2008 November 09

McFly to sing for Children in Need

November 9, 2008 By Mairi Thomson Leave a Comment

McFly

Màiri Thomson

Pop-rockers of the moment McFly are to release this year’s Children in Need single later this month.

The double A-side single features the upbeat song ‘Do Ya’ from current album ‘RADIO:Active’ alongside a cover of Rod Stewart and the Faces’ seventies hit ‘Stay With Me’ and will be released for download on Sunday 23rd November and in stores on Monday 24th.

The band will perform both songs live on BBC Children in Need night (November 14th) with all profits from the single being donated to the charity.

This year Children in Need is challenging people to “Do Something Different” to help achieve their aim of raising over £30million to help disadvantaged children across the UK.

Tom, singer and guitarist in McFly said: “We’re so honoured to be releasing the official single for Children in Need.

”We’ve performed several times on the live show in the past and it’s always been an amazing night with a fantastic atmosphere.

”Hopefully our single can help raise more money than ever for what is such a great cause.”

McFly are no strangers to charity singles – they released number 1 single ‘All About You’ for Comic Relief in 2005 and visited Uganda as part of their work for the campaign which helped to raise £65million to fund projects for deprived people all over the world.

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: Children in Need, Mcfly

Scotland still pro-independence despite economic crisis.

November 9, 2008 By Mairi Thomson Leave a Comment

Màiri Thomson

There is still support for an independent Scotland according to a poll undertaken by the Dunedin Napier News website.

In the poll conducted during October 2008, 57% of respondents said that they supported independence for Scotland, whilst 43% said they were against the idea.

This result echoes previous poll results published before the SNP won the 2007 Scottish elections, showing that the recent economic crisis has not affected Alex Salmond’s dream of an autonomous state.

There has recently been much speculation over whether support for an independent state is dwindling since the Westminster government bailed out both RBS and HBOS at a cost of £37billion to the taxpayer.

Gordon Brown used the financial crisis to attack the SNP in the lead-up to the Glenrothes by-elections by highlighting that an independent Scotland could not have afforded to bail out the two major banks (which are based in Edinburgh) because Scotland’s annual budget only comes to around £30billion.

However, Alex Salmond hit back during the SNP conference in Perth: “I would have thought that the condition of the economy, the fears of our people, the state of the financial sector, are a staggering condemnation of the state of the United Kingdom.”

“During the period of financial chaos over the last few weeks we willingly responded to the call to put political differences aside in a national emergency. We did so because we thought it was the right thing to do.

“And how did the Prime Minister respond? At his very first opportunity last Tuesday he launched an attack on independence and the SNP.”

Alex Salmond speaking in Perth.

Economists have criticised Salmond’s “arc of prosperity” since Iceland and Ireland – both countries used as examples of the possibilities for Scotland’s future – have both succumbed to the global crisis. However Salmond was quick to attack claims that Scotland would have gone the same way had it been independent.

In his closing speech, Salmond pointed out that the other countries in his “arc of prosperity” Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland are “amoung the few countries in Europe forecast to escape recession.”

However some respondents to the Dunedin Napier News poll remained sceptical over the question of independence. One commenting “Independence? Who owns our oil? Who owns our gas?” and another saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Helen Matthews, an Edinburgh resident said: “The result of this poll just shows that we are as uncertain as ever about going independent. Fair enough it is a majority – but I doubt if it came down to a referendum that the Scottish people would take the risk. We won’t really know what people think until we have a referendum.”

Filed Under: All Politics, Uncategorized Tagged With: Alex Salmond, Independent Scotland

Remember the Fallen

November 9, 2008 By mikeheggie Leave a Comment

Remembrance

By Michael Heggie

Buy your poppy and wear it with pride – that was the call from the Royal British Legion on Remembrance Day.

Those who gave their lives for their country will be remembered at services all over Scotland this week. This year’s event marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

The Royal British Legion’s theme this year, “Serving those who serve”, emphasises the need to help those who are serving today, as well as ex-servicemen and women and their dependants.

Neil Griffiths, spokesperson for the Royal British Legion Scotland, said: “Ninety years after the end of World War One and with so many still serving in conflicts today, we must recognise the sacrifices that have been made.

“It is wrong to think that the legion is out of date.

“From World War One and the World War Two through to current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, so many have given so much for their country and the need for the legion’s help grows year by year.

“We must remember that it’s not just about donating money; it’s about honouring the servicemen and women who gave their lives so we could live in a free country.”

A growing number of people have chosen to ignore this year’s campaign.

Anti-war campaigners have chosen to wear an alternative to the red poppy. They will wear a white poppy which is symbolic of all the victims of war as well as veterans.

The white poppy project is run by the Peace Pledge Union which has been campaigning for the end to all war since its formation in 1934.

A press release on the Peace Pledge Union’s official website said: “The laying of a white wreath along with the traditional red would be a gesture to remember everybody who has died as a result of war. The white poppy symbolises remembrance of the victims of all wars, the dead, the living and refugees as well as the service personnel on all sides.”

Newsreader John Snow upset The Royal British Legion in 2006 due to the absence of a Remembrance Day emblem on his lapel while reading the news. This led to viewer complaints to Channel 4 News and Snow’s blog on the programme’s website. Snow argued that he has the right not to wear items that could be seen as making statements.

On his blog, Snow said: “I am begged to wear an Aids ribbon, a breast cancer ribbon, a Marie Curie flower … You name it, from the Red Cross to the RNIB, they send me stuff to wear to raise awareness, and I don’t. And in those terms, and those terms alone, I do not and will not wear a poppy … Additionally there is a rather unpleasant breed of poppy fascism out there – ‘he damned well must wear a poppy!’.”

The Royal British Legion was out in force on Princes Street this weekend raising money for the cause. Wreaths will be laid at war memorials at different times and places and the traditional two minutes silence observed across the country.

The 2007 poppy appeal raised altogether £27.5 million and it is expected that a similar figure will be met for this year’s poppy appeal.

Filed Under: Life and Society, World In Depth Tagged With: Remembrance Day, Royal British Legion

Windows most legendary version says good-bye.

November 9, 2008 By Rebeca Calvo-Gaspar Leave a Comment

Nothing lasts forever, the pass of time, wrinkles and stretch marks make everything less attractive than it used to be when young. Days are numbered for the most legendary version of the most international operating system, Windows 3.x. After 18 in this extremely competitive market, it says good-bye. From the 1st of November Microsoft does not permit the concession of any more licences to use the 3.x software.

Looking back, this was the first Windows which enjoyed true success among users and the one who made the PC win the race against Apple’s Mac. The famous window, logo of the operating system, owes its popularity to the 3.x, besides uncountable enhancements which made it easier to the final user, like colour in the icons, wide control systems settings, etc.

The history of this first operating system dates back to the early 90′s. Since then, the company began to make different versions of Windows 3.x, being aware of the enormous success that the graphic user interface of Microsoft was having throughout the world. It helped the company to settle and mark trend among all the operating systems to the present day.

Windows 3.x was Windows first operating system to take into account, in spite of two previous versions, 1.0 and 1.2. In addition, this software was responsible of an icon to became a synonym of Windows, the classic window that leaves behind a pixilated trail. The updated 3.x by Microsoft started to be a hard rival to Apple since Windows graphics improvements were obvious.

Windows had many good things. Its colour palette was better and it offered the possibility of using multimedia extras, such as sound cards or CD Rom. It also improved the classic start menus until the one we know today. It coloured the icons and it allowed calibrate the mouse and set up the screen. It incorporated VGA output and added applications as popular as “Paintbrush” or the “Solitaire” game.

Windows 3.x made the computer world kinder and easier to us, average users. Farewell Windows 3.x, farewell.

Filed Under: Science and Technology