Thusfar, this has been a pretty dreary day in the news...
Sex Offenders Missing? According to the BBC, an account from the Metropolitan Police stated that there are 112 registered sex offenders who are "currently recorded as missing." I don't think I need to speak of the impact this will have on families in London. In a day and age where tragedies like Madeleine McCann's disappearance are dominating the news on a daily basis, this is clearly the last thing that we need. As it stands, there are 3700 sex offenders in London. This means that over 3% are currently or had been missing. There are far too many children on the Child Protection Register, and the fact that 3% of those who have offended have gone unnoticed is alarming.
Haringey Council Senior Officers Sacked? Three senior staff members of the Children's Services team in Haringey have been suspended due to the negligence surrounding the Baby P case, sparking a universal review of child protection policies across the board in England. For those who are not familiar with this case, the baby in question, who was on the Child Protection Register, was a 17-month-old little boy who died after suffering serious injuries at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend, and a lodger. All have been convicted of charges related to his death and are awaiting sentencing. As a result of this incident (and rightly so in my opinion), all child protection officers will be subject to unannounced inspections. As a former council employee myself, I can attest to the importance of this decision, and hope that in the future a more strict limit on the case load of workers will follow. This would truly go far in helping to chip away at the cases of negligence in child welfare work.
And now on to lighter stories...(You didn't think I'd leave it on a sour note, did you?)
At a time when sales all over are dwindling and the economy's tanking has left many in a state of depression...
Take That's album, entitled "The Circus," was released yesterday to record sales. 133,000 copies on day 1 is not too shabby if you ask me, and it was enough to land the group in the number 1 spot for highest first day sales of the year. That's right, folks. Take That de-throned Coldplay. Shocking, I know. Considering the year is almost over, I think it's safe to say that this is a pretty favourable position to be in.
In another strong opener, Four Christmases, starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, has knocked Quantum of Solace out of the top spot and earned the top spot at the UK box office. The latter was trounced by almost ₤1 million. If that isn't a statement about society I don't know what is. The world would rather watch reality shows and comedies about divorce than sink their teeth into a James Bond action adventure.
So this leads me to pose a (not-so-serious, yet thought-provoking...maybe) question: Are we gluttons for punishment, happy to laugh at the misfortune of others, or just coming to terms with the current realities of life and having an honest laugh? Think on that one, kids, and I'll be back sooner than you can say "marmite."
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Pardon Me, But Do You Have Change for One Pence?
If You Have Any Cents, You Will Read This:
Have a handful of strange looking change and completely lost as to how to actually buy something? By now you should know that I won't leave you hanging.
Here is a little crash course on British money. Once you learn it, it will be engrained in your brain forever like the last time you walked in on your teacher kissing your dad.
Pence: No, this isn't just an outdated made up word used in old movies stereotyping our dear friends the Brits. It is actually a real word for money. The closest thing to it would be the US or Canadian penny. Pence is often abbreviated as "p" both in writing as well as speech, as in "You can buy that apple but it will cost you 50p." You will probably also hear someone abbreviate the price by skipping the word pence (as in "What a bargain! That chair only costs five pounds twenty." This is another way of saying that the item costs 5 pounds and 20 pence.).Unlike in the US, there are coins for 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, and 50p.
It has just come to my attention (today, in fact) that there has just been a redesign of all coins including the 1 pound coin (which we will cover next) and excluding the 2 pound coin.
Pounds: You could liken a pound (GBP) to a dollar, although the pound is worth about twice what a dollar is these days. You may hear someone refer to pounds as "quid," which is just a slang term meaning the same thing. Pounds appear in the form of either a one pound coin, a two pound coin, or in notes.
Notes: This is a fancy way of saying paper money. Notes come as £1,£2,£5,£10,£20,£50, and (in Scotland and Northern Ireland) £100. £1,000,000 and £100,000,000 exist but are only used internally in the banks; they are not actually circulated to the public. Notes are very colorful and perhaps smaller than you might be used to seeing.
Wikipedia does a great job at explaining the various shapes, sizes, and looks of the UK currency. You can search for pound sterling, coins of the pound sterling or Bank of England note issues and you will see pictures and explanations for each. You can even search "quid" and find out the history behind the slang.
If you need to convert from your native currency to GBP (Great Britain pounds), here is the currency converter I use:http://www.xe.com/ucc/. It is very straightforward and you can also covert to or from other currencies. I would strongly recommend that you check the exchange rate before you leave and during your trip if you are concerned about how much your money from home will get you, since the exchange rate is ever-changing.
If you decide to wait until you get to England to exchange your money, I suggest not getting it at the airport since you will pay a higher fee. The British department store Marks & Spencer does it for free and you are sure to find one on High Street in whatever city you are in (this is the local equivalent of a "Main Street.") If not you can visit the bank but this tends to mean longer queues (lines) and more hassle. When you are leaving the area you can change your money back if you have some left over.
Have a handful of strange looking change and completely lost as to how to actually buy something? By now you should know that I won't leave you hanging.
Here is a little crash course on British money. Once you learn it, it will be engrained in your brain forever like the last time you walked in on your teacher kissing your dad.
Pence: No, this isn't just an outdated made up word used in old movies stereotyping our dear friends the Brits. It is actually a real word for money. The closest thing to it would be the US or Canadian penny. Pence is often abbreviated as "p" both in writing as well as speech, as in "You can buy that apple but it will cost you 50p." You will probably also hear someone abbreviate the price by skipping the word pence (as in "What a bargain! That chair only costs five pounds twenty." This is another way of saying that the item costs 5 pounds and 20 pence.).Unlike in the US, there are coins for 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, and 50p.
It has just come to my attention (today, in fact) that there has just been a redesign of all coins including the 1 pound coin (which we will cover next) and excluding the 2 pound coin.
Pounds: You could liken a pound (GBP) to a dollar, although the pound is worth about twice what a dollar is these days. You may hear someone refer to pounds as "quid," which is just a slang term meaning the same thing. Pounds appear in the form of either a one pound coin, a two pound coin, or in notes.
Notes: This is a fancy way of saying paper money. Notes come as £1,£2,£5,£10,£20,£50, and (in Scotland and Northern Ireland) £100. £1,000,000 and £100,000,000 exist but are only used internally in the banks; they are not actually circulated to the public. Notes are very colorful and perhaps smaller than you might be used to seeing.
Wikipedia does a great job at explaining the various shapes, sizes, and looks of the UK currency. You can search for pound sterling, coins of the pound sterling or Bank of England note issues and you will see pictures and explanations for each. You can even search "quid" and find out the history behind the slang.
If you need to convert from your native currency to GBP (Great Britain pounds), here is the currency converter I use:http://www.xe.com/ucc/. It is very straightforward and you can also covert to or from other currencies. I would strongly recommend that you check the exchange rate before you leave and during your trip if you are concerned about how much your money from home will get you, since the exchange rate is ever-changing.
If you decide to wait until you get to England to exchange your money, I suggest not getting it at the airport since you will pay a higher fee. The British department store Marks & Spencer does it for free and you are sure to find one on High Street in whatever city you are in (this is the local equivalent of a "Main Street.") If not you can visit the bank but this tends to mean longer queues (lines) and more hassle. When you are leaving the area you can change your money back if you have some left over.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Here's What's Hot
You can't spend time in London without taking notice of the incredible talent that radiates from the area. British artists from virtually every genre are a force to be reckoned with. I will use this space to share with you some of my favorites. Check them out, and if their albums have not been released in your country yet, find them on MySpace, Facebook, or iTunes:-Lily Allen (seen on the left): This feisty (or as the British would say "cheeky") Brit may only be 23 years old, but she definitely has a lot to say. Pay particular attention to her songs entitled "Smile," "Friend of Mine," "Littlest Things," "LDN," and "Knock 'Em Out." On second thought, just listen to the whole album.
-Nerina Pallot: This huge talent has not released an album in the US but she is a rising star in the UK. I became a mega-fan with the release of the first single off the album "Fires" - "Everybody's Gone to War." This tune is pretty thought provoking and deep considering the light tone of the music itself but her voice is amazing.
-Kate Nash: I would liken this singer to a Lily Allen sort, but she has her own vibe going on. If you listen closely to the lyrics of her songs you can tell that she doesn't take herself too seriously, and I like that. The titles of a few of her songs tell you as much: "Pumpkin Soup," "Mouthwash," and "Merry Happy."
-Corinne Bailey Rae: We haven't heard much from her in the way of new material lately, but if her hit singles "Like a Star" and "Put Your Records On" are any indication, she'll be back on the scene with a vengeance.
-Leona Lewis: I can't complete a roundup of the hottest British stars of the momentwithout mentioning Leona. She is blazing up the charts in the UK and US with "Bleeding Love" and "Better in Time" and has made quite a name for herself as of late. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I look forward to hearing more of her.
-Natasha Bedingfield: As an update, I can't believe I forgot to mention Natasha. Her raspy voice and tunes, which are sometimes just catchy and other times quite meaningful, are only a few of the reasons to watch her. She also happens to be an amazing performer live and I have never seen her out in public embarassing herself like celebrities often do.
I'm not sure of all the dates these chicks are coming to a town near you, but here are a few things I have found:
Leona Lewis Tickets
Lily Allen Appearance
Natasha Bedingfield Tickets
I found these tickets at a great site called VIP Tickets, so check back there every so often for tickets to shows that may have sold out elsewhere.
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