Other snippets........

The Government interferes too much in education...
and is therefore undermining qualifications.
Nooooo I am not ranting on about it again - it is someone else this time - a Cambridge exam chief!
One day maybe the Government will realise to leave the education of children in the country and the standards of education to the educators - instead of interfering and changing their minds on so many things. They have - after all -stopped and started more times than an old Ford on certain requirements - and dumbing everything down to make it look as though every child in the country gets good exam rates.
This article is actually more to do with A Levels - but states similar points to my own in a previous blog entry - just in a more edumacated way.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/jul/22/alevels.gcses?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

The pot calling the kettle ....????
A group of backbench MPs - cross party - have accused the MoD of moving large sums of money from one part of it's budget to hide cost overruns.
'Systematic weakness' in ordering weapons systems is also included in the report.
Apparently moving part of one budget to another is 'not acceptable'.
Well......... after all - no government or political party would ever do anything like that to make something as inane as ID cards work - would they??!!!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/22/defence.military?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

Glorification clause limits free speech...
This is a very interesting article in how innocent and personal opinion can lead to lives being wrecked. Another example of knee-jerk reaction politics causing more problems than there were previously and assurances made by ministers that works of fact or fiction - i.e. free speech - would not be vulnerable to prosecution - proving to be assurances that not many can afford to trust.
Most people are sensible - and do not write to incite racial hatred - applaud terrorism or anything along those lines - but when a student can be held in custody for 6 days for downloading an al Qaida document from a website - there is something seriously wrong.
I - like many others - look at many things out of curiosity - wanting to try to know both sides of a situation. Does this mean if I download a file on terrorism I am going to have a SWAT team at my door - turning the place over looking for explosives or instructions on how to make one? Sound a bit far-fetched? Maybe after reading this article it will not be as far-fetched as it sounds!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/22/terrorism.uksecurity?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

This is so beautiful and sweet - bravery and love from a dying 8-yr-old.......
A little boy with leukaemia wanted to marry his school sweetheart. He had been told he had weeks to live. The parents arranged the 'wedding' after this wonderful child proposed. The mayor made his limousine available (good on ya!). They had the reception and even a stand-in vicar and a certificate. He died the day after.
How beautiful is it to see something like this in a world that seems so full of sadness and hate at times. The 'bride' will always know as she grows that a brave and wonderful boy loved her and will be able to take that love with her wherever life takes her.
My heart is with all those that remain - and happy for them too as they will always remember a child that showed so much strength and love till his dying day.
God now has one very special angel with him.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2443562/Dying-eight-year-old-marries-his-school-sweetheart.html