Welsh speakers have been urged by a former mayor of Aberystwyth to have more children to help secure the future of the language.

Sion Jobbins, who has recently become a father for the third time, said politicians need to tackle the subject.

Full BBC Article

I am all in favour of diversity but I find it a bit OTT to actually tell people to have more children to save a language.
A language is certainly alive as long as there are people prepare to speak it. It is also alive as long as it continues to evolve.

But as everything else it is a natural process, you can only keep it alive artificially for so long.
If Welsh has to survive it will.

I'm not entirely sure I'd like to tell my children I had them for the survival of the language.

My boring Saturday reached its climax when I caught myself reading the Myanmar Times. The official newspaper from Burma (undoubtely approved by all the dodgy military individuals that form the government of that country).
It is a fairly boring newspaper. I read an article that says:

OFFICIALS from the Yangon Division Buses Control Committee (Yangon and Highway) are urging bus workers and passengers to be alert for suspicious packages on public transport and in bus terminals.

“We have instructed bus staff not to open suspicious packages or bundles, but rather immediately inform officials of their presence,” said committee secretary Myat Hla.

The alert was issued following the detonation of six small bombs in Yangon on April 20.

“We have told bus ticket sellers not to sell to anyone without a national ID card, and to write each passenger’s ID number on the bus seating plan and on the ticket,” he said.

He said that at the highway bus stations, police and military personnel check passenger IDs against the seating plans and at the entrances and exits of the terminal buildings.

“The security teams inform us if they find any bus lines breaking the rules,” said Lieutenant Colonel Tin Nyunt. “For example, if a bus line sells multiple tickets under a single ID card, we will suspend the bus line from running for seven days.”

Full article

Well Charles Clarke has already said that ID cards cannot stop any terrorist attacks, but the point is who is behind those bombs, why are they not saying anything?

By the way, Aung San Suu Kyi will stay in jail. Emails to appeal against the decision can be sent directly to Senior General Than Shwe.

Knives are on the news a lot recently. We have at the moment a knife amnesty underway at the moment which means people can dispose of their sharp weapons with no questions asked.
In the meantime a schoolboy was stabbed to death in London last week for no reasons at all. And today apparently a man was stabbed to death on a train in Cumbria.

I've always been a city dweller, I've met people that claim to carry knives including quite a lot of women, I don't normally associate with them when I have a choice as I don't like any kind of weapons and I don't see why anybody would carry any if not with the intent of hurting someone which is not something I particularly want to do. I use a knife to butter my toast.
I've often been told it's for self defence because "everyone" carries them, but then again I'm not dealing drugs or involved with any criminal activity and if I get mugged chances are that any weapons in my pockets would be used against me or if I'm really lucky stolen from me.
I might be completely naive but I'm never felt that unsafe, even in my youth, to feel the urge to carry a knife. Have things gone so bad and as usual I've not noticed?
Do I need to send my daughter to archery classes?

Thousands of people have joined an anti-racism march in Belgium following the killing of a woman of African origin and a two-year-old child.
They marched silently in the rain through Antwerp where an 18-year-old man shot the girl and her nanny.

Full BBC article

Now, I find it difficult to find words when I read things like this.
Everything has already been said many times, this is nothing new.
I know that it's a complex issue.But no issue is complex enough to go around shooting women and babies. Well anybody for that matter.
Apparently at the next election for the Antwerp's city council a party that sounds very similar to the BNP is expected to get control.
What worries me is that throughout Europe these unsavoury parties are getting more and more support.
They are manipulating the public's discontent with the main parties (and we have been lucky here in the UK that the economy has so far been good but other countries have not been that lucky, another reason that increases people's dissatisfaction).

I forgot about spring again, it's here I can see it now but I always seem to miss these important events. I nearly miss Christmas last year.

I never notice any new fashion, until someone points them out to me and normally by then I'm two years too late. I just don't spend much time looking at what people are wearing.
I never notice cars, occasionally I look at them and realise that they have changed but I could not even start to describe my own car. It has wheels though, I think.

I never pay any attention to commercials. My brain seems to switch off automatically when faced with any form of advertising. People have often asked me "have you seen the commercial that...?". I never have, it's embarassing.
I even tried to force myself to watch and absorb commercials to feel a bit more...well normal but it doesn't work. I wonder if marketing companies have labelled people like me, I guess with something like "no hope" or "waste of space", I'd like to know I cannot believe I'm the only one.

Now we have a very nice looking dog who was abandoned somewhere in Wales and rescued. Not only he has now found a new home but he is to appear in a local production of La Boheme by Puccini, yes he is going to play a dog and no he is not going to sing.

Full BBC article

I know that I'm always the last one to know, but today I've discovered Wikitravel. A pretty obvious subject to have a wiki about, travelling has always relied on word of mouth information and the Internet can provide that in a big way.

I'm not planning any trips for the foreseable future but I still enjoy reading about places, a passion I've always had since I can remember. I only wished we had the Internet when I was a kid, I had to find information the hard way

30-year-old mother of three has appeared before magistrates in Devon accused of failing to recycle household waste properly.

Donna Challice, of Wonford, Exeter, is being prosecuted for contaminating recyclable rubbish under the Environmental Protection Act.

She denies six charges brought by Exeter City Council in what is thought to be the first case of its kind.

The case was adjourned by Cullompton magistrates for two weeks.

She was released on bail and will next appear at the same court on 5 June for a pre-trial review.

The offences of putting food waste into recycling bins are alleged to have taken place on 2 and 16 November 2005, 30 and 14 December 2005, and 8 and 22 February 2006.

Full BBC article

Ok, fine, but I would also like to see companies charged for disposing of all the rubbish and packaging that they constantly inflict us with. I still see the streets littered with fast food wrappings and the lot, bins are always full and I can only stuff my pockets to some extent. I think that the main culprits should be fined first. About 40% of what we buy at the supermarket is useless packaging that we have to dispose of.

A COMPUTER programmer whose BBC job application led to him mistakenly broadcasting live to a worldwide audience was last night still waiting to hear whether he’d got the job.

Guy Goma, who was ushered before live cameras and interviewed as an internet expert, said that he was “traumatised” by the experience.

The Times - Full article

The ultimate job interview: that ends up been broadcasted live all over the world. And most people get nervous when interviewed by two people:D . Not even Monster.co.uk gives advice on how to get ready for an interview like this.

I don't think this has ever happened before: a rockstar editing a paper. Bono gets his chance to talk about Africa on a national newspaper for a day.

I know that some think that rockstars should not get involved with politics, in an ideal world probably they shouldn't. But this is also the world where politicians don't seem to do their jobs. Someone has to do it. And nobody trusts politicians anymore, nobody wants to listen to them any longer. It is sad but Bono will certainly get a higher credibility rating than say Tony Blair.

To give him credit, whatever he manages to achieve will be always better than taking drugs and smashing hotel rooms up (is that a more acceptable rockstar behaviour?).

The first drought order for more than a decade was issued today, laying the ground for the watering of parks and sports grounds and the use of fountains to be banned later this month.
Sutton and East Surrey Water have been given the power to ban the non-essential use of water, and other regions, including London, could follow, as concerns mount about a drought that could be the worst in 100 years.

Full article

We live in a fairly safe island, probably one of the safest places in the world as far as nature is concerned. Not a seismic place, no volcanoes, no poisonous snakes, insects are pretty tame, no malaria, hardly any hurricanes but still, we might be without water soon.

I can't imagine what it would be like having a limited supply of water. We are so used to have everything in abundance, if that is the case, well there might be interesting times ahead.

I read that Warner Bros is starting soon an online on demand movies download service. Somehow I think this is the way to move forward, at least for me.
Since Napster started its legal service I don't buy anymore CDs, I don't even buy music, I rent"" it. Renting means that with the money I would need to buy a CD I can listen to whatever I want whenever I want it for a whole month. It also means that I don't make any tactical mistakes anymore of buying something I don't like, of investing money in a temporary fad and I can listen to more music. Without doing anything illegal.

Besides the choice, I was getting tired of accumulating stuff, most of this stays unused for long periods of time and everytime I need to move house I regret having so many belongings. I was quite fond of old vinyl but that has gone, CDs have never been very romantic anyway.
Plus with digital streaming the quality stays the same, I don't lose it and friends don't borrow it never to return it. And it is more environmentally friendly with less wrappers and plastic involved.

I have to admit that I'm still accumulating books, I don't think that the digital versions have managed to substitute the pleasure of reading a proper book including the tactile feeling and the smell of print. E-books just don't do it for me.

The British system is a bit weird, everytime you need to prove your identity you need to dig out utilities bills, letters addressed to you, payslips and so on. It can be a real pain.
I know that in other countries you can simply prove your identity by showing an ID card which seems rather simple and convenient.
Unfortunately the ID cards plan has failed to convince me as it's too orwellian, expensive and I think not very well thought out.
I do not believe for a second that ID cards would prevent crime, it might just prevent some underaged drinking, as most crime is either done on the spur of the moment or planned out in advance therefore ID cards just becomes another hurdles that can be overcome. I fail to see how they could stop terrorism and no one has managed to explain me how they would, Charles Clarke himself said they would not and he was supposed to be the expert

I don't like the idea of a database holding all my data, I work with them and know how unreliable any IT system can still be.
I don't like the idea of having to go to see a doctor and being told that they cannot find me on the database, and although they know me very well they might say to me "sorry, but this is the procedure".
I don't like the idea of various public or private companies, assorted quangos, you name it, it accessing my data at will. I'm getting far too much junk mail as it is, thanks.
I don't like the idea of having to pay a fee everytime I need to update my information or paying a fine if I don't.

But also I don't like that all this should come from a man who only 10 years ago said this:

"Instead of wasting hundreds of millions of pounds on compulsory ID cards as the Tory Right demand, let that money provide thousands more police officers on the beat in our local communities"
Tony Blair

I tend to respect consistent people even when I don't agree with them. Or people that have the courage to remain consistent no matter what it entails. I'm asking too much, I know.

I find this very funny:

Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez arrives in London today with an extraordinary promise to offer cut-rate heating oil for needy families in Europe, modelled on a similar campaign in the US which has been seen partly as a bid to embarrass President George Bush.
Full article

He is a hopeless utopist with no doubt, but he has a point. American style capitalism is only working for a minority of people, it even fails millions of Americans. It is corrupt and quite often immoral.
And multinationals have had far too much power. There have not been any alternatives to this although I think a newer approach is needed soon. I'm not sure how things will turn out to be but I can see them changing, if we are not prepared to do it ourselves, planet Earth will make us do it.

I was reading about the eruption of Mount Merapi in Indonesia and I found that it is called a Decade Volcano.
There are 16 Decade Volcanoes in the world which are those identified as having a history of very destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas.
There are four Decade Volcanoes in Europe: Etna, Vesuvius, Santorini and Teide in the Canary Islands.
Given the size of Europe we must have the highest concentration of Decade Volcanoes.

One of the new services provided by Google is Google Trends, I know that everyone is playing with it at the moment which is not surprising as it provides hours, well at least minutes of entertainment.
For instance, if I look up Beethoven it tells me that the top three countries interested in it are Chile, Mexico and Hungary. Mozart is mostly searched in Austria, Spain and Hungary while Verdi in Italy, Germany and Norway. Chopin is seached in Poland, Singapore and France and Schubert in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. Frank Sinatra and the Beatles are very popular in South America and Elvis Presley must have a revival in Chile and Scandinavia. Pink Floyd also do well in Chile, Argentina and Italy while Bob Dylan scores highly In Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Newest things like the Arctic Monkeys are seached in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand.
I leave it like this as I could go on for a very long time but it is all pointless information after all.

As usual I am not surprised at all by the latest revelations:

Britain's bestselling antidepressant, Seroxat, can cause adults as well as children to become suicidal, according to the manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline.

GSK, which for years denied there was a problem with the drug, has sent a letter to all doctors in Britain warning of the potential risk in some adult patients. The company has reanalysed data from the clinical trials of the drug and found that significantly more adults who were given Seroxat became suicidal than those given a placebo. Seroxat has been banned from use in children by the UK drug regulator for the same reason. The revelation came as the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, declared the end of the "Prozac nation" yesterday, launching a programme to cut the numbers of patients on drugs such as Prozac and Seroxat and extend counselling to the thousands of people with mild to moderate depression and anxiety......David Healy, professor of psychiatry and director of the north Wales department of psychological medicine, who has for years called for warnings about the suicide risk of SSRIs, said yesterday that GSK had been in possession of the statistics it was now making public for at least 15 years."Seroxat has a severe withdrawal syndrome, which seems to me to be worse than for other drugs in the group, and the withdrawal syndrome in its own right is linked to people becoming suicidal," he said.

Full article

I'm interested in this because I believe that pharmaceutical companies have to maximise profits.
To do that they might have to sell drugs that are useless and/or dangerous, Therefore this kind of news are not very surprising, it is one of the major flaws of modern capitalism, profit is the mother of invention, which is a good thing, but is also the main determining factor on all business decisions.
It might work quite well with telecoms suppliers or car manufacturers but it does not work very well when we are talking about our health.

Clashes over an attempt to allow the terminally ill to end their lives flared today as a bill to legalise assisted dying began its second reading in the House of Lords.

But the former human rights lawyer faces a long day of hostility both outside and inside the chamber - including from the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who is due to speak in the marathon debate expected in the Lords today.
Full article
Not a new issue, neither a happy issue. But it won't go away. According to various polls around 82% of UK residents are in favour. All churches are against it.
The arguments against it are mainly a religious one, we cannot go against God's will, which I might have taken seriously were not for the fact that a vast proportion of people would not reached the age of 70 without some medical intervention.
Considering that lots of medical treatments are no longer a matter of taking a couple of pills and going away but may include genetic research and transplants which might be seen as playing God, I think lots of people are already reaching a ripe old age without God's will.
In many cases, the case of ending a life will occur only when the life has been already prolonged. Part of the argument says that these days pain relief and palliative care are so good that people can tollerate a vast amount of pain.
I'm not entirely convinced that seen in a religious context prolonging a life is ok while not prolonging is not. Also I don't know whether to live totally doped with morphine or something similar is such a great life. But I think it is up to the individual to decide what quality of life they are prepared to accept.
The other argument that I have often heard is that some families will abuse the system thus getting rid of unwanted elderly people.
I think this is a bit naive, I'm sure that you can have a more foolproof system. To me euthanasia does not mean that anyone can go and kill anyone who is elderly or ill. I would definitely be against such a system.

I think the main problem at the moment is that the law is a mess:

To make the matter even more complex, the courts have given doctors the go-ahead to accelerate death in a succession of rulings on individual patients undergoing insufferable pain, but have refused to make more sweeping judgments on the grounds that this is an issue for parliament. Such inconsistencies have led to high profile appeals, such as that by motor neurone disease sufferer Diane Pretty, who unsuccessfully battled in the European court of human rights for the right to be helped to die by her husband.

Full article

As usual I don't get it. Until recently one of the ills of the NHS was its permanent shortage of nursing staff. Fair enough. Nurses were recruited abroad including in some third world countries that could have been a good thing for the individual nurse but a bad thing for that country. The Home Office was giving special visas for nurses and their families. In the London hospitals I have been it was not unusual to find a nurse with a very poor command of English. Fair enough. Now suddenly there are too many. And there will be too many in the future too as training places are cut. What I don't get is the total lack of planning shown in this case, I only see reactions caused by panic.

The Royal College of Nursing, which represents nurses, said moves to cut the number of student nurses were short-sighted.

"We have to have enough nurses coming through," she added. ...

Concerns were expressed at the nursing union's annual conference in Bournemouth, at which Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt was booed and heckled.

"We delivered on that, and exceeded the targets we set. We now have over 85,000 more nurses working in the NHS in England than in 1997."

BBC article

As I cannot find an ideal country I have decided to start one, only virtually for the time being. Unfortunately even in this role playing game I have started to have environmental issues and strikes (pizza workers).
As everyday I am voting for different issues I'm quite curious to see how my country will turn out to be in the long term or at least until I get fed up.

I've always have had a soft spot for animals, maybe too many Walt Disney's cartoons maybe the fact that, unlike people, animals are very WYSIWYG. Maybe not, an article on the New Scientist now says us that dolphins have names and call each other.

Each dolphin begins developing its own signature whistle during infancy and keeps it throughout its lifetime. Researchers had previously shown that dolphins respond more to the calls of their close kin. They hypothesised that the animals identify one another by the briefly whistled tunes.

Full article

I have to laugh, I was waiting for Blair to go even before the past two weeks. I think that only the local elections results should be a good enough reason for Blair to resign. He doesn't want to go, he doesn't even name a date for his departure. He does not even give a damn for his party any longer, given the low support Labour has at the moment he would take a better man a long time to win the public's trust and respect back. Provided Gordon Brown can do the job, I'm not entirely sure of that, if the man does not get a chance to prove himself pretty soon, New Labour will have to become New New Labour to get elected again. It has all become a farce, we will have to get used to the New Tories which will be exactly like New Labour. No wonder hardly anybody bothers to vote.

As anticipated Labour got quite slaughtered at the local elections.
I'm not crying about it, I think as the sleazy Tories before them sleazy New Labour deserves everything it gets, although to be fair local elections should be about local issues not a referendum on the Prime Minister no matter how much we dislike him. But the temptation to punish him was very strong. I am now living in a Tory run borough, it might take a while to come to terms with that. Since I have been in London this is the first time for me.

BNP and housing

I believe that one of the many reasons people might have voted BNP is the housing crisis. There is hardly any social housing left in London, I would blame Margaret Thatcher for that rather than foreigners. But what is real and what is perceived are two different matters. The reality is not, I believe that immigrants and or refugees normally jump any queue. Although I would like to know why after the attempted kind of bombs we found out that at least one bomber, healthy, no children and in his early twenties had his own council flat. To be fair asylum seeker or not a person in this situation should do what most British healthy, single and with no children people do: LIVE IN A BLOODY BEDSIT.

Following one of the many Housing Acts, this I believe from 2002, councils are penalised if they fail to provide permanent council accomodation to homeless families with children.
By all means, I do not want to see children in the streets, it is one of the good things that you see in this country compared to others. But I think that councils, partly because of the housing shortage partly because of bad management, try too hard to reach these targets while neglecting other groups of people i.e. disabled, people with illnesses, people living in unacceptable conditions and so on if they do not have any children.
Overall I hate targets as they never seem to take into account every individual case, their only aim is to look good on paper.
As, at least in London, ethnic minorities families tend to have more children, the perceived opinion is that "they" will get housing quicker.
Besides the usual rhetoric I think the only way to defeat a party like the BNP (a party that thrives on it) is to provide a fairer access to resources for everyone and I think housing is one of the most important and obvious ones.

I' ve listened to some of Neil Young's controversial new album Living with War (legally I want to emphasise) and to be honest I don't like it.
I admit to be prejudiced from the start as I've never really liked Neil Young who I find mostly overrated, the fact that I only like two tracks of his out of hundreds he has written, speaks for itself.
Although I might agree with the spirit of Impeach the President I find it a bit awkward to accept it from somehow who seems to change his political views every other day. I know it's important to be flexible in life but within limits.
Musically, I find the chorus quite annoying and the whole thing just very uninspiring, but as I don't like Neil Young in the first place that should not come as a surprise.