dinsdag 26 mei 2009

Mother’s Day always makes me feel empty

These are the words which Prince William spoke, on 12 March 2009, during a charity meeting for families and volunteer workers in London as a preparation for Mother’s Day on March 22. Prince William has become the patron of the Child Bereavement Charity. An organization which helps youngsters to cope with the death of love ones.
For the first time, since the death of his mother, Princess Diana, Prince William spoke publicly about his pain. He admitted that he had tried to blank out his emotions in order to deal with the loss of his mother. Ever since her death the word Mummy was no longer lively present only in memories.

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As I read this article I became aware of the fact that he had never expressed himself before as he did in this article. Everyone has his or her own way of dealing with grieve. Although I am not as famous as he is I can relate to the emptiness in his heart. My mother died when I was nine years old. I never had the urge to do something on Mother’s Day. I even became angry when I had to make a present for Mother’s Day at school, knowing I had no one to give it to. In the end you have to deal with it in order to continue with your life, as the deceased person would have wanted you to do. I think it is a noble cause of him to help others who go through the same hurt he had.

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/royals/article2316398.ece

London’s O2 Arena shows postponed

UK fans are not amused by the fact that the London’s O2 Arena shows by King of the Pop, Michael Jackson, are cancelled. The reason why is still not clear. Either Michael Jackson has skin cancer and must have surgery or he needs more time to rehearse for the spectacular shows. The opening night will be on July 13 instead of July 8. Three other shows on 10, 12 and 14 July are now scheduled for March next year. Fans do not understand why such a caliber like Michael Jackson, who has an enormous staff with a lot of experience, could not prevent this from happening. Many fans are disappointed and are no longer interested in his concerts.

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It is a pity that after all the setbacks he, Michael Jackson, has had in his life, this would have been a splendid come-back. Instead of making it a historic event, once again, he will be remembered for his failures. I think that the fans who suffer the most should be compensated in a generous way. I do not know what and how, but I do know that it will keep the fans satisfied instead of angry. It is not up to me, still I do hope this will be the last time that his concerts are being rescheduled.

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article2440375.ece

woensdag 13 mei 2009

Change fast, before we all gag on the fabric of British life

According to Jeremy Clarkson, presenter of Top Gear, British are good at doing nothing. First of all he starts by making comparisons with cars like the Mini and the Land Rover. If Mini had not been bought by BMW the design of the car would still have been the same. As he says, ‘Gramophones in a flat screen world’.
Tony Blair announced in 1998 that the Royal Navy needed new aircraft carriers.
It took about ten years for the government to sign a contract for new aircraft carriers. In order to get something done changes are inevitable. Britain needs to dispose of certain institutes. For starters the British government (read Labour Party).

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As a presenter of a car program it is clear that he starts off by making comparisons with cars. Jeremy has a simple way of drawing your attention. He, actually, makes a statement by saying, ‘Labour Party, go home’. The way he does it is fabulous. As he says, ‘Anything becomes the fabric of your life if it hangs around long enough”. According to Jeremy it is time for the Labour Party to say goodbye, and not be a part of the government, for they have done no good at all.
A lot has been said and promised during the campaigns, but nothing has been realized. I do like his proposal at the end of the article by nominating things from British life that should be put in the dustbin.

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/jeremy_clarkson/article6255739.ece

Why loving couples are opting to sleep apart

It appears that many couples do not sleep in the same bed because they are disturbed by their partner during their sleep. A survey, the Sleep Council, in Skipton, North Yorkshire, shows that ‘one in four people regularly retreats to a spare room or a sofa for a good night rest, and that 7 per cent of couples already have separate beds’.
Sleep is important for us, human beings, to be able to function in our jobs. Not enough sleep can increase stress, drive up the blood pressure, and lead to heart attacks and strokes. There is also a link with our immune system. Enough sleep keeps our immune system intact. In order to be able to perform at work, keep the relation going, and have a healthy body many suggestions are mentioned to help you on the way. Although sleeping separate as a couple is not an issue, you should start off in the same bed, and switch later.

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It is amazing to read that nowadays everything can be a topic for a research. The article does make a lot clear. I never knew that women are lighter sleepers than men. Because women are more alert for waking babies, if you have them or not. The link between lack of sleep and performing at work or the health issues is a good one. The body needs to rest in order to reload for the next day. Keeping up and neglecting the body will, eventually, result in a malfunction.
The suggestions mentioned in the article are diverse. So there is a solution for every problem. Do keep in mind that the title says, “loving couples”. So it is not about those who fight.

www.women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/relationships/article6112250.ece

dinsdag 5 mei 2009

Change4Life not a maybe, but a must

According to a government survey most children do not exercise enough to keep themselves healthy and prevent obesity. More than 260,000 people in England responded to the Change4Life campaign poll. Nearly 72% of children do not exercise at all in the advised hour of daily activity outside school. Instead of being active many youngsters watch TV or play non-active video games before and after school. In order to stimulate youngsters to take part in exercising one has to come up with ways to make physical activity more fun. Being physically active reduces risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
Change4Life has launched a campaign aimed at encouraging families to work together to improve their lifestyles. Families have been sent support packs designed to help them to make changes to their daily routine. An active lifestyle starts at home.

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The current generation has it all. Things that we could only dream of is there for them to have. With all the good stuff like computers, I-pods, mp3players, play stations, etc, there is also another side to the wealth and easy life in the UK. A life of not exercising at all. Why should you join a club to play tennis or football? Staying at home behind the computer and chatting all day is priority number one. Getting to a higher level with your computer game is more fun.
A change in this way of living is a must and not a maybe. Parents, schools and the government should join together with Change4Life and do something about it.
My motto in live is: “By eating better and moving more, I can live longer and have a healthier life”.

http://news.bb.co.uk/go/pr/-/1/hi/health/8015875.stm

No Freedom for the Lockerbie Bomber

Abdelbasset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi, who was convicted for the Lockerbie bombing in 2001, was up for his second appeal. Megrahi already lost one appeal against his conviction for the 1988 massacre in which 270 people died. According to his legal team Megrahi’s conviction was based on completely circumstantial evidence. Five judges spent exactly a month considering the evidence before announcing their verdict which lasted only three minutes. They concluded that the new evidence did not affect the original case, and ruled that none of the grounds of appeal were well founded. Ever since his conviction Megrahi has been kept in a cell at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands. He now will serve his sentence in isolation and amid maximum security at Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow were he will remain until 2026.

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For those of you who attended my presentation of the Conspiracy File: The Lockerbie Bombing during Cool Brittania you just have read the outcome of the second appeal. Two hundred and seventy people had to be sacrificed for a higher cause during that massacre. So now the errand boy had to be offered at any cost. Megrahi could not be released. If he was, it would have been a massive blow to the Scottish legal system. How would it reflect to the enormous police investigation ever carried out in Britain? Hopefully for those left behind this verdict has led to a final closure of a traumatic experience. Still it leaves an unpleasant feeling behind as if this is a beginning of a new political tension between the UK and the Arab World.


http://news.bb.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/8021385.stm