ON THIS DAY

OPERATION DESERT STORM, ON THIS DAY ENDED,
AFTER KUWAIT WAS LIBERATED IN 1991.

VIRGIN GLOBAL FLYER

The jet plane in which US adventurer Steve Fossett plans to make the first non-stop flight around the world without refuelling is set for lift-off. Virgin GlobalFlyer is expected to lift off from Salina in Kansas, US, between 2100 GMT and 0000 GMT on Monday.
The single jet engine aircraft is loaded with more than four times its own weight in fuel for the challenge, which is expected to last 80 hours. Monday's scheduled flight follows weeks of delays due to bad weather.

SING

WHILE YOU EASE ANOTHER'S PAIN,

YOU'LL FIND THAT YOU CAN SING AGAIN.

Amnesty International Founder

The founder of human rights group Amnesty International, Peter Benenson, has passed away aged 83.
He died on Friday at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, after a long illness. The British lawyer set up the group in 1961, after reading an article about the imprisonment of two students in Portugal who drank a toast to liberty.
"Peter Benenson's life was a courageous testament to his visionary commitment to fight injustice around the world," said Amnesty's IreneHe brought light into the darkness of prisons, the horror of torture chambers and tragedy or death camps around the world. "This was a man whose conscience shone in a cruel and terrifying world, who believed in the power of the ordinary people to bring about extraordinary change and, by creating Amnesty International, he gave each of us the opportunity to makeHe brought light into the darkness of prisons, the horror of torture chambers and tragedy or death camps around the world.
"This was a man whose conscience shone in a cruel and terrifying world, who believed in the power of the ordinary people to bring about extraordinary change and, by creating Amnesty International, he gave each of us the opportunity to make a difference.

ON THIS DAY

THE VOLKSWAGEN - V.W. (THE PEOPLE'S CAR) WAS ON THIS DAY, LAUNCHED IN 1936.

PRIDE

SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE OCCASIONALLY

IT'S NON FATTENING !

SIGN OF TIMES.

Japan women's singular contentment.

The white dress is losing its appeal for many Japanese women. Seven out of 10 single Japanese women believe they can be perfectly happy remaining on their own, according to an opinion poll in the Yomiuri newspaper. The number of women believing singledom can bring contentment has risen by 10% since 2003, the newspaper said.
Analysts say the results reflect the fact that staying single is no longer the social stigma it once was. It also illustrates why Japan is facing a falling birth-rate, as many Japanese choose to marry later or not at all.
The birth-rate is now just 1.29 children per woman - among the lowest in the world - fuelling concerns that a shrinking work force will be unable to support the country's growing numbers of elderly.

ON THIS DAY

GEORGE BUSH WAS ON THIS DAY,ELECTED

PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.A. IN 1988.

FAULTS

NEVER LOOK FOR THE FAULTS,

AS YOU GO THROUGH LIFE,

AND EVEN WHEN YOU FIND THEM,

IT IS RIGHT AND KIND TO BE SOMEWHAT BLIND,

AND LOOK FOR THE VIRTUES BEHIND THEM.

TERRORIST THREAT

Election 'could be terror target'

The royal wedding could be a potential target, says Sir Ian Blair. Terrorists might try to target the UK in the run-up to the election, London's most senior police officer has said.
Sir Ian Blair said terror groups would remember the effect of the Madrid bomb on Spain's general election last year. Other potential targets were the royal wedding and the UK's presidency of the European Union and G8, he said.
He refused to say if there was specific information about the risk of a pre-poll attack. No 10 was similarly cautious but said the threat was real.

ON THIS DAY

The Irish Free State on this day in 1937 formally became EIRE.

Which One?

A HALF TRUTH IS A WHOLE LIE.

SCRABBLE

It has been stated that really clever people never win at Scrabble!

I read that it all depends on how you define clever. It is often defined by a specific talent ie: in academia, sport, music, the media etc., but such narrow talents tend to blind observers to an individual's shortcomings. It seems that really truly clever people appear to glide through life as if some unseen power is forging a path for them. They are blessed with three gifts - an inherent instinct for who or what is right or wrong; a natural wisdom (common sense) regarding the world about them; and a kind of peripheral vision which lets them see the whole picture in an instant.

HISTORY

WE LEARN FROM HISTORY THAT WE DO

NOT LEARN ANYTHING FROM HISTORY!

DOLLY

DOLLY, THE SHEEP, WAS ON THIS DAY CLONED SUCCESSFULLY IN 1997

BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL AWARD

South African film wins at Berlin

Actors were recruited from talent in the townships. A South African reworking of the opera Carmen has won the top award at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival. U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha, which moved Georges Bizet's story to a township and translated the lyrics into Xhosa, was a surprise winner of the Golden Bear.
Based on a theatre show, it is the first feature film from British opera director Mark Dornford-May. Lou Taylor Pucci won best actor for Thumbsucker while Julia Jentsch was named best actress for Sophie Scholl. The awards will be handed out on Saturday at a ceremony that will bring the 10-day festival - one of the most prestigious after Cannes - to a close.

JESSE JAMES

U.S.OUTLAW JESSIE JAMES WAS SHOT DEAD IN MISSOURI ON THIS DAY IN 1882.

LEARNING

GENERALLY SPEAKING,

YOU ARE NOT LEARNING MUCH

WHEN YOUR MOUTH IS MOVING.

Water on Mars?

Mars Express is due to deploy its Marsis experiment in May. A huge, frozen sea lies just below the surface of Mars, a team of European scientists has announced. Their assessment is based on pictures of the planet's near-equatorial Elysium region that show plated and rutted features across an area 800 by 900km. The team think a catastrophic event flooded the landscape five million years ago and then froze out. They tell a forthcoming edition of Nature magazine that sediments covered the ice, locking it in place. Large reserves of water-ice are known to be held at the poles on Mars but if this discovery is confirmed by follow-up observations, it would be a first for a region at such a low latitude.

THE LIST

Another item has been crossed off the list 'to do' in the run up to the elections by Mugabe.This week has seen 3 Newpaper Journalist's being hounded out by Mugabe's thugs. Colleagues Angus Shaw, Jan Raath and Brian Latham have all fled Zimbabwe, and for two of them leaving everything they hold dear and including their love of their country, before they were rounded up and put in prison, for doing their job from their offices known as The Old Gentleman's News Co-operative in trying to report what was going on in Zimbabwe. They had hoped to stay to cover up to and covering the elections at the end of March, but they had been tipped off that they were to be closed down by any means. So much for the freedom of the press, far less free speech for the people as well.

3% PASS RATE.

Dear Family and Friends,
With less than six weeks to go before parliamentary elections, the situation is heating up dramatically in Zimbabwe. In an early Valentine's Day walk last Saturday, 500 WOZA women carried roses and spread the message "Choose the power of love rather than the love of power". They were obviously seen as a threat because 40 of the women were arrested by police in Bulawayo.Three days later and with just six weeks to go before elections, the MDC were holding a training session for their 120 parliamentary candidates at the Sheraton Hotel in Harare. The police said the meeting was illegal under POSA and proceeded to apprehend the MDC's election director Ian Makone and warn everyone else to leave immediately or they would also be arrested. On Thursday 200 NCA protestors took to the streets in Harare distributing flyers and carrying placards calling for free and fair elections. This demonstration was also broken up by police, this time in riot gear, and the day ended with seven people in clinics being treated for assault and fourteen others being arrested. On Friday a three man delegation from South Africa's official oppositionparty, the Democratic Alliance, came on a fact finding mission to Zimbabwe. Like COSATU a couple of weeks ago, the DA didn't get very far and were denied entry and turned back at Harare Airport. You would think that with so much going on the Zimbabwean television would have been full of news stories about these happenings. But day after day our news bulletins were not about women being arrested for carrying flowers, or men assaulted and arrested for calling for free elections, our news bulletins were about computers. Night after night President Mugabe has been headline news, handing out computers to remote rural schools. At one such school the President revealed the shocking examination figures which illustrate better than anything else the diabolical state of Zimbabwe's education system. Speaking at a school in Shurugwi he said: "In Silobela they had a 3% pass rate. Here there was a pass rate of 8%. In other areas it is 6%."This week the South African Foreign Minister said she was satisfied that Zimbabwe was taking steps to ensure free and fair elections. For those of us that are living here and seeing computers if we support Zanu PF or arrests and prison cells if we don't, the Ministers words are insulting and nauseating. I don't know why, but because she is a woman, I had hoped for more from Mrs Dlamini Zuma. I wonder if she would be brave enough to face arrest for carrying a rose, to be assaulted for asking for a free election or even to send her child to a school here where the pass rate is just 3%. Mrs Dlamini Zuma could have given hope and inspiration had she been brave enough to just highlight even one of the things that happened this week in Zimbabwe. What shame on her. Until next week ,with love, cathy.Copyright cathy buckle 19th February 2005http://africantears.netfirms.comMy books on the Zimbabwean crisis, "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" areavailable from: orders@africabookcentre.com ; www.africabookcentre.com ; inAustralia and New Zealand: johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com.au ; Africa:www.kalahari.net www.exclusivebooks.com

" I "

IMPROVEMENT BEGINS WITH ' I ' .

ONLY IN AFRICA - PART 2

In a Zimbabwean restaurant: "Customers who find our waitresses rude ought to see the manager."
A sign seen on a hand dryer in a Lesotho public toilet: "Risk of electric shock - Do not activate with wet hands."
In a Botswana jewellery shop: "Ears pierced while you wait."
On one of the buildings of a Sierra Leonne hospital: "Mental Health Prevention Centre."
In a maternity ward of a clinic in Tanzania: "No children allowed!"
In a cemetery in Uganda: "Persons are prohibited from picking flowers from any but their own graves".
In a Malawi hotel: "It is forbidden to steal towels, please. If you are not a person to do such a thing, please don't read this notice."
A sign posted in an Algerian tourist camping park: "It is strictly forbidden on our camping site that people of different sex, for instance a man and woman, live together in one tent unless they are married to each other for that purpose."
In a Namibian nightclub: "Ladies are not allowed to have children in the bar."
In a photo studio in Chitungwiza (Zimbabwe): "Photos taken while you wait."

EXTRA

GO THE EXTRA MILE - IT IS NEVER CROWDED.

ON THIS DAY

SNOW FELL, ON THIS DAY, IN THE SAHARA DESERT IN 1979.

BUCK

IT'S EASY TO MAKE A BUCK.

IT'S A LOT TOUGHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

IRISH REPUBLIC CHARGE

Man remanded on Real IRA charge, and cash was seized in Dublin and Cork.

A man arrested during an operation in the Irish Republic against alleged money laundering has been charged with membership of the Real IRA. Don Bullman of Wilton, Cork, was one of three men arrested after 94,000 euros were found in car in Dublin. The two others have been freed without charge.

A police officer told a Dublin court he believed the notes were part of an IRA money laundering operation. The cash was in a box of washing powder in a Northern Ireland registered car. Father-of-three Mr Bullman, 30, appeared at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Friday and was remanded in custody. Earlier this week, a total of seven people were arrested and £2m - £60,000 of it in Northern Bank notes - was seized during raids in the Irish Republic.

IT'S A THOUGHT !

MISERY IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE RESULT OF THINKING.

OIL SPILL - TUNISIA

The vessel is now stranded on a sandbank off the shore. Authorities in Tunisia are struggling to contain the damage from crude oil leaking into the Mediterranean from a ship off the country's coast. A 1.5km (1-mile) oil slick is already coating beaches near the town of Korbous, a popular tourist resort.
The container ship ran aground in stormy seas some 50km from the capital Tunis on Tuesday night. The vessel, registered in Morocco, was carrying some 200 metric tons of heavy oil and diesel when it hit rocks.
Officials say the crew did not raise the alert in time to prevent the spill. Dutch anti-pollution teams and hundreds of local volunteers have joined the country's army in trying to break up the slick. Some 13 tons of crude oil leaked into the water from its ruptured tank on Wednesday.
Officials say the clean-up operation could take several days.

NEW VENUE

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have changed the venue for their forthcoming wedding on 8 April. The pair were set to hold a civil ceremony at Windsor Castle but Clarence House has now confirmed they will marry at the Guildhall in Windsor.

The couple made the decision on the grounds that licensing the royal castle would cause too much disruption. The wedding will be followed by a prayer service led by the Archbishop of Canterbury at St George's chapel. Clarence House says the new venue will allow the public to see the newlyweds arrive and leave. Mrs Parker Bowles has chosen Robinson Valentine to design her wedding outfit and Philip Treacy to design her hat for the ceremony.

FEED

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just ONE.

ON THIS DAY

FIDEL CASTRO, ON THIS DAY, BECAME PRIME MINISTER OF CUBA IN 1959.

LIFE

THE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE IS TO PLANT TREES,

UNDER WHOSE SHADE YOU DO NOT EXPECT TO SIT.

ON THIS DAY

GALILEO, THE ASTRONOMER, WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1564

ONLY IN AFRICA - PART 1

In a restaurant in Zambia: "Open seven days a week and weekends."
On the grounds of a private school in South Africa:"No trespassing without permission."
On a window of a Nigerian shop: "Why go elsewhere to be cheated when you can come here?."
On a poster in Ghana: "Are you an adult who cannot read? If so, we can help."
In a hotel in Mozambique: "Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9.00 am and 11.00am daily."
On a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo: "Take note: When this sign is submerged, the river is impassable."

SOMALIA

Thousands of Somalis have demonstrated in the capital, Mogadishu, against plans to send a peacekeeping force. Islamic groups organised a similar march on Friday but the latest protest involved several different groups.
A 16-member African Union mission to assess the security situation has arrived in the capital, Mogadishu. President Abdullahi Yusuf has asked the AU for a large peacekeeping force to allow his Kenya-based government to relocate to Somalia.
Ethiopia has meanwhile confirmed that it is ready to send troops to Somalia, according to the AFP news agency. Ethiopian participation is controversial because it has been involved in the power-struggles which have raged in Somalia since 1991.

FIGHT

A FIGHT IS A GREAT WAY TO CLEAR THE AIR !

ASK

It is better to Ask the way than to go Astray.

The Tourist's Prayers

Dear God - Look down on us your humble tourists, who are doomed to travel this earth, taking photographs, sending postcards, shopping for souvenirs and walking around in drip dry underwear.
Give us this day divine guidance in the selection of our hotels and lodges, that we may find our reservations honoured, our rooms made up and hot water running from the taps.
We pray that the telephones work, and the operators answer and speak our language.
Lead us, dear Lord, to good, inexpensive restuarants where the food is superb, the waiters friendly and the wine in included in the price.
Give us the wisdon to tip correctly in currencies we do not understand. Forgive us for undertipping out of ignorance and overtipping out of fear. Make the people love us for what we are, and not for what we can contribute to their worldy goods.
Grant us the endurance to visit the Lodges and Game Reserves listed as "MUSTS" in the guide books.
And if perchance we skip an important game ride to take a nap after lunch, have mercy on us, for our flesh is weak.

ON THIS DAY

ABRAHAM LINCOLN was born on this day in 1809.

EXPERIENCE.

EXPERIENCE - is a wonderful thing...............

.....it enables you to recognise a mistake when you make it again !

STILL ALIVE !

Tsunami woman found after 45 days. - A teenager who survived December's tsunami has been rescued by police from a remote island on India's Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
Eighteen-year-old Jessy is said to have lived on wild fruit for 45 days. She was found on Wednesday close to the site where nine survivors of the tsunami were found last week. More than 2,000 people are confirmed dead on the island chain with another 1,000 still missing, including Jessy's husband and child. - BBC Report.

Will she think she is lucky to be alive or wish that she too had perished?

ON THIS DAY

THE RUSSIAN COMPOSER SERGEY RACHMANINOV WROTE,
on this day in 1901, his much-loved PIANO CONCERTO NO 2.

ON THIS DAY

NELSON MANDELA, ON THIS DAY IN 1990, WAS RELEASED
FROM PRISON IN SOUTH AFRICA AFTER 27 YEARS IN PRISON.

TROUBLE

"THE TROUBLE WITH MARRYING YOUR MISTRESS
IS THAT YOU CREATE A JOB VACANCY" - (SIR JAMES GOLDSMITH)

PRINCE CHARLES AND CAMILLA

Mrs Parker Bowles was wearing a large diamond engagement ring. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are hosting a dinner at Windsor Castle, their first public appearance since announcing their engagement. Mrs Parker Bowles said the prince went down on one knee to propose and added: "I'm just coming down to earth."
She will take the title HRH Duchess of Cornwall after the civil ceremony at Windsor Castle on 8 April. When the Prince of Wales, 56, becomes king, Camilla, 57, will be known as the Princess Consort and not Queen Camilla. Princes William and Harry said they are "very happy" and wish the couple "all the luck in the future". Charles said he and his wife-to-be were "absolutely delighted".
The Duke of Edinburgh and I are very happy that the Prince of Wales and Mrs Parker Bowles are to marry," said the Queen, in a statement. Charles was married to Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. The princess famously referred to Mrs Parker Bowles as one of the contributing factors in the breakdown of her marriage to Charles. The couple, who had two sons - princes William and Harry - had divorced when Diana died. The marriage is likely to be a sensitive issue because Mrs Parker Bowles is divorced and her former husband is still alive.
If he became king, Charles would be the supreme governor of the Church of England and some Anglicans remain opposed to the remarriage of divorcees. The Archbishop of Canterbury said: "I am pleased that Prince Charles and Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles have decided to take this important step." He added that he hoped the marriage would be "a source of comfort and strength" to the couple and those close to them. Last year, a poll indicated that more Britons support Prince Charles marrying Camilla Parker Bowles than oppose it. Of those who responded to a Populus poll, 32% said they would support Charles if he remarried, while 29% were opposed. However, most people - 38% - said they did not care, while 2% had no opinion.
Mrs Parker Bowles has joined the Prince at numerous engagements in recent years - mostly at evening events for The Prince's Trust. Clarence House staff were at pains to point out that she attended these events in a private capacity.

ON THIS DAY

THE ST. GOTTHARD RAILWAY TUNNEL WAS, ON THIS
DAY, OPENED THROUGH THE FRENCH ALPS IN 1882.

UNDERSTAND

IF YOU CAN STAY CALM,

WHILE ALL AROUND YOU IS CHAOS.......

.......THEN YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T COMPLETELY

UNDERSTOOD THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION.

UGANDA'S PARROTS

New licences for Uganda's parrots - By Will Ross BBC News, Uganda.
An amnesty has been announced in Uganda. Not for former rebels this time, but for African grey parrots. Although they are an endangered species, several hundred of the birds are being kept as pets.

African grey parrots can only be traded under strict conditions. For the first time ever, I find myself whistling to try and get a response from my interviewees. But Kappie and Chick are not up for a chat, maybe because this is a big day in the lives of these two African grey parrots.
Their owner Tony Ogen has brought them in a small cage to the offices of the Uganda Wildlife Authority to be registered and licensed during the three-month parrot amnesty. Tony approaches the desk clutching a wad of Ugandan shillings. It is at this point that the accountant behind the desk gets a little suspicious as Tony begins, "Yes I did have three parrots, but sir you will remember the letter I sent you explaining what happened." Tony then rustles through his papers looking for a copy of the letter.
"As is indicated in the letter, whilst I was cleaning out their cage, one of the parrots flew away. So my three parrots have now become two and they, sir, are the two parrots standing before you. I therefore wish to purchase just the two permits." If the parrot owners do not take our warning and register their birds, we may have to take the ultimate action of seizure Uganda Wildlife Team member. The accountant raises his eyebrows as if to say, "Pull the other one," but realising this was going to be a hard one to prove, he took Tony's word for it and gladly accepted the cash.
Inside the office a senior member of the Uganda Wildlife Team is talking tough. "If the parrot owners do not take our warning and register their birds, we may have to take the ultimate action of seizure. And it is up to five years in prison for the owners." "But just how are you going to find these permitless parrots?" I ask. "We have a crack wildlife intelligence unit and in any case we know where these parrots are," he warned, sounding more and more like a tough-talking cop as each minute passed. I had visions of heavily armed helmeted men wandering around the plusher neighbourhoods of Uganda's capital, scaling walls, peering through windows, breaking down doors and yelling: "Hello Polly!". After Tony had handed over his shillings he thought it was all over. But no, the Uganda Wildlife Authority had laid on a vet and she wanted to give Tony's parrots the full medical.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority is against the keeping of parrots as pets, but knows that there are hundreds in cages across the capital On snapped the rubber gloves as she approached Kappie and Chick's cage, which was locked and as is often the case in Africa, the man with the key was not around. While we were waiting, Tony tells me all about the chats he has with his parrots when he is lonely. I then remember a musician I interviewed several years ago in Tanzania. He kept a parrot in a cage in the living room by the front door, but he was beginning to regret it.
You see this musician used to stay out late, drinking, and would then sneak back into the house in the middle of the night trying not to wake his wife and children. But invariably he would return from the drinking sessions to a squawked, "Where the hell have you been?" as he tried to tiptoe past the cage. In the daytime, he had extremely limited success trying to teach his parrot to whisper.
When the key to the cage finally turned up, there were a few nervous moments as Tony gave instructions on how to get one of the parrots out of the cage. "That's it, hold it by the neck," he advised as it made the loudest squawk so far. "But don't kill it," added an official from the Wildlife Authority. Having passed the medical, which was followed by some advice on how to stop the parrots pulling out their own feathers and tips such as, "Try red pepper they'll talk much more", I then followed Tony home. It has decided to work with the parrot owners to make sure they are well looked after
The parrots readjusted as he lay the cage down flat in the back of his saloon car and whispered over his shoulder, "Have a nice flight", and drove off. The Uganda Wildlife Authority is against the keeping of parrots as pets, but knows that there are hundreds in cages across the capital having been captured in Ugandan woodland or sneaked across the Congolese border, along with other precious commodities. It has decided to work with the parrot owners to make sure they are well looked after and there are plans for a breeding programme in captivity. Like most of the parrots in Kampala, Kappie and Chick have a pretty good view. Tony has built a large cage next to a communal tennis court and he says they are not bad on the line calls, "Out. 30 - 15".
As I prepare to leave Kappie and Chick, I spend a few more minutes pointing my microphone at the cage and whistling, determined to get a response. Eventually there are a couple of squawks followed by a whistle, but I have no idea if that was a polite greeting or more like a, "Get the microphone away from my beak you nosy, wingless idiot".

ZIMBABWE WHITE FARMERS

White farmers - evicted from their farms in Zimbabwe during the country's controversial land redistribution policy - have just been given the all-clear to begin farming in Nigeria's western state of Kwara.
Governor Saraki has promised to help facilitate loans for the farmers. The invitation came from Kwara's state governor, Bukola Saraki, whose goal is to use the farmers to kick-start Nigeria's moribund agricultural sector.
"I had a tobacco farm in Zimbabwe employing around 450 people, but I was chased away two years ago," Dan Swart, a broad man in his late 50s, told me as he and four other white farmers discussed the boundaries of their new farms in a hotel bar. "Then we were given the offer to come to Nigeria." Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, but despite an abundance of fertile land, most of its food is imported - a legacy of years of corruption and misrule.
"Our farming sector is largely driven by peasant farming. And small family groups don't have the capital for mechanised farming or the ability to raise credit from banks.We need to have commercial farmers to do that," Governor Saraki said. "We thought: 'Those are farmers. Zimbabwe doesn't want them. I'm sure they'd rather stay in Africa than go somewhere else'.
"So we sent someone to talk to them."
The plan is to have 15 Zimbabweans moving to Kwara this month. They will initially live in the bush in tents while they build their homes. Then, as the months progress, more farmers and their families should fly out. Within a decade, as many as 100 farmers could be based in Kwara.
"I hope... in about 10 years' time our airport will be busy and young chaps coming out of university will think about going into farming," said Mr Saraki. "Banks will invest in the agricultural sector. And Kwara will be the backbone for Nigeria's agricultural drive."

PRESENT

FEELING GRATITUDE AND NOT EXPRESSING IT,
IS LIKE WRAPPING A PRESENT AND NOT GIVING IT.

ON THIS DAY

THE SAXOPHONE WAS PATENTED ON THIS DAY,

BY THE BELGIAN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKER

ADOLPHE SAX IN 1846.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

There are twelve different animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and boar.Each has its own distinctive set of characteristics. According to Chinese legend Buddha called all the animals to him before he left the earth.

Only 12 turned up so as a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived.

Rat
1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996
People born in the Year of the Rat are said to be charming, creative and very generous to family and friends.
Famous rats include: Burt Reynolds and Ursula Andress.

Ox
1925 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997
People born in the Year of the Ox are said to be good leaders, methodical and good at making things.
Famous oxen include: Shirley Bassey and Jack Nicholson.

Tiger
1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998
People born in the Year of the Tiger are said to be risk takers with plenty of initiative.
Famous tigers include: Chuck Berry and Harriet Harman.

Rabbit
1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999
People born in the Year of the Rabbit are said to be affectionate and have lots of friends.
Famous rabbits include: Francis Ford Coppola and Nanette Newman.

Dragon

1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000
People born in the Year of the Dragon are said to be popular and full of fun.
Famous dragons include: Al Pacino and David Baddiel.

Snake
1929 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001
People born in the Year of the Snake are said to be wise and romantic.
Famous snakes include: Burt Bacharach and Vivienne Westwood.

Horse
1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002
People born in the Year of the Horse are said to be hard working and independent.
Famous horses include: Rolf Harris and Aretha Franklin.

Ram
1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003
People born in the Year of the Ram are said to be elegant and artistic.
Famous sheep include: Gene Hackman and John Major.

Monkey
1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004
People born in the Year of the Monkey are said to be intelligent and well-liked.
Famous monkeys include: Omar Sharif and George Lucas.

Rooster
1933 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005
People born in the Year of the Rooster are said to be decisive and hard working.
Famous roosters include: Yoko Ono and Michael Aspel.

Dog
1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006
People born in the Year of the Dog are said to be honest and faithful.
Famous dogs include: Henry Cooper and Dolly Parton.

Boar
1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007
People born in the Year of the Boar are said to be tolerant and friendly.
Famous boars include: David Bowie and Elton John.

GIVES

HE WHO GIVES WHEN HE IS ASKED

HAS WAITED TOO LONG.

ON THIS DAY

JAMES DEAN THE ACTOR, WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1931

Ellen MacArthur

Britain's Ellen MacArthur has completed her single-handed round-the-world voyage in record-breaking time.
She crossed the finish line at 2230 GMT on Monday, beating the previous mark set by Frenchman Francis Joyon of 72 days, 22 hours, 54 mins and 22 secs. The Isle of Wight-based yachtswoman completed the 27,000-mile voyage in 71 days and under 13 hours. MacArthur said in a statement that she was "physically and mentally exhausted" but "absolutely overjoyed". Her exact time will be verified by the World Sailing Speed Records Council, whose officials were at the finish.
Her shore team were waiting to greet her on the navy patrol vessel HMS Severn, which will escort her B&Q trimaran into British water. MacArthur's project director Mark Turner admitted: "We thought it would be pretty hard - in fact, we thought we might have to have two or three goes at it. "I'm glad we did it the first time - I'm not sure we or she could deal with doing it second time.
"It was hard the whole time - there were very few moments of relaxation."

ON THIS DAY

THE BEATLES ARRIVE IN NEW YORK ON THIS DAY IN 1964.

GRASS

NOTICE IN AN ENGLISH COUNTRY CHURCH BULLETIN -

'DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF MAINTAINING THE CHURCH,
IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED IF PARISHIONERS WOULD CUT
THE GRASS AROUND THEIR OWN GRAVES'..................................

Happiness

For every minute you are angry,

you lose sixty seconds of happiness.

ON THIS DAY

THE FIRST EDITION OF THE 'READERS DIGEST'
WAS LAUNCHED ON THIS DAY IN 1922.

DEBT RELIEF

G7 finance ministers have backed plans to write off up to 100% of the debts of some of the world's poorest countries. UK chancellor Gordon Brown said the London meeting of the world's seven richest nations would be remembered as "the 100% debt relief summit". Some 37 countries could benefit after a case-by-case review by bodies including the World Bank and the IMF, he said.
But the US says it cannot support Mr Brown's International Finance Facility to boost aid to developing countries. "We could be at the beginning of the final stage of the process where the debts that were owed by the poorest countries, built up over 20 or 30 years, debts that are simply unpayable in the real world, are finally taken care of," he said. He added: "It is the richest countries hearing the voices of the poor."
But he said they would insist on government reforms and the need for transparency, tackling corruption and openness from both the poorest and richest nations.

Cheer Up

THE BEST WAY TO CHEER YOURSELF UP

IS TO TRY TO CHEER SOMEBODY ELSE UP.

WEATHER NEWS

HERE IS THE WEATHER REPORT -

WHETHER WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THE WEATHER REPORT TOMORROW

DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER. - Arab News

ON THIS DAY

Buddy Holly, singer and songwriter,
on this day died in an aircrash in 1959.

G7 TALKS

Mandela set for London aid plea

Mr Mandela is due to meet G7 finance ministers on FridayNelson Mandela is to urge crowds in London's Trafalgar Square to join the largest ever campaign against poverty. The Make Poverty History campaign hopes 10,000 people will turn out to watch the former South African president support its rally.
Mr Mandela is in London to address finance ministers from the G7 industrialised countries.
Helping the developing world on trade, debt relief and aid are on the agenda when the ministers meet this weekend. The talks are the first event in the UK's presidency of the G7.
'No false promises'
Chancellor Gordon Brown met Mr Mandela on Wednesday ahead of the rally, which is aimed at encouraging the public to commit to real action on debt, aid and trade.
Mr Brown is proposing an aid package which he has likened to the Marshall Plan. The American proposal aimed to reconstruct western Europe after World War II.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Mr Mandela backed the chancellor's proposals when the pair met in South Africa last month.

ENEMIES.

ALWAYS FORGIVE YOUR EMEMIES -

NOTHING ANNOYS THEM SO MUCH.

SURVIVORS

Tsunami survivors found on island

The remote islands are home to aboriginal tribesNine people who survived the Asian tsunami have been found on an Indian island after 38 days of living on coconuts, police say. A police party making a random check found five men, three children and one woman in a remote part of Campbell Bay, an island in the Andaman archipelago. The nine, all of them emaciated, are Nicobari aboriginals, Campbell Bay's police chief said. They were the sole survivors out of a community of about 150. The group was found 39 kilometres (24 miles) from the island's naval base. Describing the nine's survival as a miracle, police chief Shaukat Ali said they had lived off coconuts and coconut milk since the disaster. Campbell Bay, in the Andaman and Nicobar chain which is close to Thailand, was one of the islands worst hit by the giant waves.
Almost 2,000 people have been listed as dead and 555 as missing, mostly from the island of Katchal.
Sole survivors
Police officers scouting the island by boat spotted the survivors waving to them from a point called Pillowbhabhi, police official BB Choudhury told the BBC. He and his colleagues reached the shore in small rubber boats and found the nine. The survivors told the police party that they had been swept into the sea by the tsunami and then were thrown back on the beaches two days later.
A week ago another survivor, named as Michael Mangal, was found in another island.
He too had survived on coconuts.

THIS IS A BBC REPORT

hello

IS ANYONE OUT THERE in Blog land?

Please call by to say hello, so that I dont feel so alone here.

PATH

PERHAPS THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW WOULD BE WIDER

IF MORE PEOPLE USED IT.