Wednesday - August 05, 2009
Wasted Grant Money?
A physics professor who says he’ll do “anything” to get people interested in science is teaming up with the Philadelphia 76ers cheerleaders to offer online lessons on magnetics, mass and matter — all through the magic of miniskirts.
James Trefil’s 20-year campaign for science literacy has led him to link up with some unlikely allies at ScienceCheerleader.com, where he and a scantily clad crew of dancing Darwins offer 18 video lessons on core ideas in science.
Trefil, who’s left behind his classroom for the summer to help on the Brain Makeover videos, said it made sense for him to use “a little sex appeal” in his effort to reach and teach nonscientists.
“Why not cheerleaders?” asked Trefil, the Robinson Professor of Science at George Mason University. “My own philosophy is, any way you can get the scientific message across, that’s a good thing.”
The Web site offers brief scientific lessons from members of the Sixers squad ("All matter is made of atoms,” explains Lauren), and a bit more background from the septuagenarian Trefil, who does not appear in the videos. Visitors can then take a quiz to judge their own scientific literacy.
The site is the creation of science advocate Darlene Cavalier, a Master of Science Policy who has spent a decade working for Discover Magazine and was also one of the original 76ers dancers.
Cavalier, who is also leading projects to increase the number of citizen scientists in the country, told FOXNews.com she doesn’t worry that some people visiting the site might be less interested in their physics than their physiology.
“More than anything I think it does help break stereotypes,” said Cavalier, who said a higher percentage of Tennessee Titans cheerleaders have formal science training than do members of Congress. Cheerleaders have the edge 10 percent to 8 percent, she said.
Some students could be getting more skirts with their science soon. Cavalier said she’s fielded a number of requests from high school teachers who want to use her videos next year “to turn people on to science.”
Ok, color me willing. Pretty girls with pom poms, and a bit of school. What the heck. Besides, I used to take science classes at college just to pump up my GPA. No worries. So let’s go visit!
Aside from a few minor grammatical and html errors, the site is not bad. It’s a bit hard to figure out how to get to the lessons, so I linked directly there for you. Basically the site is a blog.
Now onto the lessons, let’s put some sexy into our schooling!
YAWN. This is not sexy. It’s lame. Each of the 18 little lessons has a 15 second video, wherein a thumbnail sized cheerleader speaks aloud the label/title of that lesson. It’s not until video 15, labled “All living things are made from cells, the chemical factories of life” that they even try the risky practice of having a conversation; in this one cheerleaders Chenelle and Dierdre go all ad-lib to ratchet up the excitement:
Dierdre: “Number 15 - All living things are made from cells”
Chenelle: “I know, the chemical factories of life.”
Cinematography at it’s finest! But fear not, there is also a paragraph or two of study text, and once in a great while a link to some external bit of deeper reading.
You can take a quiz at the end. I went and watched all the little videos, read all the text, and took the 26 question exam. Results?
Damn, I got one wrong. Which one? I have NO IDEA, because you don’t get to review the test. And it turns out that the exam questions go waaaay beyond what is covered in the study material and the “sexy” videos. Only about half of the questions are even alluded to, much less answered by, the study text. I guess the exam is more to see who already knows the stuff, and the study material is just a very light refresher.
Still, a passing score is a mere 80%, enough to get you this awesome certificate, suitable for framing or housebreaking puppies on:
I think Hot For Words is about 100 times sexier, and is usually 20 times the learning experience. Cheerleaders “teaching” science may eventually be a good idea, but right now these videos are really lame. The only thing I learned from them is that the cheerleader called “VI” has really great abs and great hips. They’ve got a lot more work to do to “make science fun”, “make learning science easy”, and “make science sexy”. But I guess it’s a start.
Now, how about Obama giving me a few million to videotape pole dancers teaching basic arithmetic and algebra? Solving systems of simultaneous equations was never so much fun!
Posted by Drew458
on 08/05/2009 at 11:57 AM
Filed Under: • Amazing Science and Discoveries • Education •
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Permalink • Beloved brass dog that sat on a car bonnet for 50 years… until elf ‘n’ Safety got a sniff
The place just keeps getting more and more bizarre. I’m left wondering just who the person was and what they may look like, who took the time to call the authorities about this. More then likely a person who snoops on neighbors and as a kid was the one to squeal to teacher on other kids.
You may have another take on it so here. See what you think of this.
The beloved brass dog that sat on a car bonnet for 50 years… until elf ‘n’ Safety got a sniffBy Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:19 PM on 05th August 2009
For 50 years, the small boxer dog Colonel faithfully sat on the bonnet of every car his owner drove.
From Ford Cortinas, to Lotus and even a Jaguar - but sadly no Rovers or Porsche Boxers - the little brass model was a constant companion to 86-year-old former rally driver Raymond Smith.
But now Health and Safety has got its claws into Colonel, and he has been ordered to the dog house as he is ‘a danger to pedestrians and illegal’.
Raymond has now been forced to remove the two-inch-long chrome-plated dog after the police warned him of the dangers.
He was threatened with a £50 fine and having his licence endorsed with five penalty points if he ignored them.
Raymond, from Dorset, said: ‘Nobody has taken any notice of it for 50 years, it was harmless.
‘But someone who I must have crossed swords with over parking or something has reported me to the police. They told them I had a dangerous dog on my car. ‘I got a call from the police and I thought somebody was having me on.
‘So I called in to the station and a traffic officer told me it was illegal as it was a potential danger to pedestrians and I had to get rid of it.
‘It is stupid - it seems quite ridiculous.’
Raymond, a retired mechanic and test driver for Fiat, had the model dog made in honour of Colonel who he and his wife Faye had as a pet in the 1950s.
The object is screwed firmly onto the bonnet and is similar to the iconic Rolls Royce figurine.
He has had numerous prangs, all of which Colonel survived without a scratch.
Raymond said: ‘We got Colonel in 1949 and had him for about 10 years. I called him that because my sister had a Labrador called Major and so I wanted to go one better.
‘He was such a lovable dog that when he died I sent a photo of him to this company in London and they made an exact model from the picture.
‘I’ve been driving around with him on the front of my car ever since we had him made. ‘He’s sat on about 50 different cars and attended rallies all over Europe with me. He survived some pretty bad scrapes in his time.
‘When I had a head-on crash with a tractor in the French Alps my main concern after me and the other driver was for Colonel.
‘I nearly lost him in Germany in 1954. Somebody tried to pull him off but he was too well screwed down.’
Raymond and his faithful friend: The former rally driver fell foul of Elf ‘n’ SafetyRaymond, who served with the RAF in World War Two, said Colonel had been in his usual position on the front of his current Fiat Panda until somebody reported it to the police.
He said: ‘I don’t know why somebody reported me. Nobody has ever taken any notice of him before. He’s not a sharp object and he wasn’t doing any harm.
‘But I had no choice. ‘I feel rather sad about it. Whenever I drive I am used to seeing him sat out on the front of the bonnet leading the way.’
Raymond, who has been driving since 1938, has now positioned Colonel on the parcel shelf on the back of his car.
PC Terry Swain, of Dorchester traffic police, said: ‘Objects on the bonnets of Mercedes and Rolls Royces are designed to bend or come off in crashes.
‘Fixed, solid objects on bonnets are a safety issue because they can cause increased injury to pedestrians if they were in a collision and rolled over the bonnet.’
Posted by peiper
on 08/05/2009 at 06:39 AM
Filed Under: • Daily Life • Nanny State • UK •
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Permalink • were I as rich as gates, I wouldn’t think 2wice but would spend the money to save this place.
But then, that’s me and I’m totally awed by these old places and their beauty. I love architecture and especially when it’s dated.
Bill Gates donates zillions to charity and causes that are money holes. Bah. I don’t care a damn about the starving in Africa. I care about saving buildings like this. I can’t understand how the family over the years have allowed this to happen. Damn shame.
I’m assuming the present Earl of Carnarvon just doesn’t have the money any more.
I don’t expect lots to agree with me or share my passions.
Catch the link for more but mostly for some very disturbing photos.
Can Highclere Castle be saved? Historic home is verging on ruin as Lord Carnarvon reveals £12m repair billBy Paul Harris
Last updated at 10:08 AM on 05th August 2009From a distance it looks like a classic fairytale castle.
Its majestic architecture and stunning setting have allowed it to play host through the centuries to royalty, nobility and celebrity. But the studded wooden doors of Highclere Castle conceal a depressingly modern reality.
Large parts of the historic stately home are verging on ruin. And the head of a family which once funded the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb is facing a multi-million pound repair bill to safeguard its future.
Now the Earl of Carnarvon, whose great grandfather is said to have been struck by the curse of the Pharaohs for his part in disturbing the Egyptian king’s burial site, claims to be having sleepless nights over how - or if - it can be saved.
For despite a facade of luxury and magnificence - and the patronage of a string of supposed celebrity weddings - the castle has been ravaged by damp and rot.
Seeping water has caused stonework to crumble and ceilings to collapse. At least 50 rooms are uninhabitable.
Its proud stone turrets - designed by the same architect who created the Houses of Parliament - are said to be in danger of decaying beyond repair unless urgent restoration work is carried out.
Only the ground floor, with a great oak staircase at its heart, and the first floor, which is used for bridal parties, remain useable.
Even these have racked up a repair bill running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The contrast is dramatically illustrated by the opulence of the rococo style drawing room… and the squalor of stinking damp walls and swarms of flies elsewhere.
The 52-year-old Earl declared: ‘Worrying about how I am going to keep it all going does give me sleepless nights. It is a wonderful responsibility and a great privilege to live at Highclere Castle, which is part of the most beautiful landscape in Southern England.
SOURCE AND LOTS OF PHOTOS HERE
Posted by peiper
on 08/05/2009 at 05:51 AM
Filed Under: • Architecture • History • UK •
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Permalink • Do you recall this from a week ago? Thousands of migrants here for handouts, says senior judge.
Some of you will I’m sure and some even commented on my post that they thought it was about time somebody woke up.
I said I hoped somebody was paying attention but ...
Stay Tuned.
This is a very politically correct socialist leaning state.
Well BMEWS ... Here’s the headline that greeted us this morning.
Top judge faces sack for speaking out about immigrants abusing benefits system
By Steve Doughty
Last updated at 7:54 AM on 05th August 2009By Steve Doughty
Last updated at 7:54 AM on 05th August 2009A senior judge faces the sack after saying that ‘hundreds of thousands of immigrants’ come to Britain to receive generous welfare payments.
Judge Ian Trigger was told yesterday that a disciplinary inquiry is to look at whether his criticisms of the links between crime, large-scale immigration and the welfare system were ‘too political’.
The 65-year-old Crown Court judge, who has also served on immigration tribunals for just over a decade, made his remarks as he jailed an illegal immigrant and drug runner last month.
The official investigation has been ordered by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, who has the power, along with Justice Secretary Jack Straw, to dismiss judges who speak out of turn.
But the decision to put the case before the Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) was attacked yesterday, with some critics claiming it threatens the right of anyone to speak out about immigration.
Sir Andrew Green, chairman of the Migrationwatch pressure group, said: ‘There is a great deal of concern, privately expressed, in many parts of the judiciary,
the number of failed asylum-seekers.‘There ought to be some way in which those concerns can be expressed without infringing judicial guidelines.’
Robert Whelan, of the Civitas think-tank, said: ‘This reinforces the view that there are certain things that may not be expressed in this country any more. There are great fears for freedom of speech.’
Judge Trigger made his remarks last week as he jailed a Jamaican man, Lucien McClearley, for two years for drugs offences at Liverpool Crown Court.
Judge Trigger said the case illustrated how a ‘lax’ immigration policy had led to ‘hundreds and hundreds of thousands’ of immigrants arriving in Britain to claim generous welfare benefits.
And he warned that wasted welfare payments had helped double the national debt, with the burden falling on decent hard-working citizens.
My posts might be light today ... a few minor problems.
Posted by peiper
on 08/05/2009 at 03:23 AM
Filed Under: • Illegal-Aliens and Immigration • Unions-Labor •
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Permalink • Tuesday - August 04, 2009
Strike!
President Obama turns 48 years old on Tuesday, and although Press Secretary Robert Gibbs would not give details on any plans for the event, he did suggest the First Family may have had some early celebrations at Camp David last weekend.
“I know the president spent a little time with some friends over the weekend at Camp David,” said Gibbs, “playing basketball and having dinner and bowling.”
Secretary Gibbs reports Mr. Obama bowled a 144 with three strikes and a nine in the last four throws.
“I told the president, ‘Look, if you’d have done this in Pennsylvania, my life would have been a little easier last spring,’” Gibbs joked of Obama’s bowling game in the lead up to the Pennsylvania primary. Then-Senator Obama’s score last April, a whopping 37, provided teasing for a candidate trying to project the common-man image.
Bowling has been somewhat of a thorn in the side of the President since taking office as well.
Joking about his now famous bad bowl, he said it was “like watching the Special Olympics” during an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” The President since apologized for his remarks.
M’kay! Seems like Fearless Reader is getting the hang of the game? Um, maybe, maybe not. Going X XX9 in the last 2 frames is worth 59 points. Which means, with a 144 total, he had an 85 in the 8th. Which means ... he still sucks. 85 in the 8th implies TWO MARKS in EIGHT FRAMES. Which is random chance, not skill.
9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 = 72
9 X 9 9 9 9 9 9 = 82
/ 9 9 9 9 9 / 9 = 90
9 / 9 9 X 9 X 9 = 102 (I’m assuming 9-0 for each frame following a spare. That’s Best Case.)
And this is not being reported as his average, just what he managed to score in one game. Ok, he’s a beginner, but golly gosh a roni, don’t you think the White House could have Norm Duke, or Walter Ray Williams Jr, or even Parker Bohn III stop by for a bit of a visit and a lesson or two? Personally I’d prefer to get lessons from Carolyn Dorin Ballard, who recently threw 20 strikes in a row at a tournament, but I’m sure Michelle would pitch a fit, even if her husband Daryl Ballard came along.
******************************
We got beat tonight, badly. Ok, we managed to win the 3rd game, but I think that the team full of sandbaggers we played threw it on purpose to keep their averages down. They’re out in front by quite a number of points, so they can afford to go soft in game 3. Mofos were chuckin 235s and 228s with 185 and 194 running averages? As if. And 2 out of 4 of them work, live, and grew up in that bowling alley? Puh-lease. I’ve bowled with little Ricky’s dad for years, and I’ve seen little Ricky throw at least 3 300 games in the past year alone. NO WAY this kid has a 196 average. Unless by a regular miracle he can go to league and bowl 238, 245, 122 all the time.
But I guess it isn’t impossible. The oil pattern tonight was whack. WTF kind of pattern can you lay down for non-PBA Experience league that gives just about no hook for anything other than a deep, super revvy throw to the 2 board, for games 1 and 2, but for game 3 it hooks like Sunday afternoon no matter where you throw the ball? I wound up standing 7 boards to the left in game 3 and the ball was still going Brooklyn and beyond. Huh? What the Eff? And that was my long ball. My short ball? I put it away. By game 3 I could not roll it to hit to the right of the 4 pin. COULD NOT. Throwing it straight at the 10 would still break to the headpin. It was Suddenly Sunday. [ for non-bowlers, Sunday afternoon lane conditions are as “burnt” and “toasty” as they get. 8 million children have been throwing balls down the alleys all weekend, and there is no oil left anywhere. Even the carry down oil has been carried right off the lanes. It’s almost impossible to throw a ball with a controlled hook. The thing gets traction right off the foul line, and hooks insanely before even the middle of the lane. If you bowl in leagues, you don’t bother trying to practice on Sunday afternoon. It’s a waste of time. ] So these kids, power hookers, crankers all, were overhooking badly. And their only recourse was to throw more and more to the outside ... and there’s a hungry gutter out there, just waiting.
Still, we rather sucked. And I’m getting tired of rather sucking. I’d like to be in a league with a stable oil pattern, just so I could learn to bowl properly. I don’t want to have to make such an enormous adjustment every week that it feels like a whole new method of throwing the ball.
But ... my worst game was still better than Obama’s best ever. Big whup. Maybe I can coin a new bowling phrase. Something that’s even worse than the “shit house” 111 score. A really, really bad game ... would be Presidential.
Posted by Drew458
on 08/04/2009 at 10:09 PM
Filed Under: • Bowling Blogging •
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Permalink • Maybe it’s the mascara
Even though this actress has a small role in a long running weekly series, as far as I’m concerned, every time she comes onscreen she steals the scene. Too bad my opinions count for so little, else she’d be a much bigger star. But, oh, those eyes!
You’re probably wondering why those pictures are stacked like that ...
Posted by Drew458
on 08/04/2009 at 01:09 PM
Filed Under: • Eye-Candy •
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Permalink • Arturo Gatti, who has been murdered aged 37. Obit appeared in paper here only today.
For those interested, check YT for the Gatti-Ward fights. Awesome fighter this fellow was.
I didn’t post the Ward fights coz I couldn’t stand or see the sense of the damn music posted along with them. Especially when the music drowned out the commentary.
This guy was a champion.
Arturo Gatti, who has been murdered aged 37, may not have been the most talented boxer in the world, but few others have captured the hearts and admiration of so many fans of the sport.
The Italian-born Canadian’s all-action style and indomitable spirit made him hugely popular, and the former world light-welterweight and super-featherweight champion will forever be remembered for his epic trilogy of fights with the American “Irish” Micky Ward.
These rip-roaring encounters – spread over a 13-month period in 2002-03 – provided 30 rounds of some of the most compelling and savage ring action in recent years.
Ward won their first encounter at Uncasville, Connecticut, on a majority decision after a point deducted from Gatti for a low blow proved crucial.
“The guy must be made of granite,” a battered Ward said afterwards. “What’s he got in his head? My hands are killing me.”
The ninth round of a contest that Ring magazine subsequently named “fight of the year” saw Gatti floored by a body shot which appeared to have broken the Canadian virtually in half.
Although Gatti somehow hauled himself upright, Ward came in for the kill – only to be rocked by a series of furious counter-attacks by a fighter, nicknamed “Thunder”, who moments earlier had seemed out on his feet.
Arturo Gatti was born in Calabria, Italy, on April 15 1972, later emigrating to Montreal with his family.
Having taken up boxing at the age of eight, he seemed destined to represent his adopted country at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before electing to turn professional at the age of 19.
His reputation bolstered by regular appearances on HBO’s Boxing After Dark series, the crowd-pleasing fighter’s progress through the paid ranks was swift. In December 1995 Gatti outpointed the American Tracy Harris Patterson at New York’s Madison Square Garden to claim the International Boxing Federation super-featherweight title.
He defended the belt three times before relinquishing the crown to move up to the 135lb lightweight division.
Posted by peiper
on 08/04/2009 at 10:48 AM
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Permalink • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
A Seattle bank teller learned that lesson the hard way last week when he thwarted a would-be robbery — and got fired for bucking company policy.
Jim Nicholson was working at a Key Bank branch on Tuesdaywhen a man wearing a beanie cap, dark clothing and sunglasses entered the bank and demanded money. That’s when instinct overwhelmed him.
“They tell us that we’re just supposed to comply, but my instincts kicked in and I did what’s best to stop the guy,” the 30-year-old Nicholson told The Seattle Times. “I thought if I let him go he would rob more banks and cause more problems.”
Rather than comply with the robber’s demands, Nicholson tossed his bag to the floor, lunged at the suspect and demanded to see a weapon.
“My intent was to grab his glasses off his face, or him,” Nicholson told the paper.
The man ran, and Nicholson chased him for several blocks before knocking him down with help from a passerby. Nicholson then held the suspect, Aaron J. Sloan, 29, until police arrived.
Nicholson’s reward? Two days after the failed heist, he was fired.
I’m sure that Key Bank is thinking through it’s lawyers. You certainly wouldn’t want to encourage heroism or bravery in your employees. Something could go wrong, then you’d be sued. Of course, tellers and bank security guards get beaten, raped, and shot for just standing there during other robberies. That doesn’t mean a thing to the legal beagles though. In their minds, if the bank doesn’t punish it, that means they support and encourage it, and thus are liable somehow when things go wrong. Dipshits.
The Bank of Drew would have a twelve foot long entrance corridor with bullet resistant glass doors on either end. During regular business hours the inner door will not open until the outer door is closed. Hit the silent alarm and the outer door locks, and arms the inner door. When that door is opened (robbers escaping) it drops a steel grate over the outer door, and, half a second later, a steel grate over the inner door, which also locks when closed. Installation options include a wide area pepper gas spray, or the RonKo RatsAway Xtreme Volume™ water flooding device. Rotating knives not available in New Jersey.
Posted by Drew458
on 08/04/2009 at 10:31 AM
Filed Under: • Big Business • Stoopid-People •
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Permalink • There was an old Marxist called Lenin …. From the Charles Moore column
There is a very good article in todays Telegraph by Charles Moore. Actually, this is not an editorial but a tiny part of his review of a book of poetry by Robert Conquest, who I’d never heard of before. Not too surprising since I don’t normally follow that particular art form. In truth, I was taken by this more then I was anything else and thought it was something worth sharing with BMEWS.
If you’re interested in the rest ... it’s HERE
There was an old Marxist called Lenin,
Who did one or two million men in.
That’s a lot to have done in,
But where he did one in,
That old Marxist Stalin did ten in.
By Robert Conquest
Posted by peiper
on 08/04/2009 at 09:55 AM
Filed Under: • Humor • Literature •
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Permalink • Any Germans lurking here? Be warned. This is a Jeremy Clarkson article.
Big deal. So 100 people bitched about the ad humor. 100. Out of how many hundreds of thousands that didn’t.
It funny anyway and even better. It was a clever play on words. Get over it.
So here’s three cheers and three cheers more ....
Jeremy Clarkson, the Top Gear presenter, has upset viewers by making a joke about the Germans invading Poland.From The Telegraph
More than 100 people complained after seeing a spoof advertisement that he filmed about the new German-made Volkswagen Sirocco TDI for the BBC Two programme, which was seen by 6.7 million viewers on Sunday evening.
The joke tag line for the advertisement read “Berlin to Warsaw in one tank!” – a reference to Hitler’s decision to invade the country, which triggered the Second World War.
An Ofcom spokesman said the regulator would investigate the complaints. A Top Gear spokesman declined to comment, according to the Daily Star newspaper.
Clarkson, 49, has a track record for offending people – Germans in particular.
Four years ago he said on the programme that the BMW’s Mini should have stick indicators that went up and down like a Nazi salute, and “a satellite navigation system that only goes to Poland”.
Such antics were described at the time as “unpleasant and disturbing” and “poisonous rubbish” by critics.
Posted by peiper
on 08/04/2009 at 09:34 AM
Filed Under: • Humor • UK •
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Permalink • Nine councils under fire today for spending £250,000 of taxpayers’ money hiring consultants.
Something else the Brit taxpayer is not too pleased about.
A “pitch” is a plot of land. Got it. But what the heck is this talk of a “ holistic approach.” As I see it and I am not alone in this, it’s simply another way to sock it to and screw the Brit public. Most especially those paying the freight.
Much of this is the doing of a former Deputy PM named John Prescott. A far left died in the wool bully boy who, tho now wealthy himself, openly wanted to stick it to those he considered to be the wealthy or well to do middle classes. He became Deputy Prime Minister, as LyndonB has made clear in the past, to placate and appease the far left wing of the Labour Party under Blair. It is my understanding that without Prescott on side, Blair might not have been able to get the support he needed to become PM.
I don’t believe based on what I have seen here that the left has been good for England. It has become without any doubt a dictatorship of the Politically Correct. And this is only one of many results.
Councils ‘hiring consultants’ to find suitable gypsy and traveller sites
Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing , Local Government
Tuesday 4th August 2009 - 9:19amNine councils came under fire today for spending around £250,000 of taxpayers’ money hiring consultants to find gypsy and traveller sites.
Bournemouth and Poole Councils have now joined seven councils across Dorset by contributing £14,000 and £10,000 respectively to the task.
Town hall bosses have struggled to find suitable permanent residential and transit pitches in time for the 2011 deadline as set out in the Government’s Regional Spatial Strategy.
But critics say hiring £250,000 consultants to do the job is “passing the buck”.
Mark Wallace, of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “Of course it is right that the councils don’t duplicate any work but they should be asking whether they really need such costly consultants for this task at all.
“We are all aware how controversial these sites are and taxpayers will be worried councillors will be using experts as a way of passing the buck when they chose an unpopular site.
“Unfortunately this is yet another example of central Government policy imposing large amounts of trouble and massive costs on local government unfairly.”
The £250,000 comes as one of the nine councils - Weymouth and Portland - is closing a women’s refuge because it does not cater for men.
Critics argued that the move is to save the refuge’s annual £83,000 running costs.
An advert on the Dorset County Council website has called for consultants to take on the role and prepare a detailed report on the potential sites.
Dave Ayre, head of gypsy and traveller services at Dorset County Council, said: “Rather than each district, unitary or borough council making their own arrangements, appointing their own consultants, we have decided to share the costs, share the pain if you like, and get a more holistic approach.”
Poole needs to find 35 residential pitches and eight transit pitches by 2011 but the council disputes these figures.
It is already refurbishing a site at Mannings Heath for 15 residential pitches.
Councillor Ron Parker said: “We have tried to identify a suitable transit site but this has proved very difficult given the limited amount of available and appropriate land in Poole.
“The logical approach for the council now is to join our neighbours across Dorset in carrying out a wider search to identify the most appropriate areas for sites.
“By working together, I am confident we can all achieve a consistent and cost-effective approach to tackling this issue.”
The joint plan recommended by consultants would need to be adopted by each authority with the project due for completion in 2012.
Shadow local government and planning minister Bob Neill said: “This all stems from John Prescott’s controversial planning rules that are forcing councils to following binding regional targets for traveller encampments, irrespective of local wishes.
“Whatever their original intentions, the Labour Government’s policies on travellers threaten to undermine cohesion and increase tensions in the community.”
Posted by peiper
on 08/04/2009 at 08:53 AM
Filed Under: • Travelers/Gypsies/Squatters • UK •
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Permalink • Three policewomen spend full day dressed in Muslim burkhas. more pandering?
"To help police interact better with the Islamic community.”
Oh good. What has that community done lately to better interact with their host country? Right. Meanwhile, the govt. (no joke BMEWS) is issuing info to immigrants on how to apply for benefits. Bet the taxpayers here just love all this.
Be nice if the police could get on with their job of policing instead of playing nursemaid so often. Or making nice to ppl who will only see it as weakness and then demand more of the host country. I can’t believe that even those who voted Labour in ‘97, also voted for what they have today. Could they have seen this? And the ongoing and worsening problems with travelers, and feral street gangs. The list is a long one.
What’s even scarier? I fear America is in the same boat. But at least back home, you’re armed.
Three policewomen spend full day dressed in Muslim burkhas in controversial ‘In Your Shoes’ exerciseBy Andy Dolan
Last updated at 7:54 AM on 04th August 2009Three female police officers were ordered to dress up as Muslim women for the day just to see what it felt like.
They wore traditional burkhas as part of a scheme designed to help police interact better with the Islamic community.
Two covered their faces with hijab headscarves and niqab veils, leaving only narrow slits to see through, and another wore Muslim dress and a headscarf showing her face.
Critics yesterday lined up to denounce the scheme as ‘political correctness gone mad,’ and accused South Yorkshire Police of losing sight of its main objective.
Douglas Murray, of the Centre for Social Cohesion think-tank, said: ‘You just couldn’t make it up.
‘The victims of crime must be amazed that the police have so much time on their hands that they can spend a day playing dress-up.
‘This is a complete waste of police time and taxpayers’ money. It’s not the duty of police to empathise with particular sections of the community. It is the duty of the police to prevent crime and catch criminals.
‘After this are they planning to dress as members of other communities such as Hindus and Buddhists?’
Fiona McEvoy, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘The police should be spending their time trying to catch criminals rather than indulging in gimmicky exercises.
‘This is political correctness gone mad – it’s ridiculous. These kinds of schemes seem to yield few measurable benefits.
‘Taxpayers would rather see the officers concentrating their efforts and resources on providing decent frontline policing, making the streets safer for every section of the community.
‘The police are overstretched as it is without officers being paid to do other things than their real job.’
The officers, Sergeant Deb Leonard, Sergeant Deb Pickering and Police Community Support Officer Helen Turner, all from Sheffield, were accompanied by four Muslim women to help them learn more about the Islamic faith on a tour of the city.
In return, the Muslim women were shown around South Yorkshire Police’s custody suite and CCTV office and learned about the day-to-day duties of a police officer.
A spokesman for the force said the exercise, called ‘In Your Shoes Day’, was designed to help officers interact better with the Muslim community across Sheffield.
‘This exercise is just one of many activities South Yorkshire Police have planned with communities and ethnic minority leaders to secure strong relationships, celebrate diversity and encourage integration, working towards a safer, closer society,’ she added.
But she said there were no plans to extend the scheme for officers to dress up as members of other minority communities.
Mr Murray said the scheme showed that the police were ‘having a nervous breakdown’. Sid Cordle, Sheffield-based Yorkshire regional organiser of the Christian People’s Alliance, said: ‘As far as we are concerned this form of dress is a symbol of oppression of women. The police should not be encouraging it.
‘If they really want to know how Muslim women feel they could learn far more by going and living amongst them and talking to them.’
The police spokesman said the officers who dressed up believed they were being monitored by security staff when they went into a shop and were stared at in the street.
But she admitted that they were unsure whether this was down to their clothing or being overly conscious of their appearance.
‘This is something which Muslim women would have to encounter and contemplate as a regular part of their lives,’ she added.
‘Two of the Muslim women anticipated that people may stare and possibly make comment, whilst the police officers entered this exercise with an open mind not knowing quite what to expect.’
Sergeant Leonard said the experience had given her a greater appreciation of how Muslim women feel when they walk out in public in ‘clothing appropriate to their beliefs’.
Posted by peiper
on 08/04/2009 at 08:12 AM
Filed Under: • Daily Life • RoPMA • UK •
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Permalink • Chill Winds To Come
A little Jethro Tull for those suffering from excess summer this summer. Not that we’re getting any of that in New Jersey this year. It’s the 4th of August, and right now it’s 65°F outside. But at least it’s not raining. Yet. This is our 2nd day in a row without rain, which is just about a record here since mid-May.
Good morning Weathercock: How did you fare last night?
Did the cold wind bite you, did you face up to the fright
When the leaves spin from October
and whip around your tail?
Did you shake from the blast, did you shiver through the gale?
Give us direction; the best of goodwill ---
Put us in touch with fair winds.
Sing to us softly, hum evening’s song ---
Tell us what the blacksmith has done for you.
Do you simply reflect changes in the patterns of the sky,
Or is it true to say the weather heeds the twinkle in your eye?
Do you fight the rush of winter; do you hold snowflakes at bay?
Do you lift the dawn sun from the fields and help him on his way?
Good morning Weathercock: make this day bright.
Put us in touch with your fair winds.
Sing to us softly, hum evening’s song.
Point the way to better days we can share with you.
Ian Anderson
Posted by Drew458
on 08/04/2009 at 08:04 AM
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather • Music •
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Permalink • Take a Pill
Government boondoggles keeping you up at night? Worried about the future? Depressed over escalating Socialism? Never fear, the government is here to help. Introducing Stimulusol XR! [ may be subject to rationing and needs-based distribution depending on union membership ]
Brought to you by the folks at The Nose On Your Face, the same bunch that created the Baby Mohammed Wets Alot doll and the new Mohammed Brand Condoms, and who have given Islamic Rage Boy a new career in swimsuit modeling! Check it out!
thanks to RH Potfry, TNOYF blogger, assiduously trying for his first major fatwa!
Posted by Drew458
on 08/04/2009 at 07:27 AM
Filed Under: • Humor •
• Comments (2)
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Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:
It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.
- Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
- Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
- Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
- Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere
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Oh, and here's some kind of visitor flag counter thingy. Hey, all the cool blogs have one, so I should too. The Visitors Online thingy up at the top doesn't count anything, but it looks neat. It had better, since I paid actual money for it.
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