03-Feb-12
The fact that they got off with this theft obviously encourages even greater thefts over the trams (probably about £1 billion) and the new Forth bridge (£2.3 bn)
I suspect that our media is indeed so wholly censored that it is impossible to get any mention of frauds far worse than anything Goodwin is accused of anywhere in the MSM even simply in lettercolunns. However I am willing to test that assessment and will let you know if any newspaper feels able to publish anything on the subject that is not government approved.
On a similar note of hypocrisy watch out for the shennigans we will see over Chris Huhne's forthcoming trial for perverting the course of justice. The facts in this case have been uindisoputable (and indeed not factually disputed even by Huhne) for many months, but already the rest ofr the political nomenklatura are lining up to say what a fine fellow he is.
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Sir,
Looking at the wide range of politicians enthusing over the decision to remove Sir Fred Goodwin's knighthood it is difficult to avoid seeing hypocrisy. These are the same politicians (and civil servants) who gave him total support on the way up. I personally find Jackie Stewart's public support of Sir Fred infinitely more honourable than the kicking when he is down being given by our "great and good" in politics.
Double standards are clearly evident evident when we compare the treatment of Sir Fred and Sir Andrew Muir Russell, formerly Scotland's chief civil servant. Nobody sensible suggests that Fred had deliberately broken his bank (or indeed could wish to) but Sir Andrew told the "Inquiry" into how £400 million was wasted on the Scottish parliament building, that he had personally concealed the overspend from the politicians in charge & was duly criticised for doing so.
It is true that be doing so he protected the good name of all the politicians involved, since they thus could not have known of the overspend unless they had read newspapers or spoken to any member of the public. Nonetheless Sir Andrew had thereby admitted to a deliberate deception robbing the Scottish people of around £400 million pounds - a morally far worse act than Sir Fred's honest errors.
Obviously every honest politician who supports this treatment of Sir Fred must have spent the last decade publicly calling for the removal of Sir Andrew's knighthood but I must admit no example of such political honesty springs to mind.
Indeed not only has Muir Russell not lost his honours he has been rewarded with a long series of other politically controlled appointments. These include Principal of the University of Glasgow where he attracted much criticism for his handling of the 2006 lecturers' strike, as well as attempts to close the University's Crichton Campus in Dumfries and for receiving pay rises which were much greater than the rate of inflation; also as Chair of the Scottish Judicial appointments Commission, which one might have expected to go to somebody not accused of such activities; and chair of the University of East Anglia's Climategate Enquiry where he managed to avoid taking evidence from sceptics and was thus able to say he had found no evidence of significant wrongdoing.
By doing so he protected the good name of the scientists and politicians promoting catastrophic global warming. However if a serious investigation of government integrity, competence or honesty were desired and the only candidates to run it were Sir Fred and Sir Andrew I know which one I would want to do it.
Neil Craig
Ref - The reference to Muir Rusell taking the blame for having hidden the cost from the innocent little politicians and the criticism of his subsequent record in Glasgow Uni is taken from wikipedia and is part of the public record. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muir_Russell Indeed anecdotally I can confirm that those at the university at the time are likely to express much more unfavourable opinions of his appointment.
I will be interested to see whether
(A) the same standards are used in media coverage of civil servants, supported by government and businessmen niot so supported bit certainly not guilty of deliberate dishonesty or
(B) the British medai are so wholly censored in the government interest that it is impossible to get any reporting at all, even if limited to the letters page which is the last refuge of governmentally unapproved views, of matters matching the stuff put in the headlines.
Edinburgh Council's application to the Sheriff Court for an eviction order has been continued until next Friday to allow Occupy to gain legal advice.
Sheriff Kathrine Mackie said she would grant them time to obtain legal advice 'on a matter which in not necessarily straight forward'. Details here from the BBC.
Meanwhile, if their spokesman Mike Ferrigan has been reported accurately, it is unfortunate for Occupy to resort to a threat against the Council if they are not granted alternative premises. The threat of 'direct action' is certainly not something I have heard from those various members of Occupy with whom I have spoken.
If true, it rather nails the expressed desire for 'democracy' which characterised my discussions with them earlier in the week. They are, of course, free to obtain the use of council or other empty property on the same terms as anyone else - namely that they pay the rent and convince the owner that they are responsible occupiers.
The following is a copy of a letter I sent to my local paper. My original headline was "More than one Holocaust" - but the Derby Telegraph never will leave my headlines alone! Dr. Saros Kavina is a retired apparatchik of the race relations industry who frequently writes to say how beastly and racist Britain is. A while ago, he actually wrote that Stalin was preferable to Hitler because he was not "racist"!
New tent added (now 8)Eviction papers have been served on the occupiers of the Occupy camp in the Meadows. Today a sheriff is considering whether to grant an eviction order.
It is reported that one of the leaders of the group have threatened 'direct action' against the council in response. They want the city to provide a site for them.
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02-Feb-12
In this part of the world more and more often I read of court cases in which eastern Europeans are involved. Drink driving, driving without insurance and/or road tax and careless driving are all convictions I've read in the past few months.
Often I've wondered why so many eastern Europeans are involved in breaking the rules of the road, but now I know.
It is to be hoped that the transport minister Mike Penning takes urgent action to ensure that no more driving tests, either theory or physical, are taken involving interpreters.
Surely vital to road safety is the ability to read road signs where necessary and be able to understand the basic language involved with using the roads. Back in the 70s I sat a driving test in Germany and had to undergo a written test and road test without an interpreter. Prior to both tests I chose to undergo a German language course which specialised in vocabulary associated with all aspects of driving and vehicle ownership. There was no mention of an interpreter being available and the choice was simple; learn the language and then you will be able to sit the relevant driving tests.
Fortunately my new language skills made it easy for me to pass the Swiss driving tests some years later and I can't recall any mention of an interpreter then either.
Visitors to these islands have a difficult enough time coping with driving on the left hand side and many, prior to visiting, make themselves acquaint with the laws of the road. They may have language difficulties if they become involved in some incident and that's acceptable, but those who decide to live permanently must be able to understand enough English in order to help keep our roads safe.
If English classes, which teach language associated with owning and driving a vehicle, have to be introduced then surely that would be money well spent instead of the millions paid out in interpreters.
Here is some footage of her coronation the following year.
The public perception of the Queen has often been one of seriousness of purpose, but of course over her 85 years and 60 years as Monarch there have been occasional glimpses of some of her lighter side.
I know this is a longish video but it's of importance to us all.
The video is based on a speech by Rodney Atkinson at a public meeting at the Houses of Parliament on 26 February 2008 - updated in 2010.
Rodney Atkinson is a former adviser to Ministers and an internationally praised author of 6 books on political economy and the crisis caused by the European superstate. He has broadcast on radio and television in the UK, Germany, Poland, Yugoslavia, Austria and the USA and his books have been sold in more than 50 countries.
Warmer timesI use the Accuweather app on my phone. Last night it was predicting an overnight temperature of minus 4. This morning at 6.30am it was reporting a current temperature of minus 7.
I'd better check our friend in the tents are OK today.
It concerns the retirement after 14 years of South-African born Cedric English from the club. He was a key part of their recent success in winning the Scottish National League title last year.
01-Feb-12
The poll asked 'Does Scotland Need A 'New' National Anthem?" and the results show a majority for one, although Flower of Scotland seems to have have a strong following too.
With 378 votes the results shouldn't be ignored by the powers that be. An anthem competition could well infuse the referendum debate with a little light-heartedness.
"Cricket is a first-class game for girls, and I'm not surprised to hear that it is the fastest growing sport in Scotland. . ." Liz Smith, MSPMore on this story here.
- EVERY pupil/student should achieve their full potential;
- EVERY student teacher should achieve their full potential;
- There is NO PLACE for politicisation within education;
- There is No PLACE for religion in any area of education;
- REDUCE the size and influence of local education department to the lowest possible level required to support schools.
- EVERY pupil should be treated as an individual and not be subject to a dress code.
- Successful methodologies and best practice should be adopted in order to provide the BEST learning experience possible for pupils/students.
- EVERY pupil/student should achieve their full potential;
- EVERY student teacher should achieve their full potential;
- There is NO PLACE for politicisation within education;
- There is No PLACE for religion in any area of education;
- REDUCE the size and influence of local education department to the lowest possible level required to support schools.
- EVERY pupil should be treated as an individual and not be subject to a dress code.
- Successful methodologies and best practice should be adopted in order to provide the BEST learning experience possible for pupils/students.
- The student/pupil teacher ratio should be around 6:1.
- EVERY pupil/student should achieve their full potential;
- EVERY student teacher should achieve their full potential;
- There is NO PLACE for politicisation within education;
- There is No PLACE for religion in any area of education;
- REDUCE the size and influence of local education department to the lowest possible level required to support schools.
- EVERY pupil should be treated as an individual and not be subject to a dress code.
- Successful methodologies and best practice should be adopted in order to provide the BEST learning experience possible for pupils/students.
- The student/pupil teacher ratio should be around 6:1.
- Teacher advancement would be measured solely on successful pupils/students achievement.
This tree came down on 3rd JanuaryJanuary has been the month for planting trees in the park after 15 months when there has been a considerable natural loss - mainly from wind damage.
Dundee Women's Festival, celebrating women with events, film, arts, drama and workshops - takes place from 28th February until 17th March. As in past years, there will be a great programme of activities.
31-Jan-12
So Fred the Shred is no longer the possessor of an ermine cloak and has been returned to the masses with the simple title of Mr.
Although the MSM has been making much of his fall from grace, it matters not a jot whether he has a title or not. It's completely irrelevant, although politicians will be hoping this action somehow penalises the worst banker in British history.
What does matter is that, along with his cohorts, he still has his ill-gotten gains in his bank account and gains £2,000 a day in pension rights.
What also matters is that he has the financial clout to insist that text criticising his lack of experience in banking was removed from the FSA's 450 page report last month.
The British honours system is no longer a suitable platform on which to recognise those who make remarkable contributions to society . The nominations are mainly political and reflect little about the real heroes who keep the wheels of society oiled with their hard work. For some years I've worked for various voluntary charities, only to notice grassroots workers are ignored while the charity bosses receive the plaudits. Few people volunteer in order to receive thanks, but when they see the credits going to the people at the top, it can be irritating.
What would have been news today is that somehow Mr Goodwin had been forced to forfeit part or all of his vast pension. Wouldn't it?
For nearly a 150 years any visitor to Edinburgh who arrives by rail has had the nightmare of dragging their luggage up the 72 Waverley Steps to escape the station. Some (including myself) have taken their lives in their hands using the taxi ramp, but neither choice was pleasant and I know of no other main line railway station in the UK which is so inaccessible.
When I lived in Edinburgh back in the early 70s, the 'top of the Waverley Steps' was a popular place to meet friends. The merest breeze turned into a hurricane as the Steps were a notorious wind tunnel.
Although 5 years behind the original schedule, yesterday marked a new lease of life for the famous Steps. Finally one of Edinburgh council's projects was completed and the Steps have been remodelled into eight shorter flights but half their original width. The other half now boasts three banks of adjacent escalators for the 40ft ascent and a glass roof. In summer two 16-person lifts will be completed to whisk travellers up to Princes Street.
Forty per cent of station users - 14,000 people - daily take the Steps and with this long-awaited lurch into the 21st century no doubt the new facility will attract many more. One user is impressed.
More details here.
30-Jan-12
Did I ever mention on the blog that Coronation Street's Stan Ogden was supposed to have been an International Brigader? By the time Ian Walker wrote this article in 1980 all memory of The Street's radical past was long forgotten.
" . . . sentimental Labour Party nationalism", indeed.
The Street where they live by Ian Walker
An old man sits in the Rover's return, saying nothing. A few yards away, in Elsie Tanner's living room, Len Fairclough is confessing that he has beaten up a woman, but the old man doesn't seem too interested. An extra, he has been sitting in the Rover's on and off for the last 13 years. The first episode of Coronation Street went out on 7 December 1960.
They all call it The Street, those who work on the programme, like producer Bill Podmore. "People says it's bloody ridiculous," he says. "All them things wouldn't happen on one street. But The Street ia all the streets. That's dramatic licence."
But scrub the term "soap opera." According to Bill, The Street is a "drama series," employing nine writers, two continuity writers and one programme historian. "A lot of the stories are taken from real life. Like there was this newspaper story about GIS returning to this country and meeting up with old girl friends. So we played it with a GI coming round to look Hilda up. Yes, we are aping reality." The Street has seen five births, 20 deaths and eleven weddings, but no abortions.
"We're very aware we're talking about working class people, the problems they have. We're talking about real people. We'll always have someone saying, 'Do you know, Albert Tatlock's just like my uncle whatsit?' As long as people are saying that, then the programme will be a success." Arrangements are already in hand for celebrations attendant upon The Street's two-thousandth episode, due for transmission on Monday, 2 June. "Everyone knows an Annie Walker and a busty barmaid who's quick with the repartee."
The television strike put the programme behind schedule, so film produced this Thursday afternoon will be watched by around 19 million next Wednesday night. "We're ready to go, 45 seconds. Nice and quiet now . . . 15 seconds." The floor manager beats sound out with his arm and the theme tune plays in, that mournful accompaniment to the smoke drifting over the backstreets in the opening shots, mourning originally I suppose the heartache down there on the wrong sides of the tracks, but more now it seems mourning for the old England, the old north.
It is a dirge for the world which lost out to gay rock stars and American detective shows; which caved in with the Special Patrol Group and race riots. The last time any black people appeared in The Street was in 1974 when the Bishops fostered two black children at Christmas.
Stan Ogden sits in a threadbare armchair reading Sporting Life. Hilda is away in Spain, and there us a mountain of washing up in the sink. The floor manager snaps his fingers for the dummy run to begin. Before filming, the producer, sitting up in a glass box, must work out all the camera angles. Young men push around grey metal structures supporting seated cameramen.
"It's great," says one of the lads doing the pushing. "Great. In August you get a straight ten weeks off, full pay. This is my first year, like, and you just do this, then a bit of mixing." When he has finished his apprenticeship, he will get pushed around too.
Stan Ogden receives a visit from Eddie Yates, the fat Scouse, who predicts the pasting Stan will get from Hilda when she sees what a state the place is in.
Eddie Yates, like Stan Ogden, speaks exactly the same on and off screen. "Exciting, isn't it, showbiz?" he says, when the scene is over. "The tinsel, the glitter . . . I'm an 18-stone Greta Garbo." The Street's sex symbol, Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix), says that she expects I'm here to do "another knocking job" as she waltzes by.
Someone tells me Jim Callaghan once said Pat Phoenix was "the sexiest thing on TV." The Street has many famous fans: Laurence Olivier, Roy Orbison, David Essex, Diana Dors, Cyril Smith, the late Marc Bolan. John Betjeman once came round to Granada for lunch. He likened The Street to Pickwick Papers; reckoned that if Dickens was around now, this is the kind of stuff he'd be doing.
The Street had its biggest international audience in the early sixties, when it was exported to 19 different countries, but subsequently those networks developed their own working class soap operas and now only television stations in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada still screen it.
Elsie Tanner is supposed to be brewing tea for Len Fairclough, but the box of matches has gone astray and Vinny, the props manager, tears his hair out. "Shocking isn't it?" he says. "Not a box of matches in the place." Pat Phoenix languidly remarks that it doesn't matter; she can fire up the gas ring with a cigarette lighter, shielding it from the camera with her body so the viewers will never know.
After she's put the kettle on, an out-of-work Elsie tells Len she has just been for a job interview. "Oh," he says. "You're going to the boss's wife."
"Boss's plaything, I'm not fussy," she replies, the cheeky kink of the lips, the raunchy available local girl. James Callaghan could never feels as at home with Jane Fonda or Brigitte Bardot. The scene ends with Len Fairclough, head in hands, starting to cry after he says, "Elsie. Why am I such a bloody fool?" The moment the floor manager winds up the scene, he wipes away the tears and starts laughing.
The fixture list pinned to the wall of The Street's working man's cafe is for Man City, the one in the Rovers is for Man United, and it is in the Rovers that around 15 extras have taken up their positions. "Bit of chatter please," they are instructed. The three men playing darts land all their arrows in and around the 20. "Well, what sort of year do you think it's going to be business-wise then, 1980?" the worker (pint of bitter) demands of the businessman (gin and tonic).
Granada TV should continue to do well business-wise, out of The Street. A 60-second advertising spot for transmission in the Granada area alone costs £7,000. "It's a very popular programme so you have to pay the top premium rate, what we call superfix," says the man in the ad sales department.
Eddie Yates buys his girl friend a half of lager in the Rovers. The woman playing that part has been on good money for the last few weeks, but next week she'll be travelling home to London. She says she hasn't got any other work lined up, but she has heard that her part went down well with the producer. She thinks she might be written back in soon.
Even if she sin't, the programme historian, Eric Rosser, will have preserved her role for posterity. He used to work for the Inland Revenue till, ten years ago, he wrote to the executive director with some ideas for story-lines. His letter disclosed such intimate knowledge of The Street that he was hired as an archivist. "I kept records from that first show, 20 years ago," he says. Now aged 66, he has only ever missed three or four episodes, which he was able to see run through again at Granada. Does he remember any gays featuring in The Street? "No, nothing like that at all. We had an attempted rape once, but we've had no homosexuals at all on The Street." Next Monday's show is going to be the 1,984th episode.
Filming finishes at six on the dot. "We start at 9.30 sharp tomorrow." The floor manager's shout is drowned in a determined rush for the exits. Some are making for the Granada drinking club over the road, where two women, one with a peroxide bouffant, say they have just been interviewed by Tit-Bits for a feature on the women who work in The Street's factory.
It grew up with Z-Cars, Harold Wilson, football as a fashionable interest for rulers. Now, in 1980, The Street has become a period piece, sentimental Labour Party nationalism: coronations, pints of bitter, working girls with knowing winks. The streets are different now.
The outdoor scenes are filmed every Monday on a street Granada built, just behind the studios. It is a row of empty shells: facades and backyards with nothing in the middle.
3 April 1980
Liam playing his guitar
Evicted from St Andrews Square, overnight a small part of the 'Occupy' movement took over a small patch of the Meadows. There are half a dozen tents situated to the west of Middle Meadow Walk.
So why are they here? That was the question in my mind when I visited and spent a good while chatting to Liam and John. Lovely guys, by the way, and we had a good chat - which I'll post more about later when I get a few moments.
But the summary is that they think there is a lot wrong with society (lots of agreement, there, then!) and that getting publicity - and especially publicity that encourages people to be nice to each other - will contribute to the social glue needed to build a better society. And that will help regain democracy. Two very big problems there.
- Action outwith the very precious (though fragile and imperfect) democracy we enjoy is hardly consistent with 'restoring democracy'.
- The evidence this morning is of a protest movement who have no real idea what kind of society it wants to build - other than being nice to each other.
For some time I've been impressed by the work of the Scottish Democratic Alliance (SDA). Those involved seem attuned to what's being said in living rooms and pubs and they have had, for some time, comprehensive policies on the EU and defence - being just two - publicly available online. They have always been open to communications with the SNP because their aim is also independence.
The SDA, along with the more astute political watchers, realise that Scotland will never be the same from last Wednesday, when Alex Salmond launched the referendum consultation. Last Wednesday changed the future of Scotland forever.
The launch itself didn't make much change to the political atmosphere in Scotland, but David Cameron's statement, a couple of days later, did. His message spelt out, clearly and distinctly, that if the people didn't vote Yes, Scotland would be put in mothballs for the foreseeable future.
Now the stakes have changed. David Cameron's statement is more concerning because he's creating a problem, so early in the debate, which could eventually have resolved itself in the next two and a half years. The problem is that the union is finished. His remark this weekend only goes to show he knows it too, but if the referendum produces a No vote, then Scotland will suffer directly from London rule. That's the nature of the beast - the winner takes it all.
Back to the SDA. Last week they announced that one of their members would be standing as a candidate for Leith in the May local elections. Immediately some SNP supporters accused them of 'splitting the vote'. Such narrow-mindedness is upsetting. I see the SDA as a group of knowledgeable people with a clear vision of how an independent Scotland could achieve both social and financial stability. Their vision may not be everyone's favourite breakfast, but to insult their efforts is contemptible, particularly when so many haven't made any effort to understand their aims.
A member of the SDA gave his response on Facebook to those who are unable to realise that the SNP is not the only game in town aiming for independence. I do hope those who negatively objected to them nominating a candidate for the May council elections will take note and before they make foolish comments in future, take the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the SDA's policies. It disappoints me to think that so many believe Alex Salmond alone can deliver a Yes note in the autumn of 2014. As a supporter of independence I believe we need all the help we can get to achieve it.
The SDA have no intentions of splitting the independence vote. Like it or not there are many Scots who would support independence but for a variety of reasons will not support the SNP. A single candidate in a local authority will not detract from the support received by the SNP but it will provide a public awareness that will demonstrate that the SNP are not alone in the drive for independence. The awareness that there are other players who are developing policies for an independent Scotland will reassure voters and help swing them over to vote Yes in the referendum. Over a third of the voters are undecided and to win some of them over they need to be told what independence will mean for them. At present they don't know and the SNP do not appear to be in a position to tell them. We have made every policy and discussion paper we have researched available to the SNP and have not even received an acknowledgement. There are multiple unionist parties who will slowly get their acts together and the SNP will require help from the Greens, the SDA and others to win the referendum vote.
Robert Ingram (Facebook link)
Note: I am not a member of the SDA or any political party but I support Scotland being an independent nation.
The scheme covers much of the ward south of Melville Drive, Hope Park Terrace, Bernard Terrace and Parkside Street. A map of the area covered can be found here (though a few additional streets within the area have been changed to 20mph - see item 31 in this minute of the Transport Committee).
The installation of poles and signs - along with '20' surface markings will be carried out between today and the March launch date.
I will be interested in your views as the scheme gets under way. The public consultation gained quite a bit of support - but it has not been done before on such a scale in Scotland. It is a pilot and your views will be crucial.
Last week I was cooking a curry for tea. I'm quite good at curries; dopiaza, korma, thai - basically any curry you name I can do, and do well. I take pride in my curries. I had bought all of the spices, creamed coconut, yogurt and started to prepare them. I told my wife that the curry would be ready soon. After the meticulous preparation, the dish was to simmer for ten minutes.
I went into the living room where my wife was reading and, to my horror, stuffing herself with a box of chocolates. Now, I know my wife and I know that if she eats anything before her dinner it will put her off her food. My planning and preparation were all to be in vain.What should I do?Would anyone advocate I hit her? I know little children who are hit for the same reason.Society has moved on and we look back in horror at the days when people argued in Parliament against legislation that would outlaw men hitting their wives. Yet people actually argued that it was something we should not criminalise - what went on in their homes was their business, they said.
Today, would anyone say that the legislation introduced to protect women was wrong? Nowadays the same arguments are used against attempts to introduce legislation to protect children from physical punishment. The fact is that there are people in our society who think it is OK to hit children - and some say it is their religious and moral obligation. Quite a few of these people would not see the dichotomy of having laws to protect adults and advocating the protection of the 'right' to physically punish children.
British common law currently permits physical punishment of children, under the legal defence of 'reasonable and moderate chastisement'.In 2004 this was reinforced by the Children's Act which, whilst offering protection to children against 'assault occasioning actual bodily harm' at the same time implicitly reinforced a parent's right to 'reasonable punishment'.
The terms 'physical abuse' and 'reasonable chastisement' are imprecise and ultimately subjective. What constitutes physical abuse and what reasonable chastisement? Is a spank on the bottom with an open hand abuse? What about if it were across the face, or with a stick? Does abuse rather depend on how hard you hit and if so, how hard is too hard? Furthermore, is the nature of the misbehaviour important in determining whether the punishment is abusive or not?
In 2001 Elizabeth Gershoff undertook a study of the association between corporal punishment and certain behaviours and experiences.Gershoff found that children's fear of physical punishment inhibited the development of internal motivation - problem solving skills. Corporal punishment, she concluded, may further decrease the learning of a moral code if its use results in little or no parental explanation of the problem the child is being punished for. Children live what they learn. In other words, behaviours that have been modelled for them by their parents are the behaviours they themselves imitate.
One of the main arguments therefore against the use of corporal punishment is that it models aggression for children and legitimises violence. In this way, children are more likely to show aggressive behaviour, violent criminal behaviour and aggression towards their own children.
Gershoff made the point that it is particularly poignant when children are physically punished for aggression, because corporal punishment models the very behaviour that parents are trying to discourage in their children. She goes on to say that, despite the risk of imitation, parents use corporal punishment more in response to children's aggression than to any other child misbehaviour. Gershoff also concluded, in decreasing the moral internalisation (hitting rather than teaching) of society's values, corporal punishment may predispose an individual to non-violent delinquency and adult crime. Their ability to internally judge what is morally right or wrong has been distorted by the unsparing use of the rod. The painful nature of corporal punishment may induce feelings of fear, anxiety and anger in the child or young person, which if associated with their parent may decrease the quality of the relationship between them. The child may become fearful of the parent who inflicts pain as a form of discipline, may withdraw from, or avoid them, resulting in an erosion of communication and trust between them.
Gershoff argued that children who experienced positive moods and emotions are more receptive to parents' controls and that in contrast, feelings of pain or anger can motivate children towards resistance and retaliation. Gershoff cited evidence which indicated that coercive forms of discipline have a bad effect on the child's confidence and assertiveness and increase feelings of helplessness and humiliation, and there is a significant association between harsh physical punishment and distress and depression in adolescence and low self-esteem, depression, alcoholism and suicidal tendency in adulthood.
Her suggestion that, when administered too frequently or too severely, corporal punishment becomes physical abuse is supported by statistics from an American study which showed that in 30 per cent of the families studied there was an escalation from the use of mild punishment to levels which could be considered abusive. Ultimately Gershoff presents a convincing argument indicating little evidence for benefits of corporal punishment but possible detrimental effects of physically punishing children.
In 2002 the Scottish Executive consulted on proposals to outlaw the physical punishment of children up to the age of three. Of the responses, 17 per cent were from people who were totally against a ban - people who were actually pro-smacking. The majority of these were individuals from the Christian right who believed that God, through the Bible, has instructed them that children MUST be physically chastised using an implement. So hitting their children brings the parents closer to their God. This response was typical: "I feel strongly that parents should be allowed to continue to use reasonable physical punishment for disciplining their children. This of course is useful only in a loving environment."The only guideline that can be referred to is the Bible where it is very clear that corporal punishment has to be used and the short, temporary pain will save the child from a far worse consequence in life."(From The Physical Punishment of Children in Scotland Analysis of Responses, page 9, seehttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/Civil/17867/10386)
I am a Primary school teacher. Part of the curriculum I teach to P7's is Democracy, part of which is learning how to have proper debates. A debate we have recently had in class is the issue of smacking. No child has said to me that they learn anything when they are hit.On the contrary, they say that anger comes in the way of their learning, even if an explanation for their punishment is offered. More than one child described the feeling that they could explode with rage and that they couldn't hear or make sense of explanations after being hit.
As a teacher I have to ask, how do people think smacking benefits children? Is it not for the child's benefit that people hit them? Under what circumstances does smacking improve the learning experience? The teaching profession, quite a few years ago, dropped this impediment to education - though not before a sadistic teacher beat a hatred of maths into me. I would argue that in our capitalist, elitist, violence-driven, patriarchal society, it teaches people that in violence lies an answer and that it is acceptable to be violated if you are weak or not part of the elite.
I wonder how many people who believe that the current situation in Iraq is acceptable were beaten as children? Or how many in Israel can look upon the violations they are inflicting upon the Palestinian people and say they themselves were not violated? Part of becoming politically aware is becoming politically aware of your oppression. Some children are aware of their oppression every day, through the imposition of capitalist poverty and through the imposition of adult chastisement. That the violation of children is socially acceptable tells us something very important about our society. We internalise our oppression and help to perpetuate it through the violent treatment of the impressionable young.
One way the class system is perpetuated is through the perpetuation of the violation of the weak and vulnerable. Back in 1979, Sweden became the first of 15 European countries to introduce legislation that protects their children. Three other countries have civil codes, constitutional rulings or supreme court rulings. The Swedish aims were to ensure that public attitudes were changed, to establish a clear framework of parental education and ensure earlier and less intrusive intervention when child protection was required. The ban was intended to be educational rather than punitive. Since 1979, the proportion of suspects prosecuted for child abuse who are in their 20s and therefore raised in a 'no-smacking' culture has decreased significantly. Violence against children has decreased since violence has been made unacceptable in law. The prosecution rate has shown a declining trend. There has been no increase of parents being
29-Jan-12
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The Department's Head of Environmental Management has kindly agreed to get the fencing re-erected.
"I know the Spartans, that's my old club, have been using the track evenings for training to help it settle. Plus there's the workmen putting finishing touches. Plus people using other bits of the Plezz could easily stroll in here. Shouldn't you concentrate on who's got access to the spare keys? Can't be too many of them."
Oh dear, thought Joe. Like a good princess, she wasn't going to be shy about telling the help what they ought to be working at.
He said, "Got your key handy?"
She passed it over. Joe moved along the wall of metal lockers. They came in blocks of eight. Zak's was second from the left. He counted two in the next block and inserted the key. The door opened. He did the same with the next block.
,p>This way the manufacturers only need eight variations on locks and keys instead of an infinity," he explained."But it's lousy security!" she protested angrily.
"Saves rate payers money," said Joe with civic sternness. "As for security, your crook's got to work it out first."
"You worked it out," she said not un admiringly
That's my job," he said modestly, not thinking it worthwhile to reveal that the lockers at Robco Engineering where he'd worked nearly twenty years had suffered from the same deficiency which he'd worked out after ten.
28-Jan-12
Carloway "eviscerated"?
Independence and Broadcasting
Ian Hudghton MEP on Scotland and Europe's future
How the Guardian newspaper has betrayed the poor
Hootsmon Headlines
How Much Did This Cost?
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Coup d'Etat
Ah, That Frisson Of Anticipation!
Short Thoughts (Martin Durkin)
Greens to sceptics: show us the money!
ESM Treaty pushed through on the quiet by EU Finance Ministers
Morning Star advert: further discussions required.
Coalition of Resistance: We will affiliate to the Coalition of Resistance as a small organisation (£15 per year). It was also noted that Owen Jones is speaking on the coalition of Resistance in the STUC on 15 February (and also as part of the Aye Write! festival along with Paul Mason in the Mitchell Library - three events well worth going along to). there is also a meeting of the Coalition of Resistance on 7th February in the STUC.
CND: Re-affiliation to SCND. It was also suggested that we could run a joint public meeting with CND as part of our POSITIVE campaigning for an Independent Nuclear Free Scotland.
Independence campaigning: We will meet with local SNP to help with a positive non sectarian campaign and towards a positive outcome in the Scottish Independence referendum.
Well Red Book Club: meeting to be held on 18 February in Kirkintilloch Library. Posters to be printed this week and distributed to Campsie Branch members to have displayed across the East Dunbartonshire area. Graham Martin will also be contacted regarding an article in the Bearsden/Milngavie Herald about the launch of the Book Club.
A member of the British army was shot in Afghanistan yesterday. He was from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment and was fatally wounded in an insurgent patrol in the Khar Nikah area of Helmand.
His death brings the number of our military lost in this war to 397.
Four French troops were killed by an Afghan soldier last week and Sarkozy immediately halted operations in the country, but after talks with Karzia, it was decided that they will resume training Afghan soldiers today, but France will pull out most of its 3,600 troops by the end of 2013.
Sarkozy's main opponent in this year's French presidential elections has pledged to bring troops home this year if elected. A survey, published on Thursday, stated 84% of French people supported the full withdrawal of troops by the end of this year.
Anyone with an interest in military matters will know that the majority of the medics present in war zones these days are reservists because we no longer have military hospitals and therefore few full-time medical staff. Lt. Col. Sharon Stewart is one of them and she is to be presented with one of nursing's top honours.
Congratulations to her and her colleagues. Without them the suffering of our wounded would be even more horrific.
Ann Heymann
It says: Executed 28th January 1829
There is a course to enable you to get familiar with the contents of the well hidden museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. It starts on 21st February and you can learn about how surgery has developed in Edinburgh over the last 500 years - as well as see some distasteful sights.
Details here.
Another piece from the Ian Walker New Society archive. It dates from November 1979 and, to be honest, it is not one of his better articles.
I think it initially caught my eye because of the mention of Brian Hayes. A long time ago a couple of SPGBers insisted that Hayes was strongly sympathetic to the SPGB's politics. I never knew if there was any truth in the claim but it was the case that the SPGB members did regularly appear on LBC phone-in shows in the first half of the eighties. Maybe Hayes was just a canny operator, and he gave out that vibe to all number of political groups who provided the cheap knockabout entertainment for LBC back in the day.
Reading the article thirty years on it all seems so sedate in comparison with the drip drip drip of political poison that passes for talk radio today.
Come in, Mary by Ian Walker
Some say it is democratic. Some say it is the best way of finding out what people are thinking. Some say it gives advice and help to people who need those things. Some say it was only invented because it was a cheap way of filling up air-time. Some say that only cranks and bores ever bother to call the phone-ins. "It's an intense way of earning your living," says Brian Hayes, in a break for ads, before the 10.30 news bulletin, here in Studio A at the London Broadcasting Company.
"More than just a phone-in. It's Brian Hayes on LBC, bam-bam-bam." This jingle is called a sting: it distinguishes certain elements of the show, says the engineer who sits in front of a console, separated by glass from the studio, where a grey-suited Brian Hayes speaks into a microphone. He is telling his 200,000-odd listeners that at eleven o'clock he will be talking to Professor Keith Simpson, a renowned pathologist who has just published a book on death, "And he will be here to answer your calls." At twelve, Clark Todd, NBC correspondent in London will discuss Ted Kennedy's decision to run for President.
For two years now, the switchboard on the Brian Hayes Show has been run single-handed by Mark Smith, who has long red hair and beard and who worked in an off-licence for a year before he came to LBC: "What would you like to talk about? . . . Can I have your name? . . . What part of London do you live in? . . . Stay on the line and you'll be on the air in a few minutes." Mark scribbles GILES, CAMBERWELL in black felt tip on yellow paper, which is then stuck behind the engineer's console, where Brian Hayes can see it. "Now we talk to Giles from Camberwell. Hello Giles."
"Chris from Lewisham got a kid who's school phobic," says Mark to the producer, Lawrie Douglas, who replies, "Yeah, I want more on school phobia." Yesterday a report came out on school phobia and this is one of the topics Brian Hayes has asked listeners to focus on this morning. School phobia is ideal for this show: it is current, the listeners will be concerned about it, the callers should have some interesting anecdotes, and it is not too highbrow. "We've got more Cs and Ds than As and Bs," says Lawrie, the producer. "The show can't be too intellectual."
Mary from Maida Vale is telling hayes that her child was ridiculed in front of the class, with the full approval of the teacher. "This sounds a perfectly valid reason for a teacher to be sacked," he replies, keeping his eye on the cloack as he speaks. He must go to the ads and the news every 15 minutes, trail forthcoming items on LBC. His response to Mary is tailored to the requirements of the second hand. He then jerks his finger to the engineer, who plays in a commercial. "Whiskas is always called and healthy. Sam know it's best."
The ads are scheduled either side of the news headlines. "The maximum permitted by the IBA is nine minutes per hour," says Lawrie. "And we get in, er, nine minutes." A 60-second spot on the Brian Hayes Show costs £162 and a 30-second spot, £90.
A stencilled note headlined "Profanity" is pinned to the wall of the tiny control room. Phone-ins, these days, are not quite live: they are received ten seconds after they are broadcast, allowing the "profanity button" to wipe out any obscenities, libels, or "excessive promotion of products." But Lawrie says that the only people he used it on are the Bishop of Woolwich and the Pencourt reporters. At ten seconds to eleven, the news reader presents exactly three minutes of news bulletins.
The pathologist, Professor Keith Simpson, disturbs no stereotypes. He is grey and balding and exudes enthusiasm about his job. "I prefer dead bodies to live ones," he trills. The switchboard is jumping. "This woman has a dreadful fear of being buried alive," says Mark questioningly. Lawrie shakes his head. The Prof has brought with him a man from his publisher, who collaborated on the books he has just written, and who is telling everyone in the control room that the Prof advised the Japanese on the cause of death of the King of Siam and investigated the Sharon Tate murders for the American government.
"The dead body for me is rather like a jigsaw puzzle," says the Prof. "I suppose you called him a necrophile," says Mark.
"Look who we've got coming on next," smiles the engineer to Lawrie. "Dewhurst, the Master Butcher." "Oh, really? Is he on next? Haven't we got another ad? Colgate?" A pathologist and a butcher is (like death and the Kennedys?) an unfortunate juxtaposition.
"The trouble with dying, as Mountbatten said, is that you're so stiff the next day." The Prof is telling a caller he is not afraid of death. The 11.45 bulletin contains the news that Sydney Tafler, the actor, has died, age 63.
Back on the air, the Prof mentions his book again. "He's a good publicist," says Lawrie. "He's done that twice." The man from the publisher protests that he didn't tell him to do that at all, "I never briefed him." The PR plug can be pulled out by pressing the profanity button, but of course it rarely is. PR is advertising and radio stations are well aware of that. The writer or the actor gets to push the product; the radio station gets a good show.
"You've got a buyer," says Mark to the man from the publisher. "Someone wants to know where you can get a hold of the book." The man from the publisher is happy. Lawrie makes a winding action with his arm to Brian Hayes and Mark writes Kennedy on the tape which will record the next part of the show.
A caller wants to speak to "Mr Clark." Hayes and Clark Todd, of NBC, both smile and shrug. "Chappaquickwick," mispronounces the caller. "Why do they keep on about this unfortunate girl?"
"You haven't heard anything yet," replies Clark Todd. Brian Hayes adds that "Already the jokes are starting, even here. I heard one the other day, from a comedian called Bernard Manning. He said: 'I don't know why they bothered to impeach Nixon. They should have suggested that Ted Kennedy drove him home in the car.'"
Someone walks into the control room. "That's probably the lead now," he says, handing a slip of paper to the producer, Lawrie. "No. I've got one already on Vickers." "Oh shit," says the man who thought he had written the lead.
At 12.29, Lawrie walks into the studio with the bits of paper which contain the three minutes of news. He comes back, rubs his hands in anticipation of the whisky he will shortly receive in the boardroom. The man from NEW SOCIETY is to get the PR treatment.
IBA rulings about balance can make life difficult, Lawrie explains over his whisky especially during general elections, when lists of political allegiances of callers have to be kept and the ideological books balanced each week. Brian Hayes, who drinks neat tonic, says he agrees with the principle of balance, but can get irritated by its cosmetic application. But Hayes says there are practical reasons too for his keeping a low political profile: "For the listeners it categorises you for evermore. Stifles discussion. I mean, just the fact that the listeners know I'm Australian is used against me when the chips are down."
At two minutes to three, George Gale, ex-editor of the Spectator, sits at the sand brown felt-topped table occupied two hours earlier by Brian Hayes. He's wearing a green tweed jacket and has long grey hair which periodically flops over his half-moon glasses and he has to sweep it back so he can continue leafing through the newspapers. Mark works the switchboard for his show too, but there is a different producer, Gary Donovan, who says, "It's a question and answer session. Like dial-a-pundit." Whereas the Hayes show is "structured,: the phone-in is "unstructured": George gale will take calls on more or less anything.
The switchboard is very quiet, only a few calls so far. First on the air is a man who wants to know George's opinion of the Iranians holding hostages at the American embassy. Gale calls them "religious maniacs."
"Lunatics yesterday," says the producer. "They were religious lunatics."
Fifteen minutes later, Gale has still only dealt with one call. "I'll pass these through to give him a hint some other people are on the line." Gary takes in some names on yellow slips of paper and places them on Gale's table.
"Hello, George." The callers on the show are more chummy. "Yes." "How's the line now, George?" He had a bad line earlier. "Yes?"
This caller wants to know how the government arrive at their balance of payment figures. George Gale explains. "Thanks very much George," says the caller as he signs off. One more satisfied customer. The next caller wants to know if david Steel would make a good Prime Minister. "You can't tell in advance whether Prime Ministers are going to be good or bad," replies George gale
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27-Jan-12
Phillip Lee (pictured) is the Conservative MP for Bracknell where his electorate are very content. Why?
As well as being their political representative Mr Lee is also a GP. That may not be an unusual qualification for MPs to hold, but Mr Lee is a practicing GP. He manages his medical commitments alongside his political ones and also finds time to criticise his Westminster friends.
Truly radical policies and, hence, genuine change are avoided. The goal was to secure votes and attain office, rather than govern boldly with a coherent plan. Instead of fostering a better Britain, a 'public-opinion' industry was created, the essential component of the risk-reduction process.
Detached, professional politicians had cleverly outsourced the gathering of knowledge. The problem was, though, that polls and surveys rarely raised new issues or introduced new information.
His remarks aren't surprising because most people, with the slightest interest in politics, know that these days MPs have little to do, as so many of our laws are now made in Brussels.
Mr Lee is certainly not naive, yet when he states: 'It is ironic that having had this article published, it feels as if I've taken a risk', he's missed the real irony. Accepting his full MP's salary for a job which is so obviously part time is the real irony.
My only problem with that is that, since X-prizes work 33 to 100 times better than conventional funding he should make that 80-90%.
C4's problem was not that. Indeed in a report which consisted largely of snide remarks about how many other Presidents had promised to do something (the massiver difference being that they all promised it would be done after they had retired) they entirely forgot/censored the bit about X-prizes.
I have yet to see a serious argument against X-prizes form anybody but if anybody has one please let me know. The Washington Post's argument comes from a resident "expert" who says prizes in the $2 billion range don't work, even though smaller ones do. Since there have never been any prizes of that level this is a perfect demonstration of what is required tom be a media "expert" - being willing to say whatever the media want combined with never needing "no steenking facts".
This is a comment I made on Mark Wadsworth.
If your ambition is limited to air and a limited amount of food, space industrialisation would be pointless.Next Big Future has an admirable article on the subject with these proposals for future X-Prizes
If infinite amounts of electric power with minimal to zero running costs were desirable you would want solar power satellites. If communication were of interest you would like communications satellites - the amount of information &/or size of the receiver at our end varies inversely with the size of the satellite. If you fancied unlimited supplies of all those "peak" metals we are about to run out of you would want asteroid mining. If you thought more new materials than have ever been constructed before, put together under zero G might produce some with useful properties you would want space industrialisation. If you wanted the human race to ever aspire to its potential you would certainly want this.
Of course that excludes virtually everybody in British politics - hence our problems.
The only thing wrong with this is that Newt is only promising to put 10% of NASA's budget into X-Prizes.
Prizes that follow upThat comes to $14 billion which is the budget we give to NERC (a quango you have never heard of - one of a number existing to raise awareness/lie about global warming) over 16 years. So let anybody who says we can't afford it explain that.
Have a $60 million prize for a robotic lunar base by 2017.
$300 million prize for more elaborate robotic lunar base by 2018.
$200 million prize for robotic and/or teleoperated base in earth orbit by 2015.
$500 million prize for manned inflatable base at earth orbit by 2016.
$1 billion prize for manned inflatable base at a lagrange point by 2018.
$2 billion prize for manned base on the moon by 2019 (not permanent but weeks at a time.)
$10 billion prize for the permanent manned base by 2020.
Have a lot more sub-prizes for other goals.
Thanks to Edward Spalton.
26-Jan-12
The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon has called upon the Scottish Parliament to recommit to the principles of the Scottish Claim of Right:
Presiding officer, the motion for this afternoon's debate is deliberately simple. It states that "This Parliament acknowledges the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of Government best suited to their needs, and declares and pledges that in all its actions and deliberations their interests shall be paramount."
This paraphrases the Scottish Constitutional Convention Claim of Right, 1989, to which all Scottish Labour and Scottish Lib Dem MPs - with the exception of Tam Dalyell - put their names:
We, gathered as the Scottish Constitutional Convention, do hereby acknowledge the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of government best suited to their needs, and do hereby declare and pledge that in all our actions and deliberations their interests shall be paramount.
It's very difficult to see how today's Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs could refuse to endorse Sturgeon's 2012 Claim of Right, and having done so, it's very difficult to see how they could then fail to cooperate over the inclusion of a Devo-Max option on the referendum ballot paper (seeing as the majority of Scots seem to believe Devo-Max to be "the form of Government best suited to their needs".
Total M4 money supply in Britain £2,100 billion
British GDP £1,600 billion
Ratio 1.31
Maximum theoretical sustainable growth rate 23.8%. OK I will accept that this is theoretical but the theory is unquestioned. In the actual world the highest growth rates, excluding countries coming out of wars or discovering vast quantities of oil are, for sovereign state, Singapore last year at 14.4% and for economic areas, Guandong province in China which has been doing 20% for years so not that far short of theory.
Amount raised by British taxes 36.9% of GDP (app £600 bn)
Amount by which money should be raised if we had 23.8% growth = £1.600bn X 23.8 X 1.31 = £500 million.
Amount in the second year (23.8% higher) £620.
And so on.By the 3rd year we would be getting in £760 bn - roughly current government spending (so no deficit). Obviously also with the GDP base growing there would be absolutely no problem borrowing.
Not saying that we shouldn't be cutting the cost of government - we definitely should if only because big government parasitism is what is preventing growth. Nor that we should rely on that sort of growth rate - nobody sensible relies on best possible outcomes all the time.
But I am saying that deficits, inflation, national bankruptcy etc are not the real issues. All of those are merely the symptoms of the real problem which is that growth is being deliberately prevented by Luddite government parasitism. Solve that, the solution is easy and obvious, and everything else is easy.
24 point out of recession in days plan
Then again, it might not close if a buyer is found. See link below for details. (I'm travelling and having difficulty inserting the normal links).
Click here for the link
