iblog

Jeanne: A Lebanese bank has recently introduced a special type of loan to customers who require funding for plastic surgery. Loans range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are available to employed individuals below the age of 64. And there appear to be plenty of people willing to risk financial debt in return for a nip here or a tuck there. Indeed, rates of cosmetic surgery in Lebanon have increased by some 20% in recent years. It seems that not even political and economic crises can dampen superficiality.

Matthew: The tragic events at Virginia Tech university have been followed by an angry reaction towards the university’s security procedures. This is a somewhat inevitable short term reaction, and is likely to give way before long to a more important question; not how, but why? I can only hope that this episode leads to a profound soul searching among gun lobbyists in the US. If it doesn’t lead to a serious debate at all levels of the media, academia and politics, then nothing ever will.

Jo: It shouldn’t seem all that shocking: A new study by the University of New Hampshire in the US has shown that holding a hysterical suspect’s gaze can calm the person. This may bring about a revolution in alternative policing methods: or it may just be the triumph of common sense. I think more eye contact is just what we all need.

We make eye contact when being Better Listeners (for Better Sales), and Better At Receiving Gifts (so we will be remembered in wills), and yet more often than not, waiters, cashiers and kind door-holders go unseen. And by seen, I mean looked at. Looked at in the eye. As I notice more and more people mumbling their thanks and turning away, it is hard to credit their mumbled thanks with anything heartfelt at all.

As the New Hampshire study shows, eye contact is powerful. It can calm a suspect; transfix an enemy, or conduct love at first sight. But it can also let someone know that their job is worthwhile – or that their effort was appreciated. A good habit to get into.

Matthew: As a casual, social smoker, I am enjoying a guilt free last couple of months of smoking before I will no longer be allowed to smoke in the only environment I really want to; bars and clubs. When the initiative was announced, I was incensed by the government’s unwelcome intrusion into my personal life, and as a liberal, I argued that the decision to smoke or not should be made by individuals rather than the state. As someone who has worked in bars and pubs, I had accepted the smokey working conditions as a kind of ‘occupational hazard’, without questioning whether I was right or not to do so.

However, having looking at the practical elements of this legislation rather than the principle (which I am still not happy with), I am persuaded that this particular intrusion of the state into my life is for the best. I will stop smoking, thus saving some money and improving my health. I will not come back from nights out smelling of smoke (probably beer and sweat instead). Much as I am instinctively opposed to the statement; perhaps, where individuals are consistently making poor choices (poor by a rational, consensus assesment) the state should take action.

Matthew: Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair has vowed to exploit the recently approved ‘Open Skies Agreement’ to bring travellers the option of flying to New York for as little as £7. Considering this 1000 mile flight will cost me signifiacntly less than it costs me to travel 30 miles across the Pennines from Leeds to Manchester, I seriously doubt the long term sustainability of such an economy. This £7 per seat will barely cover fuel costs. They are clearly anticipating that by having a ‘captive audience’ for a couple of hours, they can sell us all the rubbish they need to recoup the real costs.

Matthew: As Donald Rumsfield’s second in command, and thus partly responsible for a impressive portfolio of disgraceful foreign policy blunders, Paul Wolfowitz always seemed to me a misplaced candidate for the top job at the World Bank. Now revelations about the way he wielded his influence to secure his girlfriend a top salary and secure position have given the board of the World bank an excellent excuse to dismiss the man. Whether or not this specific incident has any bearing on his ability to function as World bank chief, the board should take the opportunity to kick the wolf out the door.

Anna: The UK organisation Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has suceeded in creating the first commercially viable recycled HDPE milk bottle. 60,000 four-pint (2.3 litre) capacity bottles were produced and filled, and were sold on the high street by M&S in December 2006. There was no adverse consumer reaction - no-one cried over spilt milk at least! And so WRAP is now searching for a partner so as to establish the process commercially.

It’s all great news if you are a fan of recycled products, especially for a day-to-day essential like milk, which must create a huge amount of packaging waste on a daily basis. But I can’t help thinking that when I was growing up there was actually a far more efficient and environmentally friendly method of bottling milk and re-using the packaging. Yes, you’ve guessed it - glass bottles delivered by the milk man. The glass bottles were simply sterilised and re-filled and the foil caps recycled. And best of all, the stuff magically appeared on the doorstep every day, with chilly beads of condensation clinging to the bottles. Am I too young to be reminiscing about a by-gone era?

Anna: The NCT is celebrating its half-century this year, and the BBC has some fascinating stories and comparisons of childbirth then and now. The advent of ante-natal classes, greater patient choice and the availability of pain relief have all contributed to making childbirth safer and less stressful for women and men. Today, the maternal mortality rate stands at just 7 in 100,000 in the UK. It’s sad that such advances have not been possible in the developing world - in many parts of sub-saharan Africa, less than 20% of births are attended by a skilled person (a midwife, for example). And Sudan is just one of a handful of countries with a maternal mortality rate of almost 1500 per 100,000. That means for every 67 women having a baby, one will die.

Anna: As of today, smoking will be banned in all enclosed public spaces in Wales (England follows on later in the year). And no, it’s not an April Fool, though I think a decade ago it might have been received as such. It does strike me that it’s becoming increasingly inconvenient if you want to smoke. Most workplaces have an outdoor area for smoking, some even ban smoking all together, and now you’ll have to shiver outside in the inclement British weather if you want to light up down at the pub. You can’t really argue that it’s a bad thing, especially for the majority of us - non-smokers whose health is damaged by inhaling others’ fumes - but I wonder if it will discourage the next generation from smoking? Sadly, probably not. After all, none of those favoured teenage fag spots (the back of the bus shelter and the park) qualify as “enclosed public spaces”, and are unlikely to be policed by legislators…

Matthew: Schools have the right to ban items of religious clothing that interfere with teaching. The Department of Education has said that in order to work effectively, teachers need to be able establish eye contact with their pupils. Items of particular concern to schools are the Niqab and Burka, items worn by conservative Muslim women. This is not a blanket ban on Ismlamic dress, and headscarves that do not cover the face will not be effected. Teachers will have the right to make decisions on a case by case basis. This policy follows on the sacking of teaching assistant Aishah Azmi in November last year, who insisted on wearing a veil in the classroom if a man was present.

This initiative from the government seems well considered and practical. It reflects the fact that British schools are first and foremost places of learning, not religious expression. And if religious expression should interfere with learning, that is clearly a problem that needs to be addressed. Muslim organisations recognise this, and the Muslim council of Britain is expected to endorse the policy.