Rabu, 26 November 2008

The British Fritzl - Another Perverted Gaffer/Father

THE BRITISH FRITZL

Another Perverted "Gaffer" (Father) with A Female Accomplice (His Wife)
What are their Names? Unfortunately the old method of Naming and Shaming in public has disappeared in order to protect the victims.

This man and woman were clearly unfit parents, so why were they allowed to have children?

BRITISH FRITZL WHO RAPED DAUGHTERS OVER 1,000 TIMES

Daily Express - 26 November 2008

........The 56-year-old, who has been compared to the notorious Austrian Josef Fritzl, was given 25 life sentences for the horrific catalogue of rapes and abuse he inflicted on his children..............

25 life terms for 'British Fritzl - The Independent - 25 November 2008

Authorities had numerous chances to intervene in the rape of two daughters by their father.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, impregnated his daughters 19 times, with seven children surviving. All of them have health problems related to genetic abnormalities.

The elder daughter became pregnant seven times and has two surviving children. Her sister had 12 pregnancies and has five surviving children. Two of the sisters' babies died the day they were born.

1988 - Teachers become suspicious when injuries are noticed on the face of one of the girls at school, but they are subsequently blamed on bullying. The other daughter stays away from school with a broken arm. During this time, and on several occasions over the next 14 years, doctors raise concerns with the sisters about abnormalities in the foetuses of their unborn children. One doctor tells a daughter not to have any more children with the same man and questioned the children's paternity. Any involvement with the father is disputed. DNA tests were not carried out.

Early 1990s The family move from South Yorkshire to live in small villages in Lincolnshire.

1997 The brother of the two women goes to police with "hearsay evidence" of incest. Police look into the claim but no further action is taken.

1998 One of the daughters phones ChildLine in an attempt to report the ongoing abuse. She asks for a guarantee that the sisters would be able to keep their children but hangs up when that cannot be given.

2004 The family move back to South Yorkshire, and while social services again become involved, the abuse is not detected.

June 2008 The case comes to the attention of authorities. The father is arrested.

Other Sources of Information

How two girls were trapped by shame, fear and the love of their own children - The Times - 26 November 2008

Britain's Fritzl: The professionals who failed to act - Daily Mail - 26 November 2008

RAPIST DAD: Mother turned blind eye to years of harm - The Star - 26 November 2008

Here lies a story demonstrating exactly why many countries should stop claiming they are role models of an advanced civilization. Their Behaviour, Attitudes and Depravity is straight out of biblical times and not reflective of any Lessons Learned and the 21st Century.

Refer to my post HISTORICAL CASES OF ABDUCTION, IMPRISONMENT, SEXUAL ABUSE & MURDER OF ADULTS AND CHILDREN By Parents and Strangers

END NOTE

Does this British Gaffer and his wife, have names with religious connotations, just like "RoseMARY" and "JOSEF", the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION "FRITZL?

Refer to my post Josef Fritzl and UK v Osman.

Senin, 24 November 2008

Italian Animal Rights Party forms a new alliance

In preparation for the next European Parliament elections in June 2009, the Partito Animalista Italiano, Italian Party for Animal Rights, has formed an alliance with two other Italian parties: the Environmentalist Party and the Eurosceptics Party.

The new alliance will contest the European elections, which are now only a few months away, and has just joined the EUDemocrats, a Europe-wide, transnational party which has 6 members of the European Parliament in its midst and focuses on the issue of democracy in the European Union.

The new Italian coalition, called “Euro Scettici-Animalisti-Ambientalista”, has begun to get ready for the forthcoming European election and hopes to secure 1 or 2 seats in the European Parliament.

Does it sound ambitious?

"It’s entirely possible” replies Cristiano Ceriello of the Italian Animal Rights Party. “If the European election law, as it seems certain, remains the same, a party only needs 0.7 % of the national votes to elect a member of the European Parliament.

“According to the polls commissioned by us, our new alliance Euro Scettici-Animalisti-Ambientalisti should get 1.5% of the votes, which would allow us to gain 2 seats."

Communication: Words & Expressions That Destroy Your Magnetism

Powerful communications are often killed by gratuitous remarks. Sadly, those spoiling their communication efforts are unaware of how they have hurt themselves. The following expressions that are flagged as “connection destroyers” are directly from chapter 6 of The It Factor: Be the One People Like, Listen to, and Remember.

These are words and expressions you are going to recognize in your own speech patterns every day. At first glance, you may argue, “Well that word isn’t so bad,” or “I never took that to be a negative.” Perhaps, some of us are fooled by their subtlety and popularity.

1. Misuse of the Word “Certainly”
If you use the word “certainly” only to answer a yes-or-no question with a positive, direct, and upbeat emphasis, you are one of the rare communications superstars!
If you are using “certainly” in any other situation as an attempt to demonstrate warmth or intensity, you are, sadly, creating a subtle yet nefarious communications disconnect.
If you’re a member of this ill-advised adverb pack, you think the word “certainly” strengthens sentences. It doesn’t.

Example: “We certainly are glad to be here today.”
“Certainly” adds nothing here but a healthy dose of insincerity. The sentence is more meaningful without it. If you were “certainly” glad to be here, you’d go to more trouble and say why.

2. “I Don’t See Why Not”
Trying to weasel out of a commitment with your words casts instant doubts on your credibility and trustworthiness. And it all starts innocently enough.

“I don’t see why not” has lots of dirty little relatives, as they will hurt you just as much. Here’s my short list of “cover your rear” words that can ruin your credibility.
“As far as I know . . .”, “For the most part . . .”

3. “More than Happy” Is More Than Creepy!
“More than happy.” takes no effort and does possible harm. Instead let “happy” stand on its own, and add a sentence or two with an action verb that demonstrates that you are actually
happy to complete the assigned task.
Example: “I’d be happy to bring you cream. I’m heading for the kitchen right now.”
I also want you to be cautious with “really” and “so very much.”
“Really” and “so very much” aren’t communications killers, but they undermine your strength and conviction, and that makes them dangerous.

4. Saying “I Am Sorry” When You Are Not Sorry
I plead guilty for this one. It’s one of those people-pleasing aspects.
Here is the simple rule: Don’t say you are “sorry” when you aren’t.

You can smell the dishonesty in the room when someone says in a harsh tone, “Well, I’m sorry, but I just have to disagree.” You know they aren’t sorry at all. They are indignant, furious, upset. They aren’t sorry, at all! You’re sure of that. And that’s not okay, because they are not being direct. Once they interject a facetious tone it hurts the whole connection process.

5. Never Tell Others You Are Being “Honest”
We can quickly dispose of “honestly” and its evil dastardly cousins, “to tell you the truth” and “frankly.”

Just because others use these expressions every day doesn’t mean you should. Take a look at their literal interpretation:
“Honestly . . . because we both know my integrity is usually in doubt.”
“To tell you the truth. . . . because I exaggerate incessantly.”

When you say “honestly,” your listener consciously or unconsciously starts to wonder about you. Why do you have to say you’re being honest? You shouldn’t have to point it out . . . ever!

6. “I’m Just Saying . . .” Means “I’m Just Criticizing You”
Sometimes we like to criticize people but want to remain pristine and cordial by pretending we haven’t said anything critical at all.
Have you noticed that whenever you add, “I’m just saying,” it’s never preceded by a positive statement.
Example: You may say: “I think your budget projections are way off, but I’m just saying.” What the other person hears is: “I think your budget projections are way off, but I’m just questioning your competence.”

Some of these words have come out of my mouth in the past and still slip out
every now and then. It’s impossible to cleanse yourself of them
every moment of every day.
Take a look at the above sic and pick out the one that irritates you most. Count how many times you hear someone else use that expression today. Imagine how much more powerful each speaker would be without all those lame expressions.

Rabu, 19 November 2008

Saudi Arabia Attacks Doctor Raouf Amin, An Egyptian Whipping Boy, who bowed To His ROYAL Patients

LEFT: King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

Saudi Arabia Attacks Doctor Raouf Amin,
An Egyptian Whipping Boy,
who bowed To His ROYAL Patients

This is the 21st CENTURY and Saudi Arabia is Doing It Again. Or is there something We Don't Know about Egyptian Doctors and their conduct as well as Raouf Amin and his Royal Patients?

I can understand 1,500 lashes even Saudi Beheadings for some heinous crimes (when someone is a barbaric uncivilized human being in the 21st century, you must treat them accordingly as a deterrent to others, even in Democratic Countries) but surely not for simply supplying medication that had already proved effective for this Horse Riding, Back Aching, Demanding Saudi Princess.

Has this PRINCESS stopped taking MORPHINE, now that she knows what happens to Innocent Doctors who seek to alleviate the suffering of the Saudi Royal Family?

The Moral of the Story is Don't Work for Royalty anywhere, if they are going to punish you for simply doing your job.

Doctor Sentenced to 1,500 Lashes for Addicting Saudi Princess to Painkillers
Egyptian Raouf Amin languishes in a Saudi jail and is punished with 70 lashes once a week. Cut off from his family in Egypt, the 52-year-old doctor was convicted for prescribing painkillers to a Saudi princess that led to her addiction.

An appeal court judge ruled that Amin will be beaten weekly until he has received 1,500 lashes - and then he'll spend another 14 years behind bars.

The judge doubled the original punishment meted out to him a little over one year ago in the lower court where Amin was sentenced to a seven-year jail term with 750 lashes.

Not surprisingly, human rights groups and the Egyptian doctor's syndicate are outraged.

The doctor, who has lived and worked in the Gulf state for more than 20 years, had been treating the princess for several months for back pains after she visited the hospital in which he worked.

Ahmed Amin, the doctor's son, who himself was born in Saudi Arabia, claims the woman went into the hospital and specified the medication she wanted. The woman had been receiving similar treatment in the United States after she had fallen from a horse while riding.

Hafez Abu Saeda, the director of EOHR concurred that the medication Amin had prescribed was the same as the woman had been receiving in the United States, "so it is obvious that the doctor was not at fault for her addiction," Abu Saeda concluded.

Both the Egyptian foreign ministry and the Saudi Embassy in Cairo refused to comment on the case, saying the matter is still under investigation.

Sources of Information about Raouf Amin and Shawki Abd Rabu

Employment ban - 20 November 2008 - Al-Ahram Weekly

Egypt draws up Saudi companies blacklist: report - 14 November 2008 - Daily Star Egypt

Egypt halts doctor visas to Saudi - 13 November 2008 - BBC

Doctor Sentenced to 1,500 Lashes for Addicting Saudi Princess to Painkillers - 28 October 2008 - Middle East Times

Senin, 17 November 2008

Heroes TV Series: Lessons That Can Awaken The Hero In You

I'm one of those people who spend more time on the internet than in front of a television. Apart from one or two shows, I am not really sure what’s airing on a regular basis. Over the weekend I got hold of the Heroes DVD series. The idea behind Heroes is that otherwise ordinary people start discovering that they have super-powers. Initially, they are confused but gradually they wake up to their calling. (Believe me, it much more interesting than what is described here. Watch it!)

Anyway, I am always on the lookout for good blog post ideas. While watching Heroes, it struck me that there is more meaning to its conversation; we can ponder, learn and apply it to our lives.

In spite the absence of super duper powers, in your own way, you are a hero as well. I don’t know whether you view yourself as such. I am not the first one to say this. Mariah Carey made a good case with her song Hero. Think about it. You can be a blogging hero, your better half might consider you a hero, to your child you may be a hero etc., So you see, you don’t need to paint the future, walk through walls, travel through time or turn water into wine. If you have the courage to do what is necessary, when it is necessary, you will realize, that a hero lies in you.

Every hero must learn his purpose. Then he'll be tested and called to greatness.

Reading the above quote, you might recall your job, your daily responsibilities or even your long-term goals. It refers to something much more greater; the very reason you exist. You may not believe in having a purpose or you may already have figured it out.
If you have discovered the purpose, that’s really great. Perhaps, the hardest part is keeping it with you on a daily basis; working on yourself to the point where you become that purpose.

It is man’s ability to remember, that sets us apart. We are the only species concerned with past. Our memories give us voice and bear witness to history, so that others might learn; so they might celebrate our triumphs and be warned of our failures.

This really sums up the mission of this blog! Believe it or not, this is the message I tried to get across in the About page. Admittedly, there are good mistakes (they help us learn as we live) and bad mistakes (the careless or chronic ones that plague the thoughtless or irresponsible). It naturally forms our past, and shapes our future.

A hero doesn't run away from his destiny. My only concern is whether I need to hide my true identity.

Being YOU is sometimes the hardest thing to do. People expect so many things from you. In times of turbulence, remember that your identity is your most valuable possession.

To survive in this world, we hold close to us those on whom we depend. We trust in them our hopes, our fears...

Family and Friends… They are the ones who will see you through your happy and sad moments; they are the ones you can count on when everything turns out wrong and everyone else is not on your side. If you are like me, you already know their importance.

When confronted by our worst nightmares, the choices are few; Fight or flight. We hope to find the strength to stand against our fears but sometimes, despite ourselves, we run...

Life throws you many curve balls and there are times when we all wish to “get away” from it all, even if for a while. The bitter truth is it doesn’t matter how far you run you can’t escape. Eventually, you have to force yourself to do what you thought was so impossible.

Where does it come from, this quest? This need to solve life's mysteries, when the simplest of questions can never be answered. Why are we here? What is the soul? Why do we dream? Perhaps we'd be better off not looking at all. Not doubting, not yearning. That's not human nature. Not the human heart. That is not why we are here.

Have you watched the Heroes TV series? Did you ever feel like that episode start phrase was talking to you? Sending you a message?

Senin, 10 November 2008

Using Humor As A Social Lubricant!

I just noticed that my recent posts at Enhance Life have been a bit heavy on the mind. So, today when I sat down to write a post, I made a pledge to steer clear of such genre.

After toying with several ideas, I decided to write about one characteristic I really admire in people; a sense of humor.

“If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable, without knowing it” ~Herodotus

We may not all be born comedians, but most people are naturally humorous. Some people effortlessly see humor in their surrounding, while others may not have such an easy flair for noticing the lighter side of things.

A Sense Of Humor Can Truly Save The Day

Pulling your hair out…screaming profanities…banging your head against the wall. These are all tempting ways to deal with the everyday situations that drive us crazy. Regardless of what brand of humor appeals to you, the ability to find humor in stressful or uncomfortable situations can provide important benefits to your psychological and physical well-being.

Humor enhances our ability to connect with others. Sometimes, it can increase trust and likability.

Humor can defuse negative emotions such as anger and guilt, spark
enthusiasm, and inspire motivation.

At some point, we’ve all come across a tight-jawed sourpuss who takes everything with deathly seriousness and never laughs at anything. Expressing humor can reduce the inhibitions and increase the self-confidence of individuals who are otherwise shy and introverted by nature.

Humor helps us cope, conquer, and carry on. It actually makes us measurably tougher!

If you can laugh at it, you can survive it ~Bill Cosby

Humor: General Guidelines You Should Follow

There aren’t definite rules of what’s funny and what isn’t. It’s really a matter of personal taste. However, use humor with care by being mindful of the following.

1. Play Nice. Commiserate, don’t humiliate. Ensure that the person is enjoying your attempts at humor. Keep in mind that “inside jokes” can sometimes make people feel excluded.

2. Timing is everything. Humor doesn’t work in every situation. It can detract from a serious discussion. On the other hand, it can ease tensions when things get too serious. Also, don't use humor when someone else is suffering a serious crisis, or when you are attending a somber event, such as a funeral etc.

3. Don’t overuse humor. At times, there is a need to seriously confront other people or our own pain. Don’t mask the pain and don’t use humor as an excuse for not confronting others when necessary.

4. Find your own style. Some people are spontaneous and outgoing. Others are low key, watchful, and bemused. Some tell jokes or make others laugh in other ways.

Much of humor depends upon shared experiences.. seeing things the same way. It relies on your point of view, your beliefs on life, your way of thinking.

Senin, 03 November 2008

Book Review: Eat That Frog- Get More Done In Less Time

My Favorite Excerpt

It has been said for many years that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.
Your "frog" is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don't do something about it.
It is also the one task that can have the greatest positive impact on your life and results at the moment.

A quick browse through of Eat That Frog

Chapter 1: Set the table really focuses on one main thing: Clarity. The author highlights that a major reason for procrastination and lack of motivation is vagueness, confusion and fuzzy mindedness about what it is you are supposed to do, and in what order and for what reason.

Chapter 2: Plan every day in advance If you are someone who tends to think that time spent on planning is a waste of time, then this chapter is definitely for you.

Chapter 3: Apply the 80/20 Rule to everything Describes the Pareto Principle: Twenty percent of your activities will account for eighty percent of your results.

Chapter 4: Consider the consequences Your most important tasks and priorities are those that can have the most serious consequences, positive or negative, on your life or work. This chapter encourages you to focus on these above all else.

Chapter 5: Practice the ABCDE Method continually Is about prioritizing and making sure that you are working on your most important activities.

Chapter 6: Focus on key result areas Helps you identify and determine those results that you absolutely, positively have to get to do your job well.

Chapter 7: The Law of Forced Efficiency If you examine your life you’ll realize that there is never enough time to do everything but there is always enough time to do the most important things. This chapter takes a look at what these important tasks.

Chapter 8: Prepare thoroughly before you begin Highlights that proper prior preparation prevents poor performance.

Chapter 9: Do your homework I am sure you will agree that the more knowledgeable and skilled you become at your key tasks, the faster you start them and the sooner you get them done.

Chapter 10: Leverage your special talents Takes a deeper look at what you are good at. Or rather what you could be very good at.

Chapter 11: Identify your key constraints Examines the bottlenecks or choke points, internally or externally, that set the speed at which you achieve your most important goals.

Chapter 12: Take it one oil barrel at a time Gives the message that you can accomplish the biggest and most complicated job if you just complete it one step at a time.

Chapter 13: Put the pressure on yourself Describes how you can push yourself beyond your boundaries.

Chapter 14: Maximize your personal powers Helps you identify your periods of highest mental and physical energy each day. It also iterated how you can structure your most important and demanding tasks around these times.

Chapter 15: Motivate yourself into action Is more about having a positive attitude and being optimistic .

Chapter 16: Practice creative procrastination At some point you must deliberately put off those tasks that are of low value so that you have enough time to do the few things that really count.

Chapter 17: Do the most difficult task first Urges you to begin each day with your most difficult task.

Chapter 18: Slice and dice the task Is about breaking large, complex tasks down into bite sized pieces and then just doing one small part of the task to get started.

Chapter 19: Create large chunks of time Guides you on how to organize your days around large blocks of time where you can concentrate for extended periods.

Chapter 20: Develop a sense of urgency Gives details of how you can become known as a person who does things quickly and well.

Chapter 21: Single handle every task Final dose of advice! “start immediately on your most important task and then work without stopping until the job is 100% complete”

Overall

This book does not
1. Dwell on the various psychological or emotional explanations for procrastination.
2. Cover methods for poor time management

You are unlikely to find any of the 21 concepts to be brand new. However, these are practical and left me with an "I can do this" vibe.

What you will learn are specific actions you can take immediately to get better, faster results in your work. I can recommend this book to anyone caught in the swamp of procrastination. However, if you think you're a very efficient person already, this book may not do much for you.

Human Weakness