Liar, liar, your bum's on fire. Your nose is longer than a telephone wire.

The threats to disability benefits are getting more and more frightening as time goes by. People who rely on and need these benefits as they are truly unable to work are getting frightened by the increasingly real possibilities of having their money stopped, being just as unable to work, but unable to claim benefits either.

The conference will hopefully be a force to reckon with, but the even more recent comments from David Blunkett just add more worry to many people.

And if nothing else, this level of stress and concern and anxiety is almost guaranteed to increase people's own experiences of mental ill-health and make them less able to work!

But then today I was listening to PM and heard that David 'Nightmare' Blunkett is considering introducing lie-detector technology onto the phone lines of Civil Servants who work with benefits, so that they can detect false or fraudulent claims from the public.

(I always think I can't be shocked any more, and I always, always am).

Now, this lie detector technology notes changes in the stress of the voice which is undetectable to the human ear. With these minute changes it can identify stress associated with telling a lie. But can it tell the difference between stress from telling a lie and stress from other causes?

There is an insurance company who have apparently used this lie-detector technology on their telephone claim lines for 18 months, to detect and prevent fraudulent applications for insurance money.

They then interviewed a Psychologist who specialised in deception. He stated that yes, the voice does indeed react to stress in certain ways detected by this technology, but this is not necessarily the stress or strain of lying. He pointed out that if someone is phoning esure after a burglary, their voice is likely to show these stress signs as a result of anger or distress or fear of having been robbed.

Similarly, if someone is phoning the Benefits Agency as a result of not having had their money on time, they might well be angry or annoyed or frightened or desperate. If the lie-detector software identifies the strain in their voice as them telling a lie - when in fact they are distressed in a totally different way - they could be labelled a fraud when they are really, truly not.

The psychologist stated that there is no machine that could detect the difference between stress in someone's voice from lying, and stress in someone's voice from being frightened, or angry, or many other emotions.

Putting lie-detector technology onto the phone lines of Benefits Agencies will make people even more concerned and scared to deal with these agencies than they already are. It will make people feel like criminals, and make them fear the repercussions if, for whatever reason, the technology brands them a liar. It will make people who already struggle with using a telephone even more wary. And it's just wrong!

As far as I know, lie-detector tests are not admissible in court because they are just not reliable. Should they then be used in these often life-and-death issues of giving people money to live on?

I think not.

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Technorati tags: disability benefits; david blunkett; incurable_hippie; lie detectors; rant.

Illustration Friday: Lost.

This is my submission for this week's Illustration Friday, the theme of which is Lost.

It is a collage of a large question mark, on which are layers of an old Sheffield A to Z map, and pages torn from a notebook made from obselete maps.

The background paper is Japanese (?) text, interspersed with various European and UK place names in English.

I thought these displayed confusion over place - my understanding (for this project) of lost - quite well.

(More Hippie images).

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Following on from this post,

Switch off the TV and get on your bike, Blunkett tells long-term sick:

The work and pensions secretary, David Blunkett, today urged hundreds of thousands of people on incapacity benefit to stop watching daytime TV and start looking for work.

Speaking ahead of a press conference today on the government's principles for reform the welfare state, Mr Blunkett risked provoking further anger from Labour's backbenchers over his already controversial plans to overhaul incapacity benefit.(more...).

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Technorati tags: Illustration Friday; lost; incurable_hippie; lost; collage; disability benefits.

National Disability Benefits Conference, Sheffield.

15/10/2005

The government is planning to make some of the biggest
changes in welfare provision for sixty years,
particularly that of disability benefits and
specifically Incapacity Benefit (IB). Sheffield
WelfareAction Network (SWAN)is setting up a national
founding conference (to be held Mid October) in
Sheffield to highlight these changes and the present
state of disability welfare and to facilitate the
setting up of a national framework to campaign against
these punitive changes.

National Disability Benefits conference, Sheffield
15/10/05
Challenge the cuts!


‘Welfare reform is one of the Governments seven
priorities for the coming term'
Tony Blair


‘Incapacity benefit (IB) can no longer be used as a
"crutch" for those who refuse to work.’
David Blunkett: Secretary Department of Work and
Pensions(DWP)


The Govt’s Welfare Reforms: Survival of the fittest?

The government is planning to make some of the biggest
changes in welfare provision for sixty years,
particularly that of disability benefits and
specifically Incapacity Benefit (IB). Over 800,000
disabled people may lose over £30.00 a week from their
benefit and face being cajoled into unsuitable work
These are changes which are of real concern to most
disabled people, and which will plunge many into
poverty and despair. While the changes are
comprehensive and also involve issues of personal
choice and civil
liberties (see below), the main thrust of the changes
is that there will be a penalty /cut of over £30 (well
over a third of benefit) if the person receiving IB
does not attend what they (the Gov’t) are calling
‘work-focused interviews’ to prove they are actively
seeking work, Clearly, as this will be based on
targets not need, (over 80% of IB claimants will be
required to attend), we will have the frightening and
frankly bizarre situation whereupon hundreds of
thousands of the most vulnerable people in the U.K who
find it hard to ‘just get through the day’ will be
pressured into looking for work that is not available
or impossible to undertake, or face losing this money.

Where are these jobs?

Clearly this is not about 'helping the sick back into
work' because as many critics of the policy have
noted, where are these jobs going to come from? In the
UK there are just 628,000 job vacancies at any one
time and there are about 800,000 people who are
unemployed on Jobseekers Allowance and therefore
'actively seeking work' in addition to the single
parents (around 700,000 people) and in addition to the
2,700,000 people on incapacity based benefits. So, a
whole lot of people looking for suitable work! David
Blunkett the DWP Secretary has been looking enviously
over the water to our U.S cousins to see how the
private sector and faith based charities can be used
to administer such welfare, perhaps he should look at
New Orleans to see how successful that model is.

A Soviet Union model revisited?

What is just as disturbing are the mechanisms that
will be used on People with Disabilities (PWDs) to
get them back to work which include training five
thousand psycho-therapists in Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy (CBT) (considered by many to be a
controversial therapy) in order to develop mandatory
sessions in which they can be ‘persuaded'
they are ready and suitable to pursue employment.
This is remarkably similar to the techniques used to
‘brainwash’ dissidents in the former Soviet Union. An
extension of the state into such an area is a very
significant and dangerous move. Already, a new model
of disability is being used by DWP medical staff with
severe consequences for PWD’s particular those with
‘invisible’ illnesses like M.E and IBS. (see below)

Challenging The Reforms…

In Sheffield, political seat of the DWP Secretary
David Blunkett,a new non party political group:
Sheffield Welfare Action Network (SWAN) has been set
up to challenge and campaign against these iniquitous
and cruel changes. Changes, which will affect and
burden vulnerable people, who already face one of the
most punitive welfare systems in Europe. The Left,
social justice groups and other progressive forces
have largely ignored welfare issues for many years and
hopefully this will be a start to raising the profile
of such welfare issues.


A National Response

However, SWAN is aware that such changes will need to
be resisted on a national level to be effective and is
proposing the formation of a network of U.K wide
campaigning groups to be called ‘Dignity: The National
Campaign Against Punitive Welfare’. To this end, SWAN
is seeking the widest support from individuals and
others, NGO’s,Health Support Groups, Faith Groups, the
Labour Movement, Student Unions, etc, to help create
this network. SWAN is setting up a national founding
conference (to be held Mid October)in Sheffield to
highlight these changes and the present state of
disability welfare and to facilitate the setting up of
a national framework to campaign against these
punitive changes. As well as the conference we aim to
have other future activities such as street protests,
lobbying ministers/m.p’s petitions, etc.


The Conference

The Future of Benefits
A national conference on cuts in disability benefits
and the reality of living on welfare

15 Oct 2005


Venue: Sheffield Hallam University Union of Students
The HUBS, Paternoster Row, Sheffield, S1 2QQ
Complete Disabled Access and right
near main Train station)

Time 10.30 AM –4.30PM
Food/Refreshments
Donations
Will be accepted on the door


Speakers

Lorna Reith – Chief Exec. of Disability Alliance.
Sheila Messider - Advice Centre Support in Sheffield

Workshops(TBA)but include: how to campaign, running
groups, researching information, models of ill
health/disability, media views of welfare

Testimonials
Personal stories from those on disability welfare and
the difficulties they face

Focus
To highlight the coming disability welfare reforms and
raise the profile issue of disability welfare rights
and related issues (sadly neglected for many years)
and disability benefits issues generally and to
promote and widen its scope,

To set up a national campaigning network against the
proposed disability benefit welfare changes,
specifically disability benefit cuts and any coercive
measures that may be implemented.

Contacts
To find out more or if you have any questions, do not
hesitate to contact our secretary Chris on
07903453006 or email us on
sheffieldwelfare_an@yahoo.co.uk. (website coming
soon.)

Regards,
SWAN


Resources/links


Labour to crack down on incapacity benefit

FRASER NELSON
POLITICAL EDITOR
DAVID Blunkett yesterday drew the battle lines for an
autumn battle over welfare reform as he warned that
incapacity benefit (IB) can no longer be used as a
"crutch" for those who refuse to work.

news.scotsman.com

Ministers plan biggest shake-up of the welfare state
for 60 years
By Andrew Grice, Political Editor
Published: 12 September 2005
The Government is to embark on the biggest shake-up of
the state benefits system for 60 years, according to
David Blunkett, the Work and Pensions Secretary.

news.independent.co.uk"

Incapacity Benefit to be replaced in 2008
www.disabilityalliance.org

Incapacity benefit overhaul at heart of welfare reform

www.guardian.co.uk

Information
www.benefitsandwork.co.uk

www.rightsnet.org.uk

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Technorati tags: disability benefits; sheffield; incurable_hippie; poverty.

And it's Good Night from Him...

I loved The Two Ronnies as a child, and Porridge too.



I was very sad to hear that Ronnie Barker died today. Sad enough to go for the corniest entry title ever, under the circumstances.

In a hardware shop. Ronnie Corbett is behind the counter, wearing a warehouse jacket. He has just finished serving a customer.
CORBETT (muttering): There you are. Mind how you go.
(Ronnie Barker enters the shop, wearing a scruffy tank-top and beanie)
BARKER: Four Candles!
CORBETT: Four Candles?
BARKER: Four Candles.
(Ronnie Corbett makes for a box, and gets out four candles. He places them on the counter)
BARKER: No, four candles!
CORBETT (confused): Well there you are, four candles!
BARKER: No, fork 'andles! 'Andles for forks!
(Ronnie Corbett puts the candles away, and goes to get a fork handle. He places it onto the counter)
CORBETT (muttering): Fork handles. Thought you said 'four candles!' (more clearly) Next?
BARKER: Got any plugs?
CORBETT: Plugs. What kind of plugs?
BARKER: A rubber one, bathroom.
(Ronnie Corbett gets out a box of bath plugs, and places it on the counter)
CORBETT (pulling out two different sized plugs): What size?
BARKER: Thirteen amp!
CORBETT (muttering): It's electric bathroom plugs, we call them, in the trade. Electric bathroom plugs!
(He puts the box away, gets out another box, and places on the counter an electric plug, then puts the box away)
BARKER: Saw tips!
CORBETT: Saw tips? (he doesn't know what he means) What d'you want? Ointment, or something like that?
BARKER: No, saw tips for covering saws.
CORBETT: Oh, haven't got any, haven't got any. (he mutters) Comin' in, but we haven' got any. Next?
BARKER: 'O's!
CORBETT: 'O's?
BARKER: 'O's.
(He goes to get a hoe, and places it on the counter)
BARKER: No, 'O's!
CORBETT: 'O's! I thought you said 'O! (he takes the hose back, and gets a hose, whilst muttering) When you said 'O's, I thought you said 'O! 'O's!
(He places the hose onto the counter)
BARKER: No, 'O's!
CORBETT (confused for a moment): O's? Oh, you mean panty 'o's, panty 'o's! (he picks up a pair of tights from beside him)
BARKER: No, no, 'O's! 'O's for the gate. Mon repose! 'O's! Letter O's!
CORBETT (finally realising): Letter O's! (muttering) You had me going there!
(He climbs up a stepladder, gets a box down, puts the ladder away, and takes the box to the counter, and searches through it for letter O's).
CORBETT: How many d'you want?
BARKER: Two.
(Ronnie Corbett leaves two letter O's on the counter, then takes the box back, gets the ladder out again, puts the box away, climbs down the ladder, and puts the ladder away, then returns to the counter)
CORBETT: Yes, next?
BARKER: Got any P's?
CORBETT (fed up): For Gawd' sake, why didn' you bleedin' tell me that while I was up there then? I'm up and down the shop already, it's up and down the bleedin' shop all the time. (He gets the ladder out, climbs up and gets the box of letters down, then puts the ladder away) Honestly, I've got all this shop, I ain't got any help, it's worth it we plan things. (He puts the box on the counter, and gets out some letter P's) How many d'you want?
BARKER: No! Tins of peas. Three tins of peas!
CORBETT: You're 'avin' me on, ain't ya, yer 'avin' me on?
BARKER: I'm not!
(Ronnie Corbett dumps the box under the counter, and gets three tins of peas)
CORBETT (placing the tins on the counter): Next?
BARKER: Got any pumps?
CORBETT (getting really fed up): 'And pumps, foot pumps? Come on!
BARKER (surprised he has to ask): Foot pumps!
CORBETT (muttering, as he goes down the shop): Foot pumps. See a foot pump? (He sees one, and picks it up) Tidy up in 'ere.
(He puts the pump down on the counter)
BARKER: No, pumps fer ya feet! Brown pump, size nine!
CORBETT (almost at breaking point): You are 'avin' me on, you are definitely 'avin' me on!
BARKER (not taking much notice of Corbett's mood): I'm not!
CORBETT: You are 'avin' me on! (He takes back the pump, and gets a pair of brown foot pumps out of a drawer, and places them on the counter) Next?
BARKER: Washers!
CORBETT (really close to breaking point): What, dishwashers, floor washers, car washers, windscreen washers, back scrubbers, lavatory cleaners? Floor washers?
BARKER: 'Alf inch washers!
CORBETT: Oh, tap washers, tap washers? (He finally breaks, and makes to confiscate his list) Look, I've had just about enough of this, give us that list. (He mutters) I'll get it all myself! (Reading through the list) What's this? What's that? Oh that does it! That just about does it! I have just about had it! (calling through to the back) Mr. Jones! You come out and serve this customer please, I have just about had enough of 'im. (Mr. Jones comes out, and Ronnie Corbett shows him the list) Look what 'e's got on there! Look what 'e's got on there!
JONES (who goes to a drawer with a towel hanging out of it, and opens it): Right! How many would ya like? One or two?
(He removes the towel to reveal the label on the drawer - 'Bill hooks'!)

You can also see lots of their cool stuff.

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Technorati tags: Ronnie Barker; The Two Ronnies; incurable_hippie; comedy; obituary.

Found Poetry.

In what is now called
the common practice
period consonant intervals.

Perfect consonances
unisons and octaves
perfect fourths and
perfect fifths

Imperfect consonances
major thirds and
minor sixths
minor thirds and
major sixths

This is as would be taught
in a beginning.
Intervals such as the
perfect fourth
and the thirds
were once considered
forbidden dissonances.

Consonances used
freely and unprepared,
occurring on weak or strong beats.

Polyphonic cadences
(caesuras),
requiring two voices,
created by successive dyads,
the first an imperfect consonance
on a weak beat,
the second a perfect consonance
on a strong beat,

such as a major sixth moving to an octave
(for instance, the major
(imperfect)
sixth D-B
followed by
the perfect octave
C-C').

(found here).

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Found Poetry: n. The presentation of a borrowed text or found object as a poem or as part of a poem.

Found Poetry Against the War.

Found Poetry in Altered Books.

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Technorati tags: found poetry; harmony; incurable_hippie; creative.

Illustration Friday - Float

float
Originally uploaded by incurable_hippie.

Illustration Friday.

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Technorati tags: collage; Illustration Friday; incurable_hippie; shipping forecast.

Photo Friday - Darkness.

100_0643
Originally uploaded by incurable_hippie.

Or is it light?

Photo Friday.

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Technorati tags: Photo Friday; darkness; incurable_hippie; candles; light.

Some points for a Saturday Evening...

1. The way Walter Wolfgang was treated at the Labour Party Conference was appalling, but not just because he was 82 years old. No-one of any age should have been treated that way for shouting 'Nonsense' at Jack Straw.

2. Re: Sunny's comment - the issue with the right bar links ending up under a single post, or the last post on the page is the same in internet explorer and firefox. It's not an error especially, just the way the coding works.

3. I feel ill. Everything aches and I'm exhausted. If I didn't know any better, it feels like I did some hellish aerobics class yesterday. In fact yesterday everything ached also.

4. I am absolutely in awe of The Crafty Girl. Stunning, stunning work. Have been reading her blog for weeks if not months, and never cease to be rendered speechless at what she produces.

5. The Sheffield Freecycle email group which I set up was featured in the local paper, and now has a stunning 906 members.

6. Taarna, I thought it looked sexual / sensual also.

7. Yesterday's Dead Ringers was particularly good.

8. I do not understand why Charlotte Green keeps being on the radio as a continuity announcer when she is normally a Newsreader.

9. hippie blog has exceeded 18,000 visitors tonight. That's pretty stunning.

10. I'm fed up and tired and cold and sore. I have no idea what this entry is about. I hoped to get to 10 points and I have, so I'm going to bed.

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Technorati tags: lists; BBC radio 4; incurable_hippie; miscellaneous.

Brazil.

Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing. He concludes
by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed in an accident'


"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!"


His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as
the president sits, head in hands. Finally, the President looks up and
asks...

'How many is a brazillion??'


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Technorati tags: joke; anti-Bush; incurable_hippie.

Heavies against the Hecklers.

So, yesterday I heard on the news that two hecklers had been removed from the Labour Party Conference during Jack Straw's speech. I raised my eyes to heaven and thought it sounded a bit heavy-handed. Whatever happened to democracy and debate, I wondered.

It made me think of an incident a year or so ago, when Tony Blair was heckled when he was talking about the Iraq war, and Blair had made some glib comment to the heckler about how he was lucky to live in a free society where such things were allowed - just as the heckler was in fact being bundled out of the hall surrounded by stewards... Poignant and telling moment, I thought.

Then later on yesterday I heard more. I heard that one of the hecklers was actually 82 years old. Blimey, I thought. More heavy-handed than I had even realised! He must have said some pretty bad things to have been man-handled out of the room.

Then even later on last night, I heard the actual facts.

Jack Straw had been speaking when he was interrupted by Walter Wolfgang, a Jewish escapee from the Nazis who is now 82 and has been a Labour Party member for 48 years.

Jack Straw had just said, "We are in Iraq for one reason only: to help the elected Iraqi government build a secure, democratic and stable nation".

So, what was this interruption which caused such aggressive behaviour from 'security' staff? Which led to this 82 year old man being threatened with terrorism charges?

He shouted, Nonsense. Nonsense! That's it! One word.

When he got 'removed' from the conference as a result, his neighbour said, "You must be joking!", for which he was duly evicted too!

I mean, if it wasn't so obscene it would be funny. (Edited to add, see the photo here).

This government has become less and less democratic, and erode our freedoms more and more and more. ID cards, the appalling terrorism bills. When something happens like someone being held captive in Iraq, they won't enter into any talks because they say that we "shouldn't negotiate with terrorists", but when it suits them they will do anything and everything and use the threat of terrorism to justify their actions.

They will react to terror when it suits them. They will happily ignore it or sneer at the idea when that suits them better.

That day in February two years ago, when 2 million people marched against the war in London and the government and Blair carried on as if nothing had happened, was the day I realised that any pretence of democracy in this bloody country is a myth and a legend.


In other news:
GPs to stop prescribing antidepressants blamed for suicidal feelings in under-18s.

The Future's Not Bright If You're Orange.

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Technorati tags: walter wolfgang; democracy; protest; uk politics; incurable_hippie; disillusion; anti-depressants; orangutans;.

Illustration Friday: Fresh.

This week's Illustration Friday - Fresh.

100_0466abbb
Originally uploaded by incurable_hippie.

Fresh flower.

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Technorati tags: Illustration Friday; photo; incurable_hippie; gimp.

Photo Friday: Burn

Mmm, attractive! For this week's Photo Friday challenge.

PS, I have finally sorted out the right sidebar issues in Firefox. An errant end tag in my code was causing all the strangeness.

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Technorati tags: Photo Friday; ashtray; incurable_hippie; smoking; cigarettes; photo.

Sunflowers

100_0628
Originally uploaded by incurable_hippie.

are my favourite flowers. I have some :)


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Technorati tags: sunflower; photo; incurable_hippie; floral.

Selected Highlights from my Daily (e)Mail.

Selected highlights from Schnews:

CRAP ARREST OF THE WEEK

For being in a Barbershop Quartet!

Police arrested four people at last week's DSEi Arms Fair protest
who performed an anti-war song in the style of a Barbershop
Quartet with hands covered in blood. They were originally arrested
them under an obscure 1824 'enclosure' law, then for burglary.
After a few hours in the cell they were let go with a fixed
penalty notice of £80 for causing "harassment alarm or distress".
Not a good result for public harmony.

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Crap Racism of the Week

For spending too long on the bog!

On the anniversary of 9-11 two Muslim men were forced off a plane
by fellow passengers. The flight due to leave from Cyprus was
cancelled after some passengers became worried that one of the men
had spent a long time on the toilet. They were removed from the
plane and questioned by police who concluded there was no problem
with the men who had been on a pilgrimage to see a Muslim
spiritual figure in northern Cyprus. The flight took off the next
day without the two men, who had to fly with a different airline.

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Positive SchNEWS

When a Muslim woman became the target of a hate-mail campaign by
Flemish fascists for wearing a headscarf to work, no-one saw how
it would backfire.

Her co-workers began to all wear scarves themselves, and the
factory's owner has been on international media channels
denouncing the cowardly Nazis. She even got a visit from the
Belgian King! The incident has proved embarrassing for the
country's strong right-wing anti-immigrant party, who had
previously supported such intolerant views.

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This may seem somewhat morbid, a list of asylum seekers who have committed suicide in the UK in the last 5 years, but it feels really important for me to post it.

Firstly, these people need to be heard, be honoured. It is too late for us to do what we really should have done when they were alive, but that makes it even more important to hear and honour their lives now.

Secondly, so many of these people killed themselves shortly after having their claim refused, or before they were due to be deported. This seems to be stronger evidence than ever that their claims were genuine. When push came to shove, many of these people decided that they would rather die than be returned to their country. This is a damning indictment of our asylum system, and of the inhumane detention and removal centres that we are keeping people in.

See No Borders, and see The Refugee Council.

From NCADC:

33 asylum seekers have taken their own lives, 7 in Immigration Removal Centres, 6 in prisons and 20 in the community, in the UK over the last five years.


List compiled by Harmit Athwal of the Institute of Race Relations (IRR)


If recipients of this mailing know of any other deaths of asylum seekers from self-harm, not listed below, please send details to IRR or NCADC.

* Manuel Bravo, a national of Angola living in Leeds was 'snatched' by immigration officials with his son Antonio on the morning of Wednesday 14th September. In the early hours of Thursday the 15th September Manuel was found hanging in a stairwell at Yarl's Wood Removal Centre. Manuel and Antonio had been living in Armley, Leeds for the last three years after leaving war-torn Angola.

* Edmore Ngwenya, 26, from Zimbabwe, drowned at Salford Quays on Wednesday 14 September.

* Babak Ahadi, (33), 6/7/05, Iranian asylum seeker who set himself alight at his NASS accommodation in Bristol. He died the following day in Frenchay hospital.

* Ramazan Kumluca, (19), 27/6/05, a Kurdish asylum seeker from Turkey who was found hanged in Campsfield House removal centre in Oxford. He had been detained for five months and was said to be depressed after a bail application was rejected for the third time.

* Kenny Peter, 7/11/04, a Nigerian asylum seeker who died in Charing Cross hospital, nearly three weeks after sustaining injuries during an apparent self-harm attempt at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre. It is believed that on 19 October, Kenny jumped from a landing and sustained serious injuries, from which he later died.

* John Kanau Manana, (24), 15/10/04, a Kenyan who was found hanged from a ligature in his cell at Leicester prison on 15 October at 3.55. Paramedics were called and attempted resuscitation and he was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4.50.

* Majid Rafieei, 14/10/04, a destitute Iraqi asylum seeker who was found hanged at his Sheffield home after his asylum claim was refused.

* Ceife Yimene, (24), 26/9/04, an Ethiopian asylum seeker who left a hospital where he had been seeking help and hanged himself. Ceife was living in emergency accommodation in Newcastle while his asylum claim was being processed. He became very depressed in the weeks leading up to his death. On the day of his death his friends were so concerned about his health that they took him to the Accident and Emergency department of Newcastle General Infirmary. After seven hours he was reportedly in a 'catatonic' state and when he was eventually seen by a Doctor he was told, 'If you won't speak then we can't help'. Ceife left the hospital and hanged himself from a tree. (IRR News story: Did undue pressure on an asylum seeker lead to his suicide?)

* Ako Mahmood Ahmed, (25), 8/04, a Kurdish asylum seeker who died after jumping from a bridge at a Coventry shopping centre. He arrived in the UK in May 2004 and was 'dispersed' to Coventry in June. His asylum claim was rejected and he lodged an appeal. However, because of new legal aid limits, Ako was unable to find a solicitor to act for him despite help from Coventry Refugee Centre. As a result, he was faced with destitution on the streets of Britain and the prospect of deportation to Iraq. (IRR News story: Desperate asylum seeker takes own life)

* Tran Quang Tung, (23), 23/7/04, a Vietnamese man who was found hanged in Dungavel removal centre in Scotland just days after being transferred from Harmondsworth removal centre after the disturbance.

* Sergey Barnuyck, (31), 19/7/04, a Ukrainian who was found hanged in Harmondsworth detention centre. His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and led to all of the detainees being transferred to prisons and other detention centres.

* Hussein Nasseri, (26), 25/6/04, an Iranian asylum seeker who was found with a gunshot wound two weeks after his asylum claim was refused. Hussein, who was homosexual, fled Iran in March 2000 after being imprisoned for three months for his sexuality. He feared being executed if he was returned to Iran - where homosexuality is a 'crime' punishable by death. In June 2004, he received a letter telling him that his asylum claim had been refused. The inquest recorded a verdict of suicide. (IRR News story: Inquest finds asylum refusal was motive for gay Iranian's suicide)


* Zekria Ghulam Mohammed, (27), 18/05/04, an Afghan asylum seeker who was found hanged at his flat in the Dennistoun area of Glasgow. Zekria had been living in Scotland for four years and prior to his death his asylum claim had been refused and benefits stopped. He was also facing eviction from accommodation provided by NASS. Zekria, who trained as a dentist in Afghanistan, 'was ashamed and broken. He felt there was no hope left', according to his friends.

* Unnamed man, 2004, an Iraqi asylum seeker who set himself alight in London. He had a history of mental health problems and was scared he would be returned to Iraq.

* Liang He, (23), 10/11/03, who was found hanged at Bedford prison.

* Mohammed bin Duhri, (20), 20/10/03, a Palestinian asylum seeker who was found hanged at Belmarsh maximum-security prison. He had been held at Dover Immigration Removal Centre but, after he allegedly assaulted a guard, he was moved to Belmarsh. Three prison officers were suspended for filing reports saying, after the death, that he was still alive.

* Tema Kombe, (32), 4/9/03, a Ugandan asylum seeker who was found hanged in a toilet in the psychiatric ward at Heatherwood hospital, Ascot, after being detained under the Mental Health Act. The inquest returned a verdict of misadventure after hearing that he had made three previous attempts on his life.

* Israfil Shiri, (30), 3/9/03, a destitute Iranian asylum seeker who died six days after pouring petrol over his body and setting himself alight in the offices of Refugee Action in Manchester. His asylum application had been rejected and he was homeless and penniless. Israfil, who was gay, feared being executed in Iran if he was deported. He also suffered from a painful bowel complaint but, after his asylum claim was refused, he was unable to get medical treatment and was in constant pain. An open verdict was recorded by the inquest. (IRR News story: Open verdict on death of asylum seeker who slept in a wheelie bin)

* Vasiliy Todchuk, (24), 9/03, a Russian national who had deserted from the Russian army in Chechnya, was found hanged on a building site in Govan, Glasgow. He had been detained in Polmont YOI on criminal charges in early 2003 and attempted suicide on the day before his release. Several weeks before his death he had been advised that he would be deported.

* Liu Jin Wu, (35), 5/5/03, a Chinese asylum seeker who took his own life while on remand at HMP Barlinnie in Scotland. It emerged during a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) that he was a Mandarin speaker who only had access to an interpreter three times during his ten weeks in the prison. He was on remand for two counts of attempted murder and during police interviews had told them that he was hearing voices; a provisional diagnosis of paranoid psychosis was made. He had been told he faced deportation regardless of what happened during the criminal proceedings as his asylum claim had been refused. The Inquiry was also told staff failed to check on him hourly as was required when he was found to be suicidal. But the FAI concluded that his suicide was due to mental health problems rather than any failure by the prison authorities.

* Mikhail Bognarchuk, (42), 31/1/03, a Ukrainian asylum seeker who was found hanged at Haslar removal centre.

* Sirous Khajeh, (29), 24/12/02, an Iranian asylum seeker who was found hanged at his home in Huddersfield. He was a torture victim who had been told that his asylum claim had been rejected and he faced eviction from his home and deportation. However, this information was incorrect and Sirous had in fact been granted asylum. A Yorkshire coroner recorded a verdict of suicide and was critical of the Home Office's handling of his application.

* Beverley Fowler, (32), 2/10/02, a Jamaican woman who was found hanged two days before the end of her sentence in Durham prison. She was a mother of three who was due to be deported back to Jamaica after serving a sentence for drug smuggling. In September 2003, an inquest recorded an open verdict. The inquest was told she feared for her safety in Kingston because the man who forced her into drug smuggling had murdered her partner.

* Forsina Makoni, (79), 11/5/02, an elderly Zimbabwean woman who died after setting herself alight in Gillingham after her claim for political asylum was refused. She had been a vocal opponent of Robert Mugabe's regime and became depressed in the weeks before her death after her claim was refused.

* Shiraz Pir, (25), 7/5/02, a Pakistani asylum seeker who died five days after being found hanging in his Bristol home after his asylum claim was rejected. Facing deportation, he could not understand why friends had been given refugee status and he had been denied. He left a note asking that his body be returned to his parents. An inquest recorded a verdict of suicide whilst the balance of his mind was temporarily disturbed. The coroner criticized the Home Office for the delay with his asylum application.

* Mohsen Amri, (27), 12/3/02, an Iranian asylum seeker who committed suicide at his home in Handsworth, Birmingham, after having a work permit refused and asylum application rejected. He had been in the UK for two years and made repeated requests for work permits (he did not want to work illegally). His asylum application had been refused on a technicality.

* Nariman Tahamasbi, (27), 25/2/02, an Iranian asylum seeker who was found hanged in Lewes prison. He had been refused asylum in the UK and fearful of being deported back to Iran, he attempted to flee to Canada using the same forged travel documents that had brought him to the UK. He was arrested at Gatwick airport, charged over false documents and sentenced to six months imprisonment. Less than a week after arriving in the prison he hanged himself from the bars of his cell with a bedsheet and died in hospital five days later without regaining consciousness. A jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure following a three-day inquest into the death in may 2005. (IRR News story: Asylum death deemed misadventure)

* Souleyman Diallo, (28), 1/1/02, a Guinean asylum seeker who committed suicide by jumping 100 feet off Redheugh Bridge, Tyneside, a few weeks after being told he was to be deported to Guinea. Souleyman, who spoke little English, was dispersed to Gateshead soon after he arrived in July 2000 and was not provided with any translation services. He felt that the interpreter at his appeal hearing had misinterpreted him. His solicitor commented that his 'inability to access competent legal advice, difficulties in communicating his case and tight deadlines for submission statements have contributed to his case being properly heard'. She made a complaint to the Immigration Commissioners about his death. The coroner recorded an open verdict.

* Nasser Ahmed, (35), 21/8/01, an Eritrean asylum seeker who was found hanged at his flat in Nelson, Lancashire shortly after his asylum claim was rejected.

* Shokrolah 'Ramin' Khaleghi, (27), 18/1/01, an Iranian asylum seeker, dispersed to Leicester, who was found dead in the International Hotel, a hostel for asylum seekers, after his asylum claim was rejected. He had been a political prisoner in Iran, jailed for six years and tortured for refusing to serve in the Iranian army and affronting fundamentalist beliefs by shaving his facial hair. He took an overdose one week after learning that his asylum claim had been rejected.

* Saeed Alaei, (26), 21/12/00, an Iranian asylum seeker, dispersed to Nelson, Lancashire, who was found hanged after his asylum claim was rejected.

* Glynnis Cowley, (40), 4/00, a South African mother of three who committed suicide in Liverpool after her asylum claim was refused. She had been arrested Heathrow in June 1999 after being found in possession of cannabis and sentenced eight months. She alleged that she had been kidnapped and forced to act as drugs courier. While in Holloway prison her asylum claim was refused and after her release she launched an appeal but took her life before it was heard.

* Robertas Grabys, 24/01/00, a Lithuanian asylum seeker who was found hanged in Harmondsworth detention centre on the day he was due to be deported. A report into his death criticised the private company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time.

Harmit Athwal
news@irr.org.uk.

End of Bulletin:

Source for this Message:
Institute of Race Relations (IRR).

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From FoE:

Many garden plants are now setting seed, and it's easy to collect and save them for planting next year. The ideal way to bring some colour to your garden or window box without spending any money! For a step-by-step guide, see BBC - propagating / collecting seeds.

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Flatten the Flats plea. More offensive shit from certain members of the City Council about Park Hill flats (my photos here) who don't care that they are talking about people's homes and their own rich privilege.


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Technorati tags: crap arrest of the week; schnews; incurable_hippie; anti-racism; park hill sheffield; asylum seekers; suicide; gardening.

Where has the week gone?

Bloody hell, is it really Thursday? And I last posted on Sunday?? Shit!

I hadn't read my b3ta newsletter for weeks, but I did open this week's. Each week there is a photoshop competition, last week's challenge being to design movie posters of your own lives. My favourite entry has to be Gone With the Bins - One man throws away this week's TV Guide. Hehe.

Mental healthcare is failing is a good read from the Grauniad this week, as is Charities face conflict of interest.

My long list of very cool animations has been extensively updated this week. There was already lots of fun there, and there is now even more new fun there! Or something.

I'm really flustered for no reason at all. Must go and, umm, get less flustered hopefully. Hmmm.

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Technorati tags: humour; photoshop; incurable_hippie; mental health; animations; general confusion.

Pickled Flattery (will get you everywhere).

I am really liking the Pickled Politics blog. They introduced themselves only a few weeks ago with the following,

For too long has the voice of young, progressive British Asians been drowned out. This community, we say constantly, is too diverse to be stereotyped or thought of as one homogenous group.

We are becoming increasingly defined by our religion than our thoughts, political affiliations, ideas or for simply being British.

That suits the self-appointed religious leaders but they neither represent the younger, more progressive generations, nor the women, being typically male dominated organisations.

Pickled Politics is here to provide a new range of progressive voices that previously, we feel, were not being represented.

We want to change the way Asians are perceived and want to take our own community forward. In this aspect, we are unafraid to criticise the establishment – whether that be the political power-brokers or our own religious leaders.

I have found the blog to be funny, insightful and thought-provoking and it has quickly got onto my mental list of blogs to always click on.

My joy was complete when I saw in my referrer logs that someone had come to hippie blog from there so I went back to Pickled Politics to investigate. I grinned on discovering that hippie blog is listed in their links, with the comment, Great feminist and angry blog. (Doesn't take much to make me happy!).

In other news, the radio has for the last few days been rather pre-occupied with today's German election. As I type, a programme called Germany's Choice is on and the results will show whether Germany has their first female Chancellor.

Should that be the case (it's been a close fight) it is no real victory for feminism. A woman in the top job is good, but there have already been way too many comparisons to Margaret Thatcher for it to be anything other than frightening. And on top of that Angela Merkel, the woman concerned, leads the Christian Democrat Party, and any country run by a religion could be in a dodgy position.

Angela Merkel was in favour of the war in Iraq, and is keen on stronger German - US relations. Schroeder - the guy trying to retain his Chancellorship (?!) is not great himself. I'm not keen especially on either of them. A woman in charge could be a good thing, but it is no feminist ideal in this context, as it wasn't in 80s Britain.

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Technorati tags: blogging; Pickled Politics; incurable_hippie; political blogs; German election; Margaret Thatcher; Angela Merkel; feminism.

Poems and Pies.

"If this book should chance to roam, box its ears and send it home"

is something that my sister used to write in the front of her books. It came into my head last night and I didn't know if it was something that she had invented, or if it had come from elsewhere.

A bit of googling provides 9 references to the poem.

There seems to be an alternate ending -

tan its hide and send it home

. This seems to refer to an inscription in a used book.

In this digital book, the phrase is different again -

"Friends, if this book should chance to roam
Please write in it and send it home".

The verse as I knew it originally makes up part of some Harry Potter fanfic, as so:

Something inside the damaged cover flashed, catching his eye.

It was a beautifully illuminated bookplate bearing the school's coat of arms, one of a kind routinely stocked by Flourish and Blotts for Hogwarts students. It was clearly much newer than the book itself. Harry peered at it, surprised - and drew in a sharp breath.

Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.
This book belongs to

LILY EVANS

"If this book should chance to roam

box its ears and send it home"

Harry's eyes burned with shock. After a moment or two of staring, he mechanically fitted the cover back into place and fumbled for his wand, tapping it and whispering hoarsely "Reparo". The cover mended itself seamlessly, but Harry could not stop staring.

He owned so few things that had belonged to his parents - an invisibility cloak and a handful of photographs. Now, out of the blue, there was this … but what in hell had he just discovered? What was a teenaged girl called Lily Evans, a bright and popular pupil, Head Girl in her day, doing with this - a book on the dark arts? An ugly book describing in detail all the worst possible elements of evil wizardry ….

Harry straightened up, thinking hard.

Jeremy Clarkson is one of my least favourite people. He is arrogant and offensive at every turn, on every issue. He is particularly disliked by environmentalists for his promotion of huuuge cars, and his utter lack of concern for any environmental damage he or others may cause. He hates cyclists too, and has made some dodgily xenophobic and disgustingly sexist comments.

Transport 2000 argues that Clarkson [...] has come under fire for promoting `yobbish` driving behaviour, through such actions as deliberately driving into trees, churning up mountain peat bogs in 4x4s and tearing up road safety information on camera. Campaigners argue that he personifies a couldn`t-care-less attitude to the environment, and that his programme, Top Gear, glamorises speed and fast cars.

So, with all this background I, along with many others, was dismayed that Oxford Brookes University offered him an Honorary Degree.

I very much love the woman who presented him with a banana meringue pie in his face. She apparently said that it was homemade, organic, free range and fair trade on the basis that that would annoy him even more :D

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Technorati tags: verses; jeremy clarkson; anti-car; incurable_hippie; direct action.

Word Beads: blue; unsynchronised; exhaust; accumulation; burial.

The unsynchronised flashes and booms suggested at least that the thunder storm was a distance away. The sky's rapid progression from blue to an angry grey and brown had at least served as a warning of its approach.

The exhaust pipe landed noisily on the metal pile. The growing accumulation of all removable parts of the old car looked more and more like obscure artwork. But its demolition continued unabated.

For them, the burial of the car was also the burial of all that went with the car. And free from those memories, they ran on through the rain.

(WordBeads).

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Technorati tags: wordbeads; writing; incurable_hippie.

Great News! (2nd entry of the day!)

Sheffield wins European Gold
Sheffield has beaten off tough competition from cities in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Slovenia to win Gold in the prestigious Entente Florale (Europe in Bloom) Competition. The results were announced at the Oscar style awards ceremony in Hungary on Friday 9th September.

Sheffield was also awarded the Special Award for the most meaningful contribution to the quality of life for disabled people in the city. This was especially awarded for the work of the Green fingers group in Crown Hill.



Entente Florale
Sheffield has been successful in securing gold in Entente Florale! The result was announced in a glittering Oscars-style ceremony which was held in Budapest, Hungary on Friday night (September 9th).

In the Towns and Cities category, Sheffield beat off competition from Baden in Austria, Mako in Hungary, Le Plesis-Robinson in France and Potsdam in Germany amongst others.

Sheffield was also presented with the Special Award for the most meaningful contribution to the quality of life for disabled people in the city - an award given especially for the work of the Green Fingers Group in Crown Hill.

The Entente Florale competition judges European cities and towns against strict criteria in relation to their floral displays, environmental management and management of parks and green spaces. The competition also takes into account initiatives that directly impact on environmental sustainability, regeneration, education and training, and neighbourhood renewal.

Councillor Harry Harpham, Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Green Spaces, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have won Gold. I would like to thank all the residents, businesses, local communities and education facilities for all the hard work and support they have shown during the last few months.

"The judges were delighted with everything that they saw on the judging tour. They were also impressed with the manner in which we had embraced and built on our steel heritage. Prime examples of this were the statue of the Buffer Girl and Steel Man outside the Town Hall, and the Winter Garden."

John Charlton, Director of Street Force added: "I am grateful for the amazing support from local residents, businesses and voluntary communities as well as the City Council staff, who have contributed so much towards Sheffield winning a Gold award.

"It really has been a Team Sheffield effort and all residents can take pride in their city's success in this prestigious European competition."



Sheffield - Greenest City in Europe.
At long last my hometown’s verdant credentials have been officially recognised: Last Friday Sheffield won a gold medal in the Entente Florale competition in Budapest, so we can now officially describe it as “the greenest city in Europe”. This recognition is particularly welcome as it comes at a time when our parks and open spaces are finally showing signs of recovery after many years of cutbacks and neglect (thanks a bunch, Baroness Thatcher, you vindictive old skinflint). (Read more...)



My picture of the Steel Man last year.



Me talking about the Entente Florale entry in July this year.

Fantastic description of why Sheffield is cool, by ellarien.

Entente Florale Wiki.

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Technorati tags: sheffield; entente florale; incurable_hippie; flowers.

Women's Voices.

Travelling Punk and Ms Violet have had a great idea.

travelling punk says:

Women and men of the UK are forced to suffer every month with inferior reading material of the glossy variety. We want and deserve a good magazine with interesting features, ideas, inspiration, so let’s create one.

My half-hatched idea to set up a feminist magazine in the save vein as Bust and Ms. in the USA, but here in the UK, moved forward a stage when yesterday I actually told someone about it.Read more...

ms violet says:

You know what pisses me off?

The total lack of intelligent magazines for women available in the UK.

All of the monthlies/bi-monthlies/weeklies/crapplies look the same. Shit. Total and utter shit. And, god knows, if any one of these magazines were to even print the word 'feminist' - even in teeny tiny lettering - they would probably spontaneously combust into a massive fiery hell. Or that must be what the editors think, at least.
[...]
I'm getting fed up. I want to read a magazine. I want to be able to flick through a few glossy pages every now and then and read funny, interesting, insightful articles about issues that matter to me. And, quite frankly, if I have to walk past the magazine aisle one more time, grinding my teeth whilst biting my lip and trying hard to disguise the steam coming out of my ears, then I just may explode.Read more...

While I haven't seen much of them, I have heard less-than-positive things about the Bust / B*tch magazines, and so I'm not sure I'd be wanting to base on these, but the idea in itself is excellent. It also makes me think of Custard Spy who is an incredible, amazing and very articulate feminist :)

Quote of the Day:

"Even those of us who have tried to follow the war closely are not
aware of a fraction of the horrors unleashed in Iraq." Author
Arundhati Roy at the World Tribunal on Iraq, Istanbul, 2005.

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Technorati tags: feminist; feminism; incurable_hippie; anti-war.