ACOMSDave

Community Journalist

A Taste of Freedom – Palestine is shrinking and a population is getting lost!

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In 1995 the Guardian Education supplement ran an article by Jop Glanville ‘A taste of freedom’, which looked at Israeli troops leaving from towns on the West Bank, an area which they had occupied by force since 1967. At this time the figures quoted by Jop Glanville incidated that the number of UN registered refugees by areas were:

Total West Bank

504,070
Gaza

643,600
Lebanon

338,290
Jordan

1,193,539
Syria

327,288

2,502,717

In 2010 the figures were:

A taste of freedom - 2

almost a 100% increase in Palestinian refugees.

So what is the situation today on the West Bank? Well today’s figures, nearly 22 years later, make harrowing reading:

Total West Bank

779,000
Gaza

1,100,000
Lebanon

425,000
Jordan

1,900,000
Syria

427,000

3,852,000

According to the IRIN, ‘Such is the scale and uniqueness of the Palestinian refugee problem that the UN has one agency for Palestinian refugees in the Levant countries and another for all other refugees across the world’…

But what is worse, is that systematically Israel is closing down the West Bank to Palestinians, there is no ‘taste of freedom’ as Jo Glanville wrote about in 1995; in February 2017, Israel authorised 3,000 more settler homes in the West Bank. According to Aljazeera, Israel, in practice, has confiscated Palestinian since its military occupation of the West Bank – including Jerusalem – and the Gaza Strip which started as a result of the 1967 Middle East war.

Israeli settlers in the West Bank

The following picture tells a more bleak picture of what Israel is doing:

A taste of freedom for Palestine - Not!

(Palestine Awareness Coalition)

In effect it is systematically depopulating and land-grabbing the West Bank – it is further isolating Palestinians from other parts of the world, an example being the law passed by the Israeli government on March 6th, which gives Israeli officials authority to deny entry to foreign nationals who have called for, or belong to organisation which have called for a boycott of Israel or Israeli settlements.

Palestinians are a race without a proper home, under continuous threat, and the world needs to take notice and help resolve this problem, which was created by the Western powers walking away from their responsibilities to both Palestinians and Israelis!

Further reading:

 

When is a Conflict of Interest not a Conflict of Interest?

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Conflict of InterestSo George Osborne is to become the Editor (for two days a month at a unknown salary, which I am sure is not a pittance)which if this was his only role would not raise an eyebrow from anyone; however he is a sitting MP with responsibilities to his constituents (especially in these dire times with Brexit on the horizon – we are just waiting for the ‘HARD’ date), so is there a conflict of interest?

According to Sky News he has currently six (yes 6) jobs running simultaneously:

  • He’s a speaker at the Washington Speaker’s Bureau, where he has a lucrative contract to perform after-dinner speeches around the world
  • He’s a chairman of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (not an obvious position for the editor of London’s biggest newspaper)
  • He’s an advisor to the American fund management firm Blackrock. He’s thought to be paid £650,000 a year (yes, you read that right) for working one day a week for the company (yes, you read that right as well)
  • He’s a fellow at the McCain Institute, an American think tank
  • He will be (as of mid-May) the editor of London’s Evening Standard newspaper.
  • And oh yes … he’s (still) the MP for Tatton (a salary of £75,000 a year plus expenses).

Now we all think good on him for making a success of his life and looking after his family; but, and it is a big BUT, the Business Dictionary defines a conflict of interest as being:

  1. A situation that has the potential to undermine the impartiality of a person because of the possibility of a clash between the person’s self-interest and professional interest or public interest.
  2. A situation in which a party’s responsibility to a second-party limits its ability to discharge its responsibility to a third-party.

    (Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/conflict-of-interest.html)

It would clear to me, and to a good many others from the outcry that has arisen, that being an editor of a ‘Conservative’ ideological paper which clearly shows its stance as being in total support of Conservative doctrine, means that in all honesty he cannot be an editor who can give an unbiased editorial-ship to this paper. Never mind that as someone who has edited a paper and a magazine, I can tell you it is time consuming and tiring. I did it whilst doing my full-time job as an internal auditor and subsequent as a full-time student. I found it difficult doing two roles, and yet he is doing six – he clearly is superman!

It surely must now be up to his constituents to review his seat and decide whether he can and is fulfilling his MP duties fully, and they decide that he is isn’t give him guidance as to their needs, and if necessary request he stand down or give up these other roles which may be causing a distraction.

 

Further reading:

Brexit questions to be answered

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Brexit - walls shored up with sandOver the next months, Brexit questions are going to start being raised which will need to be answered, for example:-

  • What is going to happen to the civil servants currently working for the United Kingdom MEPs in Europe, when Brexit starts impacting properly?
  • How is the government going to help with documentation and communication re standards to comply with EU markets when Brexit has been implemented?
  • How will regions and counties in the UK be supported from the government with the additional costs that Brexit will generate?  Can we look at how Germany handles it regional areas for inspiration?

Obviously the questions will continue to grow, as will the dissatisfaction with the lack of response from Teresa May, the Prime Minister of the UK.   Yes I do understand that the PM and the government must be allowed time to formulate policy and the negotiation platform, but unless the extraneous areas as I have mentioned above are put into the pot as well, then this exit will be a completed fiasco.

 

 

Happy New Year to You and Your Computer

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End of Year Operations on Your Computer

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017

We all plan to clean our house(?) and make ourselves ready for the New Year; however the same is true for our computers. There are things we should do, or at the very least investigate whether we need to do, and these are:

  • Ensure your applications are up to date
  • Back up our data
  • Ensure our Windows or Apple operating system is up to date
  • Clean temporary files/cache folders
  • Update anti-malware programs and run a full-system scan
  • Uninstall unused applications – but be certain that you don’t need them. If in doubt ask someone who knows.
  • If you have been putting your PC to sleep rather than shutting down and then restarting, then shut it down and restart.
  • Ensure all hardware, where necessary has been upgraded.

Remember a computer only runs well when it has been looked after.

IF IN DOUBT ASK SOMEONE WHO KNOWS FOR ADVICE.

Happy New Year

The 24th Day – Movie Review

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The 24th Day

Name of movie: The 24th Day (Amazon UK Link)

Date: 2004

Length (hrs):  1h 32 mins

Film genre: Thriller

Characters: Tom (Speedman) and Dan (James Marsden)

Director: Tony Piccirillo

Setting: Los Angeles

Plot information: The 24th Day is a low budget, but excellently acted psychological thriller, well written as a story.. The story is mainly set in an apartment, in an almost abandoned apartment block, with a few intersperses when Marsden goes out.

The central story of the movie, is that of someone who discovers he is suffering from HIV/AIDS, and who sets out to find the person who infected him. He is married, and apart from ‘one’ gay sexual act has been faithful to his wife.

Can you briefly describe them; do they resemble characters from book or play if there was one?

Scott Speedman - The 24th Day James Marsden - The 24th Day

The characters from The 24th Day, have been developed out of a play in Los Angeles starring Noah Wylie (of ‘ER’ and ‘The Librarian’ fame) and Peter Berg. The script is entertaining, and there are subtle parts which require you watch and listen carefully, or you will miss them – and this would be a pity.

What makes the movie interesting? I found the movie to be somewhat tiresome. I have seen similar movies in the ‘straight’ cinema, and this slow build up, to what is supposed to be a climatic ending just doesn’t work for me.

Does the movie surprise the audience? The 24th Day may be a surprise to some of the audience, but for myself, I soldiered through to what was a predictable ending.

How do you feel when the movie ended? Let down, as |I felt more could have been done with the story. Both actors applied themselves excellently, and achieved more that could have been expected from what I felt was a rather mundane story and script.

Who will like this move? Probably people who follow either of the two actors will follow the story, but it is unlikely to do much else.

On a scale of 1 (don’t like) – 5 (like), how do you rate this movie? I would rate it as a low 3

Gisela Meyer at the NPL Musical Society

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Gisela Meyer plays pieces of the night

NPL Musical Society

On Friday the 18th November, I was invited to a lunch time concert in the National Physic Laboratory Science Museum to be given by Gisela Meyer, the concert had as its theme ‘Night Pieces’ and consisted of pieces by four composers/artists:

  • John Field (1782-1837)
    • Nocturne in Bb major – Cantible
    • Nocturne in A major – Poco Adagio
  • Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936)
    • Notturno – Lento
  • Romeo Wecks (1994)
    • Nachstuck I
    • Nachstuck II
    • Nachstuck III
  • Marice Ravel (1898-1937)
    • Gaspard de la nuit
      • ON
      • Ondine
      • Le gibet
      • Scarbo

As mentioned the concert is held in the NPL in the Scientific Museum, which is a former hunting lodge and one time home of William, Duke of Clarence (later King William IV) with views across Bushy Park.

The setting is spectacular, but like all government buildings is in need to some TLC (Tender Loving Care).  I was advised that the maintenance contract is coming up for renewal, which may explain why it appears so tired and dilapidated. From looking around the outside territory of the building and the building sitting behind it to the right, it would not surprise me if it was to end up as development territory into very well appointed apartments easily within the million pound bracket or more because of the location and proximity to London!

Now returning to the concert and Ms Meyer; I think everyone enjoyed the range of items performed, though for me the highlight was Gaspard de la nuit by Ravel.  I have attempted to find a video of Ms Meyer playing, but nothing turned up during my searches, so here instead you have pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet playing:

 

Ms Meyer was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany where she undertook her  undergraduate studies (Piano with side subject Cello)  and her postgraduate diploma (Piano solo) in Weimar, Gisela obtained a MMus in Accompaniment at the Guildhall School for Music and Drama.

The four pieces are different but similar in that they in the main allowed you to drift away slowly loosing yourself in the music, and does Ms Meyer who is wonderfully accomplished, but almost seems dwarfed by the grand piano, which she plays with total command.

If you are interested in classical music, and have the time, and are in Teddington then I would definitely recommend getting in touch with  the NPL Musical Society organisers by contacting Frances Wilson on info@franceswilson.co.uk

British Comics At The Cartoon Museum, London

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British Comics For Boys (and girls)
Rover Comic FrontsheetThis Cartoon Museum (British cartoon & comic art from the 18th century to the present day), has the potential to be a great resource, not just for cartoons, but for British comics of this era, and importantly as a resource to show our history.
Unfortunately the museum is hidden away in a back street, in rented premises, and it receives no financial support from government both national or local.
The exhibition at the time of my visit in November 2016, was on that great British institution ‘Punch’. Unfortunately I would guess due to staffing limitations, the exhibition has not been noted, other than a banner on the Homepage on their website at the time of writing this article. punch-banner-for-websiteTo do the showing justice you would have need to spend a few hours, both at looking at the drawings and also in attempting to reflect back on the history at that time.
Also there was little at the time I visited that you might want to buy to remember the Punch exhibition.
I am of an era when my weekly stable of comics were the Rover & Wizard, The victor, The Hornet, The Hotspur – not for me the American Marvel(s), I preferred homegrown characters like:
Wilson the Wonder Athlete
Wolf of Kabul
Alf Tupper – The Rough of the track
I Flew with Braddock

And for me the thing I really loved, was that in general the Rover &Wizard was mainly words, with just one introductory picture (or at least that is how I remember it).
So of course I asked if they had any of these comics in museum’s collection, and unfortunately was told no. Though they are a museum dedicated to British cartoons and comics, they have not been in a position to obtain any for their collection.
OK I can accept that getting items like these may be difficult, but at the very least you would have thought they would have links to suitable websites to spark interest and show that the museum cared. Instead all I have found is one short paragraph mention of these comics (The British Comic: 1884 –)
The Cartoon Museum is located at 35 Little Russell Street, London WC1 2HH
Always check to see if they are open, usually Tue-Sun, by ringing on 020 7580 8155

 

Further reading:

Course 2 – Day Nine: Double – Rotate Your Image

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In these days of smart phones with camera apps, and digital cameras there will be occasions when you have taken a photograph and having uploaded it found that its orientation is wrong – maybe you would prefer a vertical image to be horizontal, or wnat to flip your image so that the subject faces the other way – so if it makes sense rotate your image to create that special effect to create that more interesting composition.

There are hundreds, if not millions, of programs and free online sites which offer to do this job for you, and indeed I have tried a few.  And as with all things you will need to experiment to find which one(s) you are most comfortable in using.  But surprisingly enough the Windows Paint program is usually sufficient to do tasks like this.

 

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I will direct you to this article ‘Paint 101 – Crop, Resize and Rotate Images’ written by Cynthia – it is clear, concise, easily understood with clear diagrams.  I will however say, that not every flavour of Windows has paint on it, but most do.

So what photograph did I choose for rotation to create a special effect; I was near the Mussenden Templeand took this photograph of two rocks in the sae.  A simple straight forward photograph, with little dynamic effect as a normal horizontal image.  However by rotating it 90 degrees to the right the image has changed perspective, it seems odd, almost threatening – what do you think:

Horizontal - no rotate

Rocks near Mussenden Temple

Rotated by 90 degrees - and the photograph seems more threatening and odd

Rocks near Mussenden Temple – rotated 90 degrees to the right

 

I know as photographs go they are not very awe inspiring, but because it was not a dramatic scene, it I hope shows more clearly how one simple change of view can change how a photograph looks – rotate with care of course, but do try it, you will at times find it a useful tool

 

 

 

#developingyoureye

#rotatewithcare

#photography101

 

 

 

Course 2 – Day Eight: Edge – Straighten Your Image

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I am back again, finally I have been able to find time to continue on with my challenges.  This challenge is to use an editing tool to check the alignment and adjust the image so that your edge is perfectly.

What is meant by this; well how often have you taken a photgraph and then when you checked it found it to be slanted to one side or the other?  Steve Patterson has given a very interesting article on using Photoshop to achieve this perfection, but the problem is that Photoshop is not the most inexpensive software on the market.  However the article and what he talks about is worth reading:

Adobe Photoshop photo editing and photo retouching tutorial image

Adobe Photoshop photo editing and photo retouching tutorial image

 

An alternative in Windows 10 has been written about by Ashley Blood, How to Straighten Photos in Windows 10.  There are plenty of other articles, these are just two after my first search.  Now to my problem,  I was lucky enough to be able to visit the Bolshoi showing of their national costumes when it visited Belfast.  The exhibition was held in the old Crumlin Road jail (gaol), using the old cells and the connecting corridor for display purposes.  Lighting was difficult, as was trying to get the images.  I have put together a slide show of the images, but there was one image of a tutu which clearly not straight, and by using the tactics in Windows 10 Photos, I have made some adjsutments.

 

 

Now to my problem:

Edge - Straighten your image

 

And after adjustment, it doesn’t look like much was done, but even subtle changes can make a big effect.

Edge- Straighten Your Image

The exhibition was a show stopper – if it hadn’t been for the fact that it was already in jail, I think my aunt who had accompanied me to the show (and is a devotee of ballet) would have tried to “borrow” one of the costumes!

 

Education – How much do we educate about sex? ?

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This year National Geographic has launched a new TV series on the world “Original Sin: How Sex Changed The World”; I am catching up with this series, but I can tell you it is interesting in how much sex education we still don’t educate our youth about.

How did I pick this up, well of course our local newspapers who used it to republish about Robiinson & McCambley (a story past its sell by date), with a few added twists about the TV series, but also used it to republish photographs of Mrs Robinson and Mr McCambley; but then I put the article down in my tray and left it, because in itself it was the TV series that was of interest not the replay of Robiinson & McCambley, who by now have moved on with their lives.  The reason why I am now writing is the story of Republican Mike Yenn, “the President of Jefferson Parish and happily married with one daughter”.  While Yenni doesn’t appear to have much of a record when it comes to being for or against LGBTQ rights, he is a member of the political party that, in its most recently adopted platform, officially defines marriage as “between one man and one woman,” calls pornography harmful “especially on children,” and wants to police which restrooms trans people use in an effort to protect women and children from sexual predators

Now going back to Robinson & McCambley, the story was news at the time, it is not now, what is news now is the abysmal level of sex education in our schools, and the impact it is having on society. It is not enough, as the USA have since found, to preach abstinence. We need to to be honest with our youth, and education them properly about sex and relationships, in all its forms, we can no longer hide behind various texts in the belief that they will protect them.

But sex education is a hot potato, …sex education is political because it is a good way to get elected… particularly if you take a purely conservative point of view and support the vociferous minority who don’t want it taught in school as it is a parents right to do so – well I would argue that our history indicates that we don’t do it well at home or at school. I am not saying we shouldn’t do it at home, what I am saying is that we need to start teaching about sex and relationships properly in school to augment what is taught at home.

We cannot allow … political agendas to stand in a students right to know…

By all means watch the National Geographic program for its titillation when the various high profile people hit the screen, but don’t forget that statistically most new cases of sexually transmitted infections occur in youth and young adults! Sex education must be considered  is a failure, when it is considered right that drinking bleach is a good birth control.

We owe it to our youth, both the current and those to come, to provide a balanced and well funded and taught sex education system that is without bias – not only will this enable our youth to make considered decisions about their lives, but it will also help us as a country who is trying to reconcile its various budgets, including the NHS. Spending on education is not a hit and miss, if we get it right we save money in other areas, and we have a richer, better educated society.

Further reading: