Children in Need Day

Don't worry this isn't a plug for money, nor what events are on in the local area or even in the country and while I do support the charity that isn't what this post is about.

I was watching a programme on BBC3 The World's Strictest Parents, this time from Lebanon with Iman and her husband and family taking in two british teenagers Debbie and Daniel. It started off in the usual way, showing the teenagers at their worst with their family, swearing, drinking etc and then the time they spent in Lebanon including time at a school.

I started to really have some sympathy for Debbie, who uses make-up and the way she dresses to avoid bullying and this led also to some of the problems with her family and being able to apologise without feeling as though she has lost the argument. Even Daniel, as the week grew on, had a minor revelation in that doing something as simple as mending bikes (it might be for him but to me it is a major skill) for a children's orphanage.

Both of them benefitted from the experience, not just the change in culture but it allowed them to see for themselves the effect their behaviour had, not only on themselves but also on their families.

So what do Children need, well for certain it isn't carte blanche for bad behaviour none of us are angels, but they do need parents who care for them enough to set standards for them to adhere to and appropriate discipline when they go wrong. This won't please the politically correct brigade who have empowered the children in this country with so many rights that it is hard to do anything but stand back and let them self-destruct.

SOH when he worked as a prison officer, had to escort children as young as 10 to court, and not always for serious offences, though those happened as well. In this instance the child's case was thrown out of court but it was only brought because the adult in charge of him saw fit to involve the police when normally a discipline should and could have been used.

On the news today, there is an increase of over 900% of children receiving asbo's, incarceration orders etc since the introduction of Rights of the Child, so it plain to see that what we have is not working and what is needed is for all of us adults to ensure that the children of tomorrow are given better behaviour guidelines, protection from themselves and appropriate standards for them to adhere to or the situation will only get much worse in the future.

Don't get me wrong I am not advocating the bad old days of cane and belt where abuse was standard in most homes. But parents being able to say No and mean it, and following it up with appropriate discipline and not giving in for a quiet life. How many times have I heard parents say "No please don't do that" to children in public, only to repeat it over and over again. Somehow parenting seems to be evolving into bargaining with them.

Just too funny for words

Sometimes you just come across something that is too funny for words, click on the link and enjoy the expertise involved (it is work safe)

Link

I was fascinated by it and can't imagine how long it took the person to create.. but if I had half his/her talent I would be a happy bunny.

True Friendship

What exactly is true friendship?

I think I know what it is, let me see :

Being there for you no matter what you do or say, always providing moral if not physical support. The first to cheer you on and the last to give up on you.. that seems to be my view of it but tell me if I left anything out here.

I know what it isn't, having lost two so called friends along the road during 2008. Not by my choice, theirs, they didn't like what I was doing, nor who I was doing it with and decided that if I continued along my route it was going to be totally separate from theirs; at the time it coincided with anniversaries that were difficult enough emotionally.

At both these times I was meekly accepting, not fighting for what I percieved was lost. Now after 18 months I see that these friendships were not real, both of the people concerned were at best superficial friends though at the time I thought different. I am sad always at the loss of a friend, but I am no longer grieving for something that was not what I thought it was.

Here's to new friends, new activities and new beginnings...

Sergeant Howie RIP

I can remember the first time I watched the Wicker Man and the eventual death of Sergeant Howie played admirably by Edward Woodward who himself died yesterday. The world has lost a great actor and personality and although his memories will live on in celluloid and our minds, there must be a great hole in his family's life and that will be much harder for them to fill.

Mr Woodward, was in films from 1955 right up until his last appearance in EastEnders, but my favourite of all times was the Wicker Man. Yes it was a horror, had witchcraft, death etc and had sexual scenes with Brit Ekland in it. I would think it was cutting edge of what was permitted in 1973 and to a teenage girl it was an eye-opener.

I loved him as the Equaliser, and a part he played to perfection tough but fair and I hope that he knows how much people admired him.

I laughed at his performance in Hot Fuzz with Simon Pegg, you couldn't help laugh at this film, it was black comedy at its very best and I think drew a little on the Wicker Man film.

RIP Edward Woodward, RIP

Leisurely Weekend

I will admit to taking it easy over the weekend, instead of doing everything I only did enough that was necessary, so the washing had to wait, as did pressure washing the front drive. Neither did I go supermarket shopping, and tea on Saturday was sausages in a roll - no onion this time.

What I did was, hoover, polish, clean. Gave the ratz a good spring clean, not that they appreciate it as they have shredded the paper already lol, replenished their food, water and treats and generally spending a bit of time with them playing. Gus is quite happy to come out of the cage and on my shoulder, even snuffling into my ear as though to say what's in there then? Barnie on the other hand is a little more retiring and is happy to come out onto my hand but any movement sends her scuttling back into her shelter.

It's black bin day this week, so I also spent yesterday filling it to the brim with unwanted items, all needing to be cleared out and not suitable for freecycling, I also made a list of things to be freecycled all of which are going on the list today.

I made time to watch Twilight which premiered on Sky this weekend, and it is good fun, not really a romcom, nor a horror but an interesting take on the two and I can see why there is so much attention being played with the new follow up film. It is nice to see a film, which addresses the fantasy world with much better direction than has been done in the past in War of the Worlds, somehow I felt that film really lost it's way - badly done.

I also caught up with Doctor Who, Water of Mars, disappointed the first time in a long while I just wanted to get to the end and see where it was going next... We all know David is leaving, but this was dull and uninteresting from start to finish.

Saturday Satire - Mother

A young man shopping in a supermarket noticed a little old lady following him around. If he stopped, she stopped. Furthermore she kept staring at him.

She was infront of him whilst they were waiting in the checkout queue, and she turned to him and said, "I hope I haven't made you feel ill at ease; it's just that you look so much like my late son."

He answered, "That's okay."

"I know it's silly, but if you'd call out 'Good bye, Mum' as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy." She then went through the checkout, and as she was on her way out of the store, the man waved his hand and called out, "Goodbye, Mum."

The little old lady waved and smiled back at him.

Pleased that he had brought a little sunshine into someone's day, he went to pay for his groceries.

"That comes to £121.85," said the clerk.

"How come so much? I only bought 5 items."

The clerk replied, "Yes, but your Mother said you'd be paying for her things, too."

Freedom

Freedom is something we take for granted, yet it is a funny thing, it can mean something different to a number of people.

Today Traction Man gets freedom from hospital, and has left the traction behind but his freedom will be limited by his mobility for a little while; still at least the food will improve no end thanks to Mrs TM.

Jo from Life in Windermere, is free from her Gall Bladder at long last and hopefully free of the pain that went along with the little blighter as well.

Others are less free, I won't link to them but some of the blogs I visit either occasionally or daily are limited by their choices, (and not always listed in my weblinks) or by their needs and my hope is that they too find some happiness in their lives.

So my toast to you today, is freedom, may it give you joy and happiness and memories.

Bi-Lingual - Right or Wrong

Cornwall decided on Wednesday that in future the county of Cornwall is to officially become a bi-lingual part of Britain, with all street signs appearing in two languages similar to that which is used in Wales.

So in the future when an old street or place sign needs replacing the new one will have both languages on it including the ones on the border from Devon will now read 'Kernow a'gas dynnergh' - or 'Welcome to Cornwall'

Of course not everyone agreed with the decision, but that is democracy in action for you and it is more widespread than just changing the street signs, the decision to go bi-lingual calls for Cornwall County Council to recognise the county's distinctive culture and the place of the Cornish language as a unique cultural asset and asks for it to be promoted in line with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

I'm glad of this, to see a revival in the ancient language of Cornwall is always going to be a good thing to keep old ways and traditions alive particularly in the light of the European Union trying to make us all one Europe.

Free Hugs

Today is Guinness World Records Day and in honour of this commuters hugged each other for one minute to set a new world record at a central London railway station.

The 122 people, many of them strangers, hugged each other at St Pancras station while, a Guinness spokesman confirmed the record afterwards he said: "People were a little bit nervous but at the last minute everyone sprung into action."

I always like a good news story, and perhaps the move will spread.... after all we all like a hug every now and again

Armistice Day

While the commemorative services all took place last Sunday, as it was the nearest Sunday to the 11th, today is actually Armistice Day.

The cessation of hostilities by the Allies and Germany involved in the First World War Western Front took place 91 years ago today signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest. The Armistice was agreed at 5 AM on 11 November, to come into effect at 11 AM Paris time (that is 10 AM GMT), for which reason the occasion is sometimes referred to as "the eleventh (hour) of the eleventh (day) of the eleventh (month)".

The act of remembrance was actually suggested by George Honey in a letter to a British Newspaper, thank you George, and since about 20 years ago there has been a 2 minute silence kept on both Remembrance Sunday and also the 11th November and grows particularly with the current situation in Afghanistan as a way of remembering both those who serve and those who are currently serving.

So today at 11am I will stand quietly and remember those who were involved in the Great War, the Second World War, Suez, Korea, Malaya, The Falklands, Northern Ireland and now Afghanistan and hope that by the 100th anniversary of this sad day that peace will get an opportunity to change the future.

I want to be ....

I can't help it, the long dark days, the cold frosty nights make me want to upsticks and move somewhere warmer...

I want to run on golden sands, with warm blue seas and the caress of warm sunshine on my back as I turn the page of my book I am reading. To sip a cold drink, and taste the sunshine sweetening the fruit on my tongue, to watch the sun slowly set over the sea before strolling home to my house on the shore.

Sadly, even if I could be at the picture today, it is more likely to be cold, wet and fairly miserable, and as for the house by the shore, I'm afraid that is just a figment of my imagination at the moment; and will be for a little while longer as I was not one of the two euromillions winners (wishing you nothing but happiness, joy and true friendship).

What do you want to do today?

I Can't Abide Duplicity

I struggle to understand people who say one thing and mean another, either you mean what you say or you say what you mean is the right way.

There are too many instances of the former and not the latter in this country, but a prime example was that on last night's X-factor, don't get me wrong, I hate the programme but I always tune in for those last few moments to see who gets voted off and why and how.

This year's motley crew of aspiring stars are going to struggle out there in the real world, and I loathe the audition stage where humiliation seems to rank high; now it is at the level of the finalists leaving and the two jackasses of John and Edward who believe they can sing (they can but very badly) and buffoon their way through some classic songs were given a straight pass through to the next stage after going up against Lucie (who can sing beautifully if not necessarily rock star material).

How did this happen, well Louis voted for his act (obviously), Dannie and Cheryl voted for Lucie which meant that Simon only had to vote for her and Jedward as they are known would be back to the real world. After all his statements about their lamentable singing, dancing and buffoonery, how he disliked them personally and professionally and threatened to leave these shores if they won (can we wave goodbye to you now Simon?) you would think it was an easy decision for him and instead he decided to let it go to a public vote which ensured the more talented singer went home and it was clear that Lucie knew that even before the results were read out.

This is a travesty of an honest competition, for whatever reason Simon Cowell has for seeing these two buffoons continue on, it certainly won't be for their voices and for the unsuccessful competitors to go out against them it must be a huge disappointment.

Please let it get back to being a competition for a good singer, someone who stands a chance of making the big time otherwise you stand a good chance of losing public support for the programme.