Saturday, 24 December 2011
Thursday, 1 December 2011
The Lights are ON for the King of Kings!
On the streets and inside the shopping malls in the UK , it was obvious that preparations for this year's Christmas season started many weeks ago.
Usually , the turning on of the Christmas lights in major venues , buildings and shopping precincts, signal the official beginning of the Christmas season which starts in mid November and ends in mid January.
The turning on of the Christmas Lights in Downing Street and Trafalgar Square were the long-awaited major events in recent days.
The Prime Minister turned on the Christmas Lights at Downing Street ,Thursday, 1st December, 2011.
The Christmas tree at Downing Street is a 16ft-high sparkler and is a 25-year-old Nordmann Fir that had been growing quietly on an Oxfordshire farm since 1989.
It was thrust into the spotlight as the Downing Street Christmas tree for Christmas 2011. The arrival and setting up of the tree provoked a flurry of festive activity in Downing Street and even some prime ministerial tweets.
By nightfall, it was in place and the lights were switched on.
At Trafalgar Square London, the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony took place from 6pm, Thursday 1st December 2011, at a ceremony featuring the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the Mayor of Oslo, St Martin in the Fields choir and the Salvation Army.
The Trafalgar Square ceremony is a time-honoured London tradition which signals the beginning of Christmas, with the lighting of the world’s most famous Christmas tree .
The tree will remain at Trafalgar Square until Thursday 5th January 2012.
Trafalgar Square lights up for Christmas
Trafalgar Square has been presented with a large Norwegian tree each winter for over 60 years as a token of friendship and gratitude for Britain’s assistance during World War II.
This historic tradition has become a definitive Christmas event in London, marking the onset of the festive season.
This year marks the 65th tree to come to London from the City of Oslo, a perennially popular occasion celebrating goodwill and friendship at Christmas.
The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree is decorated in traditional Norwegian style with hundreds of individual white lights. The tree itself is traditionally 20 – 25 metres tall and the sight of it decorated in white light has become an iconic London Christmas image.
The lighting ceremonies at Christmas, usually feature the switching on of the lights by top celebrities in the various venues and include a programme of festive events, some of which are ongoing until Christmas Day, including carol singing and more.
After the initial lighting ceremony ,the Christmas tree lights will be turned on from dusk onwards throughout the festive season.
In addition to the special effects Christmas lighting , beautiful and elaborate Christmas "bling" have adorned the ceilings and walls of most shops for many weeks now. Christmas carols wafting from various stores sound systems have added to the excitement for shoppers which only the Christmas Season brings.
Christmas Tree lighting ceremonies have taken place , with similar pomp and pageantry in New York City and other major cities , worldwide.
Christmas Lights have adorned trees and lamp posts on major London High Streets since the last fortnight.
These Christmas lights throughout London and other UK cities will remain lit until about 10th January , 2012.
Major popular shopping venues such as Oxford Street , Regent Street , Bond Street Carnaby Street and many other venues in Central London and all over the UK, have featured the most dazzling displays of lights and decorations in past years.
The Christmas displays for these shopping districts are expected to be even better this year than before.
"Commercialisation of Christmas !",you say?
What do you mean by "commercialisation"?!
Be real!
This is the Season to rejoice and be jolly , for the King of Kings was born and He lives for ever more.
Merry Christmas!
Oxford Street Christmas Lights
Christmas Lights adorn South Molton Street , London
Christmas lights at Regent Street , London
Usually , the turning on of the Christmas lights in major venues , buildings and shopping precincts, signal the official beginning of the Christmas season which starts in mid November and ends in mid January.
The turning on of the Christmas Lights in Downing Street and Trafalgar Square were the long-awaited major events in recent days.
The Prime Minister turned on the Christmas Lights at Downing Street ,Thursday, 1st December, 2011.
The Christmas tree at Downing Street is a 16ft-high sparkler and is a 25-year-old Nordmann Fir that had been growing quietly on an Oxfordshire farm since 1989.
It was thrust into the spotlight as the Downing Street Christmas tree for Christmas 2011. The arrival and setting up of the tree provoked a flurry of festive activity in Downing Street and even some prime ministerial tweets.
By nightfall, it was in place and the lights were switched on.
At Trafalgar Square London, the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony took place from 6pm, Thursday 1st December 2011, at a ceremony featuring the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the Mayor of Oslo, St Martin in the Fields choir and the Salvation Army.
The Trafalgar Square ceremony is a time-honoured London tradition which signals the beginning of Christmas, with the lighting of the world’s most famous Christmas tree .
The tree will remain at Trafalgar Square until Thursday 5th January 2012.
Trafalgar Square lights up for Christmas
Trafalgar Square has been presented with a large Norwegian tree each winter for over 60 years as a token of friendship and gratitude for Britain’s assistance during World War II.
This historic tradition has become a definitive Christmas event in London, marking the onset of the festive season.
This year marks the 65th tree to come to London from the City of Oslo, a perennially popular occasion celebrating goodwill and friendship at Christmas.
The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree is decorated in traditional Norwegian style with hundreds of individual white lights. The tree itself is traditionally 20 – 25 metres tall and the sight of it decorated in white light has become an iconic London Christmas image.
The lighting ceremonies at Christmas, usually feature the switching on of the lights by top celebrities in the various venues and include a programme of festive events, some of which are ongoing until Christmas Day, including carol singing and more.
After the initial lighting ceremony ,the Christmas tree lights will be turned on from dusk onwards throughout the festive season.
In addition to the special effects Christmas lighting , beautiful and elaborate Christmas "bling" have adorned the ceilings and walls of most shops for many weeks now. Christmas carols wafting from various stores sound systems have added to the excitement for shoppers which only the Christmas Season brings.
Christmas Tree lighting ceremonies have taken place , with similar pomp and pageantry in New York City and other major cities , worldwide.
Christmas Lights have adorned trees and lamp posts on major London High Streets since the last fortnight.
These Christmas lights throughout London and other UK cities will remain lit until about 10th January , 2012.
Major popular shopping venues such as Oxford Street , Regent Street , Bond Street Carnaby Street and many other venues in Central London and all over the UK, have featured the most dazzling displays of lights and decorations in past years.
The Christmas displays for these shopping districts are expected to be even better this year than before.
"Commercialisation of Christmas !",you say?
What do you mean by "commercialisation"?!
Be real!
This is the Season to rejoice and be jolly , for the King of Kings was born and He lives for ever more.
Merry Christmas!
Oxford Street Christmas Lights
Christmas Lights adorn South Molton Street , London
Christmas lights at Regent Street , London
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Monday, 14 November 2011
Civil Servants vote for Strike.
Senior civil servants have voted by 4-1 in favour of industrial action over the Government's controversial pension reforms, increasing the prospect of a strike by millions of workers at the end of the month, it has been announced.
The FDA union said that in a 54% turnout of members, 81% were in favour of industrial action and it was likely they will now be called on to strike as part of the TUC's day of action on November 30.
The union, which represents 18,000 senior civil and public servants, including tax inspectors, special advisers, government lawyers, crown prosecutors and diplomats, said the Government needed to reflect why such senior staff felt driven to vote to strike.
Prospect, which represents 30,000 civil servants in more than 120 government departments, said its members had also voted by an "overwhelming majority" of 3-1 in favour of strike action.
Jonathan Baume, general secretary of the FDA, said: "This is a decisive vote for industrial action, but this ballot should not have been necessary. No one has worked harder than the FDA to seek a negotiated settlement, often in the face of Government delay and procrastination."
Mr Baume said improvements to the Government's reform proposals announced earlier this month by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander were welcome, but only "limited progress" was being made because the Treasury had yet to provide clarity about what the proposals mean in detail.
"We are committed to securing pension arrangements that are both fair to our members and that continue to be sustainable. The FDA has only once before held a national strike ballot, and our members regard industrial action as the very last resort. So the Government needs to reflect upon why senior public servants feel driven to vote to strike.
"Many FDA members face a pay cut of up to 6% over the next three years because of the pensions levy. In the context of a pay freeze and high inflation, this is a cut in living standards of up to one fifth. There is also considerable anger that the Government's change - without consultation or negotiation - of the index for uprating pensions from RPI to CPI means a reduction of at least 15% in their real value before any further changes are implemented.
The FDA union said that in a 54% turnout of members, 81% were in favour of industrial action and it was likely they will now be called on to strike as part of the TUC's day of action on November 30.
The union, which represents 18,000 senior civil and public servants, including tax inspectors, special advisers, government lawyers, crown prosecutors and diplomats, said the Government needed to reflect why such senior staff felt driven to vote to strike.
Prospect, which represents 30,000 civil servants in more than 120 government departments, said its members had also voted by an "overwhelming majority" of 3-1 in favour of strike action.
Jonathan Baume, general secretary of the FDA, said: "This is a decisive vote for industrial action, but this ballot should not have been necessary. No one has worked harder than the FDA to seek a negotiated settlement, often in the face of Government delay and procrastination."
Mr Baume said improvements to the Government's reform proposals announced earlier this month by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander were welcome, but only "limited progress" was being made because the Treasury had yet to provide clarity about what the proposals mean in detail.
"We are committed to securing pension arrangements that are both fair to our members and that continue to be sustainable. The FDA has only once before held a national strike ballot, and our members regard industrial action as the very last resort. So the Government needs to reflect upon why senior public servants feel driven to vote to strike.
"Many FDA members face a pay cut of up to 6% over the next three years because of the pensions levy. In the context of a pay freeze and high inflation, this is a cut in living standards of up to one fifth. There is also considerable anger that the Government's change - without consultation or negotiation - of the index for uprating pensions from RPI to CPI means a reduction of at least 15% in their real value before any further changes are implemented.
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Nice to be back
Nice to be back from my periodic break.
Thank you , dear readers for your messages and comments which you left for me while I was on break. I have replied them all.
I have not posted on my blogs for some weeks now because I have been on a lovely one-month break and that , usually, for me is a time of relaxation , of peace and quiet to "renew strength".
Do take a break. It is will do you good .
While away, there were loads of juicy topical issues that I would have loved to write blogs on; like among others , the Blackberry phones shutdown , the economic fiasco in Europe and the recent an still-raging invasion of St.Paul' Cathedral , London by anti -capitalism protesters.
But,I refrained from blogging because while on such breaks, my policy has always been to limit my time spent on internet activities, to the barest minimum.
The live-in camp site on the grounds of St. Paul's Cathedral have taken a new dimension. The tents are increasing in number and the protesters have vowed to set up similar camps all over London.
Latest news is that the church has decided to evict the campers by resorting to legal action.
This would be a lengthy battle by the church and could mean the nuisance been caused by the live-in camps could remain there till the Spring if legal action is taken to evict the campers.
I have written about this in "Trashing St.Paul's Cathedral: time to clear out!" in my other blog, "Pneumalithos ", yesterday.
Rights to protest is one thing; but setting up tents all over London has never achieved anything. Ask the live-in campers who have been protesting in front of Parliament Square , for years now, what they have achieved , so far.
Apart from being irritants to West minister councils officials , these protesters in Parliament Square, have not been able to make the government officials in WHITEHALL to budge an inch.
What would happen is that these live-in camps would metamorphose into eye-sores , festering, junk-littered shacks and
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
2011 Adidas 5k Women Challenge
The 2011 Adidas Women's 5K Challenge took place Sunday 11th September 2011.
The Adidas Women’s 5K Challenge is the annual fun run for women of all ages taking place in Hyde Park, London.
This event was the 14th year of the 5k race at Hyde Park.
The 5 Kilometre Race is the main event of months of preparation , training and fund-raising by the thousands of race participants to support over two dozens charities.
This year , there were over 15,000 runners from all over the world.
I ran as one of the "Guardian Angels" to support the Breast Cancer Campaign Charity in memory of my darling sister , Beatrice and of my friends and colleagues who have been victims of Cancer .
Thousands of participants who had received the "all clear " report of healing from cancer and other ailments,took part in the race to show their gratitude to God for being alive and well and to support their preferred charities.
The race was not only about charities for medical researches ; there were supporters for dozens of charities for the elderly ,for the disabled, for protection of children and other vulnerable persons; for animal welfare and for the environment (Green Issues).
By the start of the race on Sunday, total funds raised already , were in excess of 2 million pounds sterling.
Fund raising events by thousands of supporters will continue even after the race .
Please support the various charities on the 5k women's challenge website and be part of the reliefs needed for these charities. Special thanks to all our donors.
Race report:
In warm autumn sunshine and following a minute's silence in memory of events on 9/11, Heslop and Yelling raced into an immediate lead which soon grew to over ten seconds as they made their way along South Carriage Drive and into the first kilometre, which they passed through in 3:06.
Justina Heslop, the England Athletics 5000m champion, won this 14th adidas Women's 5k Challenge in London's Hyde Park (Sunday 11 September) in convincing fashion, breaking clear of former Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist Liz Yelling in the early stages to clock an impressive 45 second victory in 15:59.
In an event dominated by Africans in recent years, Heslop is the first British winner since Paula Radcliffe's course record breaking performance of 14:51 in 2003, with most recent winners including double World Champion over 5000m and 10,000m Vivian Cheruiyot who took the London title in 2009, and World Championships bronze medallist Linet Masai, last year's winner.
The professional atheletes , took the top five positions as follows:
1 Justina Heslop Clapham Chasers 15:59
2 Liz Yelling Bedford & County 16:44
3 Bryony Proctor Aldershot Farnham & District 17:54
4 Helena Tobin Brighton and Hove 18:04
5 Lauren Stewart Woodford Green with Essex Ladies 18:07
Some Photos of the event:
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Morning Jog at Regents Park , London
Beautiful weather , gorgeous scenery in Regents Park in Central London,
Perfect setting this morning for a jog along the Canal .
Perfect setting this morning for a jog along the Canal .
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Summer Pix
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.
John Ruskin
Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.
Walt Whitman
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.
Helen Keller
Enjoy the Summer !
John Ruskin
Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.
Walt Whitman
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.
Helen Keller
Enjoy the Summer !
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Doing it for London 2012
Volunteering at the Games: be a part of London 2012.
http://www.london2012.com/
The count down for the London 2012 Olympics has begun. Be there for London.
London 2012 promises to be an inspirational experience – especially for those involved in making it happen.
Find out about the different ways to be involved with the London 2012 Games.
There is a vast array of opportunities for volunteering and for jobs:
London 2012 volunteers are called ‘Games Makers’.
Applications to become a Games Maker are now closed, but there are other ways to get involved with the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
You could also be a:
*London Ambassador
* Member of the Changing Places programme
* Pre Games Trailblazer
You can log into the the London 2012 website for more news and updates and you can manage your application online.
For many of the volunteering roles you will need to be 18 or over by 1 January 2012.
Some volunteer positions may require criminal record checks.
See 'Criminal record checks - an introduction' for more information.
Become a London Ambassador
London Ambassadors - Home Page
You can still take part in the London Ambassadors programme, which is recruiting up to 8,000 volunteers.
London Ambassadors will be located at key points across the city - including transport hubs, outside Games venues, and at popular visitor spots. They will provide much needed information on what to see and do, where to stay and how to get around the capital.
If you are given a role, you'll be given full training and you’ll get your own uniform, a meal and free travel (within London Underground Zones 1-6) for every shift worked.
Changing Places community programme
London 2012 is not just about sport – it’s a great opportunity to improve the capital's environment and its prospects for the future.
The Changing Places programme encourages volunteers to get involved in their local area by improving the bad parts and celebrating the good.
For advice on how to get started and change the face of your neighbourhood, you can take a look at the Changing Places toolkit. This has guidance on what to consider when creating your own project, like health and safety and using the right equipment.
Download 'Changing Places toolkit' from the London 2012 website (PDF, 2.8MB)
Changing Places grants
Changing Places has teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy to provide grants of up £1,000 to help kick-start neighbourhood projects.
Trailblazers - helping out before the Games start
Most volunteers will be needed at Games time, but a small number of volunteers, known as Trailblazers, are needed in the run-up to the Games.
Three hundred Trailblazers have already been recruited since January 2009.
Each Trailblazer volunteers one day a week, for a minimum of four months. Trailblazers perform a wide range of administrative duties across many parts of the London 2012 team.
Visit the London 2012 website for more information about the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
http://www.london2012.com/n2012.com/">
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Fatherhood : It Takes Two.
Parents owe it a duty to their unborn children to take on parenthood with all the seriousness it deserves by choosing to procreate with , not just any man or woman they admire; but by making babies with the right partners who are willing to commit to a life-time of parenthood .
Men must, consciously decide, to be fathers indeed and to make efforts to be involved with the rearing of their children.
There is a world of benefits to be gained by being a hands-on father.
It takes two persons ; the mother and the father to decide to give birth to a child.
Fatherhood can not be forced on any man by any woman or any government.
One-sided decisions to saddle unwilling men with fatherhood would continue to breed a myriad of social problems and emotional problems .
You should not and cannot force an unwilling horse to the water-trough so no one should trap, bribe, or beg an unwilling man to remain in a relationship.
If a man does not want to be with you on a permanent basis as a husband and father to your unborn children , so be it!
Let him "walk "; for your own peace of mind and for the sake of your unborn children!
Parents , especially mothers , you owe your children the duty to know and vet the full details as to the character , background, and disposition of the men or women you choose to make babies with!
One-night stands and patronising Sperm Banks are NOT the best options for your children's future emotional well-being.
"You shall not cast your young". Amen.
If you waste your seed by giving your semen to strangers, you have "casted"( wasted) your seed and this would invoke a curse on you. Genesis 38:8-10.
Be alert , be in the Spirit; watching for tell-tale signs of perversions in your relationship and marriage.
Never take any body or anything for granted.
It never ceases to amaze me when I see intelligent women who , weeping profusely, come to Social Services for help ; and then I hear them say , they do not know how Social Services can trace their run-away men !
They do not even know the National Insurance number or passport numbers of men they were married to or had co-habited with for many years!
They went on foreign holidays together, several times and yet no idea of his passport number?
"How could I have known he would do this to me?! He has abandoned me and our four children with thousands of pound debts; bills ,incurred mainly by him! "
Some women are so laid-back that they were not even aware that their men had changed his job and re-routed all his mail to another address, even three months , before he moved out!
Just as there are men who are unwilling to enter into the commitment of marriage with any woman and do not want the responsibilities of fatherhood, so also there are women who do not desire marriage or a serious relationship with any man.
This group of unwilling women want babies but they have decided that they do not have the time nor the space in the lives for , what they call , problems from men or " Man Stress".
Women desiring "designer babies" with anonymous fathers , pay huge fees to view and choose from the photos and bio-data of donor men listed by the Sperm banks.
Then they select out of many , their preferred male as to the desired height , race , skin tone , hair and eye colours , looks , IQ and even the profession of the sperm donor; who they think would make the cutest IVF babies!
The chosen man's semen is then used to fertilise the women's eggs and make human embryos which are then frozen and stored , until when these women are ready to take on the responsibilities of motherhood.
Some young girls and women have stored more than a dozen frozen embryos, for future use; to guarantee their ability to give birth to their own children, even after they reach menopause.
Men who sell their semen must sign a contract relinquishing all claims to fatherhood of any child born from such sold sperm .
Also, these IVF contracts forbid all attempts by either the man or woman to try to trace the identity of each other.
Children born from these sperm - donor arrangements would then find it impossible, in future, to trace who their fathers are.
Mothers, in future, when any of your "designer" children ask you the inevitable question :"Mum , who and where is my father?"; does your child deserve to hear this from you?
"Oh yes, your father! Honey, he was a nice bloke and gorgeous! Just like you, darling.
We met somewhere and y'know..., but, oh gosh, I FORGOT to get his name and phone number! Sorry!"
"You say he was a nice bloke? Then, Mum, why did you not ask for his contact details and why did you not stay with him?"
"Why did HE not ask for MY contact details ?
WHY? WHY? Don't make me laugh! You are a child! Don't worry ! Some day , you will understand WHY it is so that in this life; since hunters have learnt to shoot without missing , birds have learnt to fly without perching!"
OR are you going to tell your child this ?;
"Your Dad? Whao ! Unforgettable! Tall, fantastic eyes and physique, lovely smile; he was, all-round Drop-dead gorgeous! Very intelligent, too.
His bio data stated that he was a top-flight stock-broker but I never had the pleasure of meeting him because he was just a face and a code number with no name, which I downloaded from the website of a Sperm Bank!"
May the Lord have mercy and deliver the human race from self-destruction. Amen.
Men must, consciously decide, to be fathers indeed and to make efforts to be involved with the rearing of their children.
There is a world of benefits to be gained by being a hands-on father.
It takes two persons ; the mother and the father to decide to give birth to a child.
Fatherhood can not be forced on any man by any woman or any government.
One-sided decisions to saddle unwilling men with fatherhood would continue to breed a myriad of social problems and emotional problems .
You should not and cannot force an unwilling horse to the water-trough so no one should trap, bribe, or beg an unwilling man to remain in a relationship.
If a man does not want to be with you on a permanent basis as a husband and father to your unborn children , so be it!
Let him "walk "; for your own peace of mind and for the sake of your unborn children!
Parents , especially mothers , you owe your children the duty to know and vet the full details as to the character , background, and disposition of the men or women you choose to make babies with!
One-night stands and patronising Sperm Banks are NOT the best options for your children's future emotional well-being.
"You shall not cast your young". Amen.
If you waste your seed by giving your semen to strangers, you have "casted"( wasted) your seed and this would invoke a curse on you. Genesis 38:8-10.
Be alert , be in the Spirit; watching for tell-tale signs of perversions in your relationship and marriage.
Never take any body or anything for granted.
It never ceases to amaze me when I see intelligent women who , weeping profusely, come to Social Services for help ; and then I hear them say , they do not know how Social Services can trace their run-away men !
They do not even know the National Insurance number or passport numbers of men they were married to or had co-habited with for many years!
They went on foreign holidays together, several times and yet no idea of his passport number?
"How could I have known he would do this to me?! He has abandoned me and our four children with thousands of pound debts; bills ,incurred mainly by him! "
Some women are so laid-back that they were not even aware that their men had changed his job and re-routed all his mail to another address, even three months , before he moved out!
Just as there are men who are unwilling to enter into the commitment of marriage with any woman and do not want the responsibilities of fatherhood, so also there are women who do not desire marriage or a serious relationship with any man.
This group of unwilling women want babies but they have decided that they do not have the time nor the space in the lives for , what they call , problems from men or " Man Stress".
Women desiring "designer babies" with anonymous fathers , pay huge fees to view and choose from the photos and bio-data of donor men listed by the Sperm banks.
Then they select out of many , their preferred male as to the desired height , race , skin tone , hair and eye colours , looks , IQ and even the profession of the sperm donor; who they think would make the cutest IVF babies!
The chosen man's semen is then used to fertilise the women's eggs and make human embryos which are then frozen and stored , until when these women are ready to take on the responsibilities of motherhood.
Some young girls and women have stored more than a dozen frozen embryos, for future use; to guarantee their ability to give birth to their own children, even after they reach menopause.
Men who sell their semen must sign a contract relinquishing all claims to fatherhood of any child born from such sold sperm .
Also, these IVF contracts forbid all attempts by either the man or woman to try to trace the identity of each other.
Children born from these sperm - donor arrangements would then find it impossible, in future, to trace who their fathers are.
Mothers, in future, when any of your "designer" children ask you the inevitable question :"Mum , who and where is my father?"; does your child deserve to hear this from you?
"Oh yes, your father! Honey, he was a nice bloke and gorgeous! Just like you, darling.
We met somewhere and y'know..., but, oh gosh, I FORGOT to get his name and phone number! Sorry!"
"You say he was a nice bloke? Then, Mum, why did you not ask for his contact details and why did you not stay with him?"
"Why did HE not ask for MY contact details ?
WHY? WHY? Don't make me laugh! You are a child! Don't worry ! Some day , you will understand WHY it is so that in this life; since hunters have learnt to shoot without missing , birds have learnt to fly without perching!"
OR are you going to tell your child this ?;
"Your Dad? Whao ! Unforgettable! Tall, fantastic eyes and physique, lovely smile; he was, all-round Drop-dead gorgeous! Very intelligent, too.
His bio data stated that he was a top-flight stock-broker but I never had the pleasure of meeting him because he was just a face and a code number with no name, which I downloaded from the website of a Sperm Bank!"
May the Lord have mercy and deliver the human race from self-destruction. Amen.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Fatherhood in the 21st Century.
A Father is , biologically, the male partner who mates with the female to produce a baby .
Fatherhood entails much more than the sexual aspect of baby-making.
Fathers were made to " rule as lords , priests , guides , providers and protectors over their households".
Their children should be "arrows in their quivers and polished stones in their courtyards".
The ideal situation after a child is born would be for the father to be present and be willing to cooperate with his child's mother to rear their offspring by contributing not only his money, but also his time to do this.
Millions of fathers worldwide can be credited for doing an excellent hands- on job of caring for their children.
This millennium has been an era for changes and for a continuation of positive advancement in leaps and bounds in all facets of human life; especially technologically , financially and socially.
Fathers and mothers have to work harder than before to meet the demands of modern living which include giving the best to their children.
Despite the challenges of modern living , the demands of their jobs or professions ,most fathers , make time off to bond with and to spend quality time with their wives and children.
In the absence of conscious efforts and determination by men to perform their roles as fathers, what could happen is they could miss out of sustaining a loving relationship with their children .
There are various reasons given by men who have decided to abandon their parental roles.
This write up is not about the reasons for couples breaking up or about the "pros and cons" of strained love relationships or marital upheavals.
Whatever the reasons for the break-up or break -down of a relationship, the children of the union suffer the adverse effects more than their separated parents do.
For every man who is an unwilling father , there are ten fathers who are very willing and very involved in bringing up their children.
Different men have different reasons why they have decided to abandon some women and their children but these same "reluctant men " are known to have moved on to form long-standing and loving relationships with other women and even set up happy homes with other women and the children they have had with the new women in their lives.
The worrying phenomenon of absentee or run-away fathers is a not recent one and is not peculiar to the 21st century.
For centuries , there has been cases of unwilling fathers and abandoned pregnant girls, or pregnant women , pregnant wives and their children.
Men who are sexual predators , think it is the woman's problem to "take care of herself" and so they would not want to hear the "P" word!
When men like that they hear the word "I am pregnant!" from any woman; the woman would not even see their break lights , for dust!
Increasingly in this era, responsible governments world wide , have set up laws to curb the adverse effects of the problems arising from these social problems.
Unfortunately, all through the ages , there have been men and women who are obsessed with sex; but are not bothered about the repercussions of unbridled sexual liaisons.
The present outcry against this unwholesome practice of unwilling fathers is due to the spotlight by the various societies on the plight of abandoned children and the financial burden on governments to provide for the upbringing of children whose fathers have abdicated their responsibilities.
Fathers who miss out on bonding with their growing children could be classified as absentee , run-away or anonymous fathers.
Nowadays ,some caring and loving fathers see their children, occasionally because they work abroad or they work long hours in order to earn fatter pay cheques.
Also, there are fathers who are willing but unable to perform their fatherly duties because they are incarcerated; serving long prison sentences.
Then, some fathers are willing but unable to be involved with their children's growth, because they have been denied access to them by court orders which have classified such fathers as "Unfit fathers" and the courts have given sole custody of their children to the Social Services or to the children's mothers.
These fathers have formed various protest group to draw attention to their plight.
One of such groups in the UK is "Fathers 4 Justice", which demonstrate occasionally ,sometimes using dramatic antics to register their protests.
"Fathers 4 Justice" protesting on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Run-away fathers are those who have deliberately, decided to put as much distance as they could between them and their children .
They would start their decline into being run-away fathers by ,first, refusing to have anything to do with the up-bringing of their own children even when they live under the same roof with them.
Reluctant fathers are men who do not desire a long-time commitment to any woman or to their own children.
Then from being reluctant and indifferent fathers, they graduate to disappearance.
Such men have been known to relocate to foreign lands, thousands of miles from where their children are; just to avoid their responsibilities.
Sometimes they could be men who have been forced into fatherhood by women who deliberately foist pregnancies on unwilling men, as means of pinning such men down in a relationship.
Before , taking their leave, unwilling fathers could engage the mothers of their children in protracted arguments , quarreling and or severe beatings ; because of the fathers' refusal to to commit and contribute to the upbringing of their children.
Eventually , such face-offs would lead to the situation whereby the unwilling fathers would move out of the home and abandon the kids, for good.
Anonymous fathers are those fathers who do not even know that they have fathered dozens of children,already!
These are men who engage, regularly as a life-style, in "one-night stands" or "flash-in the pan" sexual relationships with various women ; without even knowing the real first names or contact details of their female sexual partners!
Such female partners themselves , also , could be girls who desire one-night stand to make babies only ; but they do not wish to have a committed relationship with any man.
Also in the category of Anonymous fathers are those fathers who have fathered children by either donating or selling their seminal fluid to Fertility Clinics, Sperm Banks and Research Institutes.
Very attractive boys and men from all levels and all walks of life, are selected and invited to sell their sperm to Sperm Banks. These banks store the sperm , labelling the test-tubes with the men's specifications and photographs in their data bank .
Some Fertility Clinics and Sperm Banks advertise their services on the Internet and their target-market are girls and women who desire to make and store their embryos, for future use as single mothers.
Such girls prefer to be busy pursuing their education or busy building their careers and they prefer to delay motherhood till they are in their late 30s when they would be ready to take on the responsibilities of single motherhood.
Usually ,when the fathers shirk their fatherhood responsibilities , mothers are left high and dry; left "holding the baby", literally!
When young children are abandoned by their fathers; the responsibilities of child-rearing fall on their mothers or on foster parents , provided by Social Services.
Abandoned mothers would have to either stop working , or take on part-time employment ; in order to find time for caring for the children.
This affects the family income and therefore, the well-being of the children.
There have been stereotypical blanket statements that children from single parent households or from divorced parents , would end up as social miscreants, criminals and emotionally bankrupt adults who cannot remain married.
This is a false view as it is also very unfair to label people with the wrong tags!
Also, the over-used excuse by some adults that they have not done well in life because " you see, I was abandoned by my father as a child"; is no longer tenable !
There are kids who were single-handedly reared by single mothers and today ,they are well-behaved and they are doing very well , excelling in their chosen careers.
Some people would even say ,"It is sinners who do things like this. This is not our portion !"
Nobody would pray for such "portion" in their life.
But is it only "Sinners" who do "things like this"?
What of wife-beating "saints" who live under the same roof with their wives and children but do not contribute a dime towards the family upkeep; they abandon all the child- rearing burdens for the woman?
Then how do we explain cases of children from normal, decent homes with married doting parents ; even Church ministers' children who have turned out to be children of sorrow? Despite their sound Christian upbringing some children have become habitual criminals such as drug addicts ,drug peddlers , robbers , fraudsters and prostitutes!
Millions of children from happy homes have been unfortunate to choose the wrong marriage partners and they have had to , unwillingly, go through the trauma of divorce .
The lot of abandoned children is much better in Western societies where the governments provide for free and subsidised facilities such as housing, medical care , education and weekly cash benefits to the abandoned mother and children.
In the UK , apart from providing such benefits, efforts are made by the Department of Social Services and the Child Support Agencies to trace the unwilling runaway fathers who would have disappeared from the radar of Social Services.
It is a sad fact that millions of men have to be traced and forced by court actions to contribute , at least half of their income to their children's care.
Even these measures have been condemned by those who think they are "Ungodly ,anti-family -values laws which give too much power to single mothers and non-submissive wives to control men and wield authority in the home!"
And what are the "holy and acceptable" alternative laws to solve the problems of abandoned and fatherless children?
Are we advocating that the government should abandon single mothers and abandoned wives and their children to "their fate"; for them to starve and to live on the streets?
Empowering women in every way , to assist them to be in a strong position to take proper care of themselves and their abandoned children is NOT ungodly!
What is ungodly is some women abusing the Benefits system by irresponsible child-bearing.
And what is MOST ungodly is allowing unscrupulous and heartless men and fathers to get away, SCOT FREE, with maltreating their women and children!
These problems of malfunctioning homes could be solved by starting from changing the mind-set of men who litter the landscape with unwanted children and the mind-frames of women who use pregnancies and babies as bargaining chips to get what they desire.
Sunday, 19 June 2011
In Loving and Evergreen memory of Dad .
Wishing all Fathers a Happy Father's Day.
Give your Dad a hug and kisses. Be good to him , tell him you love him ,often .
Dads are wonderful; appreciate yours because they do not live for ever.
I wish my Dad was here today , so that I could shower him with love , praises and gifts on Father's Day!
This week , my siblings and I were discussing our father and as always , we remembered him with pride , with love and gratitude as a man of vision and peace.
We remember him ,even more so during this year's Father's Day, because we , recently, celebrated the first anniversary of our mother's passing on to glory.
We bless both our parents for the gift of life and for the love they shared with each other and with us during their 45 years of happy marriage.
Our father was a rare gem; he was a loving father and a husband in a million.
He went the extra mile to ensure that we lacked nothing and were well-grounded in life.
His regular prayer while we were young, was that God should give him the grace to live long enough , to guard and guide us all to the point in our lives where we would be able to stand on our own two feet and where we would never be afraid .
Our Dad got his heart-felt wish. We thank God that God answered this prayer, before Dad left us for eternity , 17years ago.
"The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.”
Proverbs 12:7.
Happy Father's Day!
Give your Dad a hug and kisses. Be good to him , tell him you love him ,often .
Dads are wonderful; appreciate yours because they do not live for ever.
I wish my Dad was here today , so that I could shower him with love , praises and gifts on Father's Day!
This week , my siblings and I were discussing our father and as always , we remembered him with pride , with love and gratitude as a man of vision and peace.
We remember him ,even more so during this year's Father's Day, because we , recently, celebrated the first anniversary of our mother's passing on to glory.
We bless both our parents for the gift of life and for the love they shared with each other and with us during their 45 years of happy marriage.
Our father was a rare gem; he was a loving father and a husband in a million.
He went the extra mile to ensure that we lacked nothing and were well-grounded in life.
His regular prayer while we were young, was that God should give him the grace to live long enough , to guard and guide us all to the point in our lives where we would be able to stand on our own two feet and where we would never be afraid .
Our Dad got his heart-felt wish. We thank God that God answered this prayer, before Dad left us for eternity , 17years ago.
"The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.”
Proverbs 12:7.
Happy Father's Day!
Sunday, 15 May 2011
What an Exciting Fortnight!
The past two weeks have been a time for exciting events and dramatic "Breaking News" in the UK and from around the world .
These news and events are worthy of note because ; apart from been dramatic , each of them had a lesson or two to impart to the human race.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, now on their honeymoon got married a fortnight ago, on 29th April.
The excitement of the unforgetable Wedding of the Century had hardly died down before the world was stunned to hear the news that Osama Bin Laden had been caught in his hideout in Pakistan
He resisted arrest and he was promptly "taken out" by gun shots to his eye and head.
Since the death of bin Laden there has been either jubiliation or condemnation for the daring and successful attack by American SEAL officers who carried out the Presidential order to arrest bin Laden.
Depending on regional inclinations, reactions to his death varied from shouts of " God bless America" and "Good riddance!" from different parts of the globe ; while in some parts, the reactions were the usual street protests, riots, killings, arson , bombings and the shouts of "Revenge", " death to ALL infidels!", and so on.
Some commentators even expressed their views that the US government should have accorded Osama bin Laden "the honour of a civilised arrest, respect for the rule of law, justice , his human dignity, his human rights, mercy, forgivenness and a proper burial"!
On the UK political scene, the AV (Alternative Vote) Referendun and the Local Government elections took place in the first week of May.
These elections caused major upheavals for the main political parties; whereby many MPs lost their seats leading to demands for the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister and the results triggered renewed demands for Scottish independence.
The AV Referendum on the 5th of May, resulted in the expected "NO" vote from the populace.
The UK Premier league Football clubs gave us thrilling and amazing semi-final matches which resulted in the two surprise emergence of Manchester City FC and Stoke City FC as finalists for the prestigious FA Cup .
To attain this elevated status, the two low division clubs had surprised every body, even their ardent fans , by seeing off football "gaints" like Chelsea , Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool and others.
At the weekend, it was with great pleasure that millions of football fans, worldwide, watched Manachester City FC and Manchester United , the two clubs from Manchester, clinch the FA Cup and Premier League Cup , respectively.
Among other news which made flashing headlines was the breaking news that dozens of prominent citizens in the UK had applied for court injunctions to prevent the media from publishing stories about their " private lives", a.k.a. "Sexual escapades".
These celebrites through their lawyers had applied to the courts for super injunctions to , according to them , prevent the UK media from causing "embarassment and emotional distress" to their wives and children with "these false allegations" !
As if these men did not know they had wives and families before playing " away games".
They could succeed in getting the courts to restrain the electronic and print media, but not possible with Twitter and Facebook .
Last week, the two networking sites went viral with full details of the applications for super injunctions . They featured Tweets and comments, revealing the IDs of the celebrites who have applied for court injunctions to gag the press and the secrets they were desperately trying to cover up.
On this note, what news could be more befitting to crown the fortnight of dramatic news than the breaking news of the arrest of the head of the IMF for allegation of attempted rape , on Sunday ? !
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, IMF chief and French presidental hopeful was accused by a hotel maid in New York, during the last weekend, of unlawful imprisonment, criminal sexual acts and attempted rape.
Strauss-kahn , now is in police custody in New York.
He has denied all accusations while his lawyers and his wife , as most wives and lawyers do in cases like this , have spoken in his defence. " He could never do a thing like that !" " We have been happily married for years!"
Indeed you have been !
Strauss in handcuffs , unshaven and looking very nervous before the cameras of the world press was a pitiful site to view on TV , as he appeared in court on Monday.
The next breaking news could be that these people have taken out court super injunctions to gag not only the world press, but also Twitter and Facebook, from reporting on Strauss-Khan's past and latest sexual escapades.
That would be a tall order, indeed.
Have an exiciting week !
These news and events are worthy of note because ; apart from been dramatic , each of them had a lesson or two to impart to the human race.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, now on their honeymoon got married a fortnight ago, on 29th April.
The excitement of the unforgetable Wedding of the Century had hardly died down before the world was stunned to hear the news that Osama Bin Laden had been caught in his hideout in Pakistan
He resisted arrest and he was promptly "taken out" by gun shots to his eye and head.
Since the death of bin Laden there has been either jubiliation or condemnation for the daring and successful attack by American SEAL officers who carried out the Presidential order to arrest bin Laden.
Depending on regional inclinations, reactions to his death varied from shouts of " God bless America" and "Good riddance!" from different parts of the globe ; while in some parts, the reactions were the usual street protests, riots, killings, arson , bombings and the shouts of "Revenge", " death to ALL infidels!", and so on.
Some commentators even expressed their views that the US government should have accorded Osama bin Laden "the honour of a civilised arrest, respect for the rule of law, justice , his human dignity, his human rights, mercy, forgivenness and a proper burial"!
On the UK political scene, the AV (Alternative Vote) Referendun and the Local Government elections took place in the first week of May.
These elections caused major upheavals for the main political parties; whereby many MPs lost their seats leading to demands for the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister and the results triggered renewed demands for Scottish independence.
The AV Referendum on the 5th of May, resulted in the expected "NO" vote from the populace.
The UK Premier league Football clubs gave us thrilling and amazing semi-final matches which resulted in the two surprise emergence of Manchester City FC and Stoke City FC as finalists for the prestigious FA Cup .
To attain this elevated status, the two low division clubs had surprised every body, even their ardent fans , by seeing off football "gaints" like Chelsea , Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool and others.
At the weekend, it was with great pleasure that millions of football fans, worldwide, watched Manachester City FC and Manchester United , the two clubs from Manchester, clinch the FA Cup and Premier League Cup , respectively.
Among other news which made flashing headlines was the breaking news that dozens of prominent citizens in the UK had applied for court injunctions to prevent the media from publishing stories about their " private lives", a.k.a. "Sexual escapades".
These celebrites through their lawyers had applied to the courts for super injunctions to , according to them , prevent the UK media from causing "embarassment and emotional distress" to their wives and children with "these false allegations" !
As if these men did not know they had wives and families before playing " away games".
They could succeed in getting the courts to restrain the electronic and print media, but not possible with Twitter and Facebook .
Last week, the two networking sites went viral with full details of the applications for super injunctions . They featured Tweets and comments, revealing the IDs of the celebrites who have applied for court injunctions to gag the press and the secrets they were desperately trying to cover up.
On this note, what news could be more befitting to crown the fortnight of dramatic news than the breaking news of the arrest of the head of the IMF for allegation of attempted rape , on Sunday ? !
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, IMF chief and French presidental hopeful was accused by a hotel maid in New York, during the last weekend, of unlawful imprisonment, criminal sexual acts and attempted rape.
Strauss-kahn , now is in police custody in New York.
He has denied all accusations while his lawyers and his wife , as most wives and lawyers do in cases like this , have spoken in his defence. " He could never do a thing like that !" " We have been happily married for years!"
Indeed you have been !
Strauss in handcuffs , unshaven and looking very nervous before the cameras of the world press was a pitiful site to view on TV , as he appeared in court on Monday.
The next breaking news could be that these people have taken out court super injunctions to gag not only the world press, but also Twitter and Facebook, from reporting on Strauss-Khan's past and latest sexual escapades.
That would be a tall order, indeed.
Have an exiciting week !
Friday, 29 April 2011
Hearty Cheers to Kate and Wills !
Two Billion viewers worldwide and hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the wedding venues at Westminster Abbey ,at The Mall and at Buckkingham Palace in London , to celebrate with Prince and Princess William on their Wedding Day today ,29th April , 2011.
The happy couple
The Golden Kiss
At Westminster Abbey and at the Palace
After the ceremonies , the happy Couple drove off from the Palace ,for their honeymoon amidst hearty cheers from the mammoth crowd.
Celebrations in 5500 party venues all over London and the UK will continue well into the weekend.
The happy couple
The Golden Kiss
At Westminster Abbey and at the Palace
After the ceremonies , the happy Couple drove off from the Palace ,for their honeymoon amidst hearty cheers from the mammoth crowd.
Celebrations in 5500 party venues all over London and the UK will continue well into the weekend.
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Ladies Day Fashion at Aintree 2011
Friday, April 8th was Ladies’ Day at John Smith’s Grand National meeting.
The Grand National at Aintree is about horse racing but the Ladies Day provide a spectacle of colour in the Red Rum Garden with some amazing prizes up for grabs for Aintree’s most stylish racegoers.
Trust ladies to add flavour and style to any occasion!
For fashion pundits, Ladies Day at Aintree is not to missed; as it is that day on the UK and World Fashion Calender to display the latest eye-catching designs in hats and plumes.
With make-up sampling, goody bag giveaways and fashion shows all happening in this area, it’s the ultimate raceday style experience.
Known as the biggest social and style day out in the North West, Ladies' Day returned to Aintree and was more stylish than ever.
Mobile Phones War Escalates !
Mobile phone subscribers have never had it so good in the UK!
What with the major mobile phone servers courting their patronage with juicy , hard-to-resist offers.
The competition for the biggest share of the huge market is raging fiercely among phone companies like Vodafone, O2 , T Mobile , Orange, 3; to mention a few.
Customers have been inundated with text messages and online offers on these companies' websites about their latest deals.
The most popular of these are from 02 and Vodafone , especially for BlackBerry phones users.
The eye-catching one for me and most people is from O2; offering 12 months SIM only BlackBerry deal for Web and Text for as little as £7.50 and a maximum of £26.00 for unlimited texts and 500 MB Web Access. That is the best deal ever from O2.
Not to be outdone , Vodafone and T Mobile have come up with there own answers to O2's challenge!
Among other FREEBEES DEALS they are offering the public, Vodafone has in the past months offered a FREE SIM ONLY deal of 500MB Free Web Access and free 500 texts ; all FREE on BlackBerry phones until June 30th, 2011!
The others , especially T MOBILE , have loads of similar tempting offers on their websites.
The more deals , the merrier for us their subsribers !
It seems for a long time to come , mobile phone users will be spoiled for choice as this "Wars of the Big Five Servers " rages on.
Very Good news for us subscribers that they continue their healthy competitions for our patronage.
What with the major mobile phone servers courting their patronage with juicy , hard-to-resist offers.
The competition for the biggest share of the huge market is raging fiercely among phone companies like Vodafone, O2 , T Mobile , Orange, 3; to mention a few.
Customers have been inundated with text messages and online offers on these companies' websites about their latest deals.
The most popular of these are from 02 and Vodafone , especially for BlackBerry phones users.
The eye-catching one for me and most people is from O2; offering 12 months SIM only BlackBerry deal for Web and Text for as little as £7.50 and a maximum of £26.00 for unlimited texts and 500 MB Web Access. That is the best deal ever from O2.
Not to be outdone , Vodafone and T Mobile have come up with there own answers to O2's challenge!
Among other FREEBEES DEALS they are offering the public, Vodafone has in the past months offered a FREE SIM ONLY deal of 500MB Free Web Access and free 500 texts ; all FREE on BlackBerry phones until June 30th, 2011!
The others , especially T MOBILE , have loads of similar tempting offers on their websites.
The more deals , the merrier for us their subsribers !
It seems for a long time to come , mobile phone users will be spoiled for choice as this "Wars of the Big Five Servers " rages on.
Very Good news for us subscribers that they continue their healthy competitions for our patronage.
Sunday, 27 March 2011
The Price for Our Security
Intrusive as they may seem ; authorised, detailed and round-the-clock surveillance by the relevant agencies is , in the long run , a small price for citizens to pay in order to ensure the security of their lives and properties.
What could be better than a good night sleep , safer streets and peace of mind which come with the knowledge that our streets , houses , schools and office are well policed and well monitored , even in our absence?
Also, it feels good to know that barring any acts of our own carelessness, that our life savings and financial investments are secured and safe from "Smart Alecs" with itchy fingers!
The UK Security Agencies have acquired a world-wide respect and acclaim for their enviable records and reputation for their "wizardry" and swift efficiency in apprehending and prosecuting criminals.
Their famous efficiency is based , mainly , on their dedicated use of a vast array of surveillance gadgets and techniques , at their disposal.
Of all the surveillance methods in use , CCTV cameras and devices for eavesdropping on phone calls and reading text messages of the populace are the two most annoying of them all!
The Wiki leak scandals have further confirmed what was an open secret that contents of emails were not secured ; they could be accessed and opened for public viewing.
The wide spread use of CCTV cameras and Satellite surveillance like Google Earth - Street View , have caused alarm and irritation to citizens who view them as excessive and unwarranted invasion of their privacy.
Protests and strident calls have been made for a drastic reduction and a firmer control on the use of unbridled surveillance systems on members of the public.
Millions of people see the use of their personal data gleaned from unwarranted and unauthorised surveillance as a breach of Human Rights Laws.
Legal and logistical obstacles stand in the way of a massive Big Brother-esque database but information is being gathered on almost everything we do.
Recently , there have been suggestions from some people that the number of CCTV cameras, their Monitoring Posts and staff should be cut down drastically!
Indeed , some of the cameras have been switched off to cut costs.
Rightly, the "Big Brother invasion" of our privacy and Human Rights could be offensive.
Nobody , guilty or innocent, would feel comfortable if they knew they were being watched.
However, people would not succumb to temptations to commit crimes if they knew they were being watched by law enforcement officers.
My street has six CCTV cameras, evenly positioned along its 200 metres length.
Some years ago , my mother was visiting us . One night, she went to the toilet at about 2 a.m and peeped out of her bedroom window , from where she could see the junction of our street with the High street. Later, she told me she was fascinated and impressed to see motorists obeying traffic lights at the junction , at 2 a.m. , when there were very few cars and people on the road and no policeman in sight!
We had a good laugh about it when I told her that people were obeying the lights , not because they wanted to; but because they knew there were CCTV and Speed cameras at our street junction , watching them 24/7!
Like everyone else, I do wonder about the men and women who are monitoring these CCTV cameras in some Police office somewhere , round the clock. Where are they, what are they seeing , thinking and feeling as they watch?
I have seen people doing rude stuff before the cameras like giving the "finger-up w--k-r" sign , baring their bums and their chests!
I used to make funny faces at the cameras and mouth the words , "What are you looking at ?".
But I would not do all that now because i know the importance of CCTV surveillance.
Two years ago, I had reasons to thank God for their presence and today , I acknowledge their importance . I do appreciate their presence all over the place and I support that CCTV camera surveillance must remain on our streets in the UK.
I appreciate the importance of CCTV surveillance because I know, first hand, that they are indispensable in crime detection and prevention .
Twice , not through my carelessness, I have been a victim of crime .
Once by bank fraud by a criminal syndicate which cloned my Bank Visa card and I have been a victim of pick-pockets in a popular London shopping centre.
On both occasions, thanks to CCTV surveillance, the offenders were arrested and prosecuted.
My purse was returned by the Police to me , a few minutes after it was nicked and my bank refunded all the money stolen from my bank account, after a few days of Police investigation.
There is no society that can boast of "absolute security ".
Security is not the absence of danger, but the presence of God, no matter what the danger.
"Except the Lord build the house , they labour in vain that build it : except the Lord keep the city , the watchman waketh but in vain ". Psalm 127:1.
However , the collective efforts in any society to secure the lives and properties of its citizens are the building -blocks of a free and just society.
A state of anarchy cannot sustain a climate of peace and meaningful development.
In every society , there exist a minority ; pockets of social deviants who would not comply with the rules and laws of the land , if they knew that nobody was watching them.
Without effective surveillance, the anti-social elements in our midst would have a field day in making life very unpleasant for the majority of the populace.
Without CCTV and other forms of surveillance tools for crime prevention, what are the alternatives? How would the law enforcement agencies monitor , apprehend and effectively deter the unrelenting antisocial die-hard in our societies?
The alternatives to constant surveillance by the relevant authorities would be the costlier and unjust alternatives where each citizen would bear the responsibility of providing for their own personal security .
People would then develop a "Siege mentality". Each person would then have to put in place their own personal security arrangements which would entail fortifying our homes and offices with high walls, iron bars, steel gates , floodlights and CCTV cameras and employing security and body guards.
And at what cost ? What about those citizens who cannot afford such high security bills?
Clearly, the option of " Every man to himself ; God for us all!", is unjust and unacceptable.
Only affluent citizens can afford the very high cost of providing personal security.
Therefore , in lawless and unjust societies, the poor citizens who cannot afford detailed personal security are left unaided by their Governments; then they are left vulnerable , in a state of panic and terror!
The Police watching from CCTV Monitoring centres , do excellent jobs in foiling attempts by countless pick-pockets on the streets.
With the aid of CCTV surveillance, at all hours, the Police are able to see and successfully foil robberies -in-progress , even in the absence of the property owners.
Many people on holidays abroad, thousands of miles from the UK, have received shocking phone calls from the UK Police to inform them that thieves have been arrested for attempted break-ins and robbery in their homes or offices!
While their neighbours couldn't call the police , because the neighbours were unaware of the robberies; the Police could sight the robbers on CCTV cameras , miles away and move in to cordon off the whole area and arrest the robbers.
Therefore , the men and women of the Police and the Armed Forces, in order to keep up their good work , deserve every commendation and encouragement from the government and the citizens.
“Learned institutions ought to be favorite objects with every free people. They throw that light over the public mind which is the best security against crafty and dangerous encroachments on the public liberty.” James Madison .
Authorised , effective surveillance should not be criticised or subjected to cut backs; even in times of austerity .
They are necessary and effective for a better society; and the more of them , the better for the society.
What could be better than a good night sleep , safer streets and peace of mind which come with the knowledge that our streets , houses , schools and office are well policed and well monitored , even in our absence?
Also, it feels good to know that barring any acts of our own carelessness, that our life savings and financial investments are secured and safe from "Smart Alecs" with itchy fingers!
The UK Security Agencies have acquired a world-wide respect and acclaim for their enviable records and reputation for their "wizardry" and swift efficiency in apprehending and prosecuting criminals.
Their famous efficiency is based , mainly , on their dedicated use of a vast array of surveillance gadgets and techniques , at their disposal.
Of all the surveillance methods in use , CCTV cameras and devices for eavesdropping on phone calls and reading text messages of the populace are the two most annoying of them all!
The Wiki leak scandals have further confirmed what was an open secret that contents of emails were not secured ; they could be accessed and opened for public viewing.
The wide spread use of CCTV cameras and Satellite surveillance like Google Earth - Street View , have caused alarm and irritation to citizens who view them as excessive and unwarranted invasion of their privacy.
Protests and strident calls have been made for a drastic reduction and a firmer control on the use of unbridled surveillance systems on members of the public.
Millions of people see the use of their personal data gleaned from unwarranted and unauthorised surveillance as a breach of Human Rights Laws.
Legal and logistical obstacles stand in the way of a massive Big Brother-esque database but information is being gathered on almost everything we do.
Recently , there have been suggestions from some people that the number of CCTV cameras, their Monitoring Posts and staff should be cut down drastically!
Indeed , some of the cameras have been switched off to cut costs.
Rightly, the "Big Brother invasion" of our privacy and Human Rights could be offensive.
Nobody , guilty or innocent, would feel comfortable if they knew they were being watched.
However, people would not succumb to temptations to commit crimes if they knew they were being watched by law enforcement officers.
My street has six CCTV cameras, evenly positioned along its 200 metres length.
Some years ago , my mother was visiting us . One night, she went to the toilet at about 2 a.m and peeped out of her bedroom window , from where she could see the junction of our street with the High street. Later, she told me she was fascinated and impressed to see motorists obeying traffic lights at the junction , at 2 a.m. , when there were very few cars and people on the road and no policeman in sight!
We had a good laugh about it when I told her that people were obeying the lights , not because they wanted to; but because they knew there were CCTV and Speed cameras at our street junction , watching them 24/7!
Like everyone else, I do wonder about the men and women who are monitoring these CCTV cameras in some Police office somewhere , round the clock. Where are they, what are they seeing , thinking and feeling as they watch?
I have seen people doing rude stuff before the cameras like giving the "finger-up w--k-r" sign , baring their bums and their chests!
I used to make funny faces at the cameras and mouth the words , "What are you looking at ?".
But I would not do all that now because i know the importance of CCTV surveillance.
Two years ago, I had reasons to thank God for their presence and today , I acknowledge their importance . I do appreciate their presence all over the place and I support that CCTV camera surveillance must remain on our streets in the UK.
I appreciate the importance of CCTV surveillance because I know, first hand, that they are indispensable in crime detection and prevention .
Twice , not through my carelessness, I have been a victim of crime .
Once by bank fraud by a criminal syndicate which cloned my Bank Visa card and I have been a victim of pick-pockets in a popular London shopping centre.
On both occasions, thanks to CCTV surveillance, the offenders were arrested and prosecuted.
My purse was returned by the Police to me , a few minutes after it was nicked and my bank refunded all the money stolen from my bank account, after a few days of Police investigation.
There is no society that can boast of "absolute security ".
Security is not the absence of danger, but the presence of God, no matter what the danger.
"Except the Lord build the house , they labour in vain that build it : except the Lord keep the city , the watchman waketh but in vain ". Psalm 127:1.
However , the collective efforts in any society to secure the lives and properties of its citizens are the building -blocks of a free and just society.
A state of anarchy cannot sustain a climate of peace and meaningful development.
In every society , there exist a minority ; pockets of social deviants who would not comply with the rules and laws of the land , if they knew that nobody was watching them.
Without effective surveillance, the anti-social elements in our midst would have a field day in making life very unpleasant for the majority of the populace.
Without CCTV and other forms of surveillance tools for crime prevention, what are the alternatives? How would the law enforcement agencies monitor , apprehend and effectively deter the unrelenting antisocial die-hard in our societies?
The alternatives to constant surveillance by the relevant authorities would be the costlier and unjust alternatives where each citizen would bear the responsibility of providing for their own personal security .
People would then develop a "Siege mentality". Each person would then have to put in place their own personal security arrangements which would entail fortifying our homes and offices with high walls, iron bars, steel gates , floodlights and CCTV cameras and employing security and body guards.
And at what cost ? What about those citizens who cannot afford such high security bills?
Clearly, the option of " Every man to himself ; God for us all!", is unjust and unacceptable.
Only affluent citizens can afford the very high cost of providing personal security.
Therefore , in lawless and unjust societies, the poor citizens who cannot afford detailed personal security are left unaided by their Governments; then they are left vulnerable , in a state of panic and terror!
The Police watching from CCTV Monitoring centres , do excellent jobs in foiling attempts by countless pick-pockets on the streets.
With the aid of CCTV surveillance, at all hours, the Police are able to see and successfully foil robberies -in-progress , even in the absence of the property owners.
Many people on holidays abroad, thousands of miles from the UK, have received shocking phone calls from the UK Police to inform them that thieves have been arrested for attempted break-ins and robbery in their homes or offices!
While their neighbours couldn't call the police , because the neighbours were unaware of the robberies; the Police could sight the robbers on CCTV cameras , miles away and move in to cordon off the whole area and arrest the robbers.
Therefore , the men and women of the Police and the Armed Forces, in order to keep up their good work , deserve every commendation and encouragement from the government and the citizens.
“Learned institutions ought to be favorite objects with every free people. They throw that light over the public mind which is the best security against crafty and dangerous encroachments on the public liberty.” James Madison .
Authorised , effective surveillance should not be criticised or subjected to cut backs; even in times of austerity .
They are necessary and effective for a better society; and the more of them , the better for the society.
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Eagle-eye Surveillance
In order to provide adequate security in any country, governments have made " To be forewarned is to be fore-armed ", their policy.
Knowledge is power; that is , knowledge through detailed surveillance.
"Distrust and caution are the parents of security" ~ Benjamin Franklin.
The government of the UK has gone the extra mile and as some would say , even "gone overboard" ; to sniff out and snuff out the society's miscreants and other security problems and nip them in the bud , even before they are hatched!
To this end, fears that the UK would "sleep-walk into a surveillance society" have become a reality.
Researches in the UK have found people's actions are increasingly being monitored.
Researchers have highlighted "dataveillance", the use of credit cards, mobile phones and loyalty cards information, and CCTV.
Monitoring of work rates, travel and telecommunications is also rising.
Today, all over the UK, there is a network system of round-the-clock surveillance of every area and every inch , literally, of the country by law enforcement agencies and other users of surveillance data.
This method of eagle-eye surveillance has met with stiff oppositions or accolades from various sectors of the UK society.
Some of the methods and devices used to maintain an effective network of data collection in the UK are:-
* Automatic Vehicle Registration Plate recognition cameras- speed cameras, traffic enforcement cameras and in London's congestion charging zone.
* Shop RFID tags- Perhaps the most controversial use of RFID to date in the UK was in 2003 when an RFID tracking system was used in the packaging of Gillette Mach3 razor blades to stop shoplifting at one of Tesco's Cambridge branches. Anyone picking up a packet of the blades triggered CCTV surveillance of themselves in the store.
* Mobile phone triangulation - As well as being used to monitor unfaithful spouses, the mobile phone has had a more direct application in crime-fighting.
This has proved crucial in convicting Soham murderer Ian Huntley and Stuart Campbell, who killed teenager Danielle Jones.
* Store loyalty cards -There are anything up to 160 store loyalty card schemes in the UK, collecting information on shoppers.
The biggest scheme, Nectar, collects only data on how much is spent and where and when.
Want to shop online? Well, then you might just have to accept being watched.
* Credit card transactions- Every time we buy something with a credit or debit card we let the firm know where we are and what we are buying.
Information can be held on our spending patterns and also on our reliability as a customer. This can come in useful when an unusual pattern - such as spending a large amount of money in a foreign country - can be used to quickly identify that cloning or theft has taken place.
* London Oyster cards- Introduced on London's public transport network to speed up the flow of passengers, data from the card is already being used by the police.
If a criminal has used his or a stolen Oyster, that can be matched to Tube station CCTV at the same time to establish a link.
*Satellites - Google Earth
No-one outside the military and intelligence community really has any idea of the level of monitoring from the skies.
Other effective means of surveillance of the British populace are through:
* The Electoral roll
* NHS patient records - The government is in the middle of a massive IT project to unite the NHS's various computer systems. Among the most significant developments is the bringing together of patient records on a national database.
Access to the records is carefully restricted, but privacy campaigners worry that the national system could prove vulnerable to security breaches.
* Personal video recorders
* Phone-tapping
* Worker call monitoring
* Worker clocking-in
* Mobile phone cameras
* Internet Cookies- One of the most subtle forms of surveillance is the use of HTTP cookies - small packets of data that are used to communicate between websites and your computer. They are used to set your preferences when you visit a website for a second time and for a host of other reasons.
Keystroke programmes
* Hidden Bugs / Cameras - While phone-tap evidence cannot be used in court, evidence from bugs can.
This venerable method of surveillance was in the news again recently when it was revealed a London restaurant was sweeping for bugs to prevent industrial espionage involving corporate lunches.
* CCTV Cameras- There are up to 4.2m CCTV cameras in Britain - about one for every 14 people ;making it one of the most watched places on earth. Almost every nook and cranny of villages , towns and cities are policed by a network of CCTV cameras.
Situated in strategic points in every street , all over the country, these amazing cameras provide high quality, colour images of everything and every one within their focus.It is said that they can , even , zoom into your handbag !
CCTV in Britain's streets can trace its genesis back to a limited system set up for the Queen's coronation in 1953. By the 1960s there was permanent CCTV in some London streets. Now there are an estimated four million cameras in the country, viewing us as many as 300 times a day.
CCTV is everywhere. CCTV cameras in stores monitor shoplifters, those in cash machines look for fraud gangs, those on public transport watch vandals and thugs. But they also watch ordinary people at the same time.
Digital CCTV systems can be configured to use face-recognition and look for criminal suspects.
An estimated £500m of public money has been spent on installing CCTV in the last decade.
Knowledge is power; that is , knowledge through detailed surveillance.
"Distrust and caution are the parents of security" ~ Benjamin Franklin.
The government of the UK has gone the extra mile and as some would say , even "gone overboard" ; to sniff out and snuff out the society's miscreants and other security problems and nip them in the bud , even before they are hatched!
To this end, fears that the UK would "sleep-walk into a surveillance society" have become a reality.
Researches in the UK have found people's actions are increasingly being monitored.
Researchers have highlighted "dataveillance", the use of credit cards, mobile phones and loyalty cards information, and CCTV.
Monitoring of work rates, travel and telecommunications is also rising.
Today, all over the UK, there is a network system of round-the-clock surveillance of every area and every inch , literally, of the country by law enforcement agencies and other users of surveillance data.
This method of eagle-eye surveillance has met with stiff oppositions or accolades from various sectors of the UK society.
Some of the methods and devices used to maintain an effective network of data collection in the UK are:-
* Automatic Vehicle Registration Plate recognition cameras- speed cameras, traffic enforcement cameras and in London's congestion charging zone.
* Shop RFID tags- Perhaps the most controversial use of RFID to date in the UK was in 2003 when an RFID tracking system was used in the packaging of Gillette Mach3 razor blades to stop shoplifting at one of Tesco's Cambridge branches. Anyone picking up a packet of the blades triggered CCTV surveillance of themselves in the store.
* Mobile phone triangulation - As well as being used to monitor unfaithful spouses, the mobile phone has had a more direct application in crime-fighting.
This has proved crucial in convicting Soham murderer Ian Huntley and Stuart Campbell, who killed teenager Danielle Jones.
* Store loyalty cards -There are anything up to 160 store loyalty card schemes in the UK, collecting information on shoppers.
The biggest scheme, Nectar, collects only data on how much is spent and where and when.
Want to shop online? Well, then you might just have to accept being watched.
* Credit card transactions- Every time we buy something with a credit or debit card we let the firm know where we are and what we are buying.
Information can be held on our spending patterns and also on our reliability as a customer. This can come in useful when an unusual pattern - such as spending a large amount of money in a foreign country - can be used to quickly identify that cloning or theft has taken place.
* London Oyster cards- Introduced on London's public transport network to speed up the flow of passengers, data from the card is already being used by the police.
If a criminal has used his or a stolen Oyster, that can be matched to Tube station CCTV at the same time to establish a link.
*Satellites - Google Earth
No-one outside the military and intelligence community really has any idea of the level of monitoring from the skies.
Other effective means of surveillance of the British populace are through:
* The Electoral roll
* NHS patient records - The government is in the middle of a massive IT project to unite the NHS's various computer systems. Among the most significant developments is the bringing together of patient records on a national database.
Access to the records is carefully restricted, but privacy campaigners worry that the national system could prove vulnerable to security breaches.
* Personal video recorders
* Phone-tapping
* Worker call monitoring
* Worker clocking-in
* Mobile phone cameras
* Internet Cookies- One of the most subtle forms of surveillance is the use of HTTP cookies - small packets of data that are used to communicate between websites and your computer. They are used to set your preferences when you visit a website for a second time and for a host of other reasons.
Keystroke programmes
* Hidden Bugs / Cameras - While phone-tap evidence cannot be used in court, evidence from bugs can.
This venerable method of surveillance was in the news again recently when it was revealed a London restaurant was sweeping for bugs to prevent industrial espionage involving corporate lunches.
* CCTV Cameras- There are up to 4.2m CCTV cameras in Britain - about one for every 14 people ;making it one of the most watched places on earth. Almost every nook and cranny of villages , towns and cities are policed by a network of CCTV cameras.
Situated in strategic points in every street , all over the country, these amazing cameras provide high quality, colour images of everything and every one within their focus.It is said that they can , even , zoom into your handbag !
CCTV in Britain's streets can trace its genesis back to a limited system set up for the Queen's coronation in 1953. By the 1960s there was permanent CCTV in some London streets. Now there are an estimated four million cameras in the country, viewing us as many as 300 times a day.
CCTV is everywhere. CCTV cameras in stores monitor shoplifters, those in cash machines look for fraud gangs, those on public transport watch vandals and thugs. But they also watch ordinary people at the same time.
Digital CCTV systems can be configured to use face-recognition and look for criminal suspects.
An estimated £500m of public money has been spent on installing CCTV in the last decade.
Friday, 18 March 2011
Google Earth - Street View
It is exciting to log on to the Google Street View website and see photographs of own front door and those of your friends and family,even when they are thousands of miles away from you.
In addition to satellite maps and photographs , you can actually see moving images of people, animals and vehicles on streets in cities all over the world!
All you do is post in the city and the street address and post code on the website and use the navigational arrows to zoom in on you target spot !
Presto! You would view every thing there!
Google Street View is a vital tool for military and police surveillance..
Also it is fun but for you to see people you know or for them to be able to see you too , on some street somewhere and phone them to tell them that you can see them , at that very moment!
Using my Blackberry phone last weekend, just for the fun of it , I logged on to the streets of some people I know.
On my friend's street in North London, I saw her going for a walk with her dog!
So I called her and asked her where she was going with Arnie( full names of the dog is Arnold Schwarzenegger!).
She asked ,"Tina ? Where are you?"!
"In a car-wash in South London", I replied.
"Gerrout of here ! How can you see us from there!" .
It was funny seeing the surprise and confusion on her face.
My friends , family and I have "SPIED " on each other like this several times before and it is indeed very funny to surprise people like this.
It is fun and it is exciting seeing people and stuff on Google Street View ; but it is also scary and very intrusive.
This means just anybody can monitor anyone's movements , just by logging on a computer.
Google Street View provides 360° panoramic street-level views and allows users to view parts of selected cities and their surrounding metropolitan areas at ground level. When it was launched on May 25, 2007 for Google Maps, only five cities were included. It has since expanded to more than 40 U.S. cities, and includes the suburbs of many, and in some cases, other nearby cities. Recent updates have now implemented Street View in most of the major cities of Australia and New Zealand as well as parts of Canada, parts of South Africa, Denmark, Mexico, Japan, Norway, Finland, Spain, Sweden, France, the UK, Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Taiwan, and Singapore.
On April 15, 2008 with version 4.3, Google fully integrated its Street View into Google Earth. In version 6.0, the photo zooming function has been removed because it is incompatible with the new 'seamless' navigation.
Google Street View, when operated, displays photos that were previously taken by a camera mounted on an automobile, and can be navigated by using the mouse to click on photograph icons displayed on the screen in your direction of travel.
Using these devices, the photos can be viewed in different sizes, from any direction, and from a variety of angles.
Google Earth displays satellite images of varying resolution of the Earth's surface, allowing users to see things like cities and houses looking perpendicularly down or at an oblique angle .
Google Earth allows users to search for addresses for some countries, enter coordinates, or simply use the mouse to browse to a location.
For large parts of the surface of the Earth only 2D images are available, from almost vertical photography.
For other parts of the surface of the Earth 3D images of terrain and buildings are available. Google Earth uses digital elevation model (DEM) data collected by NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM).
This means one can view the whole earth in three dimensions.
Google Earth is able to show all kinds of images overlaid on the surface of the earth is simply based on 3D maps, it has the capability to show 3D buildings and structures (such as bridges).
Many buildings and structures from around the world now have detailed 3D structures; including (but not limited to) those in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, India, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Pakistan and the cities, Amsterdam and Alexandria.
Recently, Google added a feature that allows users to monitor traffic speeds at loops located every 200 yards in real-time. In version 4.3 released on April 15, 2008, Google Street View was fully integrated into the program allowing the program to provide an on the street level view in many locations.
In addition to satellite maps and photographs , you can actually see moving images of people, animals and vehicles on streets in cities all over the world!
All you do is post in the city and the street address and post code on the website and use the navigational arrows to zoom in on you target spot !
Presto! You would view every thing there!
Google Street View is a vital tool for military and police surveillance..
Also it is fun but for you to see people you know or for them to be able to see you too , on some street somewhere and phone them to tell them that you can see them , at that very moment!
Using my Blackberry phone last weekend, just for the fun of it , I logged on to the streets of some people I know.
On my friend's street in North London, I saw her going for a walk with her dog!
So I called her and asked her where she was going with Arnie( full names of the dog is Arnold Schwarzenegger!).
She asked ,"Tina ? Where are you?"!
"In a car-wash in South London", I replied.
"Gerrout of here ! How can you see us from there!" .
It was funny seeing the surprise and confusion on her face.
My friends , family and I have "SPIED " on each other like this several times before and it is indeed very funny to surprise people like this.
It is fun and it is exciting seeing people and stuff on Google Street View ; but it is also scary and very intrusive.
This means just anybody can monitor anyone's movements , just by logging on a computer.
Google Street View provides 360° panoramic street-level views and allows users to view parts of selected cities and their surrounding metropolitan areas at ground level. When it was launched on May 25, 2007 for Google Maps, only five cities were included. It has since expanded to more than 40 U.S. cities, and includes the suburbs of many, and in some cases, other nearby cities. Recent updates have now implemented Street View in most of the major cities of Australia and New Zealand as well as parts of Canada, parts of South Africa, Denmark, Mexico, Japan, Norway, Finland, Spain, Sweden, France, the UK, Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Taiwan, and Singapore.
On April 15, 2008 with version 4.3, Google fully integrated its Street View into Google Earth. In version 6.0, the photo zooming function has been removed because it is incompatible with the new 'seamless' navigation.
Google Street View, when operated, displays photos that were previously taken by a camera mounted on an automobile, and can be navigated by using the mouse to click on photograph icons displayed on the screen in your direction of travel.
Using these devices, the photos can be viewed in different sizes, from any direction, and from a variety of angles.
Google Earth displays satellite images of varying resolution of the Earth's surface, allowing users to see things like cities and houses looking perpendicularly down or at an oblique angle .
Google Earth allows users to search for addresses for some countries, enter coordinates, or simply use the mouse to browse to a location.
For large parts of the surface of the Earth only 2D images are available, from almost vertical photography.
For other parts of the surface of the Earth 3D images of terrain and buildings are available. Google Earth uses digital elevation model (DEM) data collected by NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM).
This means one can view the whole earth in three dimensions.
Google Earth is able to show all kinds of images overlaid on the surface of the earth is simply based on 3D maps, it has the capability to show 3D buildings and structures (such as bridges).
Many buildings and structures from around the world now have detailed 3D structures; including (but not limited to) those in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, India, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Pakistan and the cities, Amsterdam and Alexandria.
Recently, Google added a feature that allows users to monitor traffic speeds at loops located every 200 yards in real-time. In version 4.3 released on April 15, 2008, Google Street View was fully integrated into the program allowing the program to provide an on the street level view in many locations.
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