Something wrong with Easter?

Don't get me wrong I love Easter time when the temperature rises ( well on the Fiji islands it does..) as we all get more into life, but can never understand why the baby Jesus who was born a few months ago is now brown bread? Isn't there a bit of a problem with the time gap? And another thing, not that I am into whinging, how comes the Christian church can't get their bloody act together to agree a common day for the events? The 400 million strong Orthodox church and the 800 million Catholics can't agree to have the same day? Yet the God damn Xmas is on the 25 of December for everyone? Why can't they sort it out? Wouldn't care but flights are more expensive to the south when the days are different? ( same day every 4 years though??) Can someone write to the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Pope?

Cruelty to elephants

Bulldozing a building, even one as small as a shack, takes a lot of work. It requires the power to crack through metal, wood, and concrete, which is why most people use heavy machinery. A bulldozer can't feel the pain that comes from a jagged piece of metal -- but an animal can. So why are Indian officials using elephants to tear down illegally built shacks?

Elephants are intelligent, sensitive animals who mourn their dead and show compassion for other living creatures, including humans. They may be strong, but they're no match for iron and cement -- and they can feel incredible pain when things go wrong, unlike a tractor.
The elephants in the hilly region once were forced to tow lumber for people, but the government made it illegal because of similar concerns for the animals' well-being. But asking them to face up against sturdy man-made structures isn't much better. Even if the region is too hilly to bring traditional heavy machinery to the shacks, Indian officials must find another alternative to using the elephants like this. Tell them that elephants aren't bulldozers!

Thank you for taking action,

EU Cyprus experiment. Testing the water?

The Cyprus economy amounts to something like 0.5% of the EU total so it was easy for the Troika to experiment with the new method favoured by Berlin in terms of dealing with deficit problems. Instead of going for huge long term bail outs those with savings in deposit accounts of the affected state would pay a massive contribution towards the problem. So people who have been encouraged to save by successive government are forced to pay for the mistakes made by bankers.

In Cyprus there are around 60,000 Brits who retired there they will now be forced to pay a huge tax to bail out the fucked up bankers who have messed the whole economy up.

Worth noting that an EU official went public on Sunday saying  that what the Troika are doing in Cyprus is a future model for Europe. No smoke without fire then. It it certain that Portugal, Spain and Greece will soon be following the Cyprus punishment and of course others will follow after that! Why the hell is anyone ion favour of the Euro any more?

Bring back wages councils

 

A return to wages councils that could set legally enforceable minimum wages in different sectors should be included in Labour Party policy as a means of tackling pay inequality and the crisis in living standards.
The call came from Frances O'Grady as she addressed the Unions 21 conference early in March, alongside Jon Cruddas, co-ordinator of Labour's policy review.
More on this @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21995-f0.cfm

Cyprus crisis. A lesson in how to avoid opportunist politicians

The greatest factor that contributed to the relative death of the Cyprus economy is to do with the existence of career and opportunist politicians. There has been a succession of them on the island who have continued to bury their heads in the sand for years ignoring warnings and avoiding making any decisions. Ex President Dimitri Cristofia ( he left office 4 weeks ago ) had warnings about the collapsing of the banking system for 3 years but deliberately avoided making decisions knowing that he would be able to pass the problem on to those who followed him something that has of course been done now. This is criminal and completely irresponsible.

The phenomenon in Cyprus is of course not unique to the island as we face the same issues here in Britain where people who have never done any other job in their life pursue a 'career' in politics only because they know how to play the system. The way to remove these sort of person from politics is to reduce MP's salaries and bring them down to the minimum wage level that way we will get people who don't go into politics because they want to by a house in Notting Hill but because they want to serve the country. The ancient Athenians did this why can't we do the same? Take away the carrot from these buffoons!!

Cyprus crisis. A matter for oil?

The big boys are out to bully a small country like Cyprus into submission. Note that Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Greece have had very similar problems but were not singled out for the punishment reserved for little Cyprus.

So many ask why this is? Well the reason is clearly one to do with the vast oil reserves found on the south coast of the Republic. The race is on to get drilling rights. The Russians, Germans, French, Americans they all want to have a large portion of this cake not to mention Turkeys ludicrous claim that they should have rights and control  over what Cyprus has! So many are saying that the crisis has been created to ensure that the Cypriots know their place and give in as much as they can and are not tempted to let the Russians in.

This is international bullying and it shows us that nothing has changed. Power and military might reign over small states. Unacceptable and unethical!

Cyprus crisis. The true facts

The Cyprus economy was relatively speaking in a good state but the Bank of Cyprus bought a large amount of bonds from the Greek government in an effort to help. The EU cut about 40% of the Greek debt last year leaving Small countries like Cyprus exposed to heavy loses. So the reality is the current crisis is a result of the knock on affect.

Now we have the EU going to the Cypriot government saying that despite having created the problem they expect the ordinary citizen on the island to pay for the mistake so up to 10% of savings will have to be paid in tax to bail out the bankers huge mistake. The difficulty with this formula is that it has never been done before and of course the real fear is that Spain, Portugal and Greece will follow.

The government was right to reject the so called proposal but I think the best thing (if you can use such a term under the circumstances) to have come out of this situation is that the opinion polls show that more than 67% of the population want to exit the Euro. It is now a fact that the Euro experiment has failed.

In addition to all the background issues we also have the huge problem of the Germans and other EU countries not being happy with the increasing influence that the Russians have on the island. More than one third of all deposits in the banks there are from Russian investors. Russia is also looking for an opportunity to have a base in the Mediterranean and I personally see no reason as to why they should not be given one, at the end of the day if the British have a base why shouldn't the Russians be given one also? The western allies better sort their ideas out, either they want Cyprus to be close to them, in which case they treat them as equals, or their influence should be removed. Bring the Russians in I say!

Bonus shame

 

Meanwhile, thenews that the head of HSBC is to be given a £2 million bonus days after the chief executive of Lloyds TSB was awarded £1.5 million was proof that a 'culture of entitlement' was alive and well in the City, the TUC said.
The banking sector was continuing to hand out huge bonuses as if they were 'pocket change' and the UK government should be following the example of Switzerland by making a concerted effort to curb executive pay.
News early in March that Barclays paid 428 workers £1 million or more last year was described by the TUC as 'obscene'. Barclays was acting 'as if the financial crisis never happened'.
More on HSBC @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21984-f0.cfm

Replace the Euro with a banana

I wrote a few times before about a possible way out of the continuous crisis of the German project ( otherwise known as the Euro ) and suggested that a good way to deal with the plethora of problems would be to replace the currency with a banana, this way when its value goes down you can at least sit down and eat the banana. I understand that the idea is about to be supported by Deidrie Barlow Rashid who is of course an expert on the subject, well as much of an expert as the stupid Troika Mafiosi in Brussels!!

http://lawatwork.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/replacing-euro-way-out.html

Stop the deer cull!

These days, there are more deer in the UK than since before the Ice Age. These gentle animals are as much a part of Britain's landscape as the hills, pastures, and forests they live in -- but they're still in danger of being killed off by the thousands in the name of "population control."

          It's true that overpopulation isn't good for humans or animals. But the recommendation of some scientists that 750,000 deer be shot seems excessive, particularly because as of now, there's no strong evidence to suggest that the deaths woud be humane.
There are always alternatives to culling, and this time is no exception. In the United States, for instance, deer contraception has been used with significant success -- and little-to-no bloodshed. The United Kingdom should do the same. Stand up for the hundreds of thousands of deer in the United Kingdom who don't deserve to die on a whim. Stop the UK deer cull today!

Boost growth, Chancellor urged

 

The TUC is calling on Chancellor George Osborne to use his Budget on March 20 to introduce an immediate stimulus to boost demand.
This should include stopping damaging welfare cuts that are reducing people's living standards - particularly those of low-income families - and reversing cuts in capital spending that have badly affected the construction and housing sectors.
The Budget Submission, presented to the Chancellor last month by a small TUC team led by Frances O'Grady, calls on the Government to deliver a proper growth strategy, along with stronger tools to deliver it.
Download the Budget submission @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/tucfiles/539/Budgetsubmission2013.pdf

Start with Cyprus

Well it was obvious that the Troika ( the Mafia that controls the EU ) would chose one of the smallest states in the EU to start the experiment with paying for the bankers mistake. The relatively small economy of Cyprus is seen as a safe ground to test whether other country members of the Euro would put up with forcing their citizens to pay up to 10% of their savings into tax to rescue the disasters created by the banks. Spain, Portugal and Greece will no doubt follow after that. It is ludicrous that people who may have saved for years and had their savings taxed in the first place will now have to pay an additional tax. This is not the way to manage a political and monetary union!

Boost growth, Chancellor urged

Boost growth, Chancellor urged

The TUC is calling on Chancellor George Osborne to use his Budget on March 20 to introduce an immediate stimulus to boost demand.
This should include stopping damaging welfare cuts that are reducing people's living standards - particularly those of low-income families - and reversing cuts in capital spending that have badly affected the construction and housing sectors.
The Budget Submission, presented to the Chancellor last month by a small TUC team led by Frances O'Grady, calls on the Government to deliver a proper growth strategy, along with stronger tools to deliver it.
Download the Budget submission @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/tucfiles/539/Budgetsubmission2013.pdfrged

Alexis Tsipras of SYRIZA in London tonight

Will be interesting to hear what the leader of the Greek opposition Alexis Tsipras has to say tonight at the meeting of the LSE on the Greek financial crisis at 6.30 p.m. Tsipras is well known within Greece for advocating the Argentisation of the problem in other words he suggests that Greece should do what Argentina did and default then wait for 25 years until recovery (??) He clearly ignores what happens within that 25 year period? I am hoping that people will challenge him on this banana land fantasies!!

Most children below breadline by 2015

 

Tax and benefit changes combined with lower than forecast wage growth will leave the majority of children in Britain living below the breadline by 2015, according to new TUC research.
Published to coincide with the TUC's Future for Families rally in Westminster on 13 March, the study lays bare the consequences of government austerity policies.
The need for a change of direction on the economy was the central theme of the rally, held just seven days before the Budget. Speakers at the event included TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady, general secretaries of most of the large unions, workers hit hard by austerity and Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman.
More on this story @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-22001-f0.cfm
http://afuturethatworks.org/a-future-for-families-pre-budget-rally-in-london/

No to fox hunting

A four-week old baby had his finger bitten off by an fox who wandered through an open door into his London home. The incident was obviously a horrible tragedy for the boy and his family.

But Mayor Boris Johnson's reaction to the attack is completely unacceptable: He's suggested a massive cull of urban foxes.

Scientists, animal control workers, shooters, politicians and more than 1,000 Care2 members -- representing all possible levels of support for protecting urban foxes -- have argued that a cull is not a smart response. Not only would it be incredibly expensive, there's little chance that it could actually work. Coming up with safe and targeted ways to kill just foxes would be difficult on its own, but near impossible so long as sympathizers of these furry creatures continue to feed them in their gardens.

This recent fox attack is awful, but this single incident isn't enough to warrant the killing of thousands of foxes that call London home, most of which are docile and timid around humans.

Tell Mayor Johnson to stop overreacting and find a better way to protect London's people and foxes.

Safety manifesto

 

Regular safety inspections, a maximum temperature in the workplace and far more stringent control of carcinogens are just some of the improvements called for by the TUC in a new 10-point health and safety manifesto.
Summary info @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/tuc-21906-f0.cfm

Campaigns against animal testing

Glad that at last the EU has banned animal testing in laboratories. This was indeed a cruel and unnecessary process where poor and defenceless animals were treated in an appalling way so that humans can have the right shampoo or the correct make up. Unnecessary and cruel. Excellent that it is now illegal but there is much more to do, we have to take our responsibilities of sharing the same planet with other animals more seriously!

Cruelty to animals

Inadequate care and poor living conditions are causing 23 million dairy cows in the EU to suffer from debilitating illnesses such as lameness and painful infections like mastitis. It's time the EU stopped ignoring the welfare of dairy cows!

The EU has been celebrated as an animal welfare leader for improving living conditions for pigs and egg-laying hens. While this is progress, our lawmakers have largely ignored the plight of dairy cows. We must act now to spare dairy cows from further suffering.

Urge EU member states to develop and implement legislation that considers the well-being of dairy cows.

The £6,000 pay penalty

Ahead of the publication of the latest inflation data, new TUC analysis showed that the average worker will lose around £6,000 by 2014 as a result of wages failing to keep pace with rising prices.

The TUC has calculated that a worker on a median salary of around £25,000 has already lost nearly £4,000 since December 2009, when earnings first fell behind prices.
More on the research @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21819-f0.cfm

Obama Demands a Plan for Climate Change

 

Many Care2 members have worked to combat climate change, but Congress doesn't seem to share our urgency. In his State of the Union address, President Obama declared that he would use executive power to tackle US carbon pollution. "If Congress won't act soon to protect future generations" from the threat of climate change, he warned, "I will.

Paper Giant Agrees To Stop Destroying Rainforest

Paper Giant Agrees To Stop Destroying Rainforest

 
Asia Pulp & Paper Company (APP), the third largest paper producer in the world, has agreed on a new policy that will stop the company's destruction of natural forests in Indonesia. The company finally caved after incredible public pressure from activists including Care2 members.

Self employment surge

Self employment surge

Ahead of the release of the latest jobs figures, the TUC published research showing that the rising number of people in work since the recession had been driven by a surge in self-employment.
The analysis showed that since the start of the recession in 2008 the small rise in employment levels had been driven by a nine per cent rise in the number of self-employed workers (up 330,000).
Further details @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21841-f0.cfm

Headline figures mask jobs crisis

Headline figures mask jobs crisis

Labour market figures published last month showed another fall in unemployment, but also raised some awkward questions.
'These figures make welcome reading, but with the economy still flat-lining it is hard to see how these trends can continue', said Frances O'Grady. The figures also revealed the continuing problem of underemployment, and that too many of the new jobs created over the past year were low-paid and insecure.
Full TUC response @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21844-f0.cfm

Cruelty to animals

Since the first anti-fur protest, hundreds of thousands of individuals, celebrities and animal protection groups have boycotted companies that use fur in their luxury clothing lines. Despite our collective opposition, fur garments and accessories are still being sold by many world-renowned retailers! Now, a creative, non-violent online parade has been launched to bring attention to the issue. (Warning: The links in this message may not be suitable for viewing at work but they definitely shine a light on the issue!)

The campaign targets the biggest names in the international fashion world that continue to turn a blind eye to animal suffering. On the site, you can show that you are fur-free by creating your own naked avatar to join the online protest. You can also send letters to companies like Prada and Armani urging them to go fur-free and invite your friends to join the parade.

Marching online with others -- and for a cause as important as going fur free -- is a fun way to show you really care about animal protection.

Join the parade against fur and demand that fashion houses worldwide become fur free now!