Terrorists or phychopaths?

A lot has been said about the murder of a young soldier in Woolwich by two mindless thugs two weeks ago. Some are trying to explain what happen by referring to the two maniacs who committed the atrocity as being disaffected. The reality is that the two are cold blooded murderous psychopaths.

There are many reasons as to why governments must do more to change the social problems that we face in this country but no one who is serious enough about peace and harmony should refer to the two as anything other than maniacs. Hoping that the justice system will deal with them and the correct punishment issued.

Committee calls for pension changes

Committee calls for pension changes

The TUC has welcomed a report from the Work and Pensions Select Committee on improving governance and best practice in workplace pensions.
With millions more people saving into workplace pensions, the report rightly indentifies several key changes needed to prevent staff from losing out.
Earlier in April, the TUC welcomed the decision to bring forward the abolition of short service refunds for workplace pensions. This was 'long overdue' and had already damaged auto-enrolment.
TUC on select committee report @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-22131-f0.cfm

Climate dithering risks jobs

Climate dithering risks jobs

Frances O'Grady used a TUC seminar on green growth to warn that companies are being put off from investing and creating jobs in the UK because of government dithering over energy and climate change policy.
More on this @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/industrial/tuc-22098-f0.cfm

Jon of the Rogers, Guru of the left makes a good point

Comrade Jon of the Rogers speaks of the mess the left has created in Britain by promoting internal fights. That isn't what he said exactly but that is what he probably wants to say on his blog today. He states ''.. The latest electoral project of the far left has broken all records for tragic irrelevance. Socialists might as well practise "entryism" in the Monster Raving Loony Party as continue to place hope in TUSC..'' Jon is of course not advocating that we all join the Monster party but makes a point that has been made many at times by great thinkers like the writers of The Life of Brian. Jon is wrong to refer to the Monster party he should instead be suggesting that we join the Peoples Judean Front or if that fails the Judean Peoples Front...

The right will always thrive as long as those of us on the soft and hard left keep creating distractions for ourselves and hate each other more than we hate the enemy?? Call me old fashioned but I think I is right!

Stop poluting the Artic

Environmentalists warned of the dangers of drilling in the Arctic, but Shell convinced politicians, including President Obama, they would be able to extract the oil with minimal damage.

The long list of mishaps and near-disasters from the company's failed attempts to drill in the Arctic prove that "successful" Arctic drilling just isn't possible.

President Obama granted Shell drilling permits even though an environmental disaster would have an effect on many other countries.

Shell needs to take a permanent break from drilling in the Arctic - not just a temporary one!

It's time for President Obama to abandon the idea of Arctic drilling completely. It's time the Arctic is declared off limits to industrial exploitation forever.

Tell President Obama to permanently protect the Arctic.

New minimum wage rates

New minimum wage rates

The TUC has reacted cautiously to the announcement by Business Secretary Vince Cable of new minimum wage rates.
Although the TUC would have liked to have seen the rates go up further to provide a bigger boost to economic demand, there was a positive response to the decision to increase the apprentice rate.
Meanwhile, the TUC has welcomed the decision by HM Revenue and Customs that two telecoms companies are to be forced to repay £100,000 after being found guilty of not paying the minimum wage.
TUC on new wage rates @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-22101-f0.cfms

Hedgehogs

In 1950, there were 36 million hedgehogs living in Britain. Now, there are only 1 million -- and that number is still dropping.
And it's not just hedgehogs that are in danger. A horrifying number of Britain's native species are facing extinction. For example, development, climate change, and pollution have threatened seventy percent of the country's butterflies.
Every year, more of our birds, insects, and wild creatures grow closer to dying off for good. This has to end today.
Our ecosystems barely made it through the last fifty years. At this rate, they won't survive the next fifty without serious help. Tell the UK Environment Agency to preserve Britain's remaining countryside and native species before it's too late!

The Greek Press today

Most headlines today are about the murder of an Innocent man in Woolich in London by two phychopaths. The papers all agree that there is no room in a civilised society for such acts of barbarism.

Also reports about how 600,000 children are now below the poverty line in the country. Debate as to whether allowing mass investment from China is wise and whether the Chinese see their entry into Europe via Greece as a major part of a world domination strategy.

Regional Council meetings

Another inquorate London Regional Council meeting today. Perhaps it is time for us to accept that the region can only manage to hold the AGM and just another meeting and save money by simply accepting two meetings a year? Just a thought!

Duncan Smith peddling myths again

 

There was an angry reaction from the TUC late last month to yet another attempt by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to misuse statistics, this time on the duration of working age benefits.
'It's tragic to see the Work and Pensions Secretary once again peddling myths about benefits in order to provide cover for more austerity and his own failure to tackle rising unemployment', said Frances O'Grady.
Full TUC response @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/social/tuc-22129-f0.cfm

Anne Widicomber for Eurovision?

I am told that Anne Widicombe will not be representing the UK at Eurovision tonight. I am deeply disappointed of course but hope that next year Deidrie Barlow Rashid will agree to do it and if she does then there will be some hope of at least coming second last! As it happens I think that Dutch land will win tonight as the song sounds as dreadful as the whole concept of Eurovision! Glad that Greece chose the worst sounding song to enter!! Well done the Hellenic spirit!

Russian navy in Cyprus

Those who have been advocating for closer links between Greece, Cyprus and Russia have got their wishes this week with part of the Russian fleet stopping for a few days at the port of Limasol. It is obvious that if the West persists in pissing on Cyprus every now and then that a solution to the urination problem is to create a new balance where the Russians are also invited to have a part? Not very responsible I know but then again it isn't very nice forcing a small country to keep getting humiliated for the sake of NATO interests? What's in it for the Hellenic world??

Visit Greece 2013

Pictures of Skiathos..


Visit Greece this summer and experience the warmth, admire the clear blue sky and the beautiful Aegean sea.. just don't mention the Euro when you are there..

Eurovision and UK

I have no idea why David Cameron wants to have a referendum on whether we stay in the Eurovision or come out. I know there are a lot of Eurovision sceptics within the Tory party but there is a simple solution to never winning. The Tories should get their best to the contest someone like Anne Widicombe will surely be able to give a better performance and increase the chances of not coming last? I say stay in the Eurovision its just a bit of fun.

Animal abuse is a crime

I am in full support of the idea of making the abuse of animals into a criminal offence. I am also amazed that some religious people do not see the connection between creation and the creator and don't understand how any religion can allow for the suffering of animals. Anyone abusing defenceless animals must face justice.

Visit Greece

Just returned back from Greece and as Stephen Fry recently said the people there ( especially on the islands ) are getting on with their daily lives as they have done for many years and they look as happy and content as they have been. Things are a bit more difficult but as one old friend who lives in Crete pointed out to me there is still no morning commuter rash to deal with on the overground trains and not much congestion on the M25  no one seems to worry whether the central or district line will function every day ( he used to live in London ) He is of course being cynical but then I understood what he meant when I got up every morning and sat in the garden for coffee looking at the sun and the deep blue sky!

Visit Greece this summer. The 1400 islands are there to be explored by everyone, all unique and with different characters, you will then understand the magic that will capture your heart and soul..

Flatlining economy

 

News that the UK economy grew by 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 received a muted response from the TUC, which said that the Chancellor had set the bar so low that avoiding Britain's first ever triple dip recession was considered good news.
The TUC said that the economy was flat-lining, unemployment was growing and much-needed rebalancing away from finance and the south east had failed to materialise. It was no surprise that the UK faced a housing shortage when the construction sector was now nearly 10 per cent smaller than when the Chancellor took office.
Full TUC reaction @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-22133-f0.cfm

Cyprus there is no fair solution

The Republic of Cyprus was invaded by Turkey in 1974. There has been little to no progress in finding a solution to the division of the island in 38 years. The Turkish military declared an independent state in the occupied north that no one recognises. Their argument has been that there should be two different countries. No one in the world has accepted this but the Turkish government is now going further and demanding a share of the oil reserves found in the south of Cyprus? You would think that if they wanted a seperate state in the north they would accept that they could not have a claim on anything on the parts they did not occupy by force? But this of course shows us that military power determines who is right and who wins. It is unbelivable that a nation with 82 million population has invaded a small country with less than one because they felt under threat?

Time to change course

Time to change course

The Chancellor urgently needs to change his economic strategy, Frances O'Grady said following criticism from the IMF of the government's austerity policies.
Once a cheerleader for austerity, the IMF now believes the coalition should ease-off on its spending cuts and invest in growth and jobs.
Addressing the CWU conference in Bournemouth, Frances said the coalition's fixation with austerity was making the UK's problems worse and was also being used as an excuse to implement policies nobody had voted for.
More on this story @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-22120-f0.cfm
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-22103-f0.cfm

New TUC campaign plan

A jobs guarantee for young people, a living wage in public and private sectors, public services run for communities not profit, and a stronger voice for workers are among the TUC's five key campaign priorities in the run up to the general election, as set out in a new campaign plan.
Agreed by the TUC General Council, the plan is for the whole trade union movement and the aim is to spread its message around workplaces and communities right across Britain. A pdf document of the plan is available below, and the TUC is asking trades unionists to forward it to their contacts, colleagues and friends.
The campaign for jobs, growth and a new economy will mobilise resistance to austerity, with a series of events across the UK this summer, and will also provide a platform for advocates of pro-growth policies and new economic ideas. This will include a lecture at the TUC by former US labour secretary and fierce critic of UK austerity Robert Reich.
Find out more @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/the_tuc/tuc-22165-f0.cfm

Save the dolphins

The captive display industry continues to demand dolphins captured from the wild for public display in marine parks. These animals and the majority of their pod members pay with their lives for the sake of human entertainment.

If airlines refused to transport these animals, the industry would collapse.

In order to capture wild dolphins for captive display, fishermen drive large groups of dolphins close to shore. They select a few animals for transport and brutally kill the rest. The slaughter methods cause the dolphins to suffer long, slow deaths which would never be allowed for animals killed for human consumption.

Many airlines have pledged not to support the dolphin hunts by refusing to transport the animals. By continuing to transport live wild-caught dolphins, Japan Airlines and Air China are enabling the horrific hunts.

It's time to turn the tide on this brutal industry. Please take action today.

Illegal wildlife trade

Illegal wildlife trade is a low risk, high reward business. Sales of elephant ivory, rhino horn for 'traditional medicines' in Asia and live animals for exotic pets are funding criminal enterprises and seriously threatening security at home and globally.

The UK government must do more to stop this illegal activity.

Globally, the illicit wildlife trade business is estimated to be worth $10-20 billion each year, coming in just behind illegal narcotics and arms trades. It has become more lucrative and widespread than ever before. What's worse is that unlawful wildlife trafficking is often intrinsically linked to illegal drugs and guns.

For the UK to act, we have to show the decision makers the strength of feeling amongst British people on this issue. By taking action now e can protect local people from the impact of wildlife crime and stop iconic wildlife species from being wiped from the face of the earth.

Please sign the petition calling on the UK to take a leadership role in ending wildlife trafficking

Boardroom quotas needed

 

The TUC has called on ministers to introduce compulsory quotas for getting more women onto company boards, following the publication of research by Cranfield School of Management showing that progress in this area has stalled.
Information @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-22083-f0.cfm

Union shareholders unite

 

The TUC, Unite and UNISON have joined forces to launch Trade Union Share Owners - a group that aims to bring union values to the world of corporate governance, with a new approach to the way in which union investments are voted on at company AGMs.
From now on at any AGM of a FTSE-350 company where either the TUC staff pension fund or those of the two biggest unions hold shares, the group will work with shareholder advisory group PIRC to ensure that the funds take a common voting position in accordance with a new set of policy guidelines drawn up by the TUC.
Summary details @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-22042-f0.cfm

European union don't make sense..

The Germans insist on fiscal union. They argue that this needs to happen before we have a United States of Europe. But they don't seem able to explain how it will all work and what the benefits are for states within the union that have problems.

An example of a workable union is the one we have in the USA. If Alabama for example falls short of meeting its financial commitments the Federal government does not force Alabama to impose heavier taxes on its citizens or make them increase their unemployment rates or cut their welfare support? So what is the point of having the South European states and Ireland in a union that treats them different to anyone else? I am amazed that people in these countries continue to want to remain in the EU!!

Save the dolphins

The captive display industry continues to demand dolphins captured from the wild for public display in marine parks. These animals and the majority of their pod members pay with their lives for the sake of human entertainment.

If airlines refused to transport these animals, the industry would collapse.

In order to capture wild dolphins for captive display, fishermen drive large groups of dolphins close to shore. They select a few animals for transport and brutally kill the rest. The slaughter methods cause the dolphins to suffer long, slow deaths which would never be allowed for animals killed for human consumption.

Many airlines have pledged not to support the dolphin hunts by refusing to transport the animals. By continuing to transport live wild-caught dolphins, Japan Airlines and Air China are enabling the horrific hunts.

It's time to turn the tide on this brutal industry. Please take action today.