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noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:15:00 +0000

Frankel: What lies in store for the retired £100m wonder horse? (from BBC)

From the world's top-rated racehorse to the most exciting male escort around - things are about to change for Frankel.

The brilliant colt was retired to stud after his 14th consecutive victory on Saturday, in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

While a life of getting intimate with the most sought-after females on the planet might sound like many young males' ultimate fantasy, it is far from straightforward.

An old adage in bloodstock circles is that you breed the best with the best, and hope for the best.
Owners of well-bred mares from around the world have already been courting Frankel's Saudi owner, Prince Khalid Abdulla.

Frankel best I've ever seen - Cecil

"Interest in Frankel has been worldwide," said Abdulla's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe. "People wanting to breed to the horse will send their mares' CVs in and (in addition) Prince Khalid will send his own best mares that suit."

Frankel earned nearly £3m career prize money in his races, but much greater rewards await at stud.
The four-year-old horse is likely to start his new duties in February, and will command a fee of £100,000 or more each time.

But first of all, he will have to prove his fertility. Some top racehorses have returned to the course after failing at stud.

"He'll probably have a few test mares early on to see that all is well and he could get them in foal," said former champion jockey Willie Carson, himself a horse breeder.

With an expected annual roster of 100 mares, that could generate at least £10m every year and upwards of £100m during his lifetime.

"All being well, provided he's a fertile horse and his libido's good, he could be covering three mares a day, or even four at peak times. That's quite demanding," said Grimthorpe.

All in the genes?

Frankel is the grandson of champion stallion Sadler's Wells, who died in 2011, aged 30, after siring more than 100 European Group One winners
Sons of Sadler's Wells, who retired from a breeding career aged 27 due to declining fertility, include Montjeu, Galileo and triple champion hurdler Istabraq
Montjeu, who died aged 16, won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and produced four of the last eight Epsom Derby winners - Authorized, Motivator, Pour Moi and Camelot
The 2001 Derby winner Galileo's offspring include 2008 Epsom victor New Approach

Jake Warren, stallion manager at the Highclere Stud in Berkshire, said the busiest routine for his operation's Paco Boy would see him booked in for 0630, 1230, 1830 and 0030 slots in a 24-hour period.

"It's considered a romantic retirement but it's not as rosy as it sounds," said Warren. "Don't get me wrong, they enjoy it, it's their natural instinct, but it's rigorous and tiring."
No wonder Frankel will be given a week or two of rest before he leaves the stables of trainer Sir Henry Cecil at Warren Place, Newmarket.

He will be returning to his birthplace, five miles away, at Banstead Manor Stud, Cheveley - part of the Juddmonte Farms breeding arm of Abdulla's racing operation.

As Frankel moves on to pastures new, there is likely to be a tear in the eyes of Cecil who acknowledges his best ever horse has helped him through an ongoing battle with stomach cancer.
Frankel is the son of 2001 Epsom Derby winner Galileo and Kind, who won six races during her racing career.

The stamina of his father and his mother's speed combined to produce a pacey powerhouse.
But it can be an inexact science about which pairings work.

While his father Galileo is in demand and his grandfather Sadler's Wells was a highly successful stallion, there is no guarantee Frankel will thrive.
"He starts from zero again. He starts a new ball game. He's got to prove himself in that sphere," says Carson.

“Every time the stallion is ready you will hear a big roar”

Jake Warren, stallion manager at the Highclere Stud

"Some animals don't take to it, don't like it. Some get very aggressive, some get savage. It's the unknown."

The mating itself usually takes place in a large breeding shed, with handlers overseeing the union.
A "tease" - usually a flirtatious male Shetland Pony or retired racehorse - is used to check if the mare is in season.

It is the equine equivalent of a man chatting up a lady, she shows interest then another man moves in.
The mare will have three-inch thick padding placed on her back and hind feet to guard against injury.
"If she kicks out while the stallion mounts her, there is a very strong possibility she could break his leg. These horses are so valuable that every protection is taken," said Warren.

"Every time the stallion is ready you will hear a big roar. The covering itself takes just 30 seconds or a minute."

Contracts are usually on a no-foal, no-fee basis, with the offspring beginning racing at the age of two.
Frankel's first sons or daughters will make the racetrack in March 2016 at the earliest, when that year's Flat season starts on turf.

That is when we will see whether Frankel's talent has been passed on to the next generation.
"I am the most biased person on earth because I have known him since he was a foal and have seen him develop into this extraordinary horse. For me, I have never seen anything like him," said Grimthorpe.
And that is the daunting challenge for his stud career - to produce future stars.

"Breeders throughout the world will want to try to breed a horse as good as him," said Carson.

"I find it hard to believe that can happen, but everyone will try."

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Olympics 2012- 18

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 10:42:00 +0000

I flew back from my beloved England to USA yesterday, my case overflowing with must haves like “lemsips, germaline, mince sauce, HP sauce and many, many memories of the 2012 Olympics. Already I am suffering from “POD” (Post Olympic Depression” having gone from BBC’s terrific coverage to NBC’s “Lets squeeze in a few American sporting moments in between adverts”. I just hope, unlike the opening ceremony they have live coverage of the closing ceremony, which promises to be a musical extravaganza.

Once these glorious Games are over and the glow of golden glory of the elite Olympians fades in the memory, talk will likely turn to the legacy of London 2012. It has already started in on corner of south-West London where Ian Thorpe, one of the greatest swimmers ever to live, is fulfilling his Twitter promise to provide some swimming tips at one of Britain's greatest pools, Tooting Bec Lido. This is like him being at a local swimming hole in down town Brooklyn.

Another moment to note is in today’s marathon where South Sudan's who lost 28 relatives during the country's conflict with Sudan is a runner. With South Sudan yet to join the Olympic movement, the United States where Marial lives yet to award him citizenship, and Marial unwilling to run under Sudan's flag, he is one of four athletes in the Games to compete as an independent athlete.

Saturday was again a golden day fro team GB, with Mo Farrow completing an amzing double winning the 5000mtrs on the track adding a second gold to the one he won in the 10,000mtrs.This was added to boxing and sprint canoeing as the day went on, scattered with a few medals of other colours.

If there’s an Olympic award for courage on the field of play, runner Manteo Mitchell should get a strong nomination.

Mitchell ran the opening leg of the U.S. men’s 4 x 400 -metre relay Thursday and seemed to labor, unable to hand over the lead to Josh Mance after a 46.1-second leg.

Afterward Mitchell said he had a cramp in his foot but his struggles didn’t seem to matter because Josh Mance, Tony McQuay and Bryshon Nellum rallied to get the U.S. to the finish line in 2 minutes, 58.87 seconds and tie the Bahamas quartet for the fastest qualifying time. The time was the fastest ever in the first round of a relay at the Olympics.

After the relay, though, Mitchell returned to the Olympic Village and had a doctor check out his leg. X-rays showed he had a broken fibula.

I m going to finish with some quotes which share words I can only try and find to express my own pride about these Olympics Injured marathon runner and world record holder Paula Radcliffe

"Just to say the games makers, officials and helpers all over London have been the best and the nicest I have ever seen at 5 Olympics.”

British Olympic Association chief Colin Moynihan about the wonderful crows and support during these games… “Many silver medals have been converted to golds by public support for athletes at these Games”

However previous gold medallist and BBC Sport athletics pundit however says it best…

"I couldn't have dreamed this dream. No-one could have written this script, that things would go so remarkably well. I'm full of pride. I'm so proud of the job we've done, on every level. Everyone's raised their game, from volunteer to elite performer. This will go down in History!"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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Olympics 2012 - 1 7

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 07:49:00 +0000

Last night I walked up the road to a local pub to meet a mate of mine whom I have not seen for many years to chat about old times and old friends over a pint of beer one could taste and enjoy. Coming home the sun was setting casting a golden glow over the houses. It might have been setting but not for team GB at the Olympics as a further three gold medals spread across the most diverse events were won.

From dancing horses to female boxers to a young girl from Wales who took pride in trying to kick their opponents head off, the strains of “God Save the Queen” once again echoed through the Olympic venues. Add to that the Bolt double and the greatest 800mtrs ever run and you had another wonderful day.

I was invited later on in the evening to be a guest on a Australian radio station to share my views on the Olympics later in the evening which just brought home how small the world is these days, and Englishman, living in the USA is a guest on an Australian radio station to talk about this global event.

The events so far have been watched by 6.9 million people live, and yesterday at the ladies boxing finals it seemed that most of Ireland had been crammed into the arena. The noise within the venue created a higher decibel reading then a jumbo jet taking off. The golds team GB and then the first for Ireland not only showed that female boxing is here to stay in the Olympics but also that these ladies have what it takes. I wondered what happened after the first two bouts yesterday as I bet there was a mass evacuation to local bars to celebrate after those early golds.

In dressage we had horses dancing to music as diverse as “Lion King” and “The Greta escape”, I could swear that the horses were even pointing their toes, rather hooves as they danced across the arena.

Later after another series of athletic highlights on the track a small welsh girl won Britain's first ever gold medal in Taekwondo, another sport which the wonderful Olympic coverage has been brought to the millions of viewers around the world.

On a slightly different note Christian news outlet OneNewsNow.com produced one of the funniest moments over the last few days. They have and automated system to stop the word “gay” being published on their web site, automatically replacing it with “homosexual”. So when they printed a large story about American sprinter “Tyson Gay”, or as they wrote “Tyson Homosexual”.it read...

“It means a lot to me,' the 25-year-old Homosexual said. “I'm glad my body could do it, because now I know I have it in me.”

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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Olympics 2012 - 16

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 08:58:00 +0000

CONDOM GATE

There has been much written about the “must use” only Olympic sponsors items at the Olympics, though judging by the number of luminous yellow NIKE shoes one sees the athletes running in on the track Adidas have right to be a little miffed. Now comes fresh news of trouble with the “Official Olympic Condom”

Don’t mess with the official condom of the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

That’s essentially the message being sent by LOCOG, the organizing committee of these games, after a bucket of unauthorized condoms was discovered in the Olympic Village.

Condom-gate came to light when Australian BMX cyclist Caroline Buchanan posted a photo of the bucket on her Twitter account, according to The Guardian newspaper.

The bucket was adorned with a sign bearing the message, “Kangaroos condoms, for the gland downunder," and a photo of a boxing kangaroo.

Organizers of the London Games, following a tradition started in Barcelona in 1992 and backed by the IOC, placed 150,000 free Durex condoms in dispensers for the more than 10,000 athletes competing this summer. Durex paid for the right to supply the condoms.

LOCOG officials are trying to determine how the Kangaroo condoms got into the athletes village, a spokeswoman told The Guardian. The condoms apparently came from Durex rivals Ansell Ltd., an Australian company, and Pasante, a private British firm.

The number of condoms supplied at London broke the record of 100,000 offered in Beijing four years ago. Organizers of the 2000 Sydney Games had to pull out an additional 20,000 condoms after the athletes worked their way through the initial allocation of 70,000.

Those who watched the women's vault final on Sunday probably saw American gymnastMcKayla Maroney visibly less than enthused about grabbing the silver medal in the competition. (We need not look further than Maroney appearing to snub a Russian competitor's congratulatory hug, which many interpreted as intentional.) Maroney is the defending world champion on the apparatus and was the favorite coming into the event following her seemingly flawless vault in the team final, so her dismay was understandable.

Now a meme involving a photo of Maroney on the medal stand that night with a begrudging look on her face is making inroads in the online humor community. It's even spawned its own Tumblr page. Here are some of our favorites of "McKayla is Not Impressed":

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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Olympics 2012 - 15

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 08:40:00 +0000

From the Bronte's to the Brownlee's

As I spent my time at the Olympic stadium on Tuesday enjoying an atmosphere that seemed ready to irrupt into frenzy of British pride for the smallest reason, .just enjoying the wave of pride and emotion that is covering my country right now.

It was almost beyond my comprehension as the tidal wave of ran through the people like an giant Mexican wave through the stadium, around the surrounding venues, walk ways ad parks where hundreds of thousands cheered every event and athlete. Smiling faces of every age and from all 204 surrounding countries covered in flags of every nation fill a transport system that whizzes you to your Olympic destination seemingly before you can say “gold medal”.

Not just the audience are enjoying them selves, the picture of the athletes parting after their events fill the papers, Cameroon has seven athletes that have disappeared, seemingly wanting to stay in Britain.

In the velodrome the cycling completed with “team GB” as it is known winning more gold I every event except three events. Even in those three events two medals and a disqualification (while leading) showed British cyclist superiority. France (always the French) have winged about secret motors inside and the fact that Britain have specials “extra round wheels”... There was an article in the paper on Monday when something strange happened in the velodrome as another countries anthem was played instead of the of “God Save the Queen”, not by mistake but just for the first time in so many events GB had not won the gold.

Yorkshire is a large county in the North of England, home of Charlotte Bronte, location for Wothering Heights etc, sometimes called “Gods Own Country”. It is at no little pride for those living there that if that one county was a country they alone have one more gold medals than the countries such as Australia, France and Spain.

In amongst the success, there are a few athletes that have tried to compete while injured only to fail. The support I was witness to of a Mexican athlete in the woman's 5000mtrs receiving as the padded round the track way behind the rest of the field, like a rolling wave of thunder following in her around the track showing the encouragement that every watcher is seemingly there to provide.

In the final of the team horse show jumping a Brazilian rider had the seemingly every fence down, even a fence where one of the poles was knocked off by the wind he went on to almost demolish the rest of the fence.

Yesterday I was one of the crowd enjoying the quarter finals of the men's basketball, in a different location to my previous visitiation and another full of the nations from all part sof the world, where several of the planned thousand used basketballs were being slammed and dunked.

While the closing ceremony plans are well underway, based on London, and the history of British music with stars such as The Who and even the “Spice Girls” scheduled to appear (did I say stars) there is a sad note to type about. The scheduled reunion of “Take That” might now not take place after singer Gary Barlow might well not appear. Earlier this week, his expected fourth child was sadly “still born” something that obviously might be more important than appearing in the closing ceremony.

I have said before this whole Olympics is just making my so proud to be British, the trips to the stadium or what I have seen on the TV have only gone to fill my heart with this pride and overflowing exuberance for my homeland.

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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Olympics 2012 -14

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:06:00 +0000

It's hard enough to make the Olympics, let alone win an event. But sometimes, the sting of losing can be offset by the satisfaction of at least taking home some kind of hardware in the form of a silver or even bronze medal.

Finishing in fourth place, however? That's where it gets a little tough to swallow.

Luckily, David Mitchell is going the extra mile to make sure those oh-so-close losers get some kind of recognition. The Derbyshire, England resident is mailing athletes fourth-place medals to honor their accomplishments and ensure that they go home with a little hardware along with some heartache.

"There used to be 84 countries in the Olympic Games, now there are 204," Mitchell told the BBC in an interview. "Performance levels have become so much higher that it is so hard now to get a medal. I thought, it's time this increase in the competitiveness and the standards was taken account of."

So Mitchell, a bookshop owner, went to a local trophy store and began buying medals to send to the unlucky athletes who would otherwise have nothing to show for their efforts. One side of the medals have the athlete's name and event, while the other side displays "In Recognition of your 4th Place Olympic Games 2012."

The first recipients of Mitchell's homemade hardware are scheduled to be British diver Tom Daley and his synchronized diving partner Peter Waterfield. The two messed up a key dive and were knocked off the podium, and although they might be a little upset at their fourth-place status, Mitchell hopes he can cheer them up.

"I hope they don't find it insulting," Mitchell said, "because it's meant seriously and supportively."

It's not much, but if we've learned anything from playing sports ourselves, it never hurts to get a medal at the end of the day.

Women's gymnastics all-around champion Gabby Douglas likes her hairstyle just fine, thanks.

The 16-year-old said Sunday she was a little confused when she logged onto her computer after winning her second gold medal in three days and discovered people were debating her pulled-back look.

''I don't know where this is coming from. What's wrong with my hair?'' said Douglas, the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in team and all-around competition. ''I'm like, `I just made history and people are focused on my hair?' It can be bald or short, it doesn't matter about (my) hair.''

Douglas uses gel, clips and a ponytail holder to keep things in place while she competes, a style she's worn for years.

''Nothing is going to change,'' she said. ''I'm going to wear my hair like this during beam and bar finals. You might as well just stop talking about it.''

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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Olympics 2012 -13

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:53:00 +0000

One of the to the London 2012 Olympics staff on the track you might not have noticed is the Mini MINI. Three Mini MINIs painted red, white and blue almost “Italian Job” that's the first one with Michel Caine are being deployed for the crucial task of retrieving hammer, shot and javelins for the athletes. They are operated by Games Makers assigned and trained for this duty.

The cars are roughly a quarter scale of the full-sized car and carry the athletic equipment situated inside, accessible through the adapted sunroof.

While I'm typing up this the final of the Olympic 100 meteres is coming up in an hour or so, but spare a thought for some of the less auspicious athletes. In the qualifying of the 100meteres a slightly tubby 32 year old Chris Meke Walasi clocked 11:42 seconds in the heats... and he didn't even finish last

Another great day for team great Britain and the Olympics in general, special celebrations continue at the track following yesterdays three gold medals, on the water Britannia rules the waves, cycling and gymnastics add further medals and even in tennis “yes tennis” team GB win a gold and a silver. These victories adding another two stamps the the gold medal collection issues by the post office.

With everything going on in the Olympic village, 36 year old Former world champion Kim Collins was removed from the 100 meters event by the St Kitts and Nevis officials for spending a night in a hotel “with his wife”.

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Olympics 2012 - 12

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 10:04:00 +0000

One of the great things Great Britain are doing for these Olympics is to bring out special stamps celebrating each of the gold medalist. With 14 gold medals this has put a great amount of work on the Post Office.

As team GB's first gold medal winners at the London 2012 Olympics were being honored special stamps are being produced than 24 hours after each athletes victory in their events.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning made history as Britain's first Olympic women's rowing team to take gold and Bradley Wiggins became the country's most decorated Olympian after winning the men’s time trial.

Around 100,000 Royal Mail stamps with images of the winners will be delivered to 500 gold medal special post offices across Britain.

Tim Cowen from Royal Mail says the printing team have been gearing up for this moment for quite some time.

"We've been practising this for about two years. We reckon that as long as we don't get any more than three gold medals in an hour, people will be able to buy those stamps (the next day) in post offices," he said.

Royal Mail Stamps are iconic and whenever historic occasions like this happen you would expect Royal Mail to do something a bit special, and hopefully that's what people will think we've done.”

An additional 4,700 post offices will receive the gold medal stamps within a week.

Royal Mail's chief executive Moya Greene said the organisation is delighted to be issuing the stamps.

"This is a first for Royal Mail and we are proud to play our part in celebrating the many victories this summer," she said.

As an additional honour each of their home towns, where possible, will have a post box painted gold to mark their success.

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Olympics 2012-11

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 09:52:00 +0000

After the normal delay at JFK airport (why do they always have a back log of planes trying to take off or land?) I had a great flight over catching up lost time and only arriving ten minutes late. The first thing one notices on arriving at Heathrow is the Olympics are on. Everywhere there are posters, meeting areas and Olympic guides everywhere. People walking around either in the pink/purple clothing of welcoming guides or wearing passes stating they have been part of these wonderful Olympics games.

There seems to be a smile on every persons face and from the smallest shop to the largest store flags are flying. Catching the tube or as the Americans say “Subway” from the airport to Arnos Grove which is basically the full length of the Piccadilly Line there were even for my tired eyes so much to see. People from many countries heading for events in London, children grasping flags, eyes filled with anticipation being told stories of what they were about to see, stories that they will pass on to their own children.

And what a day...

In the annals of British sporting history Saturday August 4^th will be forever know and remembered. Six gold medals... including three within an hour on the athletic track. The country raised its voice as one cheering on the athletes and singing the national anthem. Proud, choked, humbled... all that and more as I watched the events unfurl on television. The thousand at the venues, or outside watching on large screens, the joy and patriotism this is filling the furthest outpost of the British empire right now is beyond words that I can type.

The flags are flying, the words are being sung, and like so many right now I am glad to be n Britain as part of these 2102 Olympics and proud to be British.

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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Olympics 2012 -10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:52:00 +0000

Birdie damage, costume issues and a non slide

As always there have been a few "controversial" issues in these Olympics, and I'm not talking boxing where a person who got knocked down 5 times in a round still managed to score ten points while on his rear and win the bout. But more so the "birdie" attack. For those not used to badminton, the shuttlecock is sometimes called a "birdie". Over the last couple of days 4 pairs in the woman's doubles have been ejected for "not trying". These 8 athletes lost their games on purpose so they could get a better draw in the next round. Thankfully they did not get away with the "gamesmanship" and have now got a very easy next round, sitting whatching the players that did try.

In weightlifting Ghada Hassine of Tunisia became the first Olympic weightlifter to compete in a newly approved unitard covering most of her body.

Rules requiring lifters to wear a uniform that doesn't cover the arms and lower legs were changed last year. The U.S. had petitioned for a change on behalf of a Muslim lifter.

Hassine, 19, wore the unitard Wednesday under the traditional weightlifting outfit and a hijab covering her hair as she participated in group B of lower-ranked lifters in the women's 69-kilogram category.

Perhaps for the puritan minded we might be seeing such items being warn in the swimming pool. Water polo, which is a cross between rugby and underwater wrestling, is not exactly a mild sport. During yesterdays woman’s match between Spain and the USA, a Spanish player's swimsuit was pulled, leaving her breast exposed..

Shock horror… Just walk along any beach in Spain or most other Mediterranean countries and you’ll see breasts expose everywhere, without the aid of a water polo game.

NBC were actually showing this even live, which is a shock in itself, having had issues with their tape delay, let’s face it a 5 hour delay in showing the opening ceremony there must have been some issues.

“Give it a go” lord mayor of London, Boris Johnson came a bit unstuck when he tried out a zip line that was 45 meters (148 feet) high and 320 meters (1,050 feet) long at east London's Victoria Park. The portly mayor lost momentum about three-quarters of the way across, leaving him dangling from his harness about 10 meters (33 feet) above ground for a few minutes.

Glad to see he was still waving the flag.. Looking at the picture I wonder if he went “weeeee” as he slid down.

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Olympics 2012 - 9

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:11:00 +0000

A Brazilian judoka will receive a new bronze medal from the International Olympic Committee after breaking his when he brought it into the shower…

Felipe Kitadai will receive a new bronze medal from the International Olympic Committee after breaking his when he brought it into the shower. (The ribbon broke and there is a small dent in it..not what I call broken)

It was heartening to hear in the days where the whole Olympics seems to be about money that former Beatle Paul McCartney and other star performers who took part in Friday's opening ceremony essentially donated their time, receiving a mere pound ($1.57) for their performances.

The nominal fee was offered to make the Olympics contracts binding, but pales in comparison to the millions big names like McCartney can command for a stadium gig.

These are already the Twitter Games. The Solo/Lolo Show has dominated US Olympics talk. Soccer player Hope Solo went on a Twitter rant against Brandi Chastain. Hurdler Lolo Jones made an insensitive joke on Twitter about the US and guns.

And on Monday, a second athlete, Swiss soccer player Michel Morganella, was kicked out of the Olympics for racist comments on Twitter.

However it could be worse…

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of posting malicious Twitter messages directed at British Olympic diver Tom Daley, U.K. police said Tuesday.

The first tweet told Daley that he let his dad down with his synchronized diving performance. Later, the tweeter threatens to drown Daley.

Daley's father died of brain cancer a year ago and the 18-year-old Olympian had hoped to win a medal ''for myself and my dad.'' But he finished fourth on Monday, out of medal contention, in the 10-meter synchronized platform competition with teammate Pete Waterfield.

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Olympics 2012-8

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 16:16:00 +0000

New Zealand's hopes of qualifying for the final of the women's quadruple sculls at Eton Dorney were dashed when an oar broke with about 400m remaining in the repechage race.

The Kiwis were third at the time - with four boats going through - when Fiona Bourke was left stranded on Dorney Lake. They finished last, 30 seconds behind winner Australia.

Tunisia may have missed out on its first medal at the London Olympics because of bad arithmetic. His coach made a mistake of starting weightlifter Khalil El-Maoui who was in second place of the men's 56kg at at 158kg instead of the planned 148kg putting Khalil out of the medals due to an arithmetic mistake.

In a story reminiscent of the Jamaican bobsleigh team and Eric "the eel" Moussambani, comes Djibo Issaka.

The 35-year-old from Niger was given a rapturous reception normally reserved for gold medallists after struggling to the finish line in the men's single sculls at Eton Dorney.

Why? Because he has only been rowing for three months.

Niger received a wild card to the Olympics, allocated to ensure all 204 National Olympic Committees can take part even if no athletes have qualified.

Djibo Issaka thinks his performance could mark the start of a new era for rowing in Niger.

"There are many people who want to start rowing because I have come to the Olympic Games," he said.

"We will start when I get back. We just have to wait for the boats to arrive."

Keep an ear out for a wide variety of music at London 2012, from the national anthems recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra to “Out of a Rainbow”, the song of mascots Wenlock and Mandeville. But will anything beat the music that greeted water polo teams as they entered the arena in 2008? Beijing’s brilliant choice: the theme from the movie “Jaws”.

The slowest marathon in history?

If you think that’s a long time, try the lifetime it took Japanese runner Shizo Kanaguri to complete the 1912 marathon. Kanaguri collapsed in the Stockholm race and reputedly woke up the next day in the house of a farming family who took him in. Having returned to Japan without telling the organisers, he was officially listed as missing by Swedish authorities. It wasn’t until 1966 that Kanaguri, long after his retirement, finished the race. Invited by a television company to complete the course, he accepted. His finishing time: 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 8 hours, 32 minutes and 20 seconds.

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

Olympics 2012 - 7

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 16:42:00 +0000

It isn't just Chris De Burgh who is going on about a "Lady In Red" it seems the Indian contingent in the Olympic parade are also crating a flap about "a lady in red".

It would seem that during the parade a lady wearing a red top which stood out in contrast to the Indian team's yellow saris or blue blazers, joined the parade and walked next to India's flag-bearer, wrestler Sushil Kumar.

It now turns out the woman who appeared in India's Olympic contingent in the opening ceremony was a cast member in the event, London 2012's

Seb Coe stated.

"She was a cast member who got "slightly over-excited".

Criticism has erupted as seats at the Olympic Games have been left empty and athletes have performed in front of less than capacity crowds from the first day of competition.

It tuns out most of these are down to sponsors and Olympic officials not turning up and the Olympic committee are following up to make some of these tickets available for the many who are still trying to attend an event.

Not that "scalpers" are making a profit. A German man and a Slovakian woman were charged Saturday by British police over alleged attempts to illegally resell tickets to the Olympic opening ceremony, while 16 others have been arrested in the last two days over similar offenses.

Scotland Yard said it had also detained 11 men on Saturday over suspected ticket fraud — two have been bailed while inquiries continue, one has been freed and eight are being questioned.

"My team has been working tirelessly to clamp down on ticket touts. We have been, and will continue to seek out and take robust action," Det. Supt. Nick Downing said.

"Ticket touting is illegal and is a clear exploitation of those who genuinely wish to experience the games first-hand," he said.

As CHRIS DE BURGH

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

Olympics 2012 -6

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 22:29:00 +0000

So the opening ceremony has taken place and it seems that most of world enjoyed the format the fun, the thought that her majesty the queen might possibly parachute into the stadium and so much more. Her in the USA it would have been great to see it live like the rest of the world… BUT NBC in their financial wisdom held off until US prime time some 5 hrs later, so it was over and done before in the United States were able to see the wonderful spectacle. In my search for some form of live broadcast I came across TV Chile which on the program news advertised the opening ceremony but it proved to be some soap opera where the men seemed to ware weird pullovers and the entire female cast had on scarves.

This “lack” of coverage type of issue within the USA media in the 2004 Olympics made headline, and I mean front page headline news around the world and is the one of the reasons the USA has not been granted the Olympics since. I have blogged about this issue in the past, and will go over the reason and what happened in a future blog.

Mean while what about day 1 and some weird news. Michel Phelps does not “so far” look like the champion he once was, and the Chinese machine is now spewing out unknown swimmers to take the pool by storm when Sixteen-year-old Ye Shiwen set a world record in the women's 400 individual medley.

Over at the rifle range, the noise of firing was mixed with the mixed with the cooing of Suryani Mohammed Taibi as she tried to settle her unborn baby from kicking her as she attempted to take part in the 10-meter air rifle. Not only is Taibi one of the few pregnant women in Olympic history, but she is also the most pregnant woman in Olympic history. Sometime in the next five weeks the shooter from Malaysia is going to give birth to a girl. The girl already has a name: Dayana Widyan.

Dayana Widyan has grown so large inside her mother that Taibi’s coach Natalia Zhukova worried her student might have her baby before the Olympics even began.

Back to the opening ceremony; don’t forget I did let you know that Mary Pippins might be needed to defend us in a previous blog. I’ll tell you something else… I think the most certain bet of 2012 is that Danny Boyle will receive a knighthood by the end of the year.

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

OLYMPICS 2012 - 5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:22:00 +0000

What has been around the world, has three sides and 8000 holes?

Answer the Olympic torch

Ed Barber and Jay Osgerby, designers of the London 2012 torch, explained that the triangular shape of the torch is for the three times London has been the host city - 1908, 1948 and 2012 - and the 8,000 holes in it match the number of relay runners.

London has become a hot ticket since it won the honor of hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics. Getting to the Games by plane from just about any corner of the globe can cost quite a big chunk of change if you don't have enough cash or frequent flyer miles to get you there. One Chinese man may have found a way around that, assuming you have super strong calves and a couple of years to spare.

Chen Guanming a 57-year-old farmer from the eastern village of Jiangsu, has made it to London just in time for the start of the Games today. He claims he got there on a rickshaw, according to the Associated Press.

His long journey started all the way back in 2008 during the Summer Games in Beijing. A British media outlet invited him to attend the Games in London but he couldn't pay for a plane ticket to get there. So in April 2010, he started pedaling toward Great Britain.

Chen told the AP that he had to traverse through some rough terrain to get to London, including flooding in Thailand and a dangerous snowstorm in Turkey, but he stuck through it and was able to ride his rickshaw all the way to France where he caught a ferry to get to London.

Of course, the irony is that after pedaling his rickshaw thousands of miles, there's no way he'll be able to find a parking space for that thing in London...

Before the games has been officially opened he first two world records of London 2012 have been claimed by South Korea in the men's archery ranking round.

Im Dong-hyun, who is legally blind in one eye broke his own individual record by three points in Friday's ranking round, while in the team event, South Korea, who have won 15 gold medals since 1984 set a new world record for 216 arrows.

According to reports, nine athletes were told that their services would no longer be required on Wednesday due to a series of drug, doping, and other chemically-induced alterations were discovered in their small plastic bottle.

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

OLYMPICS 2012 - 4

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:58:00 +0000

Before the first notes of the fanfares of the Opening Ceremony have been sounded the first “muck up” of the Olympics has happened.

Yesterday was the first day of events starting with the ladies soccer. At Scotland’s Hampden Park ground the match between North Korea and Columbia was delayed for about an hour after the Korean players walked off the pitch, the reason…

As the North Korean players were being introduced before the match against Colombia, South Korean flags were mistakenly displayed in the video package.

The entire squad walked off and could only be persuaded to return when the teams were announced again with each player's face displayed next to the North Korean flag,

There were also delays if you wanted to visit the Olympic site yesterday.

temperatures hit 30C in some parts of London, Greater Anglia services in and out of Liverpool Street station were hit with speed restrictions due to the heat affecting overhead power lines.

This led to at least nine trains not stopping at Stratford in east London, the site of the Olympic Stadium.

Some better news is that Big Ben will chime 40 times in three minutes on Friday as part of a mass bell-ringing event marking the start of the Olympics.

It is believed to be the first time the bell has rung outside its regular schedule since 15 February, 1952.

On that occasion, it tolled every minute for 56 strokes for the funeral of King George VI.

Friday's event will be part of an art project encouraging everyone across the UK to ring a bell at 08:12 on Friday.
Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

Olympics 2012 - 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:13:00 +0000

Well the games have started, all be it before the opening ceremony, GB ladies soccer team beating NZ 1-0 and USA beating France 4-2.

Of course there are some who already will not be taking part in the games. Greece with all it’s issues have already sent one of their smallest group of athletes ever, and this has been reduced even more by the banning of Triple jumper Voula Papachristou who was expelled from Greece's Olympic team Wednesday for her comments on Twitter mocking African immigrants and expressing support for a far-right party.

It was her attempt at a joke Sunday that went viral. Commenting on the widely reported appearance of Nile-virus-carrying mosquitoes in Athens, Papachristou wrote: ''With so many Africans in Greece, the West Nile mosquitoes will be getting home food!!!''. Her tweet prompted thousands of negative comments that snowballed Wednesday leading to her being banned.

She is not the only one however, Moroccan runner Mariem Alaoui Selsouli, one of the medal favorites for the woman’s 1500 meters has been tested positive for the diuretic furosemide at the Paris Diamond League meeting on July 6.

Selsouli became an Olympic medal favorite after clocking 3 minutes 56.15 seconds in the 1,500 meters - more than four seconds below her personal best time at the Paris event…hmm wonder how she managed that?

To me perhaps the most worrying is for the French athletes…

A convoy of cars carrying French athletes and officials crawled through central London, enmeshed in a fiendish traffic jam.

To their right: A specially created and pristine Games Lane set aside for the exclusive use of the so-called "Olympic Family", much to the chagrin of many Londoners.

Alas, it appeared no-one had told the Gallic branch of the lineage.

So off they went, trundling east in the direction of the Olympic Park at 2mph, perhaps even grousing at the infamous London traffic.

One hopes for the sake of the French that their sprint relay tactics are a little more well-honed.

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

OLYMPICS 2012 -2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:49:00 +0000

I have posted before about the opening ceremony, being full of animals and comparing the three cows to the thousands of people who took part on the Chinese ceremony, now comes a possible block busting leak.

"Previous reports of director Danny Boyle's opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics detailed an epic retelling of Great Britain's history in three sweeping acts through a massive display of song and dance (and cows). Boyle and company have done everything they can to keep the details from leaking out and spoiling the surprise for the four billion people that are expected to watch it. One more detail, however, leaked out, and it may be the best one yet.

The British Sunday Times news paper reported that Boyle is planning on staging an epic battle for the soul of Britain between the evil Voldemort from the "Harry Potter" series and a massive crowd of flying nannies styled after the iconic British nanny from the book and film "Mary Poppins." The report also said other fictional characters from British literature such as Peter Pan and Alice from "Alice in Wonderland" will make an appearance in the ceremony presumably to represent the mark his country has made on art, literature, and film.

I'm not doubting Boyle's vision for the ceremony or Britain's influence on the world, especially when it comes to England's contributions to the creative world. However, "Harry Potter" and "Mary Poppins" does seem a little shallow when it comes to praising Britain's footprint on popular culture. If it were up to me, the opening ceremony would include a massive battle for the soul of the world between Manuel from "Fawlty Towers," John Cleese from Monty Python and the last five Doctor Whos who join forces to destroy a crowd of rage infected zombies from "28 Days Later".

Now THAT'S an opening."

We'll have to wait and see

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

OLYMPICS 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 23:12:00 +0000

Even before the Olympic Games start this Friday there have been many events that hit the headlines some of which are just a little strange.

London conjures images of crowded pubs, which conjure images of pints of beer, which conjure the taste of … Heineken? Well,not really. Which is why having the Dutch brewery's lager as “The official beer for the London Olympic Games” caused a stir in British Parliament.

A few days later there was equal furry in the USA, when it was divulged that the “preppy” style US uniforms were actually made in China.

Talking about uniforms there are some real crackers, the worst of which is the Spanish uniform which has been described as mustard and tomato ketchup, and looks like it can be sold on to Taco Bell. The Spanish “outfit” was designed by a Russian company who also did the Olympic outfits for Russia and Ukrain, and judging by the styles they must have thought paisley was the “in thing”

Mind you it there are afew other outfits of note... The Swiz clothes look like they are from an Autum catalog, and did anybody tell them that Rugby is not part of the Olympics until 2016.

Still feel sorry for poor Venezuela, it looks like none of their athetes would ware the uniforms and they had to show them off on manikins.

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

BATHROOM BOOK OF ROMANCE - FRESH REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:25:00 +0000

STARTING JUNE 4th I AM ON MY VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR.
PLEASE STOP BY AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ME AND MY NEW BOOK

My virtual tour stop today was an interview at INSIDE BJ's HEAD

Not only that but also a review...

"Honestly, it's short about 73 pages or so.....and the stories are so different from one to the other.

Thankfully you'll know if you need a tissue or not...the author has put a tissue icon by the title of all the stories the are deemed cry worthy.

Trust me when I say TAKE THAT ADVICE!!!!

I really LOVED that each story is short so you can read one and come back to the book and read another later without feeling like you have to remember where you left off.

The stories themselves are so much fun to read....they could be about real people, which we all know adds to any story.

I think one of my favorite stories from this book was "Why"....it wasn't a tissue story, but it was a sweet story all the same.

No, I won't tell you anything about it other than it takes place in a bar in another country...the rest I guess you'll have to buy the book and see for yourself.

(I know I'm not nice....but you still like me....LOL) "

Thank you so much BJ

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

BATHROOM BOOK OF ROMANCE VIRTUAL TOUR - FRESH REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:21:00 +0000

STARTING JUNE 4th I AM ON MY VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR. PLEASE STOP BY AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ME AND MY NEW BOOK

My virtual tour stop today was an interview at Books Books and More Books

Not only that but also a review...

"...These stories are charming. Little snippets of love… love found, love lost, love lasting, and love fleeting, all the ways of love. Barry Eva brings together a wonderful collection of snapshots of love in all its forms. However, as the Lays potato chip ad says, “bet you can’t eat just one” or in this case read just one."

Thank you so much Mindy

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:19:00 +0000

STARTING JUNE 4th I AM ON MY VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR.

PLEASE STOP BY AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ME AND MY NEW BOOK

STOPS DURING MY FIRST WEEK ON TOUR

During my first week on my virtual tour with the wonderful "Pump Up Your Book" group, I have stopped off at three blogs.

Monday, June 4

Interview at Literarily Speaking

Tuesday, June 5

Interview at The Writer’s Life

Wednesday, June 6

Interview at Review From Here

Please check the various locations and enjoy my answers to the hosts questions..

EVENTS:

Last Sunday I was sighing copies of my YA novel "Across the Pond" at Seymour Founders day, as well as handing out flyers about the downloads available of "The Bathroom Book of Romance".

All went well, and it was, at least to start a great day, I had this year a prime location and the weather was sunny with many people enjoying the day. That was until mid afternoon when we were hit with a sudden thunder storm, rain deluge and high winds which sent people and tents flying everywhere.

REVIEWS:

Two reviews on Amazon USA

5.0 out of 5 stars What a fun book!, April 14, 201

This review is from: The Bathroom Book of Romance - Book One (Kindle Edition)

The Bathroom Book of Romance - Book One is a wonderful book, full of short stories about life, love and loss. It's written by Barry Eva, who was born and raised in England, and as you read the numerous tales that fill the pages of this wonderful little novel, you can almost hear his British accent. This book is highly recommended to anyone who loves to read, especially in today's hustling, bustling, busy world. Can't wait to read more from this author!

5.0 out of 5 stars Short stories to make you laugh-smile-sigh-cry., May 12, 2012

This review is from: The Bathroom Book of Romance - Book One (Kindle Edition)

A must for story lovers. I found this a very difficult book to put down, you'll smile then laugh out loud, but it will touch your heart too. I popped it on the book rack in the bathroom to read while in the bath, on my own where I can enjoy some 'me time'. Eva writes skilfully from the heart, the heart of a born storyteller.

Barry Eva

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

LONDON NOW FRANCE' S 6th LARGEST CITY

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:36:00 +0000

London, France's sixth biggest city By Lucy Ash

More French people live in London than in Bordeaux, Nantes or Strasbourg and it is now thought to be France's sixth biggest city in terms of population. What is attracting a new generation of young French professionals to the city? On a wet Friday night in Hackney, a group of young professional women walk into a pub. Laughing about the British weather, they shake their umbrellas, peel off their raincoats and make their way to the bar. Like many Londoners at the end of a busy working week, they have come to unwind over a few drinks. But if you move a bit closer, you realise they are all speaking French. They are not tourists, exchange students or off-duty au pairs. They all work in creative industries, have lived in east London quite some time and consider it home. London has a long-standing French community - but it is no longer confined to the streets around the embassy in South Kensington, where you will find French bookshops, patisseries and pavement cafes patronised by impeccably dressed mothers dropping off their children at the posh Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote I came to London from Paris straight after graduating from art school, just to have a look - that was seven years ago ” End Quote Malika Favre Today there are French people in every corner of London and their numbers have been growing, with the result that in next week's parliamentary election in France they - along with expats in Scandinavia - will be voting for a candidate to represent them in the National Assembly. The French consulate in London estimates between 300,000 and 400,000 French citizens live in the British capital - many in London's cutting-edge creative hub, in the East End. "I came to London from Paris straight after graduating from art school, just to have a look," says Malika Favre. "That was seven years ago and I've no intention of going back." Malika is much in-demand as an illustrator. Her commissions include a bold, playful design for a new edition of the Kama Sutra, an album cover for a French rock band and artwork for a Californian beachwear company. Being in London and speaking English gives her access to a wider client base - Malika sees the city as a gateway to globalisation and also relishes freedom from French bureaucracy. "With a new venture in Paris you always think first of what is going to go wrong. I find the system much easier here - you don't have so many rules and so much paperwork," she tells me Marine Schepens, who works for a fashionable advertising agency, says UK companies are more prepared to give young people a chance because it is easier to terminate their contracts than in France. This fluidity makes employees less risk-averse too. I changed careers a year ago but I would have never done that if I was still in France. I'd have thought, 'I'm so lucky to have a job - I must hang on to it.'" Nadege Alezine, a journalist from Bordeaux, says life in London is not for the faint hearted. She runs a website aimed at the French community called bealondoner.com "If you want security and nice holidays you stay in France. If you crave adventure and want to get new skills, you come here," she says. That is not to say she does not miss France. Sipping her drink, she sighs. "Life in France was easy. You know, good food and wine. I lived near the sea and not far from the ski slopes. And sometimes when London's grey and rainy I think, 'What on earth am I doing here?'" All the young women I met complained about London's over-priced property. London rents are twice those in Paris. "In Brick Lane, we had bedbugs and rats," says Malika, "and for the same money I paid for one room, friends back home had their own flats." Of course, many people living in London have it far worse, but by choosing the East End Malika and her friends are following in the footsteps of her compatriots centuries ago. The French first came en masse to the East End in the 17th Century. These Huguenots, who had endured years of persecution in France because of their Protestant faith, were offered sanctuary here by King Charles II. They called their flight Le Refuge - coining the word refugee. Many settled east of the City of London, where food and housing were cheaper. There are many French street names around nearby Spitalfields Market such as Fournier Street, Fleur de Lys Street and Nantes Passage. The Huguenots were skilled craftsmen but some feared that they were depriving Londoners of work. A protectionist priest, a certain Dr Welton, called them "the offal of the earth". Today competition for jobs is intense, especially among the young, and cross-channel migrants are not always welcomed with open arms. Recently the French consulate commissioned a report called The Forgotten People of St Pancras. It focuses on the young French who arrive in London on a one-way ticket and sometimes find themselves in desperate straits. The Centre Charles Peguy, a French charity in Shoreditch, helps new arrivals to find work and a place to live. Cedric Pretat, one of the advisers, says the numbers have shot up this summer. "Many French people imagine that because of the Olympics, lots of new jobs have been created in London which is not true. But people arrive with this dream." He adds: "Others are escaping from things in France such as family problems, educational problems and areas like Department 93, because people who live in that part of Paris sometimes have trouble finding a job." Department 93 is shorthand for Seine Saint Denis, just north of Paris - the French suburb which is home to many French nationals of African origin and a large immigrant population He adds: "Others are escaping from things in France such as family problems, educational problems and areas like Department 93, because people who live in that part of Paris sometimes have trouble finding a job." Department 93 is shorthand for Seine Saint Denis, just north of Paris - the French suburb which is home to many French nationals of African origin and a large immigrant population To the average French person, it conjures up images of riots, bleak high rises, youth unemployment and racism. It is the most-discriminated-against postcode in France, although ethnic minorities from other suburbs have also had a tough time. Hamid Senni, a business consultant based in London, was one of eight children born to Moroccan immigrants in the south of France. A well-meaning teacher at his school suggested he change his name to Lionel. "Because of your name you will be discriminated against, because of your skin colour, and even the address on your CV can stop you from getting a job," he says. "As for your skills and competencies - none of that counts in France if you don't fit in the box - so I left," he adds. Hamid now advises many French companies on how to diversify their workforce and he lectures at Sciences Po, one of the country's most prestigious universities. But he says that in the early days it was much easier to get someone to pick up the phone, if he called from London than from Paris. I first met him five years ago when he had just written a book. It was called De la Cite a la City and focused on his journey from a rundown suburban estate (Cité) in Valence to London's booming financial district. Hamid suspects the success of the far right in the first round of the recent presidential elections, the highest share of the vote ever achieved by the Front National in a nationwide poll, might have pushed more young French people across the channel. "France is really struggling to create jobs and things have got worse because some people are saying the whites should come first," he says. Cleo Soazandry, another young French national with African roots, has a mother from Madagascar and a father from Guinea. Her parents met in France where Cleo was born. In her early teens, the family moved from Paris to London. "I was really pushed by my teachers here," she says. "Suddenly I realised I could actually become somebody here, be ambitious." Cleo adds that seeing black presenters on television made a deep impression on her as there were virtually none in France at the time. "It's like my eyes opened up when I came here - I think the American dream is also present here in the UK."

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

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Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

All Change for Royalty

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:13:00 +0000

The leaders of the 16 Commonwealth countries where the Queen is head of state unanimously approved the changes to succession to the throne laws at a summit in Perth, Australia. The Commenwealth (used to be the pink bits on old maps) are actullay still around 54-nation organisation, which represents two billion people around the globe ranging from Canada, Australia, South Africa. New Zealand, and India to small West Indian islands such as Barbados and Grenada.

Under the old succession laws, dating back more than 300 years, the heir to the throne is the first-born son of the monarch. Only when there are no sons, as in the case of the Queen's father George VI, does the crown pass to the eldest daughter. So Princess Anne, even though Prince Charle's sister currently finds herself way down the pecking order when it comes to assending to the throne.

This is now no longer the case.

This change will apply to descendents of the Prince of Wales. They will not be applied retrospectively. So what it mans is that under the new ruling a first-born daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate) will take precedence over younger brothers. In other word, first come no matter what sex will be the next in line.

That was not the only rule that was changed, the ban on a future monarch marrying someone of any faith except a Catholic, which goes back to the days of Henry VIII has also been lifted. The actual monarch must still be in communion with the Church of England, because after all he or she is the head of that Church. But now they can marry a person from "any faith" without exception.

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

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Was the Declaration of Independence legal?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:44:00 +0000

Was the Declaration of Independence legal?

reported by BBC...

On Tuesday night, while Republican candidates in Nevada were debating such American issues as nuclear waste disposal and the immigration status of Mitt Romney's gardener, American and British lawyers in Philadelphia were taking on a far more fundamental topic.

Namely, just what did Thomas Jefferson think he was doing?

Some background: during the hot and sweltering summer of 1776, members of the second Continental Congress travelled to Philadelphia to discuss their frustration with royal rule.

By 4 July, America's founding fathers approved a simple document penned by Jefferson that enumerated their grievances and announced themselves a sovereign nation.

"When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security”

Called the Declaration of Independence, it was a blow for freedom, a call to war, and the founding of a new empire.

It was also totally illegitimate and illegal.

At least, that was what lawyers from the UK argued during a debate at Philadelphia's Ben Franklin Hall.

The event, presented by the Temple American Inn of Court in conjunction with Gray's Inn, London, pitted British barristers against American lawyers to determine whether or not the American colonists had legal grounds to declare secession.

For American lawyers, the answer is simple: "The English had used their own Declaration of Rights to depose James II and these acts were deemed completely lawful and justified," they say in their summary.

To the British, however, secession isn't the legal or proper tool by which to settle internal disputes. "What if Texas decided today it wanted to secede from the Union? Lincoln made the case against secession and he was right," they argue in their brief.

A vote at the end of the debate reaffirmed the legality of Jefferson and company's insurrection, and the American experiment survived to see another day.

It was an unsurprising result, considering the venue - just a few blocks away from where the Declaration was drafted. But did they get it right? Below are some more of the arguments from both sides.

The American case for the Declaration

Did the Founding Fathers have any respect for the law? The Declaration is unquestionably "legal". Under basic principles of "Natural Law", government can only be by the consent of the people and there comes a point when allegiance is no longer required in face of tyranny.

The legality of the Declaration and its validity is proven by subsequent independence movements which have been enforced by world opinion as right and just, based on the fundamental principles of equality and self-determination now reflected in the UN Charter.

The British case against it

The Declaration emerged from the second Continental Congress The Declaration of Independence was not only illegal, but actually treasonable. There is no legal principle then or now to allow a group of citizens to establish their own laws because they want to. What if Texas decided today it wanted to secede from the Union?

Lincoln made the case against secession and he was right. The Declaration of Independence itself, in the absence of any recognised legal basis, had to appeal to "natural law", an undefined concept, and to "self-evident truths", that is to say truths for which no evidence could be provided.

The grievances listed in the Declaration were too trivial to justify secession. The main one - no taxation without representation - was no more than a wish on the part of the colonists, to avoid paying for the expense of protecting them against the French during seven years of arduous war and conflict.

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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