Gaza: UN Calls Halt While America Procrastinates

The UN Security Council has passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

The resolution is also looking for unimpeded humanitarian access and intense diplomatic efforts for peace. The UN Aid agency Unwra has already had to withdraw its aid to the Palestinians during the 13 day conflict because although the Israeli army know of the locations of their operations and co-ordinates with their movements Unwra installations have been hit. One of their workers was killed yesterday and two injured yesterday when their fork lift truck was fired on by an Israeli tank at the Erez border crossing in the north of the Gaza strip. The International Red Cross is also accusing Israel of not assisting wounded civilians affected by their attacks and incursions.

With 770 Palestinians dead (independent observers saying upwards of 300 being women and children) to 14 Israelis the UN has recognised Israel as the aggressor in breaking the 3rd ceasefire since the turn of the millennium Egypt is trying to broker a long term and permanent ceasefire.

America were the lone abstention on the vote in the Security Council with Condoleezza Rice saying they wanted to see the outcome of those Egyptian efforts. So why the reluctance to call for a ceasefire, withdrawal and sitting on the fence? It isn't so much a positive abstention as a continuation of America's cowardly hand in this situation. America want to be the world's peacemakers, peacekeepers, but when it is one of their allies that breaks the peace they do not want to appear to be coming down too hard. The Bush Administration history in the region is liable to end with this chapter, this abstention. With the humanitarian crisis plain to all to see it was cowardly of the US not to back this end to hostilities.

Why is it important to wait and see the outcome of mediation efforts in the words of Rice when innocent civilians and even aid workers are suffering. The diplomatic terms she used to explain her do not hide the fact that the US were prepared to do nothing, just yet. Didn't feel an urgency to call a halt.

The resolution does say there is a need to look at the smuggling of weapons into Palestine, the border crossings controls of Israel into Gaza and humanitarian aid. There was acknowledgement that both sides need to make efforts. It wasn't a one sided totally anti-Israel as some have said but realised the immediate goal and necessity whilst setting out the longer term goals.

Facebook Ban at Work

At work in the staff restroom areas we have a couple of PCs not linked up through the server but straight to an outside line. It is from here that the agents and other staff can access the websites that are blocked from their networked machines with the proviso that they do not breach other company guidelines regarding legality and decency.

Well it appears that as of some point since this morning that these machines are now blocking Facebook. Something that they had already blocked from desktop machines early last year. Now many of us use that site to make our arrangements for the evening weekend. Guess the agents will just be making good old-fashioned outbound calls to do any arranging just now.

I can't be bothered going back to pick up 'my' laptop just to log on to check my Facebook updates just now so I'll just have to catch up with all your goings on later folks. Once I head to the guitar shop to acquire some new strings so I can meme this.

Slow! Fire! SNP Catch Up In Glasgow East

A week may be a long time in politics to what about 6 months. Aye that is how long it has taken the SNP to wake up to the blight of Parkhead Fire Station.

Back then John Mason was merely a list MSP humble councillor for Glasgow Ballieston before he took the seat off Labour and a disgruntled Margaret Curran. However, when all the candidates back then where challenged by Lib Dem candidate Ian Robertson over the shutting down of the station serving the heavily tenemented area they remained silent. However, now Sandra White has spoken up against this closure saying:

"Parkhead fire station covers some of the poorest communities in the United
Kingdom and research shows the main causes of fires are related to social and
economic problems.

"Parts of this area are badly affected by drug and alcohol abuse problems,
as well as poverty and high unemployment. I believe management's proposals will
be detrimental to these communities."

Pity her colleague Mr Mason hadn't realised the same situation 6 months ago in July

Obviously Lib Dem MSP for Glasgow Robert Brown is delighted to have another voice joining him in urging Government to use its power to intervene to reconsider the issues involved in closing Parkhead and moving service two miles away from such vulnerable citizens.

The is even a link from the Glasgow News site to the long running Lib Dem online petition.


hat tip to Andrew Reeves

Eat Start the Economy

Raymond Blanc may only shut down the restaurant of one couple who dream of running one every week on his TV show The Restaurant. But away from the world of reality TV the reality is looking far more harsh. Restaurants are going to be facing their toughest year since 1990 according to a recent survey. With the credit crunch taking a grip eating out is hitting high on people's list of economising.

The end result of course will be that our catering industry is looking likely to follow the retail trade in restaurants no longer being able to keep up with the lose of trade. Considering that retail companies have been going into administration or worse even during the run up to Christmas we can see what can happen. When you look at the names from the High Street from Woolies to Wedgewood you can also see that there may not be any guarantee for either end of the market it merely may come down to the overheads and whether these are met or not.

The sector is now tightening its belt and jobs and eateries across Scotland are starting to disappear and are expected to carry on doing so throughout the year. Maybe Gordon and Alistair should give us all vouchers to eat out at restaurants to give our restaurant owners an economic stimulus on the boil.

Some of the factors that are adding to the misery in Scotland are:

A need to thin out of the overly congested industry especially in Edinburgh.

An exodus of foreign chefs especially as salaries drop in comparison to the Euro wages offered elsewhere.

The reverse that good from Europe will be forcing prices up beyond which the price elasticity of the consumer can stomach.

Two thirds of people already stating they will be dinning out less this year.

Also post Hogmanay a growing number of restaurants are closing for an extended holiday in January and those staying open are not replacing staff lost through attrition.

Facebook for Gaza

Dear reader if you are also a Facebook user may I direct you to two groups.

The first is that like Zimbabwe foreign journalists are being banned from the Gaza strip. A very dear friend of mine has a friend who is currently on a year out teaching in Palestine. With the media blackout and all that is going on even the Westerners, and yes there are some, who are in Palestine are being cut off. Unlike Zimbabwe from what we can gather the Palestinians want to allow foreign press in to see the other side of the story. One wonders why that is it is because the Egyptian border is permanently sealed and Israel control the only border crossings into Gaza.

Therefore please join the group calling to end the ban on international journalists reporting from Gaza.

The second I know may not bode well with all my readers. But whether you view Israel as the aggressor or the persecuted I trust that any sane individuals will agree that neither one, two or three wrongs make a right. The casualties in this conflict are heavily on the Palestinian side. With no escape route they men, women, the frail and call have to remain close to potential death or injury at all times. The USA, UK and Europe are being slow to cast blame at anyone treading too carefully. However, in the UK one political leader,Nick Clegg, has spoken out calling the west to stop arming Israel.

There is a lot of bad blood flying around the Blogosphere of late over this conflict. Neither the approach of my fellow Lib Dem Irfan Ahmed or Iain Dale the Tory Blogfather are doing the real victims any good. By carrying on a flame war and using deliberately inflammatory language about each other on the Internet they are deflecting from the issues at hand. Both are being subjective rather than objective as in unbefitting them trying to get a salient point across.

Happy Birthday Screech and...

To Dustin Diamond who played Screech on Saved by the Bell he's 32 today wow. Screech is thirty two!! Wonder if he still talks like that. Morgan Spurlock turns 39 and is probably not be going for a super sized meal at McDonalds to celebrate. Sandra Bernhard the actress is celebrating too.

Also to Thom Yorke of Radiohead who is 41, happy salutations for the day. Staying with music Mrs Sting, the model Trudi Styler is 21 again. No doubt there'll be tantric goings on to celebrate the event. And John Mellencamp, aka the artist formerly know and John Cougar Mellencamp, turns 58. While The Cure's John Parry is 60. And Paul McCartney's kid brother the singer Mike McGear is picking up his pension at 65.

Simon Cowell the ubermeister of our television viewing has got an 0 at the end of his age from today. Happy 50th Mr Cowell (though we think that's a artificially deflated age). But far more classically cellist Yo Yo Ma is 54. Mr Stephen loved it when he cameoed in the West Wing.

On that note Mr Stephen is prompting me to get political.

So Donna Rice the woman who ruined Gary Hart's chances of getting to the White House is 51 today.

Hmm head shakes blog right.

George Nethercutt former Rep. (R) for the Washingston 5th District 65. Sen. JohnThune (R) . Carolyn Bessette Kennedy the late wife of JFK jr.

Mr Stephen is getting frantic and keeps telling me to get on to Nick so here goes.

Happy Birthday Nicolas Cage.

Yes the man once famously married to Elvis's daughter but also a screen actor of note is turning 45.

Err.

Nicole Appleton of the All Saints.

Urm.

Surely not Nicolas Warner the test pilot who died during tests for the Airbus.

Ah Mister Stephen had just taken up his guitar (while working on a Wills Howells tribute) and threatened to hit me with it if I don't say 4 little words.

Happy Birthday Mister Nick.

Yes the leader of the Liberal Democrats is 42 (very good number) today.

A Proud Place of Work or Several

The police force, banks and management consultants top the Stonewall equality index ahead of the public sector, the media and education.

The index which for the fifth year has ranked employers based on their impact of workplace culture on gay, lesbian and bisexual employees is as a key barometer of diversity practices across the UK. The index looks at how employees diversity policies and how they impact on recruitment applications comparing it with information of experiences gathered from the employees.

This year the study has grown to more than twice the size when it started surveying 7,000 lesbian and gay employees of 371 employers over 23 sectors. Seventeen separate police forces feature in the top 100, three in the top ten. While sectors like law and housing have improved considerably, the construction industry along with media and the NHS do particularly poorly. Indeed only one NHS Trust, Tower Hamlets, appears in the top 100.

However, for this fifth incarnation of the index the standard was made tougher than in the past as Stonewall also required proof of long-term effectiveness from entrants.

One encouraging statistic from the index is that 97% of the top 100 were organisations that had an organisation-wide equality and diversity strategy linking Lesbian Gay Bisexual equality into their wider organisational aims.

The Count Down of the Top 10

10. Home Office*
8. = Merseyside Police
8. = Manchester City Council
7. London Borough of Tower Hamlets
5. = Transport for London
5. = Nacro (last years no. 1)
4. Kent Police
3. Brighton and Hove City Council
2. Hampshire Police
1. Lloyds TSB

*I will reserve comment about other issues for now. (Will right a balance piece later)

Buildings Fail to Green Up to Expectations

Many of the Scottish Government buildings have failed to come up to the expected standards for their Energy Performance Certificates it has been revealed. Many including the Scottish Parliament had also failed to meet the deadline of yesterday to display their certificate.



St Andrew's House and Victoria Quay in Edinburgh were found to be massively energy inefficient and creating a far larger carbon footprint than they should. On the scale of A for best and G for worst the Scottish Government set out to get its buildings audited by the start of this year but many have fallen short of their expectations. While the scale goes from bad to worse it must also be noted that different building types based on possible achievable energy saving and restrictions of building face different levels of which they are deemed to be good.


Victoria Quay which has only been open for 12 years and the older St. Andrews House both achieved an E+ rating well below the C rating that would have been considered good. The Scottish Parliament Building itself at Holyrood was only displaying its draft certificate of a B yesterday, to be considered good the modern building required a B+.

However, some public buildings did meet the deadlines for displaying their certificates they include Edinburgh city council's chambers, which scored an E+, and Glasgow city council's chambers, which achieved an E. The National Museum of Rural Life near East Kilbride scored an E, while the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh was given an F+.

Now We're On to the Crystal and China

Lock up all your valuables. I read earlier that the Waterford Wedgewood company is the latest to go into administration. These are two very fine crafted luxury goods manufacturers. If they were to disappear the UK and Irish workforce would lose many skilled workers in very refined arts.



Admittedly both companies aim particularly at the high end of the market, while their lower end goods still bear the price tag to match the name. If the almost 100 year presence of Woolworths on our High Streets is hard to take should these other two W's cease to exist an even great piece of our history would be lost forever. Josiah Wedgewood set up his pottery in 1759 and it has long be the epitome of fine china. The Penrose brothers set up their quality crystal factory in Waterford in 1783.



Seeing my mother once won the top prize at the Belfast Music Festival, which was massive Waterford Crystal vase, which barely came out of it's box with us youngsters around, I have fond memories of the company. Indeed one of the beaten finalists, which if I recall were predominantly if not all Frank Capper pupils was Eugene O'Hagan, now topping the classical music charts as one of The Priests.

It's the diversity of businesses, banks, car manufacturer,s retailers and now this that are suffering as a result of this recession. Plus the fact that many are actually quite established names shows just how much bite there is to this downturn.

My Tuppence Worth: The Who Debate

Wow what a backlash there has been to the decision to make Matt Smith the next Doctor, as I blogged yesterday the Internet was abuzz before, during and especially after the reveal finally happened. Firstly having jokingly suggested that LibDemBlogs should have been renamed yesterday evening due to the Whovian throughput I'm shocked that so many Lib Dem friends* hadn't seen him in the excellent Party Animals but maybe that is shaded by the fact that some of the rest seem to be equally political drama and sci-fi geeks.


There appear to be three main bones of contention age, race and gender. Oh boy let's address all three.


First on the point of age why is this such an issue. Some have argued that this will cause the Doctor issues with authority figures (my Lib Dem Friends had better now whisper this too loudly near Jo Swinson, Julia Goldsworthy or Jenny Willott that) well if we could find a 900 year old actor they may not also have been totally satisfied either. The fact is in the previous 10 regenerations of the Doctor there have been juvenile and serious portrayals. In my opinion two of the must juvenile takes on it were carried out my Sylvester McCoy and Patrick Troughton, Peter Davidson though youthful in looks was quite a serious vision of the time lord. However, it can be a useful narrative devise look at the way Douglas Adams uses Ford Prefect's distance from his home world to instill a sense of unease in others. So I'm sure can Moffat et al over come the youthful appearance of the 900 year old persona, indeed there will be some quite comedic and possibly dramatic possibilities to come out of this casting.

I'd therefore argue that the age of the actor is an irrelevance if that actor can act. Yeah sure for the first time since I sat down to watch Jon Pertwee this will be the first time that the actor playing the Doctor is younger than me. So what? I'll be in my forties before he appears on the screen.

We move on to race. Like many when I heard rumours of Paterson Joseph or Kulvinder Ghir taking the role I was kind of excited about the possibility, especially of the former. Of course when Freema Agyeman became the first companion of an ethnic minority Doctor who was taking a well overdue step. The rules of sci-fi and indeed the regeneration of a Time Lord would not (as hinted before by the production team) inhibit a colourful outcome of a regeneration scene.

Sure it would have been good for racial equality reasons but rather than making the casting decision solely on those grounds it has to be made on acting ability. Which while these two fine gentleman are not lacking in as said last night there was a stand out performance that the team kept coming back to.

The final option and complaint related to gender. Sure in the worlds of Sci-fi there should be no inhibition of the Doctor changing gender. Although from history, if memory serves, male time lords have always regenerated as males and the females as females of those we have seen in more than one regeneration. Of course all that may well be able to throw itself out the window if we are down to the last time lord, something that was left a little ambiguous in the final scene of The Last of the Time Lords, all things may well be possible, including changing to the correct gender for reproduction purposes to maintain the race. So could some like say Jennifer Saunders or Billie Piper have taken over the role? Possibly, and it is something that cannot be ruled out for the future.

Seeing as both Billie Piper and Paterson Joseph have already appeared in other persona's in the series I'm surprised that nobody has pointed this out as a reason for not selection them as the next Doctor. Sure Freema came back as a companion and different character from her first appearance, but that was explained away in the storyline by genetics. Would it be right for the Doctor to regenerate assuming the appearance of someone from his past. He does after all appear to have no idea what appearance he will regenerate into. Look at the early look into the mirror, feeling or face or teeth of each new version of our favourite time lord. So maybe there is some part of the genetics that when this process goes ahead inhibits imitation of another being already encountered for although it will not result in the actuality of meeting oneself when traveling through the dimensions of time and space you may well re-encounter such a person and it may well cause fatal shock.

In the end the thing that has to be first and foremost in the production teams mind is can our chosen one act, can he portray the Doctor and will he hold the audience and give our writers and directors something to work with. As it emerged on Doctor Who Confidential last night Matt Smith was one of if not the first auditionee for the part, comment like 'in the first hour of the audition process'. Being first is possibly one of the hardest positions to fill as as more and more get seen you may easily be forgotten if great performances follow. Yet Matt had stuck in the production team's mind through all the others.

So true Doctor Who fans must ask themselves how can that me. Steven Moffat and the others are like Russell T. Davies before are well versed in the lore of the Doctor. These people seemed to have been so taken by Matt Smith's audition that they kept thinking back to it no matter who else they viewed. Surely that is enough for any of us to know that after he spends 6 months working out his particular take on the role that there will be something really special to look forward to once the face of David Tennent morphs into that of Matt Smith.

*Pity I can't link to all the others' Facebook up dates