I would like to know why a child of 6 was given a mobile phone (or of 8 for that matter) and whom they are texting... to say what?
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I would like to know why a child of 6 was given a mobile phone (or of 8 for that matter) and whom they are texting... to say what?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5082896.stmQuote:
The Magazine could not possibly condone bunking off to watch the World Cup. So how best to catch the game without annoying the boss? The union Amicus has been red-carded for advising workers on how to pull a sickie in order to watch England play Trinidad and Tobago. While kick-off is late in the working day (1700 BST) for nine-to-fivers, rare is the World Cup fan prepared to wait until then to bag a vantage point.
So how to keep up with the action while keeping the managers sweet (assuming they're not "working from home").
1. Get online - our sport website streams every BBC TV game live, allowing broadband-connected workers in the UK to watch at their desks. IT firms have duly warned that corporate networks might grind to a halt and, aware that some companies might wish to prevent this, the BBC has published the URLs carrying live streams for IT managers asked to restrict access. For those into delayed gratification, TV viewers can replay the match during the evening at the touch of a red button.
2. Bring in a radio. It may seem a tad old-fashioned in a world of high-definition television and live streaming over the internet, but the radio has long been the traditional back-up for football fans unable to watch a match. If your boss needs some persuading tell him it's a solution endorsed by Investors in People, an independent body which sets and measures employment standards.
3. Get a buddy system going. Make friends with those in the office who don't like football - they're the ones who think Rooney's fortunes were inextricably tied to Judy Garland's - and get them to cover your shift and offer to do the same for them when they want time off, maybe to watch tennis, go shopping or go to their kid's school sports day.
4. Team building exercises are all the rage. Suggest to management that allowing people to watch the England match together would be a great team building opportunity. As the union Amicus quite rightly points out, it's a lot cheaper than an away day.
5. Watch at work, on a TV provided by the company. Another team building opportunity, and a way for bosses to avoid the problem of absences while boosting morale and employee relations. A big screen in the corner of a conference room may not have the atmosphere of watching down the pub (even if libation is laid on), but if enough people pile along, you can make your own atmosphere.
WORLD CUP-ITIS
Four out of 10 football fans took 'sickie' during 2002 World Cup
This cost business about £390m
13% of men - and 4% of women - called in sick to watch a match, or recover from post-game drinking
This rose to 16% among men and women aged 18-29
6. Work through lunch and leave early, if the boss agrees. With a goal in mind - finishing in time for kick-off - workers may even be more productive in the time available. "We're allowed to leave a little early for the 5pm games, provided we make up the time," says reader Bruce Castle, of London.
7. And suggest flexible hours, at least during the tournament, so employees can make up time. A recognised business tool, this is known as the "peakie" system. Investors in People also advises employers to extend break times during matches, and suggests a rota for finishing early so that everyone knows they'll get their chance.
8. Take annual leave on match day (ok, you might be a bit late for this option). But be prepared for a knock-back if too many others want the same day off. Richard Smith, employment services director at Croner consultancy, says companies need a fair system for granting leave, such as random selection or on a first-come-first-served basis.
9. Keeping non-footie fans happy is vital - for managers as well as lovers of the beautiful game. They are the people who will cover shifts and hold the fort as everyone else settles down for kick-off. Keeping them motivated by offering similar perks is a good idea, says Investors in People. TV access during Wimbledon anyone?
10. Be self-employed. Then you only have to ask yourself for time off. As reader Gareth Haman from Edinburgh says: "My boss lets me take as much time off as I like to watch the World Cup - he's even happy for me to sit and have a beer in the office. Oh, did I mention I was self-employed?"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5091154.stmQuote:
Football's governing body has explained why up to 1,000 Dutch fans watched a World Cup tie wearing no trousers.
Around 1,000 fans arrived for the Ivory Coast tie in their traditional bright orange trousers - but bearing the logo and name of a Dutch brewery.
To protect the rights of the official beer they were denied entry, so the male fans promptly removed the trousers and watched the game in underpants.
Fifa said an attempt at an "ambush" publicity campaign was not allowed.
Fifteen major companies have paid up to $50m (£27m) each for the right to be official partners at this World Cup.
The American firm Anheuser Busch, which makes Budweiser, won the exclusive right to promote and sell its beverage in the stadiums and other venues.
There has been a wider resentment in Germany that a US brewery has the exclusive rights in a country which prides itself on the quality of its beer and has very strict laws governing its composition.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5105580.stmQuote:
Public libraries are on the verge of extinction warn campaigners. How can they be protected for the future?
Be honest - when did you last use your local library? Do you even know where it is? There is a chance you might find out too late and it'll have closed.
Most of us probably know library usage has been falling for years. But how many realise that a crossroads may be looming for a prized public service - and do we care?
Across the UK more than 100 libraries now face being shut as councils search for savings to ease budget deficits.
"Public libraries are on the verge of extinction and action is needed now to halt their decline," warns campaign website Libri.org.
If the cuts go ahead, campaigners say a network once central to communities will be lost forever - and they are starting to fight back.
Unconvincing
"There is widespread concern that the rationale for closure is unconvincing," says a press release from residents in the Fleetville area of St Albans.
They were responding to news that their local branch and another of the city's four libraries have been earmarked to close.
Hertfordshire County Council says Fleetville library does not meet disability access requirements, that there are "catchment overlaps" and that visits and borrowing are low.
"To ascertain which libraries would be proposed for closure a series of tests were carried out against all the libraries in Hertfordshire," director of children, schools and families, John Harris, told local MP Anne Main in a letter in June.
To offset the proposals, the council says it plans major improvements and extended opening in other libraries.
Local residents deny Fleetville library is poorly used and want more regular opening hours.
Little has been done to tailor the service to local needs and many people will find it harder to visit the main library in town, they say. They are to meet the council to advise ways of improving the library after a four-month review was granted.
Long-term cost
Basic lessons from the book retail trade should be learnt, Fleetville residents say.
Tailored stock, 21st Century opening hours, a stronger service ethic, promotions, community outreach and learning partnerships are all suggestions they plan to put to the council.
The United Kingdom's 3,500 public libraries cost more than £1bn a year. In many cases, shutting a branch saves a few tens of thousands of pounds when councils are millions in debt.
Short-term gain at long-term cost, say supporters who see libraries as having intrinsic value as places of discovery and learning.
"I practically lived in my local library when I was growing up and I'm sure that's why I'm a writer now," says children's laureate Jacqueline Wilson, a prominent supporter of the Love Libraries campaign.
"I think it is such a shame that so many of them are now under threat of closure."
Social benefits
Since Victorian times, public libraries have played a key role in social improvement in Britain for millions of people. Greater literacy affects the types of job people do and their standard of living. Young children who read more are more likely to prosper at school.
The benefits of extending literacy and knowledge are immeasurable - but times have changed dramatically since the Public Libraries Act of 1850. In today's information age, it seems libraries must adapt or die.
Although library spending has risen nationally for the sixth year in a row, book issues continue to fall - down 40% over the past 10 years. The average consumer price paid for books has also fallen. Surveys show young people largely see public libraries as irrelevant these days.
Despite this, when asked, most people don't want the service to disappear.
Essex County Council found that a majority of respondents thought libraries were a sign of "a civilised, caring, responsible society".
Users and non-users alike said society would lose out if services closed. Essex is trying to transform its library service and wants them to be seen as a "front door" for council and other public services.
Working together
Sixteen branches are now open seven days a week and strong community links are being forged.
"Because of the beneficial contracts we can negotiate with our suppliers and because we manage our processes in a very efficient way, we are able to buy 39% more books and other items than we did in the early 1990s," says libraries manager Michele Jones.
"All we wanted was one reading group per library. We now have 350 across 73 libraries and 43,000 children attended our summer reading activity last year."
Essex has invested in its libraries and borrowing rates remain healthy, she says.
Librarians are having to be more than "gatekeepers" stamping books in order to deliver a dynamic, relevant service these days. They must publicise what's on offer and embrace change.
In Cumbria, officials are talking about setting up "library links" in village shops as a way of avoiding closures.
Library supporters say maintaining adequate book stocks - a library's "core business" however many internet access points it has - is also essential.
Spending on books now accounts for just 9% nationally - while staff costs eat up more than 50%.
Tim Coates, who runs the influential Good Library Blog, says it's really about efficiency, not money - and radical reform could bring huge savings. He says London is a case in point with 330 libraries over 33 boroughs - but no effective co-operation.
"The service in London costs £220m per annum. It should have one website, one library card," he told a parliamentary forum last week. Doing so would eliminate £30-40m a year in "wasted replicated management effort" in London alone, he says.
Officials might dispute his figures - but it's increasingly clear that big ideas are needed if the public library network is to survive.
http://www.msn.co.uk/health/feedback...lt.asp?MSPSA=1Quote:
Hooray! It's Friday June 23, time to celebrate. What's that you say? Why? Didn't you know that today is officially the happiest day of the year? A scientist said so, so it must be true. Dr Cliff Arnall devised a formula to find the most joyous day in our calendar - so what do you think?
Time to rejoice folks, today is the happiest day of the year, according to a scientist from the University of Cardiff. Dr Cliff Arnall has put together a formula that measures good mood using increased outdoor activity, high energy levels and exposure to sunlight.
Dr Arnall believes the combination of fine weather and the prospect of jetting off on holiday means that today the British population will be feeling particularly gleeful. The football World Cup and forthcoming Wimbledon tennis championship will only add to some people's level of euphoria, as will the fact that the day falls on a Friday. Dr Arnall used a similar formula to pinpoint 23 January as the most depressing day of the year.
So how does Dr Arnall's formula work? His equation is simple: O + (N x S) + Cpm/T + He. O stands for outdoor activity, N for nature, S for social interaction, Cpm for childhood summers and positive memories, T for temperature and He for holidays and time off work.
Dr Arnall told the BBC: "Happiness is associated with many things in life and can be triggered by a variety of events. Whether it's a sunny day, a childhood memory, or something as effortless as eating a delicious ice cream, I wanted my formula to prove the key to happiness can really be that simple."
So what do you think of Dr Arnall's formula? Is he accurate - do you feel happier today than you have so far this year? Are you full of national pride as British tennis stars prepare to take on the world at Wimbledon or - if you're English - as England continue their march to World Cup glory? Or do you think it's a load of old nonsense, that it's a day like any other?
Oh yeah, I feel really very happy but it is because, my mother's operation went successful and now, she is really very fine!!!!
Singing:
Oh yeah, I am a happy girl today
I feel pretty, oh so witty
I feel like a rose today
I feel charming, so alarming charming
Oh yeah, I feel happy today
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
*loves to make her own song by dragging other songs lyrics and combining them*
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5107642.stmQuote:
Consumers are willing to pay up to an extra £108 ($197) for a PC containing fewer chemicals, a survey has found. People also feel manufacturers should take responsibility for the disposal of old machines, the research shows.
So-called e-waste is a growing global problem, with 30 million PCs being dumped each year in the US alone.
The study by Ipsos-Mori for Greenpeace coincides with an announcement by PC maker Dell to phase out a number of toxic chemicals in its products.
The nine-nation research found that UK computer users were willing to pay an extra £64 ($117), while people in China were prepared for spend up to £108 ($197) for a more environmentally sound PC.
E-waste
HAZARDOUS WASTE
1: Lead in cathode ray tube and solder
2: Arsenic in older cathode ray tubes
3: Selenium in circuit boards as power supply rectifier
4: Polybrominated flame retardants in plastic casings, cables and circuit boards
5: Antimony trioxide as flame retardant
6: Cadmium in circuit boards and semiconductors
7: Chromium in steel as corrosion protection
8: Cobalt in steel for structure and magnetivity
9: Mercury in switches and housing
A report published by the UN University in 2004 said making the average PC required 10 times the weight of the machine in chemicals and fossil fuels.
The study also found that the short life of computer equipment was leading to a mountain of toxic waste, mainly in India and China.
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is a massive global problem. Thirty million computers are thrown out every year in the US alone.
About 70% of heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, in landfill sites come from e-waste.
Greenpeace International spokeswoman Zeina al-Hajj said: "Consumers not only want greener PCs but they are willing to pay extra for them.
"Dell's decision to remove these harmful chemicals reflects a move within the electronics industry in the right direction to become cleaner."
The environmental group has long campaigned for the sector to move to cleaner production methods.
Dell says it will eliminate the use of all brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in its products by 2009.
A number of other firms, including Hewlett Packard, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, have also made commitments to phase out the use of hazardous chemicals in the near future.
wow..i had no idea that computers were so harmful to the environment.... i have a dell so i guess thats a little better than some others but wow..that article really suprised me..cool...learn something new every day :banana:
The fact that Bud is the official beer of the World Cup this year is one of the funniest things I have ever heard. I'm sure everybody was very excited to go to Germany so they could drink American beer.
Ahem ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by cuppajoe_9
*too short*
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5128394.stmQuote:
A survey has suggested two-thirds of us are regularly late when meeting people, with the mobile phone the main suspect.
And as well as punctuality, the mobile phone is corroding the whole manners of meeting up. Here's a few markers of the mobile-inspired decline of man.
PUNCTUALITY
The advent of the mobile phone harks back to a different age of etiquette, the time before watches. In the Canterbury Tales era, if you had arranged to meet the other pilgrims at the crossroads with the big tree on the 29 June, you were allowed a bit of leeway. Maybe noon was suggested, but it could hardly be enforced.
Thanks to mass produced watches and clocks we have had years of enforced punctuality, but now mobile phones allow us to call to apologise. Or rather, they allow sheepish text messages. And there is a code.
"I'll be a couple of minutes late" translates as anything up to 15 minutes after the agreed time. "I'll be 15 minutes late" translates as anything up to half an hour. "I'm running very late" means it might be time to look for more punctual friends.
You might choose to use an excuse. "Because I left the house late" doesn't really wash, however often it might turn out to be the truth. Sounding better: "I witnessed a murder and had to stop to give a statement." Even better: "I saw an little old lady collapsed at the bus stop and had to stop to revive her."
IGNORING PEOPLE
So your friend/date has arrived late and you're in a pub drinking. There's only two of you, but the other person seems to think it's acceptable to take a call. Now two seconds of "I'm sorry, I'm out, I'll call you later" is irritating but the right side of acceptable. Fielding a five minute call, though increasingly common, is not.
What are you supposed to do during this time. You have to resort to fiddling with your own phone. Perhaps delete some old messages in my inbox.
The same activities as when the other person goes to the toilet. What did people do before the mobile. Did they make origami animals? Whittle sticks? Compose haiku? It's difficult to remember.
There is something severely incongruous about a mobile phone on a pressed white linen tablecloth. It's just plain wrong. Switch it off or face the wrath of the righteous. You wouldn't pull out a cryptic crossword during dinner, so why a mobile.
ASKING FOR A MEETING
The flexibility of having so many ways of contacting people is creating a slew of text messages and mobile calls only leading to further text messages and mobile calls and an eventual "I'll text you on the day". The golden age of asking to meet people occurred in the novels of Jane Austen.
Notes on cards in copperplate handwriting in scented envelopes delivered by discreet footmen are how it should be. Not vague indications of a meeting with no particular time discussed.
The modern mobile-wielding meeter often leaves the house with only a rough idea of location/timing, awaiting final confirmation. It will not do.
Awww, I didn't like the article about the libraries closing. Makes me feel bad about my comments in Buy vs. Borrow. But I think my library is severly underfunded, understaffed, and has lousy hours.
I agree, Grace. It is such a shame that libraries would close while there are new cafes or Starbucks opening in every high street. Libraries are much more than places to borrows book. They encourage children and parents to form reading habits (they have reward schemes for children, Mother and Baby groups, Reading sessions, Book Clubs). They offer the right atmosphere for those students who cannot get the chance to study at home. They offer internet and computer services for those who do not have access. And all comes for free! At an age when one would expect to see more investment in libraries, closing them is a shame.
You are very right Scheherazade, it is a shame. You know, a lot of parent - child relationships are strengthened that way too. But then again, a lot of parents aren't around these days. I remember when my mom took me to get my library card.