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Saturday 30 November 2013

This photo of myself and David Beckham, he's the one on the right just in case you were confused, it was taken in Manchester around 2005/6 I was launching my Hi! Magazine in UK and David and Gary Neville turned up at the Living Room Manchester (love the hamburgers there). Neither of them were on my guest list but I thought it better to let them stay!!! I can't believe what a chubby face I had, too many hamburgers I think!!! I't was a great night thanks to Nicola and Mandy Smith.

Friday 29 November 2013

Roots,remember that program? Well I can only trace my roots back to the early 1900's when my grandfather who was a Russian Jewish immigrant who landed in Ireland around 1916 on a cattle ship bound for America. Unfortunately he got off the ship in Carlow and it sailed without him (if he had only stayed on I might have got the Letterman Show!!!) His name was Bolano and was changed when he arrived without a passport..Thats as much as I know as he died when my father was 13
Above is a very rare photograph of my grandfather shop in Riga Latvia. They sold hardware and you will see barrells at the front that was pickles. My cousin actually visited the town a few years ago and the shop still stands but as a private home, she also found my great grandfathers grave stone in the Jewish cemetery
A wedding. Probably a Balon relative as Shlomo, (great grandfather), is escorting the bride, in white, standing middle left four rows back, with beard. Note the fiddle players on the right who would be playing klezmor music traditional at weddings.
My great grandmother, Nechama Minna Balon
My great grandfathers gravestone.

Thursday 28 November 2013

What I watched on television: BBC's Animal Odd Couplings. Just have a look at these samples of this brilliant program:
A simple test to let you know if you are Irish or not
You know you're Irish if... ~ The person that you insult most is probably your best friend ~ During your youth much of your food was boiled ~ You're strangely poetic after a few beers ~ You don't know the words but that doesn't stop you from singing ~ You can't wait for the other guy to stop talking so you can start talking ~ You have no idea how to make a long story short ~ Tea is the solution to every problem ~ And holy water is the solution to every injury ~ Saying 'I will yea' means that you definitely won't ~ 'For the craic' is the best reason for doing anything ~ Nobody can go a day without saying 'Jaysus' ~ You have a gift for swearing ~ You can insert the name of a gardening tool into any sentence and it still makes sense, e.g. 'I had a rake of drink last night' or "I'll be out in a minute, I'm just shoveling down the dinner' ~ It's perfectly acceptable to call your mother 'mammy' even though you are a fully grown adult ~ Saying 'Now we're sucking diesel' means that you are happy with the outcome of the situation ~ Drinking 'tae' is everyone's favourite past time ~ You're scared of the wooden spoon ~ The word 'like' goes in every sentence ~ You can say "Any craic' to a policeman and you won't get arrested
How much money would you need to have not to notice a million or two vanish from you bank account????
Two personal assistants to Charles Saatchi and his ex-wife Nigella Lawson, sisters Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo arrive at Isleworth Crown Court today where the jury has heard they spent £685,000 on company credit cards. Charles Saatchi’s personal accountant had not initially bothered to tell Mr Saatchi and Miss Lawson about the pair's alleged credit card spending when he first uncovered it last year because he didn't want to trouble him with 'trivial matters', a jury heard. ‘TRIVIAL MATTERS £700,000 !!! Is there something I’m missing here? Asked by prosecutor why he did not go straight to the couple with his suspicions about their spending, the accountant Mr Gajjar said: 'It was on the back burner as Mr Saatchi and Miss Lawson normally didn't have time for what we thought were trivial matters.' Incredibly he told jurors that he suggested that they continue on their current salaries with Francesca, who is alleged to have spent the largest amount on herself - £580,000 - expected to pay back £1,000 a month, and Elisabetta £250 per month. Now I haven’t worked out how long that would take them to pay it back both but even more incredibly they turned the offer down!! What type of people don’t notice almost a million missing from their banks??? It reminds of the guitarist of rock band U2 Adam Clayton who hadn’t noticed that his personal assistant had removed over 2.2 million Euros from his bank account. Carole Hawkins spent four years tapping into the bass guitarist’s £100million fortune and splashing out on 22 horses, a luxury New York apartment, a string of exotic holidays and a wardrobe full of designer clothing. Yet he noticed nothing!!! Would you not notice a 50.00 Euros disappeared from your Bank account? How much money would you need to have not to notice money vanishing from your bank account????
My friend Geoff Harding posted this on my Facebook. Makes a lot of sense. So I thought I'd post it on my Blog for you bloggers to read.
What is this obsession with speed traps at the moment !! the speed limits enforced generally around europe were based on vehicles in the 60/70s. I think its fair to say that all vehicles nowadays are more efficient and able to travel at higher
speeds, and they brake probably 50% of the distance of a vehicle in the 70s if not less.. Everyone is being given a carrot to travel quicker,, name a car that does not make 160kmh? cars are getting quicker,faster, safer and stop quicker and more economical than ever before and yet all we do nowadays is work against this fact...there is absolutely no reason why the speed limit on the autopista should not be 140 or more, yes around town enforce 60 & 80 limits. You get the feeling that the Guardia are being devious with their unmarked cars and hidden locations,, get the feeling its more to raise money than safety.!

Wednesday 27 November 2013

A wonderful short video. Please watch and learn
I can only speak personally but Jews living on the Costas live without fear of antisemitism. The Jews have integrated and have been welcomed into society with great ease. Here in Marbella the Synagogue is the first purposely built Synagogue in Spain since the inquisition (see photo). We have fantastic relationship with the leaders of the Marbella Mosque and I think Marbella could be a prime example of how well Jews and Muslims live in harmony.
Do you belive in angels? I remember interviewing Gloria Hunniford when we got around to talking about her daughter the late Caron Keating and Carons belief in angels. Gloria told me when she returned from Caron's funeral a white feather fluttered down just as she put her key in the front door. She said she knew it was a message from Caron. Ever since then she has been receiving messages by finding white feathers. Watch this video and make up your own mind.
IN TODAYS UK PRESS: These type of headlines do nothing to help the struggling real estate sector to recover: The 100,000 British expats whose Spanish homes could be bulldozed any day
HERE IS THE READS STORY: Three months after Brian and Lynne Reade(see photo) moved into Zurgena, a neighbour invited them to an emergency meeting. There, the couple from Banbury, Oxfordshire, were told the local government had deemed their home illegal. An immediate halt was called to the development of other properties and planning permission issued on those already built was revoked.
For the past seven years they have lived in limbo, awaiting the outcome of a court case brought by the regional government that will decide if their homes will be demolished. Brian, 66, says: ‘We don’t know when the court will decide what will happen. It could be today, it could be in 20 years. ‘For years concrete lorries were trundling into the valley and construction work was going on. What an earth did the authorities think was happening, and why were we only told there was a problem after we had bought our place?’ The Reades first fell in love with the vast valley near the village of Zurgena in 2004. Two years later they spent around £136,000 on a three-bedroom villa with a pool where they hoped to live out their years. They took advice from expats living nearby and hired an independent lawyer. By this time, the once-peaceful valley had become a building site. Brian estimates that a fifth of homes there are now empty. Those who stay are left in a ghost town. To make matters worse, the Reades do not have a home in the UK. Brian says: ‘One thing we do know is that we did not come to Spain to destroy the environment. If anything, we’ve added to this place. We love it here. But if we lose this, we lose everything.
LEN AND HELEN PRIOR WERE GUEST ON MY RADIO SHOW, HERE IS THEIR STORY
: There is little to set Len and Helen Prior apart from the thousands of middle-class British retirees who have made the region of Almeria their home. But though you’d never guess it from her immaculate appearance, Helen is forced to wash in water meant for farm animals. Nothing about Len, who smiles and laughs frequently, would give you an inkling that he had collapsed in the street as he watched his world fall apart. The couple, both 69, have been living in a garage amid the ruins of the magnificent cream-washed, three-bedroom villa they named Tranquility in the town of Vera ever since it was demolished in January 2008. Helen screamed as bulldozers turned their house to rubble. She says: ‘It is difficult for other people to understand the feeling that your whole life has been taken away from you.’ The Priors fell in love with Almeria after visiting on holiday in 2001. They sold their home in Hurst, Berkshire, and bought a plot of land for £75,000. A local firm then built them a two-storey house, set in lush gardens, for another £250,000. The Priors moved in during 2003. All their paperwork was stamped by the town council and the deal seemed watertight. But in 2006 officials presented them with a demolition order because the house had been built on protected land. The Priors fought the order for two years. But on the morning of January 9, 2008, their water was cut off. That afternoon police and workmen with bulldozers arrived. Neighbours helped remove the Priors’ possessions from the house before their home was flattened. Bizarrely, the pool and garage were deemed to be legal and allowed to stand. So, with nowhere else to go, this is now their home. They have bricked up the original garage door in a bid to make it feel more homely. They now rely on a noisy and expensive generator for electricity and their only water is meant to supply local farms and is undrinkable. A converted caravan is their bathroom. Last week, they received £27,500 compensation after a court ruled the Spanish legal system had bungled the handling of their case. But they must now sue their local town council in order to receive any money back for the house — a process that could take years. Len, a retired motor mechanic, says: ‘I never used to swear before this happened. But because of the stress, I seem do it at every little thing.
One comes to Spain wants to buy a home, sees one advertised in the real estates window, views, likes, makes an offer, sees a lawyer all cleared as legal, planning permission etc to buy, pays and then months, years later are told that although planning permission WAS granted it now has been revoked and the villa will be pulled down. Is that not like the government giving you a driving licence then years later your stopped by the police , checking your licence you find it's been revoked although you've done nothing wrong? YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP!!

Monday 25 November 2013

Christian Aid and Trocaire show no concern for the Christians of the Middle East who are being driven from their homes. They are only interested in demonising Israel. Please this Christmas donate to a non biased charity.
Despite the Israeli-Arab conflict, a Palestinian newspaper has recognized how Israel’s Hadassah Medical Center has helped the Palestinian people. According to Palestinian Media Watch, the Palestinian daily Al Hayat Al Jadida reported, “PA Minister of Health, Hani Abdeen visited the Israeli Hadassah Hospital. This is the first visit by a Palestinian minister to one of the most important Israeli hospitals, according to the hospital’s announcement. Minister Abdeen who was accompanied by a delegation that included senior officials of the ministry and of the PA, met with the Director of Ein Karem Hadassah Hospital, Yuval Weiss. He [the minister] visited Palestinian patients being treated in the hospital, and he distributed gifts.” Al Hayat Al Jadida continued, “Hospital director Weiss said: ‘We relate to patients without regard to nationality and religion. We treat Muslims, Christians, Jews, and other nationalities without bias, and 30% of the patients who are children are Palestinians.‘ He went on to say: ‘We’ve begun cooperating with the Palestinians. We now train teams of physicians from the hospital in Beit Jala in the southern West Bank, to treat cancer among children. We have about 60 Palestinian medical interns and specialist physicians who will be returning to the Palestinian Authority areas to carry out their work.” ISRAELI MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT HELPS PALESTINIANS Hadassah Hospital has done much to help the Palestinian people and Arabs in general. A Muslim Israeli Arab is presently in charge of emergency medicine at Hadassah Hospital. The liver unit at Hadassah Hospital is also headed by an Israeli Arab, who managed to uncover the gene linked to liver disease. Hadassah Hospital has been a place where Arab doctors have been able to thrive professionally and work towards saving lives, both of Israelis and of Palestinians. Aside from offering many Arabs jobs, Israel’s medical establishment has always worked to save Palestinian lives with the same vigor that they save Israeli lives. In fact, a 2012 report from the World Health Organization found that Israel approved 91.5 percent of all Palestinian applications to receive medical care within the State of Israel. Save a Child’s Heart, an Israeli organization, has also saved the lives of 3,000 children, of who half were hailing from the Palestinian Authority. Additionally, an Israeli hospital has reportedly been taking care of a disabled Gazan baby after he was abandoned both by his parents and the Palestinian Authority, who stopped funding his medical treatment. IT IS RARE FOR A PA NEWSPAPER TO PRAISE ISRAEL YOU HAVE YO LOVE ISRAEL
Israel brave enough to warn the world of the small print in the deal struck with Iran what is not so strongly publicised is that most Arab countries are against any deal with Iran , notably Saudi Arabia.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said at the Likud faction meeting on Monday that an Israeli team led by his national security adviser would be sent to the US next week to work on a final status nuclear deal with Iran. An interim deal was signed last week between world powers and Iran over its controversial nuclear program. Netanyahu said that he agreed with US President Barack Obama to send the Israeli delegation to the US when the two leaders spoke about the interim Iran deal on Sunday. "I spoke last night with President Obama. We agreed that in the coming days an Israeli team led by the national security adviser, Yossi Cohen, will go out to discuss with the United States the permanent accord with Iran," the prime minister said. "This accord must bring about one outcome: the dismantling of Iran's military nuclear capability," he said Netanyahu added that the interim deal reached with Iran was bad but it would have been worse without Israel's diplomatic efforts. A lawmaker from Netanyahu's Likud faction told an Israeli television station earlier on Monday that the premier rebuked US President Barack Obama over the interim agreement agreed upon by the Western powers and Iran on Sunday. "The prime minister made it clear to the most powerful man on earth that if he intends to stay the most powerful man on earth, it's important to make a change in American policy because the practical result of his current policy is liable to lead him to the same failure that the Americans absorbed in North Korea and Pakistan, and Iran could be next in line," Likud Beytenu MK Tzachi Hanegbi told the Knesset Channel. Obama called Netanyahu on Sunday from Air Force One to discuss the interim agreement struck between world powers and Iran. In the call, Obama told Netanyahu that the P5+1 — the US, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany — would use the next several months to forge a "lasting, peaceful and comprehensive" solution to the slow-motion nuclear crisis causing consternation throughout the Middle East. "The president told the Prime Minister that he wants the United States and Israel to begin consultations immediately regarding our efforts to negotiate a comprehensive solution," the White House said in a readout of the call. "The President underscored that the United States will remain firm in our commitment to Israel, which has good reason to be skeptical about Iran’s intentions." While the White House said both leaders expressed their mutual desire to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, it did not acknowledge any disagreement voiced in the phone call. Netanyahu on Sunday called the deal, hailed by the US, a "historic mistake" that would make the region more dangerous tomorrow than it was before. After a hard series of negotiations, Iran agreed late Saturday night to pause much of its nuclear program, including construction on its heavy-water plutonium reactor in Arak and the installation of advanced centrifuges made to efficiently enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels. Iran also agreed to allow unfettered access to its nuclear sites and to dilute stockpiles of uranium already thoroughly enriched. In exchange, the Islamic will attain relief from financial sanctions from the international community valued at up to $7 billion.
How we seem to forget so quickly that only weeks ago the world was screaming 'murdering savages' re Iran's human rights. Lest YOU forget the photos shows these men hanged for what? For simply being gay!!!

Sunday 24 November 2013

A HOUSE I'VE’VE VISITED IN LAS VEGAS IS FOR SALE WITH A SAVING OF $20 MILLION!
There are not many who can claim the name Mr Las Vegas, Elvis, Sinatra and one Wayne Newton, who some of you might ask. But Wayne Newton has been part of the Las Vegas scenery for the past 50 years in fact the main road from Las Vegas international airport is named Wayne Newton Boulevard. Newton is almost as famous for his plastic surgery as he has for his Las Vegas Shows . Wayne owns a magnificent ranch in Vegas known as Casa Shenandoah. Is on the market for 48 million dollars that a saving of 20 million on the original asking price! A bargain when you consider that Wayne has recently invested $15-20 million in improvements at this 40 acre ranch. This property consists of the Main home and 7 additional homes, 37 stall stable with office and tack rooms, 16 stall stable with office, Equestrian pool, acres of corrals and pastures, F28 jet and terminal for entertaining on the ground, Car museum with 7 double doors, gaming room, green room, a Zoo, tennis court, ponds with fountains and too much more to list. Located in the heart of Las Vegas, just minutes from McCarran Airport and the Las Vegas Strip. Yes it comes with its own jet and runway and wait for it. A fully equipped departure lounge!
I first met Wayne in the ‘70’s I was visiting Las Vegas for the first time and Staying in the then Sands Hotel. He was staring there, I had never heard of him but after the show I sure wanted to meet him. I was a fan. It didn’t take me long to arrange a meet and then an invite to his palatial home. We’ve met up a few times since then once in London when he was over on a visit. At one time next to Presley he was the highest paid entertainer in Vegas. The photo of myself and Wayne backstage after one of his sell out concerts. We partied all night!!!!
Have a look around the property: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6629-S-Pecos-Rd-Las-Vegas-NV-89120/2111079910_zpid/
Television presenter Sir Bruce Forsyth has said he believes he is living "on borrowed time" but has no plans to retire yet.
I have interviewed Sir Bruce on many occasions over the years, he and his beautiful wife ex Miss World Wilnelia in fact became neighbours of ours when the bought a property in Marbella. I've always found them the most charming couple and was delight when Brucie was awarded the well overdue knighthood. The fun photo is of myself, Sir Bruce and Kenny Lynch another long term friend. I'd love to say it was taken yesterday but it has to be 25 years ago!!!!
The 85-year-old said the relentless schedule of hosting Strictly Come Dancing "can drag you down" and hinted that this year might be his last on the show. Sir Bruce, who first appeared on Sunday Night At The London Palladium in 1958, said he has a number of projects lined up for next year, but did not mention Strictly as one of them. "I've got three one-man show dates fixed for next year and I'm doing another thing for TV in April that I can't talk about yet," he told The Sun. "So if I was to leave Strictly Come Dancing, I wouldn't retire. That's the furthest thing from my mind at the moment. While I'm able to walk and play golf I'll still work." Sir Bruce admitted the punishing schedule for Strictly was difficult, despite him having a break during the run, saying: "The constant week-after-week can drag you down, especially when you are getting older." And he was pragmatic about the inevitability of his own mortality. "I know I'm on borrowed time," he said. "There's no getting away from it. When I look at all my friends that have gone - Eric Sykes, Frankie Howerd, Sammy Davis Jr - I know I'm on borrowed time. "How I'm still here I just don't know. I don't know how, why or wherefore. But I'm not really questioning it that much. The day will come and it could be tomorrow, who knows? "It's no good saying it's never going to come. You've got to be able to accept it. I'm conditioning myself so it's not going to be a big surprise. It will just be, 'OK, time to go'. "When the time is up I'll be ready for it. I probably won't be very happy about it. But I'll know it's time to go." The veteran star also explained how he still has ambitions for his career. "The other thing I'd like to do is a small part or cameo in a wonderful film like Harry Potter," he said. "I would be a terrible old man. Scrooge maybe. "The trouble with Britain is they tend to cubbyhole you. To most people in this business, I'm a game show host. I can go to Glastonbury and prove all that wrong but people still think of me as the guy from The Price Is Right and The Generation Game. "In America it's completely different. You can present a game show and have a part in Law And Order or a film." Sir Bruce also took a gentle swipe at Strictly's main Saturday night TV rival, The X Factor, calling it "boring" and suggesting it may have run its course. "(Simon Cowell) may wave a magic wand and make The X Factor a completely different show," he said. "But I don't know how you can revamp a show which is a singer, followed by judges, followed by a singer, followed by a singer, followed by judges, followed by a singer, maybe a guest star, followed by another singer. "And after two hours, what happens? Another singer. He has done marvels in the past, but I think the end has got to come. "I just think people have stopped watching it. It's the kind of show that can get boring. For those kind of shows, the days are numbered."
Amy Winehouse's dad has ruled out the chance of a Hollywood film being made about the late star.
There had been rumours that the singer's life might be given the big screen treatment, but Mitch Winehouse said he isn't keen on the idea of a biopic about his daughter. He told Digital Spy: "I don't really want to do a biopic, but there's a documentary film from the same people who did Senna coming out next year."
Mitch suggested a memorial gig might be a more fitting tribute to Amy, who died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the age of 27. Speaking at the annual Amy Winehouse Foundation Ball at London's Dorchester Hotel, h e said: "A concert would be amazing, but it's actually getting it together with the [record label]. "It sounds great in theory, but in practice it's not so easy. We are talking about it though

Saturday 23 November 2013

This is my youngest son Daniel Bolands Christmas UK TV advert
Please have a look at this video of former Secret Service agent Clint Hill who gives his account of the day John F. Kennedy died and explains why he is still haunted by the killing.
My good friend Bassim Haidar who has a large collection of cars has just purchased this third and only surviving JFK Limo in the world after the one in the Detroit museum.
Thanks to Neil T Foley for sending me this (See Facebook)
READ THIS:
http://www.irishrock.org/irodb/bands/kingbees.html

Friday 22 November 2013

Do you remember where you were the day President John F Kennedy was assassinated? I remember it well, It was a Friday evening 50 years ago I was 14 and had just arrived at my grandmother’s house for Friday night’s Sabbath dinner, I remember the fuss and sadness but it really didn’t mean that much to me, well it wouldn’t to a 14 year old. Since the assassination there has been many questions asked so I’ve set out 10 of the most asked questions
1. Was there more than one shooter? The sequence, number and direction of the shots that were fired in Texas remains a subject for debate with many believing the official government version of events to be implausible and pointing to the existence of a second shooter. 2. Where was Kennedy hit? In one of the most memorable scenes in Oliver Stone's film 'JFK', based on the book 'On The Trail of The Assassins' by Jim Garrison, the lead character is shown watching the Zapruder film - in particular frames 312 and 313. The footage appears to show Kennedy's head snapping back and to the left. According to Stone, and many other critics of the official version of what happened in Dallas, the footage is evidence that Kennedy was shot from the front. Stone, among others, continues to maintain also that witnesses corroborated the idea that Kennedy was shot from the front. 3. What happened to Kennedy's brain? In his recent book, End of Days: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy, James Swanson claims that Robert F Kennedy, who was later assassinated himself, took his brother's brain in a bid to hide the true extent of President Kennedy's illnesses. 4. Are the Oswald backyard photographs authentic? The famous backyard photographs of Lee Harvey Oswald posing with a Carcano rifle and holding up Marxist newspapers are among the most compelling evidence against Oswald. The rifle's markings appear to match those on the gun found in the Texas Book Depository after the killing.
5.Was the original autopsy report destroyed? According to T. Jeremy Gunn, who worked for the Assassination Records Review Board, the 1996 deposition of James Joseph Humes, who was one of the doctors who performed the autopsy on Kennedy, reveals that the procedure was not carried out in the normal manner. Humes claims that some procedures were missed, including that of removing and weighing all the organs. 6. Were the original autopsy photographs tampered with? There is also continuing controversy over the official autopsy photographs. During her 1997 deposition Sandra Spencer, who reportedly processed the film, said they were not the pictures that she remembered. "The prints that we printed did not have the massive head damages that is visible here," she told T. Jeremy Gunn. 7. How much interest did the authorities have in Lee Harvey Oswald? The true extent of the relationship between Lee Harvey Oswald and the CIA will probably not be known at least until the release of CIA's JFK assassination files in October 2017. What is known is that CIA aggressively tracked Oswald's movements. Senator Richard Schweiker once remarked that the CIA had their "fingerprints" all over the young alleged assassin. 8. What did the CIA know about the links between Oswald and Cuba? In his book 'A Cruel and Shocking Act' journalist Philip Shenon seeks to shed some light on a little known visit to Mexico, at the time a hotbed of cold war espionage, by Lee Harvey Oswald. According to the book witnesses place Oswald at a party with a Mexican woman who worked for Cuba. 9. Was Jack Ruby an FBI informant? The man who shot Lee Harvey Oswald, a nightclub operator in Dallas, Texas, named Jack Ruby, is a staple of many of the Kennedy conspiracy theories. Many claim he killed Oswald as part of the wider plot to assassinate President Kennedy, and that he had significant links to organized crime.
10. What is in the CIA assassination files to be declassified in 2017? Thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation of Kennedy’s death remain classified prompting further speculation and allowing unanswered questions to remain unanswered. Author Jefferson Morley along with former House investigator G. Robert Blakey and others have this week launched a bid to get the CIA to release these documents - which remain protected for reasons of national security. Some argue that by withholding Kennedy-related documents the CIA continues to encourage the public to believe they’re covering up something more sinister.”Among the many details campaigners believe could be contained within the files is information about now-deceased CIA agent George Joannides and his possible contact with Lee Harvey Oswald.

Ian Hislop on the Boland Show

Thursday 21 November 2013

I've just posted on my Facebook warning that the content of this photo strip is rather naughty and might offend. I've advised if you want to avoid being offended stay where you are!!!! . I have taken a note of my stat reading up to this point and will be interested to see just how many click onto here...All done in the best possible tasty. Just a little naughty
THIS WILL SELF DESTRUCT BY MIDNIGHTISH !!!!!
Michael Caine reveals that he uses Turmeric to keep his mind sharp and keep him looking youthful. I have been a fan of turmeric for many years. Some years ago I was having lunch in the Passion Cafe (one of the best restaurants in Marbella) when a friend of friend of mine arrived holding a small bottle of Turmeric powder, I asked why he came to a restaurant bringing with him the spice he explained the magical healing powers of Turmeric which is believed to slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease; prevent the spread of certain types of cancer (prostate, breast, colon); promote wound healing; alleviate arthritis and inflammation; and enhance liver detoxification. He had been taking it for a bad back and said it has in fact ‘worked miracles’
So I decided to do a little research on the spice this is what I found: Tom Newmark is passionate about turmeric is an understatement. He’s farmed the herbaceous plant to understand its inner workings. He’s travelled the globe to meet with researchers studying how it affects the inner workings of the body. It’s all been in an effort to confirm what people for thousands of years have believed: that turmeric is good for you. Very good for you. “Ours is not a casual fascination with turmeric,” says Newmark, chief executive officer of New Chapter, makers of organic, natural health supplements. “This is a dedication, a really deep commitment, to its healing principles,” one that has captivated him for more than a decade. And, on the strength of everything he’s seen, “I absolutely believe turmeric is the number-one most important healing botanical in herbal pharmacopoeia.” Curcumin (the chemical ingredient responsible for the turmeric root’s orange pigment) and turmerones (its oils) are believed to slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease; prevent the spread of certain types of cancer (prostate, breast, colon); promote wound healing; alleviate arthritis and inflammation; and enhance liver detoxification. And those are just the leading benefits. To support his company’s trust in the safety and effectiveness of turmeric, Newmark cites numerous global studies, “but the most important confirmation,” he notes, “is the science of epidemiology—the ultimate human clinical trial” that studies a specific population’s health patterns and risk factors. Take India. “Despite the increased risk of malaria and cholera and other conditions that lead to childhood mortality in this country of 1.1 billion people, you can look at people who have lived a long time there,” he says. “If you study how people in their 70s and 80s are doing in terms of Alzheimer’s disease and mental clarity, and then look at their comparable-age cohorts in the United States, the answer is very interesting. The incidence of Alzheimer’s is 4.4 times greater in the U.S. than it is in India. UCLA researchers, to my understanding, have not concluded that it’s all due to turmeric, but their scientific judgment and research seems to be confirming that turmeric consumption might be the explanation.”
The average Indian, explains Newmark, consumes about 2 or 3 grams of turmeric powder each day (an amount his company replicates in its full-spectrum turmeric extract, Turmeric Force). “It’s India’s mother herb. It’s what gets put on a baby’s tongue soon after it’s born and what gets put on people when they die. It’s profoundly important to them.” Americans don’t have the opportunity to take in nearly that much turmeric. We’re typically exposed to only minuscule traces of it, mostly in mustard (which turmeric gives its golden yellow color). We can, however, begin to cook more with it, sprinkle it on food, or take it as a supplement. “And not just as curcumenoids, an isolated class of molecule inside turmeric,” Newmark explains, “but as a full-spectrum turmeric extract, which is how Mother Nature created this healing food and is what has been proven to be most effective in delivering the health benefits.” The bottom line? “If a person is only going to take one herbal supplement in their daily life,” Newmark says, “it ought to be turmeric.”
WHAT I READ IN TODAYS UK PRESS: GIBRALTAR
: We are just one shot away from military conflict, warns MP amid new standoff MADRID is in danger of sparking a military conflict with Britain over Gibraltar if it does not tone down its actions, a senior MP warned today as the Royal Navy was involved in a new stand-off with a Spanish ship. Sounds like things might even get nastier.
Jim Dobbin, chairman of Parliament’s All Party Group on Gibraltar, said the heightened tensions in the Mediterranean meant it would only take a trigger-happy “madman” on either side to spark serious retaliation. He highlighted an “extremely serious” armed standoff earlier this month when a Spanish patrol boat breached a security cordon in Gibraltar’s territorial waters then “rammed a Naval Police Vessel escorting a British Navy ship”. As Mr Dobbin was issuing the warning, a Spanish survey ship was defying Royal Navy orders to leave Gibraltar's territorial waters. Gibraltar's government has asked London to make a protest to Madrid, and the Spanish Ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Office. The Spanish boat has now left the Gibraltar waters. Over the past two years, the number of Spanish ships illegally in British waters has increased from around five per month to around 40 per month. The Minister for Europe, David Lidington, said: "I strongly condemn this provocative incursion and urge the Spanish government to ensure that it is not repeated. "We stand ready to do whatever is required to protect Gibraltar’s sovereignty, economy and security. We believe that it is in the interests of Spain, Gibraltar and Britain to avoid incidents such as this that damage the prospects for establishing dialogue and cooperation." Just two hours earlier, Mr Dobbin was urging David Cameron, the Gibraltar administration and the Spanish Government to hold trilateral talks to negotiate a “peaceful conclusion” over the tension in Gibraltar before matters spiralled out of control. He made his comments in a special Commons debate in Westminster Hall today. Tensions between London and Madrid escalated this summer after Spain imposed strict border checks at its crossing with Gibraltar. Spain claimed it was merely clamping down on cigarette smuggling but Gibraltar, a British overseas territory, suggested it was a direct response to the construction of an artificial reef off its coast. Spanish fishermen claimed the reef was affecting their livelihoods.
A European Commission delegation yesterday ruled the border checks were legal. However, referring to the armed standoff on November 1, Mr Dobbin told MPs: “Reports state that guns were pointed and thankfully no shots were fired. “This diary of events highlights the serious nature the British government of Gibraltar is dealing with.” He added: “If Spain continues to flout international relations, what more can the British Government do to reach a peaceful conclusion to the dispute?” Speaking after the debate, Mr Dobbin told Express Online: “Things are getting dangerous. "The UK and Spain are chancing each other’s luck. It only takes a madman. I don't want to exaggerate the situation but the fact that [standoff] happened is worrying.” Earlier, Tory MP Colonel Bob Stewart called for British Army soldiers to use Gibraltar as a training base to reinforce the UK's sovereignty over the Rock. "Why doesn't the British Government make more use of the defence facilities in Gibraltar?" he aksed during the debate. "The British government has got to do more to express the feelings of the people. "We are fed up with what is happening to the people in Gibraltar. "Can we get a stronger response to what is happening?" Foreign Office Minister Mark Simmonds said in response that Britain had a close relationship with Spain, but there would be no negotiation on the sovereignty of Gibraltar. He said: "We need to find a mechanism to de-escalate, not escalate, the situation. "We must strike a balance between being forceful and making sure the Spanish government understand the UK position." Following the standoff on November 1, Britain made a formal complaint to Spain. The Ministry of Defence accused a Guardia Civil patrol boat of "manoeuvring in a dangerous and provocative manner" after it sailed too close to a Royal Navy squadron. The MoD claimed the Spanish vessel breached a security cordon and was then ordered to leave the area by armed sailors on HMS Scimitar.
So you think you know all-things Chanukah inside out? Here are seven Chanukah customs you might not have heard of..
The Jewish holidays are truly special in the sense that they unite Jews around the world, bringing together people who may have absolutely nothing in common. It's only natural that we all do things a little bit differently. Here are some interesting Chanukah customs from around the world that you may not have heard about! In Yemen: The children went from house to house, tins in hand, to collect wicks for the Chanukah Menorah. They would chant (in Yemenite): "O father Salim, give us a present." If they received wick-ends along with fruits, candies and coins, they would respond in Hebrew - "sleep well." But if they didn't get anything, neither wicks nor goodies, they would shout in Yemenite: You miser, may your wicks be as dry as your bones!" In Aden: The children wore blue clothing on Chanukah: blue for the color of the heavens, the abode of the Holy One who sent forth the miracles of Chanukah. In Germany: The eighth and last night of Chanukah used to be very special. All the left-over wicks and oil were lit in giant bonfires... People sang songs and danced around the fire, often until the small hours of the night. In Southern France: On the evening following the Shabbat of Chanukah, the Jews of Avignon opened casks of new wine. Parties would roam from place to place tasting the new wine and toasting the holiday. In Israel: The fifth night of Chanukah has been called "The Black Fifth Night", after that fateful night during World War I when the Turks expelled all Jewish residents from Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Chanukah presents are de-emphasized in Israeli Chanukah observance. In Tunis: Women would specially commemorate the seventh day of Chanukah on which day the widow Judith is said to have performed her brave acts during the period of Syrian Greek dominance. In Tunis, the women would come to the synagogue and file past the Torah and kiss it as they passed; concurrently the men would complete the Talmudic study of Tractate Shabbat, containing the story of Chanukah. In North Africa: The seventh night of Hanukkah is a special celebration for women.
And then there's how the other half celebrate: Last years Roman Abramovich’s (lighting the menorah) Chanukah Party’s held on the Caribbean Island of St Barts was one of the most sought-after party invitations of the year. At an estimated cost of 5 million dollars it was attended by the who’s who list of celebrities and sports stars including Orlando Bloom, Kanye West, Prince, Gwen Stefani, Will-I-Am, George Lucas and Ellen De Generes the entertainment was headed by Beyonce

Wednesday 20 November 2013

How many times have we read about sighting of monsters like the Nessy who's meant to live in the depths of Scotland's Loch Ness. Well folks here is proof of such a monster but this time it's from somewhere a far way from Scotland's famous Loch Ness!!!
Hundreds of people gathered around as a mystery monster was loaded onto a truck at a location in South-east Asia. Crowds are shown witnessing the bizarre spectacle as the unidentified creature is dug up and hoisted onto the lorry. The footage is reportedly from Vietnam, although some internet users have suggested the people are speaking the Khmer language of Cambodia. The creature, which looks like it is from the sea, has a fin. It has been suggested it is in fact a whale, but how it came inland nobody knows yet.

19th Nov 2013 Gibraltar's Longest Pedestrian Queue







Tuesday 19 November 2013

BREAKING NEWS: Spain is risking another diplomatic row after sailing one of its ships into the waters around Gibraltar and refusing to leave.
The Foreign Office has summoned the Spanish ambassador to explain the boat's actions, describing the move as an 'incursion'. Spanish ship RV Ramon Margalef entered British waters at around 5pm on Monday and stayed there for 20 hours while apparently carrying out a survey of the ocean. In a statement Europe Minister David Lidington said: 'I strongly condemn this provocative incursion and urge the Spanish government to ensure that it is not repeated. 'We stand ready to do whatever is required to protect Gibraltar's sovereignty, economy and security.' After moving into British Gibraltar waters the Ramon Margalef was contacted by a much smaller Royal Navy patrol vessel, HMS Sabre, which repeatedly ordered it to leave. Despite the warnings the ship continued its work, with the captain insisting he had permission from Spain to be there and said he was carrying out work of 'European interest'. The conversation between the two ships was recorded back on land by an amateur radio operator. According to The Telegraph, one senior source said: 'I understand that it has got quite heated. The Royal Navy patrol boat is far smaller than the Spanish vessel but it is ramming the probes as the Spanish try and carry out their survey.' Tempers flared around the Rock in August after Spain increased security checks along the border, causing up to six hours of traffic delays in heat of up to 86F (30C). While Spain insists the delays are down to increased smuggling and border crime, Gibraltar believes it is because of an artificial reef it is building in disputed waters. Last week a European Commission ruled that Spain had broken no laws with the checks, but called on Britain to work with Spain in order to resolve the issue. Gibraltar has previously accused accused Spain of sailing boats into British waters, as well as flying military jets across the island, and has even claimed the military shot at a jet-skier as he rode waves near the coast.

Monday 18 November 2013

Marino House was a home Wendy and myself owned in Dublin. We were both young and successful, Wendy was a top model and I owned clubs and a hotel. I sold the home to the Greek Embassy and it became the official Greek Ambassadors residence.
This next photograph is the living room of our home Casa Eden in Marbella. I love this room.
And finally if I want to watch a good movie, I take myself off to my home cinema with popcorn and a chocolates.
I LOVE MY HOME.
I have never bought into the whole global warming issue. I have stated many times both here and on my radio shows that I believe global warming is a natural phenomenon and happens in cycles over thousands of years. I am what could be termed a true sceptic.
In today’s news reports we see that the global warming debate again raises its ugly head after the devastation brought about the typhoon in the Philippians which has killed thousands and wiping out hundreds of thousands of homes. Now the news today of the Tornado devastation in America’s Midwest. The death toll so far has reached six and one Illinois town is left totally destroyed after massive string of 60 twisters wreak havoc. Listeners to Radio 4's Today programme were given an unmistakable but totally bogus message last week: that catastrophic storms such as Typhoon Haiyan are linked to global warming – and are set to increase. The same claim, which has no scientific basis, was echoed by David Cameron, who said there was 'growing evidence' that warming was responsible for storms. That’s what the BBC and Cameron are saying but what are the scientists actually saying:
THE FACTS
1. A study based on data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre and the Japan Meteorological Agency shows the number of typhoons making landfall in the Philippines has declined since 1990. 2. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – hailed by greens as the ultimate arbiter – does not agree tropical storms have become more intense or frequent, but says the opposite. Their special report last year said: 'There is low confidence in any observed long-term (40 years or more) increases in tropical cyclone activity (ie intensity, frequency, duration).' Its authoritative Fifth Assessment Report added in September there have been 'no significant observed trends in global tropical cyclone frequency over the past century'. 3. The reason Bangkok is suffering serious floods isn't rising sea levels but the fact the city is built on soft clay – the weight of its skyscrapers is causing subsidence of up to 2in a year. Local expert Anond Snidvongs says: 'The rise in sea level is not that great and climate change only plays a fairly small part – about one-fifth – in the current scenario.' 4. There have been very few Category 5 storms like Haiyan in the Pacific since 1991. A study published this year by the American Meteorological Society states in the North Pacific 'overall tropical cyclone activity shows a significant decrease' since 1998. 5. This year has been the quietest Atlantic hurricane season for decades. No Category 3 or stronger storm has made landfall in the US since Katrina in 2005 – the longest hurricane 'drought' on record. 6. A new study published last week said the rate of sea level rise has diminished by 44 per cent since 2004, to just 1.8mm per year – 18cm (7in) per century. The reason is the 17-years-and-counting global warming 'pause', which was not predicted by computer models. Meanwhile, Japan last week joined Australia in renouncing its target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Dr Benny Peiser, director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, said both Mr Cameron and Today seemed 'totally unaware of both the science and changing international realities. Every scientist is adamant that the typhoon has nothing to do with global warming.' The photograph I show of the Polar Bear clinging on for life on a small chunk of ice has been used by the so called global warming experts demonstrating that the ice caps are melting. My question here is ; can’t Polar Bears swim????

Sunday 17 November 2013

A friend of mine from Dublin emailed this to me: Watching Jonathan Ross show I taped last night Oprah Winfrey & Forrest Whitaker were on. I never knew that white Jews stood alongside Black people in the 60's v KK Klan!
During the 1950s and 1960s, Jews and African Americans were closely allied in the civil rights movement, and, indeed, Jews played a prominent role in the leadership of most, if not all, of the major civil rights organizations. As noted earlier, Stanley Levinson, a Jewish attorney, was Dr. Martin Luther King's chief advisor. Kivie Kaplan, a retired Jewish businessman from Boston, served as president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was, as well, one of Dr. King's major fund-raisers and financial contributors. Marvin Rich, another Jewish attorney, was the chief fund-raiser and key speech writer for James Farmer, head More than half the white lawyers who made their services available to civil rights demonstrators in the South were Jews. Between half and three-quarters of the contributors to civil rights organizations - including the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), CORE, and Dr. King's Southern Christian Leadership Con- ference (SCLC) - were Jews. More than half the white freedom riders were Jews. Almost two-thirds of the whites who went into the South during the Freedom Summer of 1964 were Jews including, of course, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman who, along with their black colleague James Chaney, were murdered by racist thugs in Mississippi.
Jewish intellectuals and the journals of opinion that they controlled, including Commentary, spoke out forcefully on issues of civil rights. Jewish organizations such as the American Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress, and the Anti-Defamation League provided financial, legal, and organizational support for civil rights groups. In the civil rights struggle, Jewish morality and Jewish interests pointed in the same direction. Morality dictated that Jews support the efforts of African Americans to free themselves from the apartheid system. To a generation of liberal Jews this was a supreme moral imperative. At the same time, however, many Jews and Jewish organizations, in particular, also recognized that they had an interest in supporting the civil rights movement. First, the goal of a society in which discrimination based on race was outlawed served the interests of Jews as much as - perhaps even more than - blacks. In the absence of discriminatory legislation and practices in such areas as education and employment, Jews had every reason to believe that they could compete successfully and rise to the very top of American society. By supporting African Americans in the cause of civil rights, Jews were eliminating the barriers that stood in their own way as well
A wonderful program on Friday night the BBC’s Broadway a Jewish Legacy Below is a list (only part) of musicals written by Jewish composers. I couldn’t believe it as each iconic named musical was rolled out one was rolled out
ANNIE, Martin Charnin (w) and Charles Strouse (m) ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Irving Berlin (w&m) • BARNUM, Michael Stewart (w) and Cy Coleman (m) • BELLS ARE RINGING, (w) and Jule Styne (m) • BYE BYE BIRDIE, Lee Adams (w) and Charles Strouse (m) • CABARET, Fred Ebb (w) and John Kander (m) • CAMELOT, Alan Jay Lerner (w) and Frederick Loewe* (m) • CAROUSEL, Oscar Hammerstein II* (w) and Richard Rodgers (m) • CHICAGO, Fred Ebb (w) and John Kander (m) • A CHORUS LINE, Edward Kleban (w) and Marvin Hamlisch (m) • THE DESERT SONG, Oscar Hammerstein II*/Frank Mandel (w) and • FAME, Jacques Levy (w) and Steve Margoshes (m) • FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Sheldon Harnick (w) and Jerry Bock (m) • FINIAN'S RAINBOW, E. Y. Harburg (w) and Burton Lane (m) • FLOWER DRUM SONG, Oscar Hammerstein II* (w) and Richard Rodgers (m) • FOLLIES, Stephen Sondheim (w&m) • 42ND STREET, Al Dubin (w) [music by Harry Warren (non-Jewish)] • FUNNY GIRL, Bob Merrill (w) and Jule Styne (m) • A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, Stephen Sondheim (w&m) • GIGI, Alan Jay Lerner (w) and Frederick Loewe* (m) • GODSPELL, Stephen Schwartz (w&m) • GUYS AND DOLLS, Frank Loesser (w&m) • GYPSY, Stephen Sondheim (w) and Jule Styne (m) • HELLO, DOLLY, Jerry Herman (w&m) • THE KING AND I, Oscar Hammerstein II* (w) and Richard Rodgers • LES MISERABLES, Alain Boublil 1/Herbert Kretzmer (w) and Claude-Michel Schönberg 1 (m) • A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, Stephen Sondheim (w&m) • MAME, Jerry Herman (w&m) • MARY POPPINS, Richard and Robert Sherman (w&m) • MISS SAIGON, Alain Boublil (w) and Claude-Michel Schönberg (m) • MY FAIR LADY, Alan Jay Lerner (w) and Frederick Loewe* (m) • OKLAHOMA!, Oscar Hammerstein II* (w) and Richard Rodgers (m) • OLIVER!, Lionel Bart (w&m) • PAJAMA GAME, Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (w&m) • PORGY AND BESS, Ira Gershwin (w) and George Gershwin (m) • THE PRODUCERS, Mel Brooks (w&m) • RAGTIME, Lynn Ahrens (w) • SHOW BOAT, Oscar Hammerstein • SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, Arthur Freed (w) • THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Oscar Hammerstein II* (w) and Richard Rodgers (m) • SOUTH PACIFIC, Oscar Hammerstein II* (w) and Richard Rodgers (m) • STOP THE WORLD - I WANT TO GET OFF, Anthony Newley 2 (w&m) [lyrics and music also by Leslie Bricusse] • SWEET CHARITY, Dorothy Fields (w) and Cy Coleman (m) • WEST SIDE STORY, Stephen Sondheim (w) and Leonard Bernstein ( • THE WIZARD OF OZ, E. Y. Harburg (w) and Harold Arlen (m)
The IDF (Israeli Defence Force) opened a field hospital in Bogo City in the Philippines on Friday, and has since treated some 370 injured people, of which 150 are children, the army said Saturday.
IDF medical staff carried out operations with advanced medical equipment, and facilitated five births over the weekend, including one c-section procedure. The hospital was visited on Saturday morning by the Filipino head of the regional district, who thanked the members of the IDF delegation, and toured the field hospital. Last week, the IDF sent a large humanitarian mission to assist victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The mission is being headed by Col. Ramtin Sabati, who commands the National Rescue Unit. The mission also includes Col. Dr. Dudu Dagan, Deputy Chief Medical Corp Officer, who is commanding the hospital. The first baby born at the field hospital was delivered safely on Friday. The mother named the boy Israel. IDF medical staff carried out operations with advanced medical equipment, and facilitated five births over the weekend, including one c-section procedure. The hospital was visited on Saturday morning by the Filipino head of the regional district, who thanked the members of the IDF delegation, and toured the field hospital. Last week, the IDF sent a large humanitarian mission to assist victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The mission is being headed by Col. Ramtin Sabati, who commands the National Rescue Unit. The mission also includes Col. Dr. Dudu Dagan, Deputy Chief Medical Corp Officer, who is commanding the hospital. The first baby born at the field hospital was delivered safely on Friday. The mother named the boy Israel.
The brilliant Bel Mooney posted this today on my Facebook and I'd like to share it with you as I have always been a huge fan of Prince Charles and totaly agree with her sentiments
This is for those people who say that the Prince of Wales is 'a waste of space' - that being one of the more polite descriptions I've read on FB. (I know they won't read it - much easier to call him names.) He's a thoughtful man who argued for recycling and caring for the environment while still in his teens, when nobody else was talking about such things. Anyway, any person with soul who attracts mockery from the ignorant hordes for talking to plants has my loyalty. Plants rock! And so does the Prince. Here what The Mail On Sunday wrote: 'I'm going to recruit an army of two million to save our lost generation': Charles' revolutionary initiative announced in Mail on Sunday. Prince in radical attempt to stop young people drifting into crime. Will work with three main party leaders to recruit a 'community army' . Young people to be encourage to take part in a range of activities including helping the elderly and disabled to joining the Scouts and Guides. His Step Up 2 Serve campaign will cost £4 million over seven years I HOPE THIS SILENCES HIS DETRACTORS, MAINLY A GROUP OF NO GOODS WHO HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO BUT BAD MOUTH AND COMPLAIN. I SAY GOOD ON YOU SIR
Local Costa del Sol resident Brett Rosandic posted this , this morning and I have to totally agree with him. I would like to add that as the world seems so mindset on calling for a boycott on Israeli goods sighting human rights abuses against Palestinians, it seems that China is OK!! After all can't we benefit by buying cheap goods in the Chinese supermarkets that have sprung up all over the costas? So, we might as well keep our mouths shut and wear blinkers so as not to be reminded to the human rights atrocities carried out daily in China!!
Here what Brett has to say: something that many people are not aware of is that Chinese owned and run businesses in many European countries including Spain are not paying any taxes or social security at the enormous cost to these governments . Unfair competition to many businesses has closed many small and larger companies creating an army of an employed people. Spain alone has lost billions of euros in potential taxes for the last 10 years. VENICE the major tourist attraction of the past that was filled with beautiful shops , boutiques and charming restaurants is now turned in to an awful Chinese junk goods filled streets and stinky Chinese restaurants. Just en example of how they operate. I originally come from Belgrade in Serbia. Few years back a large shopping mall opened and one of the shops was let to Chinese . They offered the same or similar goods sold by other shops in the mall. Consequently one by one shops started closing down only to be replaced by another Chinese shop. Ultimately it become a Chinese shopping mall. Now many shops within the radius of good few kilometres suffered the same and finally. a great many had to close down. With no competition our lovely Chinese friends have more doubled their prices for the junk they make and sell. People were left with no choice and quality products to buy government without revenue and hundreds of unemployed people and empty shop premises . Now how about that ?Absolute disaster. Christine Mayell posted: In France they bought up à local tomato factory where local growers used to take their produce to be turned into cannes tomatoes, sauces etc. Now the tomatoes are coming from China in container ships, how can this be economy ? Human rights defenders in China regularly face police harassment, house arrest, short-term detention, “reeducation through labor,” forcible commitment to psychiatric facilities, or imprisonment on criminal charges, often on state security or public order grounds. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo is serving an 11-year sentence in Heilongjiang province for incitement to subvert state power. His wife, Liu Xia, has been missing since December 2010. She is believed to be under house arrest in the capital Beijing to prevent her from campaigning on her husband’s behalf. Li Tie, a writer and dissident from Wuhan in Hubei province, was sentenced on January 18 to 10 years in prison for subversion. Li’s especially harsh sentence was the last of several given to several long-standing democracy activists in the wake of the Arab Spring. After a year in detention, veteran activists Ni Yulan and Dong Jiqin were sentenced on April 10 to two years and eight months, and two years respectively for “creating a disturbance.” An appeal court shortened Ni’s sentence by two months in July. STILL WANT TO BUY CHINESE GOODS???? YOU MIGHT ASK 'WHAT CAN YOU DO' ANSWER: DON'T BUY CHINESE GOODS
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Dumped in black plastic bags, the chilling sight of 400 bodies buried in a mass grave that lays bare the terrible human cost of Typhoon Haiyan Volunteers in Tacloban in the Philippines arranged the bodies in bags A huge trench had been dug through a cemetery to contain them The vast majority of those buried had not been identified Corpses still lie decaying in the streets while workers rush to remove them before disease begins to spread
 These for me are the most upsetting of all photographs to have come out of the Philippines disaster zone


I was sent this this morning with the words. Wake Up World You've Been Warned!

Saturday 16 November 2013

Last week I posted a report that Paul McCartney was about to embrace the Jewish faith now we read a report that Simon Cowell is also about to do the same thing......
Music mogul Simon Cowell plans to embrace the Jewish faith of his girlfriend Lauren Silverman, who is pregnant with their first child, as well as make a secret trip to Israel, quoting sources close to Cowell. The 54-year-old X Factor creator, judge and producer has Jewish roots - his father Eric was Jewish - but Cowell was raised Roman Catholic. While Cowell has never shown particular interest in religion, the source told The Mirror he is "open to reason on the subject of religion and the faith in which his son is brought up." "But he is naturally inquisitive and really wants to visit Israel so that he can make a more informed decision," the source added.
Cowell and Silverman's son is due on February 28, 2014. Cowell remains secretive about the baby's first name, but has said the boy's middle name will be Eric, after Cowell's father. Last month, Cowell attended the Friends of the IDF Western Region Gala in Beverly Hills and donated $50,000 to the non-profit organization. Friends of the IDF, which was established in 1981 by Holocaust survivors, is dedicated to the well-being of the men and women serving in the IDF, as well as bereaved families of fallen soldiers. It operates in 17 regional offices in the United States and Panama. TV producer Haim Saban also attended the gala, that included a performance by Lionel Ritchie. Saban donated $2.3 million to the organization, and the event raised a total of NIS 70 million for the charity.
Ricky Gervais, the British comedian, shared Ms Bachman's comment “what a hunt!” on his own Twitter feed, adding: “Spot the typo”
Last week I posted a story of a disgusting family proudly posing by a trophy kill of a majestic elephant. As you can see this beautiful animal had no chance as he was still eating when they shot him!!!! The photo went viral with the following words placed under it: 'I see five animals and one elephant!'
No this: An American television presenter has prompted outrage by boasting online that she had killed a lion in South Africa Melissa Bachman, a keen hunter who makes programmes on the American outdoors, posted a photograph on Facebook and Twitter of her holding a rifle and smiling beside the corpse of a male lion. “Incredible day in South Africa,” the self-styled “hardcore huntress” said of her pursuits at the Maroi Conservancy, adding: “Stalked inside 60-yards on this beautiful male lion … what a hunt!” A furious online reaction led Bachman to deactivate her Facebook and Twitter pages within hours. It also prompted an online petition asking the South African government to bar her from returning. “She is an absolute contradiction to the culture of conservation this country prides itself on,” said Elan Burman of Cape Town, the author of the petition, which quickly gathered 3,000 signatures. “You, lady, are what is wrong with the world,” said Richard Robinson of Maryland, who was among the signatories. “Take with no consequences. Shoot, kill, consume, destroy. “You didn't kill a lion, you stood behind a machine and pulled a little trigger, you pathetic, sad excuse of a human.” While the African lion is rated “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, it is not officially an endangered species. “The main threats to lions are indiscriminate killing,” said the organisation. The photograph was in keeping with Ms Bachman's past activities. Her official website displays pictures of her posing beside dead alligators, turkeys and bears among other quarry. She was axed as a contestant on the National Geographic programme Ultimate Survival Alaska last year after 13,000 people signed a petition protesting against the inclusion of a “heartless trophy hunter”. Ms Bachman could not be contacted for comment on Friday.

Thursday 14 November 2013

It’s that time of year again for the BBC’s Children in Need.
Since 1980 it has raised over £600 million to change the lives of disabled children and young people in the UK. One of the highlights is an annual telethon, held in November and televised on BBC One and BBC One HD from 7:30pm until 2am. "Pudsey Bear" is BBC Children in Need's mascot, whilst Terry Wogan is a long-standing host. BBC Children in Need is one of three high-profile British telethons, although the only charity belonging to the BBC, the other telethons being Red Nose Day and Sport Relief, both supporting the Comic Relief charity. The 2013 appeal will take place on Friday 15 November.
Unlike the other BBC charity telethon Comic Relief, Children in Need relies a lot on the BBC regions for input into the telethon night. The BBC English regions all have around 5–8 minute round-ups every hour during the telethon. This does not interrupt the schedule of items shown from BBC Television Centre as the host Terry Wogan usually hands over to the regions, giving those in the main network studio a short break. However BBC Scotland, BBC Wales and BBC Northern Ireland do opt out of the network schedule with a lot of local fundraising news and activities from their broadcast area. Usually they will go over to the network broadcast at various times of the night, and usually they will show some network items later than when the English regions will see them. This is to give the BBC nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland a much larger slot than the BBC English regions because the "nations" comprise a distinct audience of the BBC. Usually BBC Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland hand back to network coverage from around 1:00 am in the telethon night. For the 2010 appeal this changed, with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales deciding not to have their usual opt-outs and instead following the English regions' pattern of having updates every hour.
Just received this email from James Birkett British Embassy Madrid.
The unlucky thirteen revealed as Crimestoppers launch Operation Captura campaign seeking criminals believed to be hiding in Spain
Crimestoppers, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Spanish Ministry of Interior are once again on the hunt for Britain’s most wanted, with 13 new faces released to the public, thought to be evading capture in Spain. A new appeal is being launched to hunt out the ‘unlucky thirteen’ wanted criminals as part of the latest Operation Captura appeal, all of which who are believed to be hiding in one of the most popular countries for British ex-pats. The suspects are part of the eighth Captura appeal since its launch in 2006, and are wanted for crimes including attempted murder, sexual offences against a child and drug dealing. The successful multi-agency campaign identifies serious criminals on the run wanted by UK law enforcement agencies for crimes committed in the UK. Since Operation Captura launched in October 2006, 53 out of 63 criminals have been arrested, with many now behind bars. Crimestoppers and the NCA work closely with the British Embassy in Madrid and with British and Spanish law enforcement agencies. The campaign highlights appeals for information on criminals who have European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) issued against them. Information given to Crimestoppers can help locate these criminals so that arrests can be carried out by the Spanish police. Lord Ashcroft, KCMG PC, Founder and Chair of Crimestoppers, said: “The fact we are able to once again launch Operation Captura is an indication of how successful the last seven years have been since its inception. “However despite our success so far, there are still a number of dangerous criminals who see Spain as a safe haven to hide from their past, but with the support of the Spanish and UK public, we can hunt them out and bring them to justice.” British Ambassador, Simon Manley CMG, said: “We face threats from drug traffickers and distributors; people smugglers and human traffickers; fraudsters and financial criminals; and the emerging threat posed by cyber criminals. “The cooperation that Spain and the UK enjoy on law enforcement is a vital part of that strong bilateral relationship, contributing to the security – and the prosperity - of both our countries. “ Hank Cole, Head of International Operations for the National Crime Agency, said: “The NCA and its partners have the capability to pursue fugitives relentlessly. Spain is not a safe haven. Fifty three fugitives have been caught since Captura was launched, and many more linked to other operations. “The exceptional level of collaboration and intelligence sharing with the Spanish authorities has been vital to many of these arrests. The most important thing though is the power of this campaign to harness the eyes and ears of the public, both in the UK and here.” For those people calling from Spain there is a special freephone Spanish 900 555 111 telephone number which will be answered in the UK by Crimestoppers’ call agents and a translation service is available upon request. People can also pass on information anonymously via the Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org TO VIEW THE 13 APPEALS PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING LINK: www.crimestoppers-uk.org/opcaptura ENDS
Children of Peace أولاد السلام ילדי השלום
Announced today that team from the Israeli Home Front Command’s Rescue Unit were among the worlds first responders to the disaster caused by Typhoon Haiyan Children of Peace is a non-partisan, multi-faith charity dedicated to building friendship, trust and reconciliation between Israeli and Palestinian children, aged 4-17, and their communities.
Israelis and Palestinians show tourists how people can live in peace
Israel’s continued stability and growth may fall primarily on the unlikely shoulders of people like Tsipi Segal. Ms. Segal is neither a politician nor a diplomat — she’s a tour guide. Amid growing regional instability, with many Israelis feeling increasingly alone and misunderstood in the world, the country’s global image often is filtered through the grinding standoff with the Palestinians — shaped more by sensational YouTube videos and media coverage than reality. Fighting those misconceptions is what Ms. Segal does — one tour group at a time. “The most important thing to convey to the people is that, on a daily basis, [Israelis and Palestinians] live together, and we earn our daily bread together,” said Ms. Segal, an Israeli Christian, born and raised in Jerusalem. Ms. Segal’s grandparents immigrated to the Jerusalem area from Greece and Russia shortly after the turn of the 20th century. Both of her parents fought for Israeli independence in the years after World War II. She vividly remembers pausing from her studies at the Hebrew University and putting her wedding engagement on hold 40 years ago to fight in the Yom Kippur War. Of her 10 closest friends, only three came back from the war alive. Still, Ms. Segal feels that the true fight of her life is debunking the many misconceptions about her beloved Israel. “Bringing pilgrims here is one of the main steps for continued peace. It’s not a joke,” Ms. Segal said. As she loaded her American tourists onto a bus one recent morning, Ms. Segal smiled at the Palestinian tour bus driver, Hazzam, and asked about his son’s wedding planning. The two shared a quick laugh. A moment passed, and she asked how his wife had been doing since her recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Tourism is a significant part of Israel’s economy, and it serves as a unifying tool among Israelis and Palestinians. “If you put fear in people, then pilgrims will not come here, and I will not be able to work with Hazzam, and then what will happen is that we will not see that we are so much alike,” said Ms. Segal. “Only when you cut off that connection is fear and hostility built up.” Over the past 30 years, Ms. Segal has guided thousands of people from around the world through the Holy Land. Religion plays a huge part in the tours, reflecting the important role it has played throughout Jewish history. Last month, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh praised terrorist attacks in the West Bank and encouraged Arabs and Muslims to “prepare for the Great al-Aksa Intifada,” according to The Jerusalem Post. Mr. Haniyeh also condemned a recent incident in which a Jew openly prayed and took out an Israeli flag on the Temple Mount, an area under Muslim authority but deemed sacred by Jews and Muslims alike. Despite the violent religious and political conflicts, social peace and civic order somehow survive.
Last week, one of the Christian tourists traveling with Ms. Segal left his tablet computer at a store in Jericho. The Palestinian store owner posted a message on Facebook from the device, alerting all of the tourist’s friends about the location of his tablet. Because of the Palestinian man’s generosity, the tourist was able to retrieve his tablet within a day. Ahmed Sayyed, a computer scientist and part-time chef at the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem, was born to a Christian mother and Muslim father, and he doesn’t believe that makes him unusual in Israel. “You’ll never see Orthodox Jews and Muslims eating and shopping in the same area on TV or on the news, but it happens every day here in Jerusalem,” Mr. Sayyed said. “People are people. Humanity everywhere is the same,” said Gamal Jordan, a Palestinian street vendor in the Palestinian area of Jericho. “When you’re born, you don’t have the label or religion. The people give it to you,” said Mr. Jordan. “The people use religion to reinforce the problems. But the religion doesn’t make the problems.” Although Mr. Jordan wants peace, he does not like the Palestinian situation in Israel. Ms. Segal sympathizes with him. “A unified state is crucial for us. It’s life or death. But on the other hand, I see the Palestinian issue,” she said. She believes it is merely a matter of time before Palestinians have a separate state. President Obama said this year that he thought a two-state solution was “still possible.” Many Western leaders and global politicians have concerns for the Palestinian people and are working to make sure that the chaos and turmoil in other Middle Eastern nations don’t seep into Israeli life and politics. Still, many Israelis are not expecting salvation from an outside source. “The U.S. has to deal with their own problems,” said Ms. Segal. “The politicians are not going to solve the problem; it has to come from the people.”