Bernice: same here, city, county, state and federal

Vikings: well the whole world should be on an even keel then LOL

Vikings: I like that idea.  Voting for the leadership is one thing but voting for just any civil servant would be too much. 

tomorrow "National Geographic" is showing a programme called "Guantanemo" has anybody seen it and is it to be believed?

and NO...I'm not getting back into the 9/11 discussion....this show is about americas worst prisons

Bernice: Just a remark. Nothing more.

Snoopy: Ahhhh are you going back to the wonderful programs "Yes Minister" and "Yes Prime minister"?

Bernice: That would be interesting.. most of our prisons in American are laid back and desired... heck! A person can go kill someone then sit on their butt for years to come getting all the medical, dental, counciling, food, shelter, heat and cooling they ever need.. and most times only have to worry about kitchen duty a few times a year..

(V): Whats going on over there anyway??? All the anarchists are out in force it seems?

(V): yes shows i watch to much UK gold ..lol

shame on them

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7977561.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7977489.stm

Bernice:

ScarletRose: Laid back and desired. That suggests that the inmates are so use to prison they find the order there much easier then the outside world. And just because they are criminals and even killed people doesn't mean that they should be denied basic rights of health. And as for counselling.. I've seen some serial killers when interviewed show more honesty then many politicians. I mean.. to say that you shouldn't be released.. ever, is to me a great thing to admit, to say you know you are not safe and don't want to hurt anyone else!!! And that as you probably are aware that such monsters are created and not born like that has to be considered. And if that person needs help you propose not helping them is not good I feel.

Czuch: Nahhhh mostly peaceful protesters who the police have even commentated are a good humoured bunch just exercising their right to show their displeasure at the messes recently... amongst other things. Only 87 predicted arrests out of the whole day. Some have been caught and others have been warned that they will get a knock on the door soon. Whether they get all 87.. who knows, but I expect the majority will be caught and prosecuted. It's a shame they have to spoil a good ol' British peaceful demo.

Snoopy: I remember when they were first shown on the BBC

Artful Dodger: Shhh! They will ban you for posting names!

Pedro Martínez:

(V): Good lord....peaceful????/ not from what Ive seen on TV....Blood and guts everywhere and even some killed?

I would hate to live in your neighbourhood if you think that is peaceful........

Bernice: ... Well that is news reporting. As one news anchorman said "good news is not good news".

Of course they are going to show the bad bits more... duhhhhh, but over the G20 summit only 122 arrests have been made.

The BBC say... "a little of it intensely violent - but most of it overwhelmingly peaceful and benign."

And no deaths that I've seen reported. As the old saying goes... don't believe the hype.

Artful Dodger: Israel wanting to get all warlike again ...... It speaks to me of unresolved anger issues. I think they should get help

It also makes me wonder how many strings are being pulled and by whom? Just a niggle, but my niggle sense is good.

(V): read the news boy.....
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090401/tuk-man-dies-during-g20-violence-dba1618.html

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/04/02/64901_todays-news.html

he may have died of a heart attack but it was the violence and upheaval they think caused it. and for the protesters to throw rocks etc at police while they are trying to resuscitate the poor fellow....I agree with Snoopy Im afraid....disgraceful it is

(V): im sorry but your saying only 122 arrests were made has if it was a good thing

there was an element that was hell bend on causing real trouble
it once again shows us up to the rest of the world

Bernice: sadly its common on the streets of the UK
to have the emergency services pelted with stones esp the ambulance and fire services

and theres still alot of areas that ambulance personel will not go into unless they have a police escort

Snoopy: yes I have read the news and it is a terrible thing when emergency services can't do their job properly.....Perhaps Jules lives in a cocoon, or in a housing estate where you don't have to leave, and all services are provided thence cutting off the rest of the world....*shrugs*

I also read where one of the main instigators was an anthropology professor.....helloooooo......I thought it was "no brains, no sense" but not in this case LOL

Bernice: i often wonder if i live in the same country has Jules..lol

I feel the need to remind the group to remember to address only the issues, not the person.  Some addressing of a person can be harmless, but just remember not to carry such things too far.  It's easy to offend in forums like these.   I know I've done my share of that.  ;) 

Anytime it seems when there are these international summits or political conventions,there is trouble ,no matter where in the world. I saw this in Seattle, and Philadelphia some years ago.There are professional agitator or protest groups, like the Ruckus org. that actually advertise and will pay for help in that particular city where an event is going on

Artful Dodger: Well, when the person is part of the issue, what then?

I get accused of turning a blind eye or for not being fully aware... that doesnt offend me, it may even be true

Jules (thats who you are referring to right?)
He will make claims sometimes, where I see it as exaggerated or mislead or whatever, and now he is the one with the shoe on the other foot, trying to protect something that most of us find unprotectable, saying that the reports are not accurate and such, dont believe the media hype. But there was a time when he believed it all, and still does....

GoodTimeCharlie:I agree.  Ive seen that very thing in the states.  Some would even travel to a "local" protest. 

Czuch: agreed

Czuch:good point.  I was going to suggest that if Jules lives in a cocoon then he'll be emerging as a butterfly soon. 

Bernice:leave it to czuch to set me straight 

Bernice: I missed that one then.... The G20 and news has not been a high priority this week for me. Many, many other things that needed my attention, which were way more important.

Snoopy: In any protest there will be elements that want to cause trouble. The minority do not represent us or show us up, they just show that there are elements in the UK just like the rest of the world. A shame, but just reality.

Artful Dodger: ... they were using high level CCTV throughout.

Bernice: No, as I said, much more important things then the G20 and the news this week.

(V): In any protest there will be elements that want to cause trouble. The minority do not represent us or show us up, they just show that there are elements in the UK just like the rest of the world. A shame, but just reality.


See, this is my point.... when it came to a few bad soldiers in a prison, your attitude towards a minority were much different.... all you wanted to do was believe the media hyped reports... and you used a minority action to represent the whole!

I would say it is a shame, but a reality of war, and an isolated hyped up incident, but you would have none of that back then?

Czuch: I didn't believe the hype, or say it was all soldiers, Because that is never the case. And I hope those who broke the law do get locked up... It'll make it better for the peaceful protesters in the future... Just like they did with the football thugs over here!!

Czuch... there is the reality of war and there are war crimes. Some things in war are just not acceptable, especially as us 'westerners' are supposed to be the moral bunch. If you do as those who you say are animals then you are an animal.... No matter who it is.

And Czuch... it wasn't hyped up. The news here said it was a few isolated soldiers, but they also said that in some cases it was encouraged.

Old saying... "In fighting a monster do not become one, as in becoming one... you have lost the war."

(V):Maybe hyped up isn't correct but they sure do focus on the negative - unless it's their man in the White House.  When a news reporter says Obama gives him a tingle in his leg, you can be sure he'll have a problem with objectivity.

Artful Dodger: In some respects it's a bad thing, in some respects it's good. It depends on what the news is about.

EG... a certain celeb died recently over here, but the lining is that women who'd till that time not been screened for cervical cancer are now getting screened.

'Titanics'.

(V): have they lowerd the age yet?
where woman are to b e screened

(V):  I'm referring more specifically to coverage like the war or a protest march.  If a news organization is going to report on improprieties of the  military, then they ought also to report on the good that is being done.  Many decent men are serving the call of their country and doing good humanitarian work as well as combat.  When something negative occurs, it should be placed in the larger context of the whole and not isolated.  So in the case of the protesters, it's important to report the law breaking incidents but to also cover those that followed the law and kept their part of the protest peaceful. 

(V): musta been benefit time.

Snoopy the age for screening over here is 18 for girls....cervical that is. I think (but not too sure) that breast screening is voluntary from any age....don't really know a lot about it tho.</b>

Bernice: yes sadly we still behind most countries
with our age for screening starting at 25
the reason i asked V if it had changed has i thought i had missed it

this story springs to mind everytime i hear about it

http://www.itv.com/Lifestyle/ThisMorning/Health/Cervicalcancer132/default.html

she had so much to live for yet wasn't old enough to have the test and her parents have been campaigning since her death for the age limit to be lower

i remember signing the petetion over a year ago and still nothing happened


anyone in the UK who feels strongly about this issue please sign the online petition

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/template/v-1.0/module/petitionsPopUp.jsp?article=2250520

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/lowersmeartests/

Snoopy: It is so sad when you read stories like that :(
Girls/Females who are sexually active should be able to have the pap smear test at any age....God you see so many TV shows on teenage promiscuity where the girls start having sex at 9-10 years of age....that is when they should start having the pap smear IMO.
But no doubt I will be shot down on this....Oh well

Here's a great example of the dishonesty we the people have to put up with in politics.  The Democratic National Convention sent 200 volunteers to Capital Hill delivering what they say were 642,000 "individual pledges."  

Obama has an email list of 13-million.  That's a huge number.  And from that 13 million, Obama got a whopping 114,000 individual pledges supporting his budget ideas.  That is disgraceful.  So the DNC went out and hit the streets and got 100,000 more pledges.  My math says that's 214,000 individual pledges.  

But wait.  The DNC claim they sent 642,000 individual pledges to Capital Hill.  Where did the other pledges come from?

Well, it seems the DNC made three copies of each petition so that each signer's senators and representatives could get one.  3 x 214,000 is 642,000.  

I get it.  Just take the paltry number of pledges, make photo copies, come up with a new number, and make it official.  And what was the DNC's response to this dishonesty?

"DNC spokesperson Natalie Wyeth responded: "This effort was designed to give our supporters the tools to influence their elected officials. Of course we delivered a pledge to each of their members of Congress - 642,000 pledges. That's what we said we were delivering and that's what we did.""

Artful Dodger: They are very good at deception and propaganda,

GoodTimeCharlie: This is so obvious and yet they still defend it.  I hate the dishonesty of it all.

Bernice: you are right any lady under the age of 25 can walk in and demand she should have a smear test but having the age limit lowered would save a lot of fear
alot of why they wont lower the age is to do with the cost
but in the long run surely if lowering the age limit to 20 where your send a reminder every 3 years saved one life then its a must for the ppl of the UK

alot of countries actually test woman every year
we are so far behind with 25 years and only getting screened every 3 years every 5 years after the age of 50