CREAKY CAMERON

With just days to go until the election is called, election fever is really ramping up. After Labour was lambasted in the press by business leaders who are against the proposed rise in National Insurance contributions [to the delight of the Conservatives], it seems as thought the fight for Downing Street is going to get messy.

But that shiny veneer on PR man Cameron appears not so glossy in the video below. Cameron is being interviewed but it’s not going to well. The TV friendly Dave is slipping up all over the place. He’s like a nervous teenage boy fumbling in the back of a T reg. Vauxhall Corsa, trying to undo a brastrap for the first time.

Is David Cameron really ready to lead the country if he can’t get through a simple TV interview? It’s not as though it was a Jeremy Paxman interview.

Anyway, hope you enjoy and thanks to Gavin for passing on the link to me.

THE CALAMITY CARRIAGE

Could Labour be in for disaster? With just weeks to go until an election is called calamity could be on the cards for Labour. RMT union rail workers have balloted to strike for four days from April 6 – the day Brown is expected to go to the Palace to dissolve Parliament and call an election.

If the strike goes ahead it will cause chaos nationwide, as the entire rail network could be forced to shut down. It could have a serious impact on Labour as the incumbent party in the polls. RMT leader Bob Crow seems to have carefully orchestrated this strike to do just that.

The question of whether the public would trust Cameron and his Tories to run the country still remains. In a poll on the BBC News website Conservatives only have a five percent lead over Labour. It seems that when the official campaign gets going it’s going to be a very dirty fight. Fingernails will be bitten right to the very end and not just Gordon Brown's.

BACK TO BOG

AFTER what has been a very long, but regrettable time away, it’s finally time to once more get ‘back to blog’.

In one sense, not much has happened since the last post. There certainly have been notable events, of course, but the country is still in limbo waiting for a general election to be called. Gordon is still determined to clutch onto the reigns of power until his last breath and Parliament has once again shown that it has not changed since last summers damaging expenses disaster.

The mucky head of the sleaze monster has truly raised its head over Westminster again. Like the dying days of the Major government, which was embroiled with sleazy dealings, Labour has been shamed by the press as former front bench minister were caught out trying to sell their expertise and political influence to lobbying firms.

It is important to point out that some caught out were Tory too, and also that all MP shouldn’t be smeared with the same dirty brush. But the scandal couldn’t come at a worse time. With possibly just weeks to go till an election could this damage Labour’s campaign? I don’t think so. The public already have a feeling of mistrust towards Westminster and this revelation, however big in the press, seems fairly minor and to some extent expected. I don’t think this will have given Cameron’s Tories the swing it needs to form the next government alone.

Whatever happens it seems as though the House will certainly get a good spring clean in the weeks to come.

WE DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION

YOU don’t realise how lucky you are, being able to read this.

I recently read an article in the paper about a boy in Malawi desperate for an electric light so that he could study in the evenings. Sisius Nyirenda 18, worked during the day to pay for his education, but when he would get home it would be too dark to read. Eventually Sisius saved enough money to buy a solar panel and light, which he could use at night to do his schoolwork (see here for the full story).

In the poorest areas of the world, education always comes at a great cost. The benefits and great value of education is realised most by those who cannot afford it. Children often have to work just to be able to pay for a few hours of education each day. They dream of learning to be able to go to university and lift themselves out of the poverty they are in. Many are not as lucky, and will never get the chance to go to school.

In this country education rarely seems valued. In the UK, every child, from whatever background is entitled to a free education. The chance to learn, to read and write, to further understand the world and enhance knowledge is offered to all. Yet this is rarely acknowledged or appreciated. Why is education valued so little in this country? Is it too easy to get benefits, say a council house and support after having a baby at the age of 15? Is it too easy to not be in work and to not even bother looking? Is it too easy to just not bother trying at school?

Most people probably never appreciate the free education that is given to them in this country. Unlike the many millions of children around the world who’s only dream is to be able to write their names.

END OF THE DECADE - PART TWO

IT is just about a week to go now until the New Year and the new decade. This is the second part of the review of the Noughties. War, terror, climate change and the boom and bust economy have all played a big part in the last 10 years.

JULY 7^TH BOMBINGS

The first week of July 2005 was one of London’s most memorable of the decade. London had just played host to a global concert (Live 8) to persuade G8 leaders to end poverty in Africa. On July 6^th London was announced as the host city for the 2012 Olympics but the party atmosphere was short lived. On July 7^th suicide bombers detonated explosives on the capital’s tube network and a bus. 52 people were killed and almost 700 injured.

The 7/7 bombings in London like 9/11 changed the way we now live. Government, under the guise of anti-terrorism, have tried and sometimes failed to enforce draconian legislation impacting on civil liberties. The failed 90-day detention law, the over use of section 44 of the anti-terrorism act (stop and search) are just a couple of examples. We live in constant suspicion – which is often over hyped by government and the media. If we are not careful our rights and liberties will be taken away in the name of anti-terrorism, and the Terrorists will have won.

WAR

In the Noughties, Britain was taken into two major conflicts. Both were in the name of anti-terror. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George W Bush acted together to invade Iraq – under what can be seen as false pretences. Although the cruel dictator, Saddam Hussein was removed from power, the US and UK’s reputation was severely damaged.

The war in Afghanistan is seen to be more justified, but since 2001 it has taken the lives of many service men and women. The war has spanned most of the decade and looks set to continue into the next.

THE RECESSION!

We started off the decade in fairly good economic health. House prices increased considerably, we spent large amounts of money and we thought we had never had it so good. But, by the later part of the decade Britain and most of the world were plunged into economic doom and gloom. Due to huge amounts of debt, endless credit cards, ridiculously large mortgages, and a great deal of doggy bank activity the UK is in one of the worst recessions ever which we are yet to recover from.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change has become one of the world’s most important issues this decade. In the early years of the noughties it was a thought in the back of people’s minds, now we can barley escape it. Most world leaders are facing up to the consequences that could arise from a rise in global temperatures. Yet the recent climate summit in Copenhagen will probably change little. There could well be problems into the next decade as water, food and land becomes scarce, especially in the poorer developing countries.

FACEBOOK, MYSPACE & A LOT OF APPLES

Technology and the Internet now play a really big part in our daily lives. This was probably unimaginable ten years ago. The popularity of twitter, Youtube and Facebook changed how we communicate. We expect things instantly, TV on demand or through the Internet and BBC iplayer or 3G and WI-FI on our phones. Blackberries and iphones and countless other gadgets have revolutionised our lives, and sometimes not for the better.

So that's it for the round up of the Noughties. If you think something was missed out or you have something else to say then do feel free to add your comments.

I hope you enjoyed it and have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

END OF THE DECADE - PART ONE

THE Noughties are fast drawing to a close. At the end of first decade of the 21^st century the world is a changed place. We started off the new millennium with great hopes, the only fear was an over hyped computer bug, which in the end never existed. We leave the decade in recession, facing huge debt, worries over climate change and a great number of other global concerns.

Here is the first part of the top ten events that have shaped our decade. It’s one opinion so you are welcome to add your thoughts to it.

SEPTEMBER 11^TH 2001

The Al-Qaeda terror attacks in New York, in which two passenger jets were crashed into the World Trade Centre Twin Towers, shaped the decade. In the early days of the Noughties the world’s biggest concern had been Y2K bug. Over a year and a half later, the West was fast approaching a road to war that would last longer than World War 2.

The 9/11 terror attacks have to a great extent shaped our decade and the way we live. The fear of terror has been used greatly by politicians, the state, and even police to control citizens lives like never before. More surveillance, an erosion of human and civil rights are just a few of the consequences.

BUSH ELECTED AS PRESIDENT

George W Bush was elected to the White House in 2000. Bush, probably one of the most prominent politicians of the decade, but not always for the right reasons, led the US to war in two countries and took it upon himself to ‘fight terror’.

Though he may have done more harm to the democratic state of the world then good he certainly gave us much entertainment. Whether it was chocking on a pretzel or giving somewhat unintelligible speeches, he is defiantly one President the US will not be able to forget in a hurry.

THE BEIJING OLYMPICS

The 2008 Beijing Olympics signalled a big turning point for global politics. As the Communist super state with ever increasing wealth could no longer be ignored by the West. Near the end of the decade emerging super states and powers like China, India and Brazil slowly started to become more powerful on the world stage. It seems that power maybe slowly shifting from the West to East.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

History was made in the US in 2008 when Barack Hussein Obama became the first black man to be elected to office of President of the United States. Promising hope, change and reform he also embarked on a much-needed attempt to change the world’s view of America, which had been eroded by President Bush.

SUSAN BOYLE & CELEBRITY BIG BRITAIN’S STRICTLY GOT THE X-FACTOR

Susan Boyle, now a global sensation, represents the craze and obsession over reality TV. Whether it was Big Brother, Pop Idol, Popstars, Strictly Come Dancing, I’m a Celebrity, the X-Factor or Britain’s Got Talent, in the noughties we became a nation obsessed by reality TV. Whether it was the z-list celebrities or hard done by sob stories from contestants, the cheap to make, formulaic shows, have become a staple of prime time television.

And in an age of digital diversity and the ability to choose from a vast number of channels these shows have drawn the country together, lately amassing audiences of up to 19 million.

WORLD AIDS DAY

WORLD AIDS DAY 2009

Today (Tuesday 1^st December) is world aids day, a day to raise awareness and help to remove the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) attacks the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off illnesses. This will often develop into AIDS – where the sufferers’ immune system becomes too weak to fight off infection. It is estimated that 33 million people around the world are living with HIV, and about two million people die every year.

The sad thing is that HIV/AIDS is preventable, with the right education and protection the rate of infections could be reduced. Added to this there is a big stigma attached to those who are HIV positive. The disease is most commonly passed on through unprotected sex or sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment. It is not passed on by kissing, shaking hands with or being in the same room as an HIV positive person. World Aids Day attempts to break down the barriers, dispel the myths and stop the discrimination.

In the UK HIV/AIDS is often seen as a disease caught by gay men. Although the majority of the HIV positive population are gay or bisexual, in 2008 more heterosexuals were diagnosed with HIV then gay men. People need to remember that anybody can catch HIV/AIDS. No one is immune.

Elsewhere, Sub Saharan Africa is affected by HIV/AIDS more than any other region in the world. It is estimated that 22.4 million are living with the virus in the region. Access to antiviral drugs is limited due to a lack of funding. And support for those with HIV/AIDS is not always available. The stigma is much worse in Africa and life can be really tough for those suffering from the disease due to the ignorance and lack of education about HIV/AIDS. (Find out more about HIV/AIDS in Africa here).

Maybe one thing you could do today for World Aids Day would be to find out the truth about HIV/AIDS, help dismiss the myths and remove the stigma after all isn’t everyone human?