Get fit summer 2015

its not just about genetics. You can feel good and look better by taking a number of life changing steps. Here is how to start:

Know your body and know how far you can take any effort.
Reduce the amount of red meat you eat by at least 80%
Water, water, water. Your daily fluid intake must be dominated by water. 80% of what you drink must be water.

More hints tomorrow.

United Europe fails.

The United Europe myself and others wanted is one of true equality with common aspirations and descent aims. A Union where wars between us is a thing of the past. The EU is just a club for global industrialists who want cheap labour to increase their profits. The Euro crisis which involves the Greek, Spanish and Portugese economies has shown that the project is too premature. You can not have political and economic intergration without fiscal union. It's all gone very wrong. I will, unfortunately, be campaigning for the UK to leave the EU in the referendum and that makes me very sad...

Nick Venedi

No to the EU

I have always been a Euro Federalist. The basic principles for European integration are based on the desire to be united and avoid constant wars between nations. But what we have today is a controlling beast that has totally violated the fundamental aims of a United Europe. We now have the northern states trying to impose their hegemony over those in the South. This will never work and the UK was right to avoid staying out of the Euro.

The argument that the UK will lose out by not staying in the EU is total nonsense. We can have a treaty with the EU similar to the one the Swiss and Norway have. The EU needs the UK more than we need them. If people want to be told what to do and how to do it by Berlin then vote yes if you don't then vote NO!

Nick Venedi

Need for new writers initiative

I have been openly critical of shows like x Factor and Britain has no talent in the past but it would appear that the method of show casing people's talents using those avenues may be the only way to help aspiring writers get a break? There is a lot of talent out there and very few opportunities for those who have something to offer get the exposure and the break they need so if Simon Cowel is reading this whilst having his breakfast in the greasy spoon he might want to think about it?

Nick Venedi

New members of Greek cabinet

PM of Greece Alexis Tskipras appoints new members of his cabinet. Let's hope it works..

On writers

I have been openly critical of shows like x Factor and Britain has no talent in the past but it would appear that the method of show casing people's talents using those avenues may be the only way to help aspiring writers get a break? There is a lot of talent out there and very few opportunities for those who have something to offer get the exposure and the break they need so if Simon Cowel is reading this whilst having his breakfast in the greasy spoon he might want to think about it?

Nick Venedi

German standing in Europe

No country deserves the title of European leader when it's politicians unleash disrespectful attacks against elected leaders of other European nations. I admired Merkel in the past for many reasons but her recent handling of the 'Greek' crisis has left many of us shocked. Merkel has destroyed the good reputation of Germany in the space of 4 weeks. Many of us are appalled and disappointed. Title of EU leader does not belong to Germany. France acted with reason and honour!
Nick Venedi

German finance minister to resign over Greece?

German press reports that WS German Finance Minister may resign over his recent handling of the Greek financial crisis and specifically over his negative and disrespectful outbursts.

Nick Venedi

Did the Germans get it wrong?

If Greece leaves the Euro others will follow. Podemos made significant gains at the recent Spanish local elections ahead of the national poll in November a clear indication that Spain is about to follow the Greek example.

Whilst the Germans are going on about the Greek crisis and keep very quite ( to calm the markets ) about the situation in Spain the reality is it's Berlin that has got it all wrong and a Geekxit will actually mean the fall of the empire of Berlin. They are the ones that should fear what happens next.

Nick Venedi

MPs Pay

I don't know how they manage to do it but they keep bringing the issue about increasing MPs pay back every year. Only this time they seem to have managed to convince the media that they deserve an 11% pay rise?

 I will keep the emotions out of this but I am not aware of any public sector Job Evaluation Scheme ( I am an expert on the Single Status Scheme ) that would give an MP more than £45,000 a year. I challenge the body looking at this matter to come up with how they decided that someone who simply could advocate on behalf of a constituent would attract £80,000? totaly ridiculous. But if they produce a scheme that can justify this then I want to use it to get nurses a pay rise in which case they will be on 90K Will someone challenge them?  Or use the same formula ( if there is one..) to pay Trade Union reps the same amount! The argument that it would attract better people if the pay was higher is a ridiculous one. It will attract more opportunist career politicians like Milliband!! No Way!!

Nick Venedi


http://lawatwork.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/mps-pay_12.html

http://lawatwork.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/mps-pay.html

What if Grexit happens?

Glad that the responsible part of the German press have made it clear that if Greece was forced to leave the euro the consequences would bring disaster to Europe,for Greece and indeed for Germany. It wouldn't be long before we would regret the day. Far more is at stake than just a few billion euros -- which are most likely already lost, anyway.

A Grexit would mark the end to the process of European integration; the euro would be destabilized as a currency; the EU would be geopolitically undermined.

Nick Venedi

Greek crisis

The modern Greek state needs to come to terms with a number of realities.

Need to restructure the entire political system and remove corrupt practices where these are.
Remove traditional practices of using public jobs as a way to reward supporters.
Reform the entire tax system ensuring that taxes are collected.
A huge cultural revolution needed to change attitude and the way citizens see the state.
Accept that if they want to be in the EU and the idiotic euro currency they have to play the game within existing rules.
Come to terms with the fact that at present the EU is a club which exists to support German economic expansion.. They may have lost the war but they won the economic battle.
The most important factor in all of this for me is the need for a cultural revolution! The whole temperament needs re shaping Greece needs it own Kemal Ataturk. And if the Greeks don't then they should try forming a union of Orthodox states with Serbian and Montenegro and trade with Russia and China. I don't think they want this so they should get on with it and come with terms with reality!

Nick Venedi

Greece. Did we just witness a coup?

it was in April 1967 when the CIA decided that the newly elected Socialist government was not acceptable so they encouraged the colonels to stage a military take over. That was on the 21 April 1967. The dictatorship lasted until the juntas fall on 15 July 1974 when Turkish troops invaded Cyprus ( still there ) US policy was to actively support Israel so they could not afford a democratically elected government in Greece that wanted to stay neutral.

That was in 1967 so how comes that the EU now decides which government manages the affairs of Greece. We all herd the racist stereotypes coming out from Berlin and Finland. Some even think it's fine to make racist statements like the beware of Greeks slogan. I don't agree with the ultra left Syriza government in Greece but will defend their right to govern if they are elected and of course they were. Syriza politicians are ultra left wankers with little politics who live in a world of fantasy they would turn Greece into another Albania if they were left to their stupid policies but the Germans have no right to personalise the conflict that was created between Varoufakis Tsipras and the sausage eating German Finance minister and force Greece to the point of total humiliation. It is up to Greek voters to throw out the incompetent Syriza government and not the bloody Germans. What Berlin managed to do is no different to what the CIA did in 1967. History will condemn Merkel.

Nick Venedi

Water aid

i support this wonderful charity which was set up many years ago and has made major progress towards the goal of ensuring that every village in Africa and every where else in the world has a means through which people and children have easy access to clean water. This is a fantastic initiative that should be supported by anyone who can donate. And it is so true that the price you pay each week to buy things that you may not need like chocolate or 3 pints of beer can best be spend donating to this wonderful charity. Why should a 6 year old girl have to walk 5 miles a day to carry a large can of water? Please help.

Nick Venedi

Varoufakis buggers off on holiday

never stops to amaze me how some on the 'Ultra left' behave when dealing with situations they don't agree with and whilst I myself consider my self to be on the sensible wing of left politics I was shocked with ex Finance ministers decision to fuck off on holidays to his exclusive villa on the Aegean rather than attend the crucial Parliamentary all night meeting last night at the Vouli. This shows his true colours and I hope the ' Essex University ' graduate is never seen again.

Nick Venedi

Can cliques be challenged?

I have gone through life campaigning and fighting against injustice where I see it. That is indeed why I parked my career in the middle of the Trade Union movement car park. I hate injustice and the formation of controlling cliques irritates me to the extreme. So I advocate caution but at the same time I insist that where we see injustice and the control of small collectives these should always be challenged.

Nick Venedi

Where next for the Greek rebellion?

The day after the night before and all seems well in Athens. The decision taken by Varoufakis to resign was a positive move and one that makes Yannis gives Varoufakis dignity. He has put the interest of his country above poltical gain, so well done.

No one knows whether the so called Europeans will now deal with the aftermath and how but if they don't then it will be because they underestimate the power of what happened in Greece yesterday. The Greeks have shown the world on many occassions what the alternative way is and the referendum events this weekend could be one sunch history changing incident.. think about it..

nick venedi