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A little radio on a high

January 28, 2011 By 1 Comment

by Trystan Davies

Source: BBC

Gordon Brown at the turn of the century highlighted a new idea.  That idea was “community radio” which has become, according to Ofcom the broadcasting regulator, “one of the great UK broadcasting success stories in the last few years”. The journey has not been easy and certainly isn’t over but despite recession, stiff competition and “Broken Britain” volunteers from all over the UK still want a sense of belonging and new ways to communicate.

 

One such community can be found in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland.  Its port area, called Leith, has always straggled between boom and bust both economically and culturally.  In the 16th century the royal burgh was the launching pad for Scottish Kings to set sail for war and Mary Queen of Scots started her grandiose arrival here.  The industrial revolution saw Leith as a major ship building port but the depression of the late 20th century witnessed a decline the burgh is still recovering from.  This depression became world famous in the iconic Danny Boyle film Trainspotting.  Despite all this attention Leith still remains the poor relative of its neighbour Edinburgh but its strong community spirit has looked hard for ways to improve life.  One foundation has been the annual Leith Festival, an arts celebration the origins of which go back to the beginning of the 20th century.  The festival, whose fortunes have matched the economic decline of the area, had to find something new and innovative to meet the 21st century.

 

Leith goes radio ga ga

 

Local radio in Leith was the brainchild of a man called Charles Fletcher; a former correspondent with Sky News and the BBC World Service.  Having set up a local short term broadcast with the nearby South Queensferry community, Fletcher introduced a Restricted Service Licence (RSL) in 2002 to the Leith Festival but according the Mary Moriarty, one of the committee members, it was not an easy idea;

“Charles came to us and asked if Leith Festival would like to do a week of radio broadcasts. He would approach local businesses and the whole thing would cost five thousand pounds.    Of course the Leith Festival Committee was quite aghast at that amount!  We didn’t really have that kind of money”

During 2003 Fletcher and the Festival Committee worked hard to raise the money but failed to achieve their objective.  Charles Fletcher stood down but one DJ, Tony Leech, was inspired by his adventures as a youth with a home-made CB (Citizen’s Band) radio, decided not to give up.  Luck was on their side, the money was found and the team grew.  Following a successful Leith Festival and a full week of broadcasting the RSL was repeated a year later for two full weeks.  Further success prompted the creation of Leith Community Mediaworks (LCM) to deliver community radio and TV to the people of Leith.  The venture was risky but fortunately, as Mary explains, the spirit and skills of the volunteers overcame those hurdles;

“Most the people who were involved were local, they really seemed to know their stuff about radio and the presenters were excellent.    Downstairs in the Leith Dockers Club there were lots and lots of lovely young people coming in, talking and playing their music.   There was a real buzz and it was so exciting”

People do criticise New Labour but they got one thing right in 2004 and that was community radio.  The idea, in media terms, is an old one and was hinted at in the Broadcasting Act 1990.  This Act was used and adjusted to allow Ofcom to make an announcement on the 1st of September 2004 welcoming applications for Community Radio Licences on FM (Very High Frequency) or AM (Medium Wave).

 

In autumn 2004 LCM decided to apply for the Leith licence but Ofcom were overwhelmed by applications so it took till February 2006 for the licence to be granted.  Leith FM was officially launched in March 2007on waveband 98.8FM and on Monday May 7th. 2007 the first full live broadcast spread across the city.    Others in Scotland had the same idea; Awaz FM, an ethnic minority station in Glasgow, progressed from being a very successful pilot scheme for the Radio Authority, and Revival FM based in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire serving Christian listeners was the first start-up from scratch.

Since 2004 community radio has blossomed and there are over 180 licences across the UK.  Leith FM has grown too with 150 members and 60 regular presenters.  The station hits well above its weight to meet Ofcom’s community criteria with shows in French, Polish plus specialist shows in North African and Asian music. Getting serious, local radio is recognised by the government as a source of local news and current affairs and since Christmas 2009 Leith FM has built up a news-team, giving local and worldwide news bulletins four times a week.  Politics from the nearby Parliament can be heard on Noise Up! – a programme which covers, for example, the First Ministers Question Time on a Thursday afternoon and then an interview with a local politician.  Local MP Mark Lazarowicz has been a regular guest on the show;

“It has been a good initiative for Leith.  It has a real connection with the community.  People do pick things up from the programme – people on the street and not just a few which is good.  I’ve been on air for political and current affairs based issues and you always get a pretty rigorous cross-examination.  It’s a very good radio station.”

Community radio also broadcasts the stalwarts of community information such as government advice on “How to keep warm this winter” repeated on the hour every hour during the recent heavy cold snap.  Charities have also benefited from Leith FM with the local Bethany group, which deals with homelessness, allowing those struggling with life the opportunity to take part in music shows and further their contribution to society.

 

Radio can be a great focus for the disabled.  The medium is all about sound and touch so many blind and partially sighted people use it as a way of accessing and performing to a wide audience. One presenter, Alan Dudley, performs Leith Talk on a Thursday afternoon using a volunteer assistant and a brail-based keyboard.  I have had the pleasure of assisting Alan “Cuddly” Dudley and his guide dog Demy on a number of occasions and it’s impressive how accommodating radio can be.

Keeping with the tradition of being a port Leithers have emigrated across the world and in this Diaspora Leith FM has found a new audience.  With evolving new media the station has a presence on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  The station manager Mohammed Bouchkal is keen to keep up with the online community;

“We do get a few international responses and we put a map, a tracking map, on the website where you can see all the red dots where people are listening from – places you think could never pick up Leith FM!”

Having formed part of one local entertainment event, Leith Festival, the station has ventured into the world famous annual Edinburgh Festival with interviews and reviews of well known and upcoming entertainers.  Past guests include Sir Anthony Hopkins, Foster & Allen and Jimmy Osmond.

 

The New Recruit

Rehan Yousef is a 28 year old former TV and film student who is a convert to radio.  He’s enthusiastic and very ambitious about his Asian music show on Monday nights;

“My dream is to have a show where one week we’re talking about a local issue then another week talk about an international issue but maybe something people haven’t really heard of.   We did a story on Sri Lanka and the constitutional crisis and we weren’t sure it would work but we had a wee bit of feedback, at first; ‘What’s going on? this is Leith FM!’ but after the show they were saying; ‘you know what – this is really interesting and I’ve learnt something!”

 

Source: LeithFM

 

 

 

 

 

Rough air waves

Not all attempts at community radio have been successful.  Six stations failed to start while three have had to return their licence.  Charles Fletcher, who had introduced local broadcasting to Leith, failed to establish a bigger venture in nearby South Queensferry.  According to Professor Anthony Everitt, author of the 2003 local radio report New Voices, community radio is in constant fear of closure.  Everitt’s recommendations have formed the basis for government legislation but the Community Radio Fund (CRF) is well below the £3-4million he wants.  When the CRF was set up in 2005 it was £500k per year and only 14 stations, but since then very little has been done to support the boom in licence holders.  A campaign was launched in 2009 by Professor Everitt and 82 community radio leaders, media scholars and experts including representatives of 60 community radio stations.  A petition gathered over 1700 signatures and an open letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown pointed out, amongst other issues, the fact that 150 community radio stations receive less funding than a Radio One breakfast DJ.  Looking to the continent is furthering their argument with France providing 25 million Euros annually to 600 community radio stations.

 

On-air and off-air life has not always been easy for Leith FM.  As with all small voluntary ventures there have been bust-ups and trouble organising everything.   In September this year Leith FM found itself on a list with fourteen other community radio stations in breach of their licence conditions having failed to submit an annual report to Ofcom on time.  The main issues have been more fundamental to staying on-air and Mohammed Bouchkal believes the stations problem is keeping the books balanced;

“We’re keeping it afloat at the moment but we do need a lot of money to keep the station going.  We do try to keep a good contact with the Scottish Parliament so they can help but I think most of the money goes to other organisations such as cancer research – more serious things than a radio station”

Freddie Roddick, presenter and scheduling Manager believes that membership is tricky;

“The big problems I’ve come across are volunteers coming and going and , especially at this time of year, trying to find new volunteers to fill positions. A lot of volunteers work during the day so trying to find people for daytime positions is a nightmare!”

And of course, says Mary Moriarty, everyone wants to be the star but not necessarily do the donkey work;

“There is a priority for people just to be presenters and, probably, that is as much as they want to do which is quite right but I think for the advancement of Leith FM it would be more encouraging if everybody took part to make it better”

 

The future

Things are still fresh at Leith FM with volunteers learning all the time.  The team were, along with many others, pioneers in local media and despite hardship the station has continued to sail along.  The media world changes quickly and the FM signal itself has been threatened by digital technology which, at the moment, is far less accommodating and flexible than the traditional medium.  Ed Vaizey, the Culture Minister, stated last July that the Government will not trash analogue radio once the digital switchover takes place in 2015 but it will encourage listeners to go digital as quickly as possible.   The new technology is growing steadily with 11m digital radios sold in the UK serving 24% of listeners.  Where will Leith FM and community radio fit in this new world?  It is probably too early to tell but it runs the risk of being marginalised by wealthier companies buying up the airwaves, and community radio stations lack the expensive technology to broadcast digitally.  But smaller commercial stations will face the same difficulties so community radio is certainly not alone.  Leith’s community will also change.  The area is now targeted as one of the main centres for renewable energy construction in Scotland.  Tourism will also transform the area with a growing cruise liner industry and the possible resurrection of the stalled tram project.  As can be seen in other city port redevelopments the results do not necessarily improve community cohesion and can even be destructive.

The most recent announcement from Ofcom repeats the “genuine success story” mantra of community radio.  Despite “Broken Britain” people still need a sense of belonging and this is strong in Leith.  The burgh has always been proud of its distinct, working class and community driven ideals which soak into every pour of Leith FM and flows out again across the airwaves, hopefully for a long time to come.

 

Filed Under: Entertainment, Features, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Dr Martens 50 Years Young

January 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Dr Martens where originally introduced to the working class of Britain in 1960. Celeste Carrigan looks back over a half-century of a piece of iconic fashion….

 

 

Dr Martens Logo

Dr Martens Logo : Sourced Dr Martens

The iconic cult classic piece of fashion Dr Martens turned 50 years old this year in April. The boot has forever remained the shoe of choice for subcultures and looks to be with us for another 50 years. The tough looking, hardworking work boots are an emblem of British fashion. They have been on a journey of freedom, individuality and empowerment. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Features Tagged With: , , , , ,

An American Dream in Scotland

January 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What was once synonymous with America is now becoming a staple of Scottish tradition, but how is it being adapted across the pond, and how has the recession affected the prom business? Patrick McPartlin went to find out.

For most British schoolgirls, the idea of a prom normally involves splashing out on expensive dresses, getting their hair and nails done, and deciding whether or not to book that pink fire-truck as transport. For the boys, it’s looking awkward in dinner jackets or Highland dress. It’s normally a process that lasts for the majority of the school year. University applications are neglected, schoolwork lags, and nothing seems quite as important as the school prom.  Most long-suffering teachers and parents would point the finger at Hollywood creations such as Grease and in more recent history, 1980s films such as Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. Of course the recent influx of American teen movies in the vein of American Pie, which often focus on the hapless hero’s attempts to woo the girl at the high school prom. Recognisable by the ill-fitting suit and crushed corsage, these reluctant protagonists have become something of a poster-boy for awkwardness, reflected in part by some of Scotland’s teenagers.

A scene from American Pie, with the main characters at their high school prom (nydailynews.com)

The first recorded account of a prom as we know it was by a student at Amherst College, Massachusetts, in 1894, who described what would now be recognised as a formal senior ball. Proms on the other hand, have evolved from something traditional to something decadent. One of the main differences between proms in America and proms in Scotland is the choice of dress for the guys. As if there was an unwritten law about what to wear, nearly every male shows up decked out in a kilt. There is an almost insatiable desire to emulate the Americans, especially in terms of limousine transport. I spoke to a representative from a limousine company and asked him how profitable prom business was for his company. Steve, who’s been organizing limousines for proms for the past six years is well aware of the benefits: “It makes up our biggest percentage; the next percentage is the wedding side of things, but the schools’ proms is a big section of it.” Classic cars and party fire-engines, complete with uniformed drivers are proving big hits with the kids, but limousines are still the favoured method of transport. The very idea of a school leavers’ prom has invoked ideas of celebrity and rockstar lifestyle. The more expensive the dress and the flashier the limo, the better, but it’s not just the 17 and 18 year olds who are fighting to be in the spotlight. In recent times, the idea of a prom to mark a coming of age has spread, as Danielle, who has been doing prom manicures for nearly two years explains: “a lot of the high schools are getting more and more into it and so’s primary seven; it’s a growing kind of thing now.” She later went on to tell me that despite specializing in wedding hair she was noticing that more and more school children were getting their hair done. It’s a similar story with nail-care experts and dress-makers.

There’s an underlying worry with some parents about their children attending a prom between primary school and secondary school. Some parents I spoke to voiced their concerns about their children ‘growing old before their time,’ whilst others questioned the point in having a prom for eleven year olds: “It’s all very well having a prom at the end of high school; it’s a rite of passage, it’s marking the end of school education. But to have a prom for primary school kids is nonsense.”  In a day and age where there is an ongoing battle between consumers and companies over the type of products marketed at younger children, the idea of a prom for pre-pubescent children seems a little, well, premature.

From my own experience, it wasn’t just tartan and Irn-Bru that helped my own high school prom feel distinctly Scottish, but the numbers of drunken sixth years, staggering about with an alcopop in one hand, and their makeup smeared halfway down their face. And that was just the boys. In what was an alarming comment on Scottish society, most of my peers had decided to use their prom as an excuse to get drunk. I hadn’t particularly wanted my lasting prom memory to be of me holding up one of my classmates, underage and severely under the weather from knocking back a few too many lagers, but it’s one that will remain with me.

Obviously for the primary-age children, one would hope that it wouldn’t be a similar story. But that’s where the worry lies. Children are starting to drink from younger ages. A recent article from the Guernsey Press highlighted the worrying trend for pupils as young as 12 turning up at school on Monday with hangovers. Due to the nature of advertising and television programmes, it’s nearly impossible to place children in an adult setting and not expect them to ape adult behaviour. Diana Appleyard pointed out how children are becoming ‘mini adults’ in the Daily Mail last year, titled ‘The Primary School Prom Queens.’ She produced eye-opening figures about children as young as seven wearing dresses costing hundreds of pounds, along with fake tan, fake nails and makeup. Yet the parents seem to have no problem with forking out for outfits, or the idea itself, calling it ‘cute’ and citing the introduction of films like High School Musical as having given rise to this obsession with proms. When I asked a few parents for their opinion of proms for primary age children, none of them fully supported the idea. One mother admitted that she was uncomfortable with the idea of allowing her younger daughter to attend such an event, but had let her daughter go regardless, saying that she didn’t want her to feel left out. It’s clearly more of a dilemma for some parents than others.

So, with the country coping with a recession, it would seem sensible to assume that the money spent on proms would diminish. From what I’ve seen, it’s actually the other way around. Some parents were quite surprised at the suggestion that the recession would have limited spending on proms. I asked a few parents how they would cope with higher prices and less money. None of them felt that the recession was a stumbling block whatsoever. Some pointed out that they were actually spending more money on their child’s prom because they hadn’t gone on holiday this year. Others were adamant that such an important rite of passage shouldn’t be affected by money issues.

I visited a school that is well known for its charity work and donations to organizations such as the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) and the Seed of Hope charity that helps girls in Kenya to receive an education. The school, along with final year students, has held a fashion-show-cum-prom-fair with a difference, for the last five years. Cath Whitten, the head of sixth year told me more about the idea behind the event: “Tonight’s fashion show has two different themes, really. It’s to allow all of our pupils to see the variety of dresses they can buy, where they can get limos, anything they need that will make their prom a success and it’s also in aid of various charities that the kids themselves take part in. For instance, part of the money tonight will go to help a number of people go to Lourdes in the summer with the archdiocesan pilgrimage.”

It was all very well organizing this fashion show under the banner of charity, but the real question is how effective it is. I know for a fact that a lot of the pupils taking part in the event regularly give to charity, even if it’s just emptying coppers from their pockets at the end of the week, but it almost feels a bit paradoxical, to be advertising decadence alongside charity. Perhaps that’s the way forward; the charity angle is certainly one to be commended, but I think there’s a bit of a concern that it’s the guilt factor dictating the dual purpose behind the event. Besides that, it’s the parents who turned up on the night who were the ones most likely to be footing the bill for their little darlings’ prom. Haircuts, fake tan, manicures, expensive dresses, eccentric modes of transport, makeup, a bag to go with the dress, perhaps some matching jewelry as well are all on the list for those graduating from high school next June.

In America, high school proms are limited to high school graduates. There are no imitations for younger children. Whether this is down to the difference in the education system or America’s more conservative nature is unclear, but from speaking to a few American students, some who have already been to their high school prom, and others who are eagerly awaiting their turn, the attitude is vastly different to that of Scottish pupils. Aubrey, who attended her prom in May of this year was very enthusiastic about the event as a whole: “It’s more about the end of an era. It’s still very traditional; you pick a date, and the two of you go together to the prom. It’s not even necessarily a ‘love’ thing; it’s often friends who go together, which reflects the overall feeling.” When I asked her about the drink culture, and explained how it was in Scotland she was shocked: “There isn’t really a drinking culture per se at our proms. I mean sure, we drink, there’s often a punch bowl for example but it’s all very measured. It’s not a party, it’s a formal event.” Allie, who graduates next summer, is looking forward to her prom already but remembers the media coverage that lesbian teen Constance McMillen received earlier this year after she challenged her school’s policy on same-sex prom dates: “It’s ridiculous really. One of my friends is gay and the school has no problem with him bringing his boyfriend to the prom. It’s not about opinions or morality. It’s about having a good time with the people you’ve spent most of your life with for the past few years. It shouldn’t be about politics.” Both girls were more interested in the sentimental aspect of school proms than anything else, something that doesn’t play as big a part as it should in Scotland. The unanswered question is whether Scotland’s drink culture is responsible or whether it’s a difference in society in general.

At the end of the day, the prom business is one which appears to have been unaffected by the recession. It’s still an important rite of passage, the bridge between school and further education, or the world of employment. Girls are still buying dresses worth £800-£1000, and paying significant amounts of money in order to get their hair styled like a Hollywood celebrity attending an awards ceremony or a film premiere. Whilst the Tinseltown effect hasn’t really rubbed off on the guys to the same extent, it might only be a matter of time before they start to rival the girls in prom spending. Or they could save the extra cash for another pint of Tennent’s. The surprising thing is just how much the prom culture has taken off and how it affects other businesses. In a small provincial town like Livingston for example, the high school proms provide business for local hairdressers, manicurists, dress-makers, limousine companies, even the local tanning salon. So it’s just possible that the growing prom business is actually providing a bit of relief for local businesses despite the recession. It’s unclear where proms will go next. The big business side of proms will surely continue to thrive, as will local companies. Perhaps the dresses will get more expensive, the haircuts more elaborate…who knows, maybe flying in by helicopter will become de rigeur. That student from Amherst College may well be spinning in his grave come June next year.

Filed Under: Economy and Business, Education, Features, Life and Society Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Psychology of Dance: Personality through movement

January 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The moonlight plays along their intense features. The movement of their feet along the floor sounds in the ears of their captive audience. Locked in a close embrace the pair skirt the edge of the dance floor capturing the attention of all around them with their elaborate movements. A skilled couple will create an air of tension when performing an Argentine Tango.

Tango: the dance of passion. Courtesy of Nation.

Relying heavily on improvisation this dance represents lust and desire . The intricate leg flicks emulate the passion felt by the dance partners and their sharp movements create a subtle erotic atmosphere. The sexuality of the tango is covert and the dancers merely hint at their attraction, rendering it all the more intense. Compare this with a couple dancing a salsa and the atmosphere changes completely. The tension evaporates and the mood is more playful. It is still a sensual dance of passion but the performers are more vibrant and extravagant. Rather than conveying restrained desire, the dancers openly flirt with each other through their quick leg and hip movements. Salsa is a dance which celebrates the enjoyable things in life.

Both dances tell love stories, though in different ways. The tango represents attraction that is passionate and intense and sometimes forbidden. The dancers create a sense of lust and desire through their movements. The salsa portrays the flirtatious and playful elements of sexual attraction and makes it into something fun. The performers in both dances deliberately set out to convey a certain set of emotions. The same is true in other types of dance. The fluid movements in a rumba create a feeling of romance and sensuality while there is a sense of power and aggression in a Paso Doble. Its roots lie in the culture of the bullfighters in Spain so it is sometimes even more evocative when it is performed by two men. These dances were founded in the Afro-Latin tradition of South and Central America. In these cultures, dance is as much a part of social interaction as speech is. In some ways it is a more effective way of expressing emotion, which raises the question if body movement can be seen as an accurate indicator of personality.

Some psychologists have argued that the way people dance might be influenced by their hormonal and genetic make up. In other words, when a person is shaking their booty on the dance floor they reveal more about themselves than their sense of rhythm! What is of key interest here is how much someone shows their personality in the way they move their body. New research conducted in Finland suggests that dance styles provide an insight into individual personality traits. The study was lead by Dr. Geoff Luck and looks specifically at spontaneous movements to music. The research is built on other studies which look at the link between dancing and self-confidence. These work on the assumption that the key to personality and sexuality lie in the way a person moves their body. Evolutionary psychologists think that this has an important role in sexual selection and how a woman would measure a man’s attractiveness. The ideas laid out here could offer some explanation as to why some types of dancing appeal to certain people and not to others. These studies help to form a better picture of the psychology behind dance.

People of all cultures have an innate ability to enjoy or dislike dancing, depending on how they have evolved. Followers of Darwin would argue that individuals dance in order to gage the suitability of potential life partners. Women dance in order to encourage men to do the same so that they can learn more about them. Someone who can dance well is in good health, has a lot of stamina and strength, and can react quickly to movement. These are all indicators of how natural a fighter a man is and how fit he would be to protect his partner in a dangerous situation. That is not to say that a woman will be attracted to any man who gets involved in a pub brawl, quite the contrary. It is the ability to defend oneself that is desirable rather than actual fighting. In Brazil, Capoeira is a martial arts form of dance which allows performers to show off their acrobatic strength to onlookers. The dancers use sweeps and kicks to demonstrate masculinity and strength but there is very little contact and their movements follow the rhythm of the music as they dance around one another. There does seem to be a link between dancing and fighting ability. Patrick Swayze melted a lot of hearts with his smooth moves in the film Dirty Dancing but he also held a black belt in karate when he was alive. Bruce Lee, who is regarded as one of the finest martial arts experts of his time is also a Hong Kong Cha-cha champion. This explains why women fancy a lot of the sportsmen on Strictly Come Dancing- it is their smooth moves that we find so irresistible!

There is some science behind this theory, though. In June 1998, a university student in Stirling measured how much women rated dancing in attraction. It consisted of two parts. First, the women involved were given a questionnaire and asked to rank a variety of desirable traits in a potential life partner. There were sixteen in all and the top characteristics were the ability to defend oneself and his partner, and physical attractiveness. Being a good dancer came in at number fifteen which indicated that it is not very important in choosing a partner. Sometimes people judge athleticism and creativity indirectly through someone’s set of dance skills. Dance displays physical prowess and stamina. This coincides with the second part of the study which asked the women to rate the attractiveness of six men while they were dancing. Five out of six were rated as more attractive after the women saw their moves.

Dr. Geoffrey Luck, a music psychologist, claims that the movement involved in dance can also be seen as indicators of personality as well as physical ability. The dance floor is the perfect place to learn about someone. “People use body motions as reliable indicators of others’ personality types”, he says. “Music is known to evoke strong emotions in people and emotions can be expressed through bodily movements”. The research looks at the way people dance to music in nightclubs and to what extent this can be used to gage their personality. The study was done in Finland and involved sixty volunteers. These had been chosen out of an original nine hundred who had all taken a personality test. The test is commonly known as the OCEAN test because of the five traits it measures: openness of mind, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The people who scored strongest on these characteristics were carried through to the second part of the study. “We watched the volunteers dance spontaneously to thirty different music tracks from six genres of music including rock, techno, Latin, jazz, funk and pop”, Dr. Luck explains. “We then analysed the movements of each individual and weighed them up against their scores on the OCEAN test. We found strong correlations between certain dancing styles and each personality”.

So what should someone look out for when a person shows off in

How you move may reflect your personality. Image from Pure Energy.

the night club? Extroverts seem to be vigorous and animated when they’re getting their groove on. They tend to move their body all around the dance floor and use a lot of exaggerated arm and leg movements. These are the people most likely to crash into others around them when they are dancing. Rock music really gets an extroverted person going with lots of head-banging and jumping around. So the chances are if someone has a strong sociable personality off the dance floor it will shine through on a night out! Rock music also brings individuals of a neurotic disposition out of their shells. Otherwise, these people tend to be as nervous when they are dancing as they are in everyday life. Their movement is characterised by sharp jerks of their hands and feet and often they practice “shuffle” dances. They move as little of their body as possible for fear of drawing attention to themselves in a crowd. A neurotic dancer will often sway awkwardly to the music for a while and then try to find an escape route off the floor as quickly as they can.

If someone in the room has a smooth dance style with soft yet elaborate hand movements, they probably have an agreeable personality. These people move from side to side across the floor and usually dance with their whole bodies. As the term suggests, these personality types are generally good natured and courteous and this is often reflected in their dance etiquette. An agreeable person will move around the room without getting in the way of any other dancers. I recognise this dance style in myself and when I hear a Latin rhythm I can’t help moving to the beat. This is the type of dancing which agreeable personalities show the most confidence in. The opposite is true of those who score high on openness of mind. Generally curious and creative, these individuals stick to moving up and down in time to the music and do not take up much floor space. Someone who enjoys dancing with their entire body in a limited space is likely to value new experiences and be very inventive and original. Techno is the genre of choice for a lot of these people and they really let loose with rhythmical limb movements. Conscientious people tend to move to this style of music in a jerky fashion, however. These normally self-disciplined and reliable individuals free themselves in a night club. They make as much use of the dance floor as possible and elaborate hand movements allow them to move greater distances. This is in contrast to their usually careful disposition. Dancing seems to be an outlet for them to let go, particularly when it comes to jazz music.

Having said all that, these are all generalisations and of course there will be variations. Some people may be quite extroverted but be restrained in their movements. A person who is normally introverted may feel more relaxed on the dance floor than they do anywhere else and really give it lots of energy. It all depends on the individual. Nevertheless, the points raised by the study are valid and it is worth keeping in mind. If you think back to the idea of dance as a form of communication and social interaction, it makes sense that a person will reveal elements of their personality in the way they move. In many tribal communities, dancing is often used by men as a way of attracting women. The link between dancing and fighting ability is vital in these cultures. A man who can dance well indicates the capability of protecting his family. This argues the case that there is an evolutionary reason why some men seem to be uncomfortable with dancing. In sexual selection a woman would normally determine how reliable a man is by measuring his fighting ability. If this is indicated by good dancing then there is a risk that someone who is a bad dancer will not get the chance to pass on his genes. It is safe to say that this is not of huge concern in this day and age but it could account for an innate prejudice some men have against dancing. No one likes to show themselves in a bad light, especially when they are trying to attract someone of the opposite sex. So the next time you are out in a night club, it is worth taking a moment to look at the movers and shakers around you. It is interesting to think about how much they may be unconsciously revealing about themselves. Think about your own dance style and see if it is an accurate reflection of your personality. You never know, you could discover something about yourself you were never aware of before.

Filed Under: Features, Life and Society, Uncategorized

‘Japan: high tech image, low tech reality’

January 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Jen McClure

Still going strong in Japan... Courtesy of Sony pictures

Robots, high speed trains, electric cars, and cutting edge electronics; you know what country I’m talking about, right? Japan. But, move away from the bright, hi-tech lights of Tokyo, and you will find none of the above anywhere to be seen.  Shocked? This is Japan’s low tech reality.


Japan is very good at exporting its hi-tech image to the world.  The Japanese have crafted a very clever image for themselves in their electronic paradise.  It is true that Japan has contributed technological advancements to the world, but Japanese technology should come with a warning label, “For Export Only.” In reality, everyday Japan is far from cutting edge.  Image this scenario: a place where the ATMs close at 9pm, offices without computers, fax machines in wide use and most homes without central heating.  Hard to believe? Yes.  But, this scenario is all too real in modern day Japan.

Two years ago I left Scotland and went to teach English in Japan.  Stereotypical images of Japan were imbedded in my mind: hi-tech gadgets, heated toilet seats, vending machines and high speed trains.  This stereotype was not incorrect, but once you move away from Tokyo, reality starts to kick in and you begin to wondering if you have travelled back in time…

Everyday life

I moved into my apartment in August 2008.  My immediate observations were: there’s no oven, how can I cook without an oven?  The stove looked like it belonged on a camp site.  The apartment came with a VHS video-recorder. What was I ever going to do with that?  There was a Discman in one of the drawers.  I found cassette tapes.  There was no central heating, just kerosene heaters that give off toxic fumes.  This apartment was not even 10 years old, but already its contents were sadly out of date.

Everywhere I went there was some object or technology from the recent past still living a happy existence in Japan.  Walkmans, Minidisc players, fax machines, you name it, they still have it.  Trying to settle in, I was often overwhelmed by Japanese and frustrated with not being able to read or understand anything.  My next door neighbour, a fellow foreigner helped me out by taken me to our local DVD rental shop.  I thought DVD, music and video game rental was recent history –apparently not.  In the UK people no longer use such establishments.  You can order movies online instantaneously or buy cheap DVDs from Amazon.  DVD rental is big business in Japan.  I wonder if that is because DVDs, CDs and video games are expensive to buy in Japan and most people would rather rent them than buy?  I rarely used Amazon.co.jp but when I did I thought it was great as you could place your order online but pay for it at your local convenience store in cash.  The number of Japanese people I knew who used Amazon.  Zero.  Did I mention that Japan is a cash society?  You can pay for pretty much anything at a convenience store.  Airline tickets, concert tickets, your gas bill…and so on.  You can also do “cash on delivery” in Japan.  All this is very convenient but I missed not being able to use my flexible friend.

Bank cards in Japan do not even resemble their UK counterparts.  They are quite possibly the most ‘budget,’ ‘un’ hi-tech cards you have ever seen in your life.  Sure, your name is embossed on the card but that’s about it.  There is no magnet strip so I have no idea how the machine reads your card and you can rarely use the card in an ATM that doesn’t belong to your bank.  In my case, my ‘bank’ was a regional bank which only operates in the prefecture where I lived.  If I wanted to travel to Tokyo or anywhere else, I would have to bring with me all the money I needed for that trip.  And forget about paying for anything by card or easily using a foreign credit card.  Convenient?  I think not.  On the plus side, ATM’s in Japan accept coins and the cartoon characters on the screen bow at you before and after your transaction.  What they lack in convenience, they certainly make up for in politeness.

The world of (Keitai’s) mobile phones in Japan would leave some people baffled.  Your stereotypical view that all things must be miniature could not be further from the truth.  Mobile phones maybe larger, but they can do so much more than your average UK phone.  Japan has had a 3G network for years which puts us to shame.  The amazing thing about mobiles in Japan is that you can send long emails directly from your phone.  Any basic phone can do this, not just your flashy iPhone or Blackberry.  You have your own personal email address for your phone, e.g. jenmcclure@softbank.ne.jp  and you can send an email to any address including other people’s computers anywhere in the world from you phone.  Text messages are so limiting in the UK and quite frankly seem rather primitive in light of this technology.  Another amazing thing about Keitai’s is the ability to pay electronically for just about anything.  Infra-red sensors on your phone are placed over a pad at cash points in convenience stores so there’s no need for a cash transaction.  Smart, but why not just use chip n’ pin bank cards?  Brendan Jenkins an English teacher in Japan commented about internet use on mobile phones in Japan: “This is one aspect of Japan that is interesting; I would say that a lot of the younger generation are more comfortable using the internet on their keitai than on a computer.”  I think this statement is very true.  And finally, in the interest of safety, Japanese phones send a message warning of an imminent earthquake just a few seconds before they hit –clever.

At the Office

The high school that I taught at was paying homage to everything “old school.”  Blackboards with chalk, wooden desks, no technology in the classroom –there was barely any electricity.  In the average classroom there was no chance to use a laptop as there was no overhead projector.  The amount of technology I could use in a classroom amounted to a CD player.  There was no central heating and in the winter, students sat at their desks with blankets around their laps.  I lived in Northern Japan and it gets extremely cold and snowy there.  And my school was not the worst, in fact, it was pretty much the norm.

Paper and chalk is the tradition at Japanese schools which means that IT skills are at a bare minimum.  There doesn’t seem to be the same focus on learning basic IT skills in Japan compared to the UK, which may explain why people are so resistant to embracing new technology.  Forgot about pupils for a second, teachers were poorly trained in IT skills, many of whom could not perform simple tasks, such as making a graph or adding a picture to a document.  The computers at my school were old and slow and in need of an upgrade.

The internet is barely used at school even by teachers.  This is a quick anecdote from a recent survey of foreign residents in Japan.  Here’s what one foreigner wrote: “When I ask a question to a colleague in the workplace and they can’t answer it, they ask others in the office, then it goes as far as family members, neighbours and friends.  In America we would just say, lets Google it.”  Google, Gmail, Wikipedia, Facebook and YouTube are not widely known or used in Japan.

Interesting, a fellow English teacher, Andrea McGovern was asked this question by a Japanese friend: “Do you think Japanese students are way behind western countries in using computers and technology?” and she said in a word, “Yes.”  Her friend said that he never used a computer until university.  And he’s not ancient, he’s 27.  This discussion about technology circulated around other foreign English teachers and they shared their views about the school they worked at.

Here are some of the revelations:

“The library has only 2 working computers and I have yet to find a computer room. Recently my 2nd years were asked to research an aspect of Japanese culture in order to teach a foreigner about it on their school trip. The students turned to books, some older than I am for information.”  Anonymous

“My Junior high school students seem to barely interact with any technology other than their TV’s and DS consoles.”  Andrea McGovern, NZ

“When I first arrived here 7 years ago I was amazed at how old and out-of-date the junior high schools seemed to be.  Only 1 out of 4 junior high schools that I go to even now has a western toilet, all have paraffin heaters in the classrooms which cause massive amounts of condensation, but none have air-con in the classrooms despite the heat and humidity in summer -only wall-mounted fans.”  Edmund Fec, UK

Schools in Japan are definitely lacking technology but slowly they are receiving more money for IT.  Japan spends a very small proportion of its GDP on education compared to other Organisation for Economic and Co-operation for Development (OECD) countries.  Until recently there was very little co-ordination of IT policy at schools even at a municipal level.  But not every school is stuck in a time warp, newer elementary schools that I went to have fantastic computer rooms and other good facilities.  Recently, every elementary and junior high school in Japan got a new large (over 40 inch) TV per classroom.  Ironically, a lot of them aren’t being used because they are too big to fit into the rooms.  My guess is that the schools had no say as to what size of screen they wanted.  Sounds like the Japanese government just bulk ordered TVs from China.

In the UK you’ll find “Wi-Fi” almost everywhere but in Japan there is virtually no “Wi-Fi” connection.  Internet at home is mostly connected from the modem by ethernet cable.  How backwards and limiting is that? In researching this story, so many people have reiterated this expectation of Japan: “I always thought of Japan as an amazing tech savvy country and found it quite the opposite living there.” Alexandra Robilliard, Australia. Alexandra also commented: “My senior high students were so fascinated when I told them that I keep in contact via Skype. I was a little surprised that none of them had ever heard of Skype whereas kids that age in Australia knew all about it.”

According to http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm Japan has a high percentage of internet users, a massive 78.2% but I think I can quickly tell you that most of that internet usage takes place on a mobile phone not a computer.  One interesting quirk about Japan is how anti- Apple they are.  Apple computers are scarce in Japan.  I was surprised to hear that Apple has not managed to infiltrate the market in Japan.  Back in 1996, Apple was keen to put their computers into Japanese schools but the answer from the Japanese Education Minister was a curt “No, Thank you.”  For some unexplained reason the Japanese are anti-Apple.  I knew people who had constant problems with their Macs in Japan.  Edmund Fec commented about his employer’s reaction to his Mac: “In Sakata city, I’m not even allowed to connect my Mac to the school LAN because Macs aren’t supported by the computer service company.”  When it came to setting up the internet in your apartment and you had a Mac, you were in for a long wait.  Alexandra Robilliard commented about the Internet Service Provider’s visit to her apartment: “They all arrived, see the Mac and there is the horrible intake of breath/sucking of teeth that makes me realise it will be a mission.”  Japanese people just can’t deal with Macs.

A quarter of Japan’s population are over 65 years old and they are not very IT-literate.  In the work place, superiors of an older generation haven’t come to grips with the technological advancements of the last 20 years.  Japanese offices are usually oversubscribed in manpower as this is seen as the traditional way to run a business.  You’ll find many people in jobs that have been obsolete in the UK for years.  There are people who still happily work calculations out on paper and store data in paper files rather than on a computer.  The offices I went to in Japan were all wall-to-wall jam packed with files and documents from the past couple of decades.

This bureaucratic nightmare became all too evident in July 2010 when an astonishing story hit the headlines in Japan.  The police found the mummified body of a man believed to be one Japan’s oldest at 111, but that’s not the alarming part.  The man’s 81 year old daughter had been collecting his pension for over 30 years.  She left his body in a room of their house and didn’t notify the authorities of his death.  This shocking revelation sent local authorities all over Japan checking up on their elderly.  The results were not favourable.  To date, Japanese authorities have not been able to find more than 280 citizens who were listed as being over 100 years old.  Once this story came out, many more followed; a Tokyo woman of 113 who had been last seen in the 1980’s,  a woman believed to be one of Japan’s oldest at 125 is also missing.  Authorities tried to find her at her last known address but when they got there, they discovered that the site had been turned into a park in 1981.  The New York Times wrote about the questions on everyone’s lips: “Is the country witnessing the results of pension fraud on a large scale, or, as most officials maintain, was most of the problem a result of sloppy record keeping? Or was the whole sordid affair, as the gloomiest commentators here are saying, a reflection of disintegrating family ties, as an indifferent younger generation lets its elders drift away into obscurity?” From my experience of the Japanese workplace, sloppy record keeping and non computerised records are the main culprit in this instance.

Japan was an advanced, tech hungry country 20 years ago but with its aging population and economic decline it seems that Japan has lost its sparkle.  Indeed, it still has many things that would blow your mind: a visit to Tokyo’s electric town or a trip on a bullet train, but your average visitor doesn’t see the real Japan behind its glowing neon lights.  They don’t see the bare classrooms, the old computers, the out of date technology clinging on for dear life, which has been long dead in the rest of the world.  But, the amazing thing about Japan is that it really has refined and polished so many wonderful everyday items.  Toilets, appliances, cars, navigation systems, TVs, trains, karaoke machines, vending machines, interactive restaurant menus, robotics.  None of these items were invented in Japan, but they glow with the aura of Japan; functionality and practicality.  All Japanese people should be proud of that.
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Edinburgh bands play gig for Teenage Cancer Trust

January 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Lisa Toner

Edinburgh guitarist Rory Fitzsimmons has set up a live music event in the city to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust as a tribute to his 18-year-old brother Jamie.

Jamie has been receiving treatment from the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at the Sick Children’s Hospital for four years and big brother Rory wants to give him “a night he will never forget.”

Rory (left) and his brother Jamie

Rory said: “Jamie has been a patient at the Sick Kids unit since he was 14. We want to raise funds to help TCT, it’s a fantastic organisation who work to make the lives of teenagers with cancer more comfortable and normal.”

The gig named “One More for the Road” will be held at Studio 24 on Thursday. Local bands Still Whisky and The Black Jack Blues Band are on the bill alongside Rory’s own band, hard rock five-piece, Black Cherokee.

Black Cherokee have also written a song dedicated to Jamie, a rock ballad aptly named ‘Brother.’ Rory said: “All of the guys in the band put what they could into the song. It just came together perfectly as we all know Jamie.”

Black Cherokee

The track is due to be released as a fundraising single and all proceeds will go to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Louise Stirton, Teenage Cancer Trust’s fundraising executive for the East of Scotland said: “We’re honoured that Rory and Jamie are hosting this gig for us, they are a really inspiring pair. It’s going to be a great night and everyone should grab a ticket and come and join us!”

The money raised at Thursday’s event will help the teenage cancer charity raise the £1.6m needed for a new unit at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital for young people between 17 and 24 years and for a unit at the new children’s hospital due to open in 2013 for ages 13 to 16 years. Teenage Cancer Trust also have plans to recruit more specialised clinical staff to provide the best care and support for young people.

Tickets for One More for the Road on Thursday 27th January at Studio 24, Carlton Road are £5 and are available at the venue door or from Ripping Records or Has Beans Café.

Copies of Black Cherokee’s ‘Brother’ will also be on sale after the gig.

Find out more about Black Cherokee at www.myspace.com/blackcherokeeband.

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Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?

January 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Fighting in the baking heat of foreign climes does little to acclimatise ex-servicemen and women to life on the bitter cold December streets of Edinburgh. For some that leave the armed forces, pavement slabs become their new trench or fox hole as a new fight to survive begins. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori may be ‘the old lie’, but a harsher truth prevails for those who have fought in Britain’s armed forces and returned home to reality, David Walsh writes.

 “Knee knocked, coughing like hags, we cursed as we trudged through the sludge,” wrote war poet Wilfred Owen in 1917 in his asylum room at Craiglockhart. The words uncannily ring true this month in a snow and slush-covered capital city. Like the many fallen soldiers of the Great War, the homeless faces of Edinburgh facing these sub-zero temperatures become mere statistics to the general public. 6,739 hot meals. 44 beds a night. 809 volunteers. 928 sheltered, given support and a warm meal*. The glow of Christmas street lighting, the glitter of shop window baubles or the cinnamon-sweet offerings of the Christmas markets do little to thaw the cold reality for many this Christmas.

Christmas is a desperate time for those on Edinburgh's streets. Source: MMO News.

Among the faces in the shop doorways and closes this holiday season could well be someone who fought in the Armed Forces. As the old maxim goes, charity begins at home. Bob Geldof asked a question back in 1984 of the famine-stricken people of Ethiopia. Few ask the same question to those soldiers who have returned from combat to altered lives back in the UK; do they know it’s Christmas time at all?

Exact figures for just how many people sleep rough on Edinburgh’s streets every night are difficult to compile due to the constant transient state they are in. Some “sofa surf” at the homes of friends and families, or gain temporary, sheltered or hostel accommodation. They become apparitions in the system. The best indicators the Scottish government are able to venture are lists of statistics of the number of applications for assistance made by people who had slept on the street the night before. This amounts to 39 people in Edinburgh during 2009-2010. This hardly offers a complete picture. Shelter Scotland put the figure for homeless people, those without homes, facing eviction or living in inadequate housing across Scotland at 40,000. The actual number of ex-servicemen and women among these who are homeless or otherwise sleeping rough remains contentious.

London-based charity Veterans Aid cites UK government statistics which claim there are only 450 ‘rough sleepers’ on the streets nationwide and only four per cent of these claim a military connection. Press officer Glyn Strong believes there is a gross over-exaggeration in the press about the number of veterans on the streets. With over 3,000 organisations in Britain working to support ex-service personnel, it’s an enticing prospect for many who claim to have been in the army to invent a service history to get help. Even so, if the facts are true, government figures show eighteen veterans are currently sleeping rough on the streets of Britain. Eighteen too many, in any case.

Instead of scouring the streets of Edinburgh to find a homeless veteran, we come to the Grassmarket in the city centre. Nestled between the relative silence of the snow-laden Greyfriars kirkyard and buzz of the Grassmarket, the Grassmarket Community Project is an unassuming building on the outside. Behind its facade, it is a hive of activity and industry. The project co-ordinator, Josiah Lockhart, explains that help for the “down and outs” of Edinburgh began with missions in the Grassmarket in the Victorian era. Even now, there are homeless shelters and hostels in the four corners of the Grassmarket itself, mostly in the closes behind it. Out of sight, out of mind?

The Grassmarket Community Project arose out of a partnership of two such historic missions; the Greyfriars Kirk and the Grassmarket Mission, both tracing their origins back to the 1800s. Their original purpose was to work with homeless adults, the Grassmarket being an area of the city where the poor and wealthy lived juxtaposed. The Community Project has now branched out to help adults facing social exclusion or struggling with addictions and mental illness too. As well as offering hot meals at its three weekly drop-in hours, it offers classes in cookery, textiles, woodwork, drama, art, IT, literacy. But Josiah Lockhart asked one important question five years ago: “Is the need we’re trying to meet the need of today?

“As time has gone by, the needs of people, what homelessness looks like has changed a lot. Issues are more to do with health and well-being and access to food. We’ve evolved over the past four years from being that mass-catering, queue-up service to one that’s a space, a community.”    

There’s a constant flurry of activity in the one room as people leave and return and new faces arrive. We sit talking as Christmas songs are played on a hi-fi in the corner and decorations are hung from the ceiling. One of the new faces rushes over to us especially to tell Josiah his good news. He has been given the all-clear by doctors for his cancer and finally has a meeting sorted to discuss his benefits. “I’m on a cloud nine” he beams. One woman who joins us at our table is Ellen.

A former Captain in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, Ellen Pain served as a senior nurse in the 1982 Falklands conflict. Speaking to her at the Project, she is visibly shaken when talking about her experiences. “[The war] That was enough for me,” she said. After returning to civilian life, she suffered a mental break down which tore her family life apart. Asking what life is like for her nowadays, she said, “Some days I’m fine. Others I’m not. This place is a big part of my life. When I’m in trouble, I head for here.” Ellen became heavily involved with volunteering when the Project first started up in its current location on the Grassmarket. She helps with the running of the various classes, particularly the art group.

Was she given much needed help when she was returned back in the UK? “No, because they don’t know how to deal with us. They help no body. Quite a lot of ex-servicemen come here. We all sit on a wee table to ourselves,” she says with a wheezy chuckle. “We talk our experiences out at the table.” Many of those she sits with are fellow Falklands vets. Some were, in a bizarre coincidence, wounded men she cared for. “Yes they remember me! Very strict they said I was. I was a Captain. I was very strict. My ward had to be spotless and my nurses.” Daring to ask, we enquire as to what Christmas holds for her. “I don’t have Christmas in my house. For me now, Christmas is for children.”

Whilst chatting to Ellen, a man with a limp sits next to us at our table. Affectionately named Mickey by the other volunteers, Michael Glancy explains he chipped a bone on his foot after slipping on the ice. He, too, is an ex-serviceman. Serving in the Royal Artillery in Kosovo as a young man of nineteen, his life was turned upside down with the close deaths of his father and uncle. Since arriving through the doors of the Project at the drop-in clinics, he has developed aspirations to rejoin the Army to train men like the younger man he was a decade previous. Not only that, he wants to go to college to study sports science. These two volunteers, both of military backgrounds, are just two of over a hundred people who congregate at the centre in any given week, taking part in and leading classes.

On a tour of the building by Josiah, we encounter woodwork leader Tommy Steel supervising a group in the workshop. Having had some machinery donated and some bought by the Project, the centre is run on the profits of workshop sales. Some of the volunteers are soldering designs onto wood. Others are hurriedly completing an order for shutters for a church conversion in Fife. Speaking to him briefly, he told us: “We need to change people’s lives for the better. We run the project as a business so we have financial incomes to achieve. We also have environmental outcomes.”

Starting in humble beginnings in a portacabin in the kirkyard, the business entails the recycling of church pews into high quality furniture. The wood is collected from churches all over Scotland and used to produce products ranging from gift items like candle holders and chopping boards up to household furniture like coffee tables and chairs. Tommy was part of the pilot project and has watched as the work of the volunteers has evolved into commissions, selling to notable names as Finance Minister John Swinney, and exhibitions.

 “The guys get a lot out of it. It’s not just about teaching woodwork. It’s the confidence, the self-esteem, the purpose in life. Recently, a large number of people have come off medication as a direction result of attending here.

“Medication for depression, mental illness. Through coming here, they’ve put structure back into their life and come off their medication.” One of the volunteers Tommy closely with had walked in off the street for the drop-in clinic and eventually left to study furniture making and upholstery.

With such schemes not made available by the MOD or British government as they are in countries like the United States and Australia, what does this mean for troops returning back to Britain with no prospects? Not all but a small minority – so small they cannot be accurately counted – fade into the ether and are forgotten. It is social projects like the Grassmarket Community Project that provide a stepping stone for those in a desperate situation to better themselves. This is felt no more so than at Christmas.

It is too early to tell how the cycle will touch soldiers currently deployed on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the future either. There are over 5.5m veterans in the UK. There are the regrettable few that failed to blend back into civilian life as seamlessly as the 96% of ex-servicemen who did. It is these Glyn Strong believes are disproportionately reported in the British press. “One homeless veteran is still one too many” she concedes. Just how many serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will make a similarly uneasy transition back into civilian life is yet to be known. It will be Edinburgh’s long-established charitable organisations who will likely bear the strain of getting those without homes or those without shelter living on the streets back on their feet this Christmas. In attending independently-run groups like the Grassmarket Community Project, those living rough on the streets or in sheltered accommodation, veteran or otherwise, will have company and a warm environment to be keep their spirits bright this Yule tide.

 *Statistics for Edinburgh from Bethany Christian Trust.

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The New Organic

January 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Georgi Lindsey

Sourced from: SL Metal Works

Bringing organic into the bedroom. Sourced:SLMetal Works

 

We all want to be greener, healthier and adopt a more eco-warrior stance in life. Now we have the ability to do this in another area of our lives and not necessarily one you would have thought of.

 

Carbon Footprint, greenhouse effect, recycling and organic. These are all words we see daily to encourage us to do more to protect our planet.  In turn we can provide a better and healthier life for future generations and ourselves. We have options to buy organic food, body care, skin care, hair treatments and now, we can turn our attention to the things we buy for the bedroom. Once you slip under the organic bed sheets at night, you can introduce eco-friendly toys, lubricants, massage oils and know you are doing your bit to help the environment and your own well being.

 

It is now possible to buy sex aids that are graded fully organic. Meaning all ingredients are animal and ethically friendly. They are good for the environment and for the body but if there is a call for such products, what are the normal high street toys doing to us? To start with, there are ingredients called plastic softeners used in some toys that are called phthalates (pronounced “thay-lates”). These are thought to contain carcinogens, in short, these are substances believed to be directly linked to causing cancer. To understand the severity to what we are, ahem, putting into contact with our bodies, carcinogens can be found in tobacco smoke and asbestos.

 

Mary Clegg, a Sex and Relationship Therapist and Chair of the British Association of Sexual Educators, explains the importance on why we should think more about the products that we are using in the bedroom, “I think we need to think about what we are putting in and around our bodies especially since a lot of sex toys are going toward a very sensitive part of our body which has a very thin cellular wall. We need to think about how inert things are because a lot of people are allergic to latex, a lot of people have vulva conditions which means they have to be extremely careful but they still have every right to a sex life.”

 

“There is no substantial evidence that the above toxins have a direct link to causing cancer, nor is there any information on the long term effects of using these products.” Mary continues to explain why she advises health professionals to steer more towards the organic way of life. “I don’t think the evidence is conclusive enough. As somebody who advises and trains health professionals, I tend to steer them away from [toxins] and into the more organic area. Some people will become hyper sensitive so we need to reduce the amount of toxins and not increase them.”

 

We all know being organic is better for our bodies, but what are the main differences between the conventional and the more expensive kind? Take food for example, organic farmers use natural fertilizers like manure over chemical ones that help the plants grow. Insecticides are used to rid the plants of pests and diseases whereas our organic friends prefer to use insects and birds which are beneficial to the crop. More chemicals in the form of herbicides are used to kill off weeds from the normal farmer compared to our green-fingered friends who pull out those weeds by hand or rotate their crops. As for the animals used for meat, organic animals are allowed access to outdoor sceneries, clean housing and are well looked after. It is believed standard animal farmers feed their animals’ growth hormones and antibiotics to prevent disease.

 

As for a person’s overall health, going organic has many positive effects. Aside the obvious benefits organic food can offer such as better nutrition, less likely to contract an illness and very little exposure to chemicals. They can contribute to a healthier body weight; provide better moods and general overall fitness due to their methods of production.

 

If you are concerned more about the ethics behind your sex gadget, then think about the lower end products on the market, which have probably been massed, produced in countries like China who are well renowned for their poor work ethic and worker’s rights.

Other ethical and organic products that have become more popular recently are the materials in clothing. Organic cotton is the main one, like with food; cotton fields are also sprayed with insecticides and pesticides, which can be ingested like the organic food. These sprays get into the air, absorbed into water and soil but the seed of cotton is also made into oil, which is used in processed foods. The ethical side to this is to consider the conventional method of collecting cotton, farms in developing countries employ children to pick the cotton, and being paid one to two cents for every pound they collect. This is then sold at 50 cents (US dollar) per pound.

 

Another shocking fact is the illness these workers can suffer from. Pesticide poisoning includes a set of horrific symptoms including headaches, memory loss, vomiting, severe depression, confusion, and loss of co-ordination, seizures and tremors. Of the estimated 5 million cases, 20,000 of these people end up being killed by this disease. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) has been created to aid those people in need. Various clothing companies support GOTS, which is constantly growing. The standard is not just to wipe out the use of pesticides and similar chemicals, but also to stop child labor and to provide fair employment rights ensuring a safe and clean working environment, fair wage and working hours.

 

Organic Pleasures is an independent store based in Edinburgh, Scotland and run by Lucy Tanat-Jones, she explains the reasons behind the idea. “ There was a lack of sophisticated boudoir shops for women in Edinburgh, there aren’t any, its just the licensed sex shops or kind of high street tacky shops. Nothing that focuses on sensuality and women really as they all seem to be about male fantasy so I decided to do a lot of research and open my own shop.”

 

The front of the shop is as classy as the inside, no tacky neon signs or flashing lights. It is warm, friendly with a burlesque inspired look. Unlike when wandering round a high street store and been harassed by staff earning commission; it is relaxed. No pressure to buy, no tacky embarrassing gimmicks hanging from the shelves. The shop’s decor screams nothing but class. So what do the general public make of this eco-erotic store? “Everybody who walks through the door, although some people may not have grasped what it is when they come in, are quite surprised, its never a negative response though” Lucy says. “It is always tough in the UK because we have got quite an old fashioned and don’t talk about it attitude so it takes a while for people to understand it is not something people need to be embarrassed about and that’s part of what I’ve tried to create here, a nice atmosphere, intimate products and to make it about pleasure.”

 

There is a wide range of product choice and all have been certified by the Soil Association, a charity organisation set up by a group of farmers, scientists and nutritionists who look to promote plant, animal and human health along with good farming practice. Massage oils, lubricants, candles and body care are all organic. Everything is recyclable right down to the packaging and has been ethically produced in the UK. “I prefer to get it all done in the UK, I have sought out people who are experts in what the do and decide on one or two to use. It’s quite a long process.”

 

Organic Pleasures has been a long work in process, the main shop and online store opened in 2006 but it took a lot of preparation and hard work before Lucy could open the shop. “It is quite a long process, there was a couple of years of research and talking to the top formulators in the UK which was quite expensive. I just love projects and throwing myself into stuff but it involves talking to a lot of different people and knowing what it is in the market and on the shelves. You have to make sure its all natural and then go one step further by getting it certified. I just think it is much more pleasurable to have something that is good quality rather than just going to pick up a tube of fake cherry flavored massage oil for like £3 or whatever.”

 

It is a known fact that organic products are expensive; this is something Organic Pleasures have taken into account. Offering customers a basic, mid range and luxury type for every product sold. Her own ranges of toys are made from the cleanest and medically graded safe materials such as silicone, glass, stainless steel, wood and ceramic. One toy was made locally in Scotland, from Cherry wood. Sanded down to pure silk-like finish, the same material used in Rolls Royce’s car interiors.

 

The lingerie is just as ethical and safe as everything else at Organic Pleasures. A burlesque inspired range, all designed by Lucy herself to fit a standard English body which is why the 1930 – 40’s era seemed a perfect idea. Good fitting lingerie, in turn, will provide more confidence for a woman, which is what Organic Pleasures is all about. “I wanted a shop that sold everything for women to feel sexy in themselves. Made in England, silk lingerie and keeping mid price range. I wouldn’t spend £100 on a bra so I try and keep them more normal priced, in the £30-60s range.”

 

Lucy range is now taking off all across Europe and she has more designs in the pipeline. Although don’t expect to see her range of organic goodness on the high street any time soon, “That is so far removed from my philosophy and why I started it so that is the last thing I would want but definitely a couple of other boutiques and a few more shops up and down the country and across Europe.”

 

So do organic products of an erotic nature have the same effect on our health as the food and clothing? Mary offers her view, “Not sure it will make any difference but if you are comfortable about the product you use and you are not worried you are going to get a rash from it or develop some kind of reaction. It may certainly make for a better experience because you will have confidence in the product.”

 

Organic Pleasures is taking a new and innovative step in encouraging a person to take control for their well being. Not only can they feel more confident but also they can have some fun at the same time. So if you are thinking about taking an organic approach into the bedroom, then take Lucy’s advice as a final thought, “Your love life is paramount to one’s happiness.”

 

To find out more about Mary Clegg then visit www.basrt.org.uk (The British Association of Sexual and Relationship Therapists) or www.baseuk.org.uk which Mary is the chair of. Organic Pleasures can be found at www.organicpleasures.co.uk and to find out more about farm practice, environmental, human and animal health then go to www.soilassociation.org.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Features Tagged With: , , , ,

Walking in a war-torn wonderland

January 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Palestinian Santa with Israeli soldiers. Courtesy of AP/ Kevin Frayer

 Where Christians fear to tread, or have fled: an exploration into the birthplace of Christianity this Christmas.

 By Claudie Qumsieh

Beyond the tinsel, Christmas is a celebration commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. The Holy Land however has been violated by a colonial presence since the creation of Israel in 1948, in the land that was once Palestine. 

“A bulldozer arrived with soldiers. I began to argue with them not to demolish my home, so they began to beat me. As the bulldozer was to begin the demolition, I remembered that my son was sleeping inside. I ran towards the house to get him. As I ran the soldiers tried to hold me back. They began beating and kicking me. I managed to push one to the ground and ran inside to my son”

These are the words of Rodina Jabber, interviewed in the award-winning documentary, Occupation 101. This Palestinian mother’s children cannot sleep for fear that the soldiers will return. Two of her homes have been bulldozed and her land taken by Israeli settlers. Jabber’s story is not an anomaly, her story is the story of a nation. In the last 10 years Israel have destroyed about 1,000 Palestinian homes in occupied Jerusalem and displaced 5,783 individuals, including 3,109 children.

Desmond Tutu draws comparisons with South African apartheid when he thanks students for their protests against Israel:

“I have been to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and I have witnessed the racially segregated roads and housing that reminded me so much of the conditions we experienced in South Africa under the racist system of Apartheid. I have witnessed the humiliation of Palestinian men, women, and children made to wait hours at Israeli military checkpoints routinely when trying to make the most basic of trips to visit relatives or attend school or college, and this humiliation is familiar to me and the many black South Africans”

One striking apartheid tool in the conflict is a wall three times as long and twice as tall as the Berlin Wall. The construction is called different names by the two sides: “The Wall” by the Palestinians, “security/anti-terrorist fence” by the Israelis. According to Israel Diplomatic Network “The security fence limits the ability of terrorist organizations to enter Israel […] making it difficult for them to carry out suicide bombing attacks within Israel“. Not only is the wall a means of oppression, the wall encroaches on Palestinian land. Israel has used it to capture valuable fertile land from the Palestinians. Although his Question of Palestine pre-dates the erection of the wall, it is a physical embodiment of what Edward Said described in 1979 as Zionist “blocking, shrinking, silencing, hemming in” of Palestinians.

As Christmas is celebrated, Palestine, the home of Christ, is forgotten. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is built over the cave where Jesus was said to be born, it is a sacred place for Christians. In 2002 when the Israel Defence Force (IDF) re-occupied Bethlehem, 100 people fled for safety into the Church of the Nativity. A 39 day siege followed where the entire city was punished: electricity was cut off and curfews were imposed. Outside soldiers stood with guns pointing at the church sacred to millions throughout the world as the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Historically Bethlehem had been a Christian city governed largely by Christians, however Bethlehem has more recently been Islamized. The 23,000 Christians of the area have been reduced since 1990 from a 60% majority to a minority by 2001. Christian Palestinians are an oppressed minority within an oppressed majority of Palestinians, both Muslim and Christian. In the 1947 official British Mandate records 35% of Palestine’s population was Christian. Since 1948 most Christian Palestinians have fled, they now make up only 2% of the population. Although Israel blames Hamas and Islamic fundamentalists for the diminishing Christian population, in 2006 the Palestinian Centre for Research and Cultural Dialogue poll found that 90% of Christians reported having Muslim friends, 73.3% agreed that the Palestinian Authority treats Christian heritage in the city with respect and 78% said the exodus of Christians from Bethlehem was because of the Israeli occupation. I spoke to one Palestinian who explained that the root cause is the Israeli occupation which has created fundamentalism, which has in turn created more oppression for the Christians of Palestine. Seen as more Westernised, they are discriminated against as a minority within a minority. 

Jerusalem is a holy city for all three Abrahamic religions: Islam, Judaism and Christianity. For Muslims it is the site of the first Qibla, the Dome of the rock; for Jews, Solomon’s First Temple; for Christians- Jesus’ home and the place of his crucifixion. There are 1204 synagogues 158 churches and 73 mosques within the city. This holy city has been the flashpoint of violence and oppression. In 1949 the new state of Israel’s  Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion named Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Jerusalem was at the time divided between Israel and Jordan and only West Jerusalem was considered Israel’s capital. During the 1967 Six-Day War Israel took control of East Jerusalem illegally and it remains to this day under occupation. 34 settlements have been constructed since 1967, and there is only 12 percent of the land in east Jerusalem for Palestinians, while 38 percent for the Israeli settlements and 50 percent is green areas reserved for the building and expansion of settlements. 39 Palestinian villages have been erased and 98, 000 Jerusalemites displaced.

Former Professor at Yale Mazin Qumsiyah is an advocate for Palestine and author of “Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human rights and the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle”. Qumsiyah remembers his hometown of Beit Sahur, a suburb of Bethlehem, as “An idyllic place. A place where Christians and Muslims lived and worked, side by side, for centuries. The main town mosque and church are still in the same block both in Bethlehem and Beit Sahur. We have been relentlessly bombed by Israeli occupation forces, and hundreds of families had to desert their homes. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem (Israeli Human Rights Organization), and the World Council of Churches have called this “excessive use of force” and “collective punishment” (banned by International law).”

There are 1.5 million Palestinians, half of whom are children, under siege in Gaza. 80% of whom are in abject poverty. 1.5 million people have been displaced from their homes and transformed into refugees, unable to determine their own futures.

There are about 5000 Christians in Gaza. Christmas in Gaza is celebrated on the 7th of January. Last year 300 people gathered in a small parish in Gaza where Patriarch Fouad, pastor of the Mother Church of Jerusalem, prayed “Oh Infant of Bethlehem, you who passed through Gaza in your flight to Egypt, grant us your patience, your love, your goodness. May this new year bring reconciliation, purification of intentions, a meeting of hearts, the end of divisions, the destruction of walls and the construction of the bridges of understanding, mutual forgiveness and encounter among peoples.” Fouad’s prayers for 2010 have not been answered. The people of Gaza, both Muslim and Christian, are under siege. Vital humanitarian aid is being blocked, all in the guise of anti-terrorism measures. Even glass cannot be brought in to build homes because glass is a terrorist material, according to Israel.

In 2008 Israel launched an attack on Gaza, 1400 Palestinians were killed including 300 children and 5000 were wounded. According to Amnesty International Israel breached international laws of war, having carried out attacks on civilians and civilian buildings, most notoriously a UN school. A strict blockade has prevented all movement of people and goods, the terminally ill cannot leave for medical assistance. The people of Gaza are imprisoned.  

Despite international condemnation, 2 years have passed and Gaza is still suffering. Last month Amnesty released a report called “Dashed Hopes: Continuation of the Gaza”.  Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said: “The so-called ‘easing’ of the Gaza blockade does not change the fact that there’s still a cruel and illegal blockade collectively punishing the entire civilian population. The only real easing has been the easing of pressure on the Israeli authorities to end this cruel and illegal practice.”

The international community have verbally condemned the treatment of the people of Gaza, but there is all too much rhetoric and too little action. One way of protest is divestment which was used against Apartheid South Africa. The BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign aims to pressurise Israel to comply with international law, including withdrawal from the land that it has been illegally occupied since 1967.

American Israeli public affairs committee (AIPAC) According to If Americans Knew, a group formed to inform and educate the American public, Israel “has been the largest annual recipient of direct U.S. economic and military assistance since 1976 and the largest total recipient since World War ll. Total direct U.S. aid to Israel amounts to well over $140 billion in 2003 dollars. Israel receives about $3 billion in direct foreign assistance each year, which is roughly one-fifth of America’s entire foreign aid budget”. Congressional Research Service’s conservative estimate of total US aid to Israel from 1949 through 2009 is $106.1647 billion. U.S has been funding colonialism and apartheid for 61 years.

This time last year  “A Moment of Truth” was published by Palestinian Christians who criticised “theologians in the West who try to attach a biblical and theological legitimacy to the Israeli infringement of our rights, urge for non violent resistance tools such as boycott and divestments and call for a stop on Israeli ‘racism and apartheid’.” The point is that people are discriminated against because of their race and religion and this is supposedly justified by ancient scripture. They go on to say “in the absence of all hope, we cry out our cry of hope. We believe in God, good and just. We believe that God’s goodness will finally triumph over the evil of hate and of death that still persist in our land. We will see here ‘a new land’ and ‘a new human being’, capable of rising up in the spirit to love each one of his or her brothers and sisters.”

European collective guilt for the atrocities of the Holocaust has traditionally permitted the colonialism of Palestinian land. There was a reluctance to criticise Israel policy for fear of being labelled anti-Semitic. Even Jews who oppose Zionism are described as self-loathing. It is forgotten that it was the British Balfour Declaration in 1917 that gave support to Zionist Jews to form a state in Arab land and it is the United States’ continued support for Israel that permits systemic injustice. The funding of colonialism and what has been described as “state terrorism”. Whilst the UN and international bodies condemn the atrocities, the world is complacent and allows it to continue.  

Peace and Human Rights activists are calling on “all people of conscience” to visit Palestine this Christmas. Demand an end to the suffering inflicted on the innocent, demand an end to the illegal collective punishment and apartheid in the land where Christianity was born. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

Filed Under: All Politics Tagged With: , ,

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