... let us know how your turkey came out. Which recipe are you making?

Sunday December 24, 10:03 AM

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will suffer a surge in crime and overflowing jails as the economy falters, a leaked report from Prime Minister Tony Blair's strategy unit warns, according to the Sunday Times newspaper.

The document, part of a broad policy review process under way as Blair prepares to step down in 2007 after a decade in charge, warns of the widening economic gap, rising social tensions and low rates of crime detection.


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"Unless action is taken, economic and social pressures are expected to put recent falls in crime under threat," the newspaper cited the report as saying.
"There is an increasing wealth gap ... the very poorest have got poorer since 1997," the report adds.

A spokesman for Blair's Downing Street office said the document was not government policy, and people should wait for the end of the policy review process.

"It sets out lots of ideas for discussion, including looking at measures taken in other countries," he told Reuters.

Blair came to office in 1997 on the slogan of being "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime".

The document warns of a 25 percent rise in prison inmate numbers to 100,000 from 80,000 -- a serious problem when the Home Office's budget to build new jails has been frozen.

It notes that locking someone up was an expensive way of tackling the problem of crime.

It proposes considering chemical castration for sex offenders, alcohol rationing and a ban on alcohol advertising among a host of other measures.

"There are concern about particular groups, e.g. Afro-Caribbean boys," the report says.

"More recently there has been concern about Pakistani youths who suffer disproportionately high unemployment, feel increasingly discriminated against and disconnected from their parents." it adds.

It also suggests banning teachers from wearing the full Muslim veil in the classroom and says the government should consider warning that wearing the veil in public could have consequences for social cohesion

:gbxmas:

Sending all the Globalbuzzer's good wishes for a Wonderful Christmas - hope you have a very Merry Christmas.
:candle: :bookclub: :candle:

Morning from Durban

A very grey and overcast Durban I might add.

Well the year is nearly over and the festivities are in full swing I should imagine where ever you are.

Friday, (all though I am on leave), was a wonderful experience in KwaXimba. I had organised volunteers and 4 one tonners, to deliver the 100 food parcels and toys to families in the valley.

The community leadership had selected the families based on need and had sorted all the food and toys following their delivery on Tuesday, so it was just a matter of loading up and taking the goodies to the families.

Friday was the first sunny day we had seen all week so even the weather was on our side. Travelling through the valley is always a breathtaking experience because the scenery is so awesome, but it was the faces of the children and the gogo's as we gave them the food parcels, which remain etched in my memory for the holidays.

We know that these 100 families will eat well over the holiday and for the next 6 weeks and that is good. Signs of vegetable gardens beginning to take shape in the various sub regions is another good sign that the community are beginnig to take control of some aspects of what they face. Fencing is always their major challenge as the goats and cows eat everything they plant, so it is difficult to protect the gardens.

So today, is Christmas Eve and I would like to say to all on GB:

May the true meaning of this special time be with you. May the true Spirit of Christmas rest upon your hearts and May His Love, Peace and Joy be with you all throughout the holiday and beyond.

Take care on the roads and focus on those very special people in your lives...your family and the gift they are to you.

Merry Christmas

ue:

It's that magical time of the year again when Santa makes his journey around the world.. delivering presents, hope and love:

I guess Jamjar might not approve..

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/tracking.php

NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa - radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighter aircraft.

Detecting Santa all starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System. This powerful radar system has 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. NORAD makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole on Christmas Eve.

The moment our radar tells us that Santa has lifted off, we use our second mode of detection, the same satellites that we use in providing warning of possible missile launches aimed at North America. These satellites are located in a geo-synchronous orbit (that's a cool phrase meaning that the satellite is always fixed over the same spot on the Earth) at 22,300 miles above the Earth. The satellites have infrared sensors, meaning they can detect heat. When a rocket or missile is launched, a tremendous amount of heat is produced - enough for the satellites to detect. Rudolph's nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch. The satellites can detect Rudolph's bright red nose with practically no problem. With so many years of experience, NORAD has become good at tracking aircraft entering North America, detecting worldwide missile launches and tracking the progress of Santa, thanks to Rudolph.

a Merry Christmas to all of you from TheTeam over this Festive Season

:gbxmas:

:cheer: Congratulations to both of you! :cheer:

:hooray: Enjoy your day ... must be tough to have it so close to Christmas. :hooray:

I would love to write an utterly polished devotional that is well put together but that is impossible at the moment. Life is crazy and unpredictable these days. We all know how things can get this time of year. But I make no apologies for an honest bit of writing. Life is rarely polished and well put together and sometimes there is not time in the moments for well-rehearsed lines.

Every time I turn around there is a new disaster waiting for me, and as soon as one has been taken care of more trouble comes to take its place. This creates such tension and loads of questions. Why are these things happening? Does God care? How come I have had to go through this? What is going on? Am I doing something wrong?

And then there are even bigger questions in the back of your mind: What have I been made for? Where is this story headed?

This morning I was reading Psalm 73. There is a bit that says:

Dana Snyman

Dit was Oukersaand en ek was op Ventersdorp. Ek en my pa en stiefma het by die kombuistafel geëet en gesels en geluister hoe sing Randall Wicomb Griekwapsalms oor my pa se Made in Taiwan-CD-speler.

Later toe gaan slaap die oumense. Toe gaan sit ek buite in die donker, maar toe wil ek nie alleen wees nie, toe stap ek onder die straatligte en die vlieënde torre en goggas deur na die Madeira Kafee op die hoek. Rian was op sy pos, soos gewoonlik. Ek het op ’n omgedraaide koeldrankkissie by hom agter die toonbank gaan sit. Ek sit graag by Rian in die Madeira, want as jy daar sit, sien jy stories wat vlees geword het.

Jy sien ook vir John die petroljoggie van die Shell-diensstasie inkom met sy trotse, nuwe, wit jas waarop staan: Fuel Advisor. (Dis skynbaar wat petroljoggies deesdae genoem word.) Jy hoor ook hoe groet Japie van die garage: “Goed, kêrels, ek hoop julle geniet die aand. Ek gaan beslis my kant bring.”

Op Oukersaand kom daar baie mense by Rian se kafee in, want Oukersaand is nie vir almal Game-Kersbome en Clicks-blinkertjies en gaan-haal-ouma-uit-die-ouetehuis en Â’n plastiek Josef en Â’n plastiek Maria en Â’n plastiekbabatjie in Â’n plastiekkrip en Â’n nuwe quad bike in die motorhuis nie.

Oukersaand is vir baie mense sit in busse of ou karre of agterop bakkies op pad huis toe, want hulle moes nog tot laatmiddag iewers in die stad werk.

Baie sulkes hou op Oukersaand by Rian se kafee stil: Om petrol by die Shell langsaan in te gooi, om bene te rek, om ’n vinnige russian en chips, ’n Coke of ’n piesang of twee te koop. En miskien ’n rookding: “Two loose draws, please, boss.”

Ek en Rian het darem elkeen Â’n biertjie daar agter die toonbank byderhand gehad.

Ook het ’n bus het daardie Oukersaand by Rian se kafee stilgehou. Dit was ’n ou International vol moeë mense, met bondels goed op die dak: matrasse, ’n trapfiets, tafels, stoele, en ’n slagbok wat blêr.

Party van die passasiers het goed kom koop, met blink ZCC-sterre op die bors; en hulle was nie juis vrolik nie, en nêrens het Jingle Bells weerklink nie.

Later was almal weer terug in die bus, en toe wil die bus nie vat nie. Daar het net sulke blou dampe by die uitlaatpyp uitgeborrel, en toe, later, was daar net niks nie.

Een vir een het die mense weer by die bus uitgesukkel terwyl die bestuurder by die enjin instaar en sy kop skud en allerhande dinge skreeu vir allerhande mans wat net so min meganiese kennis as hy had.

Party het nog russians en piesangs en loose draws in die Madeira kom koop. Ander het op die sypaadjie by die bus gaan sit. Daar was ook kinders en Â’n baba vasgemaak in doek aan Â’n ma se rug.

Miskien was dit omdat die kerkklok straataf twaalf keer geslaan het, maar later het die mense begin sing. Ek weet net ek en Rian het daar agter die toonbank gesit en toe is daar hierdie stemme buitekant – hierdie ietwat weemoedige stemme.

Hulle het Stille Nag gesing, daardie stemme. In Sotho of Tswana of Â’n taal wat ek nie verstaan nie.

Hulle het Stille Nag gesing terwyl daardie baba agterop die ma se rug begin huil en die sterre laag oor Pep Stores oorkant die straat hang.

Bron: Beeld Deurloop