Karsa Orlong Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Apparently the bear and her three cubs have been shot dead since then: http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/08/14/54636174.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyzenthlay Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 What's everyone's take on the riots in England? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 What's everyone's take on the riots in England? http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/8854-london-riots/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 I read an article about the attack by the bears this morning. I don't know if the article posted above had the same graphic descriptions, but I was left feeling very disturbed a bit sick after I read it. It's just awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickle Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Thought I would share this as these guys came into our office yesterday to get a bit more background on what it is they are doing and be given talks by some of our experts even the most cynical of some of my colleagues has said how nice they were. Soldiers digging on the Plains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrina1968 Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 (edited) Racial tension is about to increase substantially in the United States. It all surrounds a young Black male visiting his father in future mother in law in a gated community. The 17 year old went to a convenience store to buy candy and ice tea. He is being watched by the self proclaimed "neighborhood watch" captain named George Zimmerman. The individual calls the police and proceeds to follow the boy because he looked "suspicious." He was told by dispatch to not follow the young man. Zimmerman disregarded and proceeded on his "patrol." The young man was aware that he was being followed and told his girlfriend so (he was talking to her on his cell phone) She told him to run but the boy was afraid that if he ran, Zimmerman would chase him. Zimmerman approached him, fought him and then killed him. His defense is that he felt "threatened." The boy had Skittles (candy) and an ice tea. Neighbors heard the commotion and called the police. They told them that they heard what sounded as a young kid screaming for help, then they heard shots fired. There was only silence. "Stand your ground" laws in several of our states allow for an individual to kill another when they feel threatened. This happened in Sanford, Florida (near Disneyworld). He made racial remarks to dispatch. Now its blown up and people are angry. I am angry. The shooter was never given the required drug/alcohol testing. They just let him go. Now the police chief and the town manager have stepped down. FBI is investigating and it looks to be a long and painful summer. Here is the recording http://newsone.com/nation/crime/associatedpress9/parents-of-trayvon-martin-we-don't-trust-police-want-fbi-investigation/ still searching for the call made by a witness. http://abcnews.go.co...81#.T2uN-_WiYW8 http://www.cbsnews.c...ooting-spreads/ http://www.washingto...a5SS_story.html Edited March 22, 2012 by Katrina1968 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I was reading about this, and I cannot believe that a loss of life in this way was not immediately and thoroughly investigated. From my reading of it, one of the many questions that should be answered (after the Big one regarding lack of charges brought), is why did an armed 250lb man feel threatened by this unarmed young 170lb man? It's utter nonsense. Zimmerman was looking for trouble that day, he found it, and a young man has lost his life because of it. I can ony hope that this tragedy leads to better understanding, and better legislation that prevents such an event happening again, both in the first instance of the killing, and in the second instance of it not being dealt with as it should have been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrina1968 Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 There are many issues about this tragic situation. From the Black community its the racial aspect. This is not a "perceived" feeling but what is known. He called him an "effing coon." In the US when a white child is missing its all over the newspapers and media. We bring up the dead child from 15 years ago BUT we do not mention the Black child that has also disappeared. When people see our Black males everyone goes up in arms, they feel threatened. When one dies the automatic response is "he must have been a drug dealer or a gang banger." This is the crux of what is going on now. A young Black male minding his business was accosted while being Black and being in a place where Zimmerman (white or Hispanic) felt he had no right to be because of his skin color. I wont go on anymore just yet because I don't to be more angry than I am. It could have been my son. Dredlocks or clean cut doesnt make a difference here. Anger from the community is directed at Zimmerman (who is in hiding) and the police officers who let the community down. The best thing that has come out of this is that we are seeing more unity across the color lines. Whites, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians are all up in arms about this! If this needs to be moved to the debate forum I understand. Maybe you could just leave the links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I've been following this on the news and it's incredulous that he wasn't even questioned, I do hope the FBI decide to investigate, in fact they'll have to as it's awful to think what might happen as a result of the demonstrations that are planned, all because the police decided not to interview him.. the 'Stand your ground' rule needs some serious re thinking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrina1968 Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 You are so correct. Had Martin lived and Zimmerman died, you can bet your bottom dollar that he would have been frisked and jailed whether he felt he were in danger or not. That law is discriminatory all the way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 It's amazing isn't it, equality is such a simple thing really but people make it so so difficult... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrina1968 Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Funny you should say that. We are always being accused of "playing the race card." What people fail to realize is that we need to have the same deck of playing cards as everyone else. Any ethnic group that experiences racism has to play the card to effect a change. Better still, don't play games. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Yes, the Trayvon Martin story is disgraceful, Katrina, it's like going back in time 50 years. Regardless of his guilt or otherwise, it's inconceivable that Zimmermann wasn't put under immediate arrest, to allow those most serious allegations to be investigated properly. Mind you, the "Birther" movement reminds me that racism is still all around, and rears its head when it gets the chance. I can't remember any other President's birthplace being challenged with the persistence that those people have shown, despite the clear evidence in front of them. What's the difference between Obama and his predecessors? Oh, hold on a minute ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I don't think that piece of news has reached Finland or if it has, I've missed it. That's so infuriating, sickening and sad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrina1968 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Ronald, there was nothing for him to be guilty about. He had a bag of candy and an ice tea on his person. He was in a place he had a right to be in mistakenly thinking he was safe in his own person. There was no crime committed other than what was done to him. A paranoid man followed an unarmed kid and shot him in cold blood. There is no assumption that he MIGHT have committed a crime or was THINKING about committing a crime or was in the PROCESS of committing a crime. He was targeted for being a Black male. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I always think that the best cure for racism is to go and work in a nursing home. Where I work we have people from all over the world, of all different colours - Britons, Poles, Romanians, Chinese, Ghananians, Nigerians, Peruvians, Filipinos and many more. We all get on just fine, because we can see that we have all that one thing in common - a commitment to doing a good job and serving the residents. That and the fact that we are all human. The fact that someone may have a different skin colour doesn't even cross our minds, all that matters is that we get on together and do our jobs and that's the way it should be. I will know that racism is dead when I have to fill in a form and it doesn't ask me what my ethnic group is, because it will just not be relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Ronald, there was nothing for him to be guilty about. He had a bag of candy and an ice tea on his person. He was in a place he had a right to be in mistakenly thinking he was safe in his own person. There was no crime committed other than what was done to him. A paranoid man followed an unarmed kid and shot him in cold blood. There is no assumption that he MIGHT have committed a crime or was THINKING about committing a crime or was in the PROCESS of committing a crime. He was targeted for being a Black male. I know that, Katrina. The point I was trying to make was that Zimmermann should have been arrested immediately. Where you have a scene where someone has been shot dead by another person, you shouldn't accept their word that they were acting in self-defence and just let them walk away. You need to have time to investigate the facts and establish what actually happened. What happened here was that the police made an automatic assumption of Zimmermann's innocence and Martin's guilt, and that clearly was unacceptable. I saw the Congressman who drafted the "stand your ground" law on TV last night, and even he was saying that this incident was a perversion of what the law was intended for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18970361 The photo in my avatar is taken about 400m from where todays landslide has happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickle Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-19147035 I have to share this woth you as its something my company has been and continues to be involved in and a very worthy cause Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Minimum price plan to end cheap alcohol sales. Good! (and I say that as someone who does like the odd pint or two a week!). I can't believe so many people are against this. I understand the argument that responsible drinkers will be punished as well, but surely - if you are drinking responsibly - chances are you're not going to be drinking enough for this to make much of a difference to your pocket. If it does make a noticeable difference chances are you're not being as responsible as you would like to think! Hopefully this will help some of the struggling pubs out a bit as well . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I have no problem with the proposal but I would like to know where the extra money is going to go. Is it going to be kept by the producers of the alcohol, the sellers of the alcohol or more likely to be wasted by the government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 It's not a tax, although increased prices will probably mean that the goverment will get some extra money out of this (assuming sales don't drop off significantly). I would imagine the supermarkets will be the biggest winners in this (they'll still buy cheap but have to charge more for it). It's a pity they didn't bring this in a few years back, it might have saved a few off-licenses giving people more choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 (edited) While I am not against the idea, I can't help wondering whether this is really the answer. Surely we need to look at what makes people so miserable and fed up that they feel the need to drink this amount in the first place. It is change in attitude that is needed, similar to what has happened with smoking, whereby drinking to excess is no longer socially acceptable. I can see though that a minimum price may well help towards achieving this, so am keeping an open mind. Edited November 28, 2012 by Talisman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 If it makes it harder for people to get very strong cheap drink I can't see it being anything other than good. You're not going to get a decent bottle of average strength beer for under £1.56, and you certainly won't get a decent bottle of wine for £4.22. Most people who do drink responsibly will already be paying more than these prices anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Oh you know what I wish they would implement that here! Drinking in this country is absolutely disgusting, it's a serious problem and not just with the thousands of young ones who go out drinking two, three even four nights a week and empty the contents of their stomachs in the street on the way home - but among the people who drink frequently at home, or frequently go to the pub for a few quiet ones and are actually drinking far, far more than they realise is actually healthy for them. Not to mention the amount of things that 'I was out last night' is an excuse for, much to my regular bewilderment. It would certainly be a step in the direction of solving the awful drinking culture here. I don't really drink much, and the response I get when I say I'd rather a glass of coke, milk or water than alcohol any day, is unbelieveable. If you don't drink, you're actually seen as a little odd, self-righteous and even with that 'good for you mate, I couldn't do that' attitude I myself will admit to having as a meat-eater have when talking to a vegetarian. But the fact is, everyone can and should be able to do without regularly ingesting copious quantities of alcohol, because it doesn't really do a lot for your health. I'd love for there to be quite a high minimum unit price on alcohol here. Would be brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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