to portray non-white culture in a positive light. This is something that many of us were bitterly sorry that the first 'black network' BET didn't do.

I look forward to seeing what transpires.

Can A Habitual Sinner be a Godly Man?

I am reading 'Soul Survivor' by Philip Yancey. He is a christian writer. In this book he speaks about various people who have inspired him in his christian walk - one of them being Martin Luther King.

By now it is well known that King was an adulterer - and apparently unrepentant as according to Rev. Abernathy he was sleeping with other women up until the night before his death.

Yancey says that in spite of his human failings he was a good christian. He also mentioned others in he Bible who sinned but were men of God, David was one.

My thought is this, yes, even Christians stumble and sin, as stated by Yancey, so did David when it came to adultery. However, he repented. As far as I know if you repent and as Jesus said on many occasions 'sin no more' then this is acceptable to the Father. But if over a period of time you consistently sin, sin of the flesh plus you are a leader in the church, effectively the 'deacon' the Bible speaks of then this is wrong.

If as Rev. Abernathy stated, King was having sex with a woman who was not his wife even the night before he was killed it doesn't seem likely to me that he was repentant in feeling or action.

No matter the other christian trappings of his persona, I find it hard to believe his behaviour was pleasing to God in and of itself, much less the hypocrisy that went along with his public reputation being so godly. Plus there was a very real danger his behaviour could be a stumbling block for others as the authorities who had been bugging him knew about his predilections.

I know many revere him but I feel that morals, especially for a christian and especially for a christian leader are very important. And the Bible is explicit in its condemnation of adultery and other sexual sin - it is also clear on running after evil.

Maybe King's pastor associates and friends did call him to account - maybe they didn't. They should have.

So civil rights activity or not, in a christian context we should not ignore our leaders failings but call them to account on them.

What a Giant Mess in Kenya!

What kind of slackness is happening in Kenya eeh?

One of the more supposedly progressive countries in Africa seems to be joining the morass of many other African countries.

I cannot for the life of me understand why people feel the need to murder those who are different, or who vote differently from them. No-one in this situation benefits, no-one comes out if a good position. So why continue?

Why can't they sort it out in a civilised manner that is beneficial to them instead of resorting to destroying themselves? I just don't get it. I am very very saddened by this turn of events and hope that very soon the powers that be grow some brains and put a stop to the violence. From all accounts and purposes the election results are is dispute - so blinking well get that sorted out instead of digging in he heels and letting the bloodshed continue.

And why the hell does there have to be bloodshed anyway - who does this help? I am disgusted.

Sorry for the break

Sorry for the big silence. Christmas and all of that you know. Will be back in effect in the new year. Have a great time!

Biographies and Abba

I really like to read biographies of interesting people. As I'm heavily into music I especially like biographies of successful musicians and singers. I recently read one on Abba which was very good and led me to listen to their music again. Now Abba music to me usually means pleasant memories of sunny 1970s days - usually in the summer holidays. But listening to their songs again I was struck by how good the music actually is. The writing by Benny and Bjorn is excellent and the ladies' voices are fantastic! Go onto you tube and check out their videos which they seemed to be pioneers in in those days. Some really god stuff and some really good memories.

Amateur Transplants

Just a quick note to recommend this group to you. A friend sent me a link of their song which talks about what anaesthesiologists do for the hours that their patient is under and being operated on. It was hilarious!. Apparently it's a group of two doctors who sing parodies of popular tunes about medical issues. Check them out on You Tube.

Cruelty and Unreasonableness

I feel really sorry for that teacher in Sudan. Basically this Brit teacher in Sudan has been locked up for blasphemy because she let her class cal the class teddy bear Mohamed. Now the kiddies wanted to call the teddy that name yet she is now in serious trouble.

I get so tired of things like this happening. Surely Muslims cannot be threatened by their own kind calling a teddy this name? And if it is blasphemous then surely those who are adherents to the religion (who would know the rules) should be culpable and not someone who isn't of that religion.

Seriously, perhaps non-Muslims need to stay very far from Muslim countries - could be hazardous to your health.

Ian Smith

Ian Smith – the evil SOB who ruled Zimbabwe for many years and who refused to give any power to the black people who made up 95% of the population – has died. Take a look at this feature and then do a little research and read up on Zim’s history and his part in the misery.
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?storyID=9590


Here’s a story on him in the Independent http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article3179647.ece

Affected by the news

You read about people killing themselves and their kids in the news but you never think it will affect you.

The other day I was shocked to read in the Gleaner that my cousin Carol did just that. To say I was astonished and very saddened is an understatement. She lived with us for about a year when I was a teenager. We didn't keep in touch after that so I don't claim to have known her well but from what I remember she was a pretty, quiet, shy girl.

I can imagine feeling terrible because your husband has betrayed you but what I can't get my head around is why kill the kids?

It's a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to her parents.

Ian Blair

I don't usually join in when people are asked to resign but here I agree. Ian Blair is in charge of the UK police and he presided over the situation that ended in an innocent man being shot multiple times in the head at close range after he was 'mistaken' for a terrorist. Read the following story for further details http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?storyID=9410

The key point in all of this is that the police murdered this man. They murdered him and lied about it. They initially released statements saying he was wearing a thick winter coat and that he ran when he was in the tube station. Neither was the case.

The police were looking for a suspected suicide bomber. They were told he lived at a certain address - where Jean Charles lived. They saw Jean Charles leave his home. Didn't stop him. They saw him walk to a nearby bus stop. Didn't stop him. They watched him get on a bus. Didn't stop him (remember the say they were sure he was a bomber with a bomb strapped to him.) Apparently he either got on or almost got onto another bus. If so they again didn't stop him. He went to a tube station and went inside. They didn't stop him. Only when he had got on the tube did they wrestle him to the ground and then shot him int he head multiple times.

If it was a case of 'mistakes' and they thought he was a bomber they have a blatant disregard for the British public as they let this supposed bomber with explosives on him get on a bus and the tube. This goes to prove that the police are incompetent, don't give a shit about the public, or they are murderers. No one wins with any of these scenarios.

Jamaican working for NASA

A friend sent me the following. Have a read. Good to hear a Jamaican doing well in yet another area. How can we create a situation where this type of person can stay in Jamaica and succeed? Get rid of the high crime level I feel but how do we do that?

Anyway . . .

Jamaican heads NASA team on space station expansion project. When the "Discovery" space shuttle heads into space this month it will carry a special package 'gift-wrapped' by a Jamaican-born engineer and his team at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States.

Glenn Chin is NASA mission manager charged with delivering a Node 2 module called "Harmony" that will expand the docking area at the International Space Station to accommodate other space programs. Chin heads a multi-disciplined team of 30 to 40 engineers and technicians at NASA which is involved in the testing, integration and assembly processes that will make "Harmony" ready for launch inside "Discovery's" cargo bay on the morning of Oct. 23. Once installed at the space station, "Harmony" will serve as a port for space programs from China and a combined 13 European countries.

"Harmony is a module with six docking ports where modules can dock to make the station bigger," explained the 43-year-old Chin, who attended high schools in Jamaica and the U.S. and college at the University of Miami, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. "It's like a six entrance hallway that you can add rooms to...It's actually the gateway to the international partners." That "hallway" or central building block is 24 feet long and 15 feet wide. It weighs 31,500 pounds.

SIMPLE TASK - It was built in Italy, with fine-tuning at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where Chin and his team are based. He was involved in the early design and construction of "Harmony" as part of a special team, which offered NASA insight into the project's progress. That required him to travel to Torino between 1998 and 2000. Other work assignments temporarily took Chin away from the "Harmony" project, but he would later return as mission manager. His task is simple: get "Harmony" ready for launch and make sure it works once it gets into space. But Chin is confident it will. Discovery's transportation of "Harmony" this month, also called "STS-120", is not the only mission Chin has been involved with at NASA. He has been in charge of 16, four of which he has seen through to their launch. However, despite acknowledging a familiarity with the procedures required for the task, Chin said the different types of "payload" he is required to deliver in proper working order keeps the challenge interesting. "It's pretty routine," he said. "The processes are pretty much the same. But the differences in hardware for each mission is unique. Each hardware is unique." So is his background.

Chin is one of a handful of Caribbean nationals working at the Kennedy Space Centre, which employs some 18,000 workers. He is proud of his heritage and credits his background for much of his success in the U.S. "That's huge for me," he said. "As a Jamaican I've always been a hard worker, persistent. When I came to the States I realized the opportunities here and went after it. "I have enough savvy to know you can reach for your dreams in this country." For the married father of a son, his dreams extend to outer space.

Do You Have to be Tortured to be a Genius?

His Royal Highness and I were watching an programme on famous artists we like to watch the other day - this time it was about Van Gogh. At the beginning of the programme we hoped against hopes that he would have had a happy and fulfilling life. We hoped this because most of the artists featured on this programme seemed to have pretty awful lives.

This seemed to be the same situation with poets - and other so calle geniuses, which led us to the question in the heading.

I hope the answer isn't no - I've always fancied myself a genius - but I'm certainly not tortured - well only by the Galaxy bar in my larder!

Later

No Reason to be Sad re: Lewis Hamilton

In all that has happened, there is no reason to be sad about Lewis Hamilton's current position in Formula 1.


Yes, he didn't win the championship yesterday but when you think of what he has done in his rookie year - it is a great achievement.

I think it is a mistake for McLaren to be challenging Ferrari right now - if they were to win this challenge (which I doubt they will) it will be a bitter victory for Lewis.

On the news this morning a group of Alonzo supporters were quoted as saying they were glad Kimi won and not Lewis because as they put it, Lewis has been underhand in his dealings. Unbelievable - if anyone has been underhand in his dealings it is Alonzo.

The constant 'fight 'gainst' is amazing. You're forced to ask yourself if the problem isn't just that people are jealous because he has done so well was a rookie but fury that he has done so well as a BLACK rookie.

Peace.

Disgraceful Treatment of Ming Campbell

So those evil sods in and out of the Lib Dems have finally hounded Sir Ming to distraction enough that he resigned and sent a really pissed off letter to the media.

Ever since he became the leader of the Lib Dems the British public have been constantly bothering him and castigating him for being too old. He's in his 60s.

For heaven's sake, 60 odd isn't old, furthermore, 60 odd in politics certainly isn't old. The issue should have been was he effective and I thought he was.

Something is wrong with how politics runs - important issues that affect the populace take a backseat to how things (or people) appear. We will pay for this immaturity dearly.

Legalise Drugs

There's a story in today's Independent where a leading policeman is calling for drugs to be legalised as the 'war on drugs' has failed magnificently.

I agree. The only thing that criminalising drugs does is to push up the price and have criminals manage it. After all this time it's obvious that people will continue to do drugs even if it is legal. There are other legal drugs and because they are legal they are more readily controlled. Legalising drugs isn't the same as saying doing drugs is OK - it's just a matter of reducing (note i say reducing - probably won't be able to eliminate) the criminal element. Then at lease people would be safer.

Disappointed at First but Determined to do Well in Brazil

So by now you would all know that Lewis didn't win on Sunday and he didn't win any points as he didn't finish the race.

Bad decision on the team's part - they should have called him in at least 1 lap earlier - his tyres had had it. But I guess they know this now full well in retrospect. I hope they have learned the lesson that no matter how skilled the driver, he can't overcome equipment that doesn't work.

Wish him all the best in two weeks time.

Please Lord, Let Lewis Hamilton Win the Title

Yes folks, tomorrow is the day and His Royal Highness and I will be getting up at 6:00 am to see the race. Can you imagine the foolishness of the past few days with the Toro Rosso team trying to cock up Lewis' chances by complaining that he was driving erratically behind the safety car in Japan last week?

Now come on! I watched that race and if he was driving erratically I sure as hell didn't see it and neither did the seasoned professionals who were commentating.

Arseholes supreme! Why dem a fight so hard 'gainst Lewis?

Well at least the chief battybwoy Alonzo seems to have finally conceded that his chances are slim. Hopefully he realises now that he should have been putting effort into his driving and not into putting Lewis down and trying to screw with him in various ways.

Lewis is good at what he does. He works hard and this pays off. Why can't the reaction of others be to step up their game in response? Because of two main points:

1) Lewis is a rookie and is so good it makes them look bad - to this I say the same as above, then step up your game.

2) The same as above but add into that the fact that he is a BLACK man and the reason for the madness makes even more sense.

Something those of us who are black and live in a white country have come to learn albeit slowly and with growing horror through a process of elimination: many white people become mad with rage when black people do exceedingly well and by comparison they (the white folk) look bad. This results in bizarre and out of proportion behaviour.

My prayers are with Lewis and I hope that he will be able to stay focused in spite of the dreadful behaviour of some people - and thankfully, it is only SOME.

More power my yout!

Tavis Smiley and Important Info for Black People

Someone sent me the following today in an email. It's some information from Tavis Smiley and I thought it was so interesting it warranted being re-produced here. So here goes . . .

(Of course, I encourage people to look up 'facts' from the internet themselves and come to their own conclusions).

February 2007

A Word From Tavis Smiley
I don't know whether you all have seen the Black Think Tank that Tavis Smiley
hosts on C-SPAN every year, but it is powerful food for thought. Here are a few
of the things learned at the Black Think Tank this month.

Facts:

1. The first Americans or Native Americans going back to 13,000 BC were black! Look up the Folsom people who lived in Arizona.

2. One of the best reasons to stop our use of the term African American and say Black. A white person who was born in Africa, who moves to America is An African American and qualifies for financial aid, etc., but will get the jobs/pay privileges afforded to whites.

3. Look up the Slavery Law of 1665 (which stayed in effect until 1968) and the Maryland Doctrine of Exclusion (1638): both laws state that blacks must be excluded from the benefits afforded whites, and that blacks must remain non-competitive with whites, except in sports and entertainment.

4. Two white men: Bill Gates and Larry Elision, combined have more wealth than the combined wealth of all 36 million blacks in America
. Civil Rights did not change the economic landscape or the balance of power in America.

5. Asians received 80% of all government minority set aside contracts. Hello!!

6. Blacks eat more fish than whites by a 4 to 1 margin. For every dollar that whites spend on fish, blacks spend $9 on fish. Fish sold wholesale for $1 will retail at $2.50 - $3.00. Guess what business we should be in as Blacks?

7. There isn't any black owned national cable, or major network television stations. Cathy Hughes, the black woman who owns our only black owned radio stations, plans to sell to white owners after hearing the deal Bob Johnson received for selling BET. (Cathy Hughes is from OMAHA y'all!)

8. There are no black owned companies on the Wall Street Stock Exchange; where blacks own the majority or controlling interest of the stock.

9. Ninety-six percent (96%) of all black inmates are men.

10. Over the next two years 440,000 black inmates will be released from prison. The State has no place to put them as they re-enter society. A profitable business would be a Halfway house!

11. In 1860, 98% of all Blacks in America worked for White people. In 2001, 98% of all Blacks in America still work for white people.

12. In 1860, blacks in America had a combined net worth of one half of 1 percentage point. Guess what, in 2001, after Civil Rights, Jesse Jackson, Oprah, Shaq, NAACP, and Urban League, our combined net worth is half a percentage point.

13. For every dollar earned by a Jewish person, that dollar touches 12 to 18 Jewish hands before it leaves their community. For every dollar earned by a black person it leaves the community soon as he or she earns it.

14. The last week of April 2003 in Washington , DC black teenagers were arrested and booked for eating McDonalds on the metro subway. Cops cited recent 5-4 court decision as the permission to arrest law breakers even for minor offences.

15. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of all hate crimes in America are against blacks.

16. After we get through being pleased that we have carpet in our office, a secretary, our name on the door and make six figures, we do not own anything.

17. What will happen if you miss 6 months of work without pay? All we've left for our children is debt not an inheritance. You cannot pass welfare or food stamps onto our kids as a nest egg! We are not even in the race.

18. By the way, the word 'race' hit the English language in the 16th century when Europeans held a contest to see who will win the race to gather the lost wealth through exploitation of blacks.

19. You must read Powernomics by Claude Anderson This is our blueprint to create wealth, not just have a job, but be a business owner, so you can hire people, be listed on the stock exchange, and develop businesses to meet our needs.

Save Walkerswood!

Just read a story about the trouble Walkerswood is in. Mercy! They can't let that company go under. It is a wonderful thing when you go into a major supermarket chain like Asda (owned by Wal Mart) or Tescos and Sainsbury's and you see the Walkerswood products.
I hope the financial people will be able to retain this Jamaican brand.

Multi-tasking

There's this ad on TV now - an ad for chocolate, where a woman greets her date at the door. She grabs his flowers, chucks them inside, kisses him, ruffles up his and her hair, says she had a lovely time and then slams the door in his face - to go and enjoy a bar of chocolate. The premise is that the chocolate is so good she can't be bothered with a date with a nice man.

Honestly, what a load of rubbish. What on earth is wrong with enjoying the man and the chocolate at the same time? In this girl's case as it was just a date she could eat the chocolate on the date. Us married ladies can be more inventive. My husband agrees most emphatically with me.

Young women these days - no initiative!

Mandela is Alive & Bush is Officialy a Wanker

Read the following. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070922/lead/lead3.html. I feel the less said about Bush's comment, the better. Suffice it to say, continue to be afraid, be vary afraid.

(Please hurry and come November 2008!)

Fianancial Woes in the UK

A leading mortgage lender, Northern Rock is in trouble here and there has been a run on the bank. Apparently something like this hasn't happened for 100 years or so so it is big news. Northern Rock specialises in mortgages, but it does offer bank accounts and it is the holders of these accounts who are panicking.

But it's not as bad as people are thinking it is. It's a pity the average British consumer isn't particularly interested in financial issues and current affairs or they could have saved themselves a lot of worry.

Northern Rock asked the Bank of England for help and the Bank of England gave them an unlimited guarantee or something like that which basically says they they will shore them up to maintain the level of liquidity they need. Sadly this didn't stop the run. The bank is solvent - they still have substantial assets but none of this swayed the public.

Plus the insurance on deposits by law says that your first £2,000 is guaranteed and up to £30k more you get 90p out of each pound. This still wasn't enough.

It's likely that the bank will be bought by another - in that case things won't change for the worse for depositors.

So today, the Chancellor Alistair Darling said in plain English - we the government will guarantee every penny of your money. If you want to take it out you can - if you want to leave it you can.

Perhaps the message will get through now?

Breastfeeding

Check this story out. Apparently Facebook has taken some pictures off of a lady's account because they are considered obscene. The pictures are of her breastfeeding. There's a link to one in the story. http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/09/facebook-cracks.html?loc=interstitialskip

This is a common problem in the UK too (I think the lady is American). The majority of British women (and men probably) that I have encountered believe breastfeeding to be disgusting.

Indeed I remember one surreal evening when along with my mother and one of my sisters and a few other ladies we had a ladies evening at someone's house. One of the ladies piped up at one point in the evening and said that she believed breast feeding was disgusting and she couldn't believe anyone would want to do it - or words to that effect.

This mindset is more evidence of how people in the developed world have gone against so many things which are good and natural. And sadly I hear it is spreading to the so-called undeveloped world.

Did I mention that these ladies were Christian? In fact one was my then minister's wife and half (the 'breastfeeding is disgusting half' were wives of the church leadership).

I was livid even more so because these ladies were Christian and married to he church leadership - they had even more reason not to be idiots and not to be cursing God's gifts.

For this is what breastfeeding is - a gift from God. It is a natural way to feed our young. It is indisputably good for them - helps with their intelligence, protects them from disease among other benefits, it also helps mum to lose weight quickly. It also negates the need to use even more plastic (which is what is used in bottle milk paraphernalia).

How in God's green earth could this be considered disgusting?

It can be considered so because man has become perverse and lauds that which is wrong, immoral and unnatural and abhors that which is good, God given and natural. Think of it. Breastfeeding is natural - bottle feeding isn't yet these CHRISTIAN women call breastfeeding disgusting!

The world has come to believe a woman's breasts are SOLEY sexual objects. For the world this is not acceptable but understandable. But those of us in Christ need to do a whole lot better and not take up the things of the world.

For all - be honest with yourself and stop being so concerned with what other people think and start being concerned with the welfare of your kids. I am fully away that some women can't breastfeed and for them it has to be the bottle. But for the rest, if you decide not to at least have the decency not to deride those of us who choose to - especially if you call yourself a Christan and even more so if you call yourself a Christan and are married to church leadership.

Funny ad & Bruce

Check out this Cadbury's ad. It's fantastically funny. The link is in the attached story.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=481196&in_page_id=1773

So - Bruce is the PM now. MMM. Kind of torn. I am most definitely not labourite but the PNP has been failing dismally for quite a while now and Portia was a huge disappointment. Plus I've had a sneaking admiration for Bruce since he showed Seaga the finger. Hope he really is his own man and that he brings good things to the country - we don't want the One Don to be ruling from the background now.

Later.

Traipsing Around Old Buildings

It was Heritage Weekend or something like that in Leeds last weekend and as part of that the town hall held tours. His Royal Highness and I went on one and it was great. We started off by trekking up over 200 narrow spiral steps to get to the clock tower. nearly died - but it wasn't as bad as the stairs in Russel Street station in London. (A word to the wise - NEVER, EVER, take the stairs in that station - take the life even if you have to wait an eternity for it!).

Then we went into the main concert hall which is really beautiful with all the gilding, colourful decorations and the huge organ. We then moved into the only remaining courtroom - which was last used n the 90s and early in the century seemed to sentence a lot of kids. Lastly we went to visit the jail cells downstairs - the ones from the 1930s weren't too bad but the Victorian ones were dreadful and smelled terrible.

All in all it was good to be able to look at the old building up close. When we went up to the clock tower we were able to walk along the outside and look out over the city - wonderful view.

Apparently they are going to do these tours regularly now and charge a nominal fee - makes sense. It's good to be able to touch history.

In other news big up to Asafa - now lets see that spirit in races that count.

UK Judge Calls for All Citizens & Visitors to the UK to be in DNA register

Yep - you read it correctly. Some judge here has said that every single person in the UK and anyone who visits the country should hand over their DNA to be kept in what is already the largest database of its kind in the world.

According to Channel 4 news tonight the national DNA database in the UK has 5% of the population's DNA in it - by comparison the USA has 0.05%

Even innocent people's DNA is kept here. The same news programme said that 2 in 5 black men's DNA is on record and 1 in 10 white men's is. The judge believes that to redress this imbalance everyone should give their DNA.

Some white people never cease to amaze me. A statistic such as the one above is the result of racism. And racism is the result of either ignorance meeting stupidity or evil. And the way to combat either is not for the perpetrators to be held to account for their unconscionable behaviour but for the entire society to fall in line in order to make the racism not stand out - according to the British.

This to my mind is an admission by white people that they acknowledge that the majority of them are racist. See my reasoning. If they weren't , when racism rears its ugly head in a situation like the DNA register for instance, wouldn't you think the response of non-racist white people would be to condemn their fellow white people who are racist in word and deed and demand and end to the behaviour? Sounds reasonable to me. Instead, what almost always happens is that these so called non-racist and 'tolerant' white people generally either say nothing or try to excuse white racists' behaviour and suggest measures that involve accommodating the racist behaviour (usually by non-whites putting up with it and being 'noble savages').

Too many years have passed for white people to still be racist at all much less to the extent they are. There is more than enough information available - most can't be bothered to access it. They get free education here in the UK and so many can't be arsed to actually plug in and access it (I have many teacher friends). There is untold wealth here (more than enough to educate them) - built on the back of hundreds of years of free labour and robbery of other country's resources. And black people have been around for many years - more than enough for white people to strike up relationships with us, talk to us and get to know us instead of spouting racist comments that have nothing to do with reality.

Friends there is nothing else black people can do. I want to cry sometimes when I remember the work of peopel such as Malcolm X and MLK. Trying to get inform white people in general and especially the racists is a waste of time. It is now up to them to look inside themselves - to finally rise up and join the civilised world and join the human race and start realising that a) they are in the minority in a global sense (Asians definitely have the majority) and b) behaving the way they often behave is disgusting and helpful to no-one in the long run.

Unfortunately I doubt that judge will come to this realisation any time soon. Hopefully the authorities will not agree with his proposal. But it must be mentioned that Channel 4 which usually has someone for and against a particular measure on its newscast this time had 2 people who were for it and the anchor John Snow seemed to be in agreement. Any guesses for what part of society all three cam from? Hint - there weren't any women there and they would all need to wear SPF 30 - not 15.

Later.

Four Months Left to the Year

I just realised the other day as I changed the calendar to September - that they year end is drawing nigh. Seemed just like yesterday . . . . and all that jazz. But seriously, a cliche though it is, it DOES seem like yesterday. Where has the time gone?

I've really got to get on and make the rest of the year count. Due to some personal difficulties I've just barely managed to survive and have just been existing. Now it's time to live damn it! I advise you all to do likewise.

Find something you love to do and as much as is possible - spend the majority of your time doing it or working toward achieving it.

In that vein . . . .

PS. I do hope that Asafa will amend his mindset and attitude for the next big meet. We were all incredibly disappointed that he pulled back in Osaka - but at the same time overjoyed by Veronica's performance. That 'I will push until the end' attitude is what Asafa needs to add to the wicked speed. God bless.

Criminal Activity in the Name of Animal Rights

The Guardian headline reads 'Animal rights group 'has contaminated Savlon' See here for the story http://www.guardian.co.uk/animalrights/story/0,,2159074,00.html

Yep, once again some irresponsible idiots have decided that harming people is justifiable in the name of 'protecting' animals.

Some arseholes have contaminated tubes of Savlon (so they say) in a protest aimed at the manufacturers of this antiseptic cream- who they claim are linked to an organisation that deals with animal testing.

These people disgust me. They should be thrown in jail for very long periods of time. Anyone that puts animal welfare above human welfare should be treated like the imbeciles they are.

No one says that you should mistreat animals - they are to be taken care of yes. And if testing on them can be avoided then avoid it. But for some things it cannot be and the price for discovering life saving drugs is sometimes using animals to test them on. Deal with it.

These clowns remind me of the idiots who were protesting near to Heathrow the other day - against them putting in a new runway which they say will contribute to global warming. First of all don't these people have jobs? They were there for days. They should have been arrested and thrown into jail too - they openly said they were squatting on someone's land to protest.

Again, we aren't idiots. We know there is global warming - we know it isn't good for us but finding ways to ameliorate the damage and ensure it doesn't get worse is done through research, dialogue and protesting about things in a sensible way. Some of these morons were maniacally screaming for the evil people who take flights regularly to stop. And for people to stop driving so much and take public transport. Yet you never see environmentalist fanatics protesting at the government's transport policy that says to take a train to London from Leeds will cost over £100 but to drive costs whatever it takes to full your tank (about £47 for a 1.8 litre family car).

The only thing they can protest about is the poor sod who presented with that choice, takes his car instead of the train. Evidently environmentalist protesters are all independently wealthy judging from the fact that they think the 100 quid train ticket is a viable option and judging from the fact they can bugger off for days at a time to 'protest.

Jackasses!

Heroes

Just come out of a bank holiday here in the UK and today was back to work - what fun! (not).

I've just recently started to watch Heroes - never paid it much attention until stumbling upon it one bored evening. Now I'm hooked. It's really a great storyline - and the type of thing that leaves you wondering what happens next. Trust me that doesn't happen much in UK TV. Here magazines will tell you the cliffhanger to a series months in advance! Crazy I think. It's the same with trailers for TV shows, the announcer basically tells you the plot - we've taken to muting the telly when they come on.

Sad really - there are a couple of really good, well produced TV shows done here - notably Spooks and Hustle but they are in the minority. SO we find ourselves watching US TV for the most part - CSI (all of them), Law and Order (all of them), Shark, House etc.

Well - I'm off to wait for tomorrow's episode of Heroes.

In other news - what the heck happened to Asafa?!!. His Royal Highness and I watched speechless. The pain however was greatly alleviated with Veronica's performance.

Glad to Hear . . .

Man, I was glad to hear that Dean didn't pound Jamaica as badly as expected. Not to say it isn't still bad - but glad it wasn't too bad anyway.

Not much on the news front here - the major issue is that Italian murderer who authorities (not the government mind - the judiciary) have decided it would be in breach of his human rights to be deported to Italy (where he was born and lived until her was three or so). SO he will be allowed to stay in the UK. I couldn't help but think of the many law abiding hardworking immigrants - especially Jamaican teachers who they tried to throw out of the country earlier on in the year - and sigh.

Black Heroes

All my prayers to loved ones in Jamaica - My loved ones are fine - hope yours are too.

Check out this excellent story in the Independent a few days ago. Tells you about notable black people - many of which I hadn't heard of - from Latin America. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2872072.ece

More Alcohol Foolishness

Check out this story in today's Times. Basically this mother asks if it is right to serve alcohol to 14 year olds - gives the impression it isn't and then admits allowing her 14 year old son to get drunk in her own home!

Unbelievable! http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article2266099.ece

Calls to Curb Underage Drinking

Check out this story in today's Guardian. (The story is doing the rounds of most of the dailies here). http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2148619,00.html

It's about the fact that a police chief is urging action on underage drinking. This folows on from the kiling of a dad who went to remonstrate with some youths outside his house who were vandalising his car.

There is a serious problem in the UK with alcohol and sadly most people here don't recognise that there is a problem. The aim for most Brits is to get drunk. It seems alien to them to treat alcohol as a component of a meal or an evening out - for them it's the main event. And especially so for young people. To get drunk is thought of as fun.

It makes for a pretty miserable evening if - like most people in the world you are normal and don't aim to get drunk every time you imbibe - you go out in the City Centre on the weekend. There are belligerent people and people throwing up all over the place. The vomit stains remain for ages unless it rains - it's truly disgusting.

Maybe with the call by the police chief and a few others that have been raised (throat cancer is also up) the British will finally see that their attitude to alcohol is dreadful and not helpful to themselves. We will see.

Not Enough Hours in the Day

My father! There's not enough hours in the day to do everything! Been on holiday last week and now I'm back - but I'm also studying. So excuse me for neglecting this blog - I will be back in effect tomorrow.

In the meantime - those of you in the UK - the X-Factor starts on Saturday (Simon Cowell's singing contest for all ages). I love the audition stage where the people are hilarious. Let the games begin.

I think Cowell is missing out on another revenue stream (not that he needs another one!). I personally would pay a few quid to be in the room when these people audition - just put me behind a two way mirror, give me sound and enough carpeted floor space to drop and roll. Hey, it's all clean fun!

Tidbits from here and there

Ten most embarrassing moments on stage this year. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2189373.ece?OTC-HPtoppuff&ATTR=beyonce. I know it’s terrible but some of this is very funny.

**

The Guardian and other papers are saying that apparently women prefer men with more feminine looks. Which women? Not the ones I know.

**

This story is about a man who was asleep in his bed at 6:10 one Tuesday morning. The thief breaks into his flat on the 4th floor and he wakes and confronts him. They argue and the thief falls from the window and is now critical. Guess who got arrested and could face life in prison? Yep – the homeowner. Read the story carefully – here in the UK if you chase a tief from yu yard and the tief gets injured YOU will be prosecuted. What kinda bad wud bad wud bad wud foolishness is this? I’m off now to thump something. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=474025&in_page_id=1770&ct=5

Later

Music - Good Music

Have been reminiscing with His Royal Highness and a friend of his about good music. And we sound like our parents. You know, saying things like back in the day and they don't write them like that anymore. But you know what? They don't.

Songs from people like Oleta Adams, Randy Crawford, Professor Nuts, the Commodores, Marvin Gaye and a whole bunch of others I can't remember right now (Remember Expose in the 80s?)

Take a trip onto Youtube and do some random searches - they even have some great old Buju (but sadly no Lovinder - I was looking for the Light a Candle song the other day. If anyone knows where to find it let me know). You will definitely enjoy yourself.

No Shipping Costs

Check out this story in USA Today about Amazon . http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2007-07-29-amazon_N.htm It's about their website Prime and how they don't charge for shipping - a really interesting read.

Later.

Soul II Soul is Back!

Yes folks - Soul II Soul is releasing a new single. It's been 25 years since their heyday and they're back in the studio - Jazzy B the founder and vocalist Caron Wheeler.

Take a look at the link for more details. http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/2007/07/25/soul-legends-are-back-89520-19517928/ Can't wait to hear the material.

Later.

Bad FLoods

Things are rough here in the UK. A few weeks ago there were bad floods here in Yorkshire - people died and some still haven't been able to go home.

Now in the south west there have been even worse floods and more are to come. The pictures on the news are terrible. Thousands of homes are without running water and electricity because the electricity plants have been flooded.

So far there has effectively been no summer in the UK this year - the weather is going crazy.

There's a lot of talk of whether or not it's because of climate change or not yada yada - whatever you believe it's pretty sure that massive weather change is here and we will have to adapt to deal with it or more people will die.

It was odd to see people lining up for hours to get handouts of drinking water - much like people have to do in other parts of the world that experience frequent natural disasters. Kind of makes us all one eh?

U-Turn For Foreign Teachers

The British authorities have finally seen sense and done a U-turn on requiring foreign teachers to get UK qualifications after working here for four years.

It finally dawned on them that there would be a significant gap in schools - schools which desperately need teachers - if they followed through with this ridiculous requirement. But it is only a postponement. All foreign teachers have been given an amnesty until next September.

Again though, this smacks of 'not much thought being put into it.' At this point teachers have already been fired in anticipation of them being deported. In order for them to enroll in the necessary courses they would have to have an anticipation of being able to stay in the country. And what if the relevant courses had a sign up deadline of before the amnesty? By next September these teachers would still be in the same position.

Why oh why can't they admit their xenophobic or racist reasons for having this rule in the first place? As I have repeatedly said, if these teachers are performing - and all evidence so far says they are - and if they are allowed to teach for FOUR WHOLE YEARS on their own qualifications, CLEARLY there is no real need for them to get others in order to continue doing the good job they are already doing.

The authorities must stop the foolishness, stop impeding these teacher's (and by extension their students' - BRITISH students') progress and instead should help them as much as possible. If foreign teaching qualifications are substandard - then foreign teachers should either not be hired or at least not be allowed to teach on 'substandard' qualifications for FOUR years.

Facebook and Immaculate

A school friend of mine from Immaculate sent me an invitation to join her on Facebook the other day and I have become hooked! It's really fun contacting old friends and checking out their pix etc. It's also very easy to use.

Along the same lines - I was reading my high school alumnae newsletter and it had a link for a website some old girls started. It has a lot of really good photos which brought back a lot of surprisingly good memories. Check it out. http://www.ichsalumnae.net/

When I was at Immaculate, I never thought it was really cool to be associated with the school as the feeling was that a lot of 'Cherry Gardens' people went there. and I most certainly didn't fit into that bracket. Add to that my sisters going to Queens (they refused point blank to even pick Immaculate as one of their choices!) and that explains my feelings. No doubt there were many snobs at school, but there were also a lot of girls (most of them really) who weren't and who were a lot of fun and good friends. It was nice to see some of them again.

Advertising and Race - The L'oreal Issue

Read this story in the guardian today. http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,,2120789,00.html. It's about the fact that Garnier - a part of L'Oreal made it pretty clear that they only wanted white girls to stand in stores and push their products. This was in France. Apparently racism in the work place happens a lot in France.

It reminds me of a time in Jamaica in the early 90s. I was at UWI and a part of the University Dramatic Arts Society (UDAS). A leading ad agency was doing an ad for a feminine hygiene product and they contacted UDAS for people. However, they outrightly said they only wanted 'brownin's' or light skinned people.

We couldn't believe it! Well that sealed their fate. We all decided that only the darkest skinned people would go to the shoot. Suffice it to say they weren't happy.

And now this almshouse is still happening. Thankfully the company involved has been penalised. They are appealing the decision - I wonder why?

BBC Journalist Released

Today it was announced that the BBC journalist who had been held in Palestine for 16 weeks had been released. Lovely to hear some good news for a change.

In other matters . . .

His Royal Highness would like an SUV so we are doing the rounds. Test drove a Chevrolet Captiva today. It was a very nice ride and it didn't feel too big for me to drive. The outside looked god too but the interior was very disappointing - it looked cheap. Part of the deal is three years free service and it comes with a five year guarantee so that's good. It doesn't hold a candle to the Santa Fe though.

Why a Live Liver Transplant Now in the UK - years after . . .?

Apparently live liver transplants have been taking place for the past 15 years.

However, in the UK, the first NHS live liver transplant took place this week.

Again, the first time chip and pin was introduced in the UK was last year or the year before. That is, before then you couldn't use plastic to buy something without signing for it - something that has been done in Jamaica for years.

Why on earth has it taken 15 years to do the liver transplant here on the NHS - a service most people use. I assume the qualification of saying 'on the NHS' means there might be a possibility it has been done here privately - but I wouldn't bet on it.

Globally, we must revisit ideas about who is truly advanced and who is not.

The muslim point of view

I guess by now you would have heard of the terror attacks - sucessful and unsucessful here in the UK.

A while back I mentioned the reaction of 'moderate' muslims or rather the lack of a response. Here's some reactions from muslims themselves.

http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_a_l/yasmin_alibhai_brown/article2727903.ece


http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2727899.ece

If Moderate Muslims Exist They Need to Speak Up

Once again Muslims are being portrayed as idiotic, unthinking animals - and it's those of their own ranks who are doing it.

Imagine, an independent and democratic country, the UK decides it will give Salman Rushdie a knighthood and a bunch of Muslims decide this should not be done because they believe this man has insulted their religion. Therefore EVERYONE else in the world has to agree with them or be considered an enemy.

For goodness sake!

One jackass even said that it would be right for a suicide bomber to blow up Rushdie.

I am yet to hear any moderate Muslims speaking out against this idiocy.

This is why Muslims and Islam have such a terrible reputation because it seems as though the religion and the proponents of it are intolerant, stupid and backward.

The other major religion, Christianity has some backward attitudes attached to it (in terms of the role of women) but any Christian can tell you that the perception has come about because of people perverting the tenets of Christianity - and you can point to millions of Christians living their lives and not adhering to these or other distortions of their faith. Maybe there are millions of Muslims who do likewise and if this is so they need to step out and show themselves - prominently.

When the story comes to bump - some Muslim moderate will be dragged into the public arena to say that Islam is a faith of peace - that it believes in the equality of women etc. etc./ But if this is so why can't we see it?

If these fanatics are really on the fringe - why are they so prominent? The David Koreshs and the Jack Jones (who it was clear to see weren't true Christians but nutters) haven't spawned thousands of other Christians trying to kill themselves and others in the process. I know this did happen in Ireland for many years but it was only in Ireland - that country has its own unique painful history.

But why are Muslims behaving like ignorant barbarians in so many parts of the world - without a clear picture for the rest of us to see what it means to be a true Muslim? It's time to question whether or not this religion actually is one of peace or if the fanatics represent the true face of Islam - and if so steps need to be taken to secure free countries from the terribly negative effects.

The wussy British government hasn't made any stern comment on the Pakistani Religious minister's comments about the suicide bomber - because (according to channel 4 news) they want to keep Pakistan sweet in the fight against terror. This is wrong. You can't have people advocating killing someone because of their beliefs and stay quiet.

I congratulate Sir Rushdie and hope he stays alive.

Politricks

So Lisa Hanna is running for a constituency? I haven't delved very deep yet - just read some of the current stories so I haven't got the details of what happened when it happened. But it seems that she wasn't picked fairly to run for the seat in St. Ann and it also seems that people are pissed off that she should be running for a seat in an area that she doesn't live in and probably knows little about.

Sound like a right royal cock up. I'll read more and report back.

In other news Shonda Rimes has seemingly given in to pressure and 'not asked Isaiah Washington to come back' next season. All of this because he called one of his co-stars (the guy who plays George[?]) a faggott. This actor is gay and he took exception to the term as did many other people. In return Isaiah went to 'rehab' and apologised many times and hung out with some gay groups for awhile - but all seemed to be in vain. I'm pissed he's leaving - First of all he is the best looking man on the show (God know why people thing McDreamy looks good. I swear white women are blind!) And secondly I love his and Yang's relationship.

To have him effectively fired after all the apologies etc serves no purpose whatsoever. A really stupid move.

Useful and Interesting websites

Check out this story in today’s Independent. http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article2640824.ece It has a whole long list of really interesting and useful websites. Enjoy.

Recycling?

Here in the UK there has been much talk about how little we recycle. Most local councils provide green bins for recycling and some are planning to penalise households who throw too much rubbish away and don't recycle enough.

Now I recycle. All my recycling goes into that green bin which is collected once every fortnight (too infrequently for me - I fill the bin in three days). Then it dawned on me the other day.

Unless the council employs people to separate the recycling (and I doubt they do) that means my 'recycling' is going into the landfill. What hypocrites!

Messing Around With Your Means of Earning a Living

Messing Around With Your Means of Earning a Living. Something that many people in the UK seem to have an affinity for - even if it doesn't benefit them.

Case in point the situation with foreign teachers. The UK authorities will target countries like Jamaica and try and get teachers to come to their country to teach the kids that no British teacher in their right mind wants to teach. So these Jamaican teachers come over and teach these kids - and believe me - it's not a pleasant task. They face racial and physical abuse, kids who have no interest in learning, who indeed actually laud ignorance and scorn intelligence, and rampant indiscipline.

Now upon recruitment, these teachers' qualifications and experience is adequate. But here in the UK for some asinine reason, those qualifications and that experience 'disappears' at the end of four years. For after teaching for four years in the UK education system you have to pay for, take the time out to do and obtain what they call Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). If not, you can no longer teach. Poof, livelihood gone. Also as this article in the Gleaner outlines http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070603/lead/lead3.html the information the UK authorities give about QTS is often inaccurate and obtaining it is not easy when you are working, much less when you are working in the worst schools, often under what they call 'special measures.' This means that on top of teaching and dealing with the crap I described above, you are assessed by the authorities CONSTANTLY. The stress is incredible.

Now you tell me why for the first four years a Jamaican teacher's qualifications are acceptable but after they are not? That makes any sense whatsoever to you?

This place is unbelievable! It's one of two things. They are screwing with foreign teacher's livelihoods - or feel that them coming to teach is some kind of activity that only benefits the foreign teacher - because they come to live in '1st world country' and therefore there must be a limit on the 'bounty,' or they have no care whatsoever for their own kids. For logic would state that if a Jamaican has to get British qualifications to teach here, therefore the Jamaican qualifications aren't any good, therefore letting them teach for four years based on these Jamaican qualifications is placing sub standard teachers in the UK system. Ergo British kids suffer.

The whole situation is ridiculous. Teaching qualifications do not expire - if that was the case then why do British trained teachers not have to gain some other form of qualification after fours years in order to keep on teaching?

The sad thing is that the UK DOES need teachers and by keeping up this almshouse all they are doing is shooting themselves in the foot - because let's be honest - the culture here is not one conducive to obtaining a great education - because of the British attitude. Taking out qualified ( and yes, Caribbean qualifications are top notch) teachers is just adding to the gross ignorance sweeping this country.

Really really stupid in my opinion.

And in the meantime, teachers who put up with incredibly terrible conditions, can no longer earn a living doing something valuable and something they love in spite of the lack of discipline and the dedication to remain ignorant that is the hallmark of so many British people.

Why Will So Many English People Not Wash Their Hands After Using the Bathroom?

My goodness! You'd think it was elementary wouldn't you? But no.

Here's the scene.

I'm in the ladies at work in a cubicle doing my thing. I hear the 'lady' next to me finish, flush and emerge from the cubicle. The next sound? 'Bang!' as the door to the bathroom crashes closed, leaving our nasty germ spreading workmate on her way to spread disease.

What in God's name is wrong with these folks?

'Aah but surely,' you might say 'this happens elsewhere?' Well I have lived in two countries so my point of reference is based on them and the answer to that question is 'Hell No!!!'
I have never been in the bathroom in Jamaica and had that happen, NEVER. But here? It happens several times a day. And then there is wonder that such a thing as MSRA exists!

Another thing. Given that so many of the hygiene standards inflicted on the rest of the world originally came from here, why do they not use them themselves? You go to an eating establishment here people and the same person handling the food handles the money. It is disgusting! I went to a sandwich shop last summer and the lady scooped tuna onto the bread, picked all the vegetables up with her ungloved hand and put them onto the sandwich, wrapped it up and then proceeded to collect my money from me. And this happens almost everywhere I go in the UK.

Even the plastic wrapped things - I went into a leading bakery where I frequently used to get sandwiches and one day I saw that they made them on site - with no gloves!

Don't even get me started on a friend who worked in a chocolate factory where they were allowed to lick their fingers - and yes, you guessed it - they didn't wear gloves.

Good God. These places would go out of business back in JA. Not to mention the places here that have food out in the open on counters where people can spit over them.

NASTY PEOPLE! Wash unu hands after you go to the bathroom and if you handle money, don't handle the food! This is basic hygiene.

A fantastic exception to this? Big up to the baked potato man on Albion Place in Leeds, he and his mate wear gloves. They will keep the gloves on while they sort out your potato, peel one off to take the money and put it back on after. Praise be - there is somewhere safe to eat in the UK.

Tax foolishness and a poor Angolan family

Councils are pushing ahead with their plans to put computer chips in people's bins - some already have I understand. The plan is still to charge people for tthe amount of rubbish they throw away - the argument being you will pay less if you recycle more.

Let me remind you again that each house in the UK has to pay Council tax - ours is £75 per month. This money is supposed to pay for local services such as the police, the fire department etc. and rubbish removal. Yet the government wants us to pay again to have rubbish removed!

The thing that amazes me is that English people just pay these ridiculous taxes, they don't protest - well not seriously. Why on earth should we pay twice for rubbish to be removed? That makes sense to you?

Also if there was any doubt about the level of racism in the UK the following story sadly removes it. Read this and see what I have been talking about. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_headline=forced-out-by-race-hate-mob%26method=full%26objectid=19201083%26siteid=89520-name_page.htmlThis happened in Leeds in the 21st century! Mercifully a soupcon of progress lies in the fact that they were jailed.

Racists and Jackasses!

Hear the latest from the UK.

Recently there was a scandal when the Home Office was found to be lax in trying to deport foreign criminals. Part of the solution? To try and deport British people with 'foreign sounding names.'

Yes folks, that is exactly what is happening. Let me tell you the story I just heard on Channel Four News.

This guy was convicted of driving while disqualified and sent to jail. After he came out the authorities said they wanted to deport him. The only problem with this picture? He is British.

But this didn't matter to the authorities. In spite of the fellow producing his passport they still went ahead and drew up the paperwork to deport him. They accused him of having a forged passport. When he asked them where they planned to deport him to, they said Pakistan. The man's family were originally from India.

Now people, can you imagine. These bad wud racist idiots have taken a look at this guy, picked a country out of the hat based on how he looks (Pakistan) and decided to put him on a plane there never to return. And this is not just a 'little' incident. The people actually drew up the necessary paperwork! He is now suing as are many others who have had the same problem.

The same almshouse happened in another situation. There was a scandal with the way junior doctors were being hired (another looong story!). Suffice it to say that those with 'foreign sounding' names were refused interviews on the basis that they must be in the country unlawfully.

This place reveals itself to be more and more disgusting each day.

Will someone please give me some suggestions as to a better place to live where it is possible to prosper and not be shot!

Some contenders so far:

British Virgin Islands
St. Lucia
Dominica
St. Kitts Nevis
Bermuda
The Bahamas
Canada
The US
St. Vincent

Any other suggestions would be very welcome.


I AM SERIOUS!

Just read this wcked joke over at Mad Bull. Fantastic. Go and take a look people. It fits into my sentiments above.
http://www.madbull4.net/wordpress/

Common Sense

Common sens is on an extended holiday in the UK. Two points.

A little girl of three was abducted from her bedroom while she and her family were on holiday in the Algarve (Portugal). Her parents left her and her two year old twin siblings in bed in their room alone while they went out to dinner at a restaurant 100 metres alone. (Don't ask!).

Anyway, they are questioning a guy about it and the press here have released the man's name and plastered it all over the place even though there is no evidence he had anything to do with it. Surely it would make sense to not report the man's name unless there's is solid evidence against him? The press here did the same thing a few months ago when there were killings of prostitutes in Essex. A man was questioned and they put his name in all the papers and a week later it turned out he wasn't the murderer, someone else was.

Secondly, Prince Harry is in the army. He was supposed to go to Iraq - really wanted to - but now can't because he will prove to be a serious threat as the insurgents will target him specially. Like duh! Why on God's green earth was his planned whereabouts publicised so much? If they'd said nothing except he has finished his training and is now operational in the army - he could have gone where he wanted.

Unbelievable - but then again sadly not eh?

Shaquanda Cotton

(Get past the name people, this is serious)

Yes, google Shaquanda and find out more about her. I got her story from my uncle in an email. I like to check these things out before publicising them because you can get a lot of hoaxes on the net. But this seems to be legit, much to my distress.

The upshot is that this young schoolgirl when 15 shoved a hall monitor (58). Yes, this was wrong, yet she was sentenced to seven years in prison for it. This happened in Paris Texas, famous for it's rotten treatment of black people.


I'm to mad to talk much about it. Take a look for yourself. (I am still harbouring a hope that it isn't true. Let me know if you get any evidence to say it isn't). But if is is this just makes me sick.

A New Prime Minister

Well, Tony Blair has finally said when he will be leaving - in June. So now his heir apparent, Gordon Brown is doing the rounds as he has declared officially his desire to be leader of the party.

He says he will lead a listening government and that mistakes have been made with regards to the Iraq war.

We will see.

Chalice Again

Just found this story online about a group I really liked back in the eighties. Take a look.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070507/ent/ent2.html

Earthquake in the UK

The longer I live in England the more it becomes like Jamaica! First gun and knife crime is on the up and hurricane like storms happen and now earthquakes.

There was an earthquake in Ken this morning (about 8a. UK time). It measured around 4 on the Richter scale and was large enough to cause structural damage to buildings. The pictures I've seen have bricks from walls and houses lying in the street.

I didn't think things like that happened here at all. Well you live and you learn. Hope they don't come up north.

Third World? Think Again

In many respects Jamaica is in no way undeveloped and the UK is very undeveloped.

I tried to borrow 1984 and The Memorandum by Vaclav Havel from my local library. Neither are there. Now fair enough on the Havel but 1984?

I wanted to re-read the Havel play because I had read it at high school - it had been in the school library. Can you imagine? Leeds central library outdone by a 'third world' high school library.

And also using your ATM card at the checkout without having to sign a slip. They've just started doing that here in the UK since last February when we've been doing that in JA for years.

I've come to learn that the definitions need to be ignored as broad brushes.

The Media Are Collossal Hypocrites

One short point to make this evening. Nearly all newspapers and news shows have been saying how terrible it is that the video of the evil nutter who shot up Virginia Tech has been shown - all said underneath a still from said video!

Puleeze!

The Devil Wears Prada

I finally saw this movie last night. (I wait until movies are on cable before I see them - cheaper). I read the book ages ago and loved it - Miranda reminded me of many female bosses I have had over the years (marmee, make it stop!!!)

Whew, sorry about that - I try to forget these women.


Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the move was good even though they hollywoodized it in some respects. I really like Meryl Streep's performance - she was very good and she looks god with more weight on.


It's not often I see a 'nice' film - so often in the recent past I have been bitterly disappointed, which is why I no longer go to the cinema to pay £7 unless I am sure it will be good. Anyway, if you haven't watch this - even His Royal Highness liked it so it isn't a chick flick. Now I await Borat on cable . . .

Only One Story or No News Today!

If you live in the UK today depending on your viewpoint there has only been one story or there has been no news at all.


ALL headlines (barring the eminently sensible Independent kiss kiss!) state that a man and a woman in a relationship have broken up.


Like I said - no news today.

See you tomorrow - perhaps then a man and a woman might go out to dinner? How terribly terribly exciting, what!

Racists Idiots again and a dancing Tyson.

http://business.guardian.co.uk/onamerica/story/0,,2056553,00.html

You see how the racist arsehole ( I know, I know, it’s a tautology) has been forced out of his job. When will these fools realise that being sorry you were caught is not the sames as being sorry for being an uncivilised animalistic jackass?

For those who aren’t familiar with the story, a US radio DJ by the name of Don Imus referred to the ladies on a basketball team (only two in the team were white) as ‘nappy headed hos. I’m sick of white people saying stuff like this and then saying sorry. Sorry my arse! If you didn’t mean it you wouldn’t have said it. Racist comments like that do not just slip off the tongue with no connection to the sayer’s heart. And they consistently bleat on and on that they aren’t racists, it was just a slip up. **** off to that I say!

As for the CBS executive, they are a million times over arseholes! Making it seem like they are making a principled stand when initially they did nothing, then when Al Sharpton tore them a new one they suspended the idiot Imus for two weeks. Only when the big bucks started to flush away down the toilet did they fire the man. An amoeba could tell that they are not concerned with ensuring their people are human and civilised – just with cash.
***
A headline from today’s Guardian (link to story here) http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2056819,00.html

Tyson to dance his way into Bollywood

My fada! What next?

Leo (Justin) Whyte Dead

Just read this story in the Gleaner http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070412/lead/lead6.html about the death of Justin Whyte. He used to be the entertainment editor at the Gleaner and for many years was the director of the Glenmuir Choir. I knew him - not well but because of my involvement in the music world in Ja.

Things seem to be escalating in Ja. I keep reading about more and more people being killed - in terrible ways - and more and more I am knowing the people. It is incredibly sad.

I pray that his family will be comforted. Same for Slow Poke.

No to Forced Fatherhood

Saw today that a lady who had taken her case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights lost.

The background is a woman was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She and her then partner had embryos made and frozen so that they could have kids after her treatment. Following her treatment the lady wad infertile and she and her boyfriend broke up. But she still wanted to have his child. He however didn't want to have kids with her as their relationship had ended.

A really sad time for her but I agree with the courts. You can't force someone to have a kid with you or at least you shouldn't be able to. I hope she comes to term with it. She's only 34 so she should be bale to adopt.

In other matters what a prekeh with the Man U Roma game tonight eh? First a big ole fight outside of Old Trafford and then a big dussing 7:3 to Manu U. Ouch!

Murder Seems to be on the Rise in the UK

I haven't researched any official figures, but lately there have been a lot of knife and gun murders in the UK. And sadly, the majority of them involve young black men as both perpetrator and victim. It's terrible. I wonder what is causing it? It's very disturbing and for the first time in six years I am a bit nervous about going to London (which is where the majority of these crimes happen).

The latest gun crime though involves white people. Some guy shot a pregnant woman over some feud apparently - read the story here http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2053217,00.html

I hope things don't go down the road of the US or Jamaica - God help us if they do.

Bigging Up the Funk Brothers

Watched a documentary last night (or rather this morning, it was on after midnight) on BBC 4 about the Funk Brothers.

Now for those of you who don't know, the Funk Brothers were the house musicians at Motown during the golden years in Detroit. I also happen to be reading a biography of Diana Ross right now so they were relevant. I've read in many places that they were not credited on the tracks they played for because the powers that be didn't want rival labels to steal them so it was lovely to see them get some recognition.

As far as I know, these talented musicians played on all Motown tracks of that time and were responsible for a lot of great music. If the above is true it's a crying shame that their own people denied them the recognition they deserved. I hope the remaining guys (a few have died) are prospering now and will continue to be remembered!

Hypocrisy about Slavery

Recently at a church service at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade, protester Toyin Agbetu disrupted the service stating that the Queen and the church should be ashamed.

There's been a lot of talk lately about the collective hand wringing and back patting of white Brits about this issue. There have been a lot of events around the abolition of the slave trade but the focus has been on people like Wilberforce. Almost nothing has been said about those brave black men and women like Nanny and Toussaint who fought against slavery.

Toyin's protest and his feelings on the subject speak to this fact. I agree with him. He maintains that nothing has been learned from the experience and instead of being ashamed of their part in it and instead of trying to learn from their mistakes and come to understand black people, white English people see themselves as superior beings because they were the first ones to abolish the slave trade.

Unbelievable! Slavery was abhorrent and saying it is a positive that the perpetrators of it abolished the trade (note not the practice) is as ridiculous as congratulating a killer who is in the process of strangling someone, for stopping mid strangle becaus eit's obvious the victim has no cash.

I see no reason whatsoever for congratulating any white person for ending either the slave trade or slavery. At the end of slavery those bastards actually compensated the plantation owners with vast sums of money and gave the former slaves nothing to start out in life. This immediately put black people at a major disadvantage and it is only through our own collective efforts that just over 100 years later we are where we are. White people were never concerned with the betterment of our kind in getting rid of slavery - it just started to be un-profitable with the advent of mechanisation and a change in economies.

I also have no doubt that there were many white people who believed it was wrong but this is not why it ended. It ended in spite of them.

Even today white people here in the UK haven't a clue as to the ramification of slavery - they have little knowledge of what even went on at the time. The only people who do know are those old enough to have seen Roots which was shown in the late 70s and has yet to be re-broadcast! Why? Because it isn't taught in school here.

I agree with Toyin's sentiment, expressed in an article I read (can't remember where, sorry, try googling him). He posits that white people collectively never did nor do they want now, equality for black people. Any progress has to come from ourselves - by creating our own wealth and institutions, by supporting those mainstream institutions that behave properly and in educating ourselves about the truth.

Check out the story from the BBC about what happened and like I said, google this guy - very interesting. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6523327.stm

I'm Back!!!

Yes, the show is over and I'm back. It was a great success - check out the pix and reviews at http://www.thelaos.com

Was reading the Ja papers and saw that story on the Rasta Miss Universe - wicked. Who would have thought it eh? As a woman who wears locks too (though not a rasta) it was good to see - and hers are rally pretty but that is not the point, I know, I know.

Check out the story here http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20070331T180000-0500_121178_OBS_RASTAFARIANS_EMBRACE_FIRST_BEAUTY_QUEEN_.asp

Later.

Sorry about the silence

Sorry about the silence, but as I'd mentioned I'm doing a musical - Ragtime this week. After it's over I should be back to posting as usual.

In the meantime I've been a bit out of things but I have noticed the news about the murder of the Pakistan manager in JA. It has been on the news a lot here in the UK with a lot of live feeds from Jamaica - usually talking to Mark Shields. The Brits like to feel comfortable and talking to one of their own does that I guess. Some people have been saying that the World Cup should have been canceled after the death but that seems rather silly doesn't it? If the rumours are true then carrying on would be the best thing to do eh?

Anyway I'm no authority on matters cricket - I'll leave these things to the likes of His Royal Highness.

So far the show is going OK but I miss the camaraderie you get from a bunch of Caribbean folk in a musical/theatrical situation. I was with the University Singers for six seasons and we used to have a lot of fun on and off the stage. It's not the same in the UK sadly.

Anyway - later.

SUVs and Mugabe

Went with His Royal Highness today to look at SUVs - we'll be changing our car in August as by then it will be three years old and in anticipation of little feet hopefully in 2008 - and to help transport family members now - we've decided to go for an SUV. Not very environmentally friendly I know . . .

Now HRH just loves the Audi Q7 but at 40 thousand pounds plus - I don't think so! So we went to look at a Hyundai Santa Fe - a 'steal' at 22 thousand for an 07 model. It was really nice!!. If you get a chance, go look at one. The three years is up in August - I'll tell you what it's like then if we still go for it.

On a completely different plane - things in Zimbabwe are going to hell in a hand basket eeeh? Something seems to be changing though and maybe there's a chance that Mugabe will be overthrown. It's a crying shame what he has become. He's never been a saint, but from my reading, and talking to Zimbabweans - he used to have the country's best interests at heart and was serious about keeping the wealth of the land for the black people and not the white folk to owned nearly everything. There's a lot of history behind some aspects of his attitude and actions - if you can, read the summary of the Lancaster House agreement which pertains to Zimbabwe's independence in the early 80s. It's very revealing. But he's lost his natural mind if he thinks that taking the farms from the white people in the way he did has helped his land. He needed a much better game plan and there is no excuse for causing the suffering of his own people and living in luxury for himself.

A former friend who is Zimbabwean posits that his second wife who is a lot younger than him and has a distinct taste for the high life - has contributed greatly to his terrible behaviour. Fair point to an extent- but that can't explain everything. Bottom line is he has lost the plot and needs to go. It will take generations to repair the financial chaos but I hope that the recent rumblings of discontent in areas you wouldn't expect (Southern African politicians) signal he beginning of the end of the misery.

Cricket!

Boy from where I sit in cold h'englan the cricket looks very exciting. Now I am not a cricket person - my Dad used to play and won trophies and my husband (His Royal Highness, for it is he) watches but for the life of me I still can't understand the game and HRH won't explain - so I can't really enjoy it. Anyway, I really wish I had taken holiday now.

I am under pressure right now which is why I am posting less. I am a member of the Leeds Amateur Operatic Society and we are doing a production of Ragtime at the Grand Theatre starting March 27. So I am at rehearsal most evenings. For anyone who is in the environs, check out the show - it is great, even if I say so myself. Here's the link to the website http://www.thelaos.com

Later

Black Cowboys and DB9s

Check out this photo story on some ‘urban cowboys’in the States. http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=4&subID=1237 A bunch of black guys in Philadelphia have taken over some disused buildings and are using them for stable sot house their ponies which they ride. Quite interesting really. By the way, I recommend this online paper, The First Post. It was established and run by journalists I believe.

In other news Ford is letting go of Aston Martin. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article1494980.ece Hope the DB range stays as wicked looking as it is.