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Motorcycling Landmarks: The Norton Rotaries }
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Motorcycling Landmarks: The Norton Rotaries
From 'burnt offerings' to TT victory, the Norton rotary engine epitomises the 'never say die' spirit that endured through the darkest days of the collapse of the original British bike industry. Burnt offerings? That was how Bert Hopwood, engineering director of the BSA-Triumph group, described the engine parts he frequently inspected during the early years of development.
After the collapse of NVT (Norton Villiers Triumph) in 1975, a small team of engineers was retained by what remained of the Norton company at Shenstone, near Lichfield, to continue the development of the rotary engine. They had to overcome some serious problems including severe overheating, poor idling and a number of difficult materials issues caused by the unique construction of the rotary.
Gradually they beat their way through all the obstacles and in 1984 Norton began selling the air-cooled Interpol rotary to police forces and fleets including the MoD and RAC. The Interpol was a fully faired machine with 85bhp and a nominal 588cc capacity. In 1987 the general public got their chance when the Classic was launched; a limited run of 100 bikes with traditional unfaired styling, destined to become collectors' items.
To improve reliability, the rotaries switched to water-cooling in 1988 and the styling of the police models was updated with a sleeker fairing and integrated panniers. This model, called the Commander, was also available to the general public with a dual seat and was well regarded as an 'all day' touring bike.
In parallel with the road bike development, from 1987 onwards Norton began a low-key operation to tune the rotaries for racing, eventually achieving a very competitive 130bhp. Throughout 1988 and 89 the rotary Nortons set lap records at circuits all around the UK. In 1990 Norton capitalised on their racing publicity by launching the Norton F1, a stylish Supersports model finished in black and gold livery to mimic the racers and priced at £12000.
But the biggest story was yet to come. In the 1992 TT races, Norton entered Steve Hislop on a shoe-string budget. After a furious battle over six laps in the Senior TT, Hislop won by just four seconds from Carl Fogarty on a top-spec Yamaha; the first Senior TT win for Norton since 1961! The pace was so hot that the third-place finisher was two minutes behind and fans still consider it to be one of the finest duels ever fought out on the Mountain course.
Despite the race victories, Norton was in financial trouble again and crashed owing millions, having manufactured and sold fewer than 1000 rotary machines in total. Though Ian Simpson won the British Superbike Championship in 1994 on a rotary, by then the Norton company was effectively finished.
Even today, Norton rotaries are highly prized by their owners; whether for the exquisite looks of the F1 or the long-distance stamina and comfort of the Commander. Though other companies, such as Suzuki, DKW and Van Veen, produced rotary-powered machines, arguably none made as much impact on motorcycling history as Norton.
Did you know the story behind how they came to be? Let us know in the comments below!
New year ambitions of classic owners
New year, new goals! Hopefully with a year absent of lockdowns ahead of us, we can start to make plans and achieve some of our goals this year. We recently asked our clients and email subscribers if they had any New Year Resolutions and we wanted to share their ambitions. read more>>
Agricultural barn turned classic garage hideaway
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Call for exemption from new transport regulation proposals
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FJ's most popular blogs of 2021
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


"The vice chancellor approved the introduction of demurrage for uncollected certificates by graduates, six months from the day of graduation.
This measure was introduced in view of the accumulation of uncollected graduates.
Consequently, all 2016/2017 graduates of the university of Lagos are enjoined to collect their certificates from the Faculty Officers while graduates of previous years should collect theirs from the certificate office with immediate effect. They have a grace to collect their certificates without accrued demurrage up till December 2018.
All affected graduates will pay the appropriates fees at the Cash Office.


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Biografia
Nata da Pasquale Sargentini, pescivendolo, e da Maria Conti, casalinga, poco più che ventunenne sposa Annibale Spagnoli. I due rilevano una drogheria e, subito dopo, cominciano a produrre confetti. Dal loro matrimonio nascono tre figli: Mario, Armando e Aldo.

Luisa e la Perugina
Nel 1907, insieme a Francesco Buitoni e Leone Ascoli, apre una piccola azienda con sede nel centro storico di Perugia, la Perugina, con quindici dipendenti. Con lo scoppio del primo conflitto mondiale a mandar avanti la fabbrica rimane solo la signora Spagnoli con i figli Mario e Aldo. A guerra finita la Perugina è già una manifattura con più di cento dipendenti.

Nel 1922 Annibale Spagnoli si ritira dall'azienda a causa di attriti interni. Si data qui l'inizio della storia d'amore tra Luisa e Giovanni Buitoni, figlio del socio Francesco. Poche le testimonianze e i ricordi delle persone più vicine alla coppia che parlano di un legame profondo ma riservato: i due non andranno mai a vivere insieme. Per Luisa, ormai nel consiglio di amministrazione della Perugina, inizia anche l'impegno per la costruzione di strutture sociali che migliorino la vita dei dipendenti. Fonda l'asilo nido dello stabilimento di Fontivegge (considerato il più avanzato d'Europa nel settore dolciario). Inventa il famoso cioccolatino chiamato "Bacio Perugina". Negli anni '30 il figlio Aldo (1906–1992) sarà l'ideatore della campagna pubblicitaria legata alla trasmissione radiofonica a puntate I quattro moschettieri.

L'Angora Luisa Spagnoli
Alla fine della prima guerra mondiale, si lanciò anche in una nuova impresa: l'allevamento del pollame e dei conigli d'angora. I conigli non vengono uccisi e neanche tosati, ma amorevolmente pettinati per ricavare la lana d'angora per i filati. Nasce nel sobborgo di Santa Lucia l'Angora Spagnoli per le creazioni di scialli, boleri e indumenti alla moda.  La segnalazione alla Fiera di Milano come "ottimi prodotti" spinge Luisa a moltiplicare gli sforzi: sono 8.000 gli allevatori che mandano a Perugia per posta il pelo pettinato via da almeno duecentocinquantamila conigli.

Luisa non riuscirà a vedere il vero decollo dell'azienda che inizierà circa quattro anni dopo sotto la guida del figlio Mario. Le viene diagnosticato un tumore alla gola. Giovanni Buitoni la trasferisce a Parigi per garantirle le migliori cure e rimane con lei fino alla sua morte, avvenuta nel 1935 all'età di quasi 58 anni. È tumulata nella cripta adiacente agli stabilimenti Luisa Spagnoli Angora in Santa Lucia, Perugia.

Negli anni quaranta, in un periodo in cui molti soffrono la fame e il freddo, gli Spagnoli regalavano ai loro operai per Natale maglie, calze e lana per un valore di 4.000 lire, una fortuna per quei tempi. Lo stabilimento di Santa Lucia aveva una piscina per i dipendenti. Si costruiscono ai dipendenti casette a schiera (tuttora esistenti), si organizzano asili nido per i figli, si promuovono balli, partite di calcio, gare, feste.

La fase industriale e i negozi Luisa Spagnoli
Dopo la sua morte, con il figlio Mario (1900–1977) nel 1937, l'azienda voluta da Luisa passa da attività artigianale a industriale. A lui si deve l'invenzione, nel 1942 di due oggetti brevettati: un pettine per la raccolta della lana e una pinza per tatuare i conigli d'angora

Mario costruì, nel 1947, il nuovo stabilimento della "Città dell'angora", attorno a cui nacque una comunità autosufficiente, in cui la parte assistenziale e ricreativa era fase del ciclo produttivo. Fondò inoltre negli anni sessanta il parco giochi della "Città della Domenica", originariamente chiamato "Spagnolia" e ancor oggi meta di visitatori (all'ingresso campeggia un grande ritratto di Luisa).Con il figlio Annibale, detto Lino (1927–1986), imprenditore e presidente del Perugia Calcio, la produzione si diversifica maggiormente e nasce la rete commerciale dei negozi "Luisa Spagnoli" e outlet store, oggi presente in tutto il mondo, sempre con base a Perugia.

Nel 1952 la Ditta Luisa Spagnoli partecipò come moda boutique insieme ad altre prestigiose firme di alta moda dell'epoca, quali Vincenzo Ferdinandi, Roberto Capucci, Giovannelli-Sciarra, la Sartoria Antonelli, Germana Marucelli, Polinober, la Sartoria Vanna, Jole Veneziani e altre ditte e case di moda tra cui Emilio Pucci, Mirsa e "La Tessitrice dell'Isola" di Clarette Gallotti, alla sfilata che utilizzò per la prima volta la celebre Sala Bianca di Palazzo Pitti a Firenze. Una giovanissima Oriana Fallaci inviata dal settimanale Epoca ne raccontò la cronaca.

Riferimenti nella cultura di massa
 Luisa Spagnoli: mini-serie di Rai 1 andata in onda, in due puntate, nei giorni 1 e 2 febbraio 2016 con la regia di Lodovico Gasparini e l'interpretazione, nella parte dell'imprenditrice, di Luisa Ranieri.

Note

Bibliografia

Voci correlate
 Bacio Perugina
 Perugina

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

 Luisa Spagnoli, su SAN - Portale degli archivi d'impresa.

 Luisa Spagnoli, le operaie e gli altri La Storia siamo noi - Rai Educational

Cioccolatai
Fondatori di impresa
Spagnoli, Luisa
Perugina

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


if external drive is not mounted?
So... Is there a way to tell the file system not to write to a mount point if the device is not mounted?
if the disk is not mounted, the files get written to the root filesystem, which of course, in my case, fills up the root filesystem causing all kinds of havoc.
now I realize I could add some checking to my script to make sure the disk is mounted, but I wonder if there is a better way?


I got a Samsung i900 Omnia as a gift from brother-in-law based in Denmark.Everything about the phone is in Danish and am finding it difficult to use it.I tried using the setting option to convert to English but could not.Please can someone help me?
Please would any body help me get whatsapp for my phone?
Hi i try to set up my email on my phone but its something to do with the settings can anybody help thanks.
i,m trying to change the language from german to english . i,v reached to the point where it is asking me wheter i want to format , are you sure you want to format ? format , cancel , it is not responding to either of the command , what do i do from here ?
Anonymous, 28 Aug 2013Hello, I just get this mobile from a friend since my smartphone sudden damage. I cannot use it... moreits very simple dude.just go on to connections...create new....put the access point name of your service provider and save them..restart your mobile once.
Anonymous, 28 Aug 2013Hello, I just get this mobile from a friend since my smartphone sudden damage. I cannot use it... moreDon't know how Service Providers do in your country but here (Sweden) Providers usualla sends you an configuration SMS for both Internet connections and MMS.
One way is to surf to your providers support site for Internet connection, with your computer.
There choose your phone model and adding your phone number. Then you will get a Configuration SMS sent to your Omnia. After installing the configuration file the phone should have correct settings for your providers internet.
At least it's how it works with Swedish service providers.
Anonymous, 31 Jul 2013how to download new appsHad a Omnia with it's WinMo 6.1.
The easiest way to get apps/programs to WinMo is by download them thru the phone's web browser and then unzip or just click the install file.
Be aware, there's lot of malware around.
There are still several sites that holds both freeware and shareware WinMo apps/programs around the Internet.
Hello, I just get this mobile from a friend since my smartphone sudden damage. I cannot use it connect to internet no matter by my 3G simcard or wifi. Can anyone help about this matter? Many thanks.
I have tried the setting of pervious replier of this group as below, but it is not work on my phone.
No it does not support whatsapp. I suggest you to stay away from this phone. The touchscreen is very bad, the phone is very slow and there is a limited applications for this phone you can't just install everything because most of the apps are from android. This phone is from 2008 so it's old. Go for android :) I made a mistake when i bought this.


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Takuya Kawaguchi (jap. , Kawaguchi Takuya; * 11. Oktober 1978 in Hokkaido) ist ein ehemaliger japanischer Fußballspieler.

Karriere
Kawaguchi erlernte das Fußballspielen in der Schulmannschaft der Sapporo Shiraishi High School. Seinen ersten Vertrag unterschrieb er 1997 bei den Bellmare Hiratsuka (heute: Shonan Bellmare). Der Verein spielte in der höchsten Liga des Landes, der J1 League. Am Ende der Saison 1999 stieg der Verein in die J2 League ab. Für den Verein absolvierte er 82 Spiele. 2002 wechselte er zum Erstligisten Tokyo Verdy. Für den Verein absolvierte er acht Erstligaspiele. 2003 wechselte er zum Zweitligisten Consadole Sapporo. Für den Verein absolvierte er 21 Spiele. Ende 2003 beendete er seine Karriere als Fußballspieler.

Weblinks

Fußballspieler (Shonan Bellmare)
Fußballspieler (Tokyo Verdy)
Fußballspieler (Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo)
Japaner
Geboren 1978
Mann


Worship — contemplation of the spiritual — must alternate with service, contact with material reality. Work should alternate with play; religion should be balanced by humor. Profound philosophy should be relieved by rhythmic poetry. The strain of living — the time tension of personality — should be relaxed by the restfulness of worship. The feelings of insecurity arising from the fear of personality isolation in the universe should be antidoted by the faith contemplation of the Father and by the attempted realization of the Supreme.
Prayer is self-reminding — sublime thinking; worship is self-forgetting — superthinking. Worship is effortless attention, true and ideal soul rest, a form of restful spiritual exertion.


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Who is Televerde Foundation?
Our Purpose & Values
Televerde Foundation's mission is to provide currently and formerly incarcerated women with the personal and professional development programs necessary to successfully join and advance in the global workforce. Our approach inspires creativity, imagination, self-confidence, and social skills while addressing issues that cause recidivism. We enable women to break the generational cycle of poverty and incarceration by becoming positive role models to change the lives of future generations and build stronger communities.
A world with opportunities for all to be successful.
Empower Others ~ Courageously Improve ~ Develop Resilience ~ Be Accountable ~ Pay It Forward
MIchelle Cirocco
Michelle Cirocco is Chief Social Responsibility Officer for Televerde and the Executive Director of Televerde Foundation. She joined Televerde in 1999 where she has held several leadership positions including Chief Marketing Officer.
Michelle was recently named one of the World-Changing Women in Conscious Business by Conscious Company magazine and Most Admired Leader by Phoenix Business Journal. Her journey of transformation was also featured by Forbes in a two-part interview. Michelle is a strong customer champion with a tireless commitment to using business as a force for good.
Michelle earned her MBA from Arizona State University where she also serves on the Dean's Advisory Council. Michelle is an avid TED fan and organized and hosted TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional, the first TEDx to be held in an Arizona prison. The event looked behind the curtain of incarceration to show the potential that exists in providing second chances.
Michelle also dedicates a significant amount of her supporting justice reform as an Ambassador for Represent Justice. She is also a Sixth Amendment Center board member and member of Conscious Capitalism and Women in Revenue.
Oonagh McQuarrie
Oonagh McQuarrie leads the Programs Team for Televerde Foundation. She is responsible for identifying, developing, and refining programs and curriculum that help currently and formerly incarcerated women transform their lives and achieve their fullest potential.
Moving from Scotland to Arizona as a child, adapting to life as a military spouse in her 20s, and changing careers at 30 has given Oonagh a unique understanding on what it takes to change your thinking and forge a new path for yourself. While she does not have incarceration in her background, Oonagh has experienced dramatic changes over the course of her life that help her build empathy and connection with participants and partners alike. Oonagh lives in Tempe, AZ with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.
Rashele Lomax
Rashele Lomax is the Program Coordinator for Televerde Foundation. She is responsible for helping to build and design meaningful and relevant programs offered by Televerde Foundation as well as coordinating marketing and communications efforts. Rashele's experience includes developing marketing content, facilitation of prison reentry classes as well as a background in training and development.
Rashele joined Televerde in 2016, as an incarcerated employee, and quickly worked her way up from Lead Development Representative to Engagement Center Trainer & Sales Coach. Rashele enjoys writing in her spare time and has been published by MarketingProfs as well as the Televerde blog. Rashele joins the Foundation from a place of understanding and compassion. She not only understands the importance of the mission but has experienced firsthand the struggles that come along with attaining gainful employment upon release from incarceration. She is currently working towards her Associates Degree in Business.
Dawn Coppens
Dawn Coppens is the Head of Business Development & Partnership
Dawn Coppens is the Head of Business Development & Partnerships for Televerde Foundation. In this role Dawn shares the opportunity and value Televerde Foundation brings to companies interested in Second chance hiring and Fair chance hiring. Dawn is responsible for identifying like-minded corporate sponsors and partners who are interested in working with Televerde Foundation, especially the women who are part of the program. Dawn leverages 30 years of sales, marketing and technical management expertise to develop strategies from vision to disruption, never losing sight of the voice of the customer, corporate sponsor and partner.
Prior to joining Televerde Foundation, Dawn was Global Vice President of Account Management for Televerde. Dawn has a genuine passion for doing the right thing, a passion that drives actions, actions that build trust and positive outcomes.
Jada Vickers
Jada Vickers is the Business Development Associate for Televerde Foundation. She is responsible for identifying and developing opportunities for corporate philanthropy, sponsorships, partnerships, and grants with organizations who are actively pursuing social impact initiatives. Jada has extensive experience as a Sales Development Representative responsible for driving over $14M in pipeline with a variety of clients at Televerde. She has a passion for criminal justice reform and a strong desire to have a significant impact on the lives of others with felony convictions and disenfranchised communities as a whole.
Her ability to speak from the heart helps her connect with organizations paving the way to reforming our criminal justice system by providing second chances to citizens reentering the community. Jada is currently working toward her Associates Degree in Business and has worked her way into this position with her passion for advocacy and her deep understanding of the many challenges returning citizens face upon reentry into the community and the resources necessary to ensure success upon transition.
Tami Martinez
Tami Martinez is a proud supporter of Fair Chance Hiring, and has a passion for empowering individuals, developing raw skills into talent, and impacting the lives of her community.
She has an exceptional ability to leverage talent and best practices to drive organizational effectiveness.
Prior to TV Foundation, Tami built a career in the field of human resources. In her previous role she worked as an HR Generalist and Talent Consultant for Televerde and Director of Employment Services at Arouet Foundation, both change management leaders for the Second Chance hiring model. Tami's work at these companies impacted hundreds of lives and her creation and growth of a network of Second Chance employers was fundamental to the mission success of Arouet Foundation. In her 25-year career, Tami is a proven team builder and development champion who leads with a servant leadership model. She credits the success of employment to a transparent, authentic, and courageous environment where all feel that their voice is heard.
Ashlee Liberty
Ashlee Liberty is a Program Coordinator for Televerde Foundation where she has the opportunity to provide support to women who are developing the skills necessary for success as they prepare to transition home from incarceration. Her responsibilities include helping to develop and deliver meaningful and relevant programs, as well as assisting with coordinating marketing and communication efforts. Ashley believes that she is proof that Televerde Foundation programs create change and development both personally and professionally as she is a graduate of the first cohort of Career PATHS.
Upon graduation, Ashlee was offered employment at Televerde as a Business Development Representative, fueling her passion to create change and further her own journey with the Foundation to show more women like herself that they too are capable of amazing things. Ashlee strongly believes that given the right opportunity, guidance, and second chance, every individual can change the trajectory of their life and become a great citizen in society upon transitioning home. In her free time, Ashlee enjoys working out and pushing herself to be involved in things that take her out of her comfort zone and encourage the growth and success of others. She enjoys mentoring and assisting others and is driven daily by her desire to help women break the cycle of recidivism.
Tina Schnaitman
Tina Schnaitman is a Certified Peer Support Specialist and Certified Trauma Support Specialist at Televerde Foundation with a passion for helping women in our programs to be successful upon graduation and transition home. Tina is driven by a desire to ensure that participants and graduates have the proper support system and post-release programs in place that have been proven to break the cycle of incarceration and lower recidivism rates to less than 5%.
Tina's passion for helping women stems from her own experience in overcoming barriers that she has faced and drives her to be the support that women truly need. Her ability to build relationships with participants and graduates while maintaining a professional perspective allows her to be objective and guide the women towards further personal development within their communities.
Yolanda Ewing
Yolanda joined Televerde Foundation as a Workforce Development Manager and is responsible for being instrumental in all aspects of development, implementation and monitoring of programs related to workforce development, skills training, and job readiness. In this role, Yolanda facilitates on-site coaching and follow-up management, as relevant to programs supported within Televerde Foundation. She holds a seat on the council board for small business, nonprofit board of directors and obtained certificates for nonprofits trainings. Yolanda is also a licensed and ordained Pastor and has been honored for Humanitarian of the Year.
Yolanda is passionate about ensuring the women in Televerde Foundation Career PATHS Center have the tools, skills, and opportunity to succeed upon returning home to their communities. With her extensive background within the nonprofit space, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the team and is able to effectively guide the participants towards desired outcomes. Yolanda is a strong business professional who is driven to further the mission of Televerde Foundation to reduce recidivism. She has a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Grand Canyon University.
Coral Griswold
Coral Griswold is a Client and Community Engagement Manager at Televerde Foundation. In her role, she is responsible for working side by side with participants to ensure that they are on the road to success upon transitioning home and have a solid plan in place to prevent recidivism. She is also responsible for managing partnerships in the community in which the women are returning home to, ensuring that all participants have the community resources that they need to hit the ground running. Coral's position gives her the ability to play a key role in breaking the cycle of incarceration and setting the women up for continued success.
Coral is passionate about reducing recidivism, identifying disparities in marginalized communities, and ending generational incarceration. She is a Certified Trauma Support Specialist and earned her Bachelors Degree in Community Advocacy and Social Policy from Arizona State University, Cum Laude, which gives her the knowledge and skills to assist and support others in moving forward to living a life of purpose and meaning.
Vince Barsolo
Amy Hillman
Karen Hellman
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Genefa Murphy
Adrian Paull
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Your Donations Make Our Work Possible


The perception of a person is not always down to the way they act and behave, but also how they appear, and this always needs to be considered when in the workplace.
That is the opinion of Angela Marshall, founder of Appearance Management and a leading image consultant, who said that the basics include always being well groomed, so having neat hair, well pressed clothes, clean shoes, hands and nails.
People should dress to suit their company's brand, so be conservative, creative, chic, formal or informal, while clothes need to be the styles and fabrics that people feel comfortable in.
"Buy quality clothes and have alterations where needed e.g. length of trousers, sleeve length. If the clothes do not fit you will not show yourself at your best and will look less professional and they will not last as long," she advised.
As far as jewellery goes, less is best in a professional environment, particularly for male employees, with bracelets, necklaces and earrings best left to weekends and social events.
Ideal is a signet or wedding ring, a good watch and also quality cufflinks to complement the suit, Ms Marshall recommended.


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Paint-covered horse adopted by Jon Stewart and wife dies
Tracey Stewart, right, kneels besides Lily, the horse she and her husband, Jon Stewart, have adopted, as Kelly Smith, founder of Omega Horse Rescue, holds a horse named Anita.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- The emaciated horse found covered in paint in Lancaster County in March and then adopted by former "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart and his wife, has died.
The news about Lily was posted on the Facebook page of The Daily Squeal, run by the rescue founded by Tracey Stewart.
The emaciated horse found covered in paint in Lancaster County back in March, and was then adopted by former 'Daily Show' host Jon Stewart and his wife, has died.
"It is with the deepest sadness that we share with you that dearest, sweetest Lily passed away yesterday," the post began.
Lily was found seemingly abandoned at an auction stable in New Holland, Pennsylvania. Police said she was covered in paint and extremely sore to the touch.
Authorities say she had been shot with paintballs, but former owner Doreen Weston said the horse was instead used as a canvas for children's finger-painting parties.
Weston, who owns Smoke Hollow Farm in Pittstown, New Jersey, said the horse is about 35 years old, and she acquired it in late 1990s. She said she wanted the horse euthanized because its quality of life was so poor due to deteriorating eyesight and bad teeth, and contacted Phillip Price to take the horse in February. She said she assumed he would euthanize the animal, but didn't explicitly tell him to.
She contends the mare loved the kids' attention during the finger-painting sessions, saying it was "like a massage."
Susan Martin, director of the Lancaster County SPCA in Pennsylvania, said in May that she doesn't find Weston credible, and said she should have come forward weeks ago.
Phillip Price, of East Providence, Rhode Island, was convicted in New Holland of animal cruelty and other charges related to transporting a horse in poor condition. Price is also on probation in Rhode Island after pleading no contest to animal cruelty in July, according to court records.
arts & entertainmentpennsylvaniahorsesu.s. & worldjon stewart


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New TV production studio launched in Connemara
Fíbín Media, a television production company that produces Irish-language programs for young audiences, has opened a new state-of-the-art studio.
IrishCentral Staff
Fíbín Media officially launched its new production studio on Wednesday, December 7 in Connemara, Co. Galway. Fíbín Media
A new state-of-the-art television production studio has opened in County Galway.
Fíbín Media, an award-winning television production company that produces Irish-language programs for young audiences, has officially opened a new state-of-the-art production studio.
The newly-built studio in Tully, County Galway in the heart of Connemara, was officially opened by Fíbín Media, Head of Production and TG4 Presenter Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill and CEO of Fíbín Media, Darach Ó Tuairisg on December 7.
Speaking at the opening, CEO Darach said: "We have a 20-year history in creating content for young people. Our new purpose-built studio will allow us to continue this work. I would hope that this studio will play some part in keeping jobs in An Ghaeltacht and attract local people to come work with us."
Delighted to be creating more employment in the local community Darach added: "We want to continue creating and facilitating the production of new and exciting TV content that will inspire audiences young and old, to engage with our language and culture for years to come. We would like to extend a huge appreciation to the LEADER Program for their support without which this facility would not have happened."
Since its inception in 2008, Fíbín Media has financed, developed, and produced a large portfolio of creative television programs for Irish broadcasters and has a strong track record of selling programs to international markets.
Surprising movies filmed in Ireland
The 130 sq. meters of floor space complimented by post-production facilities and various support infrastructures including production offices, make-up, green room and kitchen facilities already has been used by Fíbín Media to carry out several in-house productions for RTÉ and TG4.
The studio along with the mobile recording rig are available to hire giving opportunities for many other production companies to avail of the outstanding new facility.
For more information, visit fibinmedia.ie.
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Risk and burden sharing
If you share a country with others, you sign up to sharing burdens and risks. It also means you sign up to sharing successes and riches.
In Europe today some of the separatist movements are from parts of countries that are richer than the rest. They get fed up with sharing their success with others. Thus many in Catalonia in Spain, Padania in Northern Italy and Flanders in Belgium think they would better off without the poorer parts of their countries which they have to help finance.
The case of Scotland is a bit different. Scotland is not the pre-eminent richest part of the UK. London is. However, Scotland feels rich thanks to the presence of oil reserves. Much of the debate about Scottish independence entailed the two sides throwing around different calculations of tax revenues, income per head and general prosperity depending on how much of the oil was regarded as Scotland's, and how bullish you were about future levels of extraction and future oil prices.
The case of Greece is similar. Germany and other richer parts of the Euro Union do not want to accept full burden and risk sharing with Greece in the way West Germany does with East Germany or Northern Italy does with southern Italy. Germany says No to propping up Greek banks, to sending Greece more money to pay benefit bills or for local authority programmes.
The Scottish case has served as a great reminder of why risk sharing and burden sharing can help. Scotland now has to accept that volumes of oil extracted will be well down on peak levels, and at least for the time being prices well down on Nationalist expectations last autumn. If Scotland were on her own that would mean big spending cuts. Inside the UK the loss of revenue is manageable, and it will be covered from elsewhere.
It reminds us that to be a successful union most in the union have to accept the idea that success is shared and risks are underwritten throughout the whole union. Because many parts of the Euro area are not ready top accept that, the area will remain crisis ridden and unhappy.
This is very true, but unfortunately it rather looks as though (thanks to Cameron's wet pro EU, green crap, high tax and pension mugging agenda) we will shortly be in the grip of a Miliband/SNP fiasco. So sharing may go rather too far for England.
There is however reason to support standard wages and benefits level across the country. You can earn £100k PA in London and still have less disposable income than someone on 25K in say Bury while paying far more in tax too. It is disposable incomes, after housing and costs of getting to and from work, that matters to people. London is already hugely over taxed on this basis.
I see Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary has finally discovered that girls who take just one STEM A-level will see their wages rise by as much as £4,500 a year on average, while those who sit two maths or science subjects are predicted to experience a pay boost of 33.1 per cent.
So it is not gender discrimination at all. JJust the fact that girls tend not to study A level Physics, Further Maths and Maths and Computer science.
The figures are that 10 times as many boys as girls do Computer science, four times as many do physics, three times as many to further maths and about 1.5 times as many do maths at A level.
So the gender pay gap is not discrimination at all. Anyone numerate (male or female) can see that any laws that force equal pay are by definition huge discrimination against men and particularly in these subject areas.
The real question is why do so many girls seem to have such an aversion to these subjects?
In fact there is clear positive discrimination in favour of women in maths/science jobs in the private sector because employers are very keen to employ them to meet gender-balance targets.
I can name jobs where they have remove selection exams specifically to enable women (and others)
Dear Lifelogic–Always and everywhere the question why women are different, and attempts to make them identical to men. Rather, given that the Good Lord and Mother Nature indisputably made them different why on Earth should women be the same?
Indeed but lots of parasitic government jobs as gender discrimination experts, lawyers and HR experts in trying to enforce an equality of outcome!
Well evolution rather than God I tend to think.
Osborne's wet, lefty pension, mugging budget has, as expected, done absolutely nothing to help the Tories in the polls I note.
The budget even suggested that they may fund the idiotic (and economic lunacy) of the tidal barrage scheme. One wonders if Ed Davey can even do simple primary school arithmetic let alone maths A level.
Worse still this moronic proposal for tenants to be able to sublet without consent. We also have places like Croydon and Brent trying to mug landlords with £500-700 (per property) fees for licences. Thus pushing up rents and restricting supply of properties to rent. The council will be making more money that the landlords in many cases, not to mention the pointless additional work for the landlords.
No one want Ed and the SNP but Cameron/Osborne seem totally determined to put them in power.
LL. Thanks for the warning. It beggars belief that a Conservative government could propose such a radical and destructive measure as to allow uncontrolled subletting. One wonders whether these younger lifetime politicians have any grasp of reality at all, or whether they ever talk to family or friends who have any experience in the business.
Having just spent 2 years repairing a property which was sublet without consent, including making a sleeping space in the attic, the house was awaiting the election to see whether rent control and 3 year tenancies will be coming back. The effect of rent control in the 60s appears to have been forgotten, unless they wish to deliberately bankrupt landlords and seize their properties.
Landlords had to decide whether to pay the HMO £800 licence fee and accept demands from EHOs to put in full fire protection, extend kitchens to allow meals to be cooked at the same time, management regimes etc.- or keep the property permanently for no more than 2 unrelated persons. Now a couple plus one could sublet to two more and make the dwelling into an illegal HMO, with huge potential fines for the landlord. Insurance would be violated and any control over anti social behaviour, if there ever was any, would be impossible.
These politicians must have calculated that there are more votes from tenants than landlords. They should remember that a large number of small landlords have gone into BTL because their pensions were a joke and these people used to vote for all sides of the spectrum. If the private rental sector goes into melt down and a mass sell of causes a housing price crash, have they considered the consequences? Cameron, Osborne, Milliband and Balls. What a combination of idiots!
Exactly in the end it just hurts the tenants anyway and generates pointless parasitic jobs.
I think I should have written – the house was empty and I was awaiting the election.
The shortage of lorry drivers is down to government mugging – they need a new £500 a year re-test.
This means casuals no longer find the job worth doing.
That's a lot of post tax money to have to find on a measly £7 an hour for a tough and responsible job.
A 60k shortage of lorry drivers and test costs £3k. The usual story. Yet, a lorry driver on a Polish licence can bring his lorry across the EU from Poland or other lesser cost countries and deliver around the UK, while buying most of the fuel in France and avoiding UK tax.
The Sub-letting free for all announced in the budget, has to be the dumbest vote buying scam, since Thatcher started selling Council Houses. (Now a classic "how-not-to-do-it", for economics students world wide.)
Since the pensioners lost their interest payments on their nest eggs, a lot have moved into the buy-to-let game. A lot of them have got stung by professional "fly-by-night" tenants. Even your local Council, will have had problems with their tenants sub-letting to contractors, that move into the area for refinery overhauls or major road schemes etc.
I reckon this is the major Tory vote loser of the budget. Sub-letting should be illegal for private sector and definitely for public sector housing. Laissez faire sub-letting is not going to solve the housing shortage.
PS Would someone please find this country a Lee Kuan Yew, with a Singapore-style professional team of managers, that know what they are doing and how to make a country work.
I see that landlords who hoped to escape CGT by going expat are now to pay it, but only taxed from now on valuation of gain. Whether they will retrospectively date the purchase or how they will value the property if the date is current will be interesting. I am not in this position, but if I was, I would sell up now. How many homes will come on the market over the next year for this reason?
Again the call for indexation has been ignored. They know where the money is and are out to grab it, just as the relaxation of pension rules will make large withdrawls taxable more quickly than taxing monthly payments.
Indeed endless expensive and pointless valuations to be done and argued over.
Exactly stred. Osborne needs a private sector spending binge to get his deficit down, there is no alternative. He is banking on the proletariat blowing their pension funds on consumption goods and services.
He will be long gone when the excreta hits the fan of old age poverty he is creating. He must pray, every night, that there is a continuing house price boom, at least to 2020. If there isn't the whole house of cards collapses.
We should be thankful that his June 2010 austerity plan failed. The public spending he hasn't killed since 2013, about £212 billion, is now, along with natural animal instincts, lifting the economy off the runway. In truth, Osborne has reverted to Alistair Darling's 2009 plan.
The next government needs to keep the "deficit" at the current level for the next two years and then ease back keeping inflation in the 3 – 5 % range. Alas; ideologically impossible for a Laissez-faire, neo-liberal, Conservative government.
Putting inverted commas around "deficit" doesn't make it any less real!
What next a local authority £700 licences before you can rent a car or cement mixer or even go to the loo perhaps?
The next thing will be that landlords will have to go on some brain washing training schemes at vast expense to them each years before they are even allowed to even be in business.
All costs will of course have to be have to be passed on to the tenants and the supply of rental properties will also diminish. Endless new pointless jobs for parasites though at the local authority and lots of (unpaid) work for the landlords. Then perhaps lower profits and less tax thus paid on these profits.
I meant no reason to support …..
Why should someone in London having 150pw disposable income after tax property costs and commuting have to pay perhaps 4 times the amount of tax as someone with similar disp. Income in a cheaper area?
I see in a letter to the Spectator Sir John Major oddly claims that he did not want to join the EURO – so why exactly did he join the entirely predictable disaster of the ERM as chancellor then? Even trying to stay in long after almost everyone knew it was totally unsustainable. Telling us interest rates would go up if we left the ERM and if it is not hurting it is not working.
Thus costing the country billions and pointlessly destroying many lives, businesses, marriages, jobs and homes?
Has he apologised yet indeed will he ever? Politicians only ever seem to apologise for historical things that they had nothing to do with. Almost never for disasters they personally caused.
Major failed to veto the proposal at Maastricht; he had to be pressured into getting a treaty opt-out for the UK; he did not care that other countries would not be allowed their own opt-outs, and that all new EU member states would have to join it and none would ever be able to leave it; he talked about "bastards" and "the flapping of white coats", for which he has never apologised; he refused a referendum on the Maastricht Treaty and forced the Bill to approve it through the Commons on a confidence vote; while he made a public show of criticising the idea of the "one-size-fits-all" euro, he wouldn't draw the obvious conclusion and say that we definitely shouldn't join it; instead he "deliberately kept his options open", with "no commitment by the government to join it willy-nilly" as a Tory MP wrote here in July 1996:
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Treachery+will+wreck+my+party%3B+The+Tory+party+is+in+total+disarray…-a061328290
I'm pretty sure that Major would have taken us into the euro if he had been able to do so, and I'm also pretty sure that the present Tory leaders are not genuinely opposed to joining it when the time seems ripe.
fedupsouthener
Many of us living in Scotland are terrified of independence seeing it only as a 'Braveheart' issue for many Scots. They haven't really thought the whole process out. One of the latest problems are the amount of wind turbines in Scotland receiving subsidies from the whole of the UK at present but which, if in an independent country would have to be met by the people of Scotland alone. Where do the SNP think the few million will find the means to pay for this flawed policy? Salmond's arrogance on the Andrew Marr programme on Sunday morning was beyond belief. The UK is doomed if anyone dare to get into bed with the SNP.
DaveM
"They haven't really thought the whole process out. "
That probably qualifies as the understatement of the century.
Indeed Cameron will have to try very hard to lose to the dreadful Miliband/Balls/Salmond/Sturgeon – hardly anyone wants to see that certainly not in England.
But alas he is doing his best to.
Mondeo Man
Lifelogic – Mr Cameron has done his best to kill off Farage !
He accused his party of being closet racists (as do most parts of the media.) Now Mr Farage is subject to violent protest and Leftists feel morally obliged to offer up physical resistance to him.
Well racism is a crime in this country. It is one of the worst things someone can be accused of – not far short of the worst sexual offences. It adds an aggravating dimension to any crime which ensures that the perpetrator will receive a custodial sentence – a sniff of it in the workplace can end careers and lead to legal action.
As with any crime Mr Cameron was morally and legally bound to presume innocence of any charges of racism, unless and until Ukip's guilt was proved in court.
Instead he has helped to incite hatred against Mr Farage and his party with no foundation to his accusations at all. Now we see the result.
The violent Left (as they always are when democracy isn't going their way) have free reign to accost Mr Farage and his family in public.
Let's hope this doesn't get really violent.
The SNP are an odd bunch, all the standard-issue Leftie policies except one, for them it is apparently OK to fully exploit oil which conventional Left-wing thought brands as not only being controlled by evil capitalist multi-nationals but also as a uniquely polluting fossil fuel with sky-high CO2 emissions. One wonders how Miliband could ever ally with a group intent on destroying the planet ?
It is very galling to see the smug face of Mr Slmond on our TV threatening the English taxpayers – he seems to forget that it wasn't us who voted against him in his referendum, I for one would have been quite happy to cast him adrift and straight into the hands of the IMF.
Miliband will certainly ally with the SNP if the numbers point that way, as seems very likely unless Cameron does not finally wake up.
@LL; "Miliband will certainly ally with the SNP if the numbers point that way, as seems very likely unless Cameron does not finally wake up."
It is UKIP supporters who need to wake up! If Cameron does as you and so many UKIPers want then there will still be a Labour lead government or coalition as those the right like to call "Tory wets" either sit on their hands or actively vote for another party such as the LDs or perhaps even Labour -especially if they had originally come to the Tory party as disaffected labour voters of the 1980 or early 90s!
You are saying that the thinking 16% of the UK population need to wake up rather than one shiny-faced man? Why would anyone in their right minds want to vote in more of his daft policies like those above? It is up to him to explain why all these daft things are a good idea.
So that is why Major, Cameron & Heath were such electoral disasters and yet Mrs Thatcher won 3 (plus one with her man Major) until the voters sussed him out for what he really was.
The many Britons who are themselves patriotic but nevertheless keep voting for unpatriotic parties are the ones who really need to wake up and see those parties for what they are.
@Joe Soap; @LL; @Denis cooper; What ever… Trouble is, non of you have addressed the fact that the majority of voters in 2010 voted for broadly europhile or eurosceptic parties and not europhobic ones such as UKIP, the BNP or the SLP for example. Oh and LL, the Tory party lost in 1997 due to the sleaze issue, not because the parties policies were to far to the left or europhobe, if the electorate wanted even more right-wing or eurosceptic policies why would they have voted for "Blue Labour" (I'm never sure id the word in that description refers to being Tory lite or pro EU, probably both)?!
Yes, Jerry, the old parties are well practised at duping the electorate into voting against their fundamental interests, and I won't be surprised if it happens again next time.
@Denis Cooper; As that old saying goes;
"You can fool some of the people some of the time, you can't fool all of the people all of the time"
I take it that you do not subscribe to that doctrine, you appear to believe the vast majority of the UK's electorate are fools!
The only fools are those who believe that UKIP can deliver anything other than a Labour government, in one form or another, on May 7th…
JR: "If you share a country with others, you sign up to sharing burdens and risks. It also means you sign up to sharing successes and riches."
Err No! I just happened to have lived here all my life bar about six years. No one, no one, asked me to sign up for anything.
Everything I pay in taxes, everything I pay in National insurance is taken under duress and threat of imprisonment.
As a PEON, it seems I have been allocated the risks, but the political class have allocated themselves the successes and riches.
Reply You sign up by staying here, and have a vote and voice to request changes
You can request as much as you like, but when the political machine is not listening and in any case only envisages one direction irrespective of what the electorate want, one can sense the despair and betrayal.
JR, what a load of rubbish. There is no contract on politicians to deliver what they promise. If there were you might have a point as it is you are writing alsolute nonsense.
Sign up by staying here! What on earth are you thinking. As for the rest of your nonsensical reply there must be a presumption that the party asking for the vote will honour on delivering what they pledge and not going beyond the remit of what it promises. In the case of your party it would be absolutely stupid to think this will occur when Cameron has broke so many of his of promises and introduced gay marriage without a mandate or any other formal line to bring the proposal into being. Therefore unless there is a contract to what is being offered against delivery then your reply is utter rubbish.
Hope: "there must be a presumption that the party asking for the vote will honour on delivering what they pledge"
Of course. For a contract to be valid, there must be at least the ability to comply. If I contract with you to mine the moon for green cheese, it may be a legal contract, but if tested in court it would be voided because the Moon isn't made of green cheese, so the contract was entered into in bad faith by at least one party.
I believe our political class have, since the end of the last war offered contracts that cannot be met and are thus void through bad faith and non compliance.
Anyway, if there is such a contract, that politicians have offered, there should too be penalties for failure to comply.
By that token most every politician ought, at the very least to be disbarred from office after their first term.
@APL
Thank you for adding such a useful and descriptive word to my vocabulary. Peon sums up my situation as a PAYE cash cow perfectly and has the added bonus of being onomatpoeic.
Narrow Shoulders: "Thank you for adding such a useful and descriptive word .."
….you sign up by staying here. … that's why so many intelligent youngsters and affluent pensioners are upping sticks and being replaced 2 for 1 by the world's dross
Actively encouraged by the liblabcon
I see Open Europe are saying leaving the socialist EU would cost £55 billion. What utter bollocks. I suppose the sun would cease shinning as well
You have not noticed that £55 billion is in fact a very small sum, a drop in the ocean of overall government borrowing and debt and easily absorbed.
Even on the most exaggerated claims by the eurofederalists the economic benefits of EU membership are marginal, less than the natural growth of the UK economy over one or two years.
As for the guesstimates from Open Europe, they have to be seen in the context of a trend growth rate of around 2.5% pa:
http://openeurope.org.uk/daily-shakeup/whether-britain-is-better-off-in-or-out-of-the-eu-depends-on-a-series-of-tough-choices/?utm_source=Open+Europe&utm_campaign=6a471c9cf2-RSS_Campaign_Daily_Shakeup&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c045172cb6-6a471c9cf2-262466097
"The report concludes that a more realistic range is between a 0.8% permanent loss to GDP in 2030 and a 0.6% permanent gain in GDP in 2030, in scenarios where Britain mixes policy approaches."
So on that basis the choice we face is either to reassert our national sovereignty and restore our national democracy but possibly have our economy set back by four months, or perhaps alternatively gain about three months extra economic growth, or to sell our birthright in the hope of gaining a very small mess of pottage.
Unless you vote in a marginal your vote is essentially worthless. Even if you do you only have two choices both pro EU, green crap, tax grabbing socialists. And IHT and cast iron ratters to boot so they will not do as they say they will anyway.
You may feel that you are treated as a peon – many of us do feel that, just as many of the political class tend to view the country as their private estate to do with as they please for their personal benefit – but if you were born here then that would automatically make you a citizen even if neither of your parents was a citizen at the time of your birth. At least that is the general rule and has been for a very long time, unlike in some other countries where the great-great … grandchildren of aliens, non-citizens, may still be themselves classed as aliens, which can create a potentially explosive situation; there may be some exceptions to the rule.
That is your birthright, and although successive governments have worked hard to erode the benefits of UK citizenship they are still significant. The other side of the coin is that as a citizen you are assumed to owe a duty of allegiance to the state. That is why I do not want to be a citizen of the EU, and I would renounce that unwanted citizenship imposed upon us by the Major government if there was any mechanism to do so without renouncing my UK citizenship.
Just look what is going on in Calais at the moment with the illegal immigrants coming to France to get to the UK. They reckon a 100 a day are being found but what I am more interested in are the ones who are not detected. How many of these will come to garner the 'freebies' being offered by our governments????
This is why – despite everything – the Tories aren't making headway in the polls and won't beat the absurd Miliband outright.
People aren't stupid.
They know that there is no point in planning a party if you have no idea of the numbers turning up or if they'll be bringing a bottle.
The amount of detail discussed here is absurd given that mass immigration is virtually ignored.
@fedupsouthener; I am more interested in are the ones who are not detected. How many of these will come to garner the 'freebies' being offered by our governments?
If they are illegal migrants then how will we ever know [1] and how will someone without a NI number get any "freebies being offered by our government" apart from perhaps health services, and at great risk of being discovered – and most UK people are quite happy if they do as it is surely better to give heath treatment to such illegal migrants than have then possibly act as carriers of (infectious) illnesses.
Oh and if there are 100 migrants per day are found trying to gain access to Calais, then just how many are there in France attempting to get to Calais, and the UK thinks we have problems with illegals?…
No one, other than perhaps the Greens, are suggesting that there is not a problem but we will not solve the problem with the irrational rants so often heard from the likes of UKIP(ers).
[1] and how do we even know how and were they gain access to the UK
A lot of these people aren't stupid. They know where to go and how to get false documents to make it look as though they are entitled to benefits. Most will get free NHS treatment anyway. If they are not claiming benefits then they are working or thieving. Otherwise how do they live? If they are working then they are not paying taxes or NI so they are still taking from this country. Things are NOT black and white.
@fedupsouthener; Yeah, just as there's a conspiracy theory or rant for every circumstance as well.
Benefits there may be, Denis, and you are probably right. However, I should like to know (and never shall do), who in our burgeoning democracy instigated the European Arrest Warrant against Ashya King's parents ? This, after their disclosure that the child is in remission. No apology or compensation forthcoming for them, I'll bet. So much for their UK citizenship.
@APL; "Err No! I just happened to have lived here all my life bar about six years. No one, no one, asked me to sign up for anything"
No one has ever asked me (or anyone I know) about you having the freedom of free speech either, should you be required to seek our approval, and thus keep your council very tight indeed until you do have our approval, or should we all just accept that society in the past has signed us up to allow us free speech?
Even the Queen pays taxes, so if you are so unhappy then feel free to retrace your steeps, you know were the airport or what ever is, get out or stop complaining that you somehow have a special exemption from being a part of SOCIETY…
Less of the Me! Me! Me! for goodness sake please… 🙁
Jerry: "Even the Queen pays taxes .. "
What relevance does this have to the extract you quoted?
What happens if a citizen refuses to pay taxes, Jerry? Is he subject to exile, as John Redwood seems to suggesting, or in the real world does he go to prison?
My point about compulsion is in direct opposition to John Redwoods implication that we are all happy puppies working 60 hours a week to keep the state ticking over.
Jerry: "you somehow have a special exemption from being a part of SOCIETY…"
You clearly have no comprehension of the difference between the State and society.
@APL; "You clearly have no comprehension of the difference between the State and society."
Try looking in the mirror whilst saying that!
Sadly the SNP doesn't want Union. But it does want the English purse. In the event of 50 or so SNP's sitting in Westminster after May's election, that's exactly what they will have.
If only we had a political party with the intelligence and guts to ask England what governence we want, just once. The Scots, Welsh and N.Irish have been asked multiple times. England has never been asked. We just get piecemeal so-called devolved policies offered to imaginary regions as though it was equivalent to devolution enjoyed by Scotland.
Brainwashed tratorious MP's squatting in English seats prattling on about 'Britishness' and 'saving the Union'
Old Albion; "In the event of 50 or so SNP's sitting in Westminster after May's election, [the SNP will want money from the English purse]"
Only if the major party of government wish to bankroll the SNP more than they want to get re elected by May 2020, they might consider that an early election will loose less support than playing puppy-dog to the SNP does.
Why is it that the SNP, and Alex Salmon in particular, are not regularly and loudly being confronted with the current loss of oil income. I would have thought it was in all UK-wide political parties interests so to do in the run up to the general election. If they all spoke with one voice on this point surely even the BBC would take notice!
turbo terrier
A.W BBC would take notice!
You have got to be having a laugh.
The whole corporation should be sold off for all the good they do with their "unbiased reporting" All the green crap and fear programmes does your head in
@turbo terrier; I don't see much evidence that ITV, Ch5 or Sky confronting the SNP with regards the current loss of oil tax revenue either, and those broadcasters are private entities.
The problem is ever smaller audiences, due to the ever greater number of channels, thus all programmes are being chosen/designed to appeal to the lowest common dominator, hence why for example the BBC has much more of that awful Daily Politics programme and much less of the old Panorama style of programming where the in-depth questions you wish would be asked would have been asked in years past.
Whilst I understand your comments and reasoning, I wonder if the SNP will agree.
Seems to me they want the best of both Worlds, they want independence but simply do not want to pay for it, or even share past debts.
Little hope I know, but let us hope that Miliband and Cameron remind them that they have now reached the limit on devolution and subsidy.
Have often thought that the ideal size for a business unit is that of a destroyer (HMS). My best guess is a crew of 200-300, where the captain knows the names of everyone in the crew and even in some cases that of their wives, girlfriends and children. At that level everyone feels part of a cohesive unit., but never forgets it is part of an inter dependent fleet.
In territorial terms the ships are provinces and the fleet a country. At all levels the law is standard as is the currency. All parts act in support of each other.
In aviation and maritime activity the laws are standard and communication is in a standard language and it mostly works. To pull off the territorial exercise in terms of multiple fleets, as in the case of the EU, requires long periods of practise or you start running into each other. It is not impossible, witness the USA, but it takes time. The drivers of the EU have not allowed time so everyone is figuratively colliding. The political imperative has been allowed to take the place of practicality.
The SNP also preaches an anti-Tory, anti-Westminster story and argues for "progressive" policies, or old fashioned "socialism" as it used to be called. That is why they want independence for Scotland (from Westminster rule) but are content to be rules by the EU from Brussels instead.
Arguments about who gets the diminishing oil revenues are only part of the narrative.
Within the EZ, as I understand it, there are several members who are not persuaded that the Greeks should award themselves higher benefits than their own citizens enjoy. It is hard to argue with that.
Maybe some of the contributors on this forum could be interested. The World Bank is presently running a MOOC (massively open online course) on Citizen Engagement, with topics as "Engaging citizens for improved policy-making", and "Can engaging citizens bring better services".
I would think that a lot of things discussed in this course could also be relevant here in the UK with the coming elections, particularly related to real citizen engagement and making elected officials really accountable for the decisions they take.
https://www.coursera.org/course/engagecitizen
On March 14th you chastised me for suggesting that some MPs were corruptible. As I am not in the habit of logging all the peccadilloes of MPs I remained silent.
Today we have (an issue ed) involving the leaders of all three main parties. If you believe the Telegraph, a diehard tory newspaper, then all three were willing to meet up with a fake potential donor who outlined benefits his organisation would appreciate in a quid pro quo.
I have overlooked the bizarre antics of a potential MP in Dudley to gain votes on the grounds that he is not actually an MP.
You do not have to be able to grow bananas in a country to become a banana republic it seems. To date just over a week has passed.
Reply Parties will often meet potential donors, but they should also go through a proper process to ensure the donation comes from a legal source and is properly registered. There is nothing wrong with receiving a valid donation, or seeing if someone is genuine and wishes to make a legal donation. It would be quite wrong to offer favours/ changes of policy for cash, or to accept an illegal donation or disguise a donation.
Tough one. One has to ask why a businessman, or union boss, would make a large donation to any political party ? An answer that he or she is purely altruistic is simply unbelievable. I'm not that bothered by donations influencing policy really but I would prefer it to be much easier to remove sitting MPs via a right of recall if they break the rules.
Reply People give because they like the party's ideas and policies. It is legal to give because you like what they are offering.
To reply: maybe some do give for genuine reasons but when one looks at the absurd legislation that is passed (and that clearly benefits certain sectors) one finds it rather hard to believe that most do.
Is it going too far to say some at least of those donors were meeting fake leaders?
Agree with you entirely, but I am still not convinced that everyone sees it the same way.
Exactly! Which is why this so called 'union' that you and your colleagues are so desperate to preserve, no matter what cost to England, is a rotting corpse and the sooner it is put out of it's misery, the better for all of us. Our so called 'representatives' squatting in English seats haven't the slightest interest in their constituents sharing the successes and riches but they do however fully support us taking more than our share of the burdens and risks thus ensuring the continuance of England being the cash cow for the rest of their beloved dis-so called 'United' Kingdom to enable them to take more than their fair share of the successes and riches.
Shame on you all!
" to be a successful union most in the union have to accept the idea that success is shared and risks are underwritten throughout the whole union."
Furthermore, you must have a common currency which is presumably why I have been told that preparations are being made in some quarters for the introduction of the euro into the UK in 2018. There can be no doubt, that if Cameron held his referendum and achieved his ambition of keeping us in the EU, then this would be taken as the final endorsement of our loss of sovereignty and capitulation to a foreign body and as 'responsible members of the European Union' acceptance of its currency.
Reply Not so. A Conservative government will remain strongly against joining the Euro in principle, and this government wound up the Euro unit in the Treasury
Reply to reply,
I could ask if that pledge will be in your manifesto but your record on keeping manifesto pledges is so poor as to make it meaningless.
The only commitment was not to join the Euro in this Parliament, which is now ending. You must see the inevitability of the UK joining the EU if we were so foolish as to vote to stay in that dreadful foreign organisation? Some people can see the writing on the wall and are currently employing staff to make the necessary preparations.
JR, I have no doubt that you and some other senior Tories, and many of the grassroots Tory party members, are strongly against the UK joining the euro "in principle", but unfortunately that is not the attitude of those who actually control the Tory party. If it was true that they opposed it "in principle" then they would have wanted to make sure that it would never happen, and that determination would have been reflected in their actions as well as in their words.
You say "If Scotland were on her own that would mean big spending cuts. Inside the UK the loss of revenue is manageable, and it will be covered from elsewhere." and whilst you are doubtless correct that in consequence the UK unlike the EU will not be "crisis ridden" it is much less certain that it will avoid being "unhappy".
As I said in comments here on 3 April last year, "[Scottish voters] know on which side their deep fried Mars bars are battered and so the outcome of the referendum is as plain as day – repeated tiresome whinging just with renewed vigour and sense of injustice whilst Westminster grants "concessions" of a devo-max nature to drive further wedges into the foundations of the Union."
And the "loss of revenue… covered from elsewhere" does of course include cover for tuition fees and care for the old-aged paid for by English, Welsh and NI taxpayers who enjoy no such benefits. And we are supposed to be happy?
The strange fact that the Scots voted to stay with the UK but are now voting for an almost completely SNP country shows that the swing voters from Labour to SNP must have listened to Gordon Browns lectures on how to milk the English. They don't seem to be too grateful to Eural Mc Cameron for bending over backwards and letting Gordon have his way.
Excuse missing ' ' 's and 's please.
Well, the level of support for the SNP in the coming general election is comparable to the level of support for independence in the referendum; it's the FPTP system which can translate 40-0dd per cent of the votes into 70-odd per cent of the seats.
Of course it need not be like that if all those who oppose independence cast their votes tactically to block the SNP, in the same way that the three old parties are prepared to collude to block UKIP.
Each time "Scottish Oil" is mentioned makes me angry . The oil is owned by a variety of organisations most of which are international ; the fact that the majority of the production is taken ashore to Scotland does NOT make it Scottish owned .When the North Sea was first exploited for its oil reserves , it received the backing and support of the British Government , the Scottish element was a minority condition .
Today , with the oil price low , the entire North Sea Industry receives a lower tax boost from the British Government – the Scots had nothing to do with this decision . I am further irked by the continuation of the Barnett per capita allocation to Scotland . We exist in a Union that the Scots recently voted to retain . This Union should be equal to all – favours have no right to be a part in it . If the Scots persist in their attempts to blackmail the Union , we have every right to protect ourselves and , if necessary , kick them out .
B.Y if necessary , kick them out .
What is with the word necessary?
England will rue the day we ever gave the Scots a parliament. They are screwing us at every turn. just have a look at their energy policy. Who is paying for all of that. Scots Nationalists are green, yet still bang on about oil and beg and plead for more money. They always have the wind in their face.
Nobody seem to want to bring them to task with the writing off of all the poll tax defaulters. England if it really wants to survive with ant credibility had better start looking after itself.
"Sharing", you say; but in the EU some are more equal than others when it comes to sharing power…
"In Europe today some of the separatist movements are from parts of countries that are richer than the rest."
Even Bavaria (more Old Bavaria than the grafted on Franconia and Swabia) where they wear lederhosen and make useful stuff, there is an independence movement which also would like to cease subsidising the less successful parts of Germany; but like many of the regional independence movements in the EU, it is also about reclaiming a unique cultural identity.
The irony of EU, is that in its crude attempt to stamp out nations and nationalism by replacement with the ersatz nationalism of a superstate, it has provoked a backlash of national squabbles and separatist movements as people feel threatened by their perceived loss of cultural identity and resent having to subsidise those areas of the EU which are suffering privation at the hands of the Brussels Kommissariat. By the promotion of mass migrations for economic reasons in which communities in the more successful parts of the generally unsuccessful EU feel under seige from the influx of (people from other countries ed) eroding their native identities, the EU, far from replacing human nature by diktat, is creating a tinderbox of seething resentment which bodes ill for the future.
Where is the Conservative manifesto for England? And I don't mean the balkanised regions. The man that speaks for England needs to speak up because we can't hear you.
The UK has been one of the strongest successful unions. There is the potential that 10% could leave being Scotland. I don't prescribe to the tactic of appeasement, whilst I think the Union could grow stronger without Scotland, I would like Scotland part of the union but not at any movement away from equal share and treatment.
I think the current union can survive but just don't want to see appeasement to the nationalists. We do that then I don't think we can tell Euroland how it's done as we would be doing something not too dissimilar. Straying away from fairness and distribution.
If a Nordic or Scandic country wanted union with us I'd look favourably on it, not so the Mediterranean countries. That's what Germany signed up for though. Germany appears like a young man who announced engagement with full fan fare but didn't want to take responsibility for the kids, the ailing grandma, the joint account, it doesn't want to give up the BMW estate and the Porsche coupé.
Where might this all be in 20 years from now?
There's a lot to be said for real Unions that work. The United States is probably the best example of that. Both the richer and the poorer States benefit as a result. It doesn't make any sense for everyone to count every cent that's spent and split the bill accordingly. The benefits of a large market outweigh any immediate financial costs.
The same could be said of the USSR and the Eastern bloc too. Although their economy was inefficient by western Standards, the break up and the movement towards a market economy made things worse for many regions afterwards. It is only many years later that the residents of those countries are starting to see any improvements in their living standards.
The history of the Irish Republic has been problematic. Economically, the Irish would have been better remaining in the UK at least up to the time of their EU membership. That's when their economy started to improve tremendously. It was best for them when they had their own currency of course – its all gone pear shaped now they are stuck with the euro.
So if the EU wants something that works it either needs to go back to how things were before the euro or go the whole way and introduce all the extras that the USA has to make the system work. These would include a common taxation system, a Federal European government, a system of Federal European law, and a system of Federal spending which would equalise any economic imbalances between regions.
A common currency cannot work without those. It's just unbelievable that anyone who knows even the first thing about economics would think otherwise.
Quite apart from the central issue of Irish sovereignty it was thought that Ireland suffered economically from being in a currency union with the rest of the UK, in particular England, or even linking its currency with that of the UK. So the Irish establishment decided that Ireland should leap from the frying pan into the fire by entering into a currency union with Germany instead.


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PlayStation Game Awards Sale Discounts Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Persona 5 Royal, And More
To celebrate The Game Awards, the PlayStation Store is hosting a weekend flash sale featuring nice discounts on this year's nominees as well as great games from years past. The sale is live through December 15 and includes recent hits such as Watch Dogs: Legion, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Persona 5 Royal.
The Game Awards sale isn't particularly large, but as you'd expect, it features a bunch of this year's best and most popular games. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is discounted to $48, down from $60. Keep in mind that while it's playable on PS5, this is the PS4 version of Like a Dragon. A free upgrade to the PS5 version will be available next year. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is one of our nominees for 2020 game of the year. Watch Dogs: Legion is down to $40.19, a solid price for a recently released game that also happens to come with a free PS5 upgrade.
See all deals at PlayStation Store
JRPG fans shouldn't miss out on Persona 5 Royal, which is 50% off at $30. Persona 5 Royal, which is also one of our 10 nominees for 2020 game of the year, is an expanded version of the 2017 hit, and it includes enough new content to make it more than worthwhile for those who already played the original.
While the base version of Assassin's Creed Valhalla isn't on sale, you can save big on a pair of bundles. You can grab Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs: Legion for $91.29; there's also an Assassin's Creed bundle containing Valhalla, Odyssey, and Origins for $80–a great price for the trio of like-minded games.
Other highlights from the sale include Doom Eternal for $19.79, Resident Evil 3 for $19.79, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 for $30. You can check out the full sale at the PlayStation Store and see our picks below. If you have an Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, you should take a peek at the Game Awards sale at the Xbox Store, too.
$48 (was $60)
See at PlayStation Store
$40.19 (was $60)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
Assassin's Creed Bundle
$80 (was $160)
Read More: PlayStation Game Awards Sale Discounts Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Persona 5 Royal, And More
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Welcome to KSTool!

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            KSTool is a tool for studying Japanese characters (漢字).

            While there are several methods for studying 漢字 such as mnemonics, wrote copying, and spaced repetition flashcards, most tend to put too much emphasis on drilling without context that is relevant to the learner or force the learner to spend lots of time creating context (copying sentences, highlighting words) and other gruntwork.

            Additionally, with a living language one ought to spend the bulk of their time consuming from and using the language with genuine sources.
            While a certain degree of review is beneficial, endless hours of drilling take away from time that could be spent interacting with real, interesting content.

            KSTool allows you to input words or phrases that you found worth studying - perhaps from a magazine, movie, blog post, etc. - and review the characters individually while also displaying other phrases you've entered in which the character has appeared. Characters are shown only once per occurance, per addition, which is sufficient for review but doesn't bog one down.

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                User name:
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                Password:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub