The human race will one day split into two separate species, an attractive, intelligent ruling elite and an underclass of dim-witted, ugly goblin-like creatures.
100,000 years into the future, sexual selection could mean that two distinct breeds of human will have developed. The human race will have reached its physical peak by the year 3000. After they reach their peak around the year 3000 humans will begin to regress. These humans will be between 6ft and 7ft tall and they will live up to 120 years.
"Physical features will be driven by indicators of health, youth and fertility that men and women have evolved to look for in potential mates," suggesting that advances in cosmetic surgery and other body modifying techniques will effectively homogenise our appearance.
Men will have symmetrical facial features, deeper voices and bigger penises, That will make a few of you want to live longer.
Women will all have glossy hair, smooth hairless skin, large eyes and pert breasts.
Racial differences will be a thing of the past as interbreeding -( this is not the type of inter breeding among relatives in Tasmania known to produce offspring with twin heads)- produces a single coffee-coloured skin tone. Some people I know have achieved this already.
The future for our descendants isn't all long life, perfect bodies and chiselled features.
While humans will reach their peak in 1000 years' time, 10,000 years later our reliance on technology will have begun to dramatically change our appearance.
Medicine will weaken our immune system and we will begin to appear more child-like.
The future of man will be a story of the good, the bad and the ugly.
While science and technology have the potential to create an ideal habitat for humanity over the next millennium, there is the possibility of a monumental genetic hangover over the subsequent millennia due to an over-reliance on technology reducing our natural capacity to resist disease, or our evolved ability to get along with each other. After that, things could get ugly, with the possible emergence of genetic 'haves' and 'have-nots'. And the workforce a major race of ugly mishapen hunch backed Gnomes
This theory may strike a chord with readers who have read H G Wells' classic novel The Time Machine, in particular his descriptions of the Eloi and the Morlock races.
In the 1895 book, the human race has evolved into two distinct species, the highly intelligent and wealthy Eloi and the frightening, animalistic Morlock who are destined to work underground to keep the Eloi happy. I reckon Wally would make a great morlock.
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Sunday, 28 October 2007
Check out INDIA'S Shocking Out sourcing Slavery
EXPOSED: 10-year-old UNPAID workers who help clothing giants make billions
GAP slave kids
CHILDREN as young as TEN are being sold into slavery by poverty-stricken parents — to churn out cheap, embroidered clothes for fashion chain Gap.
An investigation uncovered the scandal of sweatshop kids who work for NOTHING in India's capital, New Delhi.
After talking to frightened youngsters as they laboured to produce goods in time for the lucrative Christmas season, we can reveal they are:
FORCED to work without pay for up to 19 hours a day in the stifling heat.
BEATEN with a rubber pipe if they cry or protest.
KEPT in stinking, poorly-lit sweatshops running with raw sewage and
BRANDED with tattoos which bond them to their greedy bosses.
When we confronted horrified Gap chiefs with our findings, they immediately vowed to WITHDRAW tens of thousands of their embroidered children's smock tops produced by sweatshop labour before they even reach the stores.
But the news will bring little comfort to ten-year-old AMITOSH, who was sold for around 1,000 rupees—just £10. Ironically, his name means Happiness in Hindi.
Sweating in the searing heat, he wearily pulled threads through tiny sequins on one of the trendy smock tops bearing the Gap label. And he told us: "I was bought from my parents and taken to New Delhi by train.
Branded
"Men came to our village near the Nepalese border with loudhailers in July. They told our parents to send their boys to work in the city so they won't have to work on the farms.
"My father was paid a fee for me and I was brought down to Delhi by train with 40 other children. The journey took 30 hours and we weren't fed.
"I've been told I have to work off the fee paid for me so I can go home. But I am working for free. The supervisor has told me because I am learning, I don't get paid." Beside Amitosh on a wooden stool are his only belongings—a tattered comic book, a penknife, a comb and a torn blanket with an elephant motif.
Nervously, he places his grubby fingers over the faded Sanskrit figures stencilled on his arm in permanent ink. It is the number of the sweatshop he has been bonded to.
Around him in the mud-brick factory, situated in a dangerous quarter of New Delhi, half a dozen other youngsters are crouched over cramped workstations. Each is dripping in sweat, with hair coated in dust.
Their shabby four-storey unit is smeared in filth, its corridors covered in excrement from a flooded latrine.
Another child— JIVAJ, from West Bengal, who looks about 12—wept as he told us: "Our hours are hard and violence is used if we don't work hard enough.
"This is a big order for abroad, they keep telling us. Last week we spent four days working from dawn until about one in the morning next day.
"I was so tired I felt sick. If any of us cry we are hit with a rubber pipe. Some boys had oily cloths stuffed in their mouths." A third boy, MANIK, who is also on "probation" and working for free, claims to be 13 but looks far younger. He said: "I want to work here. I have somewhere to sleep at night."
Looking cautiously behind him, he added: "The boss tells me I am learning. It is my duty to stay here.
"Eventually I will make money and buy a house for my mother."
Behind the children, huge piles of completed Gap garments sit in polythene sacks, all labelled for export to Europe and the US. The company has 3,500 stores across the world and revenues of $16billion.
When we informed them of our investigation, Gap's spokesman said: "These allegations are deeply upsetting and we take it very seriously. Our suppliers and their sub-contractors are required to guarantee they won't use child labour. We firmly believe that under no circumstances is it acceptable for children to produce or work on garments. It's clear that one of our vendors violated this agreement and a full investigation is under way.
"We immediately took steps to stop this work order and to prevent the product from ever being sold in our stores. We are also convening a meeting of our suppliers in the region, at which we'll reinforce our prohibition on child labour."
Gap's iconic fashion brands have endorsements from some of Hollywood's biggest celebrities, including Madonna and Sex And The City star Sarah Jessica Parker.
Founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher, one of America's wealthiest businessmen, the firm last year embarked on a huge poster and TV campaign for Product Red, a charitable trust to fund drugs to combat AIDS and other diseases in Africa.
It was launched by U2 singer Bono and backed by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, film director Steven Spielberg and actress Penelope Cruz.
But in New Delhi, sweatshop manager Mafeed gloated as he explained to us how the child labour deal was arranged. He claimed one of the multi-national firm's Indian suppliers sub-contracted it to his bosses with a handshake, promising cash on delivery."It's how we do business here in India," he told us. "You westerners are too quick to judge life here."
Panic rising in his voice as he awaited his bosses' arrival, Mafeed added: "The workers are here by choice, they are happy, you can see that. We feed them daal (soupy lentils) and rice and pay them well. They have bedding on the roof. These boys send money home."
But Bhuwan Ribhu, a New Delhi lawyer and activist for the Global March Against Child Labour, blasted Western firms who exploit workers. He said: "The reality is most major retail firms are playing the same game, cutting costs and not sufficiently considering the consequences.
"They ought to know what outsourcing to India really means.
"Employing cheap labour without scrupulous investigation of your contractor inevitably means children will be used somewhere along the chain. " This may not be what people in the West want to hear as they pull fresh clothes from the racks but shoppers should be thinking, ‘Why am I only paying £20 for a hand embroidered top? Is this top stained with a child's sweat?'
"Not only that, but have the children been sexually and physically abused, have they been kidnapped or stolen from their parents? These questions need to be asked."
He explained that one of the most controversial industries that thrives on child labour is Zari work— intricate embroidery with sequins that has become immensely popular in European fashion stores.
"Sweatshop owners prefer to employ children for this because their thin, nimble fingers can work quicker on intricate ethnic designs," said Mr Ribhu.
"By the time the youngsters reach their mid-teens, their fingers and hands are often badly damaged and their eyesight weak from long hours of tedious work in dark rooms.
"Their growth is often stunted by years of sitting in uncomfortable, hunched positions at the bamboo-framed workstations.
"Child workers have no fixed hours of work, and for those ‘lucky' enough to get paid, the combined wages of five unskilled child workers are less than that of a single unskilled adult."
Murders.
Mr Ribhu claims a number of activists opposing child labour have been murdered by gangsters who run sweatshops and others have had threats made to their families.
He said: "Look, it is an impossible task to track down all of these terrible factories employing children.
"In the garment industry you need little more than a basement or an attic crammed with small children to make a healthy profit. Some owners even hide the children in sacks or on carefully concealed mezzanine floors designed to dodge raids. A lot of money is at stake here."
India employs more than 55 million children aged between five and 14. The UN estimates child labour contributes 20 per cent of the country's gross national production.
Professor Sheotaj Singh, who runs a school for rescued child workers, believes nothing will change as long as cut-price embroidered goods are sold in Western stores.
He said: "The key thing India has to offer is some of the world's cheapest labour and Delhi has 15,000 inadequately regulated garment factories.
Send this page to a friend:
Vest Daily gaggle welcome's calls from Indian bloggers in answer to this post.
GAP slave kids
CHILDREN as young as TEN are being sold into slavery by poverty-stricken parents — to churn out cheap, embroidered clothes for fashion chain Gap.
An investigation uncovered the scandal of sweatshop kids who work for NOTHING in India's capital, New Delhi.
After talking to frightened youngsters as they laboured to produce goods in time for the lucrative Christmas season, we can reveal they are:
FORCED to work without pay for up to 19 hours a day in the stifling heat.
BEATEN with a rubber pipe if they cry or protest.
KEPT in stinking, poorly-lit sweatshops running with raw sewage and
BRANDED with tattoos which bond them to their greedy bosses.
When we confronted horrified Gap chiefs with our findings, they immediately vowed to WITHDRAW tens of thousands of their embroidered children's smock tops produced by sweatshop labour before they even reach the stores.
But the news will bring little comfort to ten-year-old AMITOSH, who was sold for around 1,000 rupees—just £10. Ironically, his name means Happiness in Hindi.
Sweating in the searing heat, he wearily pulled threads through tiny sequins on one of the trendy smock tops bearing the Gap label. And he told us: "I was bought from my parents and taken to New Delhi by train.
Branded
"Men came to our village near the Nepalese border with loudhailers in July. They told our parents to send their boys to work in the city so they won't have to work on the farms.
"My father was paid a fee for me and I was brought down to Delhi by train with 40 other children. The journey took 30 hours and we weren't fed.
"I've been told I have to work off the fee paid for me so I can go home. But I am working for free. The supervisor has told me because I am learning, I don't get paid." Beside Amitosh on a wooden stool are his only belongings—a tattered comic book, a penknife, a comb and a torn blanket with an elephant motif.
Nervously, he places his grubby fingers over the faded Sanskrit figures stencilled on his arm in permanent ink. It is the number of the sweatshop he has been bonded to.
Around him in the mud-brick factory, situated in a dangerous quarter of New Delhi, half a dozen other youngsters are crouched over cramped workstations. Each is dripping in sweat, with hair coated in dust.
Their shabby four-storey unit is smeared in filth, its corridors covered in excrement from a flooded latrine.
Another child— JIVAJ, from West Bengal, who looks about 12—wept as he told us: "Our hours are hard and violence is used if we don't work hard enough.
"This is a big order for abroad, they keep telling us. Last week we spent four days working from dawn until about one in the morning next day.
"I was so tired I felt sick. If any of us cry we are hit with a rubber pipe. Some boys had oily cloths stuffed in their mouths." A third boy, MANIK, who is also on "probation" and working for free, claims to be 13 but looks far younger. He said: "I want to work here. I have somewhere to sleep at night."
Looking cautiously behind him, he added: "The boss tells me I am learning. It is my duty to stay here.
"Eventually I will make money and buy a house for my mother."
Behind the children, huge piles of completed Gap garments sit in polythene sacks, all labelled for export to Europe and the US. The company has 3,500 stores across the world and revenues of $16billion.
When we informed them of our investigation, Gap's spokesman said: "These allegations are deeply upsetting and we take it very seriously. Our suppliers and their sub-contractors are required to guarantee they won't use child labour. We firmly believe that under no circumstances is it acceptable for children to produce or work on garments. It's clear that one of our vendors violated this agreement and a full investigation is under way.
"We immediately took steps to stop this work order and to prevent the product from ever being sold in our stores. We are also convening a meeting of our suppliers in the region, at which we'll reinforce our prohibition on child labour."
Gap's iconic fashion brands have endorsements from some of Hollywood's biggest celebrities, including Madonna and Sex And The City star Sarah Jessica Parker.
Founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher, one of America's wealthiest businessmen, the firm last year embarked on a huge poster and TV campaign for Product Red, a charitable trust to fund drugs to combat AIDS and other diseases in Africa.
It was launched by U2 singer Bono and backed by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, film director Steven Spielberg and actress Penelope Cruz.
But in New Delhi, sweatshop manager Mafeed gloated as he explained to us how the child labour deal was arranged. He claimed one of the multi-national firm's Indian suppliers sub-contracted it to his bosses with a handshake, promising cash on delivery."It's how we do business here in India," he told us. "You westerners are too quick to judge life here."
Panic rising in his voice as he awaited his bosses' arrival, Mafeed added: "The workers are here by choice, they are happy, you can see that. We feed them daal (soupy lentils) and rice and pay them well. They have bedding on the roof. These boys send money home."
But Bhuwan Ribhu, a New Delhi lawyer and activist for the Global March Against Child Labour, blasted Western firms who exploit workers. He said: "The reality is most major retail firms are playing the same game, cutting costs and not sufficiently considering the consequences.
"They ought to know what outsourcing to India really means.
"Employing cheap labour without scrupulous investigation of your contractor inevitably means children will be used somewhere along the chain. " This may not be what people in the West want to hear as they pull fresh clothes from the racks but shoppers should be thinking, ‘Why am I only paying £20 for a hand embroidered top? Is this top stained with a child's sweat?'
"Not only that, but have the children been sexually and physically abused, have they been kidnapped or stolen from their parents? These questions need to be asked."
He explained that one of the most controversial industries that thrives on child labour is Zari work— intricate embroidery with sequins that has become immensely popular in European fashion stores.
"Sweatshop owners prefer to employ children for this because their thin, nimble fingers can work quicker on intricate ethnic designs," said Mr Ribhu.
"By the time the youngsters reach their mid-teens, their fingers and hands are often badly damaged and their eyesight weak from long hours of tedious work in dark rooms.
"Their growth is often stunted by years of sitting in uncomfortable, hunched positions at the bamboo-framed workstations.
"Child workers have no fixed hours of work, and for those ‘lucky' enough to get paid, the combined wages of five unskilled child workers are less than that of a single unskilled adult."
Murders.
Mr Ribhu claims a number of activists opposing child labour have been murdered by gangsters who run sweatshops and others have had threats made to their families.
He said: "Look, it is an impossible task to track down all of these terrible factories employing children.
"In the garment industry you need little more than a basement or an attic crammed with small children to make a healthy profit. Some owners even hide the children in sacks or on carefully concealed mezzanine floors designed to dodge raids. A lot of money is at stake here."
India employs more than 55 million children aged between five and 14. The UN estimates child labour contributes 20 per cent of the country's gross national production.
Professor Sheotaj Singh, who runs a school for rescued child workers, believes nothing will change as long as cut-price embroidered goods are sold in Western stores.
He said: "The key thing India has to offer is some of the world's cheapest labour and Delhi has 15,000 inadequately regulated garment factories.
Send this page to a friend:
Vest Daily gaggle welcome's calls from Indian bloggers in answer to this post.
Saturday, 27 October 2007
Get some Pork on yer Fork Dork..Bloke Bonks Bicycle..Sex Seeking Sleepwalker s, are they for real? More Bull from Barmy Britain.
Muslim prisoners may sue over ham
Muslim prisoners are considering suing the authorities for £2 million after they were offered ham sandwiches to eat during the holy month of Ramadan.
The inmates at HMP Leeds, a category B local prison, claim that their human rights have been breached as a result.
However, the Prison Service, which yesterday confirmed the incident, said it was a mistake which was "corrected immediately".
It said Muslim prisoners had been given "inappropriate" menu cards for their packed lunches but denied that any had actually been given ham sandwiches.
A spokesman said: "Guidelines state that prisoners must have a diet which meets the requirements of their religion."
Islam forbids Muslims to eat ham and pork, and prisoners reportedly said the incident was made worse because it happened during Ramadan, which took place between Sept 13 and Oct 12.
Leeds Prison holds more than 1,200 male prisoners, of which more than 200 are Muslim.
......
Another slant on everyone rides the village bike.
Man who had sex with bike in court.
A man has been placed on the sex offenders’ register after being caught trying to have sex with a bicycle.
An object of lust?
Robert Stewart was discovered in his room by two cleaners at the Aberley House Hostel in Ayr, south west Scotland, in October last year.
On Wednesday Mr Stewart admitted to sexual breach of the peace in Ayr Sheriff Court, where depute fiscal Gail Davidson described how he had been found by the hostel workers.
She said: "They knocked on the door several times and there was no reply.
"They used a master key to unlock the door and they then observed the accused wearing only a white T-shirt, naked from the waist down.
"The accused was holding the bike and moving his hips back and forth as if to simulate sex."
Both witnesses, who were extremely shocked, notified the hotel manager, who in turn alerted the police.
Mr Stewart was placed on the sex offenders’ register but his sentence was deferred until next month.
He is not the first man to be convicted of a sexual offence involving an inanimate object, however.
Karl Watkins, an electrician, was jailed for having sex with pavements in Redditch, Worcs, in 1993.
...................
Stripped to the Skin Sleepwalking Streakers with Stiffies, Stalk hotel Staffers.
Hotels train staff for naked sleepwalkers
Workers at a leading chain of budget hotels are being given advice on how to deal with naked sleepwalkers after an increase in the number of guests found wandering around in the night with no clothes on.
A study by Travelodge found a seven-fold increase in sleepwalking customers in the past year, to more than 400 cases — almost all of them men.
Many sleepwalked naked into the reception area asking for a newspaper, or saying they wanted to check out. One naked guest was arrested after being locked out of the hotel.
Chris Idzikowski, of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, said: "These figures are a surprise.
"Sleepwalking can be triggered by a stressful lifestyle, sleep deprivation, alcohol abuse or not breathing properly during the night."
Travelodge said it was sending a guide to its staff on how to deal with sleepwalkers, such as keeping a supply of towels in reception to help preserve a guest's dignity.
Leigh McCarron, Travelodge's sleep director, said: "We have seen an increased number of cases over the years so it is important that our staff know how to help sleepwalkers when it arises."
What arises, their todger I bet?
Muslim prisoners are considering suing the authorities for £2 million after they were offered ham sandwiches to eat during the holy month of Ramadan.
The inmates at HMP Leeds, a category B local prison, claim that their human rights have been breached as a result.
However, the Prison Service, which yesterday confirmed the incident, said it was a mistake which was "corrected immediately".
It said Muslim prisoners had been given "inappropriate" menu cards for their packed lunches but denied that any had actually been given ham sandwiches.
A spokesman said: "Guidelines state that prisoners must have a diet which meets the requirements of their religion."
Islam forbids Muslims to eat ham and pork, and prisoners reportedly said the incident was made worse because it happened during Ramadan, which took place between Sept 13 and Oct 12.
Leeds Prison holds more than 1,200 male prisoners, of which more than 200 are Muslim.
......
Another slant on everyone rides the village bike.
Man who had sex with bike in court.
A man has been placed on the sex offenders’ register after being caught trying to have sex with a bicycle.
An object of lust?
Robert Stewart was discovered in his room by two cleaners at the Aberley House Hostel in Ayr, south west Scotland, in October last year.
On Wednesday Mr Stewart admitted to sexual breach of the peace in Ayr Sheriff Court, where depute fiscal Gail Davidson described how he had been found by the hostel workers.
She said: "They knocked on the door several times and there was no reply.
"They used a master key to unlock the door and they then observed the accused wearing only a white T-shirt, naked from the waist down.
"The accused was holding the bike and moving his hips back and forth as if to simulate sex."
Both witnesses, who were extremely shocked, notified the hotel manager, who in turn alerted the police.
Mr Stewart was placed on the sex offenders’ register but his sentence was deferred until next month.
He is not the first man to be convicted of a sexual offence involving an inanimate object, however.
Karl Watkins, an electrician, was jailed for having sex with pavements in Redditch, Worcs, in 1993.
...................
Stripped to the Skin Sleepwalking Streakers with Stiffies, Stalk hotel Staffers.
Hotels train staff for naked sleepwalkers
Workers at a leading chain of budget hotels are being given advice on how to deal with naked sleepwalkers after an increase in the number of guests found wandering around in the night with no clothes on.
A study by Travelodge found a seven-fold increase in sleepwalking customers in the past year, to more than 400 cases — almost all of them men.
Many sleepwalked naked into the reception area asking for a newspaper, or saying they wanted to check out. One naked guest was arrested after being locked out of the hotel.
Chris Idzikowski, of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, said: "These figures are a surprise.
"Sleepwalking can be triggered by a stressful lifestyle, sleep deprivation, alcohol abuse or not breathing properly during the night."
Travelodge said it was sending a guide to its staff on how to deal with sleepwalkers, such as keeping a supply of towels in reception to help preserve a guest's dignity.
Leigh McCarron, Travelodge's sleep director, said: "We have seen an increased number of cases over the years so it is important that our staff know how to help sleepwalkers when it arises."
What arises, their todger I bet?
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Remember: No one can make you 'Feel Inferior' without Your Consent.
SURBITON, Surrey, England, A wealthy gent from Pakistan has had the temerity to invade this sanctuary of the stock broker community, by using a proxy to purchase a rather posh residence, Mr Iqbal Mustavafag his wife and brood of nine children are now the neighbours of Colonel Richard E and Mrs Agrippina, Firkinhead, distant relo's of a former right wing MP for Smethwick in Birmingham. Mr (Send the sods back) Enoch Powel.
To stir the can or put the cat among the pigeons so to speak the Mustavafags called on the Colonel and the Colonel told them to "Shove off" because he explained he was more superior in the order of things than a Pakistani . When asked why, the Colonel explained , although our houses are identical my gardens are better and I own a brand new Daimler Car also we employ a chauffeur a cook and housekeeper and I have 5 million pounds in the bank. "Thank you for the Info stated the Pakistani I'll be back later"," don't hurry said the Colonel"
A few days had passed when the Pakistani gent called on the Colonel again with a liveried chauffeur and a brand new Rolls Royce limo, followed by two gardeners and four house staff.
The Pakistani gent then explained to the Colonel. "Even though I have ten million pounds in the bank and my assets are superior to yours, It is not the only reason I am now better than you Colonel, and the simple reason is that,"
"Unlike you Colonel, I don't have a Pakistani living next door to me.
Vest, Daily Gaggle.
--------------------------------------------
CARLINGFORD , Sydney NSW Australia. late 1980's. True story.
While my workers were involved in detailing adjacent houses prior to sale belonging to a family in one house and the grand parents in the other , I was introduced by the owner to the prospective buyer of the family home who made it clear he was above listening to what I had to say, It turned out this guy in the engineering business had a false brummy toffee nosed accent and did little else but complain why he left Birmingham in the U/K , Indians, Pakistanis and West Indies people bearing the brunt of his attacks.
The whinger from Birmingham bought the house.
It was some time later when doing a Quote in the area I happened to notice a bloke wearing a turban mowing the lawn in the adjacent house next to the whinger, who I spoke to; to confirm he was the owner. I then called on the whinger who scowled at me and slammed the door when I explained having Mr Singh next door was like the good old times back in Birmingham. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.
To stir the can or put the cat among the pigeons so to speak the Mustavafags called on the Colonel and the Colonel told them to "Shove off" because he explained he was more superior in the order of things than a Pakistani . When asked why, the Colonel explained , although our houses are identical my gardens are better and I own a brand new Daimler Car also we employ a chauffeur a cook and housekeeper and I have 5 million pounds in the bank. "Thank you for the Info stated the Pakistani I'll be back later"," don't hurry said the Colonel"
A few days had passed when the Pakistani gent called on the Colonel again with a liveried chauffeur and a brand new Rolls Royce limo, followed by two gardeners and four house staff.
The Pakistani gent then explained to the Colonel. "Even though I have ten million pounds in the bank and my assets are superior to yours, It is not the only reason I am now better than you Colonel, and the simple reason is that,"
"Unlike you Colonel, I don't have a Pakistani living next door to me.
Vest, Daily Gaggle.
--------------------------------------------
CARLINGFORD , Sydney NSW Australia. late 1980's. True story.
While my workers were involved in detailing adjacent houses prior to sale belonging to a family in one house and the grand parents in the other , I was introduced by the owner to the prospective buyer of the family home who made it clear he was above listening to what I had to say, It turned out this guy in the engineering business had a false brummy toffee nosed accent and did little else but complain why he left Birmingham in the U/K , Indians, Pakistanis and West Indies people bearing the brunt of his attacks.
The whinger from Birmingham bought the house.
It was some time later when doing a Quote in the area I happened to notice a bloke wearing a turban mowing the lawn in the adjacent house next to the whinger, who I spoke to; to confirm he was the owner. I then called on the whinger who scowled at me and slammed the door when I explained having Mr Singh next door was like the good old times back in Birmingham. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
Whites at the Front Blacks at the back, and it Aint Alabama its London
Teacher lined up pupils by skin colour for photo.
A head teacher admitted "an error of judgment" was made after children were made to line up according to their skin colour for a class portrait. Actually it was nothing less than a total cock up.
Children burst into tears when they were split into rows according to their race, with white children at the front, and black at the back, leading to complaints from parents.
The head teacher of Sandhurst Junior School in Lewisham, south-east London will be writing to every parent to apologise, after dozens complained. And so she bloody well should.
The incident last week involved more than 100 children aged seven to 11.
Nine-year-old Cameron Amoah said he spoke out when he was segregated from his white classmates and was told to "get to the back" with the other darker-skinned children.
"We were told: 'all the white kids come to the front, mixed race in the middle, and dark-skinned at the back.'
"One of my friends is mixed race so he stood in the middle. But the teacher told him his skin was dark so he should go to the back row. He was really confused and upset. The photographer was trying to make everyone laugh, but some kids were crying."
Ann Andrew, told how her 10-year-old daughter Angela came home crying after the incident. She said: "The children were so confused. They don't see colour, they just see their classmates."
Val Hughes, the head, admitted staff had made an error of judgment.
She claimed the photographer had arranged the children by skin tone to avoid having to readjust his reflector screens. But she said: "Contrary to reports, the children were not upset in any way and really enjoyed having their photos taken."
A head teacher admitted "an error of judgment" was made after children were made to line up according to their skin colour for a class portrait. Actually it was nothing less than a total cock up.
Children burst into tears when they were split into rows according to their race, with white children at the front, and black at the back, leading to complaints from parents.
The head teacher of Sandhurst Junior School in Lewisham, south-east London will be writing to every parent to apologise, after dozens complained. And so she bloody well should.
The incident last week involved more than 100 children aged seven to 11.
Nine-year-old Cameron Amoah said he spoke out when he was segregated from his white classmates and was told to "get to the back" with the other darker-skinned children.
"We were told: 'all the white kids come to the front, mixed race in the middle, and dark-skinned at the back.'
"One of my friends is mixed race so he stood in the middle. But the teacher told him his skin was dark so he should go to the back row. He was really confused and upset. The photographer was trying to make everyone laugh, but some kids were crying."
Ann Andrew, told how her 10-year-old daughter Angela came home crying after the incident. She said: "The children were so confused. They don't see colour, they just see their classmates."
Val Hughes, the head, admitted staff had made an error of judgment.
She claimed the photographer had arranged the children by skin tone to avoid having to readjust his reflector screens. But she said: "Contrary to reports, the children were not upset in any way and really enjoyed having their photos taken."
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
An Excerpt From a different part of our Strange World.
ENTER THE PAMIRS: We woke up this morning (last friday) pissed off at our driver for being incompetent and ready to bolt in general. Instead we haggled him down to a pittance for continued travel costs, and decided to spend the day going into the pamirs, the huge mountain range in eastern tajikistan which supplied the USSR with all of its moutains worth boasting about, which still include Peak Lenin and Peak Karl-Marxa. we were bound for a pass at 4000 km where we thought there'd be some good views.a note about pamiri people: they are all ismailis, which is the minority branch of shiism which produced the assassins, built cairo, once stole the black rock from the Ka'aba and presented it to a messianic zoroastrian priest, and were generally the coolest heretics in world history. they were also pretty much wiped out by the Horde in the 1250s when Hulegu reduced Alamut. the survivors fled to remote regions, most notably lebanon, yemen, kashmir, and the pamirs. these people mixed with the native zoroastrians to produce a religion which is about as muslim as porkchops: they have a living prophet in the form of the Agha Khan, and the Agha Khan, direct descendant of the Old Man of the Mountain, runs Badakhshan through his massive humanitarian NGO. ethnically the pamiri peoples are an absolute cipher. the first thing one notices is that they are hawt. the second is that they have stereotypically acquilline feature( hooked hawk-like nose) but also bright bright blue and green eyes. even more awesomely, some people have colors i've never seen in caucasian (yeah, in the eugenic sense) eyes, including a dark blue that straddles the line somewhere between Ashara Dayne and a Guild Navigator. I'm sorry I won't have any pictures of this to show, but I don't believe in making local people pose for my entertainment, so I don't have any straight on shots of these noble spice-eaters. so the first place our driver took us was to a small village on the pamir highway. we walked past a couple of women painting a house with no men in sight who waved at us and proudly displayed their very fetching pet calf. we walked into the hills for about ten minutes, until we came to a small series of waterfalls straight out of a japanese garden. at the top of these falls was a small cave (2x2) that the spring ran out of, along with a brass bowl. apparently this teeny tiny grotto was an ancient zoroastrian shrine, then one day the father of shiite law, Imam Ja'afar as-Sadeq, rode by on his horse. to prove his divine powers he jumped into the hole on horseback, then jumped out again. this made the water holy, and to this day it is the only ground water i've drunk in tajikistan. it was also perhaps the best water of my life. I mean this was really, really bomb-ass water.down the hill from this shrine was a small ismaili temple, outside of which was a ruined black altar with the faintest sign of inscriptions: a zoroastrian fire platform. pretty cool, but to the lay observer it would look a lot like a modest sized pile of rock. onto the pass: at fifteen thousand feet the world is a moonscape. no trees, no animals, a couple purple flowers, but a plateau as far as the eye can see, punctuated only by even higher peaks, merging with the clouds.there were three guys in a broken down watermelon truck at the summit. they didn't want a ride, they didn't need food. they only asked us if we had anything that could help them pass the time. in a highly undemocratic fashion my travel mate closest to the car bartered away our only bottle of vodka for a watermelon, the cur. inside the cab of their truck, the watermelon trasporters immediately whipped out another large melon, cut off the top, and proceeded to pour in the vodka, drinking tajikistan's finest 2-buck vintage from a sculpted bowl of fruit. one can only imagine what this did to them at fifteen thousand feet.that night we slept at our driver's parents' place in a pamiri village, next to a holy river. behind us a single mountain had three waterfalls coming off of it. our driver's brother also spoke excellent english, and explained that he used to have a dog, but it was torn about by wolves the previous winter, which is the season when the packs come out of the high meadows and roam the village streets at night looking for livestock. he also said that snow leopards do the same, as well as tigers.NB: i made sure that there was no linguistic ambiguity surrounding the word "tiger:" in this part of the world, the only possible candidate for a fricking tiger would be the Caspian Tiger, presumed extinct for most of the 20th century. based on the remoteness of this location, as well as the bored matter-of-fact truthiness of the interlocutor, this is a proposition our local scientistas should look into. the remoteness of this location bears more discussion: in this part of the world all of the villages are on the pamir highway, but almost every village is also situated on river which comes out of the hills. several kilometers back, hidden away from view, exist what people describe as the *real* villages, or as the lands of the anscestors. the people who live here have probably gone undisturbed since the time of alexander. one can only imagine what's going on back there, or what crazy cultural coelocanths have remained undisturbed.thought of the day: Ismailism in its pamiri form is the noblest religion i've had the privelege to experience. our driver and his family explained that to be a good ismaili means being a good christian, jew, and muslim. it also means respecting all religions and seeking to erase differences predicated on intolerance and ignorance. to this end the pamiris, the poorest people in the poorest region of the poorest component of the USSR, almost universally (at least as they put it) speak four languages each, of which one is definitely russian and another is almost certainly english. these hillfolk put the tajiks to shame with their fluency in english, and another of our guides described that the reason pamiri people learn english is because life is only worth living if one cultivates an international, universalist view of humanity. this is not hippie woo-woo or some fad like Bahai'i (no offense to any here, but c'mon, the religion started in the 1800s). this is a thousand year old faith consciously founded on a combination of abrahamic morality combined with neo-platonist existentialism, building on a zoroastrian cosmology which did not divide the world into good and evil, but into truth and lies. the pamiris I saw were able to work this sophisticated sense of worldly duty and metaphysical complexity into lives that still involved painting houses, driving cars, and drinking vodka. more power to them.
Sunday, 21 October 2007
Question Time And let's have the Truth.
21 October 2007
A place to question everything...and everybody.
(1) What's the most memorable thing you did when you were a teenager that you didn't tell your parents about? Would you tell them now?
(2) Rules you had to follow.
What rules did your mother and father have that you thought were crazy when you were growing up? Do you still think they are crazy?
(3) A successful relationship
Do you feel that you've ever had a truly successful relationship? What makes a relationship successful?
(4) Swearing on the job.
Recent research shows swearing at work boosts workplace morale and strengthen team spirit. Do you agree? How do you feel about swearing?
(5) If you could live anywhere other than the country you live in now, where would it be and why?
(6) Your Most Prized Possession?
What is your most prized possession? Why is it so important to you?
(7) Your favourite way to communicate
What is your preferred method of communication ? (i.e. email, in person) and why?
(8) Which are you better at, and why:Listening or speaking, Which do you prefer?
(9) Some interesting finds:In a survey earlier this year, 64 percent of computer owners say they spend more time with their computer than with their significant other.
Meanwhile, 84 percent said they were more dependent on their computer than they were three years ago.
What about you? Do you spend more time with your computer than your significant other? Are you more dependent on your computer than ever before?
Tagging. Aggie, Keshi,Amy,Jay, Sme, Jim, jdsrose.
VEST SAY'S:
(1) Skinny dipping in the brook and having my first Bonk at 15 with an 18 year old young lady. Part 2, not possible.
(2) Honesty and religious fads. I'll go for the honesty factor.
(3) I certainly have, Er in doors and I have been in a relationship since Oct 21 1951 and have been married since June 20 1953. Wouldn't swap her for Quids, listen to your partner, Compromise, tell her/him you love her both when waking and sleeping. Lucky me.
(4) Swearing on the job shows loss of 'Cool' man, and bad leadership. Yes I do swear during difficult-frustrating times - unfortunately.
(5) "Oh to be in England" But only between April 1 and August 31.
(6) My most prized possession is my Sanity.
(7) My preferred method of communication is by telephone then E mail and personal letter.
(8) I am much better at listening and dissecting truth from fiction.
(9) I spend most of my computer time when my nearest and dearest is engaged in a self engaging pursuit like washing cleaning or watching TV Soapies , Or as it is right now while at the club raffle with girlie friends. Rosemary has arrived home just two minutes ago, She won a 'Tempo silverline pressure cooker' what ever that is .
Yes I am more dependent on my computer than three years ago.
21 October 2007 'Trafalgar Day'
A place to question everything...and everybody.
(1) What's the most memorable thing you did when you were a teenager that you didn't tell your parents about? Would you tell them now?
(2) Rules you had to follow.
What rules did your mother and father have that you thought were crazy when you were growing up? Do you still think they are crazy?
(3) A successful relationship
Do you feel that you've ever had a truly successful relationship? What makes a relationship successful?
(4) Swearing on the job.
Recent research shows swearing at work boosts workplace morale and strengthen team spirit. Do you agree? How do you feel about swearing?
(5) If you could live anywhere other than the country you live in now, where would it be and why?
(6) Your Most Prized Possession?
What is your most prized possession? Why is it so important to you?
(7) Your favourite way to communicate
What is your preferred method of communication ? (i.e. email, in person) and why?
(8) Which are you better at, and why:Listening or speaking, Which do you prefer?
(9) Some interesting finds:In a survey earlier this year, 64 percent of computer owners say they spend more time with their computer than with their significant other.
Meanwhile, 84 percent said they were more dependent on their computer than they were three years ago.
What about you? Do you spend more time with your computer than your significant other? Are you more dependent on your computer than ever before?
Tagging. Aggie, Keshi,Amy,Jay, Sme, Jim, jdsrose.
VEST SAY'S:
(1) Skinny dipping in the brook and having my first Bonk at 15 with an 18 year old young lady. Part 2, not possible.
(2) Honesty and religious fads. I'll go for the honesty factor.
(3) I certainly have, Er in doors and I have been in a relationship since Oct 21 1951 and have been married since June 20 1953. Wouldn't swap her for Quids, listen to your partner, Compromise, tell her/him you love her both when waking and sleeping. Lucky me.
(4) Swearing on the job shows loss of 'Cool' man, and bad leadership. Yes I do swear during difficult-frustrating times - unfortunately.
(5) "Oh to be in England" But only between April 1 and August 31.
(6) My most prized possession is my Sanity.
(7) My preferred method of communication is by telephone then E mail and personal letter.
(8) I am much better at listening and dissecting truth from fiction.
(9) I spend most of my computer time when my nearest and dearest is engaged in a self engaging pursuit like washing cleaning or watching TV Soapies , Or as it is right now while at the club raffle with girlie friends. Rosemary has arrived home just two minutes ago, She won a 'Tempo silverline pressure cooker' what ever that is .
Yes I am more dependent on my computer than three years ago.
21 October 2007 'Trafalgar Day'
Thursday, 18 October 2007
A Flighty Bird With Pussy Galore.
Recently nearest and dearest in her wisdom purchased a new birdcage for my sons birthday present. The old cage which housed 'Lucky' was considered too yukky for what was our pet Cockatiel until our son stole the (Female)birds affection. For six and a half years lucky has been incarcerated within a cage with a surface area of 450 sq ins, but the new cage is only 315 sq ins plus it has less height. I just have that feeling that the bird would have been much happier in its old shack - larger and more familiar than the new pristine white cage with less lateral movement.
I feel we humans have little idea when it comes to imagining the plight and stress of the upheaval it places on the bird. Ok so it wasn't a pretty cage, but the bird probably didn't give a hoot and I'll lay odds lucky isn't too happy in his new expensive abode, did I hear her squawk "Squeezy squeezy". Lucky whenever possible is allowed to fly around the interior of the house usually daily and for about an hour, I cannot tickle her neck any more when passing as the bars are too close.
Will this cause distress to the family members ? I doubt it, they have better things to do with their quiet moments, their thoughts pursuing fiscal outgoings of a wasteful nature, myself being the loser should they succeed.
COOL CATS.
Don't get me wrong , I do have a sense of morality and am sensitive enough to know that animals need affection as well as us homo sapiens, particularly domestic pets with an affinity to their keepers, dogs and cats in particular, meaning those in close contact within our homes can become like family members, but even this requires a heap of tolerance to the anti social habits of pets.
In my case, over the years I have been weaned myself away from domestic animals in the home, although in the past we have had a small dog and a cat wandering indoors, the hygiene thingy and inconvenience has been a put off.
Recently our prodigal son returned to the fold and feline pets have become the norm again, by him bringing three misc mogs with him. These three desexed felines are domesticated and have clean habits but are not allowed within our accom but his; yes, plus they have an enclosed garden with outside shelter, the are completely tolerant of each other, the larger of the three now follows me everywhere, I occasionally talk to it when no one is looking, "just not blokey to talk to a cat."
The most amusing situation I have observed is the visit of a extra large Puss who sidles up to the others like an old friend and all seem pleased on big mogs arrival; even to sharing the food without any dissention. but watching the big mog leave is really unusual after a while he affectionately rubs heads with the others the trots off to the gate followed by the others, like the hosts seeing him to the door.
The only other visitors these puddy tats have are two large magpies who steal their whiskettes.
The cats have worked out the Bacchus system, meaning the tray never empties and in any case a sensible cat would never argue with a magpie.
On the last but one visit by Big Mog, we removed his collar to check his residence, so he he lives up the road a bit, but he left without his collar. However, yesterday when he called we replaced the collar, this will surely confuse his owner.
I feel we humans have little idea when it comes to imagining the plight and stress of the upheaval it places on the bird. Ok so it wasn't a pretty cage, but the bird probably didn't give a hoot and I'll lay odds lucky isn't too happy in his new expensive abode, did I hear her squawk "Squeezy squeezy". Lucky whenever possible is allowed to fly around the interior of the house usually daily and for about an hour, I cannot tickle her neck any more when passing as the bars are too close.
Will this cause distress to the family members ? I doubt it, they have better things to do with their quiet moments, their thoughts pursuing fiscal outgoings of a wasteful nature, myself being the loser should they succeed.
COOL CATS.
Don't get me wrong , I do have a sense of morality and am sensitive enough to know that animals need affection as well as us homo sapiens, particularly domestic pets with an affinity to their keepers, dogs and cats in particular, meaning those in close contact within our homes can become like family members, but even this requires a heap of tolerance to the anti social habits of pets.
In my case, over the years I have been weaned myself away from domestic animals in the home, although in the past we have had a small dog and a cat wandering indoors, the hygiene thingy and inconvenience has been a put off.
Recently our prodigal son returned to the fold and feline pets have become the norm again, by him bringing three misc mogs with him. These three desexed felines are domesticated and have clean habits but are not allowed within our accom but his; yes, plus they have an enclosed garden with outside shelter, the are completely tolerant of each other, the larger of the three now follows me everywhere, I occasionally talk to it when no one is looking, "just not blokey to talk to a cat."
The most amusing situation I have observed is the visit of a extra large Puss who sidles up to the others like an old friend and all seem pleased on big mogs arrival; even to sharing the food without any dissention. but watching the big mog leave is really unusual after a while he affectionately rubs heads with the others the trots off to the gate followed by the others, like the hosts seeing him to the door.
The only other visitors these puddy tats have are two large magpies who steal their whiskettes.
The cats have worked out the Bacchus system, meaning the tray never empties and in any case a sensible cat would never argue with a magpie.
On the last but one visit by Big Mog, we removed his collar to check his residence, so he he lives up the road a bit, but he left without his collar. However, yesterday when he called we replaced the collar, this will surely confuse his owner.
Monday, 15 October 2007
No Size Twelve's on Hong Kongs Hangers Creating a Death Wish.
Suicidal over clothes shopping
SHOPPING for clothing can be depressing for those not happy with their weight, but some women admit the task leaves them feeling suicidal.
A survey of Hong Kong women found that four per cent have contemplated suicide because they cannot find clothes to fit.
In Australia, the average size hovers around 12 and finding large sizes can be difficult in many shops.
The survey comes as Australian Fashion Week organisers announced they will not put a ban on using models that are "too skinny", despite the deaths of two international models in recent months.
Almost half of the women questioned in the Hong Kong survey confessed that they were often too big for shop sizes in their country, despite being a medium size.
Of these, about seven out of 10 blamed limited sizes in shops, which often used ultra-thin models and displayed only extra-small sizes.
The survey conducted by the Eating Disorder Association questioned 600 women aged above 16 in the city of 6.9 million people.
It found 85 per cent of women had tried to lose weight to fit into off-the-peg clothes, and 66 per cent were sensitive about other people looking at them because they could not find a size to fit.
The results show how unhealthy the trend for thinking thin has become in Hong Kong, said Eating Disorder Association executive officer Philippa Yu.
Yu blamed the fashion industry for making smaller sizes, so that even normal-sized women find large sizes too tight.
The association is urging manufacturers to provide a wider range in sizes and to follow the lead of countries like Italy and Spain, which have banned the use of too-thin models with a body mass below average.
Hong Kong, like many developed countries, has seen its people become fatter in recent decades, largely as a result of more sedentary lifestyles and a switch from the traditional Chinese diet to more Western-influenced eating, with higher fat and more fast food.
However, fashion stores still stock sizes for the traditional slender Asian frame.
Bloggers are falling into the Fat Trap. If you are reading this you will be aware of the fat factor created by your sitting on your Bot for hours on end, bloggings sedentary lfestyle is bound to put a heap of unwanted pork on your normally size 12 stalk, I am cutting down on the time spent in front of this computer and using the time saved cycling or other exercise, as a result I feel and look healthier.
Hong Kong people with their appetite for the PC and grease burgers are fast becoming the fatties of the orient with even less space to move around than there was 40 years ago when I lived there with my UK Ex pat Family for 27 months. The population in ' Fragrant Harbour-H Kong has doubled to more than six million. Sadly our beautiful apartment 9 floors up overlooking the Happy Valley Racecouse is no more after a life of 41 years.
SHOPPING for clothing can be depressing for those not happy with their weight, but some women admit the task leaves them feeling suicidal.
A survey of Hong Kong women found that four per cent have contemplated suicide because they cannot find clothes to fit.
In Australia, the average size hovers around 12 and finding large sizes can be difficult in many shops.
The survey comes as Australian Fashion Week organisers announced they will not put a ban on using models that are "too skinny", despite the deaths of two international models in recent months.
Almost half of the women questioned in the Hong Kong survey confessed that they were often too big for shop sizes in their country, despite being a medium size.
Of these, about seven out of 10 blamed limited sizes in shops, which often used ultra-thin models and displayed only extra-small sizes.
The survey conducted by the Eating Disorder Association questioned 600 women aged above 16 in the city of 6.9 million people.
It found 85 per cent of women had tried to lose weight to fit into off-the-peg clothes, and 66 per cent were sensitive about other people looking at them because they could not find a size to fit.
The results show how unhealthy the trend for thinking thin has become in Hong Kong, said Eating Disorder Association executive officer Philippa Yu.
Yu blamed the fashion industry for making smaller sizes, so that even normal-sized women find large sizes too tight.
The association is urging manufacturers to provide a wider range in sizes and to follow the lead of countries like Italy and Spain, which have banned the use of too-thin models with a body mass below average.
Hong Kong, like many developed countries, has seen its people become fatter in recent decades, largely as a result of more sedentary lifestyles and a switch from the traditional Chinese diet to more Western-influenced eating, with higher fat and more fast food.
However, fashion stores still stock sizes for the traditional slender Asian frame.
Bloggers are falling into the Fat Trap. If you are reading this you will be aware of the fat factor created by your sitting on your Bot for hours on end, bloggings sedentary lfestyle is bound to put a heap of unwanted pork on your normally size 12 stalk, I am cutting down on the time spent in front of this computer and using the time saved cycling or other exercise, as a result I feel and look healthier.
Hong Kong people with their appetite for the PC and grease burgers are fast becoming the fatties of the orient with even less space to move around than there was 40 years ago when I lived there with my UK Ex pat Family for 27 months. The population in ' Fragrant Harbour-H Kong has doubled to more than six million. Sadly our beautiful apartment 9 floors up overlooking the Happy Valley Racecouse is no more after a life of 41 years.
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
A 72 year old becomes his grandchild's Dad
A 72-year-old man will become the genetic father of his own grandchild after agreeing to donate sperm to his daughter-in-law in London to allow her to conceive.
The unnamed man became a donor after his son and daughter-in-law could not conceive a child through IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) because his son's sperm was not of high quality.
His son will become the father of his genetic half-brother.
The sperm is being screened at a London Women's Clinic, which is treating the couple who are in their 30s and who have requested anonymity.
The clinic's co-medical director, told the daily he had never seen such a case before, but some people are now willing to consider all kinds of options with progress in fertility treatment.
"Obviously the wife's mother-in-law also had to be included in all the conversations but she has no objections," he was quoted as saying.
Society has also changed its perceptions of what is and what is not acceptable. In this case, keeping the identity of the child similar to their own was a huge factor.
The husband does not have a brother, which is why he chose his own father to assist.
A spokeswoman for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates the fertility sector in Britain, said it did not need to approve the decision.
Donations from family members, including sisters sharing their eggs, are permitted under British law, she said.
There has been an isolated Situation where it seems a person became his own grandfather, but this could have only occured within Tasmania 's outback communities where a large number of babe"s have been hatched with two noggins, severing one or the other creates doubt to which head had the brain, it seems opting for the wrong head after tossing a coin to decide, could be resolved by using a double headed penny.
Becoming ones own grandfather occurrs quite frequently in rural areas of Unclesamland, most of these sits have been in Minnesota USA, I wonder why?
Anyone requiring a video recording(Free) "I'M MY OWN GRANDPA", E mailed to your E mail address, contact vest@dailygaggle.com
Remember "If you wanna get ahead -get a Hat.
Or have we got it wrong? maybe Two Heads are better than one, If so what would be the advantages of this Duo Phenomena, your say will be appreciated.
Saturday, 6 October 2007
Lots of Happenings. No time to blog.
Not all together plain sailing over the past week or so , with visiting Gr/ Ch, birthdays. and to top it, I have had flu symptoms, also a comma attached it self to my web address which caused confusion for three days. I have not ventured forth to the outside world, and have been off the grog for ten days, which is surprising as we have had the hottest Oct day on record last Thurs and the last two days have been similar.
I shall be attending Hail or shine, the funeral of my friend and shipmate Tony Jackson, this coming Tues at 9AM Oct 9. there are now 11 of us left in Australia and about 30 in the UK. My name appears in alphabetical order at the top of the list, h'm, gets you thinking doesn't it.
Rosemary also has flu symptoms, that did not stop her having her hair done today.
The dog next door who usually eats all of our food scraps has gone 'Walk-about' His owner told me that he had no idea when he would return and suggested I bin it on Tues our garbage day, exciting isn't it.
Just can't wait for things to return to normal, See Ya.
I shall be attending Hail or shine, the funeral of my friend and shipmate Tony Jackson, this coming Tues at 9AM Oct 9. there are now 11 of us left in Australia and about 30 in the UK. My name appears in alphabetical order at the top of the list, h'm, gets you thinking doesn't it.
Rosemary also has flu symptoms, that did not stop her having her hair done today.
The dog next door who usually eats all of our food scraps has gone 'Walk-about' His owner told me that he had no idea when he would return and suggested I bin it on Tues our garbage day, exciting isn't it.
Just can't wait for things to return to normal, See Ya.
Monday, 1 October 2007
"E BA GUM" Pres MUGABE Removes the last of the White Farmers
Zimbabwe's last white farmers face final push
Farmer Charles Lock is determined to fight for his land in the courts
Ringed by a clutch of Zimbabwean soldiers clicking automatic weapons, Charles Lock handed over the keys to his farm and drove off his land for the last time. Scores of white farmers, the last survivors of President Robert Mugabe's land grab, and thousands of their black workers are going through similar agonies.They now face the final deadline. As from today, any white farmer still on his land will be deemed to be trespassing on state property.
All agricultural land was officially nationalised last year — with the seizure to take effect from Oct 1 this year.
In advance of this deadline, Zimbabwe's army and the Central Intelligence Organisation, Ave IQ About 6, have been tormenting the last handful of white farmers and their workers.
About 50 have been summoned to appear at magistrates' courts. Some have surrendered their farms and homes in despair in the last few weeks
Mr Lock, however, is determined to fight on. "I may have been forced to go but I will continue to fight in the courts," he said. "I have five court orders allowing me to stay."
Four years ago Mr Lock was given permission to stay on Karori Farm in Headlands district, about 90 miles south-east of Harare, after two thirds of its land was made available for resettlement.
Earlier, Mr Lock had surrendered another 5,000-acre farm to the government.
But the last portion of Karori's land still in Mr Lock's hands caught the attention of a senior army officer, Gen Justin Mujaji and his wife, Pauline.
He sent his soldiers to evict Mr Lock, along with all of the farmer's black labourers, and take over the property.
"They came with their guns and fired a few rounds," said Mr Lock, 45. "I was forced to pay off 158 workers. The soldiers drove them and their families off in the space of 24 hours. They vanished."
"The farm school is deserted. I had to move my four farm managers and their possessions off as they were in danger, and while I was away my house and equipment was looted. I was alone on the farm then, and so I just had to go."
Last week, Mr Lock brought a contempt of court application against Gen Mujaji and his wife.
Mr Justice Charles Hungwe heard the case and made a remark to the effect that the courts were being abused. He promised a ruling this week.
But Gen Mujaji insists that he will stay on the farm regardless of the law. "I will only leave Karori if the minister of lands orders me. He is senior to the courts."
Before the onset of the land grab, Zimbabwe had about 4,000 white farmers. Perhaps a few hundred are left — and the great majority are only able to cling to portions of their land.
Hardly any still possess all the acres they owned before the seizures. The latest deadline could dislodge the remaining handful.
The military are heavily involved now. We always knew that eventually the government would go for the final push, and here it is.
The United Nations says that about four million Zimbabweans will need food aid next year. Until the land grab, Zimbabwe exported food.
Inflation within Zimbabwe is the highest worldwide, and the main industry is 'Rape Pillage and Destroy'. Cannibalism will be the next step, when no doubt they will eat each other out of existance. " Long Pig Anybody" or would you prefer a "Kate and Sydney Pie".
Farmer Charles Lock is determined to fight for his land in the courts
Ringed by a clutch of Zimbabwean soldiers clicking automatic weapons, Charles Lock handed over the keys to his farm and drove off his land for the last time. Scores of white farmers, the last survivors of President Robert Mugabe's land grab, and thousands of their black workers are going through similar agonies.They now face the final deadline. As from today, any white farmer still on his land will be deemed to be trespassing on state property.
All agricultural land was officially nationalised last year — with the seizure to take effect from Oct 1 this year.
In advance of this deadline, Zimbabwe's army and the Central Intelligence Organisation, Ave IQ About 6, have been tormenting the last handful of white farmers and their workers.
About 50 have been summoned to appear at magistrates' courts. Some have surrendered their farms and homes in despair in the last few weeks
Mr Lock, however, is determined to fight on. "I may have been forced to go but I will continue to fight in the courts," he said. "I have five court orders allowing me to stay."
Four years ago Mr Lock was given permission to stay on Karori Farm in Headlands district, about 90 miles south-east of Harare, after two thirds of its land was made available for resettlement.
Earlier, Mr Lock had surrendered another 5,000-acre farm to the government.
But the last portion of Karori's land still in Mr Lock's hands caught the attention of a senior army officer, Gen Justin Mujaji and his wife, Pauline.
He sent his soldiers to evict Mr Lock, along with all of the farmer's black labourers, and take over the property.
"They came with their guns and fired a few rounds," said Mr Lock, 45. "I was forced to pay off 158 workers. The soldiers drove them and their families off in the space of 24 hours. They vanished."
"The farm school is deserted. I had to move my four farm managers and their possessions off as they were in danger, and while I was away my house and equipment was looted. I was alone on the farm then, and so I just had to go."
Last week, Mr Lock brought a contempt of court application against Gen Mujaji and his wife.
Mr Justice Charles Hungwe heard the case and made a remark to the effect that the courts were being abused. He promised a ruling this week.
But Gen Mujaji insists that he will stay on the farm regardless of the law. "I will only leave Karori if the minister of lands orders me. He is senior to the courts."
Before the onset of the land grab, Zimbabwe had about 4,000 white farmers. Perhaps a few hundred are left — and the great majority are only able to cling to portions of their land.
Hardly any still possess all the acres they owned before the seizures. The latest deadline could dislodge the remaining handful.
The military are heavily involved now. We always knew that eventually the government would go for the final push, and here it is.
The United Nations says that about four million Zimbabweans will need food aid next year. Until the land grab, Zimbabwe exported food.
Inflation within Zimbabwe is the highest worldwide, and the main industry is 'Rape Pillage and Destroy'. Cannibalism will be the next step, when no doubt they will eat each other out of existance. " Long Pig Anybody" or would you prefer a "Kate and Sydney Pie".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)