Bernice:

dreaming is not necessarily greed... it's a motivational tool

Übergeek 바둑이: ... land here in the UK is more expensive. More recent building projects have in many being squeezing in more units per plot.

"Considering winters here, heating those houses uses a lot of energy."

It does. We've seen in the UK more guidelines on what is the minimum effective insulation in the attic, which has basically doubled. This was done after thermal imaging tests showed that roofs were still leaking a significant loss. Bigger the roof area.. bigger the loss.

Bernice: I think you just have a strange imagination. No-one does that unless they are very strange, as it is not needed.

"but then from what I have seen they all live on the footpath anyway"

We have wheelie bins. They by law are not allowed to sit on the footpath, except on the night before collection day.

Artful Dodger: Nicely stated in the comments...

"Any comment perceived to be racist HAS to be logged. The form she was asked to sign would not label her son a racist but state his involvement in a racist incident with a clear and accurate description of the incident, including quotes (the forms usually go out to parents of all involved, including any victim). This is standard procedure. Teachers and school staff are not in the habit of accusing young children of racism, and none of us know the context the 'quote' was said in, or any other background information, The LEA gather stats of racist incidents from schools so it would not be in their interest to falsely report racist incidents. Sounds like the parent is blowing this way out of proportion to me,which is ironic since that is what she is accusing the school of."

- Cal, Enfield, 19/2/2012 8:13


Likewise the Daily Mail

ScarletRose:

> I like a home around 2500 to 3000 sq ft.. 4 bed rooms and 2 1/2 baths.. 2 car garage.. with a nice big yard to make into a garden and room for a greenhouse and a studio.. that is my dream..

That is precisely the current "North American" dream. I say North American because Canada is the same. The point I am trying to make is this. We want big homes. That's fine. However, where does all the concrete, lumber, metal and plastic come from? Is the environment affected more by a bigger or a smaller home? Obviously yes. Lumber comes from cutting down the forest. Metal and concrete from open pit mining. Plastics from processing of oil products. To produce all these things e need to run refineries, smelters, factories, power plants, etc. That means carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Heating, air conditioning, cleaning a bigger home, removing more garbage from a bigger home. All these things mean more environmental impact.

Bernice pointed that in the UK the average home is 800 sq. ft. In the USA it is 2200 sq. ft. One in relation ot the other means about 3 times as much environmental impact for a home in the USA.

So people face two choices. Keep building large homes, or scale back. Since people always want bigger, the USA will continue to consume a lot of energy, until the price of oil is so high that people are forced to consume less. I suspect that in 30 years, it will be impossible for Americans to keep building like they are. We already see signs of that. In many places there is already a crisis in the collapse of home values. Since building bigger homes means that properties are more expensive, the market place is forcing a loss in the sale of those big homes.

The future probably will be such that people will see themselves forced to live in tiny, very expensive apartments. How long before rising house and energy prices forces people to build small, energy efficient homes? Only the rich will be able to afford the 2,200 sq. ft. I already see it here. Little houses worth 500,000 USD. Nobody can afford to buy those homes any more. Hence the short-term price collapse, followed by massive inflation as energy goes up in price.

(V): The source of the info doesn't matter if what is said is true. Clearly the kid did nothing wrong and the authorities went overboard. They are morons.

Artful Dodger: The authorities are required to log events even if they amount to nothing. These are schools and that is the law. This has happened due to the amount of bullying that has occurred, which at the time no-one paid attention to.. till some school children committed suicide with a direct link established to the bullying in the schools that was being ignored.

So some mistakes and over reactions occur in order to save lives of kids. But that is not important to the Daily Mail, just the over reaction.

Artful Dodger: Yes.. but this is hardly the same situation. The analogy quite frankly I find silly.

Artful Dodger: It's still SILLY to compare the incarceration of Japanese policy wise with that which is just intended to cut down on bullying at school.

It is not anywhere like the same.

"It's no wonder your country is in such a crappy state of affairs."

And yet neo nazi groups are legal in the USA... ??

Übergeek 바둑이: homes are shrinking...not growing.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/07/real_estate/shrinking_home/

Artful Dodger: But you are comparing them....

"ou can't argue FOR a policy or a LAW when such results in immoral actions. It's simply WRONG on ANY LEVEL. Whether rounding up the Japanese or the Jews or even something as "small" as falsely accusing a little kid of something for which he is innocent, that is wrong. And you know it. Or at least you should."

So stop saying you are not... it's just silly and dumb.

Bwild:

From that article, it was the first time in 15 years that the average size of homes had decreased:

"To be precise, the median square footage of newly built homes fell to 2,065 square feet in the first three months of this year, compared with the same period last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau."

For the first three months of 2008. The question is: Is it a trend, or merely a one time occurrence in 15 years?

I found an interesting set of data from the United States Census Bureau:

http://www.census.gov/const/C25Ann/sftotalmedavgsqft.pdf

If we look at that table, there are some interesting things we can notice.

From 1973 to 2007 the mean and average square areas increased. Then 2007, 2008 and 2009 saw a decrease in the areas. The most likely explanation is the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008 which continues into the present.

The areas also depend on which part of the USA we look at. The northeast actually saw an increase in areas, in spite of a decrease in areas in other parts of the country.

Nevertheless the trend is clear. In 1973 the average area for a single family home was 1660 sq. ft. By 2007 the areas peaked to 2521 sq. ft. That is an increase of 861 sq. ft. or 52% increase over a 34 year period. In essence the average home added the area equivalent to that of an extra 2 bedroom apartment.

The last 3 years saw a modest decrease from 2521 to 2392 sq. ft. That is 129 sq. ft. Obviously financing for mortgages has become more difficult, and that means that people can borrow less and are forced to build slightly smaller homes.

We can only hope that the trend will continue so that the market place can add some moderation to the ever increasing house sizes.

Artful Dodger:
..."He was made to stand in front of the class and make an apology while his mother, Jane Hennessey, was called in by the head of Purford Green Junior School in Harlow, Essex...."

Not exactly water boarding.. although you think that is fine. Or Apple using slave factories in China to make enormous profits, but you think it's fine as long as the profits are enormous. It's not capitalism's fault the workers are committing suicide because of the 12+ hour shifts they are working... It's communism's fault!!

Now I'm not comparing the kids ordeal of having to stand in front of the class to sweat shop slavery.. In no way am I!!

Übergeek 바둑이: The main reason our average size 'houses' have dropped is the amount of flats being built for first time owners or commuters. There has been some 'splitting' of old large plots into multi house development, but that is now being frowned upon. Most older developments/'estates' have plenty of space, some have even won awards and had other European developers copying the layout and form.

A lawmaker has refused to sign a resolution celebrating the Girl Scouts' 100th anniversary as the group has become a 'radicalised organisation'.

Republican Representative Bob Morris from Fort Wayne, Indiana claims they promote a 'homosexual lifestyle', transgenders and the values of Planned Parenthood. Morris wrote to his fellow House Republicans to explain why he would not be supporting the resolution, which thanked the Girl Scouts for its 'strong positive influence on the American woman'.

But after researching the Girl Scouts on the internet, Morris said he found accusations that the group worked with Planned Parenthood. Another of his disturbing' finds was that they allowed transgender girls to join.

...."Dear Fellow Representatives:

This past week I was asked to sign a House Resolution recognizing the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts of America. After talking to some well-informed constituents, I did a small amount of web-based research, and what I found is disturbing

The Girl Scouts of America and their worldwide partner, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), have entered into a close strategic affiliation with Planned Parenthood.

Abundant evidence proves that the agenda of Planned Parenthood includes sexualizing young girls through the Girl Scouts, which is quickly becoming a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood. Denver Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley of Denver last year warned parents that 'membership in the Girl Scouts could carry the danger of making their daughters more receptive to the pro-abortion agenda'.

Many parents are abandoning the Girl Scouts because they promote homosexual lifestyles. Of the fifty role models listed, only three have a briefly-mentioned religious background – all the rest are feminists, lesbians, or Communists.

Boys who decide to claim a 'transgender' life-style are permitted to become a member of a Girl Scout troop, performing crafts with the girls and participate in overnight and camping activities – just like any real girl.

The fact that the Honorary President of Girl Scouts of America is Michelle Obama should give each of us reason to pause before our individual or collective endorsement of the organization.

I challenge each of you to examine these matters and to decide carefully whether or not to sign the resolution.

Respectfully,

Bob Morris...."

USA Conservative PC??

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2104108/Lawmaker-Bob-Morris-refuses-support-Girl-Scouts-100th-anniversary-promote-homosexuality-encourage-sex.html

(V): I would think England has the same issues as many "small"(land mass) countries...over population and no where to go but up.

in the U.S. its the rising costs of utilities,recession, and "green" awareness.
houses are selling for 50 cents on the dollar in some areas..which puts a strangle hold on the construction industry.
doesnt really matter...in 10 months we're goners anyways! lol

Bwild: We have land, just in some cases it's locked up in planning arguments/debates.

eg.. there is a big piece of built on unused land a couple of miles from us. It is going to rebuilt on houses wise, but not for some years. One of the problems is many of the structures were built using asbestos in various ways.

It is harder with such pieces of land to build on than with virgin plots as you know.

10 months? I thought it was summer! Who's saying December?

Artful Dodger: Noooo. no comparison. It just seems silly to get all worked up over a school kid standing in front of his class, while there are many worse things happening.

A parody in fact

Artful Dodger: Like the people in America who base their politics and science on a book.

Home Office minister John Denham has been criticised by the police for using the phrase "nitty gritty" because of race relations rules.
Mr Denham used the phrase during a debate at the Police Federation conference in Bournemouth.

He was told that police officers could face disciplinary charges for saying "nitty gritty" because it dates from the slavery era.

Some rank-and-file officers say the rules about language have become "a minefield" and have made them inhibited in doing their job.

Has political correctness gone mad? How much care should be taken by police over language?

...be noted I could find countless articles, but rather it be just read than worry about keeping up with the extra posting!!

Artful Dodger: Nick Griffin on Question Time "egg on yer face"???

"In total, 34,000 nursery, primary and secondary pupils — including more than 20,000 pupils aged 11 or younger — were effectively classed as bigots for so-called ‘hate speech’"

Could you provide info on how many of the children were from families who support the likes of the BNP or EDL?

Bwild: HAHAHAHA....you are so spot on...the UK having no where to go but up... and (V) "there is a big piece of land "......
I wonder what you would call the centre of Autralia hahahaha

and AD.......OMG, the Brits are all nuts. Political correctness gone mad. Stupid and incompetent knuckle draggers......ROFLMBO


I love waking up to all this humour :)

Artful Dodger: It is a point when the source presents data that will include children taught that being white is 'special'. It is a point when you still have homophobic parents and groups saying be gay is against their version of God.

Bernice: Is that Australia or Austria??

In December 2006, it was revealed that a The Guardian journalist, Ian Cobain, had worked undercover in the BNP for seven months, becoming the party's central London organiser.[68][69] Among the accusations made by the paper was that the BNP used "techniques of secrecy and deception ... in its attempt to conceal its activities and intentions from the public". It asserted that the BNP operated with a "network of false identities" and organised rendezvous points to allow members to be directed to "clandestine meetings". Party members were directed to avoid "any racist or anti-semitic language in public". Cobain also claimed that the membership in central London had expanded beyond the party's traditional range, now including "dozens of company directors, computing entrepreneurs, bankers and estate agents, and a handful of teachers".[68]

Following the report, the campaign group Unite Against Fascism called for ballerina Simone Clarke to be dismissed from the English National Ballet, because her views on immigration were "incompatible with a leading arts institution such as the English National Ballet" and because she had "used her position to support a party which fosters division".[70] Clarke said: "the BNP is the only party to take a stand against immigration".[70]

The BNP was investigated by the Electoral Commission in 2007, after The Guardian revealed that it had set up a front organisation to raise money from sympathisers in the United States.

"....The EDL leadership has estimated that the EDL has 100,000 members.[31] A research group has given a lower figure of 25,000 to 35,000 members.[32]...."

as Rod said""""You enjoy arguing, for arguing sake.""""

Bernice: That could be said of just about everyone on this board. The only thing that differentiates us all is "why?"

Bernice: The Brits claim a "no tolerance policy" but it's more like a no intelligence policy.

The UK is actually a great place to live and we're not all "stupid and incompetent knuckle draggers". We have our fair share but no more or less than other countries.

Illinois
According to state law, it is illegal to speak English. The officially recognized language is "American".

Indiana
Mustaches are illegal if the bearer has a tendency to habitually kiss other humans.

Much like a boxing match, the bigger the hype, the less exciting they seem to be.One thing is certain though, Newt needs a very strong showing or he is toast.If only Newt would drop out,Santorum would gain more than enough to snuff Mitt

The Col: Many say Santorum can't beat Obama. I think Obama could sell snake oil to a snake oil salesman.

Artful Dodger: Santorum had Michigan wrapped up, until he opened his mouth the last week.If he had stayed on the economy and not social issues he had it in the bag.It will be close,but he ticked off enough people to probably let Mitt win it.The debate should be interesting

The Col: Well he just said another dumb thing today so it will be interesting. Frankly, I don't see Santorum going head to head with Obama. Mitt yes, Santorum, no.

British School Authority: "Thank you for coming into school today to discuss this very important matter. This is Mr. Itza Law the school attorney and this is Mrs. Hope Leslie Clueless, the liaison from the government office RATS, (Racism And Terrorism in Schools). I'd like to show you something."

Mom: "Ok, it's a cute picture of kids playing outside. And???"

British School Authority: "You're daughter drew this."

Mom: "ok It's cute"

British School Authority: "Notice the two children in the picture that have black skin? You're daughter singled them out and used a black color crayon to represent their skin color!

Mom: "I see she labeled them with their names. Those are her two black friends that live down the street.

British School Authority: "Their skin color is NOT black!! It's a dark brown! What your daughter did by coloring using a black color crayon is nothing less than racism!!!"

Mom: "She's 5. What was the assignment."

British School Authority: "To draw and color of picture of her and her friends playing their favorite outdoor activity."

Mom: "Well, looks like she did that."

British School Authority: "We need to deal with this crisis situation now while your daughter is impressionable. She needs to know that racism isn't tolerated in this society."

Mom: "What did she do exactly that was racist?"

British School Authority: " She used a black crayon to color a black person!!!"

Mom: "Yeah, cuz their black"

British School Authority: "And she made their hair frizzy!!!!"

Mom: "Hmmmm, maybe because they both have frizzy hair???"

British School Authority: "Those are racial stereotypes."

Mom: "No, those are accurate representations. Where is my daughter now?"

British School Authority: "She's in the other room. Handcuffed. And she's under arrest. She'll be spending the night in jail. We have a zero tolerance policy on acts of racism. The police are on their way."

Mom: "You're a complete moron."

British School Authority: "That is besides the point. There is a law against racism. We have to learn that we are all equals! And it's your job as a mom to get that message across. Where do people in this society get off thinking they are better than others? Well, I have to run, I'm late for my daily meeting at the Caledonian Club."

Mom: "Isn't that a men only club?"

................. No longer because women are allowed in now. Nothing is sacred. British equality act...your knuckle draggers at work! Next men will be allowed in the girls bathroom. Equality you know. I hear there is legislation that will require the UK men to power their noses when out in public! That's so the women don't feel inferior!

Security at a U.S. school has been stepped up after a racist video rant by two of its white female students went viral.

Santaluces High School, in Lantana, Florida, is on high alert for possible retaliation attacks after the two girls poked fun at the way black pupils 'talk' and wear their weave hair extensions.

It comes hot on the heels of similar footage posted by two teenagers from nearby Gainesville last week who received death threats after also making disparaging comments against black students.

In this latest disturbing video, the girls start by saying white students 'turn black' as soon as they enter the school, claiming you 'catch the disease'.

At one point they add: 'Guys, if you're watching this video now, and you have a weave, and you're black, please be offended - because we're making fun of you. It ends with one of the girls saying: 'Don't post this on Facebook because all our friends are black.' They chuckle, flash peace signs and say 'peace and love'.

A district education spokesman said the school, which is 27 per cent white, 35 per cent black and 33 per cent Hispanic, was aware of the video.

A statement read: "Appropriate action will be taken according to district policy. Racist comments are unacceptable and have no place in our school district." And The Palm Beach Post newspaper said the school was stepping up its security after the girls' video went viral.

School Police Chief Jim Kelly added that, because social media is so new, it did not have a policy in place to deal with such incident. But, he said, he would not be looking into it to develop one.

The video is the second in a week to outrage America.

Last week two teenage girls were forced to drop out of their high school in Gainesville, when they began getting death threats after their 15-minute racist rant about 'black people'. The girls cheerily complained about the African-American students in their classes and dragged out a litany traditional racist stereotypes.


Will the girls parents be paying for the extra security costs?

OK, so political correctness has run amuck in both the UK and the US. no need to make further post on the subject. any further post on the subject may be taken as baiting and be removed, please move on to another topic,

thank god for that.......

Bernice: lol @ sense of humor! ;)

Vikings: No problem. I certainly wasn't trying to bait anyone....but was trying to drive the point home. And my barbs were aimed at the idiots that make such policies. And yes, the US has it's set of knuckle heads at the top making nutty decisions as well. Oddly enough, they all have the first name of Peter. Last name Principle. Go figure ;)

fukuhara: I recently saw a docudrama on the Nanjing Massacre. Very brutal stuff. Sad that some deny it and even sadder still that some young people have never heard of it.

“When your family or friends cannot explain why they voted democrat, give them this list and they can pick a reason from this “TOP 12″.

12. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies’ profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene, but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn’t.

11. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

10. I voted Democrat because Freedom of Speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.

9. I voted Democrat because I’m way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.

8. I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can’t tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don’t start driving a Prius.

7. I voted Democrat because I’m not concerned about millions of babies being aborted so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

6. I voted Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits, and we should take away the social security from those who paid into it.

5. I voted Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the Democrats see fit.

4. I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.

3. I voted Democrat because I think that it’s better to pay billions to people who hate us for their oil, but not drill our own because it might upset some endangered beetle, gopher or fish.

2. I voted Democrat because while we live in the greatest, most wonderful country in the world, I was promised “HOPE AND CHANGE”.

And, finally, the No. 1 reason to vote Democrat:

1. I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my (two words: R..C...), it’s unlikely that I’ll ever have another point of view.”

Artful Dodger: ROFL.....like them.....

can you tell me who said....

I voted for the Republicans because the Democrats left a bad taste in my mouth?

we are having leadership problems in Australia and as usual the jokes come out....I hope this appreciated and not upsets anyone.........

A platoon of soldiers was marching north of Fallujah when they came upon an Iraqi terrorist, badly injured and unconscious.

On the opposite side of the road was an Australian soldier in a similar but less serious state.

The soldier was conscious and alert and as first aid was given to both men, the Platoon Leader asked the injured Australian what had happened.

The soldier reported, 'I was heavily armed and moving north along the highway here, and coming south was a heavily armed insurgent.'

We saw each other and both took cover in the ditches along the road.

I yelled to him that Saddam Hussein was a miserable, lowlife scum bag who got what he deserved.

He yelled back that Kevin Rudd is a bureaucratic, good-for-nothing, left wing labor meanie who knows nothing at all about running the country.'

'So I said that Osama Bin Ladin dresses and acts like a frigid, mean-spirited lesbian!'

He retaliated by yelling, 'Oh yeah? Well, so does Julia Gillard!'

'And, there we were, in the middle of the road, laughing, shaking hands, when a truck hit us.'