iblog

Rushda: We hear of murders every day but not many are quite so chilling and moving as that of the murder of 22-year-old Lindsay Ann, whose body was recently discovered in a bathtub of sand in Japan. Lindsay graduated only last year from university and was excited to go teach English in Japan but little did she know what would happen to her when she was there. A suspect has been caught and it is thought that he invited her in for help with some English before strangulating her. What I find most saddening is the fact that Lindsay’s father and long-term boyfriend went all the way across the world to Tokyo to identify Lindsay’s dead body. It was not the kind of reunion anyone would have expected, and I don’t know how the family members must be coping. Only a week before she died, Lindsay also sent a message to her boyfriend on Facebook saying:

Love u lots don’t worry abt the guy who chased me home, its jus crazy Japan. miss u xxx.

Japan really did turn out to be crazier than anyone thought, and this murderer (to whom the incident probably meant very little), ruined all of Lindsay’s and her family’s dreams.

Caroline: If you are a genuine “cheesie” you probably know all about the rare 24 month old Cheddar. It has a hard, dry texture, more like Parmesan than traditional Cheddar, and is extremely strong. Despite costing £20 a kilo (double what you would pay in the supermarket for bog-standard Cheddar) it is hard to come by even at such hallowed stores as Fortnums. It is a commercial risk for the cheesemakers as, if left to mature for too long, it can suddenly deteriorate but they are keen to take advantage of the upsurge in interest and plans are afoot to market a new Cave Man’s Vintage in the cheese’s home town of Cheddar.

Caroline: I watched an interesting programme the other week called “Arrange Me A Marriage” and was quite disappointed to discover that it was a one-off documentary and not a series. The programme set out to find a suitable husband for an English woman in her early 40s who had had a succession of relationships and was keen to settle down. Aneela Rahman, a Pakistani woman from Glasgow, set about finding a husband for Helen using the sorts of methods favoured by Asain parents when trying to arrange a marriage for their daughters. At the end of the day although Aneela found a man for Helen and they had a few dates it did not end in marriage and that I guess is the difference between playing at arranging a marriage and the reality that many young Asian women face when forced to marry against their will. It certainly made interesting viewing - I feel the BBC missed a trick there!

Matthew: I saw the much anticipated Spartan epic ‘300’ last weekend. Although I enjoyed the spectacle of shiny, muscular men slicing up evil Arabs with little more than a loin cloth and cape to preserve their dignity, I came away feeling like I may as well not have bothered. There were some impressively choreographed fight scenes and some suitably grotesque imagery (lifted straight from the comic), but not enough to compensate for the lack of plot or characters.

Although one could not fail to be impressed by the condition of the Spartans’ pectoral muscles, it is not without wondering whether it might not have been prudent to cover them with a breastplate instead of thrusting the bare flesh at the horde’s scimitars.

The film seems to have attracted as much criticism for its perceived political angle as for its failure to excite any sense of pathos. To those bleating about how it unjustly portrays the Persian Army (modern day Iran, not Iraq as many have posited) I say; lighten up. This is the cinematic equivalent of a comic. There is no serious political argument underwriting the film. Take it for what it is, which is nothing more than the wet dream of teenager with an interest in ancient history and a flair for CG.

Rushda: Because of escalating violence against teenagers, many worried parents have resorted to buying special jackets in order to armour their children against attacks. These specially-designed jackets are stab and bullet-proof, and VestGuard UK, the company which sells them, have sold almost a hundred so far, each costing hundreds of pounds.

I think it’s such a sad fact that the company which mostly supplies armour to Ministry of Defence police and other teams needing serious protection are now producing the same kind of stuff for children (who we would have hoped are not in as much danger). Though I think it’s great that so many parents care so much for their children, I also think that if violence between children has increased so much that children have to wear such clothing even in places like schools, that is very shameful for society. It really reflects the fact that there are some parents and teachers who are failing their children.

Rushda: Even though Hell is a familiar concept for millions of people from many world faiths, there is something rather scary and ominous in the way that Pope Benedict XVI recently announced that Hell is real. It is not just a metaphor he says, sinners will literally burn in Hell for eternity and this is a fact “even if nobody talks about it much any more”. Given the number of things which may count as sins, and the sheer number who commit them, I really hope this isn’t a reality for the majority. I also wonder how many people’s beliefs will now be based on fear rather than any sense of what is right. I love how these things mystify religious and non-religious people alike, and wish someone who’d died and lived (so to speak) could come back and tell. Too bad we’re all in the same boat, and will never have complete confirmation till we cross over ourselves!

Matthew: Tony Blair is preparing to enter a ‘different phase’ of negotiation with Iran to secure the release of the captured British service personnel from the Iranian authorities. I am intrigued to see what this will entail. It is hard to see the UK taking unilateral military action, though there will undoubtedly be sentiments to that end swilling around the Gulf among the British forces. Sanctions and international diplomatic pressure (if Blair can persuade any sympathetic ears to act) has proved ineffectual with regards to Iran’s nuclear program, and there is little to suggest it will be more open now.

Having said this. pursuing the diplomatic negotiations is the only sensible option for the time being, with a view to securing a UN Security Council Resolution if Iran a) doesn’t provide a timetable for the captive’s release and b) if it doesn’t allow consular access to the prisoners. Once a resolution has been secured, and only then, should any military action be considered.

Anna: Do you know that the capital of Burundi is Bujumbura? Well, before you store it in the area of your brain reserved for pub quiz items, be aware that it soon won’t be! Yes, the President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, has decided it’s time for a change. The new capital will be the town of Gitega, closer to other towns in Burundi and to Kampala, capital of Uganda.

The move is being made because Bujumbura is relatively isolated on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, while Gitega is well-connected and closer to major trading partners. It’s therefore considered better for business. At least the Burundians are relocating to a real place, and not creating a fake capital . You only have to look at the limited success of Brasilia or Abuja (capital of Nigeria) to see that sticking a pin in the middle of your national map is not the best way of siting a capital.

So what about the UK? Why should London be the capital of England when Manchester or Birmingham are so much more accessible? And why stick with Cardiff as the premier Welsh city, when Owain Glyndwr had his capital at Machynlleth hundreds of years ago - much better placed in the middle of the country, surely? Only the Scots, with accessible and equitable Edinburgh, seem to have got the right idea. Can we rely on Gordon to re-draw the national map when he gets to Number 10, I wonder?

Rushda: A man from Birmingham has recently legitimately registered a 63-character web address for a Welsh speaking village in Anglesey.

The address is www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochuchaf.eu

This contains the maximum number of characters allowed and no one can complain that it is gobbledygook as it is an actual place name. It is now recognised as the longest valid internet name in the world along with other more groanworthy ones such as:

www.thisisthelongesteuropeandomainnameallovertheworldandnowitismine.eu

With the Welsh one at least, I only wonder how anyone will know how to spell it and visit the site!

Lottie: It can be tough finding a good music blog on the internet that showcases a wide range of styles and doesn’t just refer to one thing: a) emo rage b) frantic dance anthems c) metal!!! 

The hype machine is an ingenious little site that picks up the best tracks from all of the top music blogs, putting together a daily playlist of the most blogged about tracks for the lazy web surfer to enjoy at leisure. 

The result is an eclectic mix of tracks complete with links to all the top music blog sites.

The site is frequently updated, so the only problem is keeping up with the masses of music flowing your way, but it’s a great way to discover new artists and find a picturesque route through the dense blogging community. 

Highly highly recommended!