'In France we had little, but here in Romania we have nothing'
'We had little in France, but we have nothing in Romania', say Gypsy families forced from their adopted home
On the way to Barbulesti road dissolves into the gravel and dust. For Romica Raducanu village where he was born and grew up feeling like a doomsday. His hopes for a new life while a distant dream, and he was stuck here. Only his t-shirt gives the place he considers home: adorned with stripes of red, white and blue one word - France.
Until three weeks ago Raducanu was living on the outskirts of Montpellier in southern France, eking out a living for his wife and children by collecting scrap metal and selling it on for seven centimes (6p) a kilo. Then, after a summer of growing unease, the crackdown ordered by President Nicolas Sarkozy hit home. Friends were ordered to leave, and the pictures he was seeing in the newspapers became too much. Raducanu was scared.
Without taking the money available to him as part of the "voluntary repatriation" scheme â€" he didn't understand the papers, he says, so he didn't sign them â€" the 35-year-old and his wife packed their family into the car and set out, with other departing Roma, on the journey of more than 1,000 miles to Romania.
A day later he heard that the police had come to clear away his former home. Now, in the dilapidated surrounds of his new one, he is bitter and depressed.
"We had to leave so that we weren't sent away. Every day I was seeing in the papers and on the television that more and more people were being expelled," he says quietly, fiddling with the handle of a bedroom door missing half a pane of glass. Remembering the moment he realised what was going on, he adds: "We were desperate when we heard. Sarkozy hates the Roma. He's making the same moves as Hitler."
Vichy comparison
An extreme comment in the same vein provoked fury this week in the Elysée palace, where the French president fumed over the comparisons made by Viviane Reding, European commissioner for justice, between his summer clampdown and persecution of the Jews during the second world war.
But, incendiary as these remarks may be, the vehemence of Raducanu's anger is perhaps understandable. For, he says, while he had little in France, he has nothing in Barbulesti.
Since the end of July, when Sarkozy made a speech in Grenoble outlining his tough new approach on crime and immigration â€"the two themes, he implied, were inextricably linked â€" about 1,000 foreign Roma have left France, mostly for Romania and mostly under a scheme offering €300 (£250) for each adult and €100 for each child returning to their native country.
About 200 non-authorised Roma camps have been cleared, as well as hundreds of traveller sites occupied mostly by French citizens. However, a leaked circular, since amended to avoid singling out an ethnicity, stated that the Roma were the chief targets of the evacuations.
For many French people and other western Europeans who witness the poverty in which a large number of Roma live, in cities from Marseille to Milan to Madrid, their desire to stay is incomprehensible.
Yet most of the 7,500 Roma in Barbulesti, a predominantly Gypsy village 50 miles north-east of Bucharest, say that a life in the wealthy west offers chances unimaginable in their native Romania, where the vast majority are trapped in a cycle of discrimination, unemployment and poverty.
And, as long as this remains the case, they say, they have no intention of staying put. Ever a nomadic people, they will be on the move again soon.
Raducanu, an EU citizen entirely conscious of his right to free movement within the bloc, is already planning his return. "I can't wait to get back, to work. There is nothing to do here. Hunger. No work. I will go back," he says. Later, in a flourish of the language he had learned to love, he adds: "C'est très dur, la vie." Life is very hard.
Appearances
At first sight, it is difficult to understand why Raducanu and his fellow villagers feel this way. With its large, villa-like houses in bright shades of reds, oranges and greens, Barbulesti looks from far off like a Disneyesque hamlet rising from the acres of flat, drab Romanian scrubland. Children wander, rucksacks on their backs, home from school; many roofs have satellite dishes and expensive cars are parked in driveways.
Compared with some of the Roma squats in France, these homes appear salubrious.
Appearances, however, can be deceptive. In one house in the centre of the village carved lion heads sit proudly atop wrought-iron gates and the back garden is shaded from the sun by trellises threaded with vines.
But, inside, the reality of living standards becomes clear. The villa is clean and tidy- but its four rooms are home to four families. "Seven people live in here," says Stylian, a 34-year-old man who did not want his surname to be published. "And six in here."
Throughout the house, open wires run precariously over ceilings and walls, and the cheer of paint in electric pink and lime green cannot mask the fact that the mud walls and wattle-and-daub roofs are badly in need of repair. The kitchen, used to feed more than 20 people, is open to the stony ground, and the fridge is virtually bare.
A decades-old well brings up water, and the single toilet is a hole in the ground in an outhouse. "We wash it, we keep it clean," says Stylian. As he speaks, children play on the rusting hulk of a climbing frame next to a pig sty. The pigs are long gone.
But he insists his lack of success was not due to a lack of effort: he tried everything in his power to work legally, he says, but to no avail.
One opportunity as an apple-picker proved particularly elusive. "The paperwork remained in the prefecture, the apples remained in the tree, and we left," he jokes.
When asked about the trigger for his return a fortnight ago, however, Stylian's smile vanishes and his voice begins to boom around the driveway. "I don't agree with these [forced or voluntary] returns. It's racism," he says, describing how, frightened by the political climate and police threats of expulsion, he eventually left of his own accord.
Before Sarkozy, he says, there was less prejudice against the Roma in France than in Romania. "But now they're both the same." Were it not for the fact that, at home, "you can work all day and not make enough to eat", he says, there would be no reason to go anywhere else. "Nobody would leave then. Who wants to leave their home?"
In a statement earlier this year, the human rights group Amnesty International issued an urgent appeal, warning that the authorities must stop their "forced evictions" of Roma people and "immediately relocate" those living in "hazardous conditions" on the margins of society.
After a summer in which the plight of France's estimated foreign Roma, estimated to number between 15,000 and 20,000, came under the spotlight as never before, those words are all-too familiar.
Nevertheless, the statement was not directed at Paris, but in Bucharest and living conditions have not been described those aliens in a foreign country, but the Romanian citizens in Romania.
"Across the country Roma families are being evicted from their homes against their will. When this happens, they don't just lose their homes. They lose their possessions, their social contacts, their access to work and state services," said Halya Gowan, Amnesty's Europe and central Asia programme director, in the January appeal.
With unofficial estimates pinning the number of Roma in Romania at 2.2 million, the minority makes up about 10% of the country's total population. Yet, say human rights groups, the Roma are routinely ignored and pushed out of the mainstream, their needs not met and their voice not heard.
According to Amnesty, endemic prejudice leads to discrimination from the authorities as well as society at large, while the statistics speak for themselves: 75% of Roma live in poverty, compared with 24% of Romanians and 20% of ethnic Hungarians. Unemployment is far higher than the norm, and life expectancy is significantly lower.
For all these reasons â€" not to mention the economic ties that have deepened since EU accession in 2007 â€" the Romanian government has been careful in its reaction to the Sarkozy crackdown. As the French have repeatedly pointed out, Bucharest is in no position to judge: if it weren't for its failure to integrate the Roma, they argue, the "problem" would not be so acute elsewhere in Europe.
Mild rebuke
But, behind the relatively mild diplomatic rebuke issued by President Traian Basescu, who, though telling France he "understands" its position, insists Romanians have the right "to travel without restrictions within the European Union", there is considerable anger.
And, in a reflection of the confusion expressed by many people in Barbulesti, he adds that he has "a big question mark over the paperwork" returning Roma had been asked to sign in France relating to the "voluntary repatriation" schemes. "Because they weren't given a copy of what they signed," Dinca says.
The ANR is at the forefront of government efforts to solve the Roma problem. In the past decade a number of projects designed to facilitate integration and boost living standards have emerged, from the appointment of special health and education "mediators" designed to communicate on behalf of the Roma, to positive discrimination measures in Romanian high schools.
On top of the €22m received from the state, Dinca says, €90m comes from Brussels to go towards various NGOs and Roma-related institutions.
And yet not one - in Bucharest, Brussels, or less than the total Barbulesti - he thinks makes a big difference.
For Viorel-Vivari Banescu, a teacher at a mainstream Romanian school near Barbulesti, the one thing that could change things is education. The most important thing the state can do, he says, is provide retraining opportunities for adult Roma and classes for their children. "They have a tendency to self-victimise, to say 'I don't have a job because I'm a Gypsy,'" he says. "But that's not true. He doesn't have a job because he doesn't have any training."
Pacing the ground in the town, Banescu tries to recruit 14-year-old Posirca Marian, who has been skipping class, a common problem in the local school, which has the county's biggest number of pupils on paper but in practice sees high absenteeism.
Parents receive €10 from the state for every child they have in school, but often say they still can't afford the kit required for attendance. "I want to make him my champion and get him through the 7th and 8th grade," says the teacher.
Over in the Raducanu family's backyard, lines of tiny socks and vests hang out to dry in the sun, and indoors Romica's wife, Simona-Mariana, struggles with the couple's restless brood of toddlers. They are a family of nine living in a two-room house with no proper kitchen.
On its successes to paint chipped doors, the village of 'S vice-mayor, Vasile Lita, scraps of pears from the mouth of the five-year-old Jacob. He half-rotten. "This is something that we once again" is ", he exclaims, waving his fruit in his hands." Sarkozy has to think about basic rights. His [Raducanu 'S] children have nothing to eat today. "
Unlike many of his more bombastic, heavyset friends, Raducanu is a slight young man who speaks quietly, in both French and Romanian, of the "great" people of Montpellier, of the "respectful" French police, and his life there, where, in the embodiment of Sarkozy's work ethic, he "got up early and even worked Sundays".
He can provide more for his family there than here, he says, as squeals come through the bedroom window. What are his hopes for the future? "That I will get back to France, to give them something."
Lords of the flies: the insect detectives
Where the police and pathologists fail, flies and maggots â€" and the Natural History Museum's forensic entomologists â€" can solve even the most difficult of murders
Martin Hall, genial, white-coated head of research at the Natural History Museum's Department of Entomology, holds a miniature glass phial up to the harsh fluorescent light of his gleaming laboratory. Inside, a handful of small brown bugs bob lifelessly in clear preserving fluid.
"So here," says Hall, with suitable drama, "they are: the Ruxton Maggots."
Were it not for the maggots, it is pretty safe to say the case of Dr Buck Ruxton, one of Britain's most celebrated prewar murders, would be all but forgotten. On 13 March 1936, the Bombay-born GP, admired and appreciated by all in his Lancaster practice, was sensationally found guilty of killing his common-law wife, Isabella Kerr, and their maidservant, Mary Jane Rogerson.
Ruxton, born Buktyar Rustomji, had somehow become convinced that his extrovert companion was having an affair (no evidence was ever found that she was). In a fit of jealous rage, he leapt on her and strangled her with his bare hands. The unfortunate maid he suffocated immediately afterwards to prevent her revealing the crime.
Putting his professional knowledge to effective use, the good doctor then mutilated the corpses, removing identifying marks such as moles and scars, dismembered them, and wrapped the 70-plus body parts in old copies of the Daily Herald, Sunday Graphic and Sunday Chronicle. He loaded his gruesome cargo into his car, and dumped it in a remote ravine more than 100 miles away, on the Scottish Borders.
Two key errors led to Ruxton's arrest: one of the papers he used turned out to be a special edition, sold only in Lancaster and Morecambe; and, on the way home, he knocked a man off his bicycle in Kendal and the police noted his licence plate.
But crucially, the case against the doctor was also much aided by a certain Dr AG Mearns, an expert on insects, who established the date on which the body parts had been deposited in the ravine from the presence of a mass of bluebottle larvae, aged 12 to 14 days, crawling all over them. That corroborated other evidence in the case, helping to ensure Ruxton's conviction and eventual hanging.
It was the first time a maggot had been used in a court of law to convict a criminal. These days, of course, thanks to TV series such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Bones, and movies such as Silence of the Lambs (in which a seriously deranged serial killer memorably places the pupa of a death's-head hawkmoth in the mouth of his victims), the forensic entomologist â€" a scientist who specialises in studying the insect life on and around a cadaver to ascertain time (and sometimes place) of death â€" is a rather more familiar figure.
Courteous, quick and disarmingly normal, Hall, one of the museum's 300-plus behind-the-scenes scientists who will be showcasing their work at an open evening tomorrow, is nothing like the obsessive, borderline nut-jobs TV apparently thinks bug experts should be. (That said, he is not above the odd unnerving observation. "It's a strange smell, isn't it," he muses, as we enter the malodorous confines of his culture research room, where a host of assorted maggots feast on rotting liver and dog food. "Quite sweet, in a way.")
These flies can detect death from 10 miles away
Underlying the science is the helpful fact that flies go through four main and identifiable developmental stages, from egg (which will generally hatch within 24 hours) to larva (which will feed on the corpse for about five days, then spend another couple preparing to pupate) to pupa (equivalent to a butterfly's chrysalis; another seven days) and onwards to adult fly. The maggot stage, in particular, can be further subdivided into three distinct phases, known as instars.
The exact rate at which a fly develops through these stages can vary significantly according to a number of factors, notably the temperature at the scene, the size of the body, whether it is in the open air or in a sealed room, and whether it is naked or clothed. The forensic entomologist's basic job, then, is to collect and measure the insect life on and around a dead body, factor in all the variables, and come up with an approximate time for when the first flies arrived on the scene. "After about three days, it becomes hard for an ordinary pathologist to judge the time of death," says Hall. "Insects can be more accurate. Within limits, in the first week or so of development, you can be accurate to within a day. They're also good even if a body has been burned, for example, which makes things very hard for a pathologist."
A small plastic spoon is perfect for scooping up maggots
Forensic entomologists provide what is called a minimum postmortem interval, or PMI. "What we can do is say when the insects found the body," Hall says. "In summer, in the open air, that can often be within an hour of death. In winter, or indoors, it can take much longer." But knowing when the flies arrived can, in itself, prove a critical piece in the evidential puzzle that will solve a murder. So can the kind of flies found on the body.
\\ "If the body is in the countryside, somewhere" D normally expect to find all types of blowflies, but those that we find in it only one species, say a more urban variety, which may be strong evidence that the body came from somewhere else ", says Hall.
Hall's scene-of-crime kit includes a collapsible net to capture adult flies, a magnifying glass, a digital thermometer, a small cube of high technology called a data logger (it checks and records the temperature at the scene every hour), and a small plastic airline coffee spoon that's "brilliant for scooping up maggots". Some specimens are killed at the scene by plunging them briefly in boiling water, then preserved in ethanol for future analysis. Others are captured live, taken to the culture room, placed in incubators at the right temperature, and fed.
"The live ones give you a second handle on ageing," Hall says. "If I know it takes 20 days for these type of larvae to become flies in these particular conditions, and they become flies after 10, I know they were 10 days old when I got them."
The foundations for forensic entomology were laid by a Frenchman, Jean-Pierre Mégnin, in two pioneering late 19th-century works called Fauna of the Tombs and Fauna of the Cadavers; both are still on every forensic entomology student's reading list. The science is still developing, though, Hall says, and his culture room contains several incubators holding specimens destined solely for research (a current project is the low-temperature development of bluebottles; flies that take a fortnight to mature in summer may, apparently, need up to three months in winter).
"We know only a few species well," says Hall, who has been fascinated with insects since he was a small child. ("I grew up in Africa, where we had a mosquito net. It was supposed to be used to keep the insects out, but I used it to keep them in.") "There's a lot we need to learn about others, and about temperature ranges. There's plenty still to be done."
Things have come a long way, though, since Dr Mearns and the Ruxton maggots. In America they are working on the changing odour of decaying, insect-infested flesh as an indicator of PMI; Hall has begun experimenting with thermal imaging technology to measure the heat generated by a mass of maggots (the hotter they get, basically, the older they are).
CSI's failing is that it gives you no idea of the smell
Certain key cases have advanced the science's cause, leading to far greater acceptance among police and pathologists. The so-called Lydney Murder was one such: on 28 June 1964, police were called to a body in woods near Bracknell, Berkshire. Its dreadful condition led them to assume it had been there for at least four weeks, but Professor Keith Simpson, a pioneer of forensic entomology in this country, told them it was more like nine days, and certainly no more than 12. Missing persons records for that period pointed to a Lydney resident, Peter Thomas, who had gone missing at exactly that time, and fingerprints confirmed the identification.
A couple of Hall's cases stand out, he says. "One was in winter. A body was found wedged in the narrow space between a building and a steep embankment. The pathologist thought it had been there for maybe two to three weeks, but the insect activity was showing two to three months. In fact, it turned out to be a tragic accident: the chap had fallen down the embankment and broken his back. But at least it gave closure to his family; they could account for the gap between his disappearance and discovery, and they knew when he died."
Another particularly satisfying case was a suitcase murder: "The body was in a suitcase. We were able not only to give an approximate time of death, but to say when the case was dumped at the scene. We did that by comparing the age of the eggs on the outside of the case with the age of the youngest maggots inside, which would have been laid as eggs just before the body was zipped up inside the case. That was quite rewarding." In a third, the insect life on a badly burned and otherwise all-but-impossible-to-identify corpse found in an old second world war ammunition bunker allowed Hall to tell the police the body had been dead for seven to eight days, allowing them to focus their inquiries and, eventually, trace the victim.
Unlike Hall, who focuses mainly on the when, Bonney looks at the who. She will also be discussing her work tomorrow evening, though she is at even less liberty than Hall to discuss specific cases. "They're quite high- profile, usually," she says. "Lots of media interest. But it's usually about helping identify the deceased where the condition of the body makes that difficult â€" so burned, dismembered, decomposed, that kind of thing." Many of her call-outs turn out to be false alarms: bones that date back centuries (or not even bones; members of the public have been known to hand in any number of odd objects in the firm belief they are prehistoric body parts.) The others are real.
"Usually," Bonney says, "I'll go to the postmortem, or to the mortuary just afterwards. The ideal is to be at the scene of crime: the context the remains are found in is almost as important as the remains themselves, particularly if there's little or no tissue left. Also, if we're there, we'll be sure of recovering absolutely everything, down to the very smallest bones."
Forensic anthropology can establish first whether remains are human or animal. If they are human, it can estimate how long the body has been in situ (bone also decomposes, albeit less radically than flesh, although the rate can vary according to the dampness of the surroundings, the amount of oxygen present and the chemical make-up of the soil).
By looking specifically at parts of the skull (the ridges over the eyes, the area behind the ears) and pelvis, Bonney can determine whether the body is male or female. By examining the teeth and looking at the places on the body where bone joined cartilage, she can make a pretty reliable estimate of age. By taking precise measurements of the skull and feeding them into a computer database, she can establish ancestry (or ethnic origin), and by measuring the arm and leg bones and feeding the results into a mathematical formula, she can arrive at height. Sometimes her analyses will turn up evidence of previous disease or trauma that can provide further identifying information.
"If it's a missing person, forensic anthropology can help confirm a body could be the person the police think it is," she says. "If they have no idea who it is, it can help narrow the field, give them an idea where to start looking. It's not quite as exciting as TV makes out â€" we're a discrete part of an investigation. We don't go round interviewing suspects. We come in, do our work, submit our report, and usually the next we'll hear of a case is when it comes to court. But I love it. It's never boring; every case is different and you can never, ever go by appearances."
Meanwhile, a selection of very dead maggots have found themselves under the binocular microscope in Hall's lab. Their hard brown forms are projected on to a computer screen, and some nifty software allows Hall to drag a red line along their bodies and measure them to within a thousandth of a millimetre. "I know the species, and I know these maggots will have required a certain thermal input to attain that size," he says. "So now I'll use the figures from my data logger at the scene, and correlate those with the relevant Met Office data, and feed all that into a calculation, and I'll end up with a date for when these maggots were laid as eggs on the body they were found on. It's not as glamorous as CSI makes it look, certainly, but it's satisfying. Though CSI's one big failing is that it gives you no idea whatsoever of the smell."
• Visitors can meet members of the forensics team and other Natural History Museum researchers at After Hours: Science Uncovered, on Friday 24 September, from 4pm-10pm. The scientists will demonstrate aspects of their work and explore some of the museum's scientific treasures up close.
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Stoke City 1-1 West Ham
Scott Parker's goal looked like giving West Ham their first win of the season, but Kenwyne Jones earned Stoke a point
Good day: You don't need to be Alanis Morissette - in fact, you never need to be Alanis Morissette - to appreciate the potential irony on offer today. Rain on your wedding day, you presume? No. Ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife? Wrong, that's not ironic. West Ham, after four defeats in their first four games, winning their first points of the season when Avram Grant is off atoning and fasting and gallivanting on Yom Kippur? Bingo!
This is a no-win situation for Grant, but then he's already managed Portsmouth. He's used to that. The Israeli strikes me as an unlucky manager, one who's difficult to pin down conclusively. You can judge his time at Chelsea in one of two ways: either he was mightily unfortunate not to win the league and the Champions League, or he was a shambling chancer who blew their title hopes, allowing the senior players to run the team. Unless you were on the training ground every day, it's difficult to choose (but those who were tend to report the latter). And then at Portsmouth, he had to deal with a points deduction and the boardroom shenanigans at Fratton Park, but his side still finished bottom. And just how much can you read into an FA Cup run these days?
So if West Ham lose today, he will be derided and criticised for a supposed dereliction of duty. If they win (which they won't) then questions will be raised over his influence, particularly if they were to lose to Tottenham next week when he does return. As my name might suggest, I'm slightly biased when it comes to this subject. No, Grant doesn't observe the Sabbath every week, but Yom Kippur is the holiest of holy days for Jews. It's a 25-hour fast - no food, no drink - and you're not meant to do anything but go to synagogue and atone for your 'sins' over the past year. Grant has said that he's doing this partly out of respect for his parents, who are Holocaust survivors, and it's also important to factor in his reputation in Israel, where there were calls for Deportivo's Israeli goalkeeper, Dudu Aouate, to be banned when he played on Yom Kippur. What's more important - your faith, your country, your principles, your family ... or Stoke away? If it meant more to me, I know which I'd choose.
Teams? Teams:
Stoke: Sorensen; Huth, Shawcross, Faye, Collins; Pennant, Delap, Whitehead, Etherington; Walters, Jones. Subs:Begovic, Higginbotham, Whelan, Gudjohnsen, Fuller, Wilson, Wilkinson.
West Ham: Green; Jacobsen, Da Costa, Upson, Gabbidon; Behrami,
Parker, Noble; Obinna, Piquionne, Cole. Subs: Stech, Tomkins, Barrera, Boa Morte, Kovac, McCarthy, Faubert.
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
In the red and white corner: Javelin refugee Rory Delap.
In the claret and blue corner: England's Robert Green.
We all know how this one's going to end up, don't we?
Modern football is jiggered, part XIV:You notice LL 'a clear lack of Kieron Dyer to West Ham composition. He reportedly refused to go to Stoke after the name on the bench again, says Grant, that if he 's suit to make it to the south, it' s fit enough for a start. You 'd have sympathy to him, if he 'd have a function for the full 90 minutes in any game since 2007.
Even this early in the season, this might have been billed as a relegation six-pointer, but for Stoke's victory over Aston Villa on Monday. Until then they were matching West Ham stride for stride, in the manner of the fat kids at school forced to wheeze their way through the cross-country, on zero points. It must be pointed out, however, that before their comeback against Villa two of their three games had been against Chelsea and Tottenham, and the other was away to a tough Wolves side. They look set for another decent season, probably a mid-table finish.
Stoke are good at what they do. They're not great to watch, but they're superbly organised, tough, physical and exceedingly dangerous from set-pieces. That said, if Kenwyne Jones retains his focus, they will start to be far more menacing in open play, perhaps even more so if Eidur Gudjohnsen fancies turning up. On the face of it, he doesn't appear to be a player who can fit seamlessly into Stoke's side, but perhaps he will provide them with a little more variety and intelligence, even if I do think Tony Pulis has signed him because the only worthwile thing he did in a Tottenham shirt last season was against Stoke.
As ever though, it's the aerial assault which West Ham will have to stand up to, and given the way Bolton roughed them up and the comparatively small Michael Essien scored two easy, unchallenged headers against them for Chelsea last week, Stoke must fancy their chances. In that regard, Manuel Da Costa's inclusion could be vital. He's a little ropey on the ground, but he wins his headers, and with Stoke fielding two genuine wingers in the shape of Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant, expect a lot of crosses.
A pertinent email on matters of faith: "I wonder how many of the people slating Avram for his non-attendance will be volunteering to work on Christmas day this year?" points out Tom Cuell. "Having said that, I am a Stoke fan, so I'm very opposed to Ben Haim's decision to sit this one out." Well?
Anyway this should neatly explain Avram's stance: he doesn't roll on Shabbos.
West Ham will be managed by Paul Groves and Kevin Keen today by the way. Grant has travelled but will spend the day in prayer. Did he walk?
Alan Pardew is in the Sky studio today. It's good to see him doing media work again.
Skynoted that West Ham was in Britannia Stadium twice. I LL point 'they' ve only twice: in the Premier League, but actually went there twice in the championship. His condition.
Peep! We're off, Stoke getting us underway and kicking from right to left. There's a typically boisterous atmosphere as you'd expect. Jermaine Pennant tries to get Jonathan Walters in behind the West Ham defence, but the ball's too long and runs out for a goal-kick.
2 min:West Ham are playing three front today, Carlton Cole, Frederic Piquionne and Victor Obinna, who was very impressive against Chelsea last week, when some of his wayward finishing. Nigeria moved to the left, teasing Robert Huth to the intersection, but Faye hooked the ball.
4 min: The game is settling into a pattern that you might have expected, West Ham comfortable in possession in midfield but so far incapable of finding a killer pass when they need to take the ball forward. Stoke seem happy to let them stroke the ball around in harmless areas, but they are very tough to break down. West Ham haven't won an away game since the first game of last season. A win here would do nicely.
6 min: Jones is a handful and is so far winning the aerial duel with Upson and Da Costa. He dominates Da Costa here, before spraying the ball to the right for Pennant, but Gabbidon blocked his cross, giving Delap the first chance to wind up one of those fearsome throws. Nothing doing though, despite Faye getting his head on the ball.
8 min: A nervous moment for Thomas Sorensen in the Stoke goal, who came to collect Mark Noble's corner, gained after Pennant put Behrami's cross behind. Sorensen was nowhere near it though, and was grateful to see Shawcross head the ball away before West Ham could take advantage. For some reason, he decides to bawl out Shawcross, who surely took appropriate action.
10 min: The first shot in anger comes from West Ham, as Cole barges his way through a couple of challenges, before screwing a lamentable left-footed effort well wide from 25 yards out. Immediately Stoke attack, Pennant running at Gabbidon again, this time winning a corner. Matthew Etherington's inswinger causes disquiet, but Piquionne heads away.
11 min:Another Delap throw on that West Ham defended well, only to see the ball roll out of the corner, this time left ...
12 min: ... which is delayed after some fun and games between Robert Huth and Valon Behrami. After a brief wait, the corner is headed away by Cole at the near post. For another throw...
13 min: Yup, Delap's throw is headed away. Throw. Head. Throw. Head. Throw. Head. This is sophisticated stuff.
14 min:Sorensen looks nervous today. Long permission from Robert Green should be considered either Shawcross and Sorensen, a defender in the end accepts his evasion goalkeeper shows more indecision, and the ball on the slices for another corner. In the end, Obinna 's decent left-foot volley from the edge of the area deflected straight into the hands of Sorensen.
16 min: On second viewing, Obinna's volley was deflected by Shawcross's outstretched hand. That could well have been a penalty for West Ham, and Stoke can count themselves a little bit lucky.
18 min:Walters does not work to receive treatment after the cut down by Behrami - in fact, he 's limp with a magic sponge. However, it sa 'free-kick in Stoke, which must be taken Pennant.
19 min: And Green nearly gifts Stoke the opener! He really is a bag of nerves at the moment, making mistake after costly mistake. Pennant's free-kick was whipped in with pace and Shawcross's run in front of Green seemed to put the goalkeeper off - what should have been a regulation catch was fumbled to his left, and Huth, sliding in smacked the ball against the post. Green needs to sort himself out.
21 min: West Ham are rocking a little here, and Behrami is booked for his third foul in as many minutes, this time on Pennant.
22 min:And from a free-kick, he 's another chance for Stoke - and, one might say, ill miss Jones. Pennant had a free-kick, this time trying to go for goal. His low effort is arranged through the wall and fell to Jones, 12 yards out. On the rebound, a left-footed shot goes high and wide. He should have got it on target at least.
1923 min: Cole's turn and shot from just outside the area is, again, straight down the throat of Sorensen.
24 min: This is a scrappy, niggly game, and Behrami is involved in most of the tedious little skirmishes. This time he's on the end of some of the rough stuff, and Delap is booked.
26 min: Neither side looks capable of a goal from open play so far. It's going to take a set-piece to separate them. West Ham have had 57% of the possession, but have done little with it. They're short of ideas once they get into Stoke's half.
28 min:Left Piquionne shows the power and skill to blast past Hoot, which brings down the striker. It 's kind of good to play West Ham demands but noble' s grim kick, right on the first man, is not.
30 min: West Ham are containing Stoke with relative ease. And vice versa. Nothing's really happening. A lot of huff and puff. West Ham are doing well until they get the ball into Stoke's half. Stoke are getting little out of West Ham's two centre-backs, and Etherington and Pennant have been unable to find Jones with their crosses.
GOAL! Stoke 0-1 West Ham (Parker 32 min):
34 min: And that was so nearly two! The goal has lifted West Ham's approach immeasurably, and Piquionne cut inside from the left, before curling a delightful effort towards the top corner. Sorensen needn't have gone for it, but the ball smacked off the frame of the bar.
37 min: Some comical defending by Da Costa, who trapped the ball further than I can kick it, gifting Stoke a throw-in. And we know what that means - Delap's throw is right into the middle of the goal, and Jones should score with a free header from no more than three yards out. Instead he heads the ball miles over the bar.
39 min: "Just noticed in your preamble a reference to Stoke's difficult opening fixtures - have you checked who West Ham have played in their opening four games," asks Matt. "Villa, Chelsea, Man Utd... Alright, losing at home to Bolton wasn't clever but they weren't exactly favourites to be top of the table after four games, eh?" You are, of course, correct. Anyway back to the action, Noble's bender was easily held by Sorensen before Cole becomes the latest player to be booked for a foul on Collins.
40 min: If you're not watching this game, you might find this hard to believe - Robert Green has just caughtFor a long punt up field. It 's really caught one. Held it too. Return to.
42 min: That was nearly delightful from Mark Noble. West Ham were allowed to play the ball around just outside Stoke's area. Piquionne came inside before playing the ball to Noble, who deftly slipped away from Whitehead before attempting to release the ball for Obinna. The execution was just too hard, otherwise Obinna would have had an excellent chance of doubling West Ham's lead.
44 min: Late pressure from Stoke, but Jacobsen does well to stop Walters getting his head on to Pennant's dinked cross. The ball is put back into the West Ham area, but Lee Mason blows for a foul on Upson by Jones.
45 min: Dean Whitehead is booked for a late tackle on Parker. There will be a minimum of two minutes of the added stuff.
46 min+ 2: The home crowd have been baying for free-kicks with increasing frequency when Upson and Da Costa have challenged Jones and Walters. Mason has mostly ignored the cries, but this time awards the free-kick. Etherington curls it in, there's a bit of head tennis, and then Da Costa nearly takes Huth's head off with a overhead clearance. Technically you could argue that should be a penalty.
Half-time and West Ham hold a deserved lead. "Do you think the charming directors at West Ham would have appointed someone else as manager had they known that Uncle Avram couldn't be on the bench today shouting "Track back!" at Mark Noble every five minutes?" says Gary Naylor. "Of course they wouldn't have appointed (say) Alan Pardew - because Uncle Avram was the best man for the job. I like him - he knows his football, conducts himself well and shows just enough fire to reveal the steel behind the avuncular exterior."
"If you look at this West Ham team, they shouldn't be anywhere near the relegation places come the end of the season," says Sam Zakowski. "Upson had an extremely bad World Cup, but so did John Terry, and he'll captain of the champions at the end of the season. A midfield that contains Parker and Behrami is surely not the 18th best midfield in the league? Comfortably mid-table in that department. Carlton Cole, for all his faults and injuries, is also very useful up front. People have written off West Ham after only three games. Maybe a tad early, don't you think?" West Ham have been written off early for each of the last three seasons, but they always seem to avoid the drop eventually. That said, they should have gone down last season. My word, they were dreadful.
"West Ham had five men in the six yard box when they scored," says Gary Naylor. "I'm not sure I have ever seen so many attacking players so close to the opponent's goal. Why didn't Stoke just clear out? The dodgy keeper is at the other end." They've both been dodgier than the feed I'll be using to watch this afternoon's games on (without success). Sorensen has been extremely tentative today. Asmir Begovic is wanted by Chelsea, yet sits on the bench for Stoke. That's mysterious.
46 min: We're back. Can West Ham hold on? Or will Stoke pull off a repeat of their second half comeback against Aston Villa on Monday? I bet you can't wait to find out.
47 min:What 's throw-in account? Stoke started as they mean to go on, but Parker cleans with Delap 'roll. with West Ham attempted to stop the gap in the Hat 's foul on Behrami, who, with' stayed down, clutching his left leg. It 's probably good.
GOAL! Stoke 1-1 West Ham "(Jones, 48 min) Well that didn't last long, and it was more iffy goalkeeping by Green. Pennant was released by Walters on the right, and, with Gabbidon absent, dug out a decent cross to the far post. It was a fine delivery, but surely not enough to deceive Green who, in any case, flapped at the ball, and there was Jones at the far post to equalise with a simple header from a yard out. Precisely the start to the second half West Ham didn't want.
49 min: Suddenly rampant, Stoke are on the attack again and Etherington's shot is deflected over by Jacobsen.
51 min: West Ham are down to ten for the corner, Behrami limping off for more treatment after going down again. The corner drifts away harmlessly.
52 min: Behrami seems to have injured his knee ligaments and his mixed bag of an afternoon appears to be over. The clunking midfielder Radoslav Kovac replaces him, a retrograde step for West Ham.
56 min: As you'd expect Stoke are all over West Ham now, the visitors unable to hold on to the ball for more than a few passes. Pennant finds space to cross again, but it was too high for Walters.
57 min: Sometimes footballers are so foolish. Parker was in a tricky situation facing his own goal, and seemingly with no option but to put the ball out for a corner. As he turned away, Walters tripped him, which is precisely what Parker wanted him to do and West Ham get a free-kick when they could have been defending a corner.
59 min: Green isn't the only West Ham player who's bringing his World Cup form into the equation. Matthew Upson's defending is putrid here. Chasing a long ball with Jones, he appeared to have the situation under control, calming the danger. Instead he was bustled off the ball by Jones, who cut into the area and hammered a shot that Green tipped on to the post. Great play by Jones, dismal by Upson.
63 min: Ricardo Fuller is getting ready to come on for Stoke, a signal of their intent. He scored the winner for Stoke at Upton Park last season.
64 min: West Ham dominated the midfield in the first half but since Stoke's goal, they have been thoroughly second best. Their passing is sloppy and they cannot afford to do that against Stoke, who are snapping into challenges with considerably intensity.
66 min: Ricardo Fuller is on, Jon Walters is off.
67 min: With Fuller on, West Ham might consider making a change of their own. Their front three have been anonymous in the second half, with Carlton Cole particularly dismal, slow in mind and body, as he has been all season.
68 min: Lovely play by Jermaine Pennant. He won a race with Noble to reach a loose ball, before deceiving Parker as he went to shoot. Instead he shuffled inside, before chipping a delightful pass to Jones, whose header beat Green and clunked on to the bar. Luckily for West Ham, Jones was offside.
70 min: Finally West Ham come into it. They've taken their time. Neat interplay by Cole and Piquionne nearly leads to an opening but Shawcross gets in the way. The ball squirted away to Obinna, whose bouncing right foot volley was pushed aside for a corner by Sorensen. West Ham worked it short and Noble's cross to the far post was headed towards the near post by Da Costa, but again Sorensen prevented the visitors from regaining their lead, diving to push the divert the ball away.
73 min: You hate to see this happen. Eidur Gudjohnsen has been waiting to come on for the past few minutes, but there hasn't been a stoppage of play. Finally, however, play is stopped, and Gudjohnsen comes on for Jones, who can be satisfied with his work for the afternoon. Now, this is an entirely different proposition for West Ham to counter.
74 min: On a couple of occasions West Ham have been utterly careless with their distribution, giving Stoke throw-ins in attacking positions. Now Parker's volleyed pass is far too heavily hit for Gabbidon to reach. Luckily Piquionne heads Delap's humdinger away.
76 min: That was criminally wasteful by Obinna. After an ill-judged flick from Delap, West Ham broke dangerously and at pace. With options left and right, he made the wrong choice, sending a comically awful left-footed shot well wide from thirty yards out. Choices, choices.
79 min: More careful, precise passing by West Ham nearly leads to an opportunity for Parker, but Obinna's lay-off to him is far too hard, rebounding into the midfielder's hand, and a free-kick to Stoke is given. Not that it would have mattered, as Parker blazed the ball well over anyway.
81 min: Jermaine Pennant has had a fine second half, but his hamstring has gone. He's trying to jog it off, but it seems unlikely. Play continued in any case, and Fuller won a throw-in on the right. West Ham have dealt with Delap's missiles mostly very well all afternoon, but they were left gawping this time, as Fuller, ten yards out, headed down into the group and up on to the bar with Green rooted to the spot. I was convinced that one was in.
83 min: Parker, who has given another rambunctious display is down after a heavy tackle by Collins, who is booked. And, to his credit, acknowledges his misdeed.
85 min:
87 min: Now this is weird. Delap's throw-in was easily collected by Green, who looked to immediately set West Ham on the attack with a swift kick up field. Unfortunately the ball, hit pretty hard, flew into the back of the unsuspecting Shawcross's head and rebounded back towards West Ham's area. Luckily they escape, while Shawcross has been floored, probably from the surprise. Glenn Whelan has replaced the injured Pennant.
89 min: It's starting to look like a point apiece here...
90 min:
90 min+ 2:Rory Delap had just dropped the ball on the edge of the window at West Ham with a throw of halfway line. West Ham make their second change, Luis Boa Morte replacing the lively Obinna. It's another throw to Delap though...
90 mins + 3: It's headed away and that's it. Lee Mason blows for full-timeSC and the point 'each, which is probably the correct result.
After the match thoughts: West Ham battled well and were on top in the first half, Scott Parker's goal a just reward. Disappointingly for them they were unable to hold on to the lead for too long, but at least they finally have a point to their name. Both sides hit the bar, both goalkeepers made some fine saves. When it all came down to it, that was all a lot of fuss over nothing about Avram Grant, wasn't it?
Fake News Extra: Gen. McChrystal is, like, "dude!"
[[[Fake News Extra: Gen. McChrystal is, like, "dude!"]]]
Discription : I'm 50-something guy who hails from Florida, but life in the past few decades in the suburbs of Charlotte, NC. Before I write a humor column for my college (FSU), newspapers, and recently decided to try again, except in blog format. They are currently posting something new every day. Let me know if you like it.
More review coming soon.
Buy Here (for discount) Fake News Extra: Gen. McChrystal is, like, "dude!"
What's Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want
[[[What's Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want]]]
Description: Generation X has definitely drawn the short stick in the workforce. Dominated by Boomers as they began their careers, now X'ers are being encroached upon by eager Y's. In the third book of her trilogy dedicated to the cohorts of "Workforce Crisis", organizational expert Tammy Erickson shows X'ers how to find their own voice and finally get the career they want. Erickson's strong demographic research reveals why each generation acts the way it does and why X'ers are often left feeling independent but ignored, driven but distrustful of institutions and of the mainstream. With this understanding in hand, X'ers can approach their colleagues and their work more constructively. Erickson's research also reveals how the new generations in the workplace are shaping the future of work. Now, as they begin to assume leadership positions, is a perfect time for X'ers to evaluate the different options offered by changes in technology, the new dynamic global economy, and societal values. The book includes frameworks for evaluating what kind of workplace and what kind of job is perfect for each X reader personally; it also suggests both corporate and entrepreneurial pathways and helps X'ers identify new opportunities that are just now becoming available. Finally, Erickson reveals how Gen X'ers can use their unique capabilities to become leaders of the future.
More review coming soon.
Tammy, you've larded this book with quotes from your target market, but it doesn't give the sense that you understand what people have told you.
First...this has the sound of a book written by a particular class in the northeast and select parts of California. But to an extent greater than what you knew growing up, various parts of the country were invisible to each other in the decades you're discussing. The 1970s-90s were very different for people in different parts of the country, and, what's more, we didn't know it. There was no "Roger & Me" in other parts of the Midwest. There was no "Bright Lights, Big City" in the devastated farm economies of the 1980s. There was no "Less than Zero" nihilism-lite in New England. Greed was de rigueur in certain areas, but power was the signature of evil and patriarchal oppression in the progressive North. (Remember, there was no widespread NPR till the mid-90s to tell the East Coast such places existed.) And Coupland...I don't know, maybe it resonates with young Xers, but I don't know anyone over the age of, say, 35 who finds it interesting. The child of 1965 and the child of 1979 grew up in very different worlds.
Speaking of which....You and your college-grad cohort will have known parents who were ever-ready to write a check and sign a charge slip or student loan papers for you. However, by and large, they've managed their finances appallingly. I mean shockingly. This retirement debacle? It wasn't necessary, but it was fuelled by Boomer hope and optimism. In my 40s now, I hear my 50- and 60-something friends, who've worked professional, dual-income lives for decades, tell stories of financial ruin. To an Xer who learned thrift early, their fears seem totally overblown -- they still have many healthy years, they make good incomes. However, they are certainly vulnerable to layoff, and they really have no sense of scale when it comes to spending. They won't want to lean on you, but they won't have anyone else to lean on. You and they will have to learn thrift together or reality will not be kind.
I would suggest you start talking with them now about their retirements, how they're going to take care of themselves, what they will do when Social Security and their pensions don't pay out as expected. (They won't.) And talking about delaying retirement. These are conversations they'll want desperately to avoid, in part because the discussion has to do with aging, loss of beauty and vitality, loss of dreams. But since you will ultimately be responsible for them, and many of them will go leaping into retirement and then find they're financially unprepared, you guys really need to have these discussions. This'll be a little difficult for you, too, because your impulse will be to think, "We'll get through it, something always comes up." And that's no longer the reality. "Something came up" before because we were borrowing like mad, but that's stopping now. You'll also have children, and the expense of kids, in terms of time, energy, and money, is something that most of you don't yet know about; you may wind up assuming you've got much more to give your parents than you do. In time, of course, that will be corrected too.
** And yes. Again. Keep copyright in mind.
Erickson does a superb job of explaining how Gen Xers can "keep up, move ahead, and get the career you want." This latest in the triology of her generational career books, first defines the unique qualities of Gen X and recaps how they contrast with Gen Y and the Boomers. With that as a back drop, you can gain practical insight how you can find your passion, establish your priorties, take advantage of the changing workplace, decide whether you want to leverage your position internally or pursue external options, and become the leader you have waited to become, given the prevailing presence of boomers in leadership roles. This is an encouraging look at what is next for your generation -- all you need to do is evaluate your next steps and move on to the career you desire.
Sheryl Dawson
COO, Total Career Success, Inc.
Co-Author Job Search: The Total System (3rd Ed)
In this handbook, author Tamara Erickson presents a comprehensive look at the childhoods, mindset, culture, school environments, expectations, and habits of a large portion of Generation X in America. She also backs up her information with a well of statistical data and includes useful information to help X-ers to find satisfying careers.
Though at times a tad repetitive, the prose not only describes Generation X, but runs informative statistical comparisons on the generations before and after--the Baby Boomers and Generation Y. This skillfully illustrates how generational differences effect the groups' ability to interact in the workplace. As a parent, I appreciated Erickson's accolade of Gen X parents, citing that, due to their own largely `latch-key' upbringing in single-parent homes, many X-ers choose family over ambition and favor entrepreneurial roles over corporate counterparts. Erickson includes just enough humor, lauding X-ers as the most innovative generation, as well as the one which, on the whole, feels the most disenfranchised.
Reviewed by Meredith Greene
Buy Here (for discount) What's Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want
What's Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want
[[[What's Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want]]]
Description:
More review coming soon.
Tammy, you 'Ve larded the book with a quote from your target market, but it doesn' t give the feeling that you understand what people have told you.
First...this has the sound of a book written by a particular class in the northeast and select parts of California. But to an extent greater than what you knew growing up, various parts of the country were invisible to each other in the decades you're discussing. The 1970s-90s were very different for people in different parts of the country, and, what's more, we didn't know it. There was no "Roger & Me" in other parts of the Midwest. There was no "Bright Lights, Big City" in the devastated farm economies of the 1980s. There was no "Less than Zero" nihilism-lite in New England. Greed was de rigueur in certain areas, but power was the signature of evil and patriarchal oppression in the progressive North. (Remember, there was no widespread NPR till the mid-90s to tell the East Coast such places existed.) And Coupland...I don't know, maybe it resonates with young Xers, but I don't know anyone over the age of, say, 35 who finds it interesting. The child of 1965 and the child of 1979 grew up in very different worlds.
Third, I'm not sure you appreciate the extent to which unavoidable economic realities will blur these generational distinctions. You guys are going to have no choice but to become more self-directed and entrepreneurial. Your Boomer parents are going to continue to try to help you out, but the fact is that they can't afford their own retirements and won't be able to keep their jobs, and they're quickly finding out that the money is simply not there for their promised pensions, medical care, social security. They've also, if they weren't smart, mortgaged themselves to the hilt to send you to school. So you're going to have to get out there and fight, and you may wind up being their main supports, psychological and financial. (A lot of them, I think, will get to the psychological reality ahead of you. Their parents tended to be thrifty, and they remember how to worry about money. I think quite a lot of them will snap to when the reality's unavoidable, and you guys will wonder where these Depression-era strangers came from. It's just your grandparents' teaching, that's all.)(This is my hopeful prediction, by the way. I'm cringing in advance of a fifteen-year Boomer's lament/journey-of-self-discovery about the lost golden 30-year retirement to which they were entitled.)
Fourth, by and large, the helicopters are your parents, not us. We tend to think they've damaged you by this behavior and left you seriously unprepared for what's going on now, and what's likely to be for the next decade, and we're aghast at both the way they still try to do your thinking for you and the amount of money they've let you borrow for college. And by how many of them have signed their retirements away to send you, too.
Speaking of which....You and your college-grad cohort will have known parents who were ever-ready to write a check and sign a charge slip or student loan papers for you. However, by and large, they've managed their finances appallingly. I mean shockingly. This retirement debacle? It wasn't necessary, but it was fuelled by Boomer hope and optimism. In my 40s now, I hear my 50- and 60-something friends, who've worked professional, dual-income lives for decades, tell stories of financial ruin. To an Xer who learned thrift early, their fears seem totally overblown -- they still have many healthy years, they make good incomes. However, they are certainly vulnerable to layoff, and they really have no sense of scale when it comes to spending. They won't want to lean on you, but they won't have anyone else to lean on. You and they will have to learn thrift together or reality will not be kind.
I would suggest you start talking with them now about their retirements, how they're going to take care of themselves, what they will do when Social Security and their pensions don't pay out as expected. (They won't.) And talking about delaying retirement. These are conversations they'll want desperately to avoid, in part because the discussion has to do with aging, loss of beauty and vitality, loss of dreams. But since you will ultimately be responsible for them, and many of them will go leaping into retirement and then find they're financially unprepared, you guys really need to have these discussions. This'll be a little difficult for you, too, because your impulse will be to think, "We'll get through it, something always comes up." And that's no longer the reality. "Something came up" before because we were borrowing like mad, but that's stopping now. You'll also have children, and the expense of kids, in terms of time, energy, and money, is something that most of you don't yet know about; you may wind up assuming you've got much more to give your parents than you do. In time, of course, that will be corrected too.
** and yeah. Again. Keep the copyright in mind.
Erickson does a superb job of explaining how Gen Xers can "keep up, move ahead, and get the career you want." This latest in the triology of her generational career books, first defines the unique qualities of Gen X and recaps how they contrast with Gen Y and the Boomers. With that as a back drop, you can gain practical insight how you can find your passion, establish your priorties, take advantage of the changing workplace, decide whether you want to leverage your position internally or pursue external options, and become the leader you have waited to become, given the prevailing presence of boomers in leadership roles. This is an encouraging look at what is next for your generation -- all you need to do is evaluate your next steps and move on to the career you desire.
Sheryl Dawson
COO, Total Career Success, Inc.
Co-Author Job Search: The Total System (3rd Ed)
In this handbook, author Tamara Erickson presents a comprehensive look at the childhoods, mindset, culture, school environments, expectations, and habits of a large portion of Generation X in America. She also backs up her information with a well of statistical data and includes useful information to help X-ers to find satisfying careers.
Though at times a tad repetitive, the prose not only describes Generation X, but runs informative statistical comparisons on the generations before and after--the Baby Boomers and Generation Y. This skillfully illustrates how generational differences effect the groups' ability to interact in the workplace. As a parent, I appreciated Erickson's accolade of Gen X parents, citing that, due to their own largely `latch-key' upbringing in single-parent homes, many X-ers choose family over ambition and favor entrepreneurial roles over corporate counterparts. Erickson includes just enough humor, lauding X-ers as the most innovative generation, as well as the one which, on the whole, feels the most disenfranchised.
Reviewed by Meredith Greene
Buy Here (for discount) What's Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want
Good News From The Next World
[[[Good News from the light]]]
Discription :
More review coming soon.
I'm a late comer Simple Minds fan. I found their early work a bit too Pop-New Wave oriented at the time and largely ignored them. I recently had access to many of their albums look and was extremely surprised by how many great songs they'd written and how few of the great ones made the airwaves. With each passing album, they've progressed from less of a choppy pop feel to a more rock-new age direction in their writing. This album is far and away my favorite as it perfectly hits the sweet spot between pure New Wave and Rock. The songs are richer, fuller, with much cleaner flows yet with that distinctly "Simple Minds" stamp to them. Of my many hundreds of Cd's, this one lands easily in my top 20 of all time. "She's a River" is one of my favorite songs and is a good example of the general feel of the songs on this album. "7 Deadly Sins", "My Life", and "And The Band Played On" follow in this hard rocking theme. Close behind is " A Great Leap Forward". It's amazing none of these made it on their Best Of CD's. That makes this the perfect album to buy if you already own the 2002 Best Of compilation CD's as there is no overlap (She's a River " is a different version on the Best Of CD). If you prefer more of a New Wave feel, go with "New Gold". If you like more of a rock feel, go with this one, Reel Life and Once Upon a Time.
I recall there was a five-year wait for this album. It's their hardest-rocking, guitar-centered album up to that point. The only other Simple Minds albums that compare to it are their two most recent, "Black & White 050505" from 2005, (never released in the US), and their excellent brand new "Graffiti Soul", (2009).
A top quality album in spite of the band being reduced to the Kerr/Burchill duo by this time. This really rekindled my fandom flame after the stadium era wasteland of albums like "Once Upon A Time" and "Street Fighting Years" as well as the unfocused [but qualitatively better] exercise of "Real Life." All of the songs here are memorable and given great performances and arrangements. This is an album that should have sold really well in America. There's nothing off putting about it like their brilliant earlier work, but the album is undeniably strong and robust if not avant garde, and I still love it deeply. These songs get under your skin and deliver the goods capably!
Buy Here (for discount) Good News From The Next World
Clearing 2010: a step-by-step guide
Clearing can still get you the perfect place at university, even if you miss your first choice
If your exam results come as a horrible surprise on Thursday morning and cause you to miss your university place, you might feel like running away to a distant land where the word Ucas is never spoken. That is an option â€" slip in a few exam re-takes, call it a gap year and you could successfully re-apply to uni next year. But, before you sprint to Heathrow, listen up: there are still steps you can take to get in this autumn.
The first thing to do is phone the admissions tutor at your first-choice university. If there are places available and you only just missed your grades (or have special circumstances, such as ill health confirmed by a doctor), they might still let you in. Unfortunately, that's less likely this year: a combination of fewer places and soaring demand means there is probably going to be a queue of students scrambling for every available place.
The bad news is that cleaning the pool is likely to be more crowded than the beach in the summer 's Day this year. Demand was already very high in 2009, when 158,000 applicants did not get a place at university at all, compared with 120,000 in 2008. This year UCAS estimated at least 170,000 claimants will be left without a place.
But you don't have to be one of them. Clearing might seem a bit complicated, especially if you're feeling stressed, but play it right and it could be your golden ticket to a brilliant university experience. Here's how to do it, with admissions experts' tips to improve your chances.
Before making the call: be prepared
Speak to a teacher. They will be able to offer advice on your situation. For example, if you missed your offer by several grades or desperately want a particular course, consider taking a gap year, doing re-takes or gaining extra experience, then re-applying next year. Some courses now offer January entry points, so you may not have to wait that long. If you still want a place for this autumn, check the Ucas Track website to see if you're eligible for clearing. You'll qualify if you missed the conditions of either your first or insurance choice or if you didn't receive any offers. Equally, if you haven't yet applied but now want to, you can fill in a Ucas form and use clearing. The deadline is 20 September, but places are likely to be snapped up long before then, so act quickly.
Make a note of your clearing number on the "welcome" page on Ucas Track. You'll need it when you call admissions tutors.
Now you need to hunt for courses. In clearing, you can call any HE institution in the UK to ask if it will accept you onto a particular course. But do your research. Check out course vacancies in the Guardian and online. If you find a course that interests you, and you have the required grades or Ucas points, call them.
"Think laterally to boost your chances," advises Keele University's head of undergraduate recruitment, Mandy Firth. "If you were originally interested in medicine, look at which related science courses might be of interest."
Once you've made a list of possible courses, make some notes. A few lines on why you're interested, and why you'd do well, plus any questions you have about the course, faculty or university.
During the call: be specific
Sit-it notes with quiet, clean, and the number of classes in hand. Using stationary or provide you with a good mobile signal. Your call will be answered administrator purge. Tell them your details and the course you're interested in, but be specific. "Too often candidates phone asking for "anything in sports?" or "what A-levels do you need to do subject X?," says Simon Jones, senior admissions tutor at the University of Glamorgan. "That's never likely to persuade a university that you're committed to a course. Be clear about the course you're considering to increase your chances of finding a place."
If S is the space ", you LL 'be transferred to receive a tutor for a mini-interview. This chat will be the basis tutor' s decision, so be polite and articulate. Questions typically cover why you re 'interested in the subject, what attracted you to the course, and your past experience.
At the end, tutors may ask if you have any questions. "Use clearing calls to find out as much as you can about the courses you are interested in and the universities," says Brian Miller, director of student recruitment at the University of Gloucestershire.
The whole process will take 15 to 30 minutes, and most tutors will tell you if you've been successful right away. If they do, ask for written confirmation, and don't agree to an offer unless you're happy with it, as you can only accept one. Otherwise, go back to stage one and call other universities until you have an offer you're pleased with.
After the call: stay focused
Once you have some new offers, go to see the universities. "You wouldn't buy a car without test-driving it first, so get visiting," says the admissions tutor at the University of Greenwich, Bev Woodhams. "Most unis will host open days on 21 or 22 August â€" try to attend one or more." When you've made your decision, don't forget to confirm it. Click the Track button online to tell Ucas. It's a good idea to confirm your acceptance directly with the university, too.
If you haven't received any offers through clearing or you don't like the courses you have been offered, there are still lots of other options. Take a gap year, consider alternative higher education courses or jobs, or re-apply in January or later. Whatever you do, good luck.
The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America
[[[The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America]]]
Discription : Turn on a cable news show or pick up any news magazine, and you get the impression that Christian America is on its last leg. The once dominant faith is now facing rapidly declining church attendance, waning political influence, and an abysmal public perception. More than 76% of Americans self-identify as Christians, but many today are ashamed to carry the label.
While many Christians are bemoaning their faith's decline, Gabe Lyons is optimistic that Christianity's best days are yet to come. In the wake of the stunning research from his bestselling book, unChristian, which revealed the growing disenchantment among young generations for Christians, Lyons has witnessed the beginnings of a new iteration of the faith. Marked by Lyons' brutal honesty and unvarying generosity, Lyons exposes a whole movement of Christians—Evangelicals, Mainline, Protestants, Orthodox, Pentecostals, and others—who desire to be a force for restoration even as they proclaim the Christian Gospel. They want the label Christianmeans something good, intelligent, original and beautiful.
The next generation of Christians, Lyons argues, embodies six revolutionary characteristics:
"When Christians incorporate these characteristics throughout the fabric of their lives, a fresh, yet orthodox way of being Christian springs forth. The death of yesterday becomes the birth of a great tomorrow. The end of an era becomes a beautiful new beginning. In this way, the end of Christian America becomes good news for Christians."
In THE NEXT CHRISTIANS, Lyons disarms readers by speaking as a candid observer rather than cultural crusader. Where other people shout, Lyons speaks in a measured tone offering helpful analysis of our current reality while casting a vision for how to be a Christian in a world disenchanted with the faith. Both a celebration and a reckoning, THE NEXT CHRISTIANS combines current day models and relevant research with stories of a new generation of Christian leaders. If you are worried by what you see transpiring around you, this book will take you on a surprising social exploration in hopes that you too will restore confidence in your faith.
More review coming soon.
Buy Here (for discount) The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America
Barack Obama sacks Afghan war commander Stanley McChrystal
Obama says McChrystal 'undermined' conflict, but there will be no change in strategy
Barack Obama yesterday dismissed U.S. and NATO in Afghanistan, the commander, General Stanley McChrystal, saying that undermined the war 's the responsibility of civil authority and the war itself with a dismissive and contemptuous comments of senior officials of the administration of the magazine.
Obama said he was left with little choice but to dismiss McChrystal.
"I don't make this decision based on any difference of policy with General McChrystal, as we are in full agreement about our strategy," the president said. "But war is bigger than any one man or woman, whether a private, a general or a president. As difficult as it is to lose General McChrystal, I believe it is the right decision for our national security.
"The conduct represented in the recently published article does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general. It undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system and it erodes the trust that is necessary for our team to work together to achieve our objectives in Afghanistan."
The White House said Obama spoke to David Cameron and the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, about his decision to remove McChrystal.
The president's decision was broadly welcomed on both sides of the US political divide. One Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, said Obama had done the right thing because McChrystal had damaged the military by showing disrespect.
Mark Kimmitt, a retired brigadier general who served as assistant secretary of state under George Bush, said that the right to go McChrystal. "The president has lost faith in his commander and the commander can not serve if it does 't have confidence in its president," he said.
But the crisis has again focused attention on McChrystal's strategy in Afghanistan and raised questions about how it will be pursued. Leading members of Congress have again questioned whether the war can be won including the Democratic party leader in the House of Representatives, Steny Hoyer, who said he has "reticence on the probability of success".
Kai Eide, who stepped down as UN chief in Afghanistan earlier this year, said the sacking was bound to have implications on the ground. "McChrystal is the only person in the international community with unlimited access to President Karzai, and that is tremendously important," he said. "He has not only been the face of the campaign but has been an inspirational leader who has rallied all troop-contributing countries. When that goes, of course that will have an impact. How can we pretend it won't?" Karzai appealed to Obama to keep McChrystal, calling him the best commander the war has had.
But Senator John Kerry said Petraeus's appointment provided continuity. "[Obama's] decision to return General Petraeus to the battlefield provides not just continuity in philosophy, but tested diplomatic skill that is at the very centre of a military strategy which hinges on progress in governance to sustain military gains. The strategy and the objectives must be the only agenda," he said.
Pending confirmation of Petraeus 'Congress, the British deputy commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. Nick Parker, will assume command.
Obama forced McChrystal's resignation because he said that while would tolerate debate on the war policy, he would not tolerate the kind of division created by the article â€" in which the general and his staff accused the US ambassador to Kabul of undermining the war, called the president's national security adviser "a joke", and mocked the vice-president, Joe Biden. There was also indirect criticism of the president as "uncomfortable and intimidated" by senior military officials. McChrystal left the White House within minutes of being dismissed at a short meeting and did not attend a conference of Obama's Afghan policy team shortly afterwards, which included many of the people insulted by the profile in Rolling Stone magazine. The article prompted a frenzied debate about McChrystal's future, underpinned by doubts among politicians and in the military as to whether the war can be won.
Obama had invested considerable trust in McChrystal by embracing his strategy and sending 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan despite objections from many in his Democratic party and Congress.
McChrystal, who was told he would not be permitted to return to Afghanistan, first met the defence secretary, Robert Gates, who has been a strong supporter of the general but found he could no longer defend him.
McChrystal issued a statement saying that he had resigned out of a commitment to "our coalition forces, our partner nations, and the Afghan people".
The tone of Obama's statement, with its emphasis on military accountability to civilian authority, reflected the growing view that if he did not dismiss McChrystal he would appear to be hostage to the military over what is now America's longest war, with no end in sight despite a deadline next year to begin withdrawing troops. "It is my duty to ensure that no division complicates the vital mission they are carrying out. That includes adherence to a strict code of conduct," Obama said. "It is also true that our democracy depends on institutions that are stronger than individuals. That includes strict adherence to the chain of command."
In the article, headlined "The Runaway General", McChrystal's aides are quoted as saying that he was less than impressed by Obama from the start. McChrystal mocks Biden, saying "Who's that?" when his name comes up.
Tea Party primary candidates: the GOP's worst nightmares
Success for the movement's candidates in state primaries could lead to an easier ride for Democratic candidates in November
Sharron Angle
Her victory in the Republican primary to contest one of Nevada's Senate seats is a setback for the party's attempts to oust one of its juiciest targets, the Democratic party leader in the Senate, Harry Reid. Polls show a mainstream Republican candidate would beat Reid, but Angle has fallen behind as the spotlight has focused on her personal views and ties to Scientology, which she denies.
Angle, right, favours abolishing the US education department because it is "unconstitutional" and because schooling should be left solely to local authorities. She says Washington should withdraw from the UN because it promotes un-American ideologies and has been "the umpire on fraudulent science such as global warming".
Angle has persistently denied being an adherent to Scientology despite attempting to promote some of its thinking such as in a prison drug rehabilitation programme in her state.
Rand Paul
An ophthalmologist and founder of Kentucky Taxpayers United, Paul is running for a Senate seat in Kentucky. He has built his political career on a platform of abolishing most taxes and has called for a "modern-day revolution" against a dominant federal government.
Paul created a stir this year when he criticised part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which abolished segregation, and Jim Crow laws as unconstitutional because it bars business owners from excluding someone on the basis of race, religion or national origin. Paul says "community pressure" should govern such issues, not laws.
As Republican leaders recoiled at the damage done by his comments, Paul released a letter saying he "abhors racism" and that he would not back any efforts to repeal the civil rights act.
Paul wants to see the abolition of the Federal Reserve and its role in regulating the money supply and interest rates. He opposes the national government involvement in health care. And he was in favor of changing the constitution to ensure that the children of illegal immigrants do not become U.S. citizens.
But Paul is not afraid of contrarian positions. He opposes the US Patriot Act, cornerstone of neo-conservative legislation passed by the Bush administration after 9/11 which permits widespread intrusions on personal liberty including warrantless searches and surveillance. He says he would have voted against the invasion of Iraq. He also favours the legalisation of marijuana for medical use and believes US states should decide the issue of same-sex marriage, although he is opposed.
He opposes abortion in all cases, but for the benefit of access to the morning-after pill.
Carl Paladino
His nomination developer as the Republican candidate for governor of New York has been described as "self-immolation" by the Republican party after he kicked off his campaign with the classic Mr Angry line from the film Network: "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore."
Paladino was for many years a Democrat but switched in 2005 and is now backed by the Tea Party movement. He has compared trade unions to pigs wants a review of land restitution to Native American tribes in New York state, and would repeal a state ban on assault weapons. He has suggested that welfare recipients should be housed in vacant prison cells to teach them about personal hygiene and to learn job skills.
He has said that Obama's healthcare reforms will cost more lives than the 9/11 attacks.
Paladino has offered only a grudging apology for sending racist and pornographic emails to friends, including one of a woman having sex with a horse and another in which Barack and Michelle Obama appear as a pimp and a prostitute. In another, Africans dance under the caption: "Obama inauguration rehearsal." One contains a picture of African men trying to get away from a plane that appears to be about to land on them with the caption: "Holy shit: run niggers, run!"
Paladino has said he is "not politically correct" and made a mistake in forwarding the emails to friends but said he did not regard it as any great crime.
Mike Lee
Highly favoured for election to the Senate as the Republican candidate in the conservative state of Utah, Lee is a potential nightmare for his party in Washington. He is in favour of abolishing whole departments, including education and energy, and getting the government out of health care.
He also favours abolishing progressive income tax with higher rates for the better off and replacing it with a flat tax.
However, Lee's interpretations of the constitution are contentious to say the least. The Salt Lake Tribune put it this way: "His notions of the founding document are reactionary, so extreme, in fact, that we doubt they will ever find traction in mainstream American legal or political thinking. To do so would require reversing much of the jurisprudence of the 20th century."
Like Rand Paul, he is against the constitutional guarantee of citizenship to anyone born in the US including the children of illegal immigrants.
"If you're born to parents of illegal aliens who have come here in open violation of our laws, you're not born in the US and subject to the jurisdiction thereof," he argued.
Joe Miller
He pulled off an upset victory as the Tea Party candidate for the Republican nomination for one of Alaska's seats in the Senate with the backing of the state's former governor, Sarah Palin.
A former army officer, who earned a Bronze Star medal in the war to drive Iraq out of Kuwait, the father of eight came from nowhere to win the nomination in the face of opposition from the Republican establishment.
Miller says he is wedded to what he sees as the original intent of the constitution to greatly limit the power of government, and routinely describes President Obama as a socialist. He favours slashing federal government including in Alaska which receives a disproportionately high amount of tax dollars. That may not endear him to some voters but his victory appears to reflect a shift among others toward greatly limiting government spending even if that has an impact on Alaska.
Miller wants to limit the powers of Congress. He would eliminate the education department, cut arts funding, reduce foreign aid and says that the evidence for global warming is "dubious at best".
Because of Alaska 'S strong Republican leanings, Miller favored to win election in November. But it may well be a headache for his party 'S leaders in the Senate.