Chatting in Bus

‘This is a sign of what has happened to our society,’ explains Zeldin, ‘and what has happened to theWestern world in general.We are isolated.We do not know our neighbours and this is a great shame.’ According to Zeldin, people originally left the countryside for cities to get away from close communities and everyone knowing everything about their private lives. They came to cities to seek autonomy, independence and a new life. ‘But every advantage carries a disadvantage,’ he says, ‘and loneliness became one of the characteristics of the city.’

So can you simply strike up a conversation from nowhere? And what would you say? Zeldin believes many of us avoid talking about things that really matter to us in conversation. ‘We have developed humour as a strategy to evade anything too personal. We’ve learned how to talk about football and politics, which are ways to distract us from talking about what we really care about,’ he explains. ‘The question is: how do we talk about what really matters to us? How do we make conversation something that is useful in life and not something used as a distraction?’ I must admit, the last thing I want to do during my 8am commute is talk. I see this period as ‘me time’ and I can’t be bothered with idle chit-chat. Perhaps this is the problem.

Back in 2001 Zeldin formed the Oxford Muse Foundation (www.oxfordmuse.com) in a bid to solve our conversational hang-ups. The foundation aims to ‘stimulate courage and invention in personal, professional and cultural life’ and to help with this Zeldin developed a menu of conversation.

‘It looks like a restaurant menu and under each heading are three to four questions,’ he explains. ‘These questions are the most profound questions about what matters to you, questions about how your priorities have changed in the course of your life and how you would like them to change in the future. ‘How many hours would you need to think about that? It’s a very hard question but it’s the most important question in your life.’

It sounds like heavy stuff, especially at 8am in a crowded carriage, but Zeldin’s philosophy is that by doing this we will get to know more about the person sitting next to us and break down the barriers of religion, class and racism. ‘One of the great ambitions is to discover the diversity of the world, to discover who inhabits the world,’ he says. ‘Each person is an enigma. You’re a puzzle not only to yourself but also to everyone else and the great mystery of our time is how we penetrate this puzzle.’ Zeldin says we should not stereotype people and suggests by striking up a conversation we will get to know more about our neighbours from around the world. ‘Why do we not have a friend in every country?’ he asks. ‘Is that not a way of discovering the world?You’ll soon discover that person is not a stereotype of their country as may have been suggested.’

At one of his talks, I chat with Deborah Klatt. The 51-year-old convert to Islam from the US now lives in the United Arab Emirates with her husband and children. She tells me it’s much easier to talk to people in the US than in Britain. ‘I don’t know if it’s just a culture thing but I think British people are so worried about not being offensive that sometimes it limits them,’ she says. ‘Maybe because of the way I dress they don’t want to bother me but it seems they’re not used to taking a risk and talking to someone.’

So do we need to look past our visual perceptions before we can see the real person inside? If this can simply be done by talking to one another, why not put it to the test? According to Zeldin, we are fast losing opportunities to meet new people. So next time you sit on the bus or train and there’s no Metro to read or book to bury your head in, take a look around you and speak out. Who knows who might be listening and willing to chat back?

Article First Published in Metro

Double Backlinking

What is double backlinking [or 2nd-tier backlinking]? It’s where you have a number of sister sites that point to your main revenue / money site. The sister sites are created for the primary purpose of giving your main site more link juice and authority on Google. Sister sites could be blog posts on other networks, social media accounts like Twitter pages and Face book Fan pages, or just sites that you’ve had sitting around and have not done much with lately.

Pointing links to sister sites can take more time to produce results but it can be a useful technique if you have any concerns about pointing links directly to your main site. The links are perfect for giving sister sites more authority and ultimately transferring more link juice to your main site.

And experts warn that it could cost the average household £425 a year. Ahead of next week’s budget, the TUC calculates the poorest fifth of households spend twice the percentage of their disposable income on VAT as the richest fifth.

Food and children’s clothes are exempt but so are private health and private education. The TUC report said increasing VAT would feed  directly through to inflation, with possible interest rate rises leading to higher borrowing costs for companies and bigger mortgage bills for consumers.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: ‘VAT increases don’t just hit the poor more, they also hit small firms, threaten retail jobs and by boosting inflation could lead to higher interest rates.’ Accounting firm KPMG added that a VAT increase could hit businesses, such as retail and financial services, hard. Malcolm Edge, head of national markets at KPMG, said: ‘Such a move could stifle consumer spending, hampering the recovery and it could cost the average household £425 a year.’  Article First  Published in Metro

iPod Touch

Apple fans won’t even have to worry about the sleek designs being compromised by the panels – as they will be hidden inside. The cells will be housed behind the touch screen and a transparent back will allow it to draw twice the amount of energy. The patent application has been filed in the US by Apple engineer Michael Rosenblatt. This is yet another example of Apple ‘pushing the envelope’, said Flora Graham, mobile phone editor at technology website CNET. ‘What Apple is great at doing is taking existing technology and refining it – we saw it with touch screens and we’ve just seen it with the announcement of video phone calls for the iPhone 4. ‘The problem with solar charging is it takes a long time and we have relatively little sunshine in the UK. ‘However, if Apple applies its mastery of technology to getting it right I’m sure it would work very well.’

It is unlikely Apple will bring in the panels this year. ‘Certainly solar technology is quite advanced so we’re not talking about something way off in the future,’ added Ms Graham. Last week, Apple boss Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone 4, which has a new glass back, possibly paving the way for the solar panels.  Article First  Published in Metro — By Aidan Radnedge

Apple iPod Touch Pocket Computer

Apple shares are worth more than ten times what they were a decade ago after churning out hit product after hit product such as the iPod, iPhone and MacBook laptops. That trend looks set to continue as today sees the launch in Britain of Apple’s iPad tablet computer, a format Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates mooted in 2001 but was shot down. And next month Apple boss Steve Jobs will unveil the next generation iPhone – the device that Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer dismissed back in 2007 as having ‘no chance’. Microsoft, whose operating systems run on 90 per cent of the world’s personal computers, has not been able to match growth rates from the 1990s.

Its stock is down 20 per cent from ten years ago. Apple, which struggled By Joel Taylor to get its products into the mainstream, resorted to a £103million investment from Microsoft in 1997. Microsoft has suffered because the consumer market, Apple’s focus, has outpaced the growth of spending on technology by businesses, Microsoft’s stronghold, said David Yoffie, a Harvard Business School professor. ‘Apple has had the wind at its back,’ he added. ‘Microsoft is playing catch-up.’   Article First  Published in Metro — By Joel Taylor

Dave Williams, 42, wanted to borrow £83,000 but has been turned down after surveyors found Japanese knotweed in his flower beds. The bamboo-like weed can grow up to 3.6m (12ft) and is hard to eradicate with pesticides. It can push through concrete and damage buildings. Offi-
cials said the knotweed posed a risk to the structure of the building, which rendered it ‘unsaleable’.

‘It’s crazy. We should use some common sense,’ said MrWilliams. ‘It is an intensive weed but all I’ve got is half a dozen sticks barely 2ft high. ‘If I had a survey done in winter I would have been OK because it only comes up in spring and summer.’ The offending plant is growing on land nearby that Mr Williams bought to extend his garden. The carpenter, from St Austell, Cornwall, had hoped to borrow 20 per cent of the house
value but mortgage provider Santander refused. In a letter to the family, Santander said the property was ‘not readily saleable for owner occupation’.

Aspokesman said: ‘Due to the invasive and destructive nature of Japanese knotweed, if it is found in close proximity to the property we would need to assess whether or not a mortgage could be accepted.’ Knotweed is common in Britain after being brought over from Japan in the mid-19th century. It is immune to most natural pests and diseases. Cutting it back tends to make it grow back thicker. The cost of trying to eradicate the weed from Britain is estimated at more than £1.25billion.

But a spokesman for the Royal Horticultural Society said knotweed was a ‘nuisance’ not a ‘problem’. And a spokesman for knotweed eradication company Herpetosure said the weed could be dealt with ‘if treated properly’.  By Ross McGuinness

BA Strike

The union said the action was ‘strongly supported’. But BA remained defiant, saying 12 of its aircraft would have the slogan ‘keep the flag flying’ painted on them, to underline the message it will continue to fly.

The airline said it ran more than 60 per cent of its long-haul programme and more than 50 per cent of short-haul flights from Heathrow, while services from Gatwick and London City ran as normal.

It said more than 60,000 customers would still travel every day this week. BA had to axe three Heathrow to New York flights yesterday and also one of its Miami services.

Other cancellations included five of the nine Milan flights, four Paris serv-ices, two Madrid flights and some domestic ones, all from Heathrow.

Meanwhile, BA pilots denied claims from cabin crew that a deal could not be done because they objected to travel perks being restored to staff who went on strike in March. ‘It is nonsense to claim pilots are doing anything to prevent a settlement,’ said Jim McAuslan, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots’ Association.

A spokesman for David Cameron called on ‘the two parties to resolve the situation as soon as possible’. Unite said its offer to suspend the strike if BA fully restored travel perks still stood.

“JOINT Unite boss Derek Simpson was on Twitter again last night talking about watching England at Wembley – just two days after his tweets helped wreck BA strike talks. He tweeted on his BlackBerry: ‘I am at Wembley for England match…It is a first for me!!’ He faces a backlash after his  tweets sparked an invasion of the last-ditch meeting with BA boss Willie Walsh by Socialist Workers Party activists on Saturday.“

You can search on Google for blogs (edu blogs are the best catches) with phrases like this (or variations) :

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Free Backlinks

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Here are the key points of Chancellor Alistair Darling’s 2010 Budget, the last one before the general election.

UK Budget 2010

FUEL, CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL DUTIES

• 3p fuel duty rise to be phased in<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8585352.stm> in three stages between April and January 2011 rather than in one go next month
• Cider duty to rise by 10% above inflation <http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/daveharvey/2010/03/chancellors_cider_tax_leaves_w.html> from midnight on Sunday Wine, beer and spirit duties to rise by 2% from midnight on Sunday and further 2% rise planned for two years from 2013.
• Tobacco duty up 1% from midnight on Sunday and by 2% in real terms each year until 2014

HOUSING

• Stamp Duty scrapped for homes  <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8585423.stm> selling for up to £250,000 for first-time buyers, but only for two years.
• Stamp duty on residential property sales over £1m to increase to 5% from April 2011.
• The most expensive properties in each area will be excluded from Housing Benefit calculations.

UK ECONOMY

• Economy contracted 6% during the recession<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/avconsole/latest_news/857354.stm>.
• Predicted growth of 1% to 1.25% in 2010, in line with forecasts.
• 2011 growth forecast lowered from 3.5% to 3-3.5%.

BORROWING

• Borrowing this year forecast to be £167bn<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8584978.stm> – £11bn lower than predicted in December.
• Borrowing to fall from £163bn in 2010-11 to £74bn by 2014-15.
• Public sector net debt to reach 54% of gross domestic product this year,increasing to 75% in 2014/15.

HELP FOR BUSINESS

• £2.5bn package for small business to boost skills and innovation<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8585144.stm>
• One year business rate cut from October to help 500,000 companies.
• Investment allowance for small firms doubled to £100,000.
• Doubling relief on capital gains tax for entrepreneurs but no change to capital gains tax rates.
• £385m to maintain road network.
• Canals body British Waterways to become charitable trust not sold off

BANK LENDING

• One-off bank bonus tax has raised £2bn, double the amount forecast.
• Basic bank account guarantee for a million extra people.
• RBS and Lloyds Bank Group to provide £94bn in small business loans.
• Backs tax on bank transactions but on global basis.
• New service to adjudicate credit disputes

JOBS AND TRAINING

• Six month work or training guarantee for under 24s extended to 2012.
• Amount of time over-65s must work to receive work credits reduced.

OTHER TAXES AND ALLOWANCES

• Tax allowances for those on over £100,000 gradually removed. No changes to allowances for everyone else.
• Annual limits on Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) will rise from £7,200 to £10,200 next month.
• No changes to VAT or income tax planned.
• Inheritance tax threshold frozen for four years.
• Clampdown on tax avoidance to raise £500m
• New tax agreements with Belize, Grenada and Dominica

GOVERNMENT SAVINGS

• On track to achieve £11bn efficiency savings target by 2012-3.
• Reform of housing benefit to save £250m.
• 15,000 civil servants to be relocated outside London.
• As part of £343m cuts to the Ministry of Justice budget, the Courts Service and the Tribunals Service will be merged and 20 magistrates courts closed.

ENVIRONMENT

• £2bn investment bank to back low-carbon industries such as offshore wind.
• Government to provide £1bn through asset sales

EDUCATION

• Funding for 20,000 new university places in science and maths but institutions must make savings elsewhere.
• £35m enterprise fund to help university-launched businesses.

PENSIONS AND BENEFITS

• Winter fuel allowance rates extended for further year.
• £4 rise in child tax credit for parents with young children from 2012.