Bravery or just plain stupid?

         Makes a difference from the archaeological ruins: Is Iraq  seriously a tourist destination?

A country such as Iraq where it's own citizens are fleeing by the minute is the least likely tourist destination in the world.  

And yet the BBC have just reported hotels like the Sheraton Hotel in Bagdad are still catering for the occasional nutty tourists.  

One who is 77 year old retired archeologist, named Bridget Jones (coincidence?) is reported to have said, "It never occurred to me to think it was a risk. I'm an optimist. I think it'll never happen to me."  

The BBC further reports:  

She admitted she had heard "a couple of explosions", and then she told me that she would prefer to be killed by a car bomb than die in a hospital geriatric ward.  

My father, who is retired and occasionally still does some work for the UN, was offered a job with very temping salaries to work in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  

After hearing about these offers, I always told him how upset with him I would be if he took those job 'opportunities'.  

Thankfully, he was sane enough to see it was a crazy idea, despite the attractive salary. I just don't understand how people think of going 'on holiday' to places like this? How on earth did the conversation arise?

Good on Goody! - my thoughts

Jade: Smiling through the heartache of having only weeks left

Jade Goody, superficial money hungry reality star, clueless airhead, shameless racist and bully.

These are some of the things the public remember Jade as and now she is about to die in a matter of weeks and yet she remains strong.

Surely we are worse than any of these things we call her for continually holding a grudge when her time on this earth has come to an end? It's time to become a human being now,

and to forgive and forget. None of us are angels ourselves.

No one deserves her current situation.

There are websites where you can predict Jade Goody's death such as www.whenwilljadegoodydie.com. Here, winners are told they will win an iPhone 3G, which is beyond sick.

Other websites such thespoof.com has found humour in her situation with articles such as 'Cancer suffering from Jade Goody' and includes statements like:

"Doctors today confirmed that cancer is suffering from the parasitical disease known as Jade Goody. Leading expert Dr Andi Medix said: "There's no known cure. We try to starve the disease of attention, but it is just too strong."

Jade even gets such a lack of empathy from people who are apparently cancer survivors such as 'Aus Geoff of Frankston' on the online forum of the Australian newspaper The Herald Sun who say things like:

"That she's parading around in the media spotlight instead of being with her kids is simply another indication of the money-grubbing greed that seems to possess her. Shameful."

Well, Aus, the last time I checked you can't take money to the afterlife.

Ridiculous.

Yes, Jade is being given preferential treatment in being given the opportunity for media attention when there are many cancer victims dying every day that just don't happen to be reality TV stars. But how many of these cancer victims would choose to broadcast their last days to a public that hate them anyway?

It's hard not to admire Jade Goody in her move. She has been photographed bald from chemotherapy but still smiling. Her choice to be in the spotlight is is not as a result of vanity or stupidity, it is a very smart and brave move on her part. For those living under a rock, she is doing this to raise as much money for her sons Bobby, five, and four year old Freddie for their upkeep and education after she is gone. She's turned such a bad situation into something that has some positive outcomes.

For her recent wedding to Jack Tweed, she was able to get £700,000 for her sons and TV station Living paid a reported £100,000 to show it as part of their series Jade.

The media attention has also raised cervical cancer awareness in young women. Cervical cancer kills about 800 people in the UK every year. As a direct result of the reportage on Goody's plight 20% more women have been reported to have gone for cancer screening.

The lowering of the general age of 25 for screening to begin down to 20 is also currently being debated.

Media coverage of Jade's terminal cancer is clearly doing a lot of good.

With just weeks left for Jade, let's all let her last moments be dignified and the least painful possible. Let's allow her past to rest in peace.

Reduced house prices boost sales

Estate agents like Clifftons are experiencing an increase in sales

House sales in Bournemouth have increased despite the Land Registry reporting that January's house prices in England and Wales were 15.1% lower than a year earlier.

The nationwide decline in house prices has had a positive effect regarding sales of houses in Bournemouth.

Several estate agents claim that the media attention of the dropping house prices has encouraged buyers to buy right away.

Clifftons estate agent Zorro Ghura said: "Sales have just picked up as banks are lending a bit more money for mortgages now and people are realizing that now is a good time to buy as housing prices won't get any lower. We're doing more sales this year compared with the last six months of last year and it's only March."

"People are realizing that their money isn't getting much interest in banks, with something like just 2%, whereas with houses they can get around 4-5% interest on rental." said Mr. Ghura.

St Quintin & McConnell estate agent Tim Clark says that his company‘s business is also getting better as a result of the media attention.

He said: "Business had been slow but it’s picking up now quickly as people realize it’s the best time to buy property. In February, our company sold 19 properties within a two week period."

In Bournemouth, the average price of property is now around £150, 000, which is around the National average price, as opposed to £200,000 three years ago.

News for Quebec - Father troubled over Turcotte children

FATHER Raymond Gravel spoke of his distress in presiding the private funeral of murdered children Olivier, 5, and Anne-Sophie Turcotte, 3, which is taking place today in Montreal.

The funeral is taking place after yesterday’s public farewell.

Before the funeral father Raymond Gravel said he was spiritually torn by having to preside at a funeral for two young children.

“How do you explain to a congregation how God can allow innocents to die like this,” he said.

Father Gravel said he felt deeply troubled for having to preside over a funeral like this for the first time.

He also mentioned that he tried to reach out and minister to the childrens’ father, but he was unsuccessful.

The 125-seat chapel was already packed an hour before the funeral even began.

Olivier and Anne-Sophie’s parents separation and following custody battle was the reason that their father, Guy Turcotte, took their lives by stabbing them and attempting to take his own by a medicine overdose.

Yesterday, in the funeral parlour, self help books entitled ‘Talking to Your Child About Separation’ and ‘Parents that Children Deserve for Life,’ were a sinister reminder of the handling of family issues towards children. They were placed amongst hundreds of photographs and keepsakes and notes surrounding the caskets.

The family had the outer appearance of perfection in having a life filled with fun trips and celebrations and a large home as both parents were successful doctors. Anne-Sophie and Olivier were apparently happy and healthy children.

There were a long list of mourners present at the children’s funeral including the murderer’s mother. One lady said; "They were children who had everything to make them happy."

There was a photo album which captured the family’s happiest times together and there were numerous photos of their smiling dad who is now charged with their murders.

Their surviving mother, Isabelle Gaston, looked drained yesterday as she accepted the condolences of the family and friends who came to pay their last respects to her children.

The children were found dead on Feb 21 by police in their father’s recently rented home in Piedmont after family members grew concerned after they never showed for a scheduled meeting. At the time their mother, Gaston, an emergency room physician at Hôpital Hôtel Dieu in St. Jerôme, was skiing in the Gaspé.

The children’s father, Turcotte, 36, a cardiologist who worked in the same hospital as their mother, was charged on Tuesday with two counts of first degree murder.

He was refused treatment at his own hospital after he tried to take his own life because no doctor there wished to have him as a patient. Staff experienced a mixture of revulsion, shock and sadness which resulted in requests if he could be transferred to Sacré Coeur Hospital in Montreal.

The double homicide-attempted suicide followed a gruesome New Year's Day pact by a depressed, jobless Saguenay couple to end their financial woes and which led to their children's murders and the mother assisting the father’s suicide.

(SOURCE: Montreal Gazette newspaper)

Emma Dawson with her proud father Mike

ON SUNDAY the East Dorset under 9s tennis team were victorious in beating the West Hants under 9s B team in the Dorset Mini Leagues tournament, with an overall score of 22 – 2.

The tournament took place last Sunday at the well known West Hants Tennis Club in Bournemouth.

In total there were 20 singles matches where all players managed to play against everyone, and four doubles. East Dorset won all the matches apart from 2 singles matches.

One parent, Colin Gray, expressed his delight with his son Eden, and said:

“My son Eden won the only two matches against East Dorset so I’m ecstatic and very proud.”

One father, Mike Dawson, said:

“My wife and I are very proud of our daughter, Emma who plays for East Dorset.

"It takes a lot of dedication from the young players though, they have many tournaments and train four times a week.”

For some parents, however, the training costs can be quite tough, particularly in today’s economic climate.

Susan Herbert, mother of Louis, 9, from the East Dorset Team said:

“It’s difficult for Louis as I know most tennis players in his group get one-on-one lessons with coaches regularly but we really cannot afford that right now."

“The average cost for one of the sessions is £20, which is quite a lot for us.”

The match was organized by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) which is working in partnership with progressive tennis clubs who will offer quality assured year round programmes for Mini tennis.

CCTV 'vital' in fighting Crime

CCTV - Crime deterrence or invasion of privacy?

33 ARRESTS were made and 76 people were charged with various offences as a result of CCTV evidence in Bournemouth last June.

Police are adamant that without CCTV, fighting crime would be a more difficult job. Martyn Webster, Dorset Police’s CCTV Liaison Officer, said:

“These results are testament to the efficiency of the CCTV system itself and the people we have in place operating it. I hope that by releasing these statistics month after month, they serve as a warning to anyone thinking of coming into the town with the intention of committing crime or disorder.”

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community, agrees with PC Martyn Webster and said:

“Bournemouth Borough Council is committed to tackling crime and the CCTV system plays a vital role in ensuring people feel safe. Our investment of £2.2 million in the town’s CCTV system is paying off and these arrests highlight the efficiency of the joint working between the council and the police.”

However Councillor Lisa Northover says:

“At the end of the day a person can do all of those things that CCTV can do, so to look at spending money is something that needs to be thought about, rather than spending a large amount of money on CCTV.”

The Government has set aside £150 million for CCTV scheme funding across the country this year. In a few weeks the scheme will be in place in Charminster and CCTV in Winton will go live by the end of year.

Police appeal for witnesses of burglaries

Elderly people, particularly those
who live alone are easy targets.

DETECTIVES in Dorset are once again appealing to the public for help after three burglaries against elderly victims in Broadstone and Wimborne.

The men used various ruses in talking their way into homes in Broadstone, Wimborne and Poole last Wednesday afternoon.

The first offender is described as a cacasian an in his early twenties standing approximately five foot five inches tall. He is said to have short dark hair, a round face and may speak with a distinctive accent.

The second offender is also white however no further description is available.

Police believe that several of the 13 current distraction burglaries investigations in Bournemouth may be linked.

Police are warning home owners and particularly the elderly to check their visitor’s identities, saying that genuine callers will not be offended by the precaution.

The most common ruse that distraction burglars use is to claim to be officials such as policemen or water board employees.

Detective Sergeant Billy Bulloch of Bournemouth and Poole CID said:

“I’d like to urge members of the public to look out for both their vulnerable relatives and neighbours. Anyone who has seen anything should contact the police immediately.”

The charity Help the Aged state that nearly two percent of homes where the head of the household was aged 75 or over were burgled during in 2004 and 2005.

Note : photo by Chalmers Butterfield