Three Beavers belonging to a wildlife photographer have managed to escape from their enclosure. Whilst the two females have been captured the male is making his mark on the local environment.
Follow this link for a video
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7805445.stm
Here is a full report
A beaver that has been felling trees after escaping from a farm is being hunted by conservationists.
The beaver is one of three that broke out of the farm in Lifton, Devon, in October, owner Derek Gow said. The other two have since been re-captured.
The last six-stone (38kg) animal is believed to be felling trees up to 20 miles (32km) away on the banks of the River Tamar near Gunnislake, Cornwall.
Mr Gow said he was to use "honey traps" to find the missing animal.
Mr Gow keeps 24 of the animals under licence from government agency Natural England as part of a wildlife photography business.
He said the escaped animal was one of three that got out of Upcott Grange Farm.
It is suspected the electric fence around the beaver pen failed after flooding in the area, Mr Gow added.
He said: "We've checked the fence, we can't find any holes at all.
"We can't think of any other way they might have got out."
The other two, both females, were soon recovered after from a nearby lake, but not before they had felled a number of trees on the River Thrushel.
It is believed the male has travelled further in a bid to find a mate.
Mr Gow said: "I know where he is, but he's occupying a territory of probably a kilometre in length."
Mr Gow said he planned to catch the escapee by using a number of "honey traps", boxes that have the scent of a female beaver.
He said: "We've got traps being made up at the moment.
"Using the scent from one of the female beavers, we'll be able to catch the male beaver fairly quickly."
Beavers were hunted to extinction in England and Wales during the 12th Century and disappeared from the rest of the country 400 years later.
They were hunted for their fur and throat glands, which were believed to have medicinal properties.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7805128.stm
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Student given a £100bn Overdraft!
Imagine being a poor student watching the pennies whilst you struggle to learn. You go to the cash point to withdraw some cash only to find you are £100bn overdrawn! Who said credit was hard to come by!
This is the full report
A student from Ayrshire has said he was left in shock when his online banking statement showed him to be overdrawn by almost £100bn.
Donald Moffat, 38, from Irvine, claims that on Tuesday morning his Barclays account was showing two separate withdrawals of £50bn.
He said the error had since been acknowledged and fixed.
Mr Moffat claimed the bank had offered him £10 in compensation for the phone calls he had to make.
The full-time student, who is also a part-time care worker, e-mailed a copy of his bank statement to BBC Scotland.
It showed a debit balance on 30 December of just under £100bn.
Mr Moffat said on Tuesday morning his wife had noticed "a major discrepancy of two £50bn debits" being taken out of his account.
"We knew we still had quite a bit left in the account as we checked last night before we went out," he said. "This morning I went out to get a few things, then, when I came back, my account was overdrawn by that amount."
Mr Moffat said he had "been passed from pillar to post" after making the error known to Barclays.
He also said he was looking for the bank to up its offer of compensation for the level of stress he had been put under in trying to resolve the situation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7804876.stm
This is the full report
A student from Ayrshire has said he was left in shock when his online banking statement showed him to be overdrawn by almost £100bn.
Donald Moffat, 38, from Irvine, claims that on Tuesday morning his Barclays account was showing two separate withdrawals of £50bn.
He said the error had since been acknowledged and fixed.
Mr Moffat claimed the bank had offered him £10 in compensation for the phone calls he had to make.
The full-time student, who is also a part-time care worker, e-mailed a copy of his bank statement to BBC Scotland.
It showed a debit balance on 30 December of just under £100bn.
Mr Moffat said on Tuesday morning his wife had noticed "a major discrepancy of two £50bn debits" being taken out of his account.
"We knew we still had quite a bit left in the account as we checked last night before we went out," he said. "This morning I went out to get a few things, then, when I came back, my account was overdrawn by that amount."
Mr Moffat said he had "been passed from pillar to post" after making the error known to Barclays.
He also said he was looking for the bank to up its offer of compensation for the level of stress he had been put under in trying to resolve the situation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7804876.stm
Saturday, 27 December 2008
Lottery Computer Glitch - You Can't be In It & Can't Win It!
Tonight's lottery was thwarted by a computer glitch that prevented punters from buying tickets.
A computer glitch left thousands of lottery players around the country unable to buy tickets.
A spokesman for Camelot said: "Due to a network issue on Saturday afternoon, some players may have experienced difficulties buying National Lottery tickets in store or via The National Lottery website.
"We would like to apologise to anyone affected - and reassure those people with tickets that the draws will go ahead as usual."
The National Lottery website said: "Our Draw Games are closed. Why not try our exciting Instant Win Games?"
The spokesman added: "We have been selling tickets today. But the problem has been intermittent in retailers up and down the country."
He said the "network communications issue" had resulted in either slower than normal transactions or retailers being unable to perform transactions at all.
It was not immediately known how many people have been affected or how much money has effectively been lost.
A Camelot spokesman said later that ticket machines across the country were up and running again at full speed after 6pm.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081227/tuk-lottery-thwarted-by-computer-glitch-dba1618.html
A computer glitch left thousands of lottery players around the country unable to buy tickets.
A spokesman for Camelot said: "Due to a network issue on Saturday afternoon, some players may have experienced difficulties buying National Lottery tickets in store or via The National Lottery website.
"We would like to apologise to anyone affected - and reassure those people with tickets that the draws will go ahead as usual."
The National Lottery website said: "Our Draw Games are closed. Why not try our exciting Instant Win Games?"
The spokesman added: "We have been selling tickets today. But the problem has been intermittent in retailers up and down the country."
He said the "network communications issue" had resulted in either slower than normal transactions or retailers being unable to perform transactions at all.
It was not immediately known how many people have been affected or how much money has effectively been lost.
A Camelot spokesman said later that ticket machines across the country were up and running again at full speed after 6pm.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081227/tuk-lottery-thwarted-by-computer-glitch-dba1618.html
Friday, 26 December 2008
Make Sure Your Are Not A Victim Of Credit Report Scams
After the expense of Christmas and the tightening of belts due to the credit crunch it is becoming more important than ever to ensure that your Credit Score and rating are in good shape as this could affect any future borrowing.
More and more companies are offering free credit reports but beware that these are not scams that could lead you into more difficulty
Getting your credit report in shape in 2009 is a sound New Year's resolution. Just make sure you're not reeled into any scams.
With a deepening recession leaving more people in financial distress, fraudulent services promising to scrub credit reports of negative information are rampant. Just this year, the Federal Trade Commission saw a 50 percent spike in complaints about such businesses.
"There are bad actors everywhere. And they're crawling out from under their rocks for the holidays," said Gail Cunningham, spokeswoman for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, an association of nonprofit counselors.
Services billing themselves as credit doctors and credit clinics, for instance, can't really improve your report, she said. The truth is, if the negative information is accurate, nobody can get it removed — not even you.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't resolve to spit-shine your credit report in 2009. Credit reports are regularly pulled by potential employers, landlords and lenders. Staying on top of what's in your report will also ensure you get better rates on loans.
So before you get started, a few points to keep in mind.
WATCH FOR SCAMS
If you encounter a service promising to remove negative data from your report, it's probably safe to assume it's a scam. That's because a debt collection can stay on your credit report for up to seven years. A chapter 7 bankruptcy, the most common type which wipes clean unsecured debt such as credit card bills, can be reported for up to 10 years.
In fact, FTC spokesman Steve Baker said he's never seen a legitimate credit repair operation.
"I won't say it can't exist. But I've never seen one," he said.
The details may differ, but Baker said "the basic essence of the scam is the same." It goes something like this:
In exchange for payment, the service promises to pester credit bureaus until negative items on your report are taken off. The premise is that the credit bureau will eventually grow weary and remove the items.
The company might string you along by saying the process will take several months.
"So it can be a long time before people figure out it's not working," Baker said.
By then, you're out several hundred or even thousands of dollars.
Another sign you're being scammed is if you're asked for payment upfront. It's against the law for such companies to demand a fee before services are delivered.
If you believe you were duped by a credit repair company, call the FTC at (877) FTC-HELP.
DO IT YOURSELF
The bottom line is that improving your credit report will take effort and commitment on your part, said David Jones, president of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies, an association of nonprofit counselors.
The first step is checking your credit report regularly for errors or collections you didn't know about.
The three national credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — are legally required to provide you with a free copy of your report once every 12 months. You can request your copy at Annualcreditreport.com, but be careful of sites with similar names.
Annual credit reports are free, but you have to pay if you want your credit score.
Each of the credit bureaus may have different information, so get copies from all three. You might want to stagger your requests because a correction on one report is communicated to the others.
You're also entitled to a free copy if your report results in a company taking negative action against you, such as denying you a loan or job.
Credit bureaus are required to investigate any disputes about collections, usually within 30 days. The business reporting the disputed collection to the agency must also look into the claim.
If a mistake is confirmed, you can request the credit bureau send a corrected report to prospective lenders.
In some cases, your credit report might be riddled with collections because you're struggling under the weight of medical bills or other financial hardships.
Don't throw in the towel. Trying to negotiate lower interest rates or late fees on debt is a good start to taking control of the situation.
Call the lender and ask to speak with a supervisor who has the authority to change the terms of your loan. Negotiating credit card debt can be difficult, but you might find more success with secured debts such as a mortgage or car loan, Jones said.
ENLIST A CREDIT COUNSELOR
If your debt is too daunting to handle on your own, consider visiting a credit counselor. Consultations are usually free. There might be minimal monthly fees of about $20 for certain services, but you can get them waived if you can't afford to pay.
There are hundreds of nonprofit groups that offer financial counseling on topics, including mortgages, credit card debt and budget planning. To find one in your area check the Web sites of either the National Foundation for Credit Counseling or the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. Both associations also require members to meet certain standards and pass certification tests.
"Getting your credit report and understanding its contents are two very different things," said Cunningham of the NFCC.
You don't have to be poor or in debt to get free help from a credit counselor, either. In fact, there are no requirements for getting help, so there are no excuses for dallying on getting your credit report in shape.
"Our real objective is to see people before they dig themselves into debt," Cunningham said.
On the Net:
http://www.nfcc.org
http://www.aiccca.org
http://www.ftc.gov
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h0bmyqNfN2l18vC3wkcp5Y6c1ESQD95972O00
More and more companies are offering free credit reports but beware that these are not scams that could lead you into more difficulty
Getting your credit report in shape in 2009 is a sound New Year's resolution. Just make sure you're not reeled into any scams.
With a deepening recession leaving more people in financial distress, fraudulent services promising to scrub credit reports of negative information are rampant. Just this year, the Federal Trade Commission saw a 50 percent spike in complaints about such businesses.
"There are bad actors everywhere. And they're crawling out from under their rocks for the holidays," said Gail Cunningham, spokeswoman for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, an association of nonprofit counselors.
Services billing themselves as credit doctors and credit clinics, for instance, can't really improve your report, she said. The truth is, if the negative information is accurate, nobody can get it removed — not even you.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't resolve to spit-shine your credit report in 2009. Credit reports are regularly pulled by potential employers, landlords and lenders. Staying on top of what's in your report will also ensure you get better rates on loans.
So before you get started, a few points to keep in mind.
WATCH FOR SCAMS
If you encounter a service promising to remove negative data from your report, it's probably safe to assume it's a scam. That's because a debt collection can stay on your credit report for up to seven years. A chapter 7 bankruptcy, the most common type which wipes clean unsecured debt such as credit card bills, can be reported for up to 10 years.
In fact, FTC spokesman Steve Baker said he's never seen a legitimate credit repair operation.
"I won't say it can't exist. But I've never seen one," he said.
The details may differ, but Baker said "the basic essence of the scam is the same." It goes something like this:
In exchange for payment, the service promises to pester credit bureaus until negative items on your report are taken off. The premise is that the credit bureau will eventually grow weary and remove the items.
The company might string you along by saying the process will take several months.
"So it can be a long time before people figure out it's not working," Baker said.
By then, you're out several hundred or even thousands of dollars.
Another sign you're being scammed is if you're asked for payment upfront. It's against the law for such companies to demand a fee before services are delivered.
If you believe you were duped by a credit repair company, call the FTC at (877) FTC-HELP.
DO IT YOURSELF
The bottom line is that improving your credit report will take effort and commitment on your part, said David Jones, president of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies, an association of nonprofit counselors.
The first step is checking your credit report regularly for errors or collections you didn't know about.
The three national credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — are legally required to provide you with a free copy of your report once every 12 months. You can request your copy at Annualcreditreport.com, but be careful of sites with similar names.
Annual credit reports are free, but you have to pay if you want your credit score.
Each of the credit bureaus may have different information, so get copies from all three. You might want to stagger your requests because a correction on one report is communicated to the others.
You're also entitled to a free copy if your report results in a company taking negative action against you, such as denying you a loan or job.
Credit bureaus are required to investigate any disputes about collections, usually within 30 days. The business reporting the disputed collection to the agency must also look into the claim.
If a mistake is confirmed, you can request the credit bureau send a corrected report to prospective lenders.
In some cases, your credit report might be riddled with collections because you're struggling under the weight of medical bills or other financial hardships.
Don't throw in the towel. Trying to negotiate lower interest rates or late fees on debt is a good start to taking control of the situation.
Call the lender and ask to speak with a supervisor who has the authority to change the terms of your loan. Negotiating credit card debt can be difficult, but you might find more success with secured debts such as a mortgage or car loan, Jones said.
ENLIST A CREDIT COUNSELOR
If your debt is too daunting to handle on your own, consider visiting a credit counselor. Consultations are usually free. There might be minimal monthly fees of about $20 for certain services, but you can get them waived if you can't afford to pay.
There are hundreds of nonprofit groups that offer financial counseling on topics, including mortgages, credit card debt and budget planning. To find one in your area check the Web sites of either the National Foundation for Credit Counseling or the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. Both associations also require members to meet certain standards and pass certification tests.
"Getting your credit report and understanding its contents are two very different things," said Cunningham of the NFCC.
You don't have to be poor or in debt to get free help from a credit counselor, either. In fact, there are no requirements for getting help, so there are no excuses for dallying on getting your credit report in shape.
"Our real objective is to see people before they dig themselves into debt," Cunningham said.
On the Net:
http://www.nfcc.org
http://www.aiccca.org
http://www.ftc.gov
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h0bmyqNfN2l18vC3wkcp5Y6c1ESQD95972O00
Friday, 19 December 2008
Beat The Credit Crunch With A Custard Pie!
With all the doom and gloom surrounding how we feel with the credit crunch it seems we have found the perfect way to forget our troubles this Christmas.
Pantomime is the up and coming way to release all those tensions and for companies involved business has never been better as in this report:
The founder and chairman of an entertainment business might appear to be in a vulnerable sector. But his company is the world's largest producer of pantomime, a tradition as British as a knobbly knees contest.
If QDos Entertainment is any guide, the pantomime business is booming. The privately held firm expects group sales to jump 65 percent this year to 51 million pounds, about one-third of that coming from pantomime sales, for which advance bookings are up six percent year-on-year.
"It's a bit like selling turkey," said Thomas, who set up QDos' predecessor in 1986. Academics agree escapist entertainment takes on greater significance for people who are worried about the future.
Irreverently based on children's fairy tales like Cinderella, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk and Sleeping Beauty, pantomime is theatre rooted in the 16th-century travelling street entertainment from Italy, Commedia dell' Arte.
Perhaps because of its gaudy, bawdy mix of slapstick, cross-dressing and very bad jokes it has not made much of an impression overseas. But theatres from Aberdeen to Bognor, and Llandudno to Woking depend on it for a sizeable chunk of income.
"You could say that panto is keeping some theatres afloat really," said Dennis Willis, an amateur enthusiast, whose wife Jackie runs an online business selling scripts. He also said demand is holding up well.
Pantomime has not drawn great audiences in the United States, although Willis has sold scripts there as well as Canada, Kuala Lumpur, Qatar, Hawaii, China and France.
But in Britain it has played a leading role at Christmas since Victorian times -- for the majority of theatres the annual "panto" is often the highest earner, and subsidises more adventurous pieces.
"We come if we're in England ... but I also go to a lot of pantomimes at my own theatre in Spain," said audience member Marie Legg, who lives in Spain, at "Dick Whittington and the Pi-rats of the Caribbean" at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester.
QDos's Thomas, whose company is staging 21 pantomimes throughout the provinces, believes its escapist characteristics and its appeal across generations and classes make it resilient.
"It's multi-generational," he said. "But you've got to be careful with your pricing. It's relatively cheap."
A ticket to the pantomime typically costs between 10 and 15 pounds, which given sterling's recent slump could seem a steal to any visitor from the euro zone.
SHOUTING BACK
However, even a visitor fluent in English may not be able to make head or tail of pantomime proceedings.
"The plot is very simple," explains Willis on Web site Limelight Scripts.co.uk: "The girl dressed as a boy, who is the son of a man dressed as a woman, will win the other girl (surprisingly dressed as a girl), with the assistance of a person(s) dressed in an animal skin."
Pantomime embraces self-mockery and satire like other comedies such as "Monty Python" or "Mr Bean," but unlike them it demands an audience who like shouting at the cast.
The audience is encouraged to boo the villain, argue with authority (shouting "Oh, no it isn't!"), and warn characters of danger, calling "He's behind you!"
Actor Allan Stewart, who plays Widow Twankey in "Aladdin" at the King's Theatre in Edinburgh, said for actors the thrill was the connection with the audience.
"You have this rapport... You can speak to them. You can bring them into the show," said Stewart, who has been playing similar roles for around 10 years.
The rules of pantomime are clear.
"Good enters from stage right and Evil from stage left," says Limelight. That tradition apparently goes back to medieval times when the entrances to heaven and hell were on these sides. "Tradition also dictates that the villain should be the first to enter, followed by his adversary the good fairy."
Another pantomime fixture is the Dame -- usually played by a solidly built, gruff-voiced male comedian. "A million miles away from the drag act, the Dame is a study in female eccentricity," Limelight adds.
Then there's the Principal Boy: the romantic male lead, to be played by a young woman with shapely legs displayed to their best by fishnet tights. There's a simple reason for this, according experts at Web site its-behind-you.com.
"The Victorian male, living in a society where even the legs of the parlour piano were covered for modesty's sake, craved the vision of a well-turned calf, or shapely ankle."
BETTER THAN SHAKESPEARE?
Academics agree the genre can weather economic downturn.
"People want escapist entertainment when things are a bit rough," said Millie Taylor of the University of Winchester, and author of "British Pantomime Performance." "For British people, pantomime is part of the ritual of Christmas."
Whereas mime in other cultures tends to be aimed at children, pantomime draws in the whole family and straddles the class divide -- undermining the received wisdom in Britain that theatre is the preserve of the middle classes.
Many performances are the result of community effort by amateurs rather than a professional show.
The mix entertains children with the throwing of custard pies and squirting of water, mocking the delusions of adult society, and having grown-ups dressed as animals -- usually one at each end of a cow.
The comedian Charlie Chaplin was once the front end of the horse at the Hippodrome Theatre, Stockport, according to Willis.
For adults, the fun extends to include innuendo and topical allusions. At least one show this season -- at the King's Head pub theatre in north London -- will feature as its villain King Rat, a banker and property developer.
But in the same way as good always triumphs over evil in pantomime, the satire generally stops short of the revolutionary.
"It points the finger at things going on in society, but doesn't seek to change them," said Taylor.
For many people, pantomime is the first experience of theatre, said Jim Davis of the University of Warwick. Provided it's good, they can be won over for life.
"It's definitely better to see a good pantomime than be put off theatre by a bad Shakespeare," he said.
(Additional reporting by Simon Newman; Editing by Sara Ledwith)
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20081219/tuk-uk-britain-panto-fa6b408.html
Pantomime is the up and coming way to release all those tensions and for companies involved business has never been better as in this report:
The founder and chairman of an entertainment business might appear to be in a vulnerable sector. But his company is the world's largest producer of pantomime, a tradition as British as a knobbly knees contest.
If QDos Entertainment is any guide, the pantomime business is booming. The privately held firm expects group sales to jump 65 percent this year to 51 million pounds, about one-third of that coming from pantomime sales, for which advance bookings are up six percent year-on-year.
"It's a bit like selling turkey," said Thomas, who set up QDos' predecessor in 1986. Academics agree escapist entertainment takes on greater significance for people who are worried about the future.
Irreverently based on children's fairy tales like Cinderella, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk and Sleeping Beauty, pantomime is theatre rooted in the 16th-century travelling street entertainment from Italy, Commedia dell' Arte.
Perhaps because of its gaudy, bawdy mix of slapstick, cross-dressing and very bad jokes it has not made much of an impression overseas. But theatres from Aberdeen to Bognor, and Llandudno to Woking depend on it for a sizeable chunk of income.
"You could say that panto is keeping some theatres afloat really," said Dennis Willis, an amateur enthusiast, whose wife Jackie runs an online business selling scripts. He also said demand is holding up well.
Pantomime has not drawn great audiences in the United States, although Willis has sold scripts there as well as Canada, Kuala Lumpur, Qatar, Hawaii, China and France.
But in Britain it has played a leading role at Christmas since Victorian times -- for the majority of theatres the annual "panto" is often the highest earner, and subsidises more adventurous pieces.
"We come if we're in England ... but I also go to a lot of pantomimes at my own theatre in Spain," said audience member Marie Legg, who lives in Spain, at "Dick Whittington and the Pi-rats of the Caribbean" at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester.
QDos's Thomas, whose company is staging 21 pantomimes throughout the provinces, believes its escapist characteristics and its appeal across generations and classes make it resilient.
"It's multi-generational," he said. "But you've got to be careful with your pricing. It's relatively cheap."
A ticket to the pantomime typically costs between 10 and 15 pounds, which given sterling's recent slump could seem a steal to any visitor from the euro zone.
SHOUTING BACK
However, even a visitor fluent in English may not be able to make head or tail of pantomime proceedings.
"The plot is very simple," explains Willis on Web site Limelight Scripts.co.uk: "The girl dressed as a boy, who is the son of a man dressed as a woman, will win the other girl (surprisingly dressed as a girl), with the assistance of a person(s) dressed in an animal skin."
Pantomime embraces self-mockery and satire like other comedies such as "Monty Python" or "Mr Bean," but unlike them it demands an audience who like shouting at the cast.
The audience is encouraged to boo the villain, argue with authority (shouting "Oh, no it isn't!"), and warn characters of danger, calling "He's behind you!"
Actor Allan Stewart, who plays Widow Twankey in "Aladdin" at the King's Theatre in Edinburgh, said for actors the thrill was the connection with the audience.
"You have this rapport... You can speak to them. You can bring them into the show," said Stewart, who has been playing similar roles for around 10 years.
The rules of pantomime are clear.
"Good enters from stage right and Evil from stage left," says Limelight. That tradition apparently goes back to medieval times when the entrances to heaven and hell were on these sides. "Tradition also dictates that the villain should be the first to enter, followed by his adversary the good fairy."
Another pantomime fixture is the Dame -- usually played by a solidly built, gruff-voiced male comedian. "A million miles away from the drag act, the Dame is a study in female eccentricity," Limelight adds.
Then there's the Principal Boy: the romantic male lead, to be played by a young woman with shapely legs displayed to their best by fishnet tights. There's a simple reason for this, according experts at Web site its-behind-you.com.
"The Victorian male, living in a society where even the legs of the parlour piano were covered for modesty's sake, craved the vision of a well-turned calf, or shapely ankle."
BETTER THAN SHAKESPEARE?
Academics agree the genre can weather economic downturn.
"People want escapist entertainment when things are a bit rough," said Millie Taylor of the University of Winchester, and author of "British Pantomime Performance." "For British people, pantomime is part of the ritual of Christmas."
Whereas mime in other cultures tends to be aimed at children, pantomime draws in the whole family and straddles the class divide -- undermining the received wisdom in Britain that theatre is the preserve of the middle classes.
Many performances are the result of community effort by amateurs rather than a professional show.
The mix entertains children with the throwing of custard pies and squirting of water, mocking the delusions of adult society, and having grown-ups dressed as animals -- usually one at each end of a cow.
The comedian Charlie Chaplin was once the front end of the horse at the Hippodrome Theatre, Stockport, according to Willis.
For adults, the fun extends to include innuendo and topical allusions. At least one show this season -- at the King's Head pub theatre in north London -- will feature as its villain King Rat, a banker and property developer.
But in the same way as good always triumphs over evil in pantomime, the satire generally stops short of the revolutionary.
"It points the finger at things going on in society, but doesn't seek to change them," said Taylor.
For many people, pantomime is the first experience of theatre, said Jim Davis of the University of Warwick. Provided it's good, they can be won over for life.
"It's definitely better to see a good pantomime than be put off theatre by a bad Shakespeare," he said.
(Additional reporting by Simon Newman; Editing by Sara Ledwith)
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20081219/tuk-uk-britain-panto-fa6b408.html
Monday, 15 December 2008
Could You Spoil Christmas For a Seven Year Old?
The prospect of spending Christmas with Seven Year Olds is a magical time.
Yet for one Supply Teacher taking care of her class Christmas means spoiling christmas for her pupils and their families.
A supply teacher who told pupils Santa Claus did not exist has been sacked.
Year Three children at Blackshaw Lane Primary School in Oldham, Greater Manchester, were left devastated by the news.
One parent said: "My son came home and said that his substitute teacher had told the class that Santa doesn't exist and it's your mum and dad that put out presents for them.
"Apparently, they were all talking about Christmas and being a bit rowdy. She just came straight out with it.
"He was nearly in tears - and so close to Christmas. I thought it was wrong.
"He was distraught about it. He's only seven years old and it's part of the magic of Christmas to him."
A spokeswoman for Oldham Council said headteacher Angela McCormick is preparing a letter of apology to parents.
She said the headteacher has complained to the agency which supplied the teacher and added that the teacher no longer works for the school.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081211/tuk-teacher-sacked-over-santa-gaffe-dba1618.html
Yet for one Supply Teacher taking care of her class Christmas means spoiling christmas for her pupils and their families.
A supply teacher who told pupils Santa Claus did not exist has been sacked.
Year Three children at Blackshaw Lane Primary School in Oldham, Greater Manchester, were left devastated by the news.
One parent said: "My son came home and said that his substitute teacher had told the class that Santa doesn't exist and it's your mum and dad that put out presents for them.
"Apparently, they were all talking about Christmas and being a bit rowdy. She just came straight out with it.
"He was nearly in tears - and so close to Christmas. I thought it was wrong.
"He was distraught about it. He's only seven years old and it's part of the magic of Christmas to him."
A spokeswoman for Oldham Council said headteacher Angela McCormick is preparing a letter of apology to parents.
She said the headteacher has complained to the agency which supplied the teacher and added that the teacher no longer works for the school.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081211/tuk-teacher-sacked-over-santa-gaffe-dba1618.html
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Is Stage Horror A Murder Attempt?
Following a horrific mistake an actor slit his throat for real!
Investigators are now looking into whether this was a genuine mistake or a murder attempt.
This is a report from Sky News
An actor portraying a suicide bid accidentally slashed his own throat on-stage following a prop mix-up.
Daniel Hoevels, 30, collapsed with blood pouring from his neck after using a real blade instead of the blunt stage knife.
He was taken to hospital after the dramatic scene at Vienna's Burgtheater in Austria.
The audience had been in raptures, unaware the actor was facing his own demise for real.
But when he failed to greet their applause for the show's spectacular special effects with a bow they separated fact from fiction.
Police are now investigating whether the mix-up was murderous.
Officers have refused to rule out the possibility that a jealous rival may have switched the blades.
The knife had been bought at a local store and police are asking if props staff forgot to blunt the blade for the performance of Friedrich Schiller's play Mary Stuart, about Mary Queen of Scots.
"The knife even still had the price tag on it," said a police investigator.
The theatre's props manager has been quizzed by police about the weapon, Austrian daily Osterreich reported.
The actor recovered after emergency treatment and even appeared on stage the next night with a bandage around his neck.
"If Hoevels had hit an artery or cut only slightly deeper, he would have died on stage," a doctor said.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20081210/twl-actor-in-neck-slash-stage-horror-3fd0ae9.html
Investigators are now looking into whether this was a genuine mistake or a murder attempt.
This is a report from Sky News
An actor portraying a suicide bid accidentally slashed his own throat on-stage following a prop mix-up.
Daniel Hoevels, 30, collapsed with blood pouring from his neck after using a real blade instead of the blunt stage knife.
He was taken to hospital after the dramatic scene at Vienna's Burgtheater in Austria.
The audience had been in raptures, unaware the actor was facing his own demise for real.
But when he failed to greet their applause for the show's spectacular special effects with a bow they separated fact from fiction.
Police are now investigating whether the mix-up was murderous.
Officers have refused to rule out the possibility that a jealous rival may have switched the blades.
The knife had been bought at a local store and police are asking if props staff forgot to blunt the blade for the performance of Friedrich Schiller's play Mary Stuart, about Mary Queen of Scots.
"The knife even still had the price tag on it," said a police investigator.
The theatre's props manager has been quizzed by police about the weapon, Austrian daily Osterreich reported.
The actor recovered after emergency treatment and even appeared on stage the next night with a bandage around his neck.
"If Hoevels had hit an artery or cut only slightly deeper, he would have died on stage," a doctor said.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20081210/twl-actor-in-neck-slash-stage-horror-3fd0ae9.html
Monday, 8 December 2008
Playboy Loses Christie hefner
it is an end of an era where Playboy is concerned as Christie's father Hugh was the founder of the company.
Who will be her replacement and how will this anouncement affect trading in Playboy?
Here is a report by marketwatch
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- After 20 years at the helm of the firm founded by her father, Christie Hefner will step down as chairman and chief executive officer of Playboy Enterprises Inc. next month, the adult entertainment company said Monday.
Playboy said that Hefner will stay on as CEO until Jan. 31 and remain on the board until a replacement is found. In the meantime, the company said it has appointed Jerome Kern, a long-time director, to be interim non-executive chairman.
In the announcement, Hefner said that "just as this country is embracing change in the form of new leadership, I have decided that now is the time to make changes in my own life as well" but gave no other specific reasons for her departure.
She leaves as the company remains mired in the loss column, stung by charges and dwindling revenue across almost all of its divisions.
Media companies have been hit hard in the current recession, and those like Playboy have not been exempted. Skittish advertisers often cut their ad budgets first, while consumers can find a plethora of free adult fare online and have become increasingly reluctant to pay for it.
The stock has also suffered, scraping to an all-time low of $1.03 just weeks ago after trading just shy of $10 at this time last year. On Monday, however, it jumped more than 11% to $1.95 in morning action.
Still, Kern said that during Hefner's time at the company, she oversaw its "transition from a domestic magazine publisher to a global lifestyle and multi-media company," directing its entry into TV, online and mobile offerings.
"Under her leadership, the licensing group grew from insignificance to become the company's most profitable business," Kern said.
For his part, Christie Hefner's father Hugh said he asked his daughter to "step up as president when the company faced serious financial difficulties more than two decades ago," and that as the result of her efforts, "the company today has more consumers and fans than at any time in our history."
William Spain is a MarketWatch staff writer in Chicago.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/christie-hefner-step-down-playboy/story.aspx?guid=%7B40641958-F245-4C6F-8DC7-54A758CF9F03%7D&dist=msr_1
Who will be her replacement and how will this anouncement affect trading in Playboy?
Here is a report by marketwatch
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- After 20 years at the helm of the firm founded by her father, Christie Hefner will step down as chairman and chief executive officer of Playboy Enterprises Inc. next month, the adult entertainment company said Monday.
Playboy said that Hefner will stay on as CEO until Jan. 31 and remain on the board until a replacement is found. In the meantime, the company said it has appointed Jerome Kern, a long-time director, to be interim non-executive chairman.
In the announcement, Hefner said that "just as this country is embracing change in the form of new leadership, I have decided that now is the time to make changes in my own life as well" but gave no other specific reasons for her departure.
She leaves as the company remains mired in the loss column, stung by charges and dwindling revenue across almost all of its divisions.
Media companies have been hit hard in the current recession, and those like Playboy have not been exempted. Skittish advertisers often cut their ad budgets first, while consumers can find a plethora of free adult fare online and have become increasingly reluctant to pay for it.
The stock has also suffered, scraping to an all-time low of $1.03 just weeks ago after trading just shy of $10 at this time last year. On Monday, however, it jumped more than 11% to $1.95 in morning action.
Still, Kern said that during Hefner's time at the company, she oversaw its "transition from a domestic magazine publisher to a global lifestyle and multi-media company," directing its entry into TV, online and mobile offerings.
"Under her leadership, the licensing group grew from insignificance to become the company's most profitable business," Kern said.
For his part, Christie Hefner's father Hugh said he asked his daughter to "step up as president when the company faced serious financial difficulties more than two decades ago," and that as the result of her efforts, "the company today has more consumers and fans than at any time in our history."
William Spain is a MarketWatch staff writer in Chicago.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/christie-hefner-step-down-playboy/story.aspx?guid=%7B40641958-F245-4C6F-8DC7-54A758CF9F03%7D&dist=msr_1
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Will Bratz Dolls Become The New Collectors Items?
Will Bratz Dolls Become The New Collectibles?
Bratz dolls are to be taken off the shelves as Mattel have finally won their epic court case
Does this mean this is the last we will see of the Bratz phenomena, or will they now become highly collectable?
Reading the following article however it does seem that some types will still be made whilst others violate copyright - It is these ones that could become valuable!
It seems time to pack up your daughter's Bratz and keep them as an investment for the future?
This is how the court findings were reported in the Assosiated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The rowdy Bratz dolls have been evicted. Barbie has regained control of the dollhouse.
Toy giant Mattel Inc., after a four-year legal dispute with MGA Entertainment Inc., touted its win in the case Wednesday after a federal judge banned MGA from making and selling its pouty-lipped and hugely popular Bratz dolls.
"It's a pretty sweeping victory," Mattel attorney Michael Zeller said. "They have no right to use Bratz for any goods or services at all."
U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson rocked the toy industry with his order that MGA must immediately stop manufacturing Bratz. He allowed MGA to wait until the holiday season ends to remove the toys from store shelves.
The decision was a stunning defeat for MGA, which exploded onto the tween scene in 2001 with the edgy dolls and made hundreds of millions in profits, giving Mattel's more classic doll-diva Barbie a run for her money.
The ruling, issued in federal court in Riverside, followed a jury's finding that Bratz designer Carter Bryant developed the concept for the dolls while working for Mattel.
The same jury later awarded Mattel $10 million for copyright infringement and $90 million for breach of contract after a lengthy trial stemming from Mattel's 2004 lawsuit ended in August.
MGA spokesman Sandra Ravan did not immediately return a call for comment late Wednesday. It was unclear if MGA planned to appeal Larson's ruling.
Mattel has fought to neutralize the Bratz line for years. The dolls — with their huge lips, pug noses, almond-shaped eyes and coquettish figures — were an instant hit with young girls. MGA had taken Bryant's original four dolls and spun out a line of more than 40 characters, complete with accessories and related toys such as Bratz Boyz, Bratz Petz and Baby Bratz.
El Segundo-based Mattel has seen sales of Barbie — once a rite of passage for American girls — slide since the doe-eyed Bratz dolls first came on the scene. Domestic sales of Barbie were down 15 percent in 2007.
Both sides had a lot riding on the judge's decision and had worried about the impact of any ruling during the holiday shopping season.
The judge's injunction named all 40 dolls in the Bratz line, including the four originals — Yasmine, Chloe, Sasha and Jade. Larson also ordered MGA to reimburse its vendors and distributors for the cost of the dolls and all shipping charges for sending them back.
During trial, Mattel attorneys said MGA made nearly $778 million on the Bratz line since it was introduced seven years ago, and company Chief Executive Isaac Larian made $696 million through June — but MGA insisted the profits were much less.
The post-trial dispute that prompted Wednesday's ruling centered on whether the jury found that only the first generation of four Bratz dolls infringed on Mattel's copyright or whether all the dolls in the line are in violation.
The jury verdict form only asked panelists to find whether there was infringement and assign a dollar reward, but did not ask them to specify which dolls among the dozens MGA made violated the law.
Los Angeles-based MGA, which no longer makes the first-generation dolls, argued that the later toys in the Bratz line don't violate the copyright and it could continue to sell them.
MGA attorney Raoul Kennedy argued that Larson had the discretion to determine which dolls violated Mattel's copyright. Mattel's attorneys disagreed, saying the court does not have the authority to interpret the jury's findings after the fact.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gyEvVeW94DnbAREYSSM7TZEHTWkAD94RS6J80
Bratz dolls are to be taken off the shelves as Mattel have finally won their epic court case
Does this mean this is the last we will see of the Bratz phenomena, or will they now become highly collectable?
Reading the following article however it does seem that some types will still be made whilst others violate copyright - It is these ones that could become valuable!
It seems time to pack up your daughter's Bratz and keep them as an investment for the future?
This is how the court findings were reported in the Assosiated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The rowdy Bratz dolls have been evicted. Barbie has regained control of the dollhouse.
Toy giant Mattel Inc., after a four-year legal dispute with MGA Entertainment Inc., touted its win in the case Wednesday after a federal judge banned MGA from making and selling its pouty-lipped and hugely popular Bratz dolls.
"It's a pretty sweeping victory," Mattel attorney Michael Zeller said. "They have no right to use Bratz for any goods or services at all."
U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson rocked the toy industry with his order that MGA must immediately stop manufacturing Bratz. He allowed MGA to wait until the holiday season ends to remove the toys from store shelves.
The decision was a stunning defeat for MGA, which exploded onto the tween scene in 2001 with the edgy dolls and made hundreds of millions in profits, giving Mattel's more classic doll-diva Barbie a run for her money.
The ruling, issued in federal court in Riverside, followed a jury's finding that Bratz designer Carter Bryant developed the concept for the dolls while working for Mattel.
The same jury later awarded Mattel $10 million for copyright infringement and $90 million for breach of contract after a lengthy trial stemming from Mattel's 2004 lawsuit ended in August.
MGA spokesman Sandra Ravan did not immediately return a call for comment late Wednesday. It was unclear if MGA planned to appeal Larson's ruling.
Mattel has fought to neutralize the Bratz line for years. The dolls — with their huge lips, pug noses, almond-shaped eyes and coquettish figures — were an instant hit with young girls. MGA had taken Bryant's original four dolls and spun out a line of more than 40 characters, complete with accessories and related toys such as Bratz Boyz, Bratz Petz and Baby Bratz.
El Segundo-based Mattel has seen sales of Barbie — once a rite of passage for American girls — slide since the doe-eyed Bratz dolls first came on the scene. Domestic sales of Barbie were down 15 percent in 2007.
Both sides had a lot riding on the judge's decision and had worried about the impact of any ruling during the holiday shopping season.
The judge's injunction named all 40 dolls in the Bratz line, including the four originals — Yasmine, Chloe, Sasha and Jade. Larson also ordered MGA to reimburse its vendors and distributors for the cost of the dolls and all shipping charges for sending them back.
During trial, Mattel attorneys said MGA made nearly $778 million on the Bratz line since it was introduced seven years ago, and company Chief Executive Isaac Larian made $696 million through June — but MGA insisted the profits were much less.
The post-trial dispute that prompted Wednesday's ruling centered on whether the jury found that only the first generation of four Bratz dolls infringed on Mattel's copyright or whether all the dolls in the line are in violation.
The jury verdict form only asked panelists to find whether there was infringement and assign a dollar reward, but did not ask them to specify which dolls among the dozens MGA made violated the law.
Los Angeles-based MGA, which no longer makes the first-generation dolls, argued that the later toys in the Bratz line don't violate the copyright and it could continue to sell them.
MGA attorney Raoul Kennedy argued that Larson had the discretion to determine which dolls violated Mattel's copyright. Mattel's attorneys disagreed, saying the court does not have the authority to interpret the jury's findings after the fact.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gyEvVeW94DnbAREYSSM7TZEHTWkAD94RS6J80
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