Speak free

I commute for an hour to and from work every day. I pay an exorbitant price for this miserable over crowded experience. I do this five day a week. There are lots of other people who do the same thing. There are few things that enrage me more than people who take bikes on a train. If you have a bike use it to cycle where you are going. Please don’t take up valuable space with especially during rush hour. Some trains do include a limited number of spaces for bikes which should be booked in advance and paid for. Bikes on trains cause congestion and general irritation to all concerned.

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According to an article in the News and Star back in March of this year, Teaching Assistant Jobs in Cumbria were in a state of flux and disrepair that people are still seething about today. But then, this is hardly surprising: right now everything that can be cut is being cut, and much of those cuts seem to directly affect young people – both those who are living in more down-trodden areas and those who have access to some of the best public education that this country has to offer.

The problem started with the letters. Send out by the county council, the letters were to state exactly how the TA’s pay-scale would soon be affected. An event which quickly led to protests and breaking news that most of us saw every day on our screens for quite some time.

Of course, reasons were given for this decision to cut pay. One of the main ones being that the TA’s didn’t work as long or as hard as the qualified teachers. But is this really a good reason? Ever since this surfaced months back, it’s caused a wave of interest and opinion everywhere it’s gone – and not just in the circles of trainee teachers.

One thing to remember, when it comes down to it, is that people who are training have always been seen as easy targets. Take my apprenticeship, for example, which went something like this:

Every single day I had to be at work for 8am. I awoke at 6am, ate breakfast, and soon got on my way. The bike ride there was just under an hour, so by the time I arrived I was suitably knackered.

The day commenced with a lot of energy needing to be spent. I mean A LOT. One of my jobs, for some reason, involved helping the stone-masons out every day with things they had neither the time nor the inclination to do. Although I was technically a stone-masonry assistant, tasked with learning how to cut letters in stone, I was also supposed to help lug heavy things about. This formed the majority of my day, and when that was done I was allowed to sit down for a bit in the workshop and take a break and cut letters.

…in my case, it was also a bad scene: I was paid a mere £80 a week for 40 hours of work…

Now, in my case, it was also a bad scene: I was paid a mere £80 a week for 40 hours of work. At the time I don’t remember being gutted about this – I had never worked before, really, and it was good for me. Money was not prime concern. But as time went on I couldn’t help but think I was being taken advantage of…and it turned out I was right. I was very annoyed to discover just how much the %u201Cproper%u201D masons earned every week!

So, the point is, pay has always been unequal. Do teachers have a right to get upset? Too right. All I am saying is that unemployment is also high. Don’t forget which side your bread is buttered on!

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OK, so before we start we’ll admit one thing: the whole Why not learn a new skill thing has been done to death. There are numerous articles online which promise you can learn a new skill in a matter of minutes.

Well, we’re going to be refreshing. Instead of just bombarding you with positive speak, we’re going to tell you about a skill which you really can do at home, and one that can be extremely useful to you, no matter where you live.

And that skill is gilding. Yes, gilding with gold leaf – the fine, ultra-delicate stuff which costs a small fortune. OK, so it may sound complex, but in actual fact, gilding can be done in many ways. One of the most alluring things about it is that you can start small and work your way up…

The actual gilding process is remarkably simple: it’s a case of painting the glue on (size) and waiting for it to dry to a decent tack

Gilding is used primarily in sign making , stonemasonry and architectural work. You can even find edible gold leaf gracing the most delicious of expensive chocolates. To begin gilding on the cheap, you’ll need the following:

1. A mop brush: you can buy a new gilding brush or just hunt about for a knackered paint-brush that is also relatively soft. That should do the trick.

2. Gold leaf or metal leaf: metal leaf is a fine thing…it looks a lot like gold leaf, but it costs MUCH less. This is pretty fantastic news, and means your gilding goes a lot further than it would have done!

3. Something to gild: it could be a small ornament, for example.

4. Finally, you need white spirit and some gilding size: tons of online firms sell gilding size, and it comes in instant, 4 hour and 12 hour variety – perfect.

The actual gilding process is remarkably simple: it’s a case of painting the glue on (size) and waiting for it to dry to a decent tack. If you press your knuckle on it and it makes a metallic ping when you pull it sharply away, it is ready.

One last thing: applying the leaf can be tricky. If you really start getting into it you’ll need to buy a gilder’s knife. These are essential tools for laying the gold or metal on. Just type in Gilding on Youtube and see hundreds of videos come up! Then get started, and remember that different temperatures affect the glue in different ways…so in the summer it’s going to dry much quicker than it will in the cold mid-winter!

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You may find this hard to believe – or easy to believe, if you’re as much of a fan as me – but I have learned everything I ever needed to know about business from Dragons'Den. And I do mean everything. In the average show, virtually all the themes are touched on – from how to start a new business with very little money, to how to work with someone else to make the best use of both your skills.

Seeing as I am kinder than the Dragons, I thought Why not? I’ll tell the world about it. Here, now, are a few things which will be useful to you whether you’re brand-new to this game or established and looking for that vital injection of investors'cash. Let’s use the example of someone who runs a business that relies heavily on Crafts Fabric and materials, which they use to revamp tired old vintage clothes.

1) Some businesses burn cash like a forest fire, while others – such as online businesses – tend to be cheaper to run in terms of materials, but cost a lot to get out there on the internet and let the world know. The rag trade is one of the easiest start-up, we all know that, right? Right. But the thing to be wary of is profit margins. Every time there is ever a new fabric start-up on Dragons'Den, the Dragons are concerned about how much PROFIT the clothes make. For this reason, any business involving clothes has to have a unique selling point…it really has to stand out from the crowd!

2) Be careful with your designs: yes, you have the freedom to do more or less anything you want, but you’d be surprised how many people get into trouble every year for using symbols and designs which aren’t actually theirs to use. Always check first! For example, with the Olympics coming soon there will be lots of commerce in the air…but don’t think that means you can use the Olympic rings symbol on your T-shirts. Chances are you won’t last long if you do.

if you’re both designers, that’s wonderful, but do make sure one of you knows the numbers inside-out

3) If you’re doing this with a partner, make sure each of you has specific skills: if you’re both designers, that’s wonderful, but do make sure one of you knows the numbers inside-out. After all, much as it’s great fun to start a new business, it’s not actually going to start running unless it gets the right kind of start off the blocks!

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I am still trying to figure out how I feel about the great UK riots of 2011. It was really interesting watching the news and seeing the different types of reactions from different segments of the community. What I am finding very discouraging at the moment, is that people are suggesting over and over again, that the poor and underclass are simply greedy and that this is the reason that they went on a rampage.

Around the world people are thinking that the London riots were about the people finally rising up and expressing their anger. On the one hand this is completely true. Young people living in poverty are continuously subjected to media that glorifies the acquisition of stuff. One thing that I loved about a recent episode of Waterloo Road was that a character living in poverty had to go out and top up the electricity metre. There are 3.9 million children in the UK living in low income households, and their needs and lives are often completely erased from popular culture.

The thing that worries me is that with the onset of a massive police crack down, people who want to express their outrage at the current government’s policies will be silenced. I wonder about effective ways to protest that are large and loud, yet don’t involve smashing windows. Historically pvc banners have been used to great effect. They are huge, durable, and you can roll then up while you use your climbing gear to get to the top of the crane.

One place where angry people often fail is making visual images that properly convey the scale of their rage. This banner is great for that, but with the help of technology, small local groups can go online or to their local print shop and design something that will be eye catching and that can be used over and over again. I am not suggesting marketing our way out of massive social unrest, but if the angry non looters took this moment to take to the street, we could insure that the struggle for justice is not co-opted by a struggle for suppression. The best thing that I heard was that Al Jazeera was saying that the London riots was the British version of the Arab Spring. We need to make some good images to erase the sound of the Salford police breaking down a door on a council estate to the sound of screaming people inside.

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Complexion is a reflection to a person’s well-being and health. Thoroughly clean, shiny epidermis implies that a person is content as well as wholesome. Dull and lusterless epidermis instantly signals poor health. Natural beauty may not be simply as deep as the skin, however beautiful epidermis will certainly be a sign of attractiveness. Properly eating as well as resting properly would be the most important strategies for taking care of your skin. Consuming plenty of drinking water as well as eating healthful may also work miracles. Consuming a well-balanced diet filled with proteins, vegetables and fruit is also great for the skin.

The kitchen tends to be filled with stuff which could work miracles for our epidermis. Lime juices mixed in curd as well as flours works as a fantastic bleach to eliminate suntans. Lemon peels, whenever rubbed on the face perform miracles in moisturizing as well as rejuvenating the epidermis. Honey additionally works as a great cleanser.

Beyond the kitchen, the initial step in skin care will be cleaning. The market is certainly filled with a variety of cleansers to match various epidermis types. You have the ability to select one for dried out or greasy skin. Moderate or powerful variants will also be available. You may also cleanse the skin using lotion. Apply cool lotion on the epidermis and take it off using a piece of cotton ball or cotton pad. You may also use tepid to warm water to open stopped up pores. Scorching water may dry up your skin. If you have tough water, make use of cool lotion. Don’t cleanse frequently. Cleaning one time a day, in the evening will be good enough. Don’t make use of regular soap as your cleansing agent. Skin doctors recommend that cleaning soap shouldn’t be used above the throat simply because cleaning soaps damage delicate skin on the face.

An additional essential action for skin care will be exfoliation. Exfoliation ought to only be done once per week. While exfoliating, be careful not to rub the skin vigorously. Regular exfoliation may harm skin as it eliminates great tissue along with lifeless epidermis tissue. Exfoliating once per week gives the epidermis a very wholesome glow. Moisturizing may be the most important skincare method that one ought to adhere to. Moisturizing is really as essential as net root is to IT. Do it two times a day. The marketplace will be overloaded with a huge number of moisturizers. Choose the one which is best for the skin type you have. Unique moisturizers are additionally designed for summer as well as winter use.

Finally it is very important to use sunscreen every time an individual goes out in the sunshine. Using sunscreen is not only great for the epidermis; additionally, it protects your skin from illnesses caused due to dangerous ultra violet rays. Sunscreen additionally protects your skin from dangerous pollutants contained in the atmosphere.

The marketplace is overloaded using a large number of products as well as epidermis attention creams. It is best that you think hard before you test out all these items. It is a wise decision to go to a skin doctor to know the skin type you have. At all times buy skincare items originating from a reputed manufacturer. Don’t alter the solutions too often. Utilizing too many epidermis cleaning agents or severe creams may cause premature aging, lines in addition to creases.

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Most female entrepreneurs like everyone else are faced with difficulties in managing their small businesses. A financial advisor will help in straightening things out. Until then here are the Top business tips for women entrepreneurs.

Focus on your strong points

Identify your strong skill areas and use them effectively in the business. If you have identified your weak points, it is best to work on or hire out those areas.

Consider yourself first Read the rest of this entry »

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Slut walk took place recently. It was a worldwide protest where girls from city all over the planet took to the street in their underwear to protest against a Canadian police officer who had suggested that girls who dress like sluts deserve to be rapes. By girls that dress like sluts he meant those that go out showing some flesh on a night out, wearing short skirts and low cut tops. It cut deep into the hearts of many girls Read the rest of this entry »

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I was at the coffee machine talking about antivirus software with a colleague yesterday when she commented on the reception that Michelle Obama was getting, she seemed to be inferring the Barack wasn’t being welcomed entirely warmly. I don’t know if she was picking on me because I am an American or not, but I felt the need to defend him. What ever you think about the capture and assassination of Osama Bin Ladin everybody needs to acknowledge that this Read the rest of this entry »

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I’m really getting sick and tired of hearing bad stuff about the Germans, but more than that, I am getting sick and tired of hearing all those whispery, secret things people say which are actually worse. I’m talking about those comments, of course, that people call “humour” but that are actually just another good reason to poke fun. If you are English, need I remind you that your – and mine – country’s Colonial, bull-in-a-china-shop attitude has been the cause Read the rest of this entry »

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