Christmas 2011 – Merry Christmas, Christmas Wishes – Times of India:
'via Blog this'
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Thursday 15 December 2011
Monday 24 October 2011
Ramey on Stimulus and Multipliers
Ramey on Stimulus and Multipliers:
Valerie Ramey of the University of California, San Diego talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the effect of government spending on output and employment. Ramey's own work exploits the exogenous nature of wartime spending. She finds a multiplier between .8 and 1.2. (A multiplier of 1 means that GDP goes up by the amount of spending--there is neither stimulus nor crowding out.) She also discusses a survey looking at a wide range of estimates by others and finds that the estimates range from .5 to 2.0.
Along the way, she discusses the effects of taxes as well. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the imprecision of multiplier estimates and the contributions of recent Nobel Laureates Thomas Sargent and Christopher Sims.
This is our opinion and feelings about the the posts added to this blog by ourselves and writers who have asked to write on our blog network and does not necessarily represent our agreement or disagreement with the writers concerned.Please tweet @AceFinanceNews to your tweets and follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/AceFinanceNews and thank you. Ian
This is our opinion and feelings about the the posts added to this blog by ourselves and writers who have asked to write on our blog network and does not necessarily represent our agreement or disagreement with the writers concerned.Please tweet @AceFinanceNews to your tweets and follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/AceFinanceNews and thank you. Ian
Tuesday 18 October 2011
Too Much Information
Too Much Information:
There was a time when the phrase "too much information" referred to a friend's unusual propensity to reveal a superabundance of intimate detail regarding recent amorous encounters. However, at the beginning of the second decade of the third millennium the cliché has been restored to its primary meaning. But the mere act of expressing the fact that there is too much information now puts us all in something of a fix. In order to make the point that there is too much information we only add to the information. It is surely time to return the words 'knowledge' and 'wisdom' to a central place in our culture. And time is what both of those words require.
#AceNewsServices
Norbert Wiener
The father of modern cybernetics, Norbert Wiener, whose work on the study of feedback helped popularise the idea of the information loop, and hence that most fashionable of notions of being 'in the loop', believed, in the way that only a scientist truly can, in the improvement of the species. This story, as told in James Harkin's compelling book Cyburbia, needs to be read. We would adjust and adapt in response to a continuing stream of information Wiener suggested, improve our direction, evade capture or destruction, move ever onwards with an improved sense of momentum and purpose.
However, in our age of global information witness, when we are all looking at, commenting upon and sharing the same information, the space for the radical, the surprise that refashions a conception of where we are going, unsettles our conviction as to why we are going there and challenges our assumptions as to what we will find if ever we are to arrive at our destination, is shrinking. Perhaps it is now only to be found offline.
According to the OED 'cybernetics' comes from the Greek word kubernetes meaning 'steersman,' 'helmsman' or 'pilot'. The internet, in its current form, encourages us to pilot ourselves in the same direction, towards one another, in a carnival of communality. In the glorious rush of digital feedback, the automatic input and output, who is keeping a look out to check that we are not steering ourselves into an abyss? '
#AceNewsServices
Clearing the mist at Foggy Bottom
Clearing the mist at Foggy Bottom: In a speech this week at George Washington University in Foggy Bottom, Washington, the World Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined her plan for internet freedom and the US government's commitment to tackling oppressive regimes.
At the beginning of her speech, Mrs Clinton stated the following:
"Perhaps today in my remarks we can begin a much more vigorous debate that will respond to the needs that we have been watching in real time on our television sets."
She then turned to those real time needs:
"A few minutes after midnight, on January 28th, the internet went dark across Egypt. During the previous four days, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians had marched to demand a new government. And the world on TVs, laptops, cellphones and smartphones, had followed every single step. Pictures and videos from Egypt flooded the web. On Facebook and Twitter journalists posted on-the-spot reports, protesters coordinated their next moves, and citizens of all stripes, shared their hopes and fears about this pivotal moment in the history of their country. Millions worldwide answered in real time: you are not alone and we are with you. Then the government pulled the plug. Cellphone service was cut off, TV satellite signals were jammed, and internet access was blocked for nearly the entire population."
At this point a noise was heard. A man shouted out: "So this is America?" Mrs Clinton, her eyes moving this way and that, raised her voice, forced her mouth into a defiant aperture of positivity, and, in the attempt to disguise her obvious discomfort, continued:
"The government did not want the people to communicate with each other. And it did not want the press to communicate with the public."
The voice was silenced. The World Secretary of State could once more relax:
"It certainly did not want the world to watch."
You can watch the ejection of the protester here:
You can watch a full video of Mrs Clinton's speech here:
You can read an article on the protester here.
#AceNewsServices
At the beginning of her speech, Mrs Clinton stated the following:
"Perhaps today in my remarks we can begin a much more vigorous debate that will respond to the needs that we have been watching in real time on our television sets."
She then turned to those real time needs:
"A few minutes after midnight, on January 28th, the internet went dark across Egypt. During the previous four days, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians had marched to demand a new government. And the world on TVs, laptops, cellphones and smartphones, had followed every single step. Pictures and videos from Egypt flooded the web. On Facebook and Twitter journalists posted on-the-spot reports, protesters coordinated their next moves, and citizens of all stripes, shared their hopes and fears about this pivotal moment in the history of their country. Millions worldwide answered in real time: you are not alone and we are with you. Then the government pulled the plug. Cellphone service was cut off, TV satellite signals were jammed, and internet access was blocked for nearly the entire population."
At this point a noise was heard. A man shouted out: "So this is America?" Mrs Clinton, her eyes moving this way and that, raised her voice, forced her mouth into a defiant aperture of positivity, and, in the attempt to disguise her obvious discomfort, continued:
"The government did not want the people to communicate with each other. And it did not want the press to communicate with the public."
The voice was silenced. The World Secretary of State could once more relax:
"It certainly did not want the world to watch."
You can watch the ejection of the protester here:
You can watch a full video of Mrs Clinton's speech here:
You can read an article on the protester here.
#AceNewsServices
Manufacturing Content
Manufacturing Content: 
#AceNewsServices
Aaron Sorkin, the creator of The West Wing and the screenwriter of The Social Network, doesn’t like the internet. “There’s just too much bad information getting out there,” he told the Dairy Goat Journal, “and I have to believe that’s mostly the fault of the internet, which isn’t held to any standards of accuracy.”
Mr. Sorkin’s view is that the internet has undermined the role of newspapers. Surely, that perspective is a correct one. After all, didn’t the print rags once contain all the information we needed to help us make sense of the world around us? I too remember that glorious time when the Daily This or the Morning That would arrive through the letterbox each day. Oh, how we were once enlightened by the informed objectivity of the great columnists! Oh, how we gobbled up the accurate truth like a plateful of nutritious and healthy info-food!
Here in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland commentators such as the Daily Mail's Peter Hitchens and The Guardian's Polly Toynbee, must be allowed to continue to run the information in our lives. There can be no other way. The media class to which the aforementioned duo pertain are interested in nothing other than the purest truth. They are untainted by personal interest, prejudice and subjective political conviction. They wish only to inform. Need it even be said that their work is based on the purest accuracy. Of course it is. That is self-evident. Let us thank Mr. Sorkin then for reminding us bloggering souls of our place in the information order. Ours is not to question. We must simply receive.
#AceNewsServices
Say Hello, Green Wave Goodbye
Say Hello, Green Wave Goodbye: Can social media change the world? Evgeny Morozov doesn't think so, and perhaps he has a point. A tweet might enable one protester to link up with another with a fashionable rapidity, but try throwing one of those micro e-missives at a tank and you'll begin to see the limits of the digital telegraph.
The positions and jobs offered on this blog are provided by us obtaining details from other news sources and we always suggest you check out all posts and companies for further details. We will of course advise when a position is available within our organisation with our associates. Need to email me leave a comment and use our new Disqus box and share.
The Green Movement in Iran in 2009 sought to bring down Mahmoud Ahmadinejad following a disputed presidential election. In that fervid hour, when internet evangelists like Jared Cohen rushed to proclaim the protest "the one that social media built," the cliché of choice was that Twitter would transform Iran, 140 characters at a time.
The failed attempt to unseat Ahmadinejad is the subject of Iranian-German filmmaker Ali Samadi Ahadi's film, The Green Wave, which receives its UK premiere on March 25th. Drawing upon techniques seen in Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir, Ahadi animates the work of Iranian bloggers, thus imaginatively recreating moments from the 2009 protest not recorded by TV cameras.
It is clear that the internet offers a novel locus for dissent; it also allows governments, both authoritarian and democratic, a new means of tracking down citizens who are resistant to established authority. Can social media change the world? Why don't you write a blog post about it?
The positions and jobs offered on this blog are provided by us obtaining details from other news sources and we always suggest you check out all posts and companies for further details. We will of course advise when a position is available within our organisation with our associates. Need to email me leave a comment and use our new Disqus box and share.
Thank you, Ian Draper [Editor]
Monday 17 October 2011
Belated Tributes To Hillsborough Victims In Commons
Belated Tributes To Hillsborough Victims In Commons:
The House Of Commons has debated the controversy surrounding the government's delay in releasing confidential Cabinet papers relating to the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium disaster.
The debate was watched by many of the relatives of the 96 Liverpool fans crushed to death at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium.
Triggered by a government e-petition that has attracted more than 130,000 signatures since it was set up over the summer, the debate was led by Steve Rotheram, Labour MP for Liverpool Walton.
Rotheram said the Thatcher government at the time of the disaster had briefed against the fans. Describing the alleged briefings as "a convenient excuse to aggregate responsibility," Rotheram then proceeded to read out the names of every person killed in the disaster.
He said he was doing this because the names had never been officially entered into the Parliamentary register before. Around 20 people in the public gallery had travelled to the commons to watch the debate. Many of them were clearly emotional as the names and their ages were slowly read out by Rotheram over the course of five minutes.
"Rest in peace, Justice for the 96," he said before sitting down to unconventional applause from several MPs in the chamber and virtually everyone sitting in the public gallery.
Responding for the government, Home Secretary Theresa may paid tribute to Steve Rotheram, and to the support that people on Merseyside have given to the campaign over more than 20 years. "I will do everything in my power to ensure the families and the public get the truth," she said, promising that no government papers would be withheld from the Hillsborough Panel.
However May didn't give a timescale for the release of the Hillsborough files to the relatives of the victims, saying "It is difficult sensitive and lengthly work and it cannot be rushed."
But the Home Secretary apologised to the families for the way the government had responded to their requests for the files to be released. The government had appealed against a decision by the Information Commissioner to release them earlier this year, creating a common impression that ministers were trying to suppress the files.
The government insists it always planned to release the files to the families, but only once they had gone through the Hillsborough Panel currently investigating all aspects of the disaster.
Theresa May promised that once the files were released - to the relatives first, then the media - there would be "only minimal redaction" to protect junior government officials and the details of family members.
Responding for the Labour front bench, Andy Burnham told MPs that there had been an "orchestrated campaign at Westminster to set the public against the supporters" shortly after the tragedy, which he described as one of the biggest injustices of the 20th century.
He also referred to a story run by The Sun newspaper shortly after Hillsborough, where the paper claimed Liverpool fans had pick-pocketed from the victims - a story the paper has since accepted was untrue.
Andy Burnham suggested that the Hillsborough Panel should consider asking News International to divulge how it came to publish its story, adding that people's views of this story may well have changed in the light of the phone hacking scandal.
MPs are due to debate the Hillsborough files until late on Monday evening, when a motion to release the files is expected to be carried unopposed.
Steve Rotheram MP's speech in the debate can be found on here on the Liverpool Echo website
This is our opinion and feelings about the the posts added to this blog by ourselves and writers who have asked to write on our blog network and does not necessarily represent our agreement or disagreement with the writers concerned.
Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/ad144000hoe
The House Of Commons has debated the controversy surrounding the government's delay in releasing confidential Cabinet papers relating to the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium disaster.
The debate was watched by many of the relatives of the 96 Liverpool fans crushed to death at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium.
Triggered by a government e-petition that has attracted more than 130,000 signatures since it was set up over the summer, the debate was led by Steve Rotheram, Labour MP for Liverpool Walton.
Rotheram said the Thatcher government at the time of the disaster had briefed against the fans. Describing the alleged briefings as "a convenient excuse to aggregate responsibility," Rotheram then proceeded to read out the names of every person killed in the disaster.
He said he was doing this because the names had never been officially entered into the Parliamentary register before. Around 20 people in the public gallery had travelled to the commons to watch the debate. Many of them were clearly emotional as the names and their ages were slowly read out by Rotheram over the course of five minutes.
"Rest in peace, Justice for the 96," he said before sitting down to unconventional applause from several MPs in the chamber and virtually everyone sitting in the public gallery.
Responding for the government, Home Secretary Theresa may paid tribute to Steve Rotheram, and to the support that people on Merseyside have given to the campaign over more than 20 years. "I will do everything in my power to ensure the families and the public get the truth," she said, promising that no government papers would be withheld from the Hillsborough Panel.
However May didn't give a timescale for the release of the Hillsborough files to the relatives of the victims, saying "It is difficult sensitive and lengthly work and it cannot be rushed."
But the Home Secretary apologised to the families for the way the government had responded to their requests for the files to be released. The government had appealed against a decision by the Information Commissioner to release them earlier this year, creating a common impression that ministers were trying to suppress the files.
The government insists it always planned to release the files to the families, but only once they had gone through the Hillsborough Panel currently investigating all aspects of the disaster.
Theresa May promised that once the files were released - to the relatives first, then the media - there would be "only minimal redaction" to protect junior government officials and the details of family members.
Responding for the Labour front bench, Andy Burnham told MPs that there had been an "orchestrated campaign at Westminster to set the public against the supporters" shortly after the tragedy, which he described as one of the biggest injustices of the 20th century.
He also referred to a story run by The Sun newspaper shortly after Hillsborough, where the paper claimed Liverpool fans had pick-pocketed from the victims - a story the paper has since accepted was untrue.
Andy Burnham suggested that the Hillsborough Panel should consider asking News International to divulge how it came to publish its story, adding that people's views of this story may well have changed in the light of the phone hacking scandal.
MPs are due to debate the Hillsborough files until late on Monday evening, when a motion to release the files is expected to be carried unopposed.
Steve Rotheram MP's speech in the debate can be found on here on the Liverpool Echo website
This is our opinion and feelings about the the posts added to this blog by ourselves and writers who have asked to write on our blog network and does not necessarily represent our agreement or disagreement with the writers concerned.
Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/ad144000hoe
Thank you,
Ian
BlackBerry Outage Made Roads Safer for Everybody
BlackBerry Outage Made Roads Safer for Everybody: 
Flickr/CC BY 3.0
Don't Text and Drive!
For years I've been saying that to make cities greener, we need to encourage more people to walk, bike, and take mass transit. There are many things to do to achieve that goal, and one of them is m...Read the full story on TreeHugger
#AceNewsServices
Flickr/CC BY 3.0
Don't Text and Drive!
For years I've been saying that to make cities greener, we need to encourage more people to walk, bike, and take mass transit. There are many things to do to achieve that goal, and one of them is m...Read the full story on TreeHugger
#AceNewsServices
Australian Company Will Kill Camels for Cash, Carbon Credits
Australian Company Will Kill Camels for Cash, Carbon Credits: 
Photo credit: Harclade via Flickr/CC BY
As you've likely heard, Australia is en route to pass legislation ensuring that its largest polluters pay for their carbon emissions. The new law will allow companies to reduce at least part of their emissions by buying carbon credits that sponsor projects proven to reduce greenhouse gase generation. And enterprising companies are already stepping up to the plate with ideas on how to turn a profit reducing emissions -- like, for instance, Northwest Carbon. The company has alre...Read the full story on TreeHugger
The positions and jobs offered on this blog are provided by us obtaining details from other news sources and we always suggest you check out all posts and companies for further details. We will of course advise when a position is available within our organisation with our associates. Need to email me leave a comment and use our new Disqus box and share. Thank you, Ian Draper [Editor]
Photo credit: Harclade via Flickr/CC BY
As you've likely heard, Australia is en route to pass legislation ensuring that its largest polluters pay for their carbon emissions. The new law will allow companies to reduce at least part of their emissions by buying carbon credits that sponsor projects proven to reduce greenhouse gase generation. And enterprising companies are already stepping up to the plate with ideas on how to turn a profit reducing emissions -- like, for instance, Northwest Carbon. The company has alre...Read the full story on TreeHugger
The positions and jobs offered on this blog are provided by us obtaining details from other news sources and we always suggest you check out all posts and companies for further details. We will of course advise when a position is available within our organisation with our associates. Need to email me leave a comment and use our new Disqus box and share. Thank you, Ian Draper [Editor]
Tribute – Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs Passes Away
Tribute – Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs Passes Away:
The positions and jobs offered on this blog are provided by us obtaining details from other news sources and we always suggest you check out all posts and companies for further details. We will of course advise when a position is available within our organisation with our associates. Need to email me leave a comment and use our new Disqus box and share. Thank you, Ian Draper [Editor]
“No one wants to die, ”And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.” These are the words of Steve Jobs at 2005 commencement address at Stanford as he felt closer to death after being diagnosed with a rare type of Pancreatic Cancer, now on the day of his death, “Pancreatic Cancer” is the most Googled term according to CNN.
I am not a big fan of Apple, but I am writing this tribute as I have a great respect for the former Apple leader as Steve Jobs was the man who made my wildest of dreams come true. Ever since I bought an i-mate Jam (aka HTC Magician) I wondered why do I need a stylus to use the phone & wanted a device which could be operated with touch of a thumb and had an intuitive interface instead of a primitive UI which was the hallmark of Windows Mobile 2003. And the man who beat all the others and produced such device in 2007 around 3-4 years ahead of competition’s plans was Steve Jobs.
Jobs announces that he’ll be introducing three “revolutionary products of this class.”
“The first one: a widescreen iPod with touch controls.”
“Second, a revolutionary mobile phone.”
“The third, a breakthrough Internet communications device.”
Then, he grins as the icons for the three devices beginning spinning on the giant screen behind him until they nearly blur into one.
“Are you getting it?” Jobs said. “These are not three separate devices. This is one device. And we are calling it iPhone.”
This is how Jobs introduced Apple iPhone to the awe-struck crowd in 2007, he was considered a showman of the business due to his presentation skills & motivational abilities. The legendary Apple leader had successes in his life from Apple II to iPad and made Apple the most most valuable publicly-traded company in the world, surpassing ExxonMobil’s market capitalization in August.
Steve Job’s leadership and his knack of producing the devices which really addressed user needs will be missed for a long time. Tributes from some prominent people are as follows:
President Obama said that “the world has lost a visionary,” noting that “there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”
Microsoft’s Bill Gates – a fierce rival – hailed the “profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.”
IEEE President Moshe Kam issued the following statement; “Steve Jobs was an inspiring inventor and entrepreneur, toward whom technical professionals worldwide, as well as consumers and the general public, felt unusual admiration and affinity. He was as exceptional, original and influential as the most revered figures in the history of innovation, including legendary individuals like Thomas Edison, Guglielmo Marconi, David Sarnoff, Hewlett and Packard, Walt Disney and Henry Ford. He will be sorely missed.”
Google co-founder Sergey Brin: From the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration or vision and leadership, we need to look no farther than Cupertino. Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product (including the macbook I am writing this on right now). And I have witnessed it in Preston the few times we have met. On behalf of all of us at Google and more broadly in technology, you will be missed very much.
Jobs’ Apple announcement quotation taken from Steve Jobs’ top 5 showman moments
Other quotations courtesy: Yahoo
Photo courtesy: Apple & Andrew Burton, Getty Images
The positions and jobs offered on this blog are provided by us obtaining details from other news sources and we always suggest you check out all posts and companies for further details. We will of course advise when a position is available within our organisation with our associates. Need to email me leave a comment and use our new Disqus box and share. Thank you, Ian Draper [Editor]
Saturday 3 September 2011
Big Society Overview & Opinions
Big Society, Anarchist Style:
Anna is the model citizen. The 31-year-old self-described professional volunteer spends Mondays running a free bike workshop, Wednesdays counselling others in the community, and in her spare time is helping to build a community garden in Camberwell, South London.
For her it's about taking responsibility for where she lives. "If I didn't believe that what I spent most of my time doing made people's lives more pleasant, I'd be pretty lost. I'm hoping that I make life easier for others."
Among her projects: Free computing workshops, a shop set up to help young mothers who cannot afford their kids' back-to-school clothes, free skill-share workshops.
People like Anna are helping to make David Cameron's Big Society "vision" a reality. From free judo lessons to building adventure playgrounds or residents uniting to protect their libraries from the threat of closure, across London communities are uniting to help one another.
Just one thing… all these programmes are run by anarchist groups.
In a speech in February 2011 about the Big Society, David Cameron described the Big Society in a nutshell: "What this is all about is giving people more power and control to improve their lives and their communities."
But when he set out his vision he probably didn't have anarchists in mind. Dr Jo Haynes, a sociologist from Bristol University says the comparison is telling. "It's interesting that theoretically, a smaller state - or no state - chimes with anarchist principles as well, but the power taken by the people through anarchist community activity and political mobilisation would be at odds with the kind of 'soft power' envisaged within David Cameron's Big Society idea".
Jesse Norman disagrees. The Conservative MP, who has written a book on the Big Society, says while anarchists would be "absolutely appalled" to be considered at the vanguard of an idea which originated from the Conservative party, the two are are not so dissimilar.
"If you reach past the labels, it may be that as a matter of labels, anarchists are deeply uncomfortable with being concerned with any government programme... if you get away from the labels, an awful lot of what the Big Society is about is about restoring meaning and energy to people's lives. I think this is built into the idea that David Cameron’s talking about."
Dr David Chapman, a research analyst at the consultancy Monitor Group currently researching social entrepreneurs, believes Conservative advocates of the Big Society should look to anarchist groups.
"They have a pretty essential role to play within the Big Society agenda. Certainly within the middle-class Tory consciousness the word anarchist conjures up people in masks rioting. But that’s not what these people are doing, they are building communities. The point of social entrepreneurs, they are innovators, they don't do things in a normal way."
"To my mind an anarchist group in Dalston creating a community garden is exactly the same as some middle class parents in Oxfordshire trying to provide a free school. It's the community coming together.
"The only thing that differentiates an anarchist group from the kind of traditional Big Society perspective is the cultural perspective of who is an acceptable person."
But Dr Chapman says for the Big Society to work, everyone has to feel empowered.
"The Big Society is a very, very powerful idea but it does raise lots of questions about who, in a broad cultural sense, society deems as a valid individual."
And what do the anarchists think? Andy Meinke, Secretary of London-wide anarchist collective ALARM is scathing about the Big Society but recognises the comparison: "Obviously we regard Cameron's Big Society as an attempt to do social services on the cheap.
The reality of the big society is creating a society that's not run for profit but for human need.
"That’s what we do in a very small way, we help people self-organise to help themselves in a way that the state won't do."
The prime minister has recognised the idea of the Big Society is not new. Many of these groups have been running for years. And they don’t want to talk to journalists. Volunteer-run anarchist bookshop 56a, who also help organise workshops and support fellow "community collectives” write: "we don't care about exposure, publicity or putting our side of the story etc… not interested",
Some are slightly more forthcoming: A community scheme for the unemployed in deal with the government all the time: "We are looking at people being moved from DSA [Disability Support Allowance] to JSA [Job Seekers' Allowance]", says trade union activist Marie "we want to help people".
As for Anna, she runs most of the skills workshops from the communal squat she lives in - an activity the government is currently consulting on making illegal.
"We're organising over 30 workshops and it's all free skill share. Welding, plumbing, electricity.
"The reason I came to London was to volunteer. There’s a severe lack of support for a lot of different people here –London has a really apparent rich-poor gap, and the people who are living below the poverty line are suffering. The Free Shop meant we could give kids' clothes to people who did not have enough."
So, what's the Big Society to her? "It sounds like a really right-wing concept."
Some names and places have been changed to protect identities
#ad144000hoe
Anna is the model citizen. The 31-year-old self-described professional volunteer spends Mondays running a free bike workshop, Wednesdays counselling others in the community, and in her spare time is helping to build a community garden in Camberwell, South London.
For her it's about taking responsibility for where she lives. "If I didn't believe that what I spent most of my time doing made people's lives more pleasant, I'd be pretty lost. I'm hoping that I make life easier for others."
Among her projects: Free computing workshops, a shop set up to help young mothers who cannot afford their kids' back-to-school clothes, free skill-share workshops.
People like Anna are helping to make David Cameron's Big Society "vision" a reality. From free judo lessons to building adventure playgrounds or residents uniting to protect their libraries from the threat of closure, across London communities are uniting to help one another.
Just one thing… all these programmes are run by anarchist groups.
In a speech in February 2011 about the Big Society, David Cameron described the Big Society in a nutshell: "What this is all about is giving people more power and control to improve their lives and their communities."
But when he set out his vision he probably didn't have anarchists in mind. Dr Jo Haynes, a sociologist from Bristol University says the comparison is telling. "It's interesting that theoretically, a smaller state - or no state - chimes with anarchist principles as well, but the power taken by the people through anarchist community activity and political mobilisation would be at odds with the kind of 'soft power' envisaged within David Cameron's Big Society idea".
Jesse Norman disagrees. The Conservative MP, who has written a book on the Big Society, says while anarchists would be "absolutely appalled" to be considered at the vanguard of an idea which originated from the Conservative party, the two are are not so dissimilar.
"If you reach past the labels, it may be that as a matter of labels, anarchists are deeply uncomfortable with being concerned with any government programme... if you get away from the labels, an awful lot of what the Big Society is about is about restoring meaning and energy to people's lives. I think this is built into the idea that David Cameron’s talking about."
Dr David Chapman, a research analyst at the consultancy Monitor Group currently researching social entrepreneurs, believes Conservative advocates of the Big Society should look to anarchist groups.
"They have a pretty essential role to play within the Big Society agenda. Certainly within the middle-class Tory consciousness the word anarchist conjures up people in masks rioting. But that’s not what these people are doing, they are building communities. The point of social entrepreneurs, they are innovators, they don't do things in a normal way."
"To my mind an anarchist group in Dalston creating a community garden is exactly the same as some middle class parents in Oxfordshire trying to provide a free school. It's the community coming together.
"The only thing that differentiates an anarchist group from the kind of traditional Big Society perspective is the cultural perspective of who is an acceptable person."
But Dr Chapman says for the Big Society to work, everyone has to feel empowered.
"The Big Society is a very, very powerful idea but it does raise lots of questions about who, in a broad cultural sense, society deems as a valid individual."
And what do the anarchists think? Andy Meinke, Secretary of London-wide anarchist collective ALARM is scathing about the Big Society but recognises the comparison: "Obviously we regard Cameron's Big Society as an attempt to do social services on the cheap.
The reality of the big society is creating a society that's not run for profit but for human need.
"That’s what we do in a very small way, we help people self-organise to help themselves in a way that the state won't do."
The prime minister has recognised the idea of the Big Society is not new. Many of these groups have been running for years. And they don’t want to talk to journalists. Volunteer-run anarchist bookshop 56a, who also help organise workshops and support fellow "community collectives” write: "we don't care about exposure, publicity or putting our side of the story etc… not interested",
Some are slightly more forthcoming: A community scheme for the unemployed in deal with the government all the time: "We are looking at people being moved from DSA [Disability Support Allowance] to JSA [Job Seekers' Allowance]", says trade union activist Marie "we want to help people".
As for Anna, she runs most of the skills workshops from the communal squat she lives in - an activity the government is currently consulting on making illegal.
"We're organising over 30 workshops and it's all free skill share. Welding, plumbing, electricity.
"The reason I came to London was to volunteer. There’s a severe lack of support for a lot of different people here –London has a really apparent rich-poor gap, and the people who are living below the poverty line are suffering. The Free Shop meant we could give kids' clothes to people who did not have enough."
So, what's the Big Society to her? "It sounds like a really right-wing concept."
Some names and places have been changed to protect identities
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Ministers To Open Talks With Opponents Of Planning Reforms
My Overview -
So is this the future that when we are in a position of a global downturn then we start to look evermore towards taking green belt land and allowing developers to build more homes, on the basis that we have to keep up the numbers to be in line with government guidelines and utilizing the fact that they have to keep the electorate happy.
PRESS ASSOCIATION -- Ministers are ready to hold talks with opponents of their planning reforms, it emerged today.
Planning minister Greg Clark told The Times that he was prepared to sit down and discuss the demands of the National Trust and other groups.
The draft National Planning Policy Framework was published in July, with a presumption in favour of sustainable growth, but critics have raised concerns that it will lead to a return to damaging development.
Mr Clark told the newspaper that he was ready to discuss opponents' views with them but warned there would be no backing down on the overall thrust of the proposals to simplify English planning laws in an attempt to trigger growth.
Any change would be to the "wording" of the document to express more clearly protections for the countryside.
Mr Clark said that opponents had got the "wrong end of the stick".
He said sustainability of developments meant that the impact on the community and the environment would be taken into account.
If anything in the consultation paper had failed to stress the importance of protecting the environment, he would think again.
However failure to see the reforms through would be devastating for future generations.
"The consequences would be to continue the position we are in where we are not building enough homes for the people needing them for the first time. We are contributing to homelessness, to overcrowding, to poverty."
The National Trust welcomed the move, the newspaper said.
Peter Nixon, its director of conservation, told it that the National Trust was not anti-development but had "acute concerns" about the plans, which they believe prevent a balanced approach to planning.
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Century of strong faith
Century of strong faith: 
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The Huat Tian Keong temple in Bercham is a unique place of worship with 88 types of Taoist, Buddhist and Hindu deities in its cave.
Among them are statues of the ‘Laughing Buddha’, Lord Ganesha, Thailand’s monk Lombok Khoon, a Siamese God ‘Lusi’ (King of Bomoh) and the temple’s main deity Huat Tian Keong (Datuk Hitam).
The Huat Tian Keong cave temple in Bercham is 100-years old.
There are also the figurines of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.
Temple treasurer Sunny Mangal Singh said the temple had been in existence for over 100 years.
He said he had sourced the statues from all over the world to be placed at the temple located on a 3.2ha site.
A 60-feet tall dragon statue is neatly placed on the outside of the cave making it look like it is descending from the top of the cave.
Sunny posing with the statue of the Siamese God 'Lusi' at the temple grounds.
To fulfill a vow for his business to flourish, Mangal Singh also constructed a feng shui mountain in 2004.
He added that in 2008, the state government had declared the area as a temple reserve land.
“People of all races from all over the country and even tourists have been visiting this cave temple. The temple committee had also set up a restaurant for the devotees to get refreshments. We rely on donations and the profits from the restaurant is used to pay for utility bills,” he said. – By MANJIT KAUR, Photos by LEW YONG KAN
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The Goods and Services offered on this blog are in our opinion good value for money and are offered as seen and where possible we value your comments or opinions. Like to feature your goods and services leave a comment and share with our comments system and share your details on google, twitter, facebook or yahoo and please follow our shop news at http://twitter.com/AceiShop Thank you, Ian
Monday 29 August 2011
How Global Warming Will Make Hurricanes Like Irene Worse
Does global warming cause an impact on the worlds weather, this is the crux of the stories on the web following yesterday`s Hurricane Irene the answer is no body really knows or do we?
We can cite examples over history of massive earthquakes of x and y on the richer scale and also hurricanes like the ones seen over many years gone by, but one thing is certain each time we have another one we say that was different it never did what we thought it would do, or it was not like that before.
So my question is simple are we seeing changes that are so different that we cannot believe it is possible or are we so brain washed with knowledge provided by the so-called scientists that we continue to believe what they tell us, this story from my news stories is just one take on global warming and hurricanes like Irene.
Maybe it is about time to just say alright l will not disbelieve what l am told until it is proved in my heart that l am wrong.
Climate science suggests that global warming may lead to more and more extreme weather events like Hurricane Irene.
Tuesday 23 August 2011
Thursday 2 June 2011
Monday 23 May 2011
Black Lung Disease On The Rise Again
Black Lung Disease On The Rise Again: "
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" Our philosophy for all our contractors and people we contract is always put peoples health before profits "
" The Roving Giraffe News Report " provided through Ace News Service
Black lung disease, long a killer of coal miners, is on the rise again after retreating in the 30 years since Congress passed tougher mine safety laws, health and safety experts said on Friday.
The renewed appearance of the disease emerged from an investigation of the worst U.S. coal mining disaster in four decades. It comes at a time when coal prices have risen sharply and some mine operators have been accused of cutting corners on safety in favor of profits.
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