This article is about the plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport in London. A few businesses and organisations support these plans. For example airport operator BAA and British Airways. But on the other hand, a vast majority of the London population is strongly opposing this project. London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, is also opposing the project. He stated his opinion very clearly in the BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. Things he said where:
"I have absolutely no doubt we are going to be successful. This runway will not be built."
"They haven't even got the nerve to put it to a vote of the whole of Parliament, let alone in London."
His arguments where the increase of noise, the increase of pollution and the decrease of safety while more planes will fly directly over London. Johnson knows that a lot of people will oppose the proposal and therefore he challenges the prime minister to a public debate.
Arguments supporting the plan for the third runway are the creation of 60 thousand jobs and the idea that Heathrow may not lose out on other big European airports
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7836063.stm
Reaction
I like the way Mr. Johnson talks about this subject. I watched that particular broadcast of BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show and Johnson was very confident about the subject and could explain his arguments very well. I also agree with him because the quality of life in London(air, sound, security) is much more important than a boost in the economy. The parliament should definitely ask the people of London what they think of the runway because such an important decision can affect all of London’s civilians. If a vast majority is indeed opposing the third runway, then there should not be need to argue further about this.
zondag 18 januari 2009
donderdag 8 januari 2009
Lessons from UK's 'tightest man'
The article
This article is about a new show in the UK. It is called The Hunt for Britain’s tightest person. Britain’s tightest person is chosen. Ieuan Butler, 42 years old, from Crymych, Pembrokeshire was chosen the Britain’s tightest person. He received this title with pride. He really lives really tight. He showed us how tight he lived.
His work boots, he declared, had served for 7 years. The last three years they were held together by duct tape. He uses the same tea bag 5 times before throwing it away. He never goes to the cinema or to a pub. He keeps clothes sometimes for even 10 years. You wont be surprised then that when he spends more than 80 pounds on clothing in one year, he thinks he has ‘overspent’. But the most outstanding is that he is due to marry his partner and he plans to held a ceremony that will only cost 500 pounds. An average marriage in the UK costs 18,500 pounds. How does he do it? Well, it will be held on the beach and the few 40 guests are asked to bring their own bottles. So this is how Britain’s tightest man lives. Ieuan only buys what he really needs.
The show is to be seen next Friday on channel four.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7818585.stm
Personal reaction
I think it is stupid that TV does so dramatic about the credit crunch. This show must be an idea caused by the credit crunch as well. They hunt for Britain’s tightest person like maybe he should be an example for all of us in the near future. That is so hypocrite.
A side of that, the show itself must be quite funny I think. It is fun to see how other people live. Before, you saw on television only how rich, famous people lived. How they spend a lot of money on stuff they don’t need and how they still can not get any satisfaction. That lifestyle really annoys me. At least this show does differently. It shows a happy man who gets by, by living tight.
This article is about a new show in the UK. It is called The Hunt for Britain’s tightest person. Britain’s tightest person is chosen. Ieuan Butler, 42 years old, from Crymych, Pembrokeshire was chosen the Britain’s tightest person. He received this title with pride. He really lives really tight. He showed us how tight he lived.
His work boots, he declared, had served for 7 years. The last three years they were held together by duct tape. He uses the same tea bag 5 times before throwing it away. He never goes to the cinema or to a pub. He keeps clothes sometimes for even 10 years. You wont be surprised then that when he spends more than 80 pounds on clothing in one year, he thinks he has ‘overspent’. But the most outstanding is that he is due to marry his partner and he plans to held a ceremony that will only cost 500 pounds. An average marriage in the UK costs 18,500 pounds. How does he do it? Well, it will be held on the beach and the few 40 guests are asked to bring their own bottles. So this is how Britain’s tightest man lives. Ieuan only buys what he really needs.
The show is to be seen next Friday on channel four.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7818585.stm
Personal reaction
I think it is stupid that TV does so dramatic about the credit crunch. This show must be an idea caused by the credit crunch as well. They hunt for Britain’s tightest person like maybe he should be an example for all of us in the near future. That is so hypocrite.
A side of that, the show itself must be quite funny I think. It is fun to see how other people live. Before, you saw on television only how rich, famous people lived. How they spend a lot of money on stuff they don’t need and how they still can not get any satisfaction. That lifestyle really annoys me. At least this show does differently. It shows a happy man who gets by, by living tight.
maandag 29 december 2008
Soaps 'miss out health messages'
This article declares that the writers of a script for a soap should pay more attention to the downsides of bad habits. There are many characters in UK’s soaps that smoke a lot, drink a lot and eat a lot of unhealthy food. Too many times, these characters appear in a perfect healthy state in the series. A top ten has even been released of the most unhealthiest soap characters. At the top is Dot Cotton from Eastenders. She is a heavy smoker and doesn’t show enough unhealthy sign according to private healthcare firm Bupa. Soaps can be of a very good use when it comes to getting the message across that an unhealthy lifestyle is really bad for you. Right now soaps miss out on this health message. Dr Peter Mace said: "We ask that soap opera scriptwriters portray the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle more realistically, such as in the way they've handled other medical issues such as cancer or Aids. He said that viewers would be influenced by the "everyday lives" they see acted out on the television.
At least not all soap opera characters are immune to unhealthy lifestyles. Jack Duckworth and Fred Elliot from the soap ‘Coronation Street’ for example, both suffered a heart attack.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7802985.stm
Reaction:
My first impression was: Humbug! Sometimes authorities place too much value to what we see on the television. But when I gave it a second, responsible thought, I thought it being quite a good idea. After all, Soaps do try to simulate the everyday lives on television. When someone wants to make a realistic soap, he also has to portray the realistic affects of a unhealthy lifestyle. I even think it wouldn’t be bad to exaggerate the effect a little bit. Just to get the message across. Television is a good way of educating so why not use that ability a little in the previously non-educative programmes like soap operas. It is a very small effort to do this and I think it will not really harm the popularity of a soap opera.
At least not all soap opera characters are immune to unhealthy lifestyles. Jack Duckworth and Fred Elliot from the soap ‘Coronation Street’ for example, both suffered a heart attack.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7802985.stm
Reaction:
My first impression was: Humbug! Sometimes authorities place too much value to what we see on the television. But when I gave it a second, responsible thought, I thought it being quite a good idea. After all, Soaps do try to simulate the everyday lives on television. When someone wants to make a realistic soap, he also has to portray the realistic affects of a unhealthy lifestyle. I even think it wouldn’t be bad to exaggerate the effect a little bit. Just to get the message across. Television is a good way of educating so why not use that ability a little in the previously non-educative programmes like soap operas. It is a very small effort to do this and I think it will not really harm the popularity of a soap opera.
UK Lynx 'could be reintroduced'
The Big Cat, the Lynx, has until now been thought to have died in the UK about 4000 years ago. New research has shown that the lynx lived until Medieval times and was extinguished by humans, instead of dying out in a natural way. This new discovery is one of the supports of the proposal to reintroduce the Lynx. An professor from Oxford called David Macdonald made this proposal. In His State of Britain's Mammals report, Professor David Macdonald said the reinstatement of the previously native lynx was an important issue. "Lynx would most likely hunt roe, sika and juvenile red deer, supplementing their diet with hares and foxes." Said Macdonald. He also thinks the Lynx can help to control the expanding Deer population. He claims this would be good because the overpopulation of “Free-ranging” Deer is a cause of damaged protected woodland. There is enough forest in Scotland and northern England to support a population of around 450 lynx.
Reaction:
I think it will be good idea to have Lynx back in the UK. These are beautiful animals, great to have them in the wild. It is expected that they can survive, since they have the right kind of diet and the previous cause of their extinction was the persecution by the humans. This only should be enough reason to have them back in the UK. But now it is even likely that they can do something good for our environment as well. I wouldn’t know why they should hesitate to do it.
I think it will be good idea to have Lynx back in the UK. These are beautiful animals, great to have them in the wild. It is expected that they can survive, since they have the right kind of diet and the previous cause of their extinction was the persecution by the humans. This only should be enough reason to have them back in the UK. But now it is even likely that they can do something good for our environment as well. I wouldn’t know why they should hesitate to do it.
woensdag 10 december 2008
X Factor exclusive: Secrets of the winner's '£1million contract'
The truth behind the X factor contract revealed.
The contract X factor finalists have to sigh before Saturday night’s show is quite ridiculous. First of all, the promised record deal of £1 million is not true. The winner will get a £150k upfront for their first album to pay their expenses. This is revealed by the Mirror, who got to see the contract and looked in on all 80 pages. The presenter of the show said that the winner would get a million pounds so this is highly misleading. 1 million is not he prize, it is the record deal. This means that the recording is funded by this 1 million pounds. So all the costs of the best producers and the marketing costs using the best video directors will be paid for this 1 million. There probably won’t be much left.
The finalists are expected to read this complicated, 80 pages long contract in just 3 days. And they’re supposed to read it carefully. The contract contains hundreds of clauses and some of them are quite bizarre like clause 32.4 : artists must not make any statement which “may be considered unduly negative, critical or derogatory of the Company – including its personnel and, in particular, Simon Cowell”.
More of these things make this contract quite doubtful.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/latest/2008/12/10/x-factor-exclusive-secrets-of-the-winner-s-1million-contract-115875-20959077/
Reaction
This article confirms a lot of bad rumors going on about the show business I think. It is always said that the show bizz is as corrupt as can be and this is even a official article, not just a rumor. It’s a shame that it has to be like that. The only good thing these silly programs have, is also taken away. The winner of this X factor thing could actually be given a fabulous life of which he or she probably dreams about and such a stupid contract gives that dream a quite nasty twist. It’s a shame that even in such a rich country people can’t even do what they are promised. It’s highly misleading. But on the other hand. I can’t really bother. It’s a problem that doesn’t really exist because you chose for it yourself. The people attending X factor should have thought of it earlier. It’s a silly program anyway.
The contract X factor finalists have to sigh before Saturday night’s show is quite ridiculous. First of all, the promised record deal of £1 million is not true. The winner will get a £150k upfront for their first album to pay their expenses. This is revealed by the Mirror, who got to see the contract and looked in on all 80 pages. The presenter of the show said that the winner would get a million pounds so this is highly misleading. 1 million is not he prize, it is the record deal. This means that the recording is funded by this 1 million pounds. So all the costs of the best producers and the marketing costs using the best video directors will be paid for this 1 million. There probably won’t be much left.
The finalists are expected to read this complicated, 80 pages long contract in just 3 days. And they’re supposed to read it carefully. The contract contains hundreds of clauses and some of them are quite bizarre like clause 32.4 : artists must not make any statement which “may be considered unduly negative, critical or derogatory of the Company – including its personnel and, in particular, Simon Cowell”.
More of these things make this contract quite doubtful.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/latest/2008/12/10/x-factor-exclusive-secrets-of-the-winner-s-1million-contract-115875-20959077/
Reaction
This article confirms a lot of bad rumors going on about the show business I think. It is always said that the show bizz is as corrupt as can be and this is even a official article, not just a rumor. It’s a shame that it has to be like that. The only good thing these silly programs have, is also taken away. The winner of this X factor thing could actually be given a fabulous life of which he or she probably dreams about and such a stupid contract gives that dream a quite nasty twist. It’s a shame that even in such a rich country people can’t even do what they are promised. It’s highly misleading. But on the other hand. I can’t really bother. It’s a problem that doesn’t really exist because you chose for it yourself. The people attending X factor should have thought of it earlier. It’s a silly program anyway.
Firms urged to cut energy bills.
You would think that lately prices of oil, gas and electricity could only rise. But this is not true. For some reason the price of oil, and therefore the price of gas, has gone down the last few months. As you can see in the diagram, the price per therm of wholesale gas has risen until September 2008. In the first half of this year, the price jumped from 60 pence to a 100 pence per therm. But in de second half, prices had been cut to 60 pence again. The price of oil has slumped recently and the price of gas is connected to the price of oil.
The problem is that energy bills are still not decreasing in the UK. Energy companies are under pressure of the Government. They are told to drop their prices. But the energy companies don’t want to drop their prices yet because they pay for the gas in advance. Mutations, therefore, can’t be passed on immediately. Ian Parrett, of Inenco, said that when the changes come there could be a 15% reduction in electricity prices and a fall in gas prices of between 20% and 25%. The mutation of the prices are expected in March 2009 but it would be more convenient if the wholesale gas price would diminish now because in this time of the year, energy is needed the most.
The problem is that energy bills are still not decreasing in the UK. Energy companies are under pressure of the Government. They are told to drop their prices. But the energy companies don’t want to drop their prices yet because they pay for the gas in advance. Mutations, therefore, can’t be passed on immediately. Ian Parrett, of Inenco, said that when the changes come there could be a 15% reduction in electricity prices and a fall in gas prices of between 20% and 25%. The mutation of the prices are expected in March 2009 but it would be more convenient if the wholesale gas price would diminish now because in this time of the year, energy is needed the most.
Reaction
I think that the government shouldn’t press so hard on the energy companies. Of course it is better for every household if the gas is cheaper but energy is something we have to be careful with and it is worth to pay a little more for it. Fossil fuels are obviously running out. I don’t know how these prices suddenly can drop but eventually they will keep on rising because oil and gas is only going to become more rare. I think it is not wrong if the energy companies do not cut down the prices even when energy is cheaper for a while. I suggest they put the extra money earned in search for green energy.
If the bills would drop, households will start to spoil energy I think. It will be an impulse for people to be less careful with energy.
I think that the government shouldn’t press so hard on the energy companies. Of course it is better for every household if the gas is cheaper but energy is something we have to be careful with and it is worth to pay a little more for it. Fossil fuels are obviously running out. I don’t know how these prices suddenly can drop but eventually they will keep on rising because oil and gas is only going to become more rare. I think it is not wrong if the energy companies do not cut down the prices even when energy is cheaper for a while. I suggest they put the extra money earned in search for green energy.
If the bills would drop, households will start to spoil energy I think. It will be an impulse for people to be less careful with energy.
zondag 7 december 2008
Irish republic recalls all pork
Previous Monday, suspicions were first raised over Irish pork meat when routine test were being taken. On a number of pig farms in Ireland, a very high level of dioxins were found in the pork meat. It is said that this was caused by a high level of dioxins in the park’s feed. dioxins are formed during combusting processes but it is still unknown how this high level of dioxins got in the pork’s feed. Long term exposure to dioxins can lead to serious health-problems, including cancer. The food safety authority demanded that every pork meat produced in the Irish republic after the first of September should be destroyed. This includes Bacon, ham, sausages, white pudding and pizzas with ham toppings. These precautions were taken out of safety. The UK's Food Standards Agency said it did not believe that UK consumers faced any "significant risk". Although, they are still waiting to hear if any of the contaminated food had been exported to the UK.
The same optimism holds true for the Irish republic. It is said that we should not panic and that anyone who has eaten pork meat did not need to seek medical help.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7769391.stm
Reaction
Threats like these are very dangerous I think. Meat is being produced on such a great scale these days that a contamination can spread very easily. Before you know it half of the country could have been eating the contaminated food. Therefore I think that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland did a good job on recalling all the meat. Precautions like these are important. Maybe they exaggerate a little bit but that would be a lot better than to keep it quiet and to eventually discover that a lot of people faced serious health problems because of the contaminated meat. It seems that the threat for the UK is very small but it’s still important that preliminary actions are being taken.
It is odd though that it is still unclear how the pork’s feed got contaminated. Isn’t the feed properly checked before given to the pork? If it is not, it should be…
The same optimism holds true for the Irish republic. It is said that we should not panic and that anyone who has eaten pork meat did not need to seek medical help.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7769391.stm
Reaction
Threats like these are very dangerous I think. Meat is being produced on such a great scale these days that a contamination can spread very easily. Before you know it half of the country could have been eating the contaminated food. Therefore I think that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland did a good job on recalling all the meat. Precautions like these are important. Maybe they exaggerate a little bit but that would be a lot better than to keep it quiet and to eventually discover that a lot of people faced serious health problems because of the contaminated meat. It seems that the threat for the UK is very small but it’s still important that preliminary actions are being taken.
It is odd though that it is still unclear how the pork’s feed got contaminated. Isn’t the feed properly checked before given to the pork? If it is not, it should be…
Abonneren op:
Posts (Atom)