Category Archives: Culture

Republican Presidential Nomination – Iowa Caucus Race and the Story so Far

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The race is heating up for the Republican nomination as the Iowa caucus gets ready kick things off tomorrow night. It’s been an incredible race so far with almost every candidate having their moment as the front runner.

The Story so Far

Romney started out ahead having finished second in 2008. Michelle Bachmann appeared to be the the first major challenger as she won the straw poll in Iowa but she has now fallen off and is polling less than 10% in Iowa and 6% nationally. Rick Perry surged in September to 32% and a 12 point lead only to fall way back after a series of gaffes (now at 6%).

Next was the turn of Herman Cain at one point with a 2 point national lead Cain quickly fell away after this clip below and his fall was so bad he was forced to pull out of the race.

Newt Gingrich was next to surge above Romney after doing well in a series of debates. He also held a 12 point lead nationally at one point but this was quickly destroyed by a series of devastating revelations and negative ads. Only a few weeks ago he was 14 points ahead in Iowa but is now in 4th or 5th position.

Ron Paul has surged in the polls in the last few weeks up to Christmas. Paul practically has the internet locked down in universal support of him. He was leading in the polls in Iowa but has fallen back in the last few days although he remains level with Romney. And finally most recently Rick Santorum has come from nowhere at the very end and is threatening to win.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/republican_presidential_nomination-1452.html

Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum are now all neck and neck in the Iowa polls. No one really knows who’s going to win.

Candidate Run Down

Mitt Romney – Iowa average 22.8%

Mitt Romney has been the steadiest candidate polling consistently in the 20-25% range. Some would say he’s the man to beat. But Romney is disliked by large elements of the Republican party. Romney is seen as a liberal conservative. He’s been widely criticised by Social conservatives for ‘flip flopping’ on issues such as abortion. Romney has no support from the tea party. The surges by the other candidates shows the parties efforts to find an alternative candidate but so far Romney has managed to knock them all back. A strength and weakness of Romney is his history of business and Wall Street. He may be seen as a candidate who understands jobs and the economy or he may been seen as the millionaire that’s part of the problem.

Romney’s greatest strength at the moment is his electability. A lot of Republicans may not love him but they see him as there best shot at beating Obama. That’s what’s holding the Romney campaign together.

Ron Paul – Iowa average 21.5%

Ron Paul the anti-war libertarian is detested by the Republican establishment and many would say the mainstream media also. Paul is seen as a strict defender of the constitution and civil liberty. He is the only candidate to talk about issues such as the NDAA, the patriot act and SOPA. This combined with his anti-war stance has caused him to win huge support across the internet and with young people.

Paul is the candidate most against the status quo and the current establishment. He wants to cut a trillion dollars of government spending. Other policies include abolishing income tax and the federal reserve, removing the department of education and energy and pardoning non-violent drug users currently in federal prison. Paul is all about reducing spending and taxes and taking things back to the state level.

The mainstream media has called him unelectable largely because of his anti-war stance (Paul wants to bring all overseas troops home). The media vs Ron Paul

Rick Santorum – Iowa average 16.3%

Santorum has surged from nowhere in the last few days. He has been campaigning in Iowa for months with very few resources. He is very popular among evangelical Christians of which there are many in Iowa. The opposite to Paul on foreign policy Santorum has said he would bomb Iran to prevent it getting a nuclear weapon. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SANTORUM_IRAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Santorum has been labelled as a social conservative (pro-life and against gay-marriage) and this may hurt him in future primaries if he doesn’t start talking about jobs and the economy. He has a plan to repeal regulations and remove tax for manufacturers. Santorum was also accused of being one of the most corrupt politicians in 2006 by citizens for responsibility and ethics in Washington

http://www.citizensforethics.org/index.php/press/entry/crew-releases-second-annual-most-corrupt-members-of-congress-report/

More candidates tomorrow

Londoners Life 19 – By Phil Ryan

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Londoners Life 19 – By Phil Ryan

Well a big hello after my absence. Had to finish off two novels and some other projects. But I’m back in time for my New Year review. London has had a busy old time in many ways. We’ve watched the giant money hole of the Olympics steal more and more of our money, we’ve had a bit of rioting, a bit of demonstrating and a bit of a recession. And how’s it left us Londoners? Well certainly the gap between rich and poor continues apace – some areas in London now resembling scenes from the aftermath of an apocalyptic plague movie whilst other tangibly smell of cash and cashmere. This gap can also be measured in ever sky rocketing house prices. Whilst everyday living costs creep ever higher. So for my review of 2011 here’s a quick list of a few London change indicators.
• Starters in restaurants now seem to cost as much as a main course
• More restaurants have replaced their chairs with those highly comfortable solid wooden thin benches from a Victorian prison
• A trip to the cinema for two is coming in at close to £25.00 and popcorn has broken the £5.00 ceiling
• There’s a new demonstration every day in Town not to mention various permanent demonstrations at tourist sights
• The Oyster card now only offers minor convenience in getting in and out of stations but cleverly hides the ever spiraling travel costs (until you have to top up)
• Parking in London is now only affordable by the wealthy or the desperate
• London Councils have finally abandoned all pretense of caring about their residents.
• Shops have sales every other week
• Sushi restaurants are taking over
So goodbye to 2011 with your momentous world events that touched London but didn’t fundamentally alter it in any way. For keen power player watchers we’ve had scandals and phone hacking saga’s that apart from the closure of the News of the World don’t seem to have changed the main players. Our Bankers carry on as normal apart from those lower down the food chain losing their jobs. So from a Londoners perspective what’s 2012 going to be like? Well it’s going to be more expensive across the board from transport to accommodation. The Olympic gravy train will roll in and out inconveniencing us all (of course TFL will run a fantastic tube service with an extra 6 million people on board) And there’ll probably be another uplifting parade to celebrate the royal baby that will undoubtedly appear in time for the Queens Jubilee celebrations. Closer to home still Hammersmith Bridge will be finally replaced by Lego as that seems more robust than the one they spent millions of our taxes on ‘repairing’. The Mayoral election will shock us all when a surprise last minute candidate bags the top job. Said candidate being that bloke off my big fat gypsy wedding. And London Councils will begin plans to cull the poor.

Looking back I’m left with some of my favourite moments from what I can only describe as ‘spokespeople’. TV and Radio reporters grabbing that all important human interest moment out on the street. So from ‘Rioters in Tottenham’ we had (from young guy number 1 with a hoodie and face mask carrying a large plasma TV) “It’s all about Iraq” (from young man number 2 with a hoodie and face mask number) “It’s about anger. We’re angry about being angry”. From a ‘St Pauls Cathedral Camp protester’ (who looked slightly the worse for wear) “I came to support these people and whatever it is they’re protesting about – it’s brilliant whatever it is and they gave me a tent a spliff and some soup I mean how great is that?” From a Christmas shoppers laden with about ten bags “Yes we’re cutting right back this year” and from some religious loon with a beard “Threatening death for us is an argument it’s not unreasonable”. So Happy 2012 to us all and whether its Ken or Boris as Mayor, whether we win gold medals or flog the Olympic venues for a tenner to a friend of Lord Coe’s as Londoner’s we just won’t care – It’s a London thing.

Why We All Love Ron Paul

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Libertarian prospective Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has stolen the hearts and minds of the internet and much of America, with his straight talking honest approach to politics. And I confess even as an outside observer from across the pond Ron has won me over too.

How has Ron done this? Simple, he’s done absolutely everything a politician shouldn’t. Ron has been consistent and honest, he never changes his views no matter public opinion, he’s willing to stand up against his party (he was strongly against the patriot act for example,) he’s upset the mainstream media and he supports policies seemingly suicidal to any presidential bid. Pro-cannabis, Pro-gay marriage, pro-peace with Iran. This is a man seeking the Republican presidential nomination. However the biggest reason we love Ron is he wants to take power away from government and give it back to individuals.

But it’s the way that Ron defends his policies, with passion, intelligence and common sense which really wins you over. He forces you to challenge your own ideas. You realise, he has in my eyes at least, things about 95% right.

Everyone knows the American political system is broken. Power is now concentrated within such a small political elite. Two people were president from the same family within 10 years for goodness sake. The corporate lobbyists control the political process, everything is bought with dollars. The SOPA act is a great example of this. And the mainstream media is very obviously controlled by various corporate interest groups. Is the US even a democracy anymore? It certainly doesn’t look like the land of the free from here and something needs to change.

Ron Paul stands against the status quo. He wants to take power from away from this small elite and give it back to the people. His voting record backs this up. We love him for it, The media hate him for it and we love him all the more.
It has been shocking and fascinating to watch the media attack him. First they tried to ignore him (see Daily show sketch above) Next they tried to smear him with an obviously ridiculous racism claim. Now they are trying to pretend a victory for him in the first and often crucial Iowa caucus will be irrelevant. That’s not to mention the extremely hostile interviews.

Whatever you think of Ron Paul you can’t help but respect him. I hope he wins in Iowa. It will be fascinating to watch his and the internets on-going battle with the mainstream media as events unfold.

Frost's Review of 2011

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2011 was an eventful political year, with the Arab Spring, phone Hacking and the death of more than one tyrant. On the flip side, it was also a year of wedding fever, Prince William finally made an honest women of Kate Middleton on April 29. Kate Moss and Jamie Hince, Lily Allen and Sam Cooper (she also announced her pregnancy), Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig, Prince Albert and Charlotte, Zara Phillips and Mark Tindall and Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell all tied the knot. Kim Kardashian got married too, but so briefly it is barely worth mentioning.

There was tragedy when Japan was struck by an record 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a tsunami. Followed by nuclear disaster at Fukushima, which is still being cleared up by brave workers, at serious risk to their own health.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were acquitted of the murder of Meredith Kercher.

In August London burned as riots spread all over England, people died, lost their homes and taxpayers were left with a bill of over 100 million.

The Arab Spring started when 26-year-old vegetable seller Mohamed Bouazizi. set himself on fire in protest in a Tunisian marketplace on December 17th 2010. It lead to leaders all over the Arab world standing down including Hosni Mubarak (Egypt), Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and the death of Gaddafi in October.

Silvio Berlusconi also finally stepped down.

Osama Bin Laden was killed ten years after 9/11.

The press went mad over Pippa Middleton’s bottom. As did PR companies.

Super Injunctions were the buzzword of the year, but the name of the footballer came out after he was named by multiple people on Twitter. The film star who slept with the same prostitute as Wayne Rooney, however, got away with it. Our article on it was one of our most popular of the year, getting over 14,000 hits in a matter of hours

Borders book store closed down, as did the Space Shuttle Programme and Harry Potter ended after a decade.

The Iraqi war ended in December. A date set by the Bush administration.

Liam Fox lost his job.

The Phone Hacking scandal ran and ran.

Charlie Sheen lost it, but bounced back.

Aung San Suu Kyi was finally released from house arrest.

Frost’s Politician of the year is the people of Libya.

Anders Behring Breivik went on an murderous rampage in Norway on the Island of Utoya, leaving over 80 people dead and many more injured. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg called the attack a “national tragedy” and the worst atrocity in Norway since World War II. Stoltenberg further vowed that the attack would not hurt Norwegian democracy, and said the proper answer to the violence was “more democracy, more openness, but not naivety”. In his speech at the memorial service on 24 July 2011, he said what a proper reaction would be: “No one has said it better than the AUF girl who was interviewed by CNN: ‘If one man can show so much hate, think how much love we could show, standing together.’

The end of Harry Potter.

Frost started a campaign to end Prescription charges in England, the only place in the so called ‘United’ Kingdom still paying them.

Jessie J had a breakthrough year and confessed to being bisexual.

David Walliams swam the Thames. He raised £1 million for Sports relief.

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher split.

As did J-Lo and Marc Anthony

Ryan Gosling had a brilliant year and was in the brilliant Drive. http://frostmagazine.com/2011/09/drive-film-review/

Sir David Attenborough dazzled again with Frozen Planet.

Frost Women of the year: Kate Middleton. After ten years and two break-ups, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton finally married her Prince Charming. Their wedding was watched by more people than 20 million people and the new Duchess of Cambridge has been wowing press and public alike with her style, charm and poise.

Man of the year: Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs died too young, aged 56, after a long battle with cancer. He changed the world with his vision and business acumen and when he died the outpouring of grief would rival that of Princess Diana. A true loss of a visionary man.

Most inspirational person: Eva Schloss. Eva survived the holocaust. She lost her father and her brother, her mother also survived and went on to marry Otto Frank and Eva became Anne Frank’s step-sister. She is truly the most inspirational women I have ever met. If you don’t believe me, read her books. The Promise: The Moving Story of a Family in the Holocaust
or Eva’s Story: A Survivor’s Tale by the Step-Sister of Anne Frank
[Full disclosure: I was in the West End Production of the play of Eva’s life; And Then They Came For Me.]

Kim Jong-il, Lucien Freud, Christopher Hitchens, Liz Taylor, Amy Winehouse and Vaclav Havel all died in 2011.

Adele and Katy Perry released the albums of the year.

Kristen Wiig co-wrote and starred in the hilarious Bridesmaids, which proved women could be funny.

Unemployment was high and economical troubles rumbled throughout the year. The US lost their triple AAA credit rating.

Finally, a great article.

http://frostmagazine.com/2011/10/top-10-common-faults-with-human-thought/

LAST CHANCE TO SAVE THE INTERNET – US Plans to Censor the Internet with Protect – IP Bill

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Protect IP gives the government the power to force internet providers to cut off access to infringing domains. Ostensibly this is to protect the entertainment industry but it paves the way for complete internet censorship. The bill will tamper with inner workings of the internet itself.  It gives companies the power to sue blogs, forums or search engines for providing illegal links. It paves the way for complete censorship. Ordinary people could go to jail for five year for just posting a single copyrighted link. Nothing could be more against free speech. I appeal to everyone who reads this. We together have a duty to defend this incredible tool. People think the internet is safe. They think it can never be changed. DON’T BELIEVE IT. It can be controlled and it will be if we let it.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

We at Frost are strong advocates of internet freedom. We reported on the G8 summit in May when governments met to discuss internet regulation. Governments be they democracies or tyrannical regimes fear the internet and they want to control it. Governments have been scared by the Arab spring, they’ve been scared by occupy Wall street and now they’re moving to take control.

It was always just a matter of time before our governments tried this. At the moment almost know one is aware this is happening. The internet needs YOU. Spread the word, tweet, facebook, blog, talk, share if you’re a US citizen please follow the instructions below

It takes just 2-3 minutes to help

1)      Go to https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

2)      Select your state and zip code

3)      Fill out the very basic information

4)      Make sure to include PROTECT IP (S. 968)/SOPA (HR. 3261)

5)      Write your opinion

Here is the actual bill http://leahy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/BillText-PROTECTIPAct.pdf

Some other good articles

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110712/12371715059/rep-anna-eshoo-silicon-valley-thinks-protect-ip-is-about-immigration.shtml
http://act.demandprogress.org/sign/protectip_docs
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2011/1115_cybersecurity_friedman.aspx
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110510/13285714230/son-coica-protect-ip-act-will-allow-broad-censorship-powers-including-copyright-holders.shtml
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/67985.html
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2011/11/11/the-case-for-the-protect-ip-act-and-dns-filtering/

Cheap and Easy Ways To Be Greener

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Doing your bit for the environment needn’t be boring and expensive. Here are Frost’s top tips.

1) Always turn lights off when you leave the room.
2) Don’t leave appliances on standby and don’t leave things plugged in when not in use. A TV on standby uses 40% of the energy it does when it’s switched on.
3) Only boil as much water as you need.
4) Have a bag for life. Always refuse plastic bags when shopping. They are not just bad for the environment, they also kill animals and wreck ocean life.
5) Turn the thermostat down. You can cut your heating bills by up to 10% by turning the thermostat down by 1C.
6) Fix leaking taps and don’t leave the water running when brushing your teeth.
7) Replace old light bulbs with new, energy-efficient ones. This will save you around £37 a year on your bill. The old ones are being phased out anyway.
8) Buy less stuff. Really, consuming less is the best thing you can do for the environment. I always get depressed when I walk past somewhere like Primark and see all their cheap clothes that will last for a few months and then go to a landfill site. Make a stand.
9) Invest in draught excluders, get your heating checked by a professional and fit a central heating thermostat so you can only heat rooms that you are in. Any expense will quickly be recouped.
10) Use eco-friendly paints when decorating. There is a range of natural paint free from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are known to cause allergies. They are non-toxic, made from renewable sources and avoid issues with damp.
11) Subscribe to The Ecologist. It’s cheap, you get a free gift and it will have lots of articles and advice on how to live a green life.

Do you have any tips on being greener? Add them below.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il Dies aged 69.

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Death seems to be having a pre-Christmas clear out of the good; Christopher Hitchens, Vaclav Havel, Maurice from The Phoenix Bar and the bad; erm, Kim Jong-il.

The North Korean leader died today at the age of 69. Jong-il died of a heart attack on a train in Pyongyang. World leaders are now asking for reform in North Korea. Power will now go to the deceased leader’s youngest son Kim Jong-un’s, an untried heir with no experience. South Korea is keeping a watchful eye.

The BBC has some regional reactions and the New Scientist has a brilliant article showing a satellite image of Kim Jong-il’s darkest hour.

What are your thoughts?

Frost Magazine's Writer of the Year 2012

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It’s been an amazing 20 months for us at Frost, and we couldn’t have done it without the passion and hard work of the people that write for us. The sheer variety of backgrounds, specialisms and styles made it incredibly difficult for us to judge who to award the title of ‘Frost Magazine’s Writer of the Year 2011?.

We chose the winner based on a combination of statistics, being prolific and feedback from readers. Our writer of the year showed they had the uncanny ability to consistently pick winning stories.

The Frost Magazine Writer of the Year 2011 is…Owun Birkett.