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Google News Blog: Open-sourcing the Living Stories format
Google News Blog: Open-sourcing the Living Stories format
But how can we use this to create things ourselves?
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But how can we use this to create things ourselves?
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Job seekers on the rise
The number of people in the UK claiming jobseekers allowance is now higher than at any time since the current Labour government came to power in 1997.
1.64 million people across the country are now claiming unemployment benefits, though total unemployment has actually gone down.
The figures released this morning by the Office for National Statistics show that the UK has turned the corner a far as growth is concerned.
But the concern now is getting people back into work.
Whilst the unemployment rate has remained more or less steady with growth, problems with securing bank loans and now a 3.5% increase in Council Tax announced today means there are still hardships to face.
Locally, Bournemouth saw two months of consecutive decline in the rate at which people were claiming jobseekers allowance, but this month have seen it jump to its highest rate in over a decade.
County wide, the figures show that in Dorset the amount of people claiming unemployment benefit is at its highest since January 1997.
Concerns are now turning to how local authorities plan to finance the increase in people claiming benefits.
Whilst unemployment in Britain has not quite hit the predicted 2.5 million that some economists were predicting last year, the economic situation remains dire for those people in the job market, and offers people like those here at Bournemouth University very little hope.
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1.64 million people across the country are now claiming unemployment benefits, though total unemployment has actually gone down.
The figures released this morning by the Office for National Statistics show that the UK has turned the corner a far as growth is concerned.
But the concern now is getting people back into work.
Whilst the unemployment rate has remained more or less steady with growth, problems with securing bank loans and now a 3.5% increase in Council Tax announced today means there are still hardships to face.
Locally, Bournemouth saw two months of consecutive decline in the rate at which people were claiming jobseekers allowance, but this month have seen it jump to its highest rate in over a decade.
County wide, the figures show that in Dorset the amount of people claiming unemployment benefit is at its highest since January 1997.
Concerns are now turning to how local authorities plan to finance the increase in people claiming benefits.
Whilst unemployment in Britain has not quite hit the predicted 2.5 million that some economists were predicting last year, the economic situation remains dire for those people in the job market, and offers people like those here at Bournemouth University very little hope.
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The official planning application for the land south of Wallisdown road is due to be heard by Bournemouth council this afternoon, and Poole council - who make the final decision on it - at the end of next month.
The issue is clearly not black and white though. Whilst local residents are entirely within their rights to protest against the loss of what Cllr Phil Eades called "the last green space between Poole and Bournemouth," the development of 450 new student units and 378 new homes - 40% of which are designated affordable housing - could most certainly be understood as a step forward for the area.
A previous application for the development failed due to a lack of planned expansion of the local sewage system, but this is part of a wider issue that the development would bring, and doubtless what underpins what most of the locals are angry about; they don't want more people there. And in particular the sort of characters that affordable housing attracts.
Whilst few could argue with affordable housing in principle, the local Chairman of Talbot Village Resident's association Victor Sears conceded that local residents with young children didn't want more students in the local area.
Of course with around 800 new people in a relatively small area, it is entirely debateable whether the existing schools and doctors surgeries in the area could cope with such a large influx.
All of these logistical issues ignore the real bone of contention to many though; namely the heathland which adjoins the private land owned by the Talbot Village Trust.
Natural England guidelines say that there must be a 400-metre protection zone for this heathland, and the development looks as if it may encroach on this - potentially damaging the habit of protected species such as warblers and nightjars.
Dorset residents, like those in many other rural counties, are eager to protect their local wildlife and the scenery that gives the county so much of its character. The heath is fantastic for walking dogs (and children) and is difficult to not enjoy.
The problem though, so far as the council is concerned at least, is that the land planned for development is owned privately, and so long as the planning application submitted by the Talbot Village Trust is in order, there seems to be little that these protestors can do.
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Pressure rises over proposed development of Talbot Village in Poole
The protests over the weekend against the proposed development of Talbot Village is not as obvious as some of the local residents would have you know.
The official planning application for the land south of Wallisdown road is due to be heard by Bournemouth council this afternoon, and Poole council - who make the final decision on it - at the end of next month.The issue is clearly not black and white though. Whilst local residents are entirely within their rights to protest against the loss of what Cllr Phil Eades called "the last green space between Poole and Bournemouth," the development of 450 new student units and 378 new homes - 40% of which are designated affordable housing - could most certainly be understood as a step forward for the area.
A previous application for the development failed due to a lack of planned expansion of the local sewage system, but this is part of a wider issue that the development would bring, and doubtless what underpins what most of the locals are angry about; they don't want more people there. And in particular the sort of characters that affordable housing attracts.
Whilst few could argue with affordable housing in principle, the local Chairman of Talbot Village Resident's association Victor Sears conceded that local residents with young children didn't want more students in the local area.
Of course with around 800 new people in a relatively small area, it is entirely debateable whether the existing schools and doctors surgeries in the area could cope with such a large influx.
All of these logistical issues ignore the real bone of contention to many though; namely the heathland which adjoins the private land owned by the Talbot Village Trust.
Natural England guidelines say that there must be a 400-metre protection zone for this heathland, and the development looks as if it may encroach on this - potentially damaging the habit of protected species such as warblers and nightjars.
Dorset residents, like those in many other rural counties, are eager to protect their local wildlife and the scenery that gives the county so much of its character. The heath is fantastic for walking dogs (and children) and is difficult to not enjoy.
The problem though, so far as the council is concerned at least, is that the land planned for development is owned privately, and so long as the planning application submitted by the Talbot Village Trust is in order, there seems to be little that these protestors can do.
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While some people would have you believe that Copenhagen has changed the way global politics is conducted the reality of international relations remains the same
The problem for the summit and this problem itself is not the science or the conviction behind it, but the diplomatic reality of trying to get 200 countries to agree on the same objective, let alone the same methodology.
Smaller bilateral treaties amongst the bigger emitters will work much more. That it doesn't pander to the global sense of guilt at our planetary abuse for the past 200 years makes it unpalatable to much of the left. But the international system is one based on national sovereignty, and as long as countries continue to act in their own interests, they will not be able to act in the global interest.
The nature of the human lifespan makes many of these predictions impossible to conceptualise for a great swathe of populations in developed countries. Whilst the goals of the conference are entirely laudable, they remain impossible in their current guise, so long as the UN holds on to this false idea of international co-operation.
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Copenhagen still ignores the reality of geo-political relations
While some people would have you believe that Copenhagen has changed the way global politics is conducted the reality of international relations remains the same
The problem for the summit and this problem itself is not the science or the conviction behind it, but the diplomatic reality of trying to get 200 countries to agree on the same objective, let alone the same methodology.
Smaller bilateral treaties amongst the bigger emitters will work much more. That it doesn't pander to the global sense of guilt at our planetary abuse for the past 200 years makes it unpalatable to much of the left. But the international system is one based on national sovereignty, and as long as countries continue to act in their own interests, they will not be able to act in the global interest.
The nature of the human lifespan makes many of these predictions impossible to conceptualise for a great swathe of populations in developed countries. Whilst the goals of the conference are entirely laudable, they remain impossible in their current guise, so long as the UN holds on to this false idea of international co-operation.
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Climate change remedies must address individual incentives
Any reasonable person would little doubt the degree of effect that human activity is having on the climate. Indeed, one would be surprised if it was not having such an effect. But articulating the problems of our existence on this planet is not the issue.
The problem is that we are only just becoming aware of the issues relating to climate change, and furthermore, in figuring out ways in which to alter behaviour that we - both as a global population, and more specifically as nations and developed societies - might not want to change.
Technological advances and the harnessing of natural resources has exacerbated our hedonistic excesses and our desire to simplfiy our lives and pursue our happiness. Suddenly being told that to continue this behaviour puts the future of the planet at stake is something not everyone finds easy to believe, and a vast number of others simply refuse to believe. These are the people that lie at the heart of the battle over climate change.
The scientific argument cannot be much more apparent. One can only lay out the evidence for an argument, not force people to believe it. Instead these people must be given other incentives to reduce their carbon footprint and make more efforts to restrict their contribution to climate change.
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The problem is that we are only just becoming aware of the issues relating to climate change, and furthermore, in figuring out ways in which to alter behaviour that we - both as a global population, and more specifically as nations and developed societies - might not want to change.
Technological advances and the harnessing of natural resources has exacerbated our hedonistic excesses and our desire to simplfiy our lives and pursue our happiness. Suddenly being told that to continue this behaviour puts the future of the planet at stake is something not everyone finds easy to believe, and a vast number of others simply refuse to believe. These are the people that lie at the heart of the battle over climate change.
The scientific argument cannot be much more apparent. One can only lay out the evidence for an argument, not force people to believe it. Instead these people must be given other incentives to reduce their carbon footprint and make more efforts to restrict their contribution to climate change.
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Apple out-appled?
Apple has typically been quite adept at simple adverts displaying the usability of their products, often mocking and contrasting themselves with PCs for instance. Some might have construed this as smug.
The Sun thought so:
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The Sun thought so:
This was taken from The Guardian website.
Comment at the bottom of the page from murranyho:
'shame it doesn't display facts correctly'
Comment at the bottom of the page from murranyho:
'shame it doesn't display facts correctly'
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