[are we going mental] it’s going global

According to this article, mental illnesses, including anxiety disorders and depression are common and under-treated in many developed and developing countries, with the highest rate found in the United States, according to a study of 14 countries.

Five illnesses I'd really not like to have are:

1. In Micropsia. objects are perceived by the sufferer as being much smaller than what they actually are in reality. For example, your pet dog appears the size of small mouse.

2. G. M Beard in 1878 observed that, when given a sudden command in a loud enough voice some individuals will carry out that command instantly and without a thought, even if you tell them to hit out a loved one.

3. People may believe that they have lost parts of their bodies or even their souls and some might go as far as to really believe that they are already dead and are indeed a walking corpse.

4. Where one hand appears to take on a personality all of its own and acts in such a way that is completely out of control, the alien hand may unbutton shirts or remove clothing whilst the other hand is trying to button up or get dressed.

5. Some people experience their external genitals shrinking or disappearing, especially when caused by cold water or cold weather, putting it down to wicked gods.

I have a theory that we're all mentally ill to a certain extent, in the same way that there are degrees of homosexuality and heterosexuality in each individual. Most of us might accept the epithet "eccentric" but would take it a bit amiss being labelled "left field".

Some of the most sane-seeming, e.g. the people in charge up there ... well ... least said the better. Sociopaths are easier to spot and there are checklists about on the net. I have an article that most bosses are mentally ill but that might be stretching it a bit.

And those who claim to be thoroughly sane ... methinks they possibly protesteth too much.

Lastly, there does seem, to me, to be an increase in "brittleness" and "strangeness" in little ways with many people across society, this maybe stemming from stress in today's society.

[consider sicily] an alternative break

From Welshcakes and I thoroughly endorse this:

LEARN ITALIAN IN SICILY - 2

I [Welshcakes, that is] am posting this on behalf of the English International School in Modica.

Since I last wrote about the School's services, we have received many enquiries regarding our prices, the cost of accommodation, transport and so on. I hope that the following information will be helpful:

ITALIAN COURSES FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES
The School offers individual, semi-individual [2 students] and group courses and can tailor a course to your needs. All teachers are mother tongue.

We organise our courses according to the level of students' knowledge of Italian: elementary, intermediate or advanced.

Courses last a minimum of one week (Monday to Friday) but we can extend the number of weeks at students' request.

Course structure
Semi-standard [2 hours per day]
Standard [4 hours per day]
Intensive [6 hours per day]

We can also organise personalised courses for students enrolling for individual lessons: students can decide, with the teacher, how many hours and how many days of tuition they require during the week. Students who enrol for semi-individual or group courses can also request some individual lessons to clarify certain points or for extra practice.

Lesson content
Conversation
Grammar
Lexis
Idioms
Analysis and comprehension of descriptive, narrative and poetic texts where appropriate.
Italian and Sicilian traditions and customs.

Students will also be able to see some Italian films and plays.

On request we will organise excursions so that students can see some of the architectural and natural wonders of Sicily, such as the Baroque heritage of the Val di Noto, the nature reserve at Vendicari, Greek monuments at Syracuse and Agrigento and those of the Arab-Norman period in Palermo.

Course fees
There is an enrolment fee ( which also covers the cost of course materials) of € 50 for all courses.

Fees for a one -hour lesson
Individual - € 25
Semi-individual - € 15
Group - € 10

Fees for one week of individual tuition
Semi-standard course [2 hours per day] - € 225
Standard course [4 hours per day] - € 500
Intensive course [6 hours per day] - € 750

Fees for one week of semi-individual tuition [2 students]
Semi-standard course [2 hours per day] - € 150
Standard course [4 hours per day] - € 300
Intensive course [6 hours per day] - € 525

Fees for one week of group tuition
Semi-standard course [2 hours per day] - € 100
Standard course [4 hours per day] - € 200
Intensive course [6 hours per day] - € 350

These prices do not include excursions, cinema or theatre tickets.

Booking procedure

The € 50 enrolment fee is payable upon registering for the course. The balance must be paid, by bank transfer, 3 weeks before your course commences.

GETTING TO MODICA
To get to Modica you need to fly into Fontanarossa Airport, Catania as Palermo is a 4- hour bus journey away. Direct flights are operated from the UK and you can also fly to Catania from Rome, Milan or Pisa. From the airport the AST company operates an efficient and direct bus service to Modica. A taxi to Modica for up to 3 people would cost € 130, whilst a minibus for 6 people would cost € 160 [prices valid until 31.12.08].

ACCOMMODATION
Here are 2 examples of bed and breakfast prices in Modica: Bed and breakfast at the Luna Blu, in historic Modica Bassa would cost € 25 per person per night. Bed and breakfast at The Garden, Modica [within walking distance of the School] would cost € 40 - 50 per person per night. It is also possible to rent a modern, self-catering apartment for 2 people in Modica Bassa from € 25 per person per night.

CAR HIRE
You can find information about car hire and other services in Modica here.

CONTACT US
Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

Contact: Catherine Ciancio, Director of Studies
Tel: +39 0932456613
Fax: +39 0932456613
Email: english_int.school@virgilio.it

[luvverly day] the day we went to the dvla

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
I'm off to the ^&*$£()*ing DVLA

Yep, Higham is off on another identity-establishing jaunt today to a far flung town, finding his way around said town, wading his way through conflicting statements on multiple guidance leaflets and helpline advice, buying a cripplingly expensive lunch and then tackling the transport system [especially the return without any identity documents which will have been left at the DVLA for loss and later retrieval], before eventually arriving back here .

The real joke though is that he thinks he can also encompass taking his specimen to the local doctor, as per request and registering at another local employment office, minus the requisite documents, all on the one day.

But the joke's on them because I've already lost most of my hair so I can't lose much more.

LATE AFTERNOON UPDATE

Well, what fun that was. The DVLA itself was not really a problem but that is a problem in itself in that no real questions or issues were raised which I could imagine there might have been. Thought I'd ask the lady about the rumour that the DVLA lost passports and things and she said, 'Oh not that much really.'

The smile froze on my face.

Later, seeking employment, the usual status issues arose but hopefully that'll be sorted out tomorrow. 'Oh, we don't get many of those over here,' she said, meaning people who've been gallivanting round the world. 'Yer well travelled then, aren't ye?'

Hopefully that's not held against me when we get down to the nitty gritty.

The return bus ride took us by the scenic route so that was nice too. Luvverly day?

[scanner] horror movie coming to you soon

US airports Los Angeles, New York's JFK, Baltimore-Washington, Denver, Albuquerque, Ronald Reagan Washington, Detroit, Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix Sky-Harbour, Washington Dulles and Las Vegas are now employing whole body scan technology on randomly selected passengers:

Unlike the puffer machines, which blast a person with air, then vacuum the particles and scan them for traces of explosives, the body-imaging machines use millimetre waves. A passenger steps into the machine and remains still for a few seconds, while the technology creates a three-dimensional image of the passenger from two antennas that simultaneously rotate around the body.

Millimetre waves use electromagnetic waves to generate an image based on the energy reflected from the body, creating a robotic image. The energy emitted is 10,000 times less than that of a cell phone, the TSA said.

They're scheduled for introduction at other US airports and it is probably a question of time until they enter the UK.

My question is: 'Is overseas travel the fun experience we like to delude ourselves it once was [ignoring transfer problems, hotels not up to scratch, being shunted into a tourist zone with all the others, interesting breakfast arrangements at the hotels, food hygiene and hotel building construction issues, pool hazards et al]?"

Could "the authorities", from the initial document renewal and submission phase through to the insurance lodgment for compensation phase later, be trying to give us a simple message:

"Much better to stay home and be a good little boy or girl?"

[the local rag] do you think they do it deliberately

Local rags can be highly entertaining, as well as providing SFA, jobwise.

Nevertheless, the question does arise as to whether the sub-editors are naive or naughty. A headline like "Towpath Revamp" only causes a snigger about its provincialism but "Two Cars Gutted" is more promising. Can't you imagine them being one number off a lottery win and totally gutted about that?

Or "Woman Flees Fire" on the left page and tucked down low on the right page - "Man Burnt in Housefire".

I also love "Pains After Crash". Well ... er ... yes, suppose there were.

How about "Appeal to Find Friendly Labrador"? In our area, presumably, they're all savage killers, the labradors.

"Pastors on Patrol" reminds me of Hell's Grannies and "Irish Send Fast Filly to Feature in Festival" is too lyrical to be anything but an alliterate contrivance.

However, my favourite has to be the feature piece, "Forensic Evidence of Students' Work", which sports a large photo of five students, in full forensic scientist uniforms, sifting through the undergrowth in search of any work they might have done.

Local rags are the goods and cheaper too by a long shot.

[britain today] viewed through jaundiced eyes

Credit debt fuels all this and people pretend this is quality of life.

Having only just returned some weeks ago, it's nevertheless been interesting to observe differences and similarities to the last time. Some things I took as read are just not as bad as they are painted and there have also been some nasty surprises.

First up is that almost anyone [except those with specific strikes against their names] can work if they are human enough and want to. There is a labour office downtown here, I was in there and I could be working in a factory or shop tomorrow, for a bit above the minimum wage. Without a base, that doesn't help me, as it would not cover a flat rental, even if one could get it but it is OK if you had a place already and really needed the money.

Going one rung higher, wage wise, is adult education or tutoring. This brings in CRB checks and though these are not a real worry, the lack of any history over the past few years is. At least, there is a well-documented history in my case but an unwillingness for British officialdom to accept that there is what there is.

Costs are the killer. Last time I was back, they weren't good but they seem to have gone through the stratosphere now. This puts any but the most perfunctory travel or basic food right out of the window. So this, in turn, means that unless you are well heeled, in which case you can travel the country at will, seeking your perfect role, you are stuck in one place and seeking work locally.

The perceived solution, although I do believe that the Brit knows it is no solution, is the credit card, without which you might as well be a non-person in this society.

There is very much a three tier society now - the Brownite level with their world travel and bizarre lifestyle [compared to the average Brit], the reasonably well-off with their house, cars, work and the ability to move round Britain and take holidays and then there are us.

To really fall into the dole-check, scratching an existence together life is not one anyone wants but make no mistake - we can fall into that quite quickly through a conjunction of dire circumstances. Readers of this blog are generally the middle category who have not been looking for their next tin of dogfood to survive but some correspondents to my email have been there and not so long ago.

This is frightening and to keep one's nerve is what it's all about, at a time when that is the last thing it seems possible to do. One thing I do know - that the average person I speak with is not a happy chappy about what's happening in the society and very soon, something's going to give and middle Britain is going to react quite savagely, perhaps in a way it has not done before.

I have an interesting article by Brian Walden about the war years but that was still a relatively compliant population. I think those who see us as sheep, as we've always been sheep in their eyes, are in for a rude awakening. Frodo's return to Bag End seems to be the coming scenario.

Yet the parks are still there, mums and dads bring toddlers to play on the swings, the land looks green and pleasant, the weather is not nearly as bad as many think [one can rug up], ASDA, Aldi and others have great prices which make life possible and they're not always miles from town, requiring a car. Bus rides are cripplingly expensive and the roads are clogged.

So the verdict is 50-50 at this time.

[poll interim report] still open, by the way

The poll on this blog is not over but the trends are pretty clear and the overall feeling I get is that people are happy with it as it is, give or take certain things. The results came out like this:

1. There was a strong feeling that I keep the site layout as it is but clean it up a bit. This latter was particularly a need for IE users, for whom lines were all over the place and text too wide;

2. Navigation seems fine but WTF [said one commenter] is Engine Room? ☺ Think I’d best change this;

3. Navigation to the left and fiddly bits to the right was strongly approved;

4. Graphics – not bad now but no lower resolution please and one person suggested keeping them all to one side [shan’t do that];

5. Articles - in depth are all right but not too many, as people won’t read them. Don’t go the route of lazy, small, heavily linked one liners – people want some sort of blogger input. The bulk should be medium length pieces if possible;

6. Content coverage was about right except for quirky pieces and observations which people wanted far more of. One commenter said, ‘I think you are best talking about life and your impressions of it and being a citizen of the blogging world.’

Well, all right. Other than that, people wanted to see slightly less NA, Middle- East, and Oceania politics, global crises, economics, polls and surveys and quizzes. Some wanted more 'identity changes' via the profile and some wanted me not to keep changing the blog all the time.

I’d like to thank everyone so far [hope there’ll be some more responses] and it has definitely made me re-evaluate and tweak. While certain people said that it was my blog and I could do whatever I damn well liked with it, I’m a person who couldn’t be bothered blogging into the night if no one wants what I offer.

This is a discussion point, really – whether we publish and be damned or whether we take into account our readership.

[sitemeter] if it ain't broke, don't fix it

Exceedingly peeved by Sitemeter and it illustrates the veracity of a basic rule of life:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Sitemeter once had a viewable, clear graphic representation of what the blogger needed. I always looked at the bar graph of how many uniques there'd been the last week, then the list of referrals to see if there was someone I'd missed visiting, then country share.

Quick, clear, taking a minute or two.

Now thay've gone all techartyfarty, with slick gunmetal boxes too small to view, superimposed stats and a distinctly cold feel to it all. They couldn't leave well enough alone, Sitemeter. In the name of Ever Onwards and Upwards, they've blown it like Brown's government. It seems whatever such people touch, they ruin.

This does not even take into account the difficulty in 'migrating', as they call it, failing to recognize passwords and emails and so on and so on.

Not good enough, Sitemeter and as I put in my contact with you just now, seriously thinking of moving to another meter service after all this time with you.

[breakfast] do you believe me

[bikinis] and governing bodies

Fabrizio Rossini, press officer for the Federation Internationale de Volleyball, which officially governs Olympic volleyball, said most female beach volleyball players prefer the bikinis. "It's a very tough sport."

Olympic bronze medallist Holly McPeak, 39, said about one piece costumes: "When you dive, the sand goes down the top and collects in the bottom."

My question is more about why the French get to run international sport in the first place - Fédération Internationale de Football Association, Fédération Internationale de Basketball, Union Cycliste Internationale, Fédération Équestre Internationale, Fédération Internationale d'Escrime, Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron, Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, Fédération internationale de Natation, Fédération Internationale de Volleyball and the Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées, before we even start looking at winter sport.

I mean, who appointed them? Did we all say, "Go ahead, Pierre - we can't set up governing bodies ourselves," and then let them go ahead and institute them? The Americans are known for turning any championships in the U.S.A. into World Championships but the French seem to have this penchant for setting up governing bodies.