St. George's Day is Christian Feast Day; Not a Political Event

St. George's Day is celebrated by several nations of which Saint George is the patron saint, including England, Portugal, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Republic of Macedonia, as well as the region of Catalonia (Spain) and the city of Moscow.

For England, St. George's Day also marks its National Day. Most countries who observe St. George's Day, celebrate it on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in 303 AD.

In 2007, Independent writer Yasmin Alibhai-Brown condemned St. George’s Day celebrations for being too Anglo-Saxon and demanded that the day should celebrate the multicultural aspects of England today. Critics respond to this by pointing out that it is an English tradition, and it is more sensible for other groups to join the celebration of being English, rather than change the meaning of the day.

What IS a Stalking Horse?

A "stalking horse" was trained to conceal the hunter walking behind it; the practice allowed human predators to sneak up on their prey without attracting suspicion. In modern political applications of the phrase, a stalking horse is a candidate used to divert attention from someone else's candidacy.

For example; if Jacqui Smith the current Home Secretary were to challenge Gordon Brown for leadership, she might use one of the Balls to act as her stalking horse. This would probably generate a real tug-of-war with Jacqui pulling the Balls one way, while Gormless Gordon would be claiming "I've got the Balls".

Yesterday's Ripped Headlines from The Teamusk Times captures this image perfectly.

Original Ripped Headline text and images

What is Haggis Bashing

Lord Desai, who is emeritus professor of economics at the London School of Economics, is known at Westminster as an outspoken maverick. He told Sky News, "Gordon Brown is more like porridge or haggis".

The Camargue is a vast plain south of Arles in Western Provence, between the Mediterranean and the two arms of the Rhône delta. It comprises large brine lagoons or étangs, cut off from the sea by sandbars and encircled by reed-covered marshes which are in turn surrounded by a large cultivated area. Approximately a third of the Camargue is either lakes or marshland. It is western Europe's largest river delta, and also indeed technically an island as it's wholly surrounded by water

The eastern arm of the Rhône delta is called the Grand Rhône; the western one is the Petit Rhône. A further expanse of marshy plain just to the west of the Petit Rhône is the Petite Camargue. There are few towns of any size in the Camargue. Its "capital" is Arles, located at the extreme north of the delta where the Rhône forks into its two principal branches. The only other towns of note are Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, about 45 km to the southwest, which is the site of the annual Roma pilgrimage for the veneration of Saint Sarah, and the medieval fortress-town of Aigues-Mortes on the far western edge, in the Petite Camargue. Tourism is a major source of income. Each year the Camargue is visited by over one million tourists who come to see the unique flora and fauna of the area - the famous Camargue horses, bulls, and birds - including the famous flamingos which provide a marketing brand of the Camargue National Park.

Destinations - European Destinations

There is more to Australia than just the beauty of its wildlife and landscape though; the land that has a rich cultural history boasts an even richer present for those who want a taste of life here. The people are friendly and energetic, and the world of sports is regularly rattled by their characteristic gritty and aggressive sportsmen; Ian Thorpe, and Leyton Hewitt, are just two examples of the Aussie sportsmen but we can not forget their team sports either. Top of the line, is what sums up the land and its people.

Here you will find two great articles celebrating the diverse nature and adventurous opportunities Australian's enjoy everyday.

Queensland Bareboat Excitement and Adventure

For the adventurous it is the remoteness, for the romantic it is a private beach, for the exhausted sitting by the pool with a good book and their favourite drink. Holidays represent so many different things to a world of different people. Rarely is there a holiday experience that satisfies the myriad of the human senses than “bareboat charter” in the Whitsunday Islands situated off the north east coast of Queensland Australia.

"Bareboat Charter" is a somewhat confusing term. Simply put it is the hiring of a boat with no crew, that's right, your it.

In times past this style of holiday experience appealed most to the amateur yachtsman who longed for the wind in his hair and the spray in his face harnessing the power of nature to reach his destination. Conditions were sparse and cramped just the way he liked it.

The advent of the modern day power yachts or "motor cruiser" has changed all that to the point where a complete novice with little to no experience may also treat himself to this unique holiday. Our adventure began with the hire of a Coastal46 Cruiser from Anchors Away Bareboat Charters who work out of Abel Point Marina at Airlie Beach North Queensland.

Sydney Harbour Joys and Touring Tips

Aside from the thrill of going out to see the Sydney Harbour, from a Sydney local's point of view, there are actually 4 top practical and sure-fire ways to enjoy Sydney Harbour. The first way to enjoy Sydney Harbour is to just walk around it. To do this, one has to get down to a train session called Circular Quay which is right in the CBD on the edge of the water.

The new UK Statistics Authority comes into existence today (April Fools Day 2008). It is an independent body, with powers and the obligation to promote, improve, and safeguard official statistics across the UK. Its aim is to rebuild public trust in Government statistics.

There is a general perception that statistical knowledge is all-too-frequently intentionally misused, by finding ways to interpret the data that are favorable to the presenter. A famous saying attributed to Benjamin Disraeli is, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." And Harvard President Lawrence Lowell wrote in 1909 that statistics, "like veal pies, are good if you know the person that made them, and are sure of the ingredients."

"About time" was the immediate reaction from The Tea Musk Times, "Statistics quoted by politicians and political pressure groups are often heavily weighted in favour of their own prejudices and agendas.

If this new drive for honesty and openness can be really believed on "April Fools Day"... TMT gives its full support and will watch closely how things progress".

The new Publication Hub will list each day's new National Statistics releases from all Government Departments as they are published at 9:30 am daily. There will in each case be an electronic link to the relevant page of each Department's website. The hub will therefore permit direct access to the statistical releases produced by statisticians in Departments, without political commentary. This is an interim version of the UK Statistics Authority's Publication Hub which is currently under development.

(See below for the full press release)