The Gods Of Universe by veeraiyah subbulakshmi

Before you reach their feeble heart,
You have made them to shiver in fever and cold,
The Timberland Womens Sandals hands and legs are made weak,
Their lighting eyes have worn the screen,
The vital signs have shown the haphazard patterns,
They are neither drowsy nor in dream,
They float in the air holding their dear souls,
The smiling lips elongate as if found the truth,
When you finally touch to race with their hearts,
The stopping order is issued for the rebirth.

• http://timberrland7.886blog.com/2013/11/16/obituary-french-lawyer-jacques-verges/
• http://beatfridaydr016.blog.pt/2013/11/17/russia-reveals-moscow-cia-station-chiefs-identity/
• http://ameblo.jp/ijk129/entry-11697210218.html

South Yorkshire zoo bid to save 'Mexican' polar bear

A wildlife park in South Yorkshire has announced plans to rescue a polar bear from a zoo in Mexico.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, has offered to rehome Yupi in a newly constructed 10 acre reserve but needs to raise £150,000 to do so.

A park spokesperson said Yupi was currently kept in a concrete enclosure in soaring temperatures, with "little shade and little stimulation".

The park is waiting for an official response to its offer to rehome Yupi.

Continue reading the main story Polar Bears Five nations have polar bear populations: the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway. Adult male polar bears can weigh up to 1,200lbs (550kg), while adult females may weigh as much as 650lbs (290kg) Biologists estimate there are 20,000 to 25,000 bears left in the wild Source: Polar coach outlet online canada Bears International

It would mean a move of more 5,500 miles (8,900 km) away from Mexico for the polar bear.

According to the Save Yupi website, Yupi is 22 years old and was brought to the Parque Zoológico Benito Juárez, in Morelia, Mexico, from Alaska in 1992.

A Yorkshire Wildlife Park spokesperson said: "Her concrete enclosure has little shade, and little stimulation.

"The soaring temperatures are difficult for a polar bear to deal with as they easily overheat."

The park, which rescued 13 lions from Romania in 2010, began work on the new enclosure after being approached to see if it would offer a home to Yupi.

The reserve will be divided into four sections featuring hills, valleys and a main lake with streams, pools and waterfalls.

Its landscaping will mirror the Arctic Tundra with grass, herbs, shrubs and heathers.

It is expected to be completed in 2014.

The only other polar bears in a UK zoo are at the Highland Wildlife Park, in Scotland.

Park Director John Minion said: "This is the ultimate project for Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

"Polar bears are an iconic species that are increasingly threatened in their native habitat and we need to fight their cause."

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is more than 5,500 miles (8,890 km) away from the Parque Zoológico Benito Juárez, in cheap couch outlet link Morelia, Mexico

US drone strike killings in Pakistan and Yemen 'unlawful'

CIA drone attacks in Pakistan are responsible for unlawful killings, some of which could amount to war crimes, Amnesty International says.

Amnesty said it reviewed nine recent drone strikes in North Waziristan and found a number of victims were unarmed.

In a separate report looking at six US attacks in Yemen, Human Rights Watch says two of them killed civilians at random, violating international law.

Drone warfare has become common in the US pursuit of al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Few details are known about the covert US drone operation.

Senior al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed in drone strikes in Pakistan, but civilians have also died.

These attacks cause outrage in Pakistan, where many assert that the strikes cause indiscriminate deaths and injuries.

Last week, a UN investigation found that US drone strikes had killed at least 400 civilians in Pakistan, far more than the US has ever acknowledged.

UN special rapporteur Ben Emmerson accused the US of challenging international legal norms by advocating the use of lethal force outside war zones.

Establishing precise casualty figures and identifying the dead in such attacks is virtually impossible as independent media are barred from tribal areas near the Afghan border.

'Very tight leash' Continue reading the main story Analysis M Ilyas Khan BBC News, Islamabad

The new Amnesty International report has sought to document more evidence of civilian deaths in drone strikes than before, but some of the cases they have brought forth as examples were already known to the media.

As for local claims of civilian deaths in strikes targeting militant camps, they are almost impossible to prove. One reason is the restricted media access in the region. The other is the militants' tendency to cordon off the targeted sites and make quick burials.

But Waziristan is a small place, with well-knit tribal clans living and interacting closely with each other. Civilian deaths cannot go unnoticed here, and anecdotal evidence travels fast.

The general impression that one gets from talking to elders and correspondents from the area is that drone strikes are for the most part accurate, causing little or no collateral damage.

They say if civilians deaths had been as high as those mentioned in some recent international reports, LULULEMON GROOVE there would have been more of an outcry against it both socially and also in the media.

Amnesty said it had investigated nine of 45 recently reported attacks by US drones, unmanned aircraft operated remotely in control rooms, often on other continents.

The group called on the US to disclose information and the legal basis for strikes carried out in Pakistan.

In the report, Will I Be Next? US Drone Strikes in Pakistan, the rights group named several victims who, it says, had been unarmed and "posed no threat to life".

In October 2012, 68-year-old grandmother Mamana Bibi was killed in a double strike as she picked vegetables in the family's fields while COACH TOTE sale surrounded by her grandchildren, said the report.

It said US President Barack Obama's pledge earlier this year to increase transparency around drone strikes had not been fulfilled.

"This secrecy has enabled the USA to act with impunity and block victims from receiving justice or compensation. As far as Amnesty is aware, no US official has ever been held to account for unlawful killings by drones in Pakistan," the report said.

It called on the governments of Pakistan, Australia, Germany and the UK to investigate drone strikes or other abuses that may constitute human rights violations.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch said in its report that six US drone attacks in Yemen killed 82 people, including at least 57 civilians.

It added that two of the strikes killed innocent people indiscriminately.

A controversial aspect of the US policy is that drone attacks are carried out not by the military but by the Central Intelligence Agency.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has argued in favour of the policy, saying that the US will continue to defend itself.

President Obama has insisted the strategy was "kept on a very tight leash" and that without the drones, the US would have had to resort to "more intrusive military action".

Carbon from nuclear tests could help fight poachers

The atmospheric carbon left over from nuclear bomb testing could help scientists track poached ivory, new research has found.

These bomb tests changed the level of carbon in the atmosphere, which can be traced to date elephant tusks.

Trafficking poached ivory is increasingly being used to fund civil wars, groups warn.

Scientists say the findings, published in PNAS, could make it easier to enforce the ivory ban.

The number of elephants being poached is now at the highest it has been for two decades, according to a UN backed report.

This was highlighted in January when a family of 11 elephants was slaughtered in Kenya, their tusks hacked off with machetes.

Growing demand Continue reading the main story Bomb carbon dating Traditional radiocarbon dating determines the age of ancient objects by measuring the amount of carbon-14 (C14) The approximate time since an organism died can be measured from the amount of C14 left in its remains But remains from after the Cold War contain higher levels of C14 due to the nuclear bombs In a new study Dr Uno and colleagues used this increase in carbon to date herbivore samples, which they matched to corresponding points on the bomb-curve

In the 1980s, more than half of Africa's elephants are thought to have been wiped out by poachers. This led to an international ban on trading ivory in 1989. As public awareness of the threat of extinction increased, the global demand for ivory dwindled.

But today conservationists believe that a growing demand for ivory in China and other Asian countries is responsible for a huge increase in the number of animals being poached.

Many governments have huge stockpiles of ivory, and it is often unclear when this ivory was acquired and whether or not some of it is leaking into the illegal market.

The bomb-curve

Now scientists have found that radioactive carbon in the atmosphere emitted during the Cold War bomb tests will make it easier to distinguish between illegal ivory to that which was acquired before the trade ban.

The amount of radiocarbon in the atmosphere nearly doubled during nuclear weapons tests from 1952 to 1962, which steadily dropped after tests were restricted to underground. This has been dubbed "the bomb-curve".

The levels have declined since but as they are still absorbed by plant, they enter the food chain and are measurable in plant and animal tissues.

The concentration of radiocarbon found in tiny samples of animal tissue can accurately determine the year of an animals death, from 1955 until today, explained lead author Kevin Uno from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, US.

"This black friday is different to the traditional dating technique which takes advantage of the loss of radiocarbon through time."

Continue reading the main story Rhinos are increasingly being targeted as countries like China and Vietnam believe powdered rhino horn has medicinal powers. One preventative tactic is dehorning rhinos safely An Asian appetite for ivory is believed to have fuelled poaching in recent years and highly organised crime groups increasingly put the lives of park rangers at risk Zakouma National Park in Chad has hired a military unit to protect its Elephants, 90% of which have been poached in the last decade Conservationists warn that unless the demand is curtailed, poaching is edging the African elephant ever closer to extinction Continue reading the main story previous slide next slide

Traditional radiocarbon dating would only be able to pick up an "imperceptible amount of decay" added Dr Uno, but because the bomb spike doubled the concentration or carbon, they were able to find huge variations over the last 60 years, which enabled accurate dating.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

These wildlife forensics are ready to roll, now we need to speak to people who can set up a programme to make it happen”

End Quote Dr Kevin Uno Columbia University, US

Dr Uno said this technique "would dovetail very nicely with DNA testing which tells you the region of origin, but not the date".

As anti-poaching funding is extremely limited, understanding where the poaching hotspots are, as well as how old the tusks are, could help the international community to direct funding to the places most at risk, he added.

"The year an elephant died plays a big role in whether or not the trade [of ivory] is legal. black friday sale Poached ivory makes it to market relatively quickly, so by measuring the age of a tusk we can say what year it's from. This will help us pinpoint the source of the ivory and how it's getting to market."

Big government organisations like the UN and Interpol have also recently increased efforts looking into the problem.

"Saving elephants - majestic and wonderful species - is priceless. These wildlife forensics are ready to roll, now we need to speak to the organisations who can set up a programme to make it happen."

Organised criminal gangs

Poaching is a problem closely linked to poverty, politics and conflict. Poachers include poor opportunistic individuals and increasingly heavily armed militia groups who use ivory to fund conflicts.

WWF's regional East Africa manager Drew McVey welcomed the new research, and said any help in securing convictions could reduce ivory trafficking.

"The key thing to note is that ivory has been smuggled so far and wide, we've got to cut down the loopholes as much as we can. Though the amount of seizures [of illegal ivory] is increasing each year, we don't know how much we're catching, it's realistic to think we're not catching all the big ones."

He added that poaching is not easy to prevent as "one thing Africa isn't short of is poor people" which is why it's important to cut down the ways people are moving ivory around.

"Rather than targeting people on the ground, we need to reduce the demand from middle men and the consumers," Mr McVey told BBC News.

The researchers analysed tusk samples smaller than a pinch of salt

As for the scientific process involved, Paula Raimer from Queen's University Belfast, said the study removes doubt that the C14 emitted from bombs can be used to date ivory.

"The work is of particular importance for forensics use in endangered species because the authors show that C14 can be used to determine the age of death or collection of ivory as well as establishing growth rates, so that other data from the teeth can also be put on a calendar time scale."

The study has wider implications for crime forensics, she added, as bomb carbon could be used to date human bones as well as to detect art forgeries.

Zimbabwe election Votes counted after 'orderly' polls

Votes are being counted following presidential and parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe.

Turnout was high in a fierce contest between President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and PM Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC.

African monitors say voting on Wednesday was peaceful, but the MDC claims the electoral roll was tampered with. Results are due within five days.

Mr Mugabe, 89, has said he will step down after 33 years in power if he and his party lose.

Police warned they would take action against anyone trying to leak early results.

Zanu-PF and the MDC have shared an uneasy coalition government since 2009 under a deal brokered to end the deadly violence that erupted after a disputed presidential poll the previous year.

The first round of the 2008 poll was also praised for being peaceful - trouble broke out after the results were announced, with Mr Tsvangirai gaining more votes than Mr Mugabe.

Western observers barred Continue reading the main story At the scene

Brian Hungwe, Harare

People are queuing with enthusiasm and determination.

Most of the voters have been speaking of the hope that the outcome will make a huge difference in their lives.

The polling officers told me some voters had been turned away for various reasons, such as because their names are missing from the voters' roll in their ward.

The majority of these are newly registered voters - and party agents are having to intervene to get electoral officials to check with the electoral commission's national command centre to see if the names are on the constituency register.

If the name is verified, they can go ahead and vote, but it is a long, tedious process which voters are finding frustrating.

Thabo Kunene, Bulawayo

Hundreds braved the cold and the wind to stand in queues, which started forming as early as 04:30. A security guard said he saw some people sleeping opposite one polling station.

Women with babies strapped to their backs were being given special preference by other voters and allowed to go to the front. Women selling tea and coffee nearby made good business as those in the queues bought hot drinks to ward off the cold.

At one polling station in Makhokhoba, voting was progressing in an impressively ordered manner. People from different parties were chatting to black friday for sale each other and laughing but they avoided discussing who would win.

Vote around the country

Because of the high turnout election officials granted long extensions to the opening hours of some polling stations.

To be declared a winner, a presidential candidate must win more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate reaches this mark, a run-off will be held on 11 September.

The elections were the first to be held under the new constitution approved in a referendum in March this year.

The government barred Western observers from monitoring Wednesday's elections, but the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as local organisations, have been accredited.

The AU described voting at most polling stations as "orderly and peaceful", while the main domestic monitoring agency, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, said aside from the long queues voting was "smooth".

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who heads the AU monitors, told Reuters there had been no "serious incidents that... would not reflect the will of the people".

At a news conference as polls closed, police spokeswoman Charity Charamba warned that "all people who may wish to announce the results of elections before the ZEC [Zimbabwe Electoral Commission] does... risk being arrested".

The warning comes after monitoring groups, newspapers and social media users reportedly planned to publish provisional tallies.

There have been numerous complaints that voters were unable to find their names on the electoral roll.

According to villagers, MDC polling agents and local election observers, irregularities were recorded in parts of rural Masvingo district.

Continue reading the main story Zimbabweans have been voting in fiercely contested presidential and parliamentary elections. These voters queued up in the capital, Harare, before polls opened. It is winter in Zimbabwe, so the mornings are chilly. Before polls opened there were already allegations of fraud over the voters' roll which was only published on the eve of the elections. The document features the names of thousands of dead people. Some names also appear twice or three times with variations to their ID numbers or home address. Zanu-PF's Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change's Morgan Tsvangirai are the main contenders in the presidential poll. Mr Tsvangirai's supporters are hoping it will be third time lucky for him. Mr Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe for 33 years, has said he will step down if defeated. His wife Grace (middle) has played a prominent part in his campaign. Campaigning was mostly peaceful, with few reports of intimidation. Mr Tsvangirai, casting his ballot in Harare with his wife Elizabeth Macheka, described the poll as a historic moment. But there have been reports of some Black Friday lebron shoes violence, especially in Mashonaland West, a Zanu-PF stronghold. The house of 65-year-old Monica Chivera, from Hurungwe, was set ablaze on Friday in an incident suspected to be politically motivated arson. ''We were force-marched to a Zanu-PF meeting but I did not do a slogan denouncing Tsvangirai. I escaped with my five children but I lost virtually everything,'' the widow said. In the same region on the same day a young family's thatched hut was also set ablaze by an unknown arsonist. ''I lost everything,'' said 18-year-old expectant mother Chipo Matemo whose husband Daniel Bhobho is a Zanu-PF activist. Police said the incident was being investigated. Some had hoped for the election to be held later in the year so there would be more time to prepare but the Constitutional Court ruled it must be held by 31 July. Zanu-PF has been campaigning on a platform of indigenisation and economic empowerment. At its campaign launch in Harare, a spelling mistake was noticed on the main banner. After an hour a sticker was put over the word "indegenise". The turnout is expected to be high among the 6.4 million people registered to vote, with tens of thousands of people attending rallies in recent weeks. To be declared the victor, a presidential candidate must win more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate reaches this mark, a run-off will be held on 11 September. Continue reading the main story previous slide next slide

And on Tuesday, the MDC accused Zanu-PF of doctoring the roll of registered voters, which was released by the ZEC only on the eve of the polls after weeks of delay.

Continue reading the main story Zimbabwe election: Key facts About 6.4 million registered voters Vote for president and parliament Zanu-PF's Robert Mugabe and MDC's Morgan Tsvangirai are the main presidential contenders Mr Mugabe, 89, is seeking to extend his 33-year rule Mr Tsvangirai, 61, hopes to become president after two failed attempts The poll ends the fractious coalition between Zanu-PF and MDC, which was brokered by regional mediators after disputed elections in 2008 that were marred by violence First election under new constitution Q&A: Zimbabwe elections

The MDC claimed the roll dated back to 1985 and was full of anomalies.

A BBC correspondent has seen the document and says it features the names of thousands of dead people.

MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti said there were as many as two million such names, while some genuine voters were not on the rolls.

"The greatest worry which we have is the number of persons that are being turned away," he added.

The MDC has handed its evidence to observers from the SADC. But a Zanu-PF spokesman denied the allegations and pointed out that appointees from both parties were on the ZEC.

He also accused Mr Biti, who is finance minister, of not funding the commission properly. The ZEC has not commented.

In addition to Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai, there are three other candidates standing for the presidency - Welshman Ncube, leader of the breakaway MDC-Mutambara; Dumiso Dabengwa of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu), and Kisinoti Munodei Mukwazhe, who represents the small Zimbabwe Development Party (ZDP).

Are you in Zimbabwe? Are you taking part in the elections? Please send us your thoughts and experiences using the form below.

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.

Read the terms and conditions

(Required) Name (Required) Your E-mail address (Required) Town & Country (Required) Your telephone number (Required) Comments

If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist please leave a telephone number that we can contact you on. In some cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as you provide it and location, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. When sending us pictures, video or eyewitness accounts at no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions.

Terms and conditions

Send Clear

A quarter of a billion people tuning in

We have heard so much about the decline of established media brands that it is a rare occasion when one of them celebrates a milestone audience increase.

Yet that is just what the BBC can do today, with the news that a quarter of a billion people around the world are tuning into the BBC's global news service every week.

The Global Audience Estimate, released on Tuesday, shows that in the year 2012-13 the BBC's global news services - that is, the World Service, World News and the website bbc.com/news - reached 256m people each week, a rise of 7% or 16.6m.

These are huge figures - around the world, one in every 28 people is a viewer, listener or reader of BBC global news.

Eighty years after the BBC's Empire Services began broadcasting, its successor, the World Service, reaches 192 million people around the world, from Libya to Burma to Peru.

This is almost double the number of people who listened at the height of the Cold War, when the World Service was often the only source of objective news.

Today's media landscape - and indeed today's world - would of course be unimaginable to these previous listeners.

Although many people in the UK associate the World Service with radio, we now broadcast on television in eight languages, and online in all 27 World Service languages. Added to this are our commercially funded services, BBC World News and bbc.com/news.

So while radio remains the mainstay for our audiences, we are reaching out in new ways. Around the world, people are reading the news on smartphone apps, and watching news video on tablets. In Burma, where the BBC is playing a ground-breaking role, audiences are Hollister Black Friday receiving news bulletins via audio bulletins on their mobile phones, and soon by text messages.

Smartphones are on the increase

Indeed, our digital services now reach an audience of 38 million every week, an increase of 8 million from last year. Mobile accounts for a large volume of this traffic.

Innovations like new apps and TV services have helped us stay relevant to our audience. But they would be meaningless without what I believe is the key to our success - the quality of our journalism.

Whatever media platform audiences use to access BBC news, what they will find is accurate, impartial, trustworthy journalism. In the past year BBC journalists have covered big and surprising stories ranging from the Pope's resignation, the Olympics, the US election - and the discovery of Richard III's skeleton in a Leicester car park.

A significant development this year saw BBC World News relaunched from our new state-of-the-art HD studios, with a refreshed line up of programmes and presenters, including Jon Sopel, Linda Yueh and Yalda Hakim.

Two of the other big factors in our audience increases have been the growth of our BBC Arabic and BBC Persian services.

BBC Arabic has increased its audience by 7m viewers, 6.5m of these in Egypt. The audience grew massively during the Arab Spring and has stayed high ever since.

For the first time the estimate measured audiences in Libya and Darfur. The BBC reaches nearly a quarter of the population in Darfur and 42% in Libya.

The audience for the BBC's Persian service is up by 90%. Despite continued censorship and satellite blocking, more than 40% of Iranians with a satellite dish watch the BBC. This service comes at considerable personal cost to our Persian service journalists, who, along with their families, face harassment, intimidation and even death threats from the Iranian authorities.

The BBC is subject to reporting restrictions in Iran

The last few years have been tough for the World Service, with repeated funding cuts, job losses and the closure of some of our language services. Today's good news comes despite, not because of this - our figures would be higher still were our journalism able to reach all the countries we did before.

But as our new director general Tony Hall has said, the BBC's best days lie ahead of us.

International broadcasting is a highly competitive business, which requires predictable, stable funding. The BBC Trust has announced the budget for the World Service will be better protected next year, when it moves to licence fee funding.

Monday saw another important step in this transition when the Trust published a consultation on the World Service's operating licence - and a http://www.beatsbydrefriday.com/ document which, for the first time ever, sets out the World Service's purpose and identity.

PDF download World Service's purpose and identity[123KB]

So I am hopeful for the future of global news. The move to our new headquarters earlier this year marked a new era for all of our global news services.

And the BBC's multi-lingual journalists are contributing their global insights on stories in Brazil, Russia, Iran, Syria, Turkey and Bangladesh to domestic BBC services as well. Eighty years after the BBC began its broadcasts to the world, the BBC is also now bringing the world back to Britain.

A Point of View Is democracy overrated

Democracy is championed as a universal good by the West, but we over-estimate its power to guarantee personal and political freedom, argues Roger Scruton.

For some time, the leading Western nations have acted upon the assumption that democracy is the solution to political conflict, and that the ultimate goal of foreign policy must be to encourage the emergence of democracy in countries which have not yet enjoyed its benefits. And they continue to adhere to this assumption, even when considering events in the Middle East today. We can easily sympathise with it. For democracies do not, in general, go to war with each other, and do not, in general, experience civil war within their borders. Where the people can choose their government, there is a safety valve that prevents conflicts from over-heating. Unpopular governments are rejected without violence.

The championship of democracy has therefore become a settled feature of Western foreign policy. In retrospect, the Cold War has been seen as a conflict between democracy and totalitarianism, in which democracy finally triumphed. And with democracy came the liberation of the people of the former communist states. Where there had been tyranny and oppression, there was now freedom and human rights. And if we study the words of Western politicians, we will constantly find that the three ideas - democracy, freedom and human rights - are spoken of in one breath, and assumed in all circumstances to coincide. That, for many of our political leaders, is the lesson to be drawn from the Cold War and the final collapse of the Soviet empire.

Continue reading the main story Find out more Roger Scruton is a writer and philosopher A Point of Black Friday jordan View is usually broadcast on Fridays on Radio 4 at 20:50 BST and repeated Sundays, 08:50 BST Listen to A Point of View on the iPlayer BBC Podcasts - A Point of View Four Thought podcast

In my view, the idea that there is a single, one-size-fits-all solution to social and political conflict around the world, and that democracy is the name of it, is based on a disregard of historical and cultural conditions, and a failure to see that democracy is only made possible by other and more deeply hidden institutions. And while we are willing to accept that democracy goes hand in hand with individual freedom and the protection of human rights, we often fail to realise that these three things are three things, not one, and that it is only under certain conditions that they coincide.

Democracy was introduced into Russia without any adequate protection for human rights. And many human rights were protected in 19th Century Britain long before the emergence of anything that we would call democracy. In the Middle East today, we find parties standing for election, like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, which regards an electoral victory as the opportunity to crush dissent and impose a way of life that for many citizens is simply unacceptable. In such circumstances democracy is a threat to human rights and not a way of protecting them.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

The totalitarian system endures by abolishing the distinction between civil society and the state”

End Quote

I had the opportunity to study some of these issues during the 1980s, when visiting friends and colleagues who were attempting to plant the seeds of opposition in the communist countries. These were public-spirited citizens, who ran the risk of arrest and imprisonment for activities which you and I would regard as entirely innocent. They ran classes for young people who had been deprived of an education on account of their parents' political profile. They established support networks for writers, scholars, musicians and artists who were banned from presenting their work. They smuggled medicines, bibles, religious symbols and textbooks. And because charities were illegal under communism and religious institutions were controlled by the Communist Party, all this work had to be conducted in secret.

The totalitarian system, I learned, endures not simply by getting rid of democratic elections and imposing a one-party state. It endures by abolishing the distinction between civil society and the state, and by allowing nothing significant to occur which is not controlled by the Party. By studying the situation in Eastern Europe, I came quickly to see that political freedom depends upon a delicate network of institutions, which my friends were striving to understand and if possible to resuscitate.

So what are these institutions? First among them is judicial independence. In every case where the Communist Party had an interest, the judge was under instructions to deliver the verdict that the Party required. It didn't matter that there was no law that the victim had breached. If necessary, a law could be invented at the last moment. If the Party wanted someone to be in prison, then the judge had to put that person in prison. If he refused, then he would end up in prison himself, if he was lucky. In such circumstances the rule of law was a complete fiction: law was simply a mask worn by the Party, as it dictated its decisions to the people.

Attempts to bring democracy to Egypt have run into trouble

Then there is the institution of property rights. Normal people in the communist state had virtually nothing to their name - nothing legal, that is. Their houses or flats were owned by the state, their few personal possessions could not be freely traded in the market, and their salary and pension depended on their political conformity and could be removed at any time. In these circumstances the entire economy went underground. No court of law would enforce the contracts that people needed if they were to get on with their lives. You might have a deal with your neighbour to exchange vegetables for maths lessons. But if one of you defected and the other took the dispute to law, the only result would be that both of you went to prison for conducting an illegal business. All transactions therefore depended upon personal trust, in a situation in which trust was in shorter and shorter supply. Hence society was riven by conflicts and suspicions, which neither law nor politics could remedy. And the Communist Party rejoiced in this situation, since it prevented people from combining against it.

Continue reading the main story Democracy in a few words George Bernard Shaw: "Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve" Winston Churchill: "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." Clement Atlee: "Democracy means government by discussion, but it is only effective if you can stop people talking" Tom Stoppard: "It's not the voting that's democracy, it's the counting"

Then there is freedom of speech and opinion. The freedom to entertain and express opinions, however offensive to others, has been regarded since Locke in the 17th Century as the pre-condition of a political society. This freedom was enshrined in the US constitution, defended in the face of the Victorian moralists by John Stuart Mill, and upheld in our time by my dissident friends. We take this freedom so much for granted that we regard it as the default position of humanity - the position to which we return, if all oppressive powers are removed from us. But my experience of communist Europe convinced me of the opposite. Orthodoxy, conformity and the hounding of the dissident define the default position of mankind, and there is no reason to think that democracies are any different in this respect from Islamic theocracies or one-party totalitarian states.

Of course, the opinions that are suppressed change from one form of society to another, as do the methods of suppression. But we should be clear that to guarantee freedom of opinion goes against the grain of social life, and imposes risks that people may be reluctant to take. For in criticising orthodoxy, you are not just questioning a belief - you are threatening the social order that has been built on it. Also, orthodoxies are the more fiercely protected the more vulnerable they are.

Continue reading the main story More from the Magazine

John Gray examines the trouble with toppling tyrants (August 2012)

Andrew Whitehead speaks to historian Eric Hobsbawm about the possibility of Arab democracies cheap black friday buy (December 2011)

And in 2009, Clive James argued liberal democracies are are the 'first and essential requirement for all countries of the world'

Both those principles are surely obvious from the reaction of Islamists to criticisms directed at their religion. Just as it was in the wars of religion that ravaged Europe in the 17th Century, it is precisely what is most absurd that is most protected. And critics are not treated merely as people with an intellectual difficulty. They are a threat, the enemies of society and, for the believer, the enemies of God. So it was too under communism, in which a system of government had been built on theories that may have looked plausible in the early days of the industrial revolution but which in the post-war economy of Europe were palpably ridiculous. For that very reason it was the greatest heresy to criticise them.

Finally, there is legitimate opposition. This was perhaps the greatest casualty of communism as it afflicted Europe. When Lenin imposed the communist system on Russia it was in the form of a top-down dictatorship, in which orders were passed down to the ranks below. It was a kind of military government, and opposition could no more unite against it than soldiers in the ranks can unite against their commanders. In times of emergency this kind of discipline is perhaps necessary. But it is the opposite of civilised government.

It has been assumed in this country from the time of the Anglo-Saxons that political decisions are taken in council, after hearing all sides to the question, and taking note of the many interests that must be reconciled. Long before the advent of democracy, our parliament divided into government and opposition, and except in stressful periods during the 16th and 17th Centuries it was acknowledged that government without opposition is without any corrective when things go wrong. That is what we saw in the Soviet Union and its empire - a system of government without a reverse gear, which continued headlong towards the brick wall of the future.

In the underground universities of communist Europe, my friends and colleagues studied those things, and prepared themselves for the hoped-for day when the Communist Party, having starved itself of every rational input, would finally give up the ghost. And the lessons that they learned need to be learned again today, as our politicians lead us forth under the banner of democracy, without pausing to examine what democracy actually requires.

You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio 'profiled' Hispanics, says judge

The office of an Arizona lawman who styles himself America's toughest sheriff improperly targeted Hispanics in routine patrols for undocumented immigrants, a federal judge has found.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was sued by a group of Hispanic drivers who said his deputies relied on race when choosing whom to stop.

Judge Murray Snow ruled his deputies may not factor in Hispanic ancestry when making law-enforcement decisions.

Mr Arpaio denied the allegations.

The sheriff's office "has never used race and will never use race in its law-enforcement black friday sale decisions", said his lawyer Tim Casey, who promised to appeal the decision.

"This is an important victory that will resound far beyond Maricopa County," said Cecillia Wang, director of the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants' Rights Project.

"Singling people out for traffic stops and detentions simply because they're Latino is illegal and just plain un-American."

The ruling was handed down on Friday, eight months after a seven-day trial.

Only Hispanics

At the trial, Maricopa County officials testified that the sheriff's anti-illegal immigrant squad targeted locations where Hispanic day labourers gathered to await work.

The judge found the deputies did not routinely check the immigration status of every day labourer, merely those who were of Hispanic origin. Mr Arpaio himself testified he would not investigate the immigration status of white people because he assumed they were in the US legally.

"The evidence demonstrates that the [Maricopa County Sheriff's Office] specifically equated being a Hispanic or Mexican (as opposed to Caucasian or African-American) day labourer with being an unauthorized alien," Judge Snow wrote in a 142-page decision.

Judge Snow also found the deputies relied on pretexts to pull over vehicles in which they suspected the passengers to be illegal immigrants.

The ruling bars Maricopa County deputies from using Hispanic ancestry or race in making law-enforcement decisions, including in decisions to stop a person and verify his or her authorisation to be in the US.

It also bars the deputies from detaining Hispanic vehicle passengers based on "reasonable belief, without more", that they are in the country illegally.

Justice department suit

The case was brought by a Mexican tourist stopped outside a church where day labourers were known to congregate and subsequently detained for nine hours, the Arizona Republic reported.

He and others who sued Mr Arpaio alleged he ordered some immigration patrols based on citizens' complaints about brown-skinned people congregating or speaking Spanish.

Mr Arpaio's office has also been sued by the US justice department, which accused his office of multiple civil liberties violations, including punishing Hispanic jail inmates for speaking Spanish.

Mr Arpaio shot to prominence by forcing prisoners to wear pink underwear. In 2012, he suggested President Barack Obama's birth certificate was a forgery after an investigation by his "cold case posse".

• http://basketballshoes.steam-machine.com/2013/11/16/raf-duxford-the-country-club-of-the-eto-remembered/
• http://ameblo.jp/nop072/entry-11696503377.html
• http://ameblo.jp/def096/entry-11698668021.html

Short-haired bumblebee nests in Dungeness

A species of bee reintroduced to the UK after becoming extinct has Black Friday vans shoes nested for the first time in a quarter of a century.

The short-haired bumblebee started dying out in Britain in the 1980s and officially became extinct in 2000.

A reintroduction project saw queen bees brought over from Sweden.

After two releases of queens at the RSPB's Dungeness reserve in Kent, offspring worker bees have been recorded there for the first time.

Short-haired bumblebees were once widespread across the south of England but declined as their wildflower rich grasslands disappeared.

Nikki Gammans, who leads the project, said: "This is a milestone for the project and a real victory for conservation.

"We now have proof that this bumblebee has nested and hatched young and we hope it is on the way to become a self-supporting wild species in the UK.

'Fantastic reward'

"It's been a long journey to get here, from creating the right habitat for them, collecting queens in the Swedish countryside, scanning them for diseases and then eventually releasing them at Dungeness.

"Seeing worker bees for the first time is a fantastic reward for all that hard work but we still have a long way to go to ensure this population is safe and viable."

A first generation of queens, which were released last year, struggled in the summer's cold, wet conditions.

But a second release of queens from Sweden bolstered the colony.

The reintroduction project has involved work with farmers to create flower-rich meadows in Dungeness and Romney Marsh which have also boosted the numbers of other threatened bumblebees.

Further releases are planned to help build the population at Dungeness.

• http://ameblo.jp/def096/entry-11696302840.html
• http://pkgnshop.prapey.com/2013/11/16/still-living-the-corporate-dream-a-firsttimers-take-on-or/
• http://ameblo.jp/mszwsale/entry-11697207905.html

Hungarian homeless law bans sleeping rough

The Hungarian parliament has passed a law which aims to clear several thousand homeless people off the streets of Budapest and other towns.

The government says the law is designed to help the homeless, and that there are enough places in homeless shelters.

But critics deny that, and say the law criminalises the homeless, who could face community work, fines or even imprisonment.

The law is due to come into force next week.

Those caught sleeping rough in urban areas can be sentenced to community service or a fine, if they either refuse to move on when requested to, or are caught in the same area again.

Those who live in shacks in the woods are especially alarmed by one provision in the new law, which allows for those who build such structures without permission to be imprisoned.

'Enough places'

Several hundred protesters gathered outside parliament when the law was passed on Monday evening.

"Homeless people have always been harassed by the authorities," says Tessa Udvarhelyi, an activist of The City Belongs to Everyone, a civic group in Budapest.

"The difference is that this government… is codifying the fact that homeless people are stigmatised, harassed and criminalised."

She estimates that 10,000 people live on the streets of the capital, or in shacks they have built for themselves in the forests on the outskirts.

There are just under 6,000 places in hostels in the Hungarian capital. She says they are overflowing, especially in winter, leaving another 4,000 people to fend for themselves.

These figures are fiercely disputed by the government.

"There are plenty of places for daytime, and for night-time shelter," says Ferenc Kumin, black friday a spokesman for the right-wing government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"We believe that [they are] almost 100% covered."

The question is becoming especially acute as an Indian summer turns into the first cold days of autumn.

New hostels

The new law is actually an amendment to a 2012 law on "misdemeanours", which came into force but was then struck down by the Constitutional Court, only to be embedded in an amendment to the constitution passed in March this year.

The Fidesz party came to power on a tough "law and order" ticket, and some local Fidesz mayors in the capital have led the way in proposing a crackdown on the homeless.

The government has introduced a number of measures, from new hostels to a "heated streets" project, designed for the drunk and mentally disturbed who might not get a place in a normal shelter. There are also some places for couples and those with children.

But the demonstrators complain that most hostels offer little privacy, and take them away from the survival networks they build up in certain parts of the city - people who regularly bring them food, or money.

"I live in a tent in the outskirts. All I ask, from this or any government, is the chance to live decently," said Betti Fetter, 50, who has lived on the streets of Budapest for 23 years.

• http://ameblo.jp/mszwsale/entry-11696476233.html
• http://null.tumblr.com
• http://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/clarisonic/diary/201311160006/

Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes

For 75 years, Finland's expectant mothers have been given a box by the state. It's like a starter kit of clothes, sheets and toys that can even be used as a bed. And some say it helped Finland achieve one of the world's lowest infant mortality rates.

It's a tradition that dates back to the 1930s and it's designed to give all children in Finland, no matter what background they're from, an equal start in life.

The maternity package - a gift from the government - is available to all expectant mothers.

It contains bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby, as well as nappies, bedding and a small mattress.

With the mattress in the bottom, the box becomes a baby's first bed. Many children, from all social backgrounds, have their first naps within the safety of the box's four cardboard walls.

A 1947 maternity pack

Mothers have a choice between taking the box, or a cash grant, currently set at 140 euros, but 95% opt for the box as it's worth much more.

The tradition dates back to 1938. To begin with, the scheme was only available to families on low incomes, but that changed in 1949.

"Not only was it offered to all mothers-to-be but new legislation meant in order to get the grant, or maternity box, they had to visit a doctor or municipal pre-natal clinic before their fourth month of pregnancy," says Heidi Liesivesi, who works at Kela - the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.

So the box provided mothers with what they needed to look after their baby, but it also helped steer pregnant women into the arms of the doctors and nurses of Finland's nascent welfare state.

In the 1930s Finland was a poor country and infant mortality was high - 65 out of 1,000 babies died. But the figures improved rapidly in the decades that followed.

Mika Gissler, a professor at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, gives several reasons for this - the maternity box and pre-natal care for all women in the 1940s, followed in the 60s by a national health insurance system and the central hospital network.

Continue reading the main story Contents of the box Mattress, mattress cover, undersheet, duvet cover, blanket, sleeping bag/quilt Box itself doubles as a crib Snowsuit, hat, insulated mittens and booties Light hooded suit and knitted overalls Socks and mittens, knitted hat and balaclava Bodysuits, romper suits and leggings in unisex colours and patterns Hooded bath towel, nail scissors, hairbrush, toothbrush, bath thermometer, nappy cream, wash cloth Cloth nappy set and muslin squares Picture book and teething toy Bra pads, condoms Dressing baby for the weather: Finland's official childcare advice

At 75 years old, the box is now an established part of the Finnish rite of passage towards motherhood, uniting generations of women.

Reija Klemetti, a 49-year-old from Helsinki, remembers going to the post office to collect a box for one of her six children.

Continue reading the main story Box cheap black friday buy anticipation Mark Bosworth Finland

My partner Milla and I were living in London when we had our first child, Jasper, so we weren't eligible for a free box. But Milla's parents didn't want us to miss out, so they bought one and put it in the post.

We couldn't wait to get the lid off. There were all the clothes you would expect, with the addition of a snowsuit for Finland's icy winters. And then the box itself. I had never considered putting my baby to sleep in a cardboard box, but if it's good enough for the majority of Finns, then why not? Jasper slept in it - as you might expect - like a baby.

We now live in Helsinki and have just had our second child, Annika. She did get a free box from the Finnish state. This felt to me like evidence that someone cared, someone wanted our baby to have a good start in life. And now when I visit friends with young children it's nice to see we share some common things. It strengthens that feeling that we are all in this together.

"It was lovely and exciting to get it and somehow the first promise to the baby," she says. "My mum, friends and relatives were all eager to see what kind of things were inside and what colours they'd chosen for that year."

Her mother-in-law, aged 78, relied heavily on the box when she had the first of her four children in the 60s. At that point she had little idea what she would need, but it was all provided.

More recently, Klemetti's daughter Solja, aged 23, shared the sense of excitement that her mother had once experienced, when she took possession of the "first substantial thing" prior to the baby itself. She now has two young children.

"It's easy to know what year babies were born in, because the clothing in the box changes a little every year. It's nice to compare and think, 'Ah that kid was born in the same year as mine'," says Titta Vayrynen, a 35-year-old mother with two young boys.

For some families, the contents of the box would be unaffordable if they were not free of charge, though for Vayrynen, it was more a question of saving time than money.

She was working long hours when pregnant with her first child, and was glad to be spared the effort of comparing prices and going out shopping.

"There was a recent report saying that Finnish mums are the happiest in the world, and the box was one thing that came to my mind. We are very well taken care of, even now when some public services have been cut down a little," she says.

When she had her second boy, Ilmari, Vayrynen opted for the cash grant instead of the box and just re-used the clothes worn by her first, Aarni.

A boy can pass on clothes to a girl too, and vice versa, because the colours are deliberately gender-neutral.

The contents of the box have changed a good deal over the years, reflecting changing times.

During the 30s and 40s, it contained fabric because mothers were accustomed to making the baby's clothes.

Continue reading the main story More from the Magazine

Would you put your baby or toddler outside in the freezing cold for their lunchtime nap? Most Nordic parents wouldn't give it a second thought. For them it's part of their daily routine.

"I think it's good for them to be in the fresh air as soon as possible," says Lisa Mardon, a mother-of-three from Stockholm, who works for a food distribution company.

"Especially in the winter when there's lots of diseases going around... the kids seem healthier."

The babies who nap in sub-zero temperatures

But during World War II, flannel and plain-weave cotton were needed by the Defence Ministry, so some of the material was replaced by paper bed sheets and swaddling cloth.

The 50s saw an increase in the number of ready-made clothes, and in the 60s and 70s these began to be made from new stretchy fabrics.

In 1968 a sleeping bag appeared, and the following year disposable nappies featured for the first time.

Not for long. At the turn of the century, the cloth nappies were back in and the disposable variety were out, having fallen out of favour on environmental grounds.

Encouraging good parenting has been part of the maternity box policy all along.

"Babies used to sleep in the same bed as their parents and it was recommended that they stop," says Panu Pulma, professor in Finnish and Nordic History at the University of Helsinki. "Including the box as a bed meant people started to let their babies sleep separately from them."

At a certain point, baby bottles and dummies were removed to promote breastfeeding.

"One of the main goals of the whole system was to get women to breastfeed more," Pulma says. And, he adds, "It's happened."

He also thinks including a picture book has had a positive effect, encouraging children to handle books, and, one day, to read.

And in addition to all this, Pulma says, the box is a symbol. A symbol of the idea of equality, and of the importance of children.

Continue reading the main story The story of the maternity pack 1938: Finnish Maternity Grants Act introduced - two-thirds of women giving birth that year eligible for cash grant, maternity pack or mixture of the two Pack could be used as a cot as poorest homes didn't always have a clean place for baby to sleep 1940s: Despite wartime shortages, scheme continued as many Finns lost homes in bombings and evacuations 1942-6: Paper replaced fabric for items such as swaddling wraps and mother's bedsheet 1949: Income testing removed, pack offered to all mothers in Finland - if they had prenatal health checks (1953 pack pictured above) 1957: Fabrics and sewing materials completely replaced with ready-made garments 1969: Disposable nappies added to the pack 1970s: With more women in work, easy-to-wash stretch cotton and colourful patterns replace white non-stretch garments 2006: Cloth nappies reintroduced, bottle left out to encourage breastfeeding

Additional reporting by Mark Bosworth.

You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook

• http://www.sharetocents.com/usashoes55/2013/11/16/a-point-of-view-the-man-who-dreamed-of-the-atom-bomb-2/
• http://ameblo.jp/klm634/entry-11696478296.html
• http://newbalance20.ipadpainting.com/2013/11/16/living-history-people-recreating-scotlands-past/

Press alarm over Egypt overthrow

Newspapers across the world have reacted with concern to the overthrow of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.

Many commentators argue that he failed to live up to popular expectations and had to go.

But others believe that President Morsi's removal worsens divisions in Egypt. In China, state-run press stresses the need for stability, arguing that Western-style democracy is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

And a Pakistani daily says that the coup in Egypt sends a powerful warning to Islamist rulers worldwide.

Pan-Arab nationalist daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi:

"Egypt is still in a state of division two days after the military coup... The split is clear as millions of Egyptians are celebrating the overthrow of a regime which they say neither honoured its pledges nor accomplished anything, while other silent millions are still in a state of shock. They support the ousted president and the Islamic movement in general."

Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat:

"Muhammad Morsi and his clique miserably failed in reading the Egyptian political scene realistically and accurately... Morsi, the ruler of the largest Arab country, had a chance for historical greatness. He came to power through elections and democracy, but he never ruled the way he came to power."

Private, pro-government Saudi newspaper Al-Watan:

"The recent events in Egypt do not mean that Egyptians reject Islam in general, because Egyptians are conservative people. It was they who brought the Muslim Brotherhood to power. They have risen up against the performance of Morsi's government, not his Islamic ideology."

Syria's government-owned newspaper Al-Thawrah:

"[Islamists'] policies whether in Istanbul or Cairo revealed that their slogan 'Islam is the solution' was nothing but a means to come to power and put their sick and corrupt ideas into practice."

Jordan's private, pro-government daily Al-Ra'y:

"Egypt is at a crossroads... It is in danger, and the army will have to take further measures. The Brotherhood may ally with hostile forces that will enter Egypt, and it will then descend into chaos and unrest."

Jordan's private, pro-government daily Al-Dustur:

"It is so painful to see Arab indifference over the events in Egypt... We say to those who regard it as an internal affair that repercussions will have an impact on the Arab nation as a whole."

Lebanon's leftist, pro-Syrian newspaper Al-Safir:

"The Egyptian army moved at the right moment to steer events in Egypt in the right direction... Clearly, what the army did met people's demands."

Chinese Communist Party newspaper Renmin Ribao (People's Daily):

"Choosing whatever way to express their wishes is the free choice of the Egyptian people. However, there is an irrefutable truth in this world: There can be no development without stability."

Chinese People's Daily Overseas Edition:

"This 'pancake-flipping style' timberland uk of political transformation has not only made the volatile political situation in Egypt even more complicated and confusing, it has also poured cold water on the head of an 'Arab Spring' that is spreading like wildfire."

Beijing-based Global Times:

"The Western-style democratic system has not offered any new models for developing countries for years. On the one hand, countries simply copying the Western style came to grief; on the other hand, disputes surrounding democracy have been complex. With its chaos, Egypt has attracted the world's attention at this moment, partly because it has engendered pessimism over the prospects of revolutions."

Russia's state-owned Rossiyskaya Gazeta:

"What happened was inevitable. The military never actually went away, remaining behind the scenes and keeping a close eye on all that was going on. They are the most secretive part of Egyptian society, far more secretive than the Muslim Brotherhood, and more powerful, of course."

Centrist Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta:

"If the military manage to hold elections and win, on taking power they will face the same problems that Morsi could not handle. Then the Islamists will have an advantage, and their chances in the next political cycle will increase greatly."

Pakistan's popular Urdu-language Daily Express:

"Morsi was an honest, hardworking ruler and a well-wisher for Egypt. Under him, Egypt would have moved towards prosperity. But some difficult measures that he took provided an opportunity for internal and external powers to end his government. The removal of the Morsi government carries several messages for Muslim rulers and extremist elements: instead of imposing their ideas forcefully on others, they should take care of their rivals."

Indonesia's Jakarta Post:

"Outsiders are left wondering why, after Hosni Mubarak was toppled and the first democratic elections were held, the Egyptians took Morsi down. Did democracy not suit the Egyptians?"

Turkey's far-right, conservative Islamic newspaper Yeni Akit:

"A coup has taken place in Egypt. This means that there were people who wanted the Gezi Park events [recent protests in Turkey ] to result in a coup. What did not happen here has been done in Egypt."

Centre-left Turkish newspaper Aksam:

"Now the Western world has fallen silent watching the fascist coup in Egypt. Europeans, who establish democracy standards, protect the rights of flowers and bugs, gays, lesbians and animals, are speechless at the sight of the 'murder of democracy', the coup in Egypt."

BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.

• http://www.blogster.com/timberdland1/'CIA-agent-intercepted'-in-Moscow-by-FSB
• http://22894223.blog.hexun.com/89918608_d.html
• http://newbalance68.886blog.com/2013/11/16/on-the-trail-of-ss-accused-siert-bruins/

Anna Wardley successfully completes solo Isle of Wight swim

A Hampshire woman has successfully completed her bid to swim solo round the Isle of Wight.

Anna Wardley, 37, from Gosport, completed the 60-mile (96.6km) route from Ryde Sands.

It was expected to take 30 hours, but she did it in 26 hours, 33 minutes and 28 seconds.

TIMBERLAND FEMME HIGH TOP

It is part of a five-island challenge and follows completed swims around the island of Dragonera off Mallorca, Portsea and Jersey, last year.

She abandoned her attempt to swim around the Isle of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides in August after she began hallucinating from the effects of the cold water, and was unable to breathe properly.

Money raised during the five-island challenge will go to the Samaritans, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust and Sail Africa, which offers sailing courses for young people in South Africa.

Kevin Murphy is officiating the attempt on behalf of the British Long Distance Swimming Association. He was the first person to swim round the island in 1971.

Only three people have completed the feat with the last successful attempt in 1984.

• http://www.sharetocents.com/newbalance34/2013/11/16/coastguard-launches-rescue-after-woman-disappears-near-skegness-2/
• http://clarisonicukmia.blogspot.com/2013/11/timberland-releases-2011-csr-performance.html
• http://blackfriday5.sgg.willbeawesome.com/blog/69/plenty-of-reasons-to-plant-trees/

Fellowship of Earthkeepers – Class of 2010

The following story of a first-time tree planting experience in the Horqin Desert in Inner Mongolia comes from Arthur Ang, the regional marketing director for Timberland Asia.  Robert learned firsthand how impactful our tree planting initiative can be … not just for the environment and the local community, but for the volunteers themselves:

“You must plant your tree in our Timberland Forest in Horqin.”  Those were one of the first things that my colleagues told me when I joined Timberland.

I understand that we are an outdoor company but an annual trip to the Horqin Desert in Inner Mongolia to plant trees, are we stretching it just a little too much? I was intrigued, thought to myself that maybe there is more to this than just a casual, sightseeing, staff incentive trip.

The more I dug, the more I was impressed by the scale and commitment that we have towards the cause of reforestation globally and in Asia. The fact that we have been planting in Horqin for the past 10+ years (2010 was the 10th Anniversary) and that we planted the millionth tree there last April is truly amazing. What’s more impressive is that we started planting in Horqin even before we had an office or any form of business interest in China — this is so true of our mantra “it’s not what we do, it’s who we are”.

Last August, the marketing team from Timberland’s Asia headquarters, namely Robert Igabille (Trip Leader), Celine Teo and I planned the trip and were supported by the great marketing folks from the individual countries.

We decided to have a hard target of planting 2600 trees. The work would be done by the ‘Fellowship of Earthkeepers – Class of 2010,’ consisting of 129 individuals from all walks of life and from 6 countries.

It was the first time that I would be making the trip and I was totally buzzed the minute I stepped out of the door. The flight to Shenyang Airport was pretty straight forward, and from there it was another 4.5 hour car ride to the hotel that we were to stay in for this trip.  That’s when it started to get interesting.

The more in country we went, the more it was like turning back the clock, the pace, and ways of life became simpler.

It’s somewhat of a reality check and made us appreciate how much access and excess we readily have to technology and means of daily life that these villagers can never imagine existed.

For the next 3 days, bright and early at the crack dawn, together with the guides from Green Network (the NGO that we partner with in Horqin),we were herded into trucks and set off  into the desert. This is when it really hit home. We drove to a place with a huge plaque that says “Timberland Forest- since 2001,” we were told and showed in pictures that the vast expanse of trees in front of us was nothing but desert not long ago … and with the reforestation effort throughout these years, it’s recovered and is now a lush, green forest!

You could feel the sense of pride in the staff from Green Network as well as the members of our group that has been returning to Horqin year after year. For first timers like me, it was really motivating; you can’t help but feel that this is so right and that there is good in the world after all.

We were now really itching to do our part as well.

There were a few scenes during the 3 days of activities that really struck me and that I will always remember, Robert conversing with a local cobbler using the global language of craftsmanship, and making a friend in Inner Mongolia.  He also showed me the area that was planted when he was there in 2006, which was very special.

Robert showing me the trees from 2006.

Celine pointing to the row of seedlings that she planted last year; she started taking pictures of them, enthusiasm that is similar to a parent photographing her child! I could feel happiness when she saw them healthy and growing.

Proud Celine!

Lunch time was always fun, it gave us the opportunity to interact with the local villagers and share a table or mat, sample their local alcohol and foster camaraderie.

There was an unexpected event where the village chief surprised us and presented a flag to Stewart (Timberland’s vice president and managing director of Asia) as a token of appreciation for our efforts throughout the years and for improving the living conditions as well as providing a source of employment for the villagers.  This was really special.

However – the image that will always stay with me would be the one where everyone formed a human chain and watered every single tree that we planted; the cheering started from the first tree till the last (no joke!). That to me is when we truly demonstrated the meaning of  “The Fellowship of Earthkeepers.”

In reflection, being in a privileged position that helps set the vision of this program, I came away with an immense sense of pride as well as duty towards the good work that has already been done and realization that more has to be done.

The villagers as well as people in Timberland Mens Earthkeepers the town were skeptical of our intentions and commitment in the beginning but over time, they have come to realize our genuine good intentions, and now it’s a partnership based on trust and full of warmth.

It’s really satisfying to know that through our actions, the living conditions have improved as the trees have been effective in reducing the impact of sand storms, and it has also created jobs for the people throughout these years. Together with Green Network, we will continue to help in both areas.  We are committed to planting another 2 million trees in the next 10years (doubling our rate) and also exploring ways to further improve the living standard of the villagers, such as with a pilot project on growing cash crops like sweet corn.

In short, the reforestation of Horqin is not just about the environment and trees, it’s also about the human connection that comes with it, the bonding and the common understanding that we can play a part and do good …  not just for the time that we are in Horqin, but as an approach to practice in daily life.

I’m very proud to be part of this Fellowship of Earthkeepers. I believe that Commerce and Justice can co-exist, and it’s up to every individual to play their part.

In the spirit of The Timberland Forest in Horqin – 1 million Done, 2 Million More.

• http://newbalance52.prapey.com/2013/11/16/share-your-strength-for-childhood-hunger/
• http://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/nikefree/diary/201311160002/
• http://www.blogster.com/timbercland2/When-a-House-Becomes-a-Home

Spring’s Best Looks Are Blooming on Our Women’s Website

Even if spring isn’t quite in the air wherever you are, it’s coming to life on the pages of our new women’s website, where we’re showcasing the freshest spring styles Timberland has to offer.  For inspiration, check out the Gallery, where you’ll find real women wearing real Timberland footwear and clothing, and visit the “As Seen In” section to find out which Timberland products are showing up in style magazines all over the world.

To Timberland Mens 6 Inch give more insight into what Timberland has to offer this TIMBERLAND FEMME SANDALS spring, here’s Trend and Color Designer Layla to explain where she and her team found inspiration for this season’s “color of nothing:”

Kicking Off the Holidays with the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation

Timberland volunteers with Mark and Jim Wahlberg

A group of Timberland volunteers gave up a Sunday morning during this busy holiday season to share some joy with kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Boston.  Each year, the directors of the various clubs identify the kids with the highest needs, and they receive an invitation to attend a very special holiday party hosted by the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation (MWYF).  Timberland has been a part of this event for the past three years, providing our iconic yellow boots to the children that attend.

Timberland boots are just one of many gifts given at the party.  This year, the kids let out a raucous scream of excitement when they learned timberland sale that they would all be going home with a brand new Play Station Vita.

As Jimmy Wahlberg, director of the MWYF told the Timberland volunteers, the party is held in Timberland Womens High Top the spirit of the Wahlberg family’s Christmas and the notion of ‘paying it forward.’  While theirs was a family of limited means, Jimmy says that his parents always made sure that their nine kids had presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

A special treat for the kids and volunteers alike this year was that Mark Wahlberg himself attended the party.  While carrying one of his own children, he reminded the young group of party-goers, “when all you guys grow up and become successful, make sure you give back to the kids that need it, ok?  Don’t forget about the kids in the community.”

The video below showcases some of the highlights from the day.  Our thanks to Anchor Line Web & Screen Works for capturing the experience in video and photos, and to the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this memorable holiday tradition.

Thanksgiving US travellers hit the holiday roads

The US is marking the annual Thanksgiving holiday, with more Americans taking to the road or skies for family visits than in recent years.

An estimated 43m people are expected to travel before and after the holiday, the 2013 black friday highest number since 2007.

On Wednesday, poor weather on the East Coast caused widely expected Thanksgiving travel delays.

On Friday, eager shoppers are expected to form battle lines as stores open their doors early for sales.

The annual Black Friday shopping extravaganza usually sees retailers open as early as 03:00 or 04:00. This year, though, the rush has crept into Thanksgiving Day itself.

About 1,000 Gap stores will be open on Thanksgiving and several large retailers, including Target, Best Buy and Macy's will open at midnight.

Wal-Mart, which opens many of its "super-centres" 24 hours a day, will also open the rest of its stores at 22:00 on Thanksgiving.

Cutting corners

Despite a projected rise in traveller numbers, 2% fewer people are expected to travel by air compared to 2010, according to the Air Transport Association of America.

Continue reading the main story In Pictures: Thanksgiving in history Keeping Thanksgiving traditions alive

High fuel and flight costs have changed travel plans for some, but other travellers are determined to make the trip.

Shun Tucker, a Chicago resident, wanted to spend Thanksgiving with his family in Memphis, Tennessee, but told the Associated Press he did not want to spend an estimated $300 (£193) on a flight.

Instead, he chose to book a ticket for a nine-hour-bus ride at a cost of just $49.

"Family is important and we love the holiday," Bill Curtis, a retiree from Los Angeles told the news agency. "So we cut corners [in] other places so we can afford to travel."

Occupy Thanksgiving

On Thursday, US President Barack Obama officially proclaimed the holiday, which celebrates the Pilgrims' first harvest in what is now the state of Massachusetts.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Barack Obama: "It's one of the worst days of the year to be a turkey"

"As members of our American family make do with less, let us rededicate ourselves to our friends and fellow citizens in need of a helping hand," he said.

Mr Obama fulfilled his other Thanksgiving duty on Wednesday, by pardoning a turkey. Since taking office, he has created his own tradition of pardoning an additional turkey.

Other Thanksgiving arrangements are not so traditional.

Occupy Wall Street protesters will mark the holiday with an "open feast" of 3,000 individually wrapped plates of food at Zuccotti Park, organisers said.

In San Antonio, Texas, volunteers are preparing to serve an estimated 25,000 people at the 32nd annual Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner.

The event was set up by a restaurant owner, Raul Jimenez, who delivered food to senior citizens on the holiday and noticed how many people spent Thanksgiving alone.

Apple iTunes match music service launches with outage

Apple has rolled out its iTunes Match cloud music service to the UK and other parts of the world.

For a fee Apple scans users' libraries, allowing songs to be replaced with higher quality versions. These can then be accessed from other Apple devices.

The service has been described black friday sale as an "amnesty for music pirates" although it does not formally protect users against copyright infringement prosecutions.

A glitch marred the launch, locking some users out of their accounts.

For a £21.99 annual charge, users can match and replace up to 25,000 songs stored on their computer, including CD-rips as well as tracks obtained by other means.

Apple said it does not change anything in users' music libraries unless they choose to download the firm's "high-quality" versions to replace their existing files.

Record labels

If the initial scan finds songs it does not recognise on the user's hard drive, they are uploaded to Apple's servers.

Users can then download or stream the songs to other computers logged into their iTunes account, as well as to iPhones, iPads and other iOS devices. It removes a previous restriction that caused users to be charged if they downloaded songs for a second time from Apple's online store.

Google's rival cloud music service has yet to launch outside the US

Music industry insiders have welcomed the launch.

"We believe that it creates a great and seamless experience for music buyers that will ultimately see increased sales and digital conversion," Paul Smernicki, director of digital for Universal Music UK, told the BBC.

Analysts had originally thought it would take Apple longer to get permission from record labels for the UK launch.

"The reason why this can happen is because Apple essentially owns the music industry's most valuable customers - the ones spending the lion's share in the digital marketplace," said Mark Mulligan, an independent digital analyst.

"The major record labels are more willing to do things in Apple's ecosystem than they would elsewhere."

Although Amazon and Google offer rival cloud music services, they have yet to offer them to UK customers.

Spotify allows users to stream music they do not own from its servers, but either imposes a 10 hours per month limit or charges a minimum £4.99 per month fee.

'Amnesty'

Experts say Apple is not focused on making its service a moneyspinner.

"It's not really a revenue generator for Apple, but is another way to make their devices more appealing and more painful to switch to a rival's device when it is time to upgrade," said Benedict Evans from Enders Analysis.

When the service launched in the US a month ago, reports noted that Apple had agreed to share the subscription fee with record labels - effectively helping them monetise illegal downloads.

"The record labels know that they will get more revenue from the matched content in iTunes than they do from their anti-piracy and lobbying efforts," said Mr Mulligan.

"This is also formal recognition that the majority of digital music consumers tend to get music from lots of sources, including illegal ones, as well as buying legitimate MP3s. The music labels may not say it but they now accept they will never win the war against piracy."

Mr Evans added that claims of an "amnesty" might have been overplayed.

"There is an argument that this launders your pirated music. But frankly as a consumer what difference does that make?" he said.

"The word amnesty implies there was some sort of penalty out there - frankly no-one was going to break down your door and tell you off. So this really doesn't change anything in practical terms."

Glitch?

The international launch of the service coincided with an apparent outage.

A search of Twitter revealed that subscribers across the world had complained that iTunes had refused to recognise their Apple IDs, and said access to Apple's other cloud services was also affected.

However, reports suggested that the problem had been fixed later in the day.

Apple told the BBC that the sign in process "is now working fine".

Waitrose ups pressure on Ocado with virtual store

The grocery chain Waitrose is stepping up its online presence by opening a giant virtual store.

The move means it will be black friday deals able to supply more products direct to customers, sidestepping its delivery partner, Ocado.

Traditionally, Waitrose products have been delivered by the specialist online business.

A new agreement between the two will allow Waitrose to deliver direct, albeit from stores rather than a depot.

A clause in the two companies' 10-year contract - signed last year - will this summer allow Waitrose to supply web-based orders as long as it does so from stores within the M25.

By adding a giant virtual store, Waitrose will be able to vastly boost its operations as demand grows.

Earlier this year Ocado said it planned to make big increases in capacity to meet growing demand.

Ocado saw sales rise 25% in the 12 weeks to 20 February compared with a year earlier, and said it was unable to meet demand fully.

It is building new warehouses to expand capacity.

Waitrose is owned by the John Lewis Partnership, whose pension fund sold its stake in Ocado in February this year leading to speculation the two Black Friday uggs food businesses would become competitors.

Ocado said it was "delighted to see Waitrose expanding its presence".

It added: "In areas where Ocado and Waitrose operate together, both brands grow faster."

Pair of hit-and-run cats rescued from Fife road

Two cats have been rescued after they were both hit by cars on a Fife road.

The cats were seriously injured when they were struck by a car or cars on the B981 Crossgates to Cowdenbeath at Woodend Industrial Estate, Cowdenbeath.

They were both hit near the garage on Friday black friday sale night. A young, black short-haired female suffered a fractured pelvis and a ruptured abdomen.

She was discovered lying at the side of the road by a member of the public at about 20:00.

A passerby then saw a second cat, a semi-long-haired tabby and white male being hit by a car in the same area at about 21:30. He has a fractured pelvis and jaw.

Scottish SPCA Inspector Nicola Liddell said: "These incidents were unusual because the two cats were hit on the same stretch of road and within a relatively short space of time of each other.

The black short-haired female suffered a fractured pelvis and a ruptured abdomen

"I immediately took the cats to the vets for treatment.

"They have both undergone surgery and thankfully they appear to be making a good recovery.

"The little black female remains at the vets for now, but the male cat has had his jaw wired and is now being made comfortable at our Edinburgh and Lothians black friday Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre.

"The cats are both very well natured so they are clearly much loved pets.

"We're keen to reunite them with their owners who must be missing them."

Anyone who knows who the cats' owners are being asked to contact the Scottish SPCA.

Musicians needed to recreate Andy Warhol's band and hang out

Musicians are needed to perform as the Velvet Underground in a Southampton bar this summer.

A one-off gig forms part of the city's Warhol events around an exhibition of over 200 works by the famous artist.

In June, up to three bands will perform as the sixties rock group, each playing a 15-30 minute set.

The venue for the gig is the Soul Cellar, which coach outlet canada is being recreated as Andy Warhol's 1960's hang-out, Max's Kansas City.

The New York bar was the centre for emerging art, fashion and music and became a home from home for the artist who had his own back room at the venue.

The experimental band, fronted by Lou Reed were taken on by Warhol who was looking for a new creative outlet.

After adding German model and singer, Nico he installed them as the house band at his studio, The Factory, and became the band's manager.

The avant-garde artist helped fund their first record.

It was self-titled, but known as the "banana album" as it featured a cover painting by Warhol of a banana.

• http://phyllis2012.blog.fc2blog.us/blog-entry-10.html
• http://timberyland9.prapey.com/2013/11/13/apprendre-la-chute-libre/
• http://basketballshoes.steam-machine.com/2013/11/14/waiting-for-international-justice-in-serbia/

Dixons Retail pushed into loss by Pixmania costs

Dixons Retail, the owner of Currys and PC World, has reported a loss after being hit by costs from its troubled online outlet Pixmania.

It posted an annual pre-tax loss of £115.3m, after being hit by asset writedowns and restructuring charges, mainly relating to Pixmania.

However, stripping out one-off costs, underlying pre-tax profits increased by 15% to £94.5m.

Like-for-like sales increased by 4%, with good growth in UK sales.

The group has seen UK sales increase by 7% over the last year, following the demise of rival Comet in 2012. Dixons says that it now has a 21% of lululemon canada the electrical goods market.

The UK sales growth helped to offset the fall in sales in austerity-hit European countries such as Greece.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

"It's tough out there and we don't anticipate that getting better in the near future," chief executive Sebastian James told the BBC.

'Complicated story'

Pixmania recorded an overall loss of £31.3m, with sales falling by 24%. The company has cut more than 600 jobs in the division over the year.

Dixons said it had "refocused" its web-based outlet and had reduced costs.

On the Pixmania restructuring, Mr James said: "We've spent this year cleaning up the business and focusing it on what it does really well, and we're now exploring all the options to see what we should do about it this year."

Liz Faulkner, from retail consultancy Conlumino, said that the group faced a number of challenges ahead and predicted that growth in the UK will be minimal.

"Dixons has ended its year posting a strong set of results; but behind the market beating headline lies a more complicated story, with the group working adeptly to react to a period that has bought a variety of challenges across its European businesses," she said.

• http://basketballshoes.cnconsite.dk/2013/11/08/10-days-of-fabulous-films-and-one-cool-map/
• http://ameblo.jp/kitrsale/entry-11677836768.html
• http://newbalance52.prapey.com/2013/11/14/twinkies-firm-hostess-brands-wins-liquidation-bid/

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go” with the Front Country Travel Collection

This past Spring I graduated from the University of New Hampshire and while at a post-commencement celebration, I was particularly surprised when a family friend approached me and handed me a Dr. Seuss book, “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” This was the most unique gift I received that day, and after a quick read, it turned out to be a simple yet very sincere story, a tale of chasing your dreams and moving mountains along the way.

After spending the summer working on the grounds crew at a local golf course, while wearing my faithful Timberland 6” yellow boots, I now find myself sitting at Timberland’s headquarters in Stratham, NH working as an intern in the Global Marketing Department. I couldn’t be happier with the way things have played out since graduation. Growing up in Stratham, I’ve always known that Timberland was right here in my own backyard, and I am very excited that my relationship with the brand has gone from wearing my Premium 6” boots out on the golf course, to working here at the corporate headquarters.

One of the first tasks doled out by my manager was to connect with the men’s product design team to learn how an idea and inspiration becomes a collection of shoes. So I sat down with the Designer and Product Manager responsible for the popular Front Country Travel collection, and I came away from that conversation with a newfound appreciation for the stories that help inspire our products — and I started to discover an odd connection to the strange gift that I received that day at my graduation party.

The Front Country Travel collection are shoes designed for the man who is going places and needs a versatile shoe to help get him through his day. This shoe is inspired by the traveling man who does not have time to change his shoes for every event in his busy daily schedule, and is looking for the perfect mix of style and functionality in a single multi-use shoe. The Front Country Travel collection delivers excellent comfort for long Timberland Womens days of travel from point A to point B. From the office to the airport, to a stroll in the countryside, to dinner at a local pub, the Front Country Travel brings you a stylish, versatile shoe that can be worn for every occasion.

Because the Front Country Travel is designed to be worn in a variety of different situations, it must look good and be comfortable. The suede outer material provides a stylish look that is appropriate for the office or a night out on the town, but is also lightweight and breathable for maximum comfort. The 15% recycled rubber lug sole is built with traction control to help conquer any terrain, while the foot also rests atop a Timberland anti-fatigue footbed, designed to absorb shock and provide all day comfort for your feet.

The way I like to look at it is that the Front Country Travel is the perfect shoe to take me on the journey into my young professional career. Six months ago I received “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” as a gift, having no idea where my shoes would take me in the coming months. I was transitioning between leaving college life and trying to find the best path to take to begin my career. Now after my first month at Timberland the path is becoming clearer, and I think it’s time to get myself a pair of Front Country Travels to carry me forward to the many places I’ll go in the future.

You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

~Dr. Seuss ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’

Ironically, my feet have led me to Timberland, right here in my hometown, and I couldn’t be any happier.

The Season of Giving

Ann Caron is Timberland’s Code of Conduct Coordinator … and yesterday, she was one of a team of Timberland volunteers that helped to make the holidays a little brighter (and drier) for 250 children in our local community:

Yesterday I had the privilege to volunteer at a Timberland “shoe fit” for the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.  I, along with fifteen other Timberland employees and family members, fitted 250 kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston with yellow boots as part of the Youth Foundation’s annual Christmas party for families in need.

Some of the things we witnessed were truly humbling.  I measured one boy’s foot to be a size 5, but he was currently wearing a size 3.  One boy told the person fitting him that he BOTTES UGG wanted his boots to be bigger so he could pass them along to one of his 6 siblings.  One boy refused to be fitted because he was embarrassed that he wasn’t wearing socks.

Ann Caron (front left) and Timberland volunteers spreading holiday cheer at the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation Christmas party

The fact that Timberland was part of this wonderful event makes me so proud and grateful to be part of this company …and appreciative to have experienced Timberland Mens what is truly important during this holiday season.

Ann