Working Away

 

When you see geese flying along in "V" formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone - and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.

It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

What messages do we give when we honk from behind?

Finally - and this is important - when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have as much sense as a goose,
we will stay in formation
with those who are headed the same way we are. People who share a common direction and sense of community ….

can get where they are going more quickly and easily
because they are traveling on the thrust of one another:)

Here have a laugh..  

On reaching his plane seat a man is surprised to see a parrot strapped in next to him. He asks the stewardess for a coffee where upon the parrot squawks "And get me a whisky you cow!" The stewardess, flustered, brings back a whisky for the parrot and forgets the coffee. When this omission is pointed out to her the parrot drains its glass and bawls "And get me another whisky you b^&%h". Quite upset, the girl comes back shaking with another whisky but still no coffee. Unaccustomed to such slackness the man tries the parrot’s approach "I’ve asked you twice for a coffee, go and get it now or I’ll kick your a^&".Next moment both he and the parrot have been wrenched up and thrown out of the emergency exit by two burly stewards. Plunging downwards the parrot turns to him and says "For someone who can’t fly you’re an idiot!"  
   A passenger piled his cases on the scale at an airline counter in New York and said to the clerk, "I’m flying to Los Angele’s. I want the square case to go to Denver and the two round ones to go to Seattle." I’m sorry, sir, but we can’t do that." Why not? You did it last time?". .

 The Thief and his Mother
 Once their lived a boy called John. One day he stole a book from one of his classmates. Instead of punishing him his mother well appreciated him. She said, “That was so clever my boy”. As he grew older and older John came to be known as the village thief. One day the police caught him and he was ordered to be hanged. The day of his execution arrived, and his mother was beating her hands in her chest and was crying. John saw his mother crying in the crowd. He pleaded to the securities to allow him to speak his last words to his mother in her ear. Then his mother showed his ear to john so that he can speak. John then bit his mother’s ear. Many of the people came and pushed him back and asked him if she was his mother or not. Then he replied, “ that lady is my mother, because of her I am going to be hanged now. When I was small I did mischief, without punishing me she encouraged me to do it again and again. I was an unnatural child and so my mother”.
"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart therefrom."
“He who holds the ladder is as bad as the thief”
Happy are those who find fault with themselves instead of finding fault with other.
..as Einstein says, to resolve a problem we must change our perspective and look at it from a different level. Would you treat your fellow man as they do? They teach us valuable lessons, we learn from our mistakes as well as our successes.
…The conflict in the world is reflective of the inner conflict within the country it is happening, the culture and the individual.
…Your anger with others may stem from your frustration at others ignorance, you have been given the gift of insight, don’t let anger cloud your lens. You may want to use the gift to help people.

Envy…………………………………………..envy……………………………………………………..envy….
Centuries ago in the country of Greece there was a young athlete who had so distinguished himself in the public games that his fellow citizens raised a statue in his honor, to keep fresh the memory of his victories. This statue so excited the envy of another athlete who had been defeated in the races, that one night he went out under cover of darkness with the intention of destroying that statue and knocking it to pieces. First he tried and tried to tip over the statue. He tugged and pulled and shoved… and after an hour it moved just a little bit. This encouraged him and he gave one mighty push and the statue fell — on top of him, and killed him. Envy always harms the one who is guilty of it.
On the way there is no harder pass than this: fortunate is he who does not carry envy as a companion.
Did it ever occur to you that when you envy somebody or you are jealous of somebody, that this does not hurt that person in any way… He or she does not feel it at all… It only hurts you: it eats your insides out… So, you see, that it is a useless, self-destructive exercise.
“Envy is a symptom of lack of appreciation of our own uniqueness and self worth. Each of us has something to give that no one else has.”
There are two trees, each yielding its own fruit. One of them is negative . . . it grows from lack of self-worth and its fruits are fear, anger, envy, bitterness, sorrow - and any other negative emotion. Then there is the tree of positive emotions. Its nutrients include self-forgiveness and a correct self concept. Its fruits are love, joy, acceptance, self-esteem, faith, peace . . . and other uplifting emotions.
Lord, if I can’t have what I want, let me want what I have.

This is what Saturday mornings were all about. I was, thankfully, of the Zoë Ball and Jamie Theakston era, although I think I might remember Emma Forbes presenting it too. However, Saturday morning started to go down hill when these guys left and made way for the likes of Katy Hill, Trey someone-or-other (who is now married to Katy Hill) and a whole bunch of other people I can’t remember
How wonderful! What fabulous and evocative memories there are to be had whilst reminiscing about ones childhood favourite TV shows
Truth is, I can’t pinpoint what my favourite kids’ show was when I was a child, as memory and nostalgia play strange tricks on adults.
My first TV heroes were the Lone Ranger and Tonto.
Does anyone remember Supercar, Fireball XL5 and Thunderbirds ,muppet show,Postman Pat,Top Cat , .Does anyone remember an animated 5 minute short of "The Banana Boat Song"
The children’s programmes that spring to mind as favourites the moment I think of the first TV we ever owned are David Attenborough’s "Zoo Quest for the Paradise Bird"
I have lovely memories of Worzel Gummidge.Thomas the Tank Engine had that dreary Ringo voice and the Mussolini Fat Controller;
Surely the greatest kids tv show ever was He!He!He! You tell me
Well that’s the end of my crazy ramble about kids TV programmes, no doubt there are many more programmes I watched over the years and simply can’t remember, but this will do for now.

Have a nice weekend

 I was talking to a father who’s  daughter was abducted and it made me angry at how people can destroy each other life   I must write this …..

   * 1 Abductions by strangers
          o 1.1 By stranger to raise as own
    * 2 Parental child abduction
          o 2.1 International parental child abduction
    * 3 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
    * 4 Children abducted for slavery
    * 5 Child abduction and the Internet
    * 6 etc.
    
    
The internet has become both a danger and an aid in the subject of child abduction. It is a place where online predators have more opportunities to find and communicate with potential victims. 1 in 25 youth (about 4%) got "aggressive" sexual solicitations and that included attempts to contact the youth offline. These are the episodes most likely to result in actual victimizations. (About one-quarter of these aggressive solicitations came from people the youth knew in person, mostly other youth.)[6]
Because of the threat these predators pose, there have also been efforts to use the internet as a resource to prevent child abduction or to help the families of those who have been abducted.
The circumstances surrounding child abduction are often quite different from the way they’re shown in TV shows and movies.
Here are some of the realities of child abduction:

    * Most kids who are reported missing have run away or there has been a misunderstanding with their parents about where they were supposed to be.
    * Of the kids and teens who are truly abducted, most are taken by a family member or an acquaintance; 25% of kids are taken by strangers.
    * Almost all kids kidnapped by strangers are taken by men, and about two thirds of stranger abductions involve female children.
    * Most abducted children are in their teens.
    * Kids are rarely abducted from school grounds.
……
Talking to Kids About Strangers

Talk to your children often about safety. Give them the basics on how to avoid and escape potentially dangerous situations. Teach them to:

    * Never accept sweets or gifts from a stranger.
    * Never go anywhere with a stranger, even if it sounds like fun. Predators can lure kids with questions like "Can you help me find my lost puppy?" or "Do you want to see some cute kittens in my car?" Remind your kids that adults they don’t know should never ask them to help or to do things for them.
    * Run away and scream if someone follows them or tries to force them into a car.
    * Say no to anyone who tries to make them do something you’ve said is wrong or touch them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable.
    * Always tell you or another trusted adult if a stranger asks personal questions, exposes himself or herself, or otherwise makes them feel uneasy. Reassure kids that it’s OK to tell you even if the person made them promise not to or threatened them in some way.
    * Always ask permission from a parent to leave the house, yard, or play area or to go into someone’s home.

Keep these other tips in mind, too:

    * Make sure younger kids know their names, address, phone number including area code, and who to call in case of an emergency. Review how to use 911 or a local emergency number. Discuss what to do if they get lost in a public place or store — most places have emergency procedures for handling lost kids. Remind them that they should never go to the parking lot to look for you. Instruct kids to ask a cashier for help or stand near the registers or front of the building away from the doors.
    * Point out the homes of friends around the neighborhood where your kids can go in case of trouble.
    * Be sure your kids know in whose car they may ride and in whose they may not. Teach them to move away from any car that pulls up beside them and is driven by a stranger, even if that person looks lost or confused. Develop code words for caregivers other than mom or dad, and remind your kids never to tell anyone the code word. Teach them not to ride with anyone they don’t know or with anyone who doesn’t know the code word.
    * If your kids are old enough to stay home alone, make sure they keep the door locked and never tell anyone who knocks or calls they are home alone.
If Your Child Has Been Abducted
Because the first few hours are the most critical in missing-child cases, it’s important to provide officials with information about your child immediately.
If your child has been abducted, contact local law enforcement right away. They’ll ask you for a recent picture of your child and will probably ask you many questions about the time and location you last saw your child and what your child was wearing.

   
 

.. Equality, good race relations……………………………….

DEFINITION OF RACIAL HARASSMENT
A racial crime is something committed against a victim solely because of their race. This can include physical abuse/assault, verbal or written abuse, damage to property, and displaying or circulating racist material.

Everyone has the right to live peacefully and free from discrimination at home, in public and at work. Therefore if you are a victim of a racial crime, it’s important that you report it to stop it happening to others as well as yourself. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 created new ‘racially aggravated offences’ such as harassment, assault, grievous bodily harm, and criminal damages, which carry significantly higher penalties for offenders.

A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person. Racism can take place in many forms, such as:

   * Verbal abuse - name calling or using racist language
    * Physical abuse
    * Bullying
    * Racist graffiti
    * Not being given equal opportunities at work
    * Being under-employed at work
    * Offensive literature
There are many other forms of racism, some of which are more subtle. Remember - a racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.
a duty on most public authorities to eliminate race discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and good relations between all racial groups.

This kind of thing amazes me. Not that people still think this way, I heard this today A black lady  complained that she was racially discriminated against by a shop assistant   
Racism, of course, is despicable. "If you judge people you have no time to love them."
“No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them.
This is no simple reform. It really is a revolution. Sex and race because they are easy and visible differences have been the primary ways of organizing human beings into superior and inferior groups and into the cheap labour in which this system still depends. We are talking about a society in which there will be no roles other than those chosen or those earned. We are really talking about humanism.
"While the legal, material, and even superficial requirements to eradicate racism are well known, its psychological and more deeply spiritual requirements have been persistently neglected-namely, the oneness of the human family. It is this principle of oneness that needs to be the driving force behind the struggle of uniting the races."
"If parents snicker at racial and gender jokes, another generation will pass on the poison adults still have not had the courage to snuff out.
If you as parents cut corners, your children will too. If you lie, they will too. If you spend all your money on yourselves and tithe no portion of it for charities, colleges,Mosque, churches, synagogues, and civic causes, your children won’t either. And if parents snicker at racial and gender jokes, another generation will pass on the poison adults still have not had the courage to snuff out.
# There is only a limited amount of research specifically relating to the issue of racial abuse of children but two discrete bodies of research provide insights into this aspect of children’s lives; racial bullying within school settings and racial violence within the community. Although these areas do not comprehensively address the issue, they provide valuable messages for agencies working with minority ethnic children and families.
# Children from ethnic minorities are more likely to experience bullying than their white counterparts.
# The most common expression of racism is through racist name-calling, which is often viewed by adults as trivial, although its impact on children can be profound.

We can go on talking about racism and
who treated whom badly, but what
are you going to do about it? Are you
going to wallow in that or are you
going to create your own agenda?

Moral Stories are those that are read in childhood, when the soul is pure and clear, and remembered for the rest of the lives. They are also passed on to generations. Through Moral Stories, the idea is to present the greatness of the humanity. Through Moral Stories one can improve their moral values and can learn about the human life.
                                            Pearls of Wisdom:

    * Don’t love the Heart that hurts you and don’t hurt the Heart that loves you.
    * Don’t cry over anyone who won’t cry over you.
    * Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
    * Most people walk in and out of your life, but only friend’s leave footprints in your heart.
    * True friendship "never" ends. Friends are forever.
    * People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.
    * If we are incapable of finding peace in ourselves, it is pointless to search elsewhere.
    * The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.
    * A change of heart changes everything.
    * Our greatest glory is not in ever falling, but in rising every time we fall.
    * You only live once - but if you work it right, once is enough.
    * One generation plants trees, and the next enjoys the shade.

  …………………………………………………… or try this………….                                  

                                           The Triple Filter Test
During the golden Abbasid period, one of the scholars in Baghdad, the capital of Muslim caliphate at that time, was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem.

One day an acquaintance met the great scholar and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," the scholar replied. "Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test."

"Triple filter?"

"That’s right," the scholar continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say.
That’s why I call it the triple filter test.
The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and.."
"All right," said the scholar. "So you don’t really know if it’s true or not.
Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"
"No, on the contrary…"
"So," the scholar continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of usefulness.
is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded the scholar, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

War crimes: Key facts

The International Criminal Court says war crimes are defined as the violation of the laws and customs of war. These include: The murder, ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied territory. The extensive destruction of cities, towns and villages, and any devastation not justified by military necessity.

   Israeli settlements on occupied territory are seen as illegal by the rest of the world. But now an Israeli human rights group is saying that even under Israeli law, one of the most significant and well-established settlements is unlawful.      

 When you are trying to feed 750,000 people a day in Gaza as we are, you need a permanent ceasefire. You can’t do that in a three-hour window

The incident has provoked strong international condemnation with Ban-Ki-moon, secretary-general of the United Nations, branding both the incident and Hamas rocket attacks "unacceptable".

At least 683 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 3,085 wounded since the war began on December 27. Seven Israeli soldiers and three civilians have died in the same period.

Following increasing pressure to agree a ceasefire as the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates further, Israel announced on Wednesday it would set up "humanitarian corridor" to ship vital supplies to the Strip.

From Wednesday, Israel says it will halt military operations near Gaza City for three hours daily to let aid through.

Heba, a Gaza resident and mother of two, told Al Jazeera there was no place left in Gaza that can be considered safe.
 
"What happened in the school was a hugely offensive and inhumane thing. We never expected that people who sought refuge in a UN building would be attacked and killed," she said.

Self-defence claim

Randa Seniora, from the Independent Commission on Human Rights, told Al Jazeera: "What is happening in Gaza are crimes against humanity.

"Israel cannot claim, as an occupying authority, that it is acting in self defence because simply it is considered a war crime to create harm and damage among civilian populations."

While earlier attempts to agree a ceasefire resolution at the UN have so far floundered, a French-Egypt proposal appeared to be gaining some support early on Wednesday.

The deal, which could include stationing international monitors at the Egyptian-Gaza border, has received qualified backing from the US and support from Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and leader of Hamas-rival Fatah.

Despite this, Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in southern Israel, said the Israelis are thought to be considering stepping up their assault.