At least here in Switzerland, there were 1. of May demonstrations.
Did they ask for social progress and flexible retirement age for all? In these times? The Utopia! When Procrustes looks after you, you're sure to fit in.
Did they ask for social progress and flexible retirement age for all? In these times? The Utopia!
Well, when if not now! :-) Actually the other day I read that in 2007 the salaries had a real increase in worth, or whatever that is called in English. And I do believe, if we wait until the time is right (what ever that might mean), it will never happen. So all we really have is the NOW!
But people are marching for immigrants' rights. On their lunchbreak or something... Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
While other oil firms are exploring alternatives to petroleum Exxon sticks to a single business practice and funds global warming deniers.
My favorite quote:
"There are an awful lot of people who are getting increasingly annoyed with Exxon," said economist Neva Rockefeller Goodwin, a great-granddaughter of the company's founder. "Their [Exxon's] attitude is 'these pesky shareholders, they act as if they own the company'."
The real truth was revealed in this comment, stockholders may "own" a company but they don't control it. This is the breakdown in the capitalist system that nobody talks about.
Here's a link to one version of the story:
Myopic ExxonMobil is ignoring the planet's future, say Rockefellers Policies not Politics ---- Daily Landscape
...stockholders may "own" a company but they don't control it. This is the breakdown in the capitalist system that nobody talks about.
Bingo! A doo run-run-run, a doo run-run
She was an early adopter of renewable energy technologies, supported our earliest wind energy efforts (in the mid-70's!), and was generally a rebel. She was living with a passive solar architect from someplace Scaninavian. I remember being scared to death watching from our motel window, after we'd shared a bowl or two, as her minders sat in their car out on the street (at least in my mind).
One of my chief mentors in early windpower, Paul Montagu Sturges, a classmate of David's at Harvard, thought the Rockefellers were the greatest danger to future civilization. He considered it a great coup when we installed a Clivus Multrum on our passive house by a mountain stream where we couldn't get permits for a waste system, but with the Clivus we got it built. Paul and Abby invited Pete Seeger to sing at the opening, sound system set up on the rocks surrounding the stream.
I haven't spoken with Abby over the years, but i'd bet she's still fighting. And she's a daughter, not a granddaughter, so she's even closer to her father and his policies.
Abby, if you're out there, let's make a ceremony for old times sake, and perhaps the future. Bet you'd be proud of what i've done. Skennah Kowa
Dunno about Abby, but her son organised the gig I attended in Seattle a couple of weeks ago.
Really nice guy. He said she's always been the black sheep of the family...
Elite marathon runners are especially pernicious.
Yes, guys can get it, but it is much more rare.
Plus there are so many women's shoes that just fall off my feet or give me blisters or ....or. Despite my wishes I'm reduced to trainers most of the time. keep to the Fen Causeway
Seriously I've tried cos I love wearing heels, I love how they make me feel, but...I can't. keep to the Fen Causeway
Helen, I never knew that about men's feet, how odd. Of course, it makes me wonder how some of those drag queens manage the monster heels they wear. Those shoes look painful enough as it is without that factored in. Member of the Anti-Fabulousness League since 1987.
Also different people grow in different ways, I was fortunate in that I don't have huge ridges and so don't have to worry about them on my eyebrows and hands, but they're enough to hurt my feet. keep to the Fen Causeway
What does this mean? (Go easy on me). When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind
Lacking any bony ridges, that may be the only possible way to go on you. Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
I should point out that one of my friends is an FtM, so I've kinda seen a lot of trans stuff from the other side. He has actually written a report about transsexual people and health care in Europe, which I am considering a diary about, just cause he's my friend. Member of the Anti-Fabulousness League since 1987.
Eyebrow ridges are bony protusions on men's faces. It seems related to manual labour cos you see them regularly on builders etc, but rarely on office workers. I guess ya gotta be looking for them cos mostly we see the face, not the constituent parts.
Talking of essays on transgenderism, here are the three I wrote
Thoughts in a Waiting Room
In the Land between Blue and Pink
Men/Women : Emotions and multi-tasking keep to the Fen Causeway
Also, I found your analysis of your condition to be different to what I expected. My friend is often quick to overturn common narratives, and rephrase his experiences and insights in entirely new ways.
You also mentioned you were working on a 'transition diary'. Anything come of it? Member of the Anti-Fabulousness League since 1987.
What analysis of my condition did you expect ? I'm curious. keep to the Fen Causeway
I hope I made it plain that TGs are less united by their similarities than by their dissimilarities. Each of us has a different experience of our condition, a different understanding of it. It is very easy to read books and trim your personal narrative to fit an attractive wider theory as a form of self-validation. But too many of these books are written by people who early on betray they have no real understanding of the phenomenon. For instance, the entire charing Cross experience is driven by what I consider to be an unsympathetic psychological approach that regards people who aren't dissuaded and proceed to surgery as failures.
So there are no wider views, I extrapolate where I can, but make it plain that I am doing so from a statistical sample of one.
I can only write about what happened to me and how I felt about it. keep to the Fen Causeway
You know, respect for all the shoe diaries and such - but WHY?
Mysteries of life.
<ducks and runs very far away> You can't be me, I'm taken
I hope that this was quite a bit down the list, after 'some men are pigs', and 'smiling is obligatory'. Member of the Anti-Fabulousness League since 1987.
Most women in the UK seem to be of the "all men are bastards" opinion. I've actually had rather terse conversations where my willingness to defend males has been taken as a sign that I'm still not a real woman.
Smiling isn't obligatory, but people are nicer to women so smiling is easier. keep to the Fen Causeway
It would depend on the individual actions and character of a man as to whether I would defend him, but I think it unacceptable to abuse whoever chose to do so. The women who insulted you were out of line, and you ought to have come back by asking why the hell they thought they were women? Their answer would have probably been nothing more than some essentialist or constructionist diatribe. Member of the Anti-Fabulousness League since 1987.
Their answer would have probably been nothing more than some essentialist or constructionist diatribe.
It has long been my argument that essentialism displaced feminism in the UK over 30 years ago. The difference between the "feminist" debates in the UK compared to say France or the US is a generational chasm. keep to the Fen Causeway
I'm personally not of the opinion that all men are bastards. Some men are really quite beautiful and wonderful people.
Phew! I feel relieved... "Ne te courbe que pour aimer..." René Char
There used to be four flavor groups: sweet, sour, salt and bitter. All but sweet and salt have disappeared from most foods. Try to name a popular food item which is bitter or sour.
I occasionally buy schav (sorrel soup), but this has been sweetened too. The same goes for cabbage soup. And we wonder why so many people are having health and weight problems... Policies not Politics ---- Daily Landscape
sweet, sour, salt and bitter
I would add to this: spicy. I actually try to integrate all five tasts in a meal and try to avoid processed food like the devil. :-) I find if I stay with lots of fresh vegetables I get all tastes easily.
And of course the food companies have to add sugar and salt as it is more addictiv.
Well, sour like from lemon juice or vinegar in the salad sauce, which I always make myself.
and I guess both bitter and sour are also in Helen's cranberries. :-)
That's what comes to mind right now, I am sure if I would think about it more I could think of others too.
as sour are also considered: rhubarb, tomatoes, sauerkraut, yoghurt.
additional bitters can be considered: parsley, celery tops, garlic, onion, dandelion, which you can currently find fresh in the fields.
To wit: DANNON Fruit on the Bottom Blueberry Serving Size: 6 oz; 170g
Cultured grade A lowfat milk, blueberries, sugar, fructose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, contains less than 1% of modified corn starch, pectin, kosher gelatin, sodium phosphate, malic acid, natural flavor, calcium phosphate. Contains active yogurt cultures including L. acidophilus.
Sugars 25g Protein 6g
(By the way this used to come in an 8oz container, it is now 6oz.) Policies not Politics ---- Daily Landscape
dandelion, which you can currently find fresh in the fields
And in my chemically untreated lawn. Just what I need-another excuse not to mow it. ;)
Juices are supposed to contain actual juice, almost exclusively. The juice will usually have been macerated within an inch of its life, freeze dried, shipped across the world in a leaky tanker, warmed up and reconstituted before being chilled again. So it's not fresh juice. But it's still juice.
Fruit drinks can apparently contain anything at all including colours, flavours, artificial sweeteners, mayonnaise, glue, and rusty old machine tools. I suspect there's a statutory limit on how little juice manufacturers can get away with. Whatever that limit is, any 'fruit drink' will be right on the line.
Cranberries are supposed to help with prostate cancer. Although that particular research was sponsored by the national cranberry association - or whatever the official title is - so it may be best to take it with a pinch of something sour or bitter.
Those fruit "drinks" made of juice and sugar and water and whatever are called "nectars" in France. When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind
LOL... The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. Chinese Proverb.
bitter greens, like scarola. The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. Chinese Proverb.
You take some cranberry juice and pour it in a tumbler full of ice. Then add a significant amt. of vodka. People don't understand that you need a lot, in order to cut through the strong taste of the juice. Top off with the juice of a 1/4 of a lime (or more or less, to your taste.) Drink. Then make another.
Variations include adding sugar (would only do this if you are using straight cranberry juice, and not cranberry juice cocktail, which is nasty junk anyway) or replacing the vodka with iced tea and adding mint.
Are cranberries a New World thing? I love the stuff but will admit it is an acquired taste. Oh, man, this is making me miss the Cape...
Oh, cranberries are said to prevent & treat urinary tract infections, which women are susceptible to as a result of our anatomy. (TMI, I know.) Ain't it grand being a girl? Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
If you have to drink one when you're actually on the Cape, best mixed with flash boiled fresh corn and a vat or two of spicy clam chowder. Skennah Kowa
Oh, man. Now you've got me jonesing for a plate of scallops and fries and a cup of chowder... The thing abut living in the Midwest is the total absence of fresh shellfish. Im terribly allergic to the stuff, but manage to crave it anyway... Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Ummm... Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.
"Ain't it grand being a girl"
Damn right. There's no down to being a girl that is lower than my highest high as a male. keep to the Fen Causeway
Two glasses a day (of at least 50% Cranberry juice) may prevent recurrent infection.
But cranberry juice is usually heavily sweetened and that is a lot of refined sugar to be downing on a daily basis...especially if you aren't even enjoying it!
I guess whether it's worth it depends on an individual woman's degree of susceptibility to these infections. Because it does vary.
On the other hand, though cranberries have the marketing behind them, blueberries also contain proanthocyanidins. You might find those more palatable?
When I'm well I'll go looking for something better. That's a good tip about blueberries, thanks. keep to the Fen Causeway
Today's hearing is the Committee's tenth hearing this Congress on waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. The subject oftoday's hearing is weapons acquisitions programs at the Department of Defense. ... We are holding this hearing for a simple reason: Weapons programs at the Defense Department are one of the biggest sources of wasteful spending in the federal budget. ... There seems to be absolutely no accountability to the taxpayer. Despite report after report documenting mismanagement in weapons acquisition, nothing seems to improve. The contractors keep getting rich, senior Pentagon officials keep receiving lucrative job offers, and the taxpayer keeps getting stuck with the check. ... The contract for building and testing the prototype was a cost-plus contract, so the company got paid even though the vehicle flunked its tests. Incredibly, General Dynamics even received over $60 million in bonuses for its work on the development contract. What's more, the Marine Corps says that General Dynamics will now get the new contract for $700 to $800 million to build another prototype. The signal that sends is unmistakable: no matter how bad ajob you do, there will be no accountability.
...
We are holding this hearing for a simple reason: Weapons programs at the Defense Department are one of the biggest sources of wasteful spending in the federal budget.
There seems to be absolutely no accountability to the taxpayer.
Despite report after report documenting mismanagement in weapons acquisition, nothing seems to improve.
The contractors keep getting rich, senior Pentagon officials keep receiving lucrative job offers, and the taxpayer keeps getting stuck with the check.
The contract for building and testing the prototype was a cost-plus contract, so the company got paid even though the vehicle flunked its tests. Incredibly, General Dynamics even received over $60 million in bonuses for its work on the development contract.
What's more, the Marine Corps says that General Dynamics will now get the new contract for $700 to $800 million to build another prototype.
The signal that sends is unmistakable: no matter how bad ajob you do, there will be no accountability.
They're all the same, it's corporate welfare, the only difference is that the US has committees that tut-tut about it. In the UK it's entirely secret. keep to the Fen Causeway
... It was a different story just two decades ago. In the 1980s, 20 or more prime contractors competed for most defense contracts. Today, the Pentagon relies primarily on six main contractors to build our nation's aircraft, missiles, ships and other weapons systems. It is a system that largely forgoes competition on price, delivery and performance and replaces it with a kind of "design bureau" competition, similar to what the Soviet Union used -- hardly a recipe for success.
... It was a different story just two decades ago. In the 1980s, 20 or more prime contractors competed for most defense contracts. Today, the Pentagon relies primarily on six main contractors to build our nation's aircraft, missiles, ships and other weapons systems.
It is a system that largely forgoes competition on price, delivery and performance and replaces it with a kind of "design bureau" competition, similar to what the Soviet Union used -- hardly a recipe for success.
A doo run-run-run, a doo run-run
BERLIN: Thousands of marchers gathered in Hamburg on May Day to call for more workers's rights, while protesters in Turkey were met with police batons and water cannon. In Russia on Thursday, marchers called for economic equality, and in Cuba residents hoped their president would offer up more changes. May 1 is known in Germany and elsewhere as the unofficial International Workers' Day and is typically marked with demonstrations and rallies that can sometimes turn violent. In Istanbul, Turkish riot police used clubs, tear gas and water cannon to break up crowds of workers and students trying to reach a main square for a Labor Day rally that had been banned by the government. Six police officers were injured and 467 demonstrators were detained. Thousands of police were on the street after Turkish unions said they would defy the government and hold May Day celebrations in Istanbul's Taksim square, which had been the scene of violent protests decades ago.
BERLIN: Thousands of marchers gathered in Hamburg on May Day to call for more workers's rights, while protesters in Turkey were met with police batons and water cannon.
In Russia on Thursday, marchers called for economic equality, and in Cuba residents hoped their president would offer up more changes.
May 1 is known in Germany and elsewhere as the unofficial International Workers' Day and is typically marked with demonstrations and rallies that can sometimes turn violent.
In Istanbul, Turkish riot police used clubs, tear gas and water cannon to break up crowds of workers and students trying to reach a main square for a Labor Day rally that had been banned by the government.
Six police officers were injured and 467 demonstrators were detained. Thousands of police were on the street after Turkish unions said they would defy the government and hold May Day celebrations in Istanbul's Taksim square, which had been the scene of violent protests decades ago.
There has been outrage in Italy after the outgoing government published every Italian's declared earnings and tax contributions on the internet. The tax authority's website was inundated by people curious to know how much their neighbours, celebrities or sports stars were making. The Italian treasury suspended the website after a formal complaint from the country's privacy watchdog. The information was put on the site with no warning for nearly 24 hours.
There has been outrage in Italy after the outgoing government published every Italian's declared earnings and tax contributions on the internet.
The tax authority's website was inundated by people curious to know how much their neighbours, celebrities or sports stars were making.
The Italian treasury suspended the website after a formal complaint from the country's privacy watchdog.
The information was put on the site with no warning for nearly 24 hours.
Beppe Grillo made over €4 million that year. I´ll try to cricket a lot louder now. Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy praised Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel as she received the prestigious Charlemagne Prize for European leadership. He said she had taught him patience. European leaders gathered in the German city of Aachen on Thursday, May 1, to pay tribute to Merkel's contributions to European unity. For her part, Merkel reminded Europeans of the progress made the continent has made. "After centuries of violent confrontations, we have created what once could hardly have been imagined -- peaceful and friendly cooperation in Europe," she said in her speech, adding that Europe could serve as a model for other regions. Addressing her as "dear Angela" in a speech of eulogy, Sarkozy said, "She has taught me that hope requires time [to work]." Mutual compliments continued when Merkel replied in French, thanking Sarkozy "from her heart" and praising his "adeptness and honesty" in winning office as president a year ago and "leading France back into the heart of the European Union."
European leaders gathered in the German city of Aachen on Thursday, May 1, to pay tribute to Merkel's contributions to European unity.
For her part, Merkel reminded Europeans of the progress made the continent has made.
"After centuries of violent confrontations, we have created what once could hardly have been imagined -- peaceful and friendly cooperation in Europe," she said in her speech, adding that Europe could serve as a model for other regions.
Addressing her as "dear Angela" in a speech of eulogy, Sarkozy said, "She has taught me that hope requires time [to work]."
Mutual compliments continued when Merkel replied in French, thanking Sarkozy "from her heart" and praising his "adeptness and honesty" in winning office as president a year ago and "leading France back into the heart of the European Union."
For Gregory Sams and his brother Craig an LSD trip at Berkeley in California in 1967 provided an epiphanal moment that led them to London to spark a major change in British eating habits. "It was as a direct consequence of my brother and myself taking LSD that we introduced natural and organic foods in the UK. At that point people were looking forward to the day we all live on vitamin pills. Today you can't open a newspaper without reading about organic foods." After the trip Gregory and Craig thought long and hard about what people were eating. They decided they were fed up with a Western diet big on garish food dyes, additives and cheap meat.
For Gregory Sams and his brother Craig an LSD trip at Berkeley in California in 1967 provided an epiphanal moment that led them to London to spark a major change in British eating habits.
"It was as a direct consequence of my brother and myself taking LSD that we introduced natural and organic foods in the UK. At that point people were looking forward to the day we all live on vitamin pills. Today you can't open a newspaper without reading about organic foods."
After the trip Gregory and Craig thought long and hard about what people were eating. They decided they were fed up with a Western diet big on garish food dyes, additives and cheap meat.
Production at the Chevron oil refinery at Pembroke has stopped because of a mechanical fault. A Chevron spokesman said repairs are being carried out after the problem with a boiler on Tuesday night. No fuel is being produced but there is a "good supply" of stocks of oil, which is exported to the US and Europe, as well as serving the UK. The refinery, which first opened in 1964 and employs 1,200, processes 220,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
Production at the Chevron oil refinery at Pembroke has stopped because of a mechanical fault.
A Chevron spokesman said repairs are being carried out after the problem with a boiler on Tuesday night.
No fuel is being produced but there is a "good supply" of stocks of oil, which is exported to the US and Europe, as well as serving the UK.
The refinery, which first opened in 1964 and employs 1,200, processes 220,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
Swelling populations and a global tide of immigration will present new security challenges for the United States by straining resources and stoking extremism and civil unrest in distant corners of the globe, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said in a speech yesterday... European countries, many of which already have large immigrant communities, will see particular growth in their Muslim populations while the number of non-Muslims will shrink as birthrates fall. "Social integration of immigrants will pose a significant challenge to many host nations -- again boosting the potential for unrest and extremism," Hayden said. The CIA director also predicted a widening gulf between Europe and North America on how to deal with security threats, including terrorism. While U.S. and European officials agree on the urgency of the terrorism threat, there is a fundamental difference -- a "transatlantic divide" -- over the solution, he said. While the United States sees the fight against terrorism as a global war, European nations perceive the terrorist threat as a law enforcement problem, he said. "They tend not to view terrorism as we do, as an overwhelming international challenge. Or if they do, we often differ on what would be effective and appropriate to counter it," Hayden said. He added that he could not predict "when or if" the two sides could forge a common approach to security.
European countries, many of which already have large immigrant communities, will see particular growth in their Muslim populations while the number of non-Muslims will shrink as birthrates fall. "Social integration of immigrants will pose a significant challenge to many host nations -- again boosting the potential for unrest and extremism," Hayden said.
The CIA director also predicted a widening gulf between Europe and North America on how to deal with security threats, including terrorism. While U.S. and European officials agree on the urgency of the terrorism threat, there is a fundamental difference -- a "transatlantic divide" -- over the solution, he said.
While the United States sees the fight against terrorism as a global war, European nations perceive the terrorist threat as a law enforcement problem, he said.
"They tend not to view terrorism as we do, as an overwhelming international challenge. Or if they do, we often differ on what would be effective and appropriate to counter it," Hayden said. He added that he could not predict "when or if" the two sides could forge a common approach to security.
Since the Bush administration changed counter-terrorism efforts into a "war", terrorism has risen around the world. The U.S. approach of making everything into a war has failed. It is the wrong strategy.
The U.S. approach of making everything into a war has failed.
But it seems so much more...Presidential doesn't it ? keep to the Fen Causeway
Fear them. Fear us, fear you. Fear up, fear down and all around. Solution: milind complex and war! There are no other possibilities...
Where do these people exist??? Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.
Horrified to find that my local polling station had no booths, just tables with notice boards alongside that left me to cast my vote in full view of the tellers who thought I was being stupid and awkward and said it wasn't their fault when I complained about lack of privacy. Hello? Illegal.
We called the Electoral the Electoral Commission to get them to address the situation.
So, a long day. Stopping off home for dinner and then I'm out to watch the count.
Photography blog tomorrow will be Spring, Ask the Experts, and Photos as Usual. See you there. Ad astra per aspera
Wales is a different country but Labour are gonna get creamed in England. Brown can say what he likes, the 10p thing wasn't an isolated aberration, but has been taken by a lot of people to be emblemetic of his indifference to anybody but the super-rich. Amazingly people will protest by voting Tory, a party that is even worse. keep to the Fen Causeway
The Lib dem candidate managed to get bonus points by stopping to give me a lift towards home just as it started to hail. Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.
One of my friends said it was great cos he wasn't allowed to buy a round for an entire month. Giving you a lift is surely a favour in kind....you've been bought.
I like the plaid question. keep to the Fen Causeway
just before an election where there was a combined Plaid/green candidate standing for MP we had our regular visit from the council planning department to tell us to move the lived in vehicles. During the conversation the council official asked if we were voting. having said yes he asked whether it was Plaid/green we would be voting for, having said yes, he said that if we went round and put a load of Plaid posters up, then he'd leave us alone for six months which was as long as he could put off an inspction without being obvious. Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.
I think the campaign has done me good, whether we win or lose. I've seen all areas of my community, how people live, the issues they are facing. It's reaffirmed to me how incredibly selfish that the wealthier sections of the ward are.
It's reminded me of some of the most basic things that I spend my job fighting over - things like literacy, standard of living, poverty, racism, equality - but often never 'see' it for myself and recently I have.
When I was leafletting today a man came out of his house and said to me "who's the coloured man?" (I realised he meant our candidate) I told him the name. Then he showed me the leaflet I'd put through the door and asked me to show him where the name was on there because he wanted to vote for us. He couldn't read. He wanted to cast his vote but couldn't read to do so.
How do you exercise your democratic rights properly without basic literacy? Here in Wales we have a very pro trade union Government, very pro social justice, investing a lot of money in our basic literacy and numeracy courses and other courses for upskilling workers and we are lucky to have that. Under a tory Government that funding would no doubt be heavily if not completely cut. I do often think that if people think things are bad under Labour they'll get a horrible shock if the Tories make it back in. Ad astra per aspera
How do you exercise your democratic rights properly without basic literacy? Here in Wales we have a very pro trade union Government, very pro social justice, investing a lot of money in our basic literacy and numeracy courses and other courses for upskilling workers and we are lucky to have that. Under a tory Government that funding would no doubt be heavily if not completely cut. I do often think that if people think things are bad under Labour they'll get a horrible shock if the Tories make it back in.
If only we had a labour party in Westminster that understood its obligations so clearly. keep to the Fen Causeway
In Jordan, the parliamentary ballots ALL seem to require that the voters write in the name of the candidate, there are no boxes to check, or at least there weren't in 2003. I was puzzled by this and asked my colleague, "What about people who can't write?" And she looked at me like I'd lost my mind: "Nobody can't write." Which is not actually true (Jordan's overall adult literacy rate is around 90 percent) but probably is fairly close to true in the urban areas and among the younger parts of the population.
I saw this and thought of you:
Face to Face | i love typography, the typography blog
Nadine Chahine is an incredibly talented Lebanese type designer with a very special interest in Arabic typography. She taught Arabic type design as a visiting lecturer at the American University in Dubai and then joined Linotype, Germany, where she is now in charge of Sales Marketing and Arabic-related projects. As of September 2007 she is also a PhD candidate and her topic is legibility studies for the Arabic script.
Even with high literacy, are there not a lot of spoils where ballots are hand written? Ad astra per aspera
I do often think that if people think things are bad under Labour they'll get a horrible shock if the Tories make it back in.
Elections in the UK are lost, not won. They're popularity contests, not policy contests.
I'm not sure how many people have any sense of policy at all. Voting seems to be punitive, which makes it easy to manipulate results with scare stories and resentment journalism.
Oddly enough it's not usually explained that voting for greasy wobble-chinned public school crooks isn't going to do working people any favours.
It doesn't help that both of the main parties are now run by greasy wobble-chinned public school crooks. I'd guess that only confuses people.
