[world] mass pardon rattles italy

There are some things only the Italians can do [apart from winning world cups]:

12,000 detainees in Italy have just been released or are about to walk free thanks to a mass pardon pushed through by Romano Prodi's centre-left government to reduce prison overcrowding.

Justice Minister Clemente Mastella says the July 29 pardon, which cuts three years off sentences including for convicted murderers and thieves, was an overdue act of clemency … read more here and comment.

[world] not too many injuries at the verslunarmannahelgi weekend

The Verslunarmannahelgi long weekend, last weekend, went relatively well, according to police and municipal authorities throughout Iceland. All major media kept a close watch on proceedings.

The weekend is characterized by outdoor festivals held in various locations around the country, that inevitably draw large crowds. Assaults and traffic accidents are an inherent part of the weekend’s activities and this year one individual was sent to hospital with a broken skull, two cases of sexual assault ... read more here and comment.

[living] 10 best and worst places to live in britain

Found this more than interesting:

The ten best places to live in Britain:

10. West Oxfordshire
9. Guildford
8. Mole Valley
7. South Cambridgeshire

... read more here and comment.

[daily life] how do you rate in society

Don't we all have at least a sneaking desire to know where we are on the social scale? This article is a response to five conversations I’ve had in the last two weeks about who is in which social category. Not so easy to research in fine detail, plus there are anomalies, such as being at separate levels socially, economically and in terms of influence.

But let's say, hypothetically, there is a man who is public school educated [private, in other words] then sent on to a good university, parents upper working class, slaving to send him there. Through his working life, he's variously been anywhere from B to E on the NRS system. He's been in board rooms, is a member of the MCC and at one point ran a Volvo, a Peugeot, and a classic sports. He's also been in the dole queue at Hendon ... read more here and comment.

[nuclear news] poland stripped of fuel; iran ‘peaceful purpose’ production rushing ahead; nuclear plant sailing the oceans

Can you see Poland getting all gung-ho and nuking Latvia? Nor can I. Can you see Iran getting all gung-ho and nuking Israel?

Yet this is what the International Atomic Energy Agency has just cheerfully facilitated. On Thursday they ‘safely removed a sizable quantity of Soviet-era highly enriched uranium from a facility in Poland as part of an effort to secure nuclear materials worldwide’ - 40 kilograms of the weapons-grade ... read more here and comment.

[daily life] a reasonable man, pushed far too far

This article is not set in Britain but it might as well be. As you read, do you see any similarities with our situation? I'm reprinting it in its entirety, complete with public comments at the end, some as entertaining as the article itself:

For years I've been quietly fuming about the inefficiencies of our wretched, run-down, asinine public transport ticketing system, which is officially known as MetCard. I first met Ernie on Platform 7 at Flinders Street Station at 6:09:44pm. I remember noting ... read more here and comment.

[middle-east] troops 'deliberately under-equipped' in the middle-east

Interesting that the Beeb ran the piece [below] on shoddy equipment because I took a swipe at this business with my question in an earlier post: 'Why are the Dragonsuits [Dragon Skins] not allowed?' So to today's article by the Beeb:

British troops fighting in Iraq urgently need better-protected patrol vehicles to prevent more being killed by roadside bombs, MPs have warned. The all-party defence committee said the "under-equipped" soldiers needed more ... read more here.

[film and music] james bond changes his underpants

From MI6 site Casino Royale [06-08-06]

The new James Bond is changing his underpants - reports The Sunday Mail. Daniel Craig will be flying the flag in his smalls after a cult British underwear maker won the contract to outfit the 007 star in new movie Casino Royale.

Fans can look forward to seeing Daniel wearing Sunspel boxer shorts. He may scare the living daylights out of his enemies but you can bet pictures like this will leave the Miss Moneypennies of this world swooning for more.

Last night, a Sunspel spokeswoman said: "This is a major deal for us so everyone is really ... read more here.

[health and spirit] dr. phil shapes up

Dr. Phil is controversial and I don't plan to get into Shape Up and the other issues. As a psychologist, he's been criticised for his 'in your face' style and yet ... and yet ... for all that, the paraphrase below of his first five lifelaws makes a person at least stop and think. Don't judge the man - judge what he says:

Lifelaw 1 - Life rewards action.

People don’t care about our intentions. They care about what we actually do. Good intentions, without action, take us nowhere. The difference between winners and losers is that winners do things losers don't want to do. People who win take meaningful, planned action; they don't just think about it. To have what we want, we have to do what it takes.

Lifelaw 2 - We create our own situation.

If we consider that we are no longer children, then we, ourselves, must ... read more here.

[britain] an independent central bank is the thin edge of the wedge

The arguments for an independent central bank include:

• lower inflation
• improved credibility
• reduced political short-termism

The arguments against an independent central bank include:

• a `deflationary bias’ may lead to higher unemployment
• reduced policy flexibility
• undemocratic [1]

Arguments for: The first is generally accepted. The second is highly questionable for the same reason the third is unsustainable. The third reason ‘for’ does indeed eliminate political short termism and replaces it with ... read more here.