[sunday blogfocus] the power of positive thinking

Who is this blogger?

The self-imposed task this week was to track down the ‘positive’ things bloggers had posted, as in ‘things which raised the spirits’, ‘things we could learn from’ and so on. Right from the start, under the latter heading, came Cleanthes admonition as to what constituted ‘readability’: However, it is not mere Blogfocus plugs that will bring your name into the conversation around the mantelpiece here at the Select Society. Begging might even count against you … No: you must produce analysis of consequence, coupled with lightness of prose, wit and erudition, if your goal is to be the talk of the great thinkers here at the Society. Surely advice one ignores at one’s peril … more here.

[brazil] babes and blackmail

Time to lower the tone a little. Well, quite a lot really. Brazilian cleaner Roselane Driza [not pictured] was today given a 33-month jail sentence and recommended for deportation for blackmailing an immigration judge and stealing sexy videos from another judge - her lover. The two judges involved in the case are being investigated by the Department of Constitutional affairs and Driza's defence team say they have new information about the judges that they will use on appeal. Puts new meaning into the term Barely Legal.

[usa] losing the plot at international level

Was there ever such a demonstration of the waning leverage of the US as a world arbitrator? A third of my friends are American and I have no wish to offend them but they’d better face up to the fact that their politicos have lost the plot in various theatres of action, just as Britain once had to face up to the loss of its own empire. China is the new measuring stick: Kim Jong-Il has apologised and reassured China that he has no plans to conduct further nuclear tests … Kim was quoted as telling a senior Chinese envoy on Thursday that he was prepared to return to the negotiating table and compromise with the United States. Is that leverage or is that leverage? No one is smugly smiling about it – it’s simply the new reality.

[europe] eu leaders wine and dine putin

Rafael Epstein’s article sums up the actuality at this moment. Two hours ago I ran it past the Trade Minister [returned from the London Summit] and he did not demur on any of the points reproduced here: There's a rather unusual meeting taking place in Finland. On the sidelines of the European Union meeting in Helsinki, leaders will wine and dine Russian President Vladimir Putin. Each European leader is simultaneously nervous about its neighbours potential to secure exclusive energy deals with Russia, and worried that Russia could use its massive energy reserves to restore the country's status as a global superpower. Read more here.

[half-term] go to it rightly and may scallops rock yer tadger

Half-term over there - I wonder to which corner of the globe you will bicycle. Either way, good luck and stay safe. Do you think bloggers will shut up shop or will blog more intensely during next week?

[total] prosecution a modern french farce

Not so pretty but is he corrupt?

Call me corrupt if you like but I can’t see the problem with this Total business. What is a kickback anyway? Just a payment to gain an advantage for your company and which CEO or Deputy wouldn’t do all he can, of a financial nature, for his company? It’s the greatest hypocrisy to prosecute the briber when the taker is the real criminal. Business is business – do we want a free market or an over- regulated, fair market? That is the question or so it seems to me. [HT: Oil & Gas Topix]

[sao paulo] schumacher's swansong

For those not aware of it, this is Michael Schumacher’s swan-song at Sao Paulo on Sunday and he’s well placed to take out his final race. With seven already under his belt and the Ferrari firing, it’s anyone’s race vs. his competitive spirit and I should think there’ll be over a billion people checking in to the coverage from time to time. "I am not here this weekend to think too much about my own title," said Schumacher [37]. "I am coming here for the constructors' title. I expressed after the Suzuka race that the title fight for the drivers' is finished.

[aishah] last time on this, hopefully

I’ve just read the Telegraph piece on the issue and the comments on it and the anonymous comment on my earlier piece. Someone drew the parallel of the kippah worn by Jews. How can anyone say it’s the same issue? That’s ridiculous. Another commenter said we can’t walk down the street in balaclavas these days [can’t remember ever doing so actually]. This blog concludes that the woman was way out of line and is trying to milk the issue for all it’s worth. What’s more, she wishes to become a teacher. Really? Who would employ her? Yesterday, one of my girls [Muslim] asked why this Aishah didn’t just go to a Muslim school if she feels so strongly about the veil.

[olives] latest news from the front line

Photo lifted direct from L'Ombre's site

The news from the Olive Front is not so good: Rain soaked rotten over-ripe olives fallen to the ground and lying on our driveway. Just hoping most of them stay on the trees for another week or 10 days. Getting critical now. Keep your fingers crossed.

[baseball] name the four of them

The names are scrambled. Straighten them out: denlarver, gerros, sorberton, mebandorn. Answers here.

[wal-mart] $4 generic-drug plan moves to alaska

Remember Wal-Mart $4 prescriptions? They’re now available in Alaska Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores because Alaska doesn't have state laws prohibiting such a move, as some states do. Dave Campana, pharmacist for Alaska Medicaid, said drugs on Wal-Mart's $4 list are mostly older, lower-priced generics, but still, state Medicaid should benefit, along with people who are uninsured. Over-the-limit Medicare recipients who must pay their own drug costs may also pay less, he said. Fine details at this site.

[fashion] the mechanics of flow lines

Now say what you like but I found this interesting, not least because it comes out of Australia and then because even a man can understand it. Successful fashion is all about flow lines, and nowhere more so than in hats. A glorious swirl of red straw braid and Swiss silk veiling, finished with a flower and hatpin, all designed within the "flow lines" of the head, but with a light froth of extra height to create that illusion for the wearer. At its most fundamental, fashion design is concerned with two things: fit and flow. Men, don’t switch off yet – more here.

[adventure holiday] why not try darra

Photo courtesy of Bjorn

Darra Adam Kheil is no ordinary town, close by the Kohat mountain range in the lawless tribal belt of north western Pakistan. Filled with hashish bars, the town of 15,000 is the headquarters of the region's illegal firearms market. Here, small, storefront operations churn out knockoff versions of weapons at cut-rate prices, providing a key source of hardware for the Taliban, most of whom are Pashtun and native to the region and who were once completely dependent on Darra for their weaponry. The US poured weapons into Pakistan during the Afghan war to arm the mujahedeen and stave off the Russians [remember James Bond: The Living Daylights] and overnight, a home grown arms market sprang up, which is now being used, in turn. on the US and NATO. A real Indiana Jones town for your next adventure holiday.

[veils 2] comment on the earlier post by a muslim

Interesting little aside on the veils issue. A Muslim lady who visited me just now saw the post about sweet Aishah and after I’d explained the issue, felt that the school wouldn’t have employed her if she was wearing it at the interview, especially if it was a Christian school. The veil had to have come later. My visitor agreed with the school’s point of view but also with the award for hurt feelings [I think this was more the woman coming out in solidarity with her sister]. As for my final sentence [in the earlier post] on going to the mosque in Christian garb, she smiled. No one wears veils over here anyway – it’s just for Britonstan, it appears.

[in brief] thought for friday

Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others.

[cricket] aussies flop

Photo stolen direct from Ashes Buzz

Interesting piece by Tim de Lisle yesterday. The Champions Trophy hasn’t had many runs, but it has had something more precious: upsets. South Africa fell to New Zealand, and now Australia have gone down to the West Indies. The Aussies showed two unexpected weaknesses. After a strong start with the ball, they couldn’t finish off the West Indian top order. The killer instinct was missing. If you enjoy Aussie discomfort, follow the link.

[happy birthday] to the transplanted scot

Missed Colin’s birthday yesterday. Many happy returns of the day!

[veils] award to aishah for hurt feelings, poor lass

Aishah Azmi, 24, the bilingual support worker suspended for refusing to remove her veil during lessons and who subsequently lost her claim that she was discriminated against because of her religious beliefs, has now been awarded £1,100 for "injury to her feelings". The school itself was silly enough to consider that staring through a postbox-slit eyehole in a black garment might be a little off-putting in a face-to-face counselling situation. I’m still puzzled that she was teaching in a C of E school in the first place but it's heartening, I can tell you. You know, I think I'm now going to put on a dog collar and mitre, go down to the local mosque and ask for a counselling job. Hope you'll still see me posting later.

[russia] foreign ngos processed too slowly

Leaving aside Moscow itself and outlying regions, including Beslan, Russia has been relatively free of terrorism and there are no troops on the streets here - come over and have a look, rather than accept what you've read. Part of that is due to draconian measures on immigrants and foreign residents at governmental level which I can vouch, in my case, don’t amount to more than the usual bureaucracy. Part is due to the cracking down on NGOs which Vladimir Putin warned were interfering in domestic politics. Justice Ministry Anatoly Panchenko said authorities were unable to process the registration papers of 96 NGOs by the midnight Wednesday deadline, although he promised they would do so as soon as possible. They are being processed but the western press has beaten this up - don’t Britain and the US also stringently screen for troublemakers? Seems a double standard here to me.

[faith schools] rising above the level of the beast

Stephen Pollard has a post here, under the category Buffoons and the article is about faith schools. “Of course, there are plenty of people who would prefer all faith schools to be abolished and I have some sympathy for their argument.” In Iraq, Indonesia and the like, the faith school is an impossibility and Christian girls have their throats slit for being Christian. If the Anglo-Saxon world is to rise above the level of the beast and give the Christian example, we can’t ban other faith schools, even the Temple of Set. Full stop.

[education 2] explanations for the dumbing down

You could call the following a statement on the demise of education in the US and UK over the last two decades. This link gives evidence from the front line, revealing that education has indeed undergone a process of dumbing down - please scroll down from points 1 through 39. References are at 40.

It continues here.

[education] the assault on intellectualism

Perry Mason, advocate, had just finished pointing out an anomaly in Sergeant Holcombe’s evidence in a murder trial and now asked, ‘Does that seem logical to you?’
Sergeant Holcombe hesitated a moment, then said, ‘Well, that’s one of those little things. That doesn’t cut so much ice. Lots of times you’ll find little things which are more or less inconsistent with the general interpretation of evidence.'
‘I see,’ Mason said. ‘And when you encounter such little things, what do you do, Sergeant?’
‘You just ignore ’em,’ said Holcombe.
‘And how many such things have you ignored, Sergeant, in reaching your [current] conclusion?’ Read more here.

[gavin] his blog appears to be ayling

Er ... what's going on with Gavin? Anyone know? Gates of Vienna says Right blogs are being attacked and Google went down half an hour ago for a short time. Maybe the nasty lefties are getting to us finally. [And sorry about the pun in the title as well.]

[education] the deliberate dumbing down of the west

UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute, which annually surveys the attitudes of high-school graduates entering college, found that record numbers of them were "increasingly disengaged from the academic experience". These students had spent less time studying or doing homework than ever before, and were more bored with school than any cohort that ever entered post-secondary education. This [2000] book suggests, as explained here, that there is nothing accidental in the process – that it was the result of a networked policy and agenda and this is supported here and in numerous recent articles on the phenomenon. From the trenches, I can also report that this is demonstrably and measurably happening.

[dow jones] passe pour la première fois les 12 000 points

L'indice Dow Jones a franchi, mercredi 18 octobre, pour la première fois en cent dix ans d'histoire, le seuil symbolique des 12 000 points. L'optimisme des investisseurs s'explique notamment par les bons résultats affichés par plusieurs poids lourds de l'électronique et de l'informatique. Suivez.

[neue studie] der armut in deutschland

Mitten in der hitzigen Debatte über Armut in Deutschland zeigt die Untersuchung außerdem, dass das Problem noch sehr viel größer ist als die offiziellen Statistiken vermuten lassen. Wie kann man sie bekämpfen? Mehr hier.

[news] google’s current top ten stories

1...Amid diplomatic flurry on North Korea, world fears further nuke ...
2...Tamil Tigers ambush navy boats in Sri Lanka
3...Ten US soldiers killed as Iraq death toll mounts
4...Battles brewing on torture, detainees
5...Icelanders resume cull
6...Israel PM interested in meeting with Palestine leader soon
7...10 US soldiers killed in single day in Iraq
8...Muslims say Blair's integration call divisive
9...Troops will be in Afghanistan for next 20 years, says commander
10.Nobel winner may enter politics

Which could be termed ‘positive, hopeful news’? Why are the media running only these?

[musical terms] which of these ten do you know

Bonus point: Do you know which duo she sings for?

The terms are: Meno, Dolce, Adagio, Rubato, Cadence, Forte, Da Capo, Chord, Largo, Phrase. These terms mean: A section of a composition comprising a musical thought, Slow, leisurely, Loud, strong, Closing of a phrase or section of music, A modification of the strict rhythmical flow, Three or more tones combined simultaneously, Less, From the beginning, Large, broad, slow and stately, Sweetly, softly. Answers are here.

[getting published] it’s not what you write – it’s whom you know

I stumbled onto Phil Edwards' comment on Chris Dillow’s post and it was thought-provoking: People often don't realise that getting an individual piece of work accepted has very little to do with the quality of said piece of work. (I know I had no idea that this was the case when I first started pitching stuff - come to that, if somebody had told me it was the case I would have been outraged and refused to believe it.) Having sat on both sides of the desk … What Phil said is here.

[president] which lady would win

The question asked, ‘Imagine that these were the only candidates [for President] - whom would you vote for?’ Results [28] were:

Condoleezza Rice.......14%
Hillary Clinton..............14%
Segolene Royal..........43%
Paris Hilton..................29%

[iceland] not so good news this time

Readers of this blog know that Iceland News is usually naïve, happy stuff. Not so this report on New Zealand Conservation Minister Chris Carter, who today deplored Iceland's decision to resume commercial whaling, saying New Zealand would make its "strong" feelings on the issue clear to the Icelandic government. Iceland, which has been whaling since Viking times, stopped commercial whaling in 1989 under an international moratorium on commercial hunts but has now resumed it. What’s your point of view on this? Also, why was it NZ who complained? Why not, say, the UK or the US, who have some clout?

[north korea] wanting peace but ready to obliterate

Shane McLeod reports: Like just about all good ideas in North Korea, the foundation of the Down with Imperialism Union can be credited to one man, the deceased former President and great leader, Kim Il Sung. According to his memoirs, it was Kim himself who came up with the name and strategy for the organisation that would eventually become the Korean Workers Party … "The DPRK wants peace, but is not afraid of war. It wants dialogue, but it is always ready for confrontation." That came with the warning that UN sanctions were effectively a declaration of war. That’s the sort of singleminded mindlessness we’re up against and it appears to be the flavour of the month. [Also of interest was the industrial action at the ABC just now.]

[mea culpa] egg on the proverbial face

Oh woe is me. Grievous error in the Blogfocus. I quoted DK’s ditty, which was not DK’s ditty, as a glance at his post will show. In fact the ditty I’d intended to include and indeed, have now done and which is actually a better delineation of the poet’s craft, follows: There once was a bruiser called Reid; Who followed the Communist creed; After sinking a skinful, He decided it sinful And resolved thence to follow his greed. Which, as DK himself says, is not half bad.

[blogfocus] the quirky, the pithy and the downright strange

This man does not say strange things [usually]

It all started when I saw this: The gooey Coke-battered nuggets topped with cola syrup won the "most creative" title at the Texas state fair in Dallas last month. Fried treats are as big of a draw at state fairs as the rides and prize-winning farm animals. Twinkies, cookies and even pickles are stuck with a stick, dipped in batter and then seared in the deep fryer. Adelaidegreenporridgecafe then gave directions for deep-fried Mars Bars. Aha, I thought – here’s the theme for the next blogfocus. Continued here.

[men & women] who’s more oppressed

Vox certainly does his research]: From the New York Times: The researchers found that “women still do twice as much housework and child care as men” in two-parent families. But they said that total hours of work by mothers and fathers were roughly equal, when they counted paid and unpaid work ... There's a silver-lining in the career girl cloud, of course. A working wife may be more harried, irritable and sleep-deprived, but at least you won't have to spend too much time with her prior to the likely divorce. Read it all here.

[torture] bush signing interrogation laws right now

A US bill that allows fiendish interrogation of suspects is being signed into law as of now. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 sets standards for interrogating suspects through a complex set of rules that human rights groups say could allow harsh techniques bordering on torture, such as sleep deprivation and induced hypothermia. This is the thin edge of the wedge and anyone with half a brain and adequate research abilities knows the hidden agenda behind this. My goodness – it’s even contained in the name. Sorry but the US police state began today and may your G-d have mercy upon you all. Britain is next. Concluded here.

[blog] blog, blog, blog, yawn, blog, blog

Cartoon courtesy of Hoby, courtesy of Iain Dale

Now the Telegraph is weighing in, citing charities like the National Trust and English Heritage who are asking people to submit a snapshot of their day to a website (historymatters.org.uk, October 17) in the life of Britain. Oliver Kamm’s words of warning and Iain Dale’s cartoon now seem more apt than ever. Diversity and variety are certainly the spice of life but when we get upwards of 54 million different opinions, mostly repetitive, many barely articulate, [and I don’t excuse myself in this], where does one even start to look? We’re quite simply swamped and even the long-established are swept away by the tide. But perhaps the phase will pass and those left standing will carry on.

[usa] the 300 millionth is arriving today

The 300 millionth American will be born around 06:45 today or will cross the border from Mexico. The United States Census Bureau isn’t exactly sure how it will happen, but it is sure it’s going to be today. Both legal and illegal immigrants are counted in population tallies. A population clock can even be seen on the Web site here, racking up the people in real time. More on the story here.

[gaza] internecine war is rife

As the Globe and Mail put it: Mr. Kafarneh isn't a wanted militant, or even a key figure in the raging battle between political factions. But he's a senior member of the Kafarneh family, and his clan is at war. The Gaza Strip has long been racked by violence, the sort that can spring out of nowhere when you least expect it. Read on here for this eye-opener on the Gaza.

[happy first birthday] christian valdemar henri john

Prince Christian is one year old today and Frederik and Mary are doing fine. Why mention it? Don't know - maybe I just wanted to nauseate a certain section of society. Anyway, happy birthday, little 'un and may there be a hundred more.

[narcissistic personality disorder] 34 ways to tell

Does your partner: 1] require excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation or wish to be feared or notorious 2] exaggerate accomplishments to the point of delusion and demand to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements? It could mean little or it could mean NPD. Here are another 32 ways to check:

[census] unmarrieds now outnumber marrieds

The American Community Survey, released this month by the Census Bureau, found that 49.7 percent, or 55.2 million, of the nation’s 111.1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples, down from more than 52 percent five years earlier. The point has finally been reached which would have been unthinkable a generation ago and so, what to make of it? Be appalled? Yawn? Nod approvingly?

[iowa] hillary not the flavour of the month

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) has not set foot in the state all year, and the futures market in Clinton political stock here has been suffering. Early polls by the Des Moines Register have shown Edwards, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) all rate more highly in Iowa. Iowa Democrats say Clinton's standing reflects more than her absence. They say there is general unease within the party about her ability to win a general election plus her support for the war in Iraq has seen a drop in her ratings. Attitudes in Iowa are important in part because the state holds the opening caucuses of the nomination battle every four years. But Bill Clinton’s visit to Des Moines on Saturday, in lieu of his wife, may have help stem the tide. Who knows?

[drugs] nearly all in tour de france on them

Clean riders - George W. Bush and Lance Armstrong

Matt DeCanio, a confessed drug cheat and now an anti-doping crusader, tells Tuesday night's Insight program on SBS TV that he's willing to go before an inquiry and name cyclists who are using drugs. "At the highest level I would say 99 per cent of the guys are on it [drugs]. If I were to have to bet my life on how many athletes in the Tour de France are on drugs, I would say one guy was clean," the 29-year-old told the program entitled "The Cheating Game". Former Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson also says athletes do whatever it takes to win, including taking drugs. It’s the old dilemma – you can’t win without them and you’re vilified for taking them. In my own weight training, taking creatine and a power mix before adds up to 7 kg more metal I can push on that particular day. So what to do?

[balen report] demand its general release

We should join together, all of us and demand the release of this report but it requires a voice or two to get it rolling. If we knew to whom to e-mail, it would help.

[our troops] the daily reality of war

What do a British expat in Moscow and a Canadian conservative have in common? They bring the reality of war home and the sacrifices our soldiers actually make: 1] We who sit complacently in our living rooms debating the rights and wrongs of war should remember that it means men like this, superb human beings, end up proving their worth in hellish ways. 2] Another two Canadian soldiers have paid the ultimate price. In Kandahar, Afghanistan, two Canadian soldiers were killed Saturday afternoon near the same dangerous road construction project in southern Afghanistan where three other Canadians have lost their lives this month. Do follow the links to these two sobering posts.

[eureka] first hatemail and from a lady

I think it was DK who once said: You haven’t really arrived in blogging until you get your first hatemail. Well, my first one has arrived and I proudly present it here: Stop using this blog to pimp out your own failed and ugly blog. Nobody cares. This was written by a lady who was herself inflicting her views on Sam Brett and was clearly a reaction to this. The thing is, I did leave my url there and it doesn’t look all that hot the way I did it. On the other hand, a hundred people had viewed the piece before breakfast, so maybe the piece was of interest. I’ve apologized to Sam for leaving the url.

[creaking planet] earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, fire

A strong earthquake shook Hawaii early yesterday, jolting residents out of bed and causing a landslide that blocked a major highway. Ceilings crashed at a hospital, and aftershocks kept the state on edge. Does anyone else feel that there’s just a bit too much of this earthquake and tsunami business going on around the globe at this time? I’d like to see the stats on seismic activity in the last few years. Seems to me the poor old earth is creaking at the joints somewhat.

[scotland] devolving into a caledonian twilight

Monty, at This Scepter’d Isle, mentions the extraordinary comments of Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the head of the Catholic Church in Scotland, who crossed the Rubicon: to tell his flock he would be happy to see full independence for Scotland. He ... offers his vision of an independent Scotland by pointing to Denmark and Ireland as examples of what small independent nations can achieve. Seems to me the Scots can’t have it both ways. If they go independent, what are their exports? There’s goodwill from Europe but this won’t put food into the bairns’ mouths. Sending Edward’s army home to think again also does not appear to be forward thinking.

[destruction] now it's a wind farm

Always destruction. Why must they do this? But I get ahead of myself. Daily Propaganda has this shocker today: Plans are afoot to build the world's largest wind farm in the Outer Hebrides. 'Great!' some people would claim - the Outer Hebrides are the windiest place in the UK and hardly anyone lives there - making them one of the more attractive places to put a wind farm. They plan on spending £300 million on an under-sea cable, and another £500m on the farm itself. But unfortunately, the site chosen for the construction is Blanket Bog - a type of rich peat land, which absorbs up to 81 grams of carbon every year per square metre. Read more here.

[la moto] roule sur les traces de l'auto

La BMW G650 Xchallenge

Aides à la conduite, respect de l'environnement, affirmation du style et création de niches, l'industrie motocycliste présente ce week-end à l'Intermot une collection 2007 inspirée de l'automobile. Moyen de transport individuel par excellence, le deux-roues motorisé n'en obéit pas moins à des règles de circulation qui le placent sur un pied d'égalité avec l'automobile. Suivez.

[congress today] mann and ornstein - summarized comments

Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution and Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute have a new book "The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track." Mann: Partisanship particularly increased after the 1994 elections and … now it is tribal warfare. The consequences are deadly serious. Party and ideology routinely trump institutional interests and responsibilities. The results: No serious deliberation. No meaningful oversight of the executive. A culture of corruption and grievously flawed policy formulation and implementation. Read more here.

[express poll] you got it right, general

Sunday Express poll: Sir Richard Dannatt’s stance has won the immediate support of the families of soldiers killed in Iraq.

A new poll reveals 71 per cent of Britons think Sir Richard was right to warn that the continued presence of British troops is making the security crisis in Iraq worse and 74 per cent agree with Sir Richard that British soldiers should leave Iraq “some time soon”.

57 per cent agree that Muslim extremists are exploiting a “moral vacuum” in Britain to undermine our way of life and 44 per cent want to see a greater role for the British Army in combating Islamic terrorism.

Lord David Ramsbotham, adjutant general of the army during the first Gulf War said: “I don’t think Sir Richard should be sacked. The point he has made quite rightly and strongly is that if the Army continues to be hammered into the ground, there won’t be an Army in five to 10 years.”

For what it's worth, this blog concurs with these findings.