A THOUGHT PIECE

by Jeanne Hambleton © 2008
NFA Leader Against Pain-Advocate

Grab a cup of coffee, sit comfortably and let us begin. The papers here in the UK this weekend have been full of justice being handed out contrary to British law by groups of Muslim elders sitting judgment on those with the same religious beliefs, in a redundant public house, someone’s front parlour or elsewhere.

Whatever your feelings may be on this I think you will have to agree with me that in this country we are in a bit of a mess it seems. The Government does not seem to know if it is on it’s head or it’s heels. I am saddened when I read about the stabbings of schoolboys, the stoning and battering of good citizens trying to protect their own property, the problems from the binge drinking, increased teenage pregnancies, the turmoil faced by broken families after quickie divorces when children need a mother and father, and the general behaviour today. My parents never talked about divorce. I doubt they could have afforded to divorce. My Dad was too busy earning a small wage to put food on the table. They had their ups and downs but separate – never. They married for better or worse. As I did. Yes I am still on my first marriage after 3 children and two grandchildren, and proud of it. How have we come to this sickness of people thinking only of themselves without considering the turmoil they leave behind them and how others have to live with their thoughtlessness? .

Yes I know I can hear you say – here she goes again – on about the good old days. I seem to be on the Soap Box again – sorry about that. But you must agree we (we those of us of a certain age) did respect our parents, grandparents, elders, teachers, and of course the ‘Bobby’ on the beat. Cheek him, and he would cuff you with his firm cape. Today the children seem fearless. As one paper described them, they have become ‘feral’ groups – wild – looking for kicks at the expense of other people.

But what about us grown ups, are we any better? Would you give up your seat on the crowded 5.30pm train to a pregnant woman – or would you think she should not be travelling at rush hour? Maybe you would offer your seat on a crowded bus to a young mother and child, a granddad or someone disabled? Do you stop and help someone who has fallen over in the street or dropped all their shopping? Or do you hurry by in case it is a trick to rob you? Does your conscience encourage you to throw a 50p coin in the hat of some poor homeless soul, so as to make you feel good?

Is it not time we took stock of the way we live our lives? This could be your grandmother, your pregnant sister, or even your child who was born disabled and it is not his fault, struggling to cope without any offers of help?

I believe the trouble today is we do not have time to stop and think about anything other than ourselves, our problems, our mortgage, career, wife and children.

While I am not a church-goer, I do believe there is something else after death. I do consider I am a Christian and I would stop and help an old lady pick up her shopping or offer comfort if she fell. I was offered the same comfort when I fell.

This does make me remember something I learned at school which for no particular reason has stuck in my mind. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!” I seem to think I heard this in RE (Religious Education).

When an email arrived on my desktop about a mother of three children and two unwashed smelly men, I felt the moral of the story was so strong that I should share it with others. I am told it is a true story – I really hope it is.

BREAKFAST AT MACDONALDS

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college
degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology.

The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called, ‘Smile.’ The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald’s one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.

I did not move an inch… an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible ‘dirty body’ smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was ‘smiling’. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, ‘Good day,’ as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, ‘Coffee is all Miss’ because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it – the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more
breakfast meals on a separate tray.

I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, ‘Thank you.’

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, ‘That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.’

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give. We are not churchgoers, but we are believers.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in ‘my project’ and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, ‘Can I share this?’ I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.

She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald’s, my son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn – unconditional acceptance. Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to love people and use things – not love things and use people.

She added an angel wrote many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart. God gives every bird it’s food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

So the moral of this story is – we have got to work at it. Think about if you were in their situation? Consider if you were a mother with a small child carrying groceries and struggling and standing on a crowded bus. I will leave you with this thought – there must be more to life than thinking about ourselves.

I would love to hear your comments! What do you think? How can we change this ‘sickness’?
Talk soon. Jeanne.

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Restless legs syndrome doubles risk of stroke and heart disease

Contact: Angela Babb
ababb@aan.com
651-695-2789
American Academy of Neurology

ST. PAUL, Minn. – People with restless legs syndrome (RLS) are twice as likely to have a stroke or heart disease compared to people without RLS, and the risk is greatest in those with the most frequent and severe symptoms, according to research published in the January 1, 2008, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study, the largest of its kind enrolling both men and women, involved 3,433 people with an average age of 68 who were enrolled in the Sleep Heart Health Study. Participants were diagnosed with RLS by detailed questionnaire and asked if they had been diagnosed with a variety of systemic diseases including cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease. Of the participants, nearly seven percent of women and three percent of men had RLS.

The study found people with RLS were more than twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease or cerebrovascular disease. The results remained the same after adjusting for age, sex, race, body mass index, diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood pressure medication, HDL/LDL cholesterol levels, and smoking.

“The association of RLS with heart disease and stroke was strongest in those people who had RLS symptoms at least 16 times per month,” said study author John W. Winkelman, MD, PhD, with Harvard Medical School in Boston. “There was also an increased risk among people who said their RLS symptoms were severe compared to those with less bothersome symptoms.”

Winkelman says although this study does not show that RLS causes cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, a number of potential mechanics for such a process exist. “In particular, most people with RLS have as many as 200 to 300 periodic leg movements per night of sleep and these leg movements are associated with substantial acute increases in both blood pressure and heart rate, which may, over the long term, produce cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease.

Winkelman says there are limitations to the study, including that the diagnosis of RLS was self-reported by questionnaire rather than by clinical interview.

###
The study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 20,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, Parkinson disease, and multiple sclerosis.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com.

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Artist of the Day

MAKING MEMORIES AND SOBERING THOUGHTS FOR FIBROMITES

by Jeanne Hambleton © 2007
NFA Leader Against Pain-Advocate
 
I well remember how much I enjoyed Gene Kelly’s performance in the film “Singing in the Rain”. It made me feel so good, in spite of the bad weather, and between us, I really felt like being silly, running outside in the rain and singing my head off. But as my dear late Dad would have said, “Here’s a penny. Go in the next street!” That does not say much for my voice but the thought was there.

It is odd but these days you seldom hear children singing while playing. Do they still teach singing in school – all those pomp and circumstance songs like ‘Jerusalem’, ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ to name but two? Most children seem to know, ‘You’ll never walk alone’, but I guess that is down to the football fans. I seem to think we were encouraged to sing to get some fresh air in our lungs. I even remember doing breathing exercises at school – that must have been when Adam was a lad!

It also seems as if most children do not want to play in the rain and hate to get wet. What happy childhood memories come back when you see a picture of a young child in a hooded raincoat with wellies splashing in big puddles and giggling? I would think Health & Safety and the PC (Politically Correct) Brigade would have something to say about that these days – too dangerous – the child will slip over and hurt itself.

All this talk about singing and dancing in the rain brings me nicely to a little story, which I hope you will enjoy. To be truthful I am hoping to start an epidemic of people singing and dancing in the rain and getting them washed while they are at it. We could change the words, “I’m singing and washing in the rain”. Read on and you will understand where I am coming from. Regrettably I cannot remember which fibromite sent it to me – fibro fog – but thanks.
 
IT’S RAINING

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Zellers. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring with rain outside the store. It was the kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just outside the door of Zellers.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because it messed up their hurried day.  I am always mesmerized by rainfall.  I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in.
“Mom, let’s run through the rain,” she said.

 ”What?” Mom asked.

“Lets run through the rain!” she repeated.

“No, Honey. We’ll wait until it slows down a bit,” Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated: “Mom, let’s run through the rain,”

“We’ll get soaked if we do,” Mom said.

“No, we won’t, Mom.  That’s not what you said this morning,” the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom’s arm.

“This morning?  When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?”

“Don’t you remember?  When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, ‘If God can get us through this, He can get us through anything!’”

The entire crowd stopped dead silent.  I swear you couldn’t hear anything but the rain.  We all stood silently.  No one came or left in the next few moments.

 Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.  Now some would laugh it off and scold the child for being silly.  Some might even ignore what was said.  But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child’s life:  a time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

“Honey, you are absolutely right.  Let’s run through the rain.  If GOD lets us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing,” Mom said.

Then off they ran.  We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and, yes, through the puddles.  They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case.  They got soaked.  But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And, yes, I did.  I ran.  I got wet.  I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions.  They can take away your money, and they can also take away your health.  But no one can ever take away your precious memories.  So, don’t forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday.

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

I hope you still take the time to run through the rain. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Share this story with the people you’ll never forget.  It’s a short message and it will let them know that you’ll never forget them.

If you don’t tell anyone, it means you’re in a hurry.  A pity! Take the time to live!!!

Keep in touch with your friends.  You never know when you’ll need each other or you no longer can keep in touch – and don’t forget to run in the rain!

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Growth hormone as concomitant treatment in severe fibromyalgia associated with low IGF-1 serum levels. A pilot study.

Cuatrecasas G, Riudavets C, Guell MA, Nadal A.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: There is evidence of functional growth hormone (GH) deficiency, expressed by means of low insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) serum levels, in a subset of fibromyalgia patients. The efficacy of GH versus placebo has been previously suggested in this population. We investigated the efficacy and safety of low dose GH as an adjunct to standard therapy in the treatment of severe, prolonged and well-treated fibromyalgia patients with low IGF-1 levels.

METHODS: Twenty-four patients were enrolled in a randomized, open-label, best available care-controlled study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 0.0125 mg/kg/d of GH subcutaneously (titrated depending on IGF-1) added to standard therapy or standard therapy alone during one year. The number of tender points, the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D), including a Quality of Life visual analogic scale (EQ-VAS) were assessed at different time-points.

RESULTS: At the end of the study, the GH group showed a 60% reduction in the mean number of tender points (pairs) compared to the control group (p<0.05; 3.25+/-0.8 vs. 8.25+/-0.9). Similar improvements were observed in FIQ score (p<0.05) and EQ-VAS scale (p<0.001). There was a prompt response to GH administration, with most patients showing improvement within the first months in most of the outcomes. The concomitant administration of GH and standard therapy was well tolerated, and no patients discontinued the study due to adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS: The present findings indicate the advantage of adding a daily GH dose to the standard therapy in a subset of severe fibromyalgia patients with low IGF-1 serum levels. Trial Registration: NCT00497562 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

PMID: 18053120 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Phoenix Rising Researcher of the Year, Paper of the Year and Top Ten Papers

by Cort Johnson © 2007

This is coming a bit late but I encourage you to take a look back at 2006.

2006- “The Year of Innovation” – was a extraordinarily interesting year in ME/CFS as researchers again and again applied cutting edge technology in their efforts to understand it These efforts resulted in important advances Phoenix Risingin gene expression, heredity, brain research, the search for a biomarker and more. 2006 also produced the most clear cut (and controversial) winner of the Research Group of the Year award. Check these papers out – they give one hope for the future.

● The Phoenix Rising Research Group of the Year

● The Research Paper of the Year and the Top Ten

A new edition of the newsletter will be coming up soon as well as an end of year edition focusing on ME/CFS stories.

Yours truly,

Cort

Stress, depression high among Canadian peacekeepers

By Communications Staff

Thursday, December 13, 2007 Canada’s peacekeepers suffer similar rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) as combat, war-zone soldiers, according to a London, Ont. research team.
Psychiatrist J. Donald Richardson and his co-investigators also found that PTSD rates and severity were associated with younger age, single marital status and deployment frequency.

Richardson is a consultant psychiatrist with the Operational Stress Injury Clinic at Parkwood Hospital, part of St. Joseph’s Health Care, London and a professor with the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario.

His team conducted a random, national survey of more than 1,000 Canadian peacekeeping veterans with service-related disabilities. The participants were below the age of 65 and had served with the Canadian Forces from 1990 to 1999.

The research, published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, found a third of veterans deployed more than once suffered probable clinical depression, and 30 per cent of those deployed one time were affected.

The rates of probable PTSD were 11 per cent for those deployed once and 15 per cent for those deployed more than once. The authors also found peacekeepers were more likely to have PTSD and more severe symptoms if they were young, single, or had multiple deployments.

“This study has important clinical implications because understanding such risk factors can help predict potential psychiatric problems in veterans who have been deployed,” says Richardson.

“The high rates of depression observed in deployed veterans can have a significant impact when they seek treatment for PTSD because depression must be aggressively treated to help patients respond more effectively to psychotherapy.”

“Many veterans are also living and working in the community as civilians, therefore it is important that primary care physicians and psychiatrists become more knowledgeable about the emotional impact of military deployment and screen for possible PTSD,” says Richardson.

The Operational Stress Injury Clinic is funded by Veterans Affairs Canada and provides specialized services to help veterans and members of the Canadian Forces deal with PTSD, anxiety, depression or addiction resulting from military service.

ContactActing Publisher:
Ted Garrard (egarrard@uwo.ca)

Editor:
David Dauphinee (newseditor@uwo.ca)

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Paul Mayne (pmayne@uwo.ca)

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Bob Klanac
(rklanac@uwo.ca)

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Denise Jones (advertise@uwo.ca)

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Chris Amyot, Campus Ad (campusad@sympatico.ca)

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Coping styles in fibromyalgia: effect of co-morbid posttraumatic stress disorder.

Ablin JN, Cohen H, Neumann L, Kaplan Z, Buskila D.
Institute of Rheumatology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizman St., Tel-Aviv, 64239, Israel, ajacob@post.tau.ac.il.

To analyze coping styles of fibromyalgia (FM) patients with specific emphasis on differences in coping styles between fibromyalgia patients with and without post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Seventy-seven consecutive patients (40 women and 37 men) who fulfilled ACR criteria for FM, and 48 healthy controls, completed questionnaires measuring prevalence and severity of PTSD symptoms, including the structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R-non-patient edition (SCID-NP) and the clinician administered PTSD scale (CAPS). Subjects were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of PTSD symptoms. Subsequently, coping styles were measured using the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM) Coping Style Questionnaire. Student t tests were used to compare the means of quantitative variables, and proportions were compared by Chi square tests. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the scores of the FM patients with and without PTSD, as well as to estimate the effect of gender on psychiatric variables. FM patients exhibit significantly higher levels of suppression (P < 0.00001), help-seeking (P < 0.007), replacement (P < 0.003), substitution (P < 0.002), and reversal (P < 0.004) compared with healthy controls. FM patients with PTSD and without PTSD differed significantly only on the suppression subscale (P < 0.02). FM patients that have PTSD presented higher suppression scores compared to FM patients without PTSD. No significant difference was noted on scales of minimization, help-seeking, replacement, blame, substitution, mapping, and reversal. Our results have delineated coping patterns of FM patients, identifying suppression, help-seeking, replacement, substitution and replacement as strategies more common among these patients. We further identified suppression as the only coping style significantly more common among FM patients with co-morbid PTSD then among FM patients without such a diagnosis. Our results may serve to further characterize cognitive and behavioral aspects of FM patients and subsequently guide therapeutic interventions.

PMID: 18058105 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

1: Rheumatol Int. 2007 Dec 6 [Epub ahead of print]

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PETROL PROTESTS FROM SATURDAY

by Jeanne Hambleton © 2007
NFA Leader Against Pain-Advocate

A blog inviting comments from UK motorists about the hike in fuel costs and a protest, launched by Brendan McLoughlin from his website petrolprices.com has attracted more than 2600 signatures in 36 hours with overwhelming support for a fuel protest. The response has so far been far greater than the signatures received for many of the e-petitions for the eyes of the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

These are just a few of the pointed comments and criticisms of the fuel tax.

….the poor old pensioner is hit hard – I only wish my pension went up pro rata to fuel
……£1.08 a litre, compared to Tunisia where it was 22 pence a litre
……stop this legalised theft from the British driver
……RIP OFF Britain strikes again
……the government must be brought to task
……the obscene tax on fuel and ready to protest
……get a horse and cart, or protest?
……the government is shafting us at every angle

With such support in a short time, comments on the petrol blog have offered over whelming backing for action and a protest, with a very small minority opposed to blockades. When I last looked less than 36 hours after the first posting there were over 2600 comments and it was growing by the minute.

My poor e-petition for more funding for research for fibromyalgia appears to have stagnated at just over 550 signatures and I have been going on about that for months. Sadly it ends on 23 January 2008 when the Gordon Brown’s man will write back and say ‘tough’. Just in case I will leave the address here if you feel like giving me a bit of support before we get back to petrol http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/FIBROFUNDING/.

My grateful thanks to Brendan McLoughlin who this morning, Monday, sent me notice of likely petrol protests later this week. It is not what you know but who you know that counts!

Brendan, runs a very successful PetrolPrice.com newsletter service advising readers of the cheapest fuel prices within 5 miles of their home and this information can help you save money on petrol. His website, petrolprices.com, been working with a group called Transaction 2007 who have the latest news about plans for petrol protests.

The email I received today indicated protests were likely to happen from Wednesday but this now looks like action will be taken next Saturday… but it could be any time.

I hope Brendan can forgive me for quoting his email and website but, like me, I am sure he wants as many people as possible to be aware of what is happening.

We all know why it is happening and most of us are all disgusted at the tax levied by the Government on fuel, which adds insult to injury for the poor motorists and indeed ultimately the cost of living. As if we do not have enough problems with the growth of yellow speed cameras everywhere we look! Most thieves come in the dead of night and take maybe your TV, DVD, a bit of cash and jewellery and usually only strike once. But this ‘theft’ goes on week after week, year after year.

When travelling abroad I stand at petrol pumps with my jaw dropping at the price per litre. That, the cost of living and the government’s lousy governing is enough to make you emigrate.

While I have every sympathy with each and every motorists (I am one too), my heart goes out to the disabled and their carers – those with long term chronic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, ME, arthritis – many living on benefits – who use their cars as their lifeline. If you read the national press you will see that many elderly folk cannot afford to keep themselves warm, quite apart from paying over £1 a litre for petrol to get themselves to their doctor for their check-up, or collect their prescription, or have tests at the hospital. I wonder are they trying to kill off the disabled and the old folks and starve the rest of us to death with higher food, fuel and heating costs? When I say the Government I guess I am talking about Gordon Brown and his Cabinet. So no offence to those good guys (MPs) who have been helping some of us. But enough of my soapbox chatter

Read what Brendan has to say – and my grateful thanks to him for telling us –

Dear Jeanne,

Last week I was informed that a group called Transaction 2007 had plans this weekend to release a statement announcing some kind of protest action relating to the price of fuel in the UK. I have just read a statement published on their web site in which they have confirmed that they are going to organise legal protest action, and that it could begin as early as this Wednesday.

I have got more on the PetrolPrices.com blog about this:

http://www.petrolprices.com/blog/petrol-price-protests-planned-for-this-wednesday-86.html

We will of course be following the story as it unfolds next week to keep you informed. If you want to express your opinion about the plans you can do so on our blog, as always, by leaving your comments and voting in our polls.

Regards,
Brendan

Brendan McLoughlin
Co-Founder
PetrolPrices.com
telephone: 0844 8160025
email: brendan@petrolprices.com

The website he refers to reads:
A group called Transaction 2007 is planning a “nationwide legal protest” this Wednesday.

You might remember the fuel protest of 2000, which initially gathered strong support from motorists. However, that support quickly turned when many motorists were prevented from filling up because of lorry blockades.

PetrolPrices.com expressed to the organisers that they might find public support for another fuel protest providing it was properly planned to be legal and orderly. So far, the Transaction 2007 organisers have been unwilling to confirm to us specifically what action they have planned for this week. When we pressed the group’s spokesman, Chris Hunter, he said, “This will be a numbers game levied against legislation. I can comment no further.”

With fuel breaking well beyond the £1 barrier, PetrolPrices.com has had a huge rise in the number of emails from concerned motorists. People were especially angry following the last fuel duty hike imposed by the Government in October. Despite being made aware of the huge resistance from motorists, the Government pushed ahead with the 2p duty increase, leaving the public frustrated and angry. Over 80,000 people had voted against the tax hike on our blog post.

The protests of 2000 achieved some success in that the fuel duty escalator was frozen. However, it has now resumed and with the rising price of oil motorists are paying ever increasing taxation due to VAT on fuel. Unlike fuel duty, which is fixed, VAT is charged at 17.5%, so for every 1p increase in the price of fuel, we are actually paying an extra 1.175p.

We’d love to hear what you think. How have the tax and oil price rises affected you? Will you be forced to tighten your belt this Christmas as a result?

UPDATE: This morning (10/12/07) Transaction 2007 announced a firm date for the protest. Protests will start Saturday 15th December 2007 at 10:00am. They say the date was decided by members as “the best possible to enable those who would normally be working during the week to attend.” According to a press release on the site, they plan to protest outside refineries or storage depots across the country.

THE COMMENTS

Do log on to the website mentioned in Brendan’s letter as you will get the chance to make comments about the petrol situation on Brendan’s blog and VOTE on do you think the government should have acted before these protests? YES or NO.

In the first hour there were already 75 comments with cab drivers lorry drivers, and the public willing to get behind any protest.

The support is overwhelming for the protest with calls cut the tax with comments -
Very soon I’m not even going to be able to afford to drive to work which will mean no pay….no job no home etc! Where exactly do they get off charging us these prices? Where I live to get public transport to work would cost me over £12 each way just to go by bus…hello?????????

Rising fuel prices add to the cost of virtually everything. Fuel eats into already thinly spread fixed incomes, but the government doesn’t seem to care.

I think you have heard me say this numerous times – it is time to write to your MP not only for fibromyalgia but for fuel tax

We MUST act together and hit the government hard – write to your MP and tell him unless he starts to act on your behalf then you’ll be looking for a new MP – remember that this government was elected and can be elected out…

The government and their taxes are a joke. Gordon Brown needs to improve public transport or lower fuel duty, or he could very well be out of a job come the next general election

I am absolutely disgusted in the Government’s behaviour in handling our taxes and fuel duties. I was part of the protestors at Kingsbury last time but, yes you’ve guessed it, they’re threatening to get the army in if we do it again. I say, LET’S DO IT AGAIN. They can’t arrest all of us if we all stand for the same thing can they? The prison’s are already over-full and can’t cope! It’s about time everyone in this country stood up for themselves. Are we going to let Gordon Brown bully us into submission??

The levels of taxation on fuel here are totally unjustified given the seriously poor public transport as an alternative.

It’s time we acted to show Brown how seriously unhappy we are with this stealth tax

If the government tried living on average wages they would see what a struggle life is already is without this outrageous tax hike!

I can understand why so many British people are now trying to emigrate, and that’s because they are all fed up of being robbed not by criminals but by our own government. I wouldn’t be surprised if we are taxed to breathe next.

Gordon – I’m sure you can save money by not paying so many benefits to lazy people and immigrants!!!

Posted by Peter, 9th December 2007 10:35pm
The reality is that oil is a finite resource, and as there becomes less of it then it will become more expensive. If you choose to live miles from where you work or work miles from where you live then you have to face the costs of your choices. Don’t blame everyone else for the consequences of your own decisions, particularly the government.
Posted by Steve, 9th December 2007 10:39pm
I take it that peter has a good well paid job and can afford to live in a built up area. Blockade now!

Personally I think this was this written by Gordon’s new spin doctor – could it be Alistair C.? If you want to receive e-mails from Brendan about the changeable petrol prices and the cheapest pump near you visit PetrolPrices.com to be added to his address book. It is a great service. If you want a good read – have a go at the blog. I could not get to the end it grew so fast.

I am thinking of getting a horse and cart. I might be late for work every day but I will blame Gordon Brown. He has got broad shoulders. The manure will be good for my rhubarb. I will keep you posted. Talk soon.

Jeanne

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A PICTURES PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS

by Jeanne Hambleton © 2007
NFA Leader Against Pain-Advocate

I don’t know how in the world a ‘Man in a Bear Suit’ won the prestigious UK Turner Prize. I am still shaking my head in amazement. I would suggest the judges should have looked at

http://www.art4africa.co.uk/

before making their decision. This certainly brought a lump to my throat. Read on for more details.

Some of you will remember my November story FOOD FOR SKINNY KIDS. This highlighted how lucky our children are compared to the starving, poverty stricken and dying children in Africa.

No, I have not heard from Bob Geldorf who I referred to in the earlier story, but my spirits have been lifted with the creativity of an 8 year old girl in the UK.

While other children are doing list of the gifts they want from Santa Claus, Sunnie, her brothers Harrison and Morgan, and the children they play with – Ruby, Bethany, Erika, Lucy, Ellie, Declan, Tyler, Robyn and Nancy – who ages range between 4 and 11 – are drawing pictures to raise money for African children less fortunate than themselves. Originally they intended to sell the pictures to passers-by. Now they plan to sell these on the Internet to raise £18 a month to send an African girl, who has had no education, to school.

With the help of a friend of her mother, Sunnie now had a website called about her art 4 Africa where the children are selling their pictures to help those less fortunate than themselves. To look at and buy the children’s pictures to help the African children, log on to

http://www.art4africa.co.uk

I hope this will pull your heart strings at this time of the year when most kids want new electronic Wii games at £279 or £320, these children are thinking about the starving African youngsters.

The site tells you these original works of art have been created by the children of the Little Angels Club, to help raise money for less fortunate children in Africa. All proceeds from the sale of the artworks will be donated directly to Worldvision.org. Please take a look at the Art for Sale section of the site, and then email Sunnie with your artwork request.

Sunnie’s page suggests when you purchase one of the Little Angels pieces of art, remember the image reference number, and email her with the details. She will check the availability and email back details for making your payment.

Original art on canvas costs £9.99; original art on A4 paper is £4.00 including postage and packing. Email Sunnie on: sunnie@art4africa.co.uk if you want to support her selfless charitable project.

The original pictures include drawings, paintings and collages of the children themselves, someone’s brother, their mums, several angels, various animals, a boat, a home, a picture called “pretty” by a 4 year old, and several `art’ creations, collages and a love heart. This will inevitably change as the pictures are sold and replaced.

News of Sunnie’s new charity venture came to me from Sunnie’s proud mother who affectionately calls the children the Little Angels. The children have played together at weekends and during holidays for a long time and she says they are “not a scrap of trouble”. They are now living up to their name.

Sunnie’s mother writing about the creativity of her 8 year old said, “My daughter Sunnie was sitting at the table one Sunday – as she does, busy with art but this time it was different. She was creating beautiful pieces of art saying she was going to sell them on a table in our drive and that the money was going to pay for children in Africa.

“Well I could not let such a wonderful loving and creative idea go to waste – so with some help from a friend, Sunnie now has a website selling art for those African children.

Log on to http://www.art4africa.co.uk

“Her brothers, Harrison and Morgan, and the other Little Angels have been busy creating too. On Thursday I rang WorldVision.org and Sunnie, the boys and the children are now sponsoring a little girl born on the same day as Sunnie, 20 November 1999, and she is 8 too. Her name is Fatou. It will cost £18 per month to send her to school. She has never been to school. Fatou lives in a very deprived area with barely any clean water and high HIV/Aids risk.

“Sunnie and the children can write to her and send her photos and gifts and she can write back. When asked what she has always wanted she asked for a rag doll. On Thursday afternoon we bought her first rag doll, which we will post now, hopefully in time for Christmas.

“The little girl’s photo arrived this morning – Fatou – and I cried when I saw her photo – she is beautiful. Please support Sunnie, the children and Fatou. We pray that this will be very successful so that we can support and help more children.

“For Sunnie and the children to be able to write to Fatou is wonderful – they will know what their art is achieving for a child less fortunate than them, all the way across the world. If any of you have websites – please link with Sunnie and spread the word by forwarding the details. Our children of today want to and can make a difference if and only if we as adults support them in doing so

“Enough said really – no words describe how proud I am of Sunnie and her ideas and how proud I am of the beautiful pictures created by all the Little Angels,” she said.

I learned that the Little Angels are children who come to play. It started in September 2006. Their ages range form 4 to 11 and there are 12 children altogether. Sunnie, Harrison, Morgan, Declan, Bethany, Ruby, Ellie, Lucy, Erika, Tyler, Nancy, Robyn. Occasionally other children join in too. The money to send Fatou to school is paid to WorldVision by direct debit each month.

Sunnie’s mother told me, “We hope to sponsor more African children in need of help and loving care in with the art project. Sunnie has been a good girl and has been typing answers to emails. She has answered 7 emails today in one finger type *smile* and started her own blog so people can see what she is up to with the art for Africa.”

When Sunnie’s website went live at the weekend, her email was very busy with orders, well wishers and folks wanting to help. Is this the Spirit of Christmas Past or Christmas Future?

I wish this venture lots of luck and immense support. You will help Sunnie, won’t you? With such initiative she certainly needs as much encouragement, as a citizen of tomorrow, as we can possibly give her. With this project, who knows where the future will lead her. Sunnie in name and certainly sunny by nature.

Good luck Sunnie and may you help lots and lots of African children.

Log on now – let this be your Christmas charity gift – http://www.art4africa.co.uk - and then email sunnie@art4africa.co.uk .You have to admire Sunnie’s spirit. Be back soon.

Jeanne

See Also: http://fmsglobalnews.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/food-for-skinny-kids-%e2%80%93-a-story-which-needs-to-circulate-forever/

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CONGO ON DOGGIE DEATH ROW GETS WORLDWIDE SUPPORT AND TV PUBLICITY FOR HIS REPRIEVE

by Jeanne Hambleton © Without prejudice
NFA Leader Against Pain

Last month I wrote the sad story of a German Shepherd dog called Congo who had been sentenced to death, and who is now on a temporary reprieve awaiting a final verdict.

His crime was doing what all dogs do – protecting the ones he loved – his family while in his own garden. Congo was alleged to have attacked a landscaper who the owners claim had attacked his mistress, and his puppies and the female German Shepherd.

On a video of a CBS TV report from the American News Channel 25 Congo was shown playing ball as a normal family pet with the James children, while posing no threat to the TV film crew or the on scene reporter in the 10 acre garden where the dog is confined pending sentence.

Congo is still awaiting news of whether he will be let off or if he will be condemned to death for doing what comes naturally, protecting his own family at home.

Meanwhile the court is reported to have said nothing will happen to Congo until an appeal is heard by a higher court. It is thought this will now be scheduled for the New Year.

While Congo waits unaware of what the future might hold, worldwide support to save him pours into Princeton while people continue to sign the petition to SAVE CONGO. The James family who are glad of the support from dog lovers everywhere who believe Congo did the right thing protecting his family, but others ion the television interview are quoted as saying they believe any dog that bites is unsafe.

As a reporter I would ask, ‘Is this regardless of the circumstances?’

To me this sounds like sentencing someone to death before you have actually listened to what they are saying. Congo was after following his natural instinct – to protecting. It is alleged this was not an unprovoked attack. Here in the UK we are considered innocent until proven guilty – hopefully with a fair trial. But I understand one court official has confirmed that Congo will have a fair hearing.

Glen and Elizabeth James, Congo’s owners, have vowed to fight all the way to save their two-year-old beloved pet called.

I am delighted CBS TV have highlighted Congo’s story on their website and included a video with pictures of Congo and an interview with the family.

My thanks to Diane sending me the fist news about Congo and to FMS Global News who circulated the news worldwide to help us gain support to SAVE CONGO.

I will be keeping an eye on this story and let you know if Congo’s story has a happy ending. I hope so. Talk soon Jeanne

To look at the recent video of the story a reported by CBS TV News follow this link.

http://wcbstv.com/seenon/german.shepard.doggie.2.566960.html

If you would like to read the original stories published on November 15 and 20 log on to

http://jeannehambleton77.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/a-fibromite-and-a-woeful-tail/

http://jeannehambleton77.wordpress.com/2007/11/20/congo-gets-temporary-reprieve-while-judge-receives-death-threats/

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