Author Archives: Catherine Balavage

Our Handout Culture Is to Blame for the Rioting

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I have read today that the cutting of the EMA grant is the cause of the recent riots. What a ridiculous and offensive suggestion. In my opinion it is EMA and a string of policies and attitudes like it which are to blame for the recent disorder. The looting was nothing more than mindless self-gratifying violence and selfish opportunism. To think there was any political motive would be naïve. It happened because people were selfish and didn’t give a damn about the consequences. Not for themselves (because they knew there wouldn’t be any), and not for others (because they didn’t care).

This country is in trouble. Our Education system is failing, parents are failing and the state is failing. The root of our problem is the culture and ideas which this country has brought young people up with. Firstly the idea that you can get something for nothing, that this world owes you a living.

EMA sums this up. We’re going to give you something for nothing. That’s unsustainable in the real world (as it has in fact proven). If we want kids to stay in school longer, make it compulsory. Apart from being a waste of money it’s a terrible attitude to instil.

The benefits system is another example of this. It is not uncommon today to see people claiming over £20,000 a year in benefits once you add all the different ones up. This says nothing for the free travel, prescription charges and other benefits.

Most of my friends earn around £10,000 a year and yet we are paying tax to give benefits to people doing nothing. The average salary is only just over £20,000 a year. Something is deeply wrong here.

If you want to be successful you have to work hard. There’s no other way. But that’s not the attitude we bring people up with.

Another idea young people are brought people up with is that; there are no consequences for your actions.
Do what and say what you want to your teacher. They can’t do anything back to you. British teachers face acts of violence and abuse every day and no one helps them. Many have been forced to leave the profession. We could easily solve this by giving our teachers a few more powers.

You can break the law. There won’t be any consequences other than a slap on the wrist. Rob and steal, you won’t go to jail. It’s not like we have any prison places left anyway. The British justice system will do whatever it can to keep you out. After all we need to keep costs down to pay you your benefits. Do what you want who cares if your actions impact on other people. Play the system, it will always defends the perpetrator.

This seems to have been proven in the rioting case, as many have walked away free despite thieving and vandalism.

Riots Update: Ealing Man Left Fighting For Life; Backlash Continues.

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A 68 year old Ealing resident is still fighting for this life today. Police have expressed worry for the pain who is still on life support. He was attacked on Tuesday after confronting rioters who had set fire to a bin. He was trying to put the fire out. He was attacked and has ‘savage’ head injuries that left the police unable to tell his age, he has since been identified and the police are looking for his family.

On Wednesday morning three young Asian men were knocked down and killed while trying to defend their properties. Police in Birmingham have launched a murder inquiry. A man was arrested and had his car impounded following the incident near a mosque in the Dudley road area.

The father on one of the victims, Haroon Jahan, 21, called for peace and asked for their no be no more violence or retribution for his son’s death. He stated that this was not a ‘race’ issue.

A spokesman for the West Midlands force said: “The incident took place close to the Jet filling station on Dudley Road in Winson Green at approximately 1.15am. Three ambulances, two rapid response vehicles and an incident support officer was sent to the scene.

“When crews arrived, they found around 80 people at the scene with resuscitation ongoing on three men. Crews used their advanced life support skills while police officers provided support.”

Violence in Birmingham on Tuesday was not as bad as Monday but it spread to West Bromwich and Wolverhampton. London was relatively calm after 16,000 police officers hit the street with rubber bullets.

Independent record labels and filmmakers have been left devastated after a fire destroyed a blaze in a Sony warehouse in Enfield. The Pias Group feared a ‘ruinous’ stock loss. The three-storey, 20,000 square-metre building in Enfield, owned by Sony DADC was burned to the ground.

The fire affected Domino and film production companies with DVD stock. Pias is the UK’s largest independent sales, marketing and distribution company.

Other labels that might be affected include 4AD, Warp and Beggars Banquet.

A on Pias’s website said: “There was a fire last night at the SonyDADC warehouse which services the physical distribution for Pias in the UK and Ireland. Pias is working closely with SonyDADC who are implementing their emergency plans. Pias’s UK offices in London and all other areas of our business are unaffected. More information will be communicated shortly to all our labels and partners.”

The release of Arctic Monkeys’ new single, The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, was affected, all stock going to retail outlets had been destroyed in the fire.

There has been a lot of debate about the riots from various sources, including Darcus Howe, a West Indian Writer and Broadcaster. His controversial interview has been seen by millions of people.

I disagree with him on three counts, 1) Not all of the rioters were black 2) Working class white people are just as disenfranchised as blacks. 3) There is never any excuse for this behaviour, no matter where you are from.

The student who was mugged while bleeding has spoke of his ordeal. Ashraf Rossli said: “They threatened to stab me, they told me they had knives,”. The student from Malaysia only arrived in England a month ago.

He went on to say:

‘Some of them were quite young, maybe still in primary school. They had their hoods on and demanded my bicycle.’

In the YouTube video he is apparently helped to his feet by a Good Samaritan but the thieves took his wallet, phone and Sony PSP games console.

The video was even mentioned by David Cameron today in his address to parliament.

‘When we see children as young as 13, looting and laughing, when we see the disgusting sight of an injured young man with people pretending to help him while they are robbing him, it is clear that there are things that are badly wrong in our society,’ said the Prime Minister.

The 20-year-old finance student had his jaw broken but said “Britain is great” and said he felt sorry for this attackers.

A petition calling on the Government to evict the looters from council houses and stop their benefits has had 83,000 signatures in 24 hours. It only needs 100,000 signatures to be debated in parliament.

Have your say below.

What Do Women Want? The Ideal Man Revealed.

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Forget Tom Jones, meet – the latest over-40s pin-up.Hugeremy Claurie

The 6ft 3in bearded ‘hunk’ has been voted the ideal man in a survey of middle-aged women.

He is said to possess the most attractive features of all male celebrities including “piercing” blue eyes, “kissable” thin lips and “sexy stubble”.

But on closer inspection, the greying 51-year-old may appear rather familiar…

In fact, Hugeremy isn’t even a real man – he’s a digital mix of actor and comedian Hugh Laurie, 52, and Top Gear frontman Jeremy Clarkson, 51.

Experts combined the blue eyes, forehead, mouth and trademark designer stubble of Laurie, with the ears, nose, bushy eyebrows and greying hair of Clarkson.

The result is the ultimate virtual heartthrob, according to a poll of 1,000 single women by mature dating site www.footloosedating.co.uk.

Its members said Hugeremy would be a “dream date with good looks, a big personality – and plenty of cash under the bed”.

Site co-founder Eleanor Selley said: “Hugeremy has all the characteristics of the ideal man. He’s tall, handsome and clever, and has bags of sex appeal to boot.

“Both men are attractive in their own right, but the idea of rolling the two of them into one sexy package is more than enough to raise a pulse.”

Site members aged between 40 and 65 were given a list of 10 “charming but not necessarily beautiful” middle-aged male celebrities and asked to pick the two celebrities they would most like to date.

The list included BBC news anchor Huw Edwards, broadcasters Phillip Schofield and Chris Evans, racing pundit John McCririck, chef Antony Worrall Thompson, comedian Hugh Laurie, journalist Ian Hislop, Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, singer Mick Hucknall, and Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis.

Edwards and Schofield picked up six and seven per cent of the vote respectively, primarily for their “lovely personalities”. Radio 2 DJ Evans, and entrepreneur Paphitis, took nine and 10 per cent of the vote – primarily because of their “millions”.

Only four per cent picked Worrall Thompson for his skills in the kitchen.

Unsurprisingly, McCririck’s trademark side-burns put off virtually all members. Only two per cent picked him as their ideal man.

Simply Red frontman Hucknall fared little better. He was chosen by just eight per cent because of his “silly” red locks and diamond-encrusted front tooth.

Meanwhile, some five per cent were attracted to Hislop’s “cheeky smile” and “quick wit”.

But both Clarkson and Laurie were clear favourites, scooping 24 and 25 per cent of the votes respectively.

Respondents listed Clarkson’s height – he is 6ft 5ins – and Laurie’s “chiselled chin” among their best attributes.

Eleanor Selley, of FootlooseDating, said: “Hugeremy Claurie is the combination of these two men. To put it simply, men will want to be him, and women want to be with him.”

Sophie Mitchell Summer Recipes: Thursday

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THURSDAY
Pomegranate, Papaya, Raspberry and mint yoghurt bowl

Serves 4
Prep time 5 minutes
500ml 0% Fat Greek yoghurt
250g raspberries
1 papaya peeled, de-seeded and diced
Small handful of fresh mint leaves
1 tsbp of agave syrup
Squeeze of lime
200g pomegranate seeds
100g pistachios
1. Chop the mint leaves and mix with the raspberries, lime juice and the
agave syrup.
2. Take four bowls and divide the raspberries between each bowl, then add a layer of papaya, then
top with the Greek yoghurt and sprinkle over the pomegranate and pistachios.

Duck, lentil flat leaf parsley and apricot salad
Serves 4
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
200g puy lentils
400ml vegetable or chicken stock
4 duck breasts scored
1 red onion
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
25ml white wine vinegar
57ml olive oil
1 small handful of flat leaf parsley
2 ripe apricots
1. Place the lentils and the stock in a saucepan, bring to the boil and then turn down and simmer for
30 minutes or until cooked. then drain and cool.
2. Heat a frying pan up to medium heat and the season the duck breasts on both sides. Lay the
breasts, skin side down in the pan and slowly cook. You don’t want to cook them too quickly; you
want to render the fat out. So cook them skin side down for about 10 minutes. Draining the fat off as
you go along. For the last 2 minutes turn up the heat to crisp the skin up. Then flip over and brown
the flesh side, cook for 5 to 8 minutes this side then take off the heat and rest.
3. When then the lentils are cool, mix in the mustard, vinegar, olive oil and parsley, season and stir
well. Then de core the apricots and slice.
4. To serve pile up the lentils on four plates then add the sliced duck and apricots.

Quinoa, broad bean, pea and radish salad with pan-fried lamb fillet
Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
200g Quinoa
400ml water
4 lamb fillets (approx 6oz per person)
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon
150g frozen peas, de frosted
4 spring onions
150g pink radishes
2 tsbp olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Small handful of mint
1. Pour the quinoa and the water into a saucepan and then bring to the boil and cook for about 30
minutes, or until cooked according to the packet instructions. The water should be evaporated, but if
not cook off the rest and then cool.
2. When the quinoa is cool, slice the spring onions and radishes, then add along with the peas, mint,
lemon and olive oil. Mix well and season.
3. Then heat up a frying pan and add some oil, season the lamb fillets and then add to the pan along
with the garlic cloves, squashed. Cook for about 10 minutes on all sides until golden brown, add a
squeeze of lemon then take out of the pan and rest for 20 minutes.
4. Slice the lamb and serve with the quinoa salad.

Have Fun On The Cheap

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In this economical climate you would be foolish to pay full price for anything. However, it can be hard to find inexpensive stuff to do now that the recession has kicked in. The answer is to have fun on the cheap. There is still fun to be had, and relatively cheaply if you look around. Frost has done the searching for you and has come up with a number of things to do without breaking your budget.

You can buy Peter Pan Tickets. I have seen it and it is an amazing experience. If you are a sports fan you can get San Diego Chargers Tickets at a reasonable price. There are few things more fun than a night of American football.

If sport is not your thing, music fans can get Celine Dion Tickets
Celine is quite the performer and that will be an experience you will never forget. If Celine is not your cup of tea you can get Rascal Flatts Tickets

If you are feeling more cultured then you can get Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tickets cheaply.

Everyone deserves to have experiences they will never forget, so just buy them at a price you can afford. Have fun!

Sophie Mitchell Summer Diet Recipe: Wednesday

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Frost is doing a recipe everyday for Sophie Mitchell’s Tweet yourself thin summer diet. Happy cooking.

WEDNESDAY

Smoked salmon and avocado rye toasts
Prep time 5 minutes
Cooking time 5 minutes
Serves 4
4 slices of rye bread
2 avocadoes
4/8 slices of salmon
1 lemon
Black pepper
1. Toast the bread and then top with the slices of avocado and smoked
salmon.
2. Finish off with a squeeze of lemon and black pepper

Beetroot, goats cheese and mint Quesadillas
Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
200g cooked chicken breast (optional for meat eaters)
4 spring onions
200g goat’s cheese
150g cooked beetroot
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
4 soft tortillas (I love the wholemeal ones or seeded kind)
250g salad leaves (rocket is great here)
Lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1. Shred the chicken and finely slice the spring onions and beetroot. Lay a tortilla flat on a board or
clean surface, and spread half of each tortilla with some of the goat’s cheese (divide between the
four)
2. Then sprinkle with mint and spring onions, and lay on the sliced beetroot, chicken and fold over.
3. Heat a frying pan up to a medium heat and lay a tortilla in the pan, with no oil. Cook slowly until
it’s golden and crisp, and then flip over. Repeat with all of the tortillas, and keep warm in the oven if
wanted.
4. To serve cut the Quesadilla in half, dress the rocket with the lemon and oil and then plate.

King prawn and Asparagus rice
Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
400g cooked wild and basmati rice mix
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
300g cooked king prawns
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed
25g butter
1 lemon
Sea salt and pepper
1. Cook the rice according to the instruction on the packet. As a rule I cook rice with one and half
times the liquid, covered until the water has evaporated, but wild rice can take longer (so therefore
needs more water) and can vary more.
2. When the rice is cooked, cool it. Bring a pan of water up to the boil and then blanch the asparagus
for 3 minutes, and refresh under cold water.
4. Dice the onion and mince the garlic, fry both off in the olive oil, you can get colour at this stage,
but do not burn. This should take about 8 minutes. Then add the prawns and the asparagus and cook
for 4 more minutes.
4. Add the butter, melt, then add the rice, cook until

Riots Will cost Taxpayer £100 Million, Mark Duggan 'Did Not Fire at Police'.

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Mark Duggan ‘did not fire at police’

It has emerged that Mark Duggan had a blank-firing gun which had been converted to hold live ammunition

16,000 police on duty in London

England game against Netherlands at Wembley tomorrow called off

Jamie Olivier’s restaurant in Birmingham was targeted by rioters

Police Cells are now full and 44 more police officers have been injured

Three people arrested for attempted murder of police officer

Cost of cleaning up the riots could cost taxpayers £100 million

Prime Minister David Cameron has recalled Parliament for Thursday so he can make a statement

Sloane Square Tube station was among dozens that were closed last night during the rioting

Youths congregating at Piccadilly, riot police are there

People urged to stay indoors

In Clapham youths went on the rampage trashing dozens of shops and walking out stolen goods.
Residents complained that police were very slow to respond as a Debenhams store was ransacked.

This morning Clapham high street was cordoned off as a investigation and the clear-up got underway.

Rioting began in Hackney at about 4pm yesterday when hooded youths began hurling missiles at officers and setting fire to bins and cars. Masked rioters on BMX bicycles armed with batons attacked a crowded London bus during the evening rush-hour, chasing terrified commuters as they tried to escape.

Some of the thugs were as young as eight and they forced the driver to stop the double-decker by pelting it with champagne bottles stolen from a nearby Tesco. About 40 passengers ran away, some carrying their children.

Within hours similar scenes erupted in Lewisham, spreading to Peckham, Deptford and Croydon.
Hundreds of fires were started all over the capital, North London; Camden, Woolwich in the south, in West London; Ealing. People were forced to take the law into their own hands to protect themselves and their family.

In Dalston and Hackney, shopkeepers fought back against looting youths and protected their businesses. Surrounding areas were pillaged as members of the town’s large Turkish community stood up outside their homes and businesses to protect them.

Home Secretary Theresa May said this morning that there had been 450 arrests in the last two nights but she ruled out bringing in the Army and using water cannon. She told BBC Breakfast:

‘British policing has always meant and always depended on the support of local communities and that’s what we need now.’

She told Sky News the capital needed ‘robust policing’ – and claimed that police budget cutting had not had an impact on the violence.

‘Don’t let police budgets be used as an excuse for what is going on on our streets is sheer criminality and nothing else.’

Patrick Mercer, the Tory MP and former Army officer, hit out and told the Telegraph that tougher policing should be used.

He said: ‘I find it strange that we are willing to use these sort of measures against the Irish yet when Englishmen step out of line and behave in this atrocious and appalling way, we are happy to mollycoddle them.’

Met Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh seemed to contradict the Home Secretary and said using the military had not been ruled out.

‘All options were discussed last night and that means, not that we’re doing it, the people of London need to know that the Commissioner and his management board team are considering everything and working through those options as we go forward,’ he told BBC Breakfast.

Mr Kavanagh said it was ‘a shocking and appalling morning for London to wake up to’ and he was struck by the ‘sheer scale and speed with which the attacks took place across London last night’. It ‘was truly unprecedented’

He said there was a ‘changing nature’ in the make-up of the rioters, with the profile changing ‘dramatically’ last night from 14 to 17-year-olds to ‘older groups in cars doing organised looting’.

He added: ‘And there was the far more focused attempt at injuring London Ambulance staff, there to help the community, trying to injure Fire Brigade officers and, of course, police officers.’

In Birmingham, West Midlands Police said it had made about 100 arrests and confirmed that a police station in Handsworth, Birmingham, was on fire. Merseyside Police said there were a number of incidents in South Liverpool and that cars had been set on alight.

Somerset Police reported 150 rioters were in Bristol city centre, with main roads closed and a number of shops damaged.

Councilors have said it will cost £227,000 to repair Tottenham

There is a brilliant article here on how the poverty these kids have is moral, not financial.http://www.thecommentator.com/article/359/london_rioters_are_the_pampered_children_of_the_welfare_state

And the Telegraph has a brilliant article with pictures of london before and after the riot

You can help people made homeless by the London riots by donating bedding, clothes, etc to Apex House, 820 Seven Sisters Road, London N15 5PQ

Sophie Michell & Ocado- Tweet Yourself Thin-recipes for summer: Tuesday

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TUESDAY

Coconut, Mango and banana smoothies

Makes 4
Prep time 5 minutes
300ml of natural coconut juice (like Vita coconut)
1 ripe mango
3 ripe bananas
1 lime
1. Peel and roughly chop the mango and bananas.
2. Place the fruit and the coconut juice into a blender and blitz until smooth,
then add the lime to taste and serve!
Sweet chilli and soy chicken wrap
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 1o minutes
3 chicken breasts (approx 180g each)
1 tsp soy sauce
2 step sweet chilli sauce
½ cucumbers
2 spring onions
2 carrots
Handful of rocket
4 flour tortillas
1. Cut the chicken breasts into strips and then mix with the soy sauce and a table spoon of the chilli
sauce. Leave while you prep the veggies.
2. Cut the cucumber into strips, and then do the same with the spring onions and the carrots.
3. Heat up a frying pan and then pan fry the chicken strips for about 10 minutes, turning
occasionally. Make sure the chicken is cooked throughout.
4. Then build the wraps, by piling up some veggies, chicken strips and rocket, in a tortilla with an
extra drizzle of chilli sauce if wanted.

Pecorino, Pear and watercress salad with char grilled turkey breasts
Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
4 turkey breast steaks (approx 180g per steak)
4 ripe pears
2 celery sticks
150g pecorino cheese
150g watercress leaves
50ml olive oil
Squeeze of lemon
Sea salt and pepper
2 tsp thick balsamic

1. Heat a griddle pan up very hot and then oil and season the turkey steaks. Then lay each steak
down on the griddle and cook for about 5 minutes each side.
2. Finely slice the pears and the celery (on an extreme diagonal looks great) then using a peeler add
shavings of the cheese and add the watercress. Mix with the lemon and the olive oil, and then
season.
3. Pile up the turkey breast and salad on the plates then drizzle with a little balsamic