Human rights? Whose human rights exactly?

Locking up some of Britain’s most notorious killers for life without any prospect of release is a breach of their human rights, European judges have ruled.

So what about the rights of the victims’ family and friends?

I certainly do not believe in the death penalty, but when a crime so abhorrent is committed, surely those responsible should pay with their lives – ie: spending them in a tax payer-fuelled environment where they obviously have luxuries such as computers and the Internet.

Yes, Bamber, who killed several members of his own family, including two children, actually has his own website to play with. I wonder who pays for that.

And what does it mean for the most recent despicable human beings – child killers Hazell and Bridger?

Bridger was sentenced to a whole life term for kidnapping, torturing, assaulting and of course murdering an innocent young girl with learning difficulties. An utterly defenceless child.

OK, let’s see how he gets on over the next 20 years and then ‘review’ if he can get out to kill another child, shall we?

What then of the rights of April Jones’ parents?

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Why do female bosses treat women employees badly?

Why do women bosses often treat their female employees like crap?

Don’t get me wrong – I am a total believer in women’s power in the business world and their growing influence in the future. Totally and unashamedly.

I am a feminist and not afraid to say so. Why? Cast your minds back to May 1979. Some of you might have twigged already. Yep, the day Margaret Thatcher won the general election and became the first female PM in the history of the UK (which is a bad enough stat as it is).

That was the day I heard my mother say: “History has been made today.” I asked why (as an eight year old would!) and she told me the above. That was the day I saw inequality and became a feminist – which I will pass down to my daughter.

So why, in the past two years, have I worked for two ‘bitches’ as my boss? (On a contractual basis as I am my own boss).

Their treatment of me and their disrespectful attitude towards me has rung so many alarm bells. They were rude, incompetent and disregarding of what I could bring to ‘their’ table.

Do they feel threatened by another professional businesswoman who is good at what she does? If so, why? Sisters should work together to improve our input in the business world, not do this to each other. These women are doing themselves and millions of women around the world such a disservice they should take hold of their, indeed, sexist behaviour and stop trying to be ‘bitches’.

As long as this goes on women will not proceed. Something which I feel incredibly angry about – and it’s a female fault.

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The property trap – affecting millions

Apparently we are members of the ‘Big Society’ where we all have rights to improve ourselves and the country

Really?

Most of us right now, across the UK, are stuck in the property ‘trap’. We can’t afford to buy, as we either don’t have enough money for what is now demanded by lendors, ie: a HUGE deposit, OR we are self-employed and won’t get a mortgage anyway.

For a Government which believes in creating new business through start-ups and entrepreneurs, well, that’s just a joke. This administration should be allowing these people, who want to set up businesses and employ people and therefore create business and employment for the future, to do just that.

No, they won’t. Because they have failed, time after time, to allow them to do it. They cosey up to the banks and protect them because it’s in the ‘national interest’.

What’s in the national interest is supporting small businesses to do what they do best: increase productivity and therefore create jobs.

I’m not an MP but I am a politician. We all are, it’s in all of our’s interest to be so.

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Protests in Brazil

I visited Brazil as a backpacker in 1993, after leaving university.

It did me a lot of good, because it enabled me to become a journalist, having met someone from AP and the BBC while over there, which led me to pursue a career in that profession.

Yet, I was shockingly aware of the disparities between rich and poor.

As a tourist, I had a drink at one of the many cafes on the Ipanema beachfront. I was approached by people begging and disabled – one of which was a guy with no legs beyond the knee, who got around on a skateboard and another, elderly woman who just wanted a glass of water.

Has nothing changed in the last, nearly 20 years? If the populous are still unhappy with their lot and the corruption as well as the obvious gap between rich and poor, why isn’t the Brazilian government helping, instead of persecuting the protestors?

Nothing has changed. Why don’t you watch, ‘City of God’ to get an idea.

AND the World Cup next year? Talk to FIFA. SHOCKING.

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Husband and wife plumbing team scoop prize at FSB Herts awards

Husband and wife plumbing team win Best New Business in Herts FSB Awards

A ST ALBANS-based husband and wife team, On Tap Plumbers, has scooped Best New Business in this month’s Hertfordshire FSB Awards and taken second place in St Albans Business of the Year.
The business was started from scratch three years ago by Anne Timpany, originally fromNew Zealand, and husband, Raff Agalliu, originally from Albania. Since then, the couple have pooled their skills in plumbing, customer service and marketing to doubling its turnover every year.

Anne said: “We had no family contacts or friends in the UK when we started out, so it was tough. But we saw an opening for a plumbing business whose emphasis is on excellent customer service. We want to show people not all plumbers in the UK are dodgey and unreliable.”

Anne and Raff were presented with the award at a ceremony at Shendish Manor on June 13th, beating off four other new businesses in their category.
Judges comments included: ‘The essence of quality shone in this entry. Rapid growth, good revenues and self sufficiency – a business that strives to improve’ and ‘I love this entry! Their passion and drive leaps off the page and is backed up with concise evidence and robust plans for the future’.

Anne said of winning: “Raff and I are so proud to win the Best New Business award and also be named runners up for St Albans Business of the Year. We’d like to thank our fantastic team, our wonderful clients for your continued custom and the excellent service our suppliers have given us over the last three years. Without all of them this wouldn’t have made been possible.”

On Tap Plumbers provide all the services you would expect from a plumber and also install plumbing, heating and tiling, as well as creating householders’ dream bathrooms. Their work has been used in the revamp of the Samuel Ryder Academy nursery in St Albans,Martins Wood Primary School, Stevenage and several schools in Hackney.

They have also worked on the conversion of high-end, luxury offices to flats in Portland Place off Oxford Circus, which included intricate marble bathrooms, needing great attention to detail.

Their latest large scale projects include Revive Fitness and Spa in Potters Bar and 5-6 Connaught Place, Westminster.

Anne went on: “In the UK, anyone can just start up a construction business without any particular training or qualifications, but in NZ you have to have accreditations.

“We provide a guarantee with all of our work, we are fully insured, our prices are totally transparent and reasonable, and our staff are helpful and reliable. I would like to help change how that works here in the UK and restore more respect, reliability and responsibility to the industry.”

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‘Playful tiff’ or actual abuse?

A “playful tiff” – should domestic ‘violence’  – or abuse – ever be a subject of a police caution?

Some thanks are owed to Charles Saatchi for his recent stupid behaviour. At least his actions have resulted in some worthy media awareness about domestic abuse, a subject, in my mind, which is overlooked all too often.

So why did he describe his behaviour, which was obviously a distressing experience for his wife, as a ‘playful tiff’?

Because he knew he had been caught at it and anyone who knows the media will know someone in the public eye is going to get due attention for their actions. I’m therefore glad he’s high profile and was silly enough to behave like that to his wife on an open street and on view to the public with their I-phones. Too many times victims of domestic violence are not in the public eye and immune to such media scrutiny.

Domestic violence and such petty regard for womens’ issues is a plague on our society all the time. Look at Stuart Hall’s meagre sentence for abusing young girls.

It’ a disgrace and should be tolerated no longer by the police and courts. Full stop.

http://news.sky.com/story/1104528/nigella-saatchi-calls-row-a-playful-tiff

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Summer’s eventually here and DIY enthusiasts can benefit from using reclaimed wood

When wood does good in DIY – recyclers offer enthusiasts range of materials at affordable prices

WITH the summer finally here, Do It Yourself enthusiasts could source materials for their projects at competitive prices by using reclaimed wood.

St Albans Wood Recyling, a not for profit social enterprise, was set up by Geoff Deans in 2010 after he quit a City career in banking.

It operates by collecting waste wood from the construction industry and other producers of timber waste to help reduce the amount needlessly going to landfill. The wood is sorted and anything reusable is sold to the community at affordable prices.  The business also offers lots of work, learning and training opportunities for people facing barriers to gaining paid employment and those from troubled backgrounds.

Geoff said: “We offer a whole range of materials which are suitable for use in home and garden DIY projects.

“Our recycled timber store has a large range of timber and wood in many different sizes and lengths. The wood is carefully de-nailed and sorted and ready for use in any project. We can even cut the wood to size for a small extra charge. Prices are very reasonable and you can reckon that most of the wood is at least 50% of the price you would pay in most DIY stores.”

He added: “Our wood is sold ‘as seen’ and stock is constantly changing, so we might also have that special piece of wood customers may have in mind.”

Types of timber available for DIY projects include floorboards, joists and beams, doors, both internal and external, gates and fencing, hardwoods and other unique pieces, plywood, OBS and chipboard, planed and rough-sawn timbers, dowel and beading and scaffold boards.

The enterprise also has a collection of recycled wood products such as benches, tables, raised beds, planters and wood ornaments. Shelving units are made up made to measure from sanded down scaffold boards.

St Albans Wood Recycling is now also building up the furniture making side of the business – all made out of reclaimed wood  – and continuing to build up its
waste collection service and selling reclaimed wood, to increase the
percentage of wood that is re-used, rather than it getting chipped.

“We want to find more businesses and individuals looking for cost effective solutions to get their waste wood recycled and reused and to introduce more people to the benefits of using reclaimed wood for the 1001 uses our existing customers already find for it,” added Geoff.

He went on: “There is not only a real demand out there to provide flexible, multi-use types of reclaimed wood for a wide range of products; but that there is also a desire for people who need it, to learn new skills to get them back out into the work environment.

“We are also there for everyday people who are able to buy quality, bespoke-designed furniture for their homes and gardens – as well as other outdoor uses for farms and gardeners, but at much more affordable prices.

“All this and we are really benefitting the community and, of course, the environment as a whole.”

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In the light of Mark Bridger and Stuart Hazell, why on Earth is this teacher allowed back to work?

According to the National College of Teaching and Leadership’s professional conduct panel, Geoffrey Bettley’s stash of child abuse images “Did not show a “deep-seated attitude which leads to harmful behaviour.”

So officials have apparently learnt nothing from the recent abhorrent crimes committed by two paedophiles.

The begging question is: So what does constitute a ‘deep-seated attitude which leads to harmful behaviour’?

The jury in Bridger’s trial failed to believe the images he had were to monitor his own daughter’s development. Why then, should we believe that this guy had an ‘innocent’ reason for keeping child abuse pictures?

Anyone who stores this kind of material is a potential threat to our children’s safety and our children must be protected at all times.

Ask yourself this simple question: Would you be happy sending your child to the school where he teaches?

http://news.sky.com/story/1100013/review-into-not-a-risk-school-teacher-decision

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Rebecca Brookes knew what she was doing

Sorry Rebecca, you knew it wasn’t great. Pleading not guilty wastes taxpayers’ time and money.

If you were a good journalist you would never be in this position.

http://news.sky.com/story/1099699/hacking-rebekah-brooks-pleads-not-guilty

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Should parents (who have the means) help their kids get jobs in tough times?

James Caan – former ‘star’ of Dragon’s Den speaks out about parents letting their kids do all the work when getting into employment in tough economic times

However: Please see post below. Is this supportive, coming from a self-made millionaire who just wants to help his kids – or is it pure hypocrisy?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22764884#TWEET778233

Don’t get me wrong, I was aided by my parents to go to a good school and then supported by them at Uni when we had the grant system as my father’s income meant I was not eligible.

That was the law back then. Since then, I have worked several jobs, sometimes three a day, to pay for my travels abroad and then when home, moving to London to pursue journalism.

My father was by no means a millionaire businessman. He worked hard all his life to give me a comfortable upbringing.

I have worked for all my legal adult life and loved every minute. He’s been a support through the years, but I tell you what, even if he had been another hypocrite of the ‘you can’t touch me, cos I’m rich’ gang, there is no way he would be saying what Mr Caan has said – and then doing the opposite.

Thoughts, anyone?

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