Dame Anita Roddick & two-faced Broon

Dies of a brain haemorrhage. Story here.

Apparently our Prime Minister said:

Gordon Brown paid tribute to Dame Anita, calling her "one of the country's true pioneers" and an "inspiration" to businesswomen.

He said: "She campaigned for green issues for many years before it became fashionable to do so and inspired millions to the cause by bringing sustainable products to a mass market.

"She will be remembered not only as a great campaigner but also as a great entrepreneur."

As Chancellor and now as PM, he shows nothing but contempt for the pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit of individuals.

Jeremy Jacobs - Corporate Presenter

Financial markets - what next?

The Financial Times says the International Monetary Fund chief, Rodrigo de Rato, believes the current instability in financial markets might be healthy in long term.

He suggested that trust needs to be restored in the financial system in his interview with John Thornhill of FT Video

What's your view about this? Will the mortgage rate in the UK rise once more along with a slowing down of the US economy?

Best political blog post of the week........read on

From Devil's Kitchen. It's here in full and is about the ghastly Keith Vaz. You remember, he was at the centre of the Hinduja brothers scandal in 2001.

Keith Vaz: corrupt, hypocritical little turd*

Via The Briff, compare and contrast the contrasting opinions of corrupt MP, Keith Vaz, over the period of just one month.

Keith Vaz, in a letter to the Telegraph, July 30 2007:

"The EU Reform Treaty ("EU treaty published - but only in French", report, July 27) is fundamentally in British and European interests. There is no need for a referendum on a text that had been directed to abandon the constitutional concept, and meets British demands on foreign policy, tax and the judicial system".

Keith Vaz, in a letter to the Sun, August 31 2007:

"I believe in the European Union. And as a former Minister for Europe I believe the time has come for the Government to hold a referendum and decide once and for all Britain’s place is at the heart of Europe”.

A month is a long time in politics, it seems.

You're not wrong there, matey. It seems that, for the perfidious Vaz, it is long enough for him to entirely change his point of view...


* No, I am not calling him a turd because he is brown. I am calling him a turd because he is a fucking turd.

Goodie Bags

My lovely internet friend, Jennifer Jones, has launched a campaign to rid the world of plastic bags.

Details here












Jeremy Jacobs - Corporate Presenter

Le Tour de France - Stage One in Kent

Just arrived back from the "Garden of England", where I and around 1 million others between London and Canterbury saw the First Stage of the Tour De France.

My friends and I managed to fine a piece of grass by the roadside (at Hadlow, adjacent to Tonbridge on the A26) at around 11.15am. Within minutes the entourage
started to speed through. There were various French registered vehicles full of pretty girls lobbing pens, sweets and other items to the roadside spectators. Numerous members of the French "gendarmerie" and Kent Constabulary then sped past on their motorbikes causing anxiety amongst the local mothers whose recalcigent offspring were darting into the road then back again onto the grass verges. I think the lack of crowd control would have sent those who work in "Health and Safety" into apoplexy.

Every now and again one would hear "Hallo" and "Ca va" coming from a loudhailer perched on one of the cars. This seemed to confuse the hell out of the locals. I overheard one saying "can't they speak in English?". I didn't have the heart to explain to the elderly lady that the French never speak in English unless they want to sell you something. (or insult you)

Towards 1.00pm, a shout went up. "Look Dad there's a helicopter". Indeed there was. In fact three roared into view and then very shortly the leading pack of riders, numbering 5 or 6 came past in a flash - followed by the "peloton". Enormous cheers went up from the crowd. Union flags were waved and everyone seemed to love those fit young men bedecked in pink, pale and royal blue, red, green and yellow. I half expected a float from Margate carnival to appear it was so colourful. An eerie silence then ensued as the last of the riders went past followed by support vehicles and at the very back was a solitary ambulance crawling along.

Within minutes the crowds had dispersed and we walked back our car wondering when Kent would see such a spectacle again. A little later, the Australian Robbie McEwen( see photo) produced a stunning piece of riding to claim victory at the Stage One finish in Canterbury.

Stage Two will be from Dunkirk to Ghent.

It's Wednesday and it's still raining.

when will it end. Or is the end?

Blog of the Week

Improve your understanding of English at:

Separated by a Common Language

What are you doing about Darfur?

This evening I attended an excellent talk arranged by the JCC. The meeting, which discussed the genocide in Darfur, was chaired by former MP, Stephen Twigg, who represented the Aegis Foundation. His guests were Ruth Messinger, President of the American Jewish World Service, Clive Lawton from the charity Tzedek and Dr. Mukesh Kapila, former head of the UN mission in Sudan.

The event was supported by the Pears Foundation who issued a booklet outlining the background to this first genocide of the 21st century. Their Executive Chair, Trevor Pears wrote this introduction:

Since 2003, the government of Sudan and their proxy militia, the Janjaweed, ( roughly translated means Devils on Horseback) have been waging a genocidal campaign against black African tribes in Darfur, western Sudan. Up to four hundred thousand men, women and children have died. A further two million people have fled their homes, with 200,000 living in refugee camps in Chad and the remaining languishing in camps for internally displaced persons in Darfur.
Trevor Pears' introduction went on to outline how Jewish communities could respond.

In the audience there were members of the Darfurian community in London. One of their members thanked the Jewish community for raising awareness and the state of Israel for managing to provide refuge for many of his people.

These facts were mentioned:

1. The British Government is considering repatriating asylum-seekers of Darfurian background back to Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.

2. The Sudanese air-force paints some of its aircraft in UN livery. Then uses the same aircraft to attack civilians.

3. Pressure should be placed on the Chinese government who purchase oil from Sudan. 70% of the income derived from this trade is spent on arms.

All who attended were urged to write to their MP's. Can I ask the same of UK bloggers? Here's a sample letter:

Dear.......

I am writing to you as a matter of urgency regarding the situation in Darfur. As you will be aware there has been a wave of violence over the past four years against those of black African
descent living in the area. Cautious estimates are that 200,000 have been murdered, although many humanitarian and campaign organisations suggest it is more likely that 400,000 people have been killed, with violence, gang rapes and forced displacement also taking place.

Whilst I support Tony Blair's recent staement that there is a need for a "no-fly zone" over Sudan, these words must be coupled with action. The no fly zone must be pushed at the United Nations, alongside the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force along the Chad-Darfur border. Statements are of no use to the vulnerable people of Darfur unless they are turned into a reality.

Additionally, I ask you to address the situation in the UK of detaining and deporting of asylum seekers back to to Khartoum. Not only does this put individuals in huge danger but sending asylum seekers back to Khartoum, the capital city from where the government-backed violent regime is organised, sends a message to the Sudanese government that the UK does not recognise the gravity of the situation in Darfur. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has recommended that it is too dangerous to deport Darfuri asylum seekers back to Sudan. I urge you to challenge this policy of the Home Office immediately.

Public Speaking (Fear of)

Over at my main site, I've received an interesting comment concerning the fear of public-speaking. It's all to do with of adrenalin. Take a look at Christina's remarks. It may alter your view on your fear of public-speaking.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian..............

......have you read this bestseller? Author Marina Lewycka was one of four writers at an event I attended with my father earlier this week. Her new book, Two Caravans is out shortly. Chairing the evening was biographer, journalist and former Reuters foreign correspondent, Anna Sebba. The theme of the evening was Roots and Wings as the organiser, JCC highlights......

There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings’. Hodding Carter II, Pulitzer-prize winning writer.

Join writers Charlotte Mendelson, Sarfraz Manzoor, Marina Lewycka and Hannah Pool, as they discuss the journey from roots to wings via family, religion and ethnic identity.

Charlotte Mendelson’s new novel, When We Were Bad, is a darkly comic story about a female rabbi and her dysfunctional brood. Sarfraz Manzoor has written Greetings From Bury Park, an affectionate memoir of growing up Muslim in Britain. Marina Lewycka has followed a Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian with another witty best-seller, Two Caravans, featuring strawberry-picking immigrants. Hannah Pool, adopted from an orphanage and brought to England, returned to Eritrea as an adult to seek her real father and wrote the much praised My Fathers’ Daughter.

Slow down you move too fast!

What an amazing post this is!
A "newbie" blogger by the name of Joanna Young from Edinburgh, has highlighted a very modern problem.
Don't know about you but I'm always buzzing around doing stuff. I know I must slow down, relax a bit more and so on. I've recently taken up yoga again and have toyed with the idea of some meditation.
What do you do to slow down?

clipped from coachingwizardry.typepad.com Do you feel like you're rushing all the time? If so, you might not be imagining it. There's a story in the papers today on the pace of life in the world's cities. And it's 10% faster in 2007 than it was in the early 1990s. The study is based on the speed that pedestrians walk at - which they say is a good measure of the pace of life in a city. Going so much faster is not good news. They reckon that people in fast moving cities are less likely to help other people and have higher rates of coronary heart disease. The fastest moving city is Singapore - where they take 10.55 seconds to walk 60ft. New York comes in at number 8 - slower than Dublin would you believe. Edinburgh was reassuringly slow at 13.29 seconds. You can find out the pace of life in your city here. If you think you might be going too fast you can take the Quirkology test (by the guys that did the pace of life project).

Sheryl Crow on toilet paper

A way of "saving the environment" according to singer Sheryl Crow is to use less toilet paper. One square is all you need according to this addle-brained, dimwitted, has-been singer songwriter.
Another one of her crack-pot ideas is that everyone should live in a space no bigger than 100 sq. feet.

Green politics = mental disorder

Dreamland's slow death

Dr Simon Moores of Thanet Life posted these two photos of Dreamland at Margate. They show the huge contrast in the funfair's fortunes. Margate, like so many of Britain's seaside resorts have become almost ghost-towns. Cheap foreign holidays, English weather and poor facilities have condemned places like Margate to the scrapheap.

Successful seaside resorts like Bournemouth, Eastbourne, Brighton & Blackpool appear to have have adapted to change. Presumably, their local authorities have had the foresight to re-invent their respective towns in order to cater for modern trends. There's no reason why this couldn't have happened to my home town. Moreover, just down the road at Manston/Kent International Airport, there's the third longest runway in the country. Why can't it be London's fourth airport? Plans are underway for a fast train link to London nearby and Margate's silted-up harbour could be turned into a magnificent marina. I could go on.....

Days to Remember by Simon Moores

With summer upon us early this year, here's a photo of Dreamland in all its glory.

I can still recall the smell of the hot dogs and onions and the excitement of the rides and attractions, when as a small boy, I was allowed my annual outing to the amusement park when it was the heart of Margate's summer tourism industry.

Here also is a photo that I took more recently. Do you notice any small differences?

Altruism at Virginia Tech last week

Blonde Sagacity wrote this about Holocaust survivor Liviu Librescu, who protected students from Cho Seung-Hui and in doing so, lost his life.

She said......................

"Given that in a high pressure situation, altruism was his innate instinct… I doubt he would have allowed it to go down any other way. And I can’t help but think of the glaring divide between the fundamentalist Muslim that will blow himself up taking numerous innocents with him --and the Holocaust surviving Jew that will be killed to save the innocents... What a wonderful legacy".

Do Bloggers feel isolated?

Are you an academic, or thinking and regular Blogger?

Do you feel lonely, isolated even depressed?

In a post by my friend Gloria Moss of the University of Glamorgan, she highlights difficulties faced by "British individualism" amongst academics. Does this extend to the Blogosphere and cyberspace in general?.

UPDATE
Looks like Dr Blogstein will be isolated after his outburst directed towards Tisha. What a schmuck.

Sir Martin Sorrell (3)

Posted this about Sir Martin recently.

And the defamation case in which Sir Martin was awarded £100000 in damages finished yesterday and for some reason today's Times Online appears to have a bit of a dig. Is it their general view about these types of cases, or the huge legal bills that both sides will have to cough up?

Politics - "How English are you"

Daily Referendum has this test on his site. I got 84% correct. Can you beat me?

Watch out Jeremy!!

The latest cartoon from Gaping Void says it all!!

10 top tips for maintaining a healthy weight

Whilst I'm on the subject of maintaining a healthy weight, I've decided to post 10 top tips from the Cancer Research UK website. There's tons of good advice here. When you read down the list I'm sure you'll see things that we could all do better. Like the one about watching TV whilst eating!!!

1. Keep to your meal routine. Try to eat at roughly the same times each day, whether this is two or five times a day. For more information, go to our Eating Habits section.
2. Go reduced fat. Choose reduced fat versions of foods such as dairy products, spreads and salad dressings where you can. Use them sparingly as some can still be high in fat. For more information, go to our Hidden Calories section.
3. Walk off the weight. Walk 10,000 steps (about 60-90 minutes of moderate activity) each day. You can use a pedometer to help count the steps. You can break up your walking over the day. For more information, go to our Walking section.
4. Pack a healthy snack. If you snack, choose a healthy option such as fresh fruit or low calorie yogurts instead of chocolate or crisps. For more information, go to our Healthy Meal Ideas section.
5. Look at the labels. Be careful about food claims. Check the fat and sugar content on food labels when shopping and preparing food. For more information, go to our Look at the Labels section.
6. Caution with your portions. Don’t heap food on your plate (except vegetables). Think twice before having second helpings. For more information, go to our Portion Caution section.
7. Up on your feet. Break up your sitting time. Stand up for ten minutes out of every hour. For more information, go to our Keep on Moving section.
8. Think about your drinks. Choose water or sugar-free squashes. Unsweetened fruit juice contains natural sugar so limit it to 1 glass per day (200ml / 1/3 pint). Alcohol is high in calories; try to limit the amount you drink. For more information, go to our Hidden Calories section.
9. Focus on your food. Slow down. Don’t eat on the go or while watching TV. Eat at a table if possible. For more information, go to our Eating Habits section.
10. Don’t forget your 5 a day. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day (400g in total). For more information, go to our Five a Day section.

Blogging Comments

This article appears at Todaysten.com Do you agree with the points made?

I've added my two-bobs worth in bright red

Lately I have been toying with the idea of allowing comments on www.TodaysTen.com. In true TodaysTen’s Fashion, I have came up with a list. 5 reasons each for allowing or not allowing comments on TodaysTen.com. From this post on, I will be running a trial to see if comments really do increase both the quantity and quality of readership. Of course I would hope that comments will stay and make TodaysTen and me a better resource for you.

5+5 Reasons for/Against comments on Blogs

The 5 reasons TO allow comments:

1. Readers become contributors and are more engaged
-> a. Readers are smart people and they can contribute intelligent viewpoints. Give them a chance! (Yes, and attracts all types of people)

2. Allow contributors to link to their blog
-> a. I would like to get into the head of my readers. So link your blog from your comments and I will visit your blog. If you do not have a blog, consider starting one. (Agreed)

3. Allow off topic discussion that may become the focus of your next post
-> a. I plan my writing every Sunday. The week’s writing is usually planned and written before the day of posting. I like to have a buffer in case I run out of topics to write. However I might still run out of ideas. So please tell me what else you are interested in and I will do my research and write an article on it. ( But what about breaking news?)

4. Allow you to know what your readers are reading and who they are
-> a. So far this blog has been a one way conversation. What do you all think of my writing so far? What else would you like to read? (getting feedback is great - even better if you can get a testimonial)

5. Allow for self improvement through criticism
-> a. I would like readers to point out my mistakes and shortcomings. If you had been consistently reading my blog, you would have a sense that I like self improvement. One of the best ways is through CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. So please help me by commenting on my short comings and how I can improve them. (You could make this the subject of a special post)

The 5 reasons NOT TO allow comments:

6. Spam Comments
-> a. Useless comment that says “I agree/disagree”, “Good Job/lousy job” etc
-> b. Truly spam comments from bots and people who have nothing to contribute and just want to promote their obviously glaring ulterior motives ( I agree isn't a useless comment, IMHO. Agree strongly with point b.)

7. No time to response to comments that attack you
-> a. I make it a point to make a post daily. I will also make it a point to read all comments religiously but I might not respond. I don’t like arguments and it takes 2 keyboards to argue over the internet, so if I won’t participate, hopefully you will go away.(or I can just delete your comment) - Agreed

8. Comments can be hijacked by one person starting a flame war
-> a. Again, I don’t like arguments. Especially if they are started because someone personally attacked someone. Internet conversations have an uncanny ability to morph into flame wars after the 10+ post. ( You may be able to "cut-off" comments after a period of time - check your blog platform)

9. Comments are unverified information by anonymous people
-> a. Anonymous people who hit and run are the worst type. Be active and visible. Link to your blog so that other readers can see who you are and the other viewpoints that you are bringing into the discussions. ( I delete those types of comments)

10. No one reads them most of the time
-> a. Comments require a click to open. 80% of the people won’t be clicking on them. Worst…what if my blog has low reader participation. Won’t it mean to new readers that this is a blog that is still waiting to be discovered? (Not if the post is provocative enough)

So now the floor is open! Comment to your hearts’ delight and tell me what you think!


Over to you!!